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The Choice
Renee Gulliver appears to have it all: a beautiful house overlooking a scenic estuary on England’s East Coast; a successful career as a relationship therapist; three grown up children; and a beloved grandson, Xavier. But things aren't always as they seem on the surface, as Renee is all too aware. And when Xavier vanishes after she fails to pick him up from school one day, the repercussions are manifold.
Renee is wracked with remorse; her daughter Mia can't forgive her; the local community question her priorities; and her clients abandon her. But as long-held family secrets threaten to tear her world apart once and for all, those same secrets might also hold hope for the future -- because it's not always the secret itself that has the power to destroy; sometimes it's the act of keeping of it . . .
For fans of Hannah Beckerman and Lucy Diamond, Penny Hancock's The Choice is a beautiful, haunting novel about family secrets and silences -- and the power of love.
Renee is wracked with remorse; her daughter Mia can't forgive her; the local community question her priorities; and her clients abandon her. But as long-held family secrets threaten to tear her world apart once and for all, those same secrets might also hold hope for the future -- because it's not always the secret itself that has the power to destroy; sometimes it's the act of keeping of it . . .
For fans of Hannah Beckerman and Lucy Diamond, Penny Hancock's The Choice is a beautiful, haunting novel about family secrets and silences -- and the power of love.
- GenresFiction
Paperback
First published July 21, 2022
About the author
Penny Hancock
40 books117 followersPenny grew up in South East London and then did an English degree in Newcastle Upon Tyne. For several years she taught English as a foreign language in Italy, Greece and Morocco. She then took a PGCE, got a job as a Primary school teacher in an inner city London school, and moved into her partner Andy’s short-life house in East London, which is now part of the hardcore under the M11 that links their new home in Cambridge with her birth place in Greenwich!
While bringing up their three children, she continued to teach in primary schools, taught English to asylum seekers, and ran adult education classes in writing. She also wrote articles for various papers (The Independent, The Guardian, The Times Ed, The Sunday Express magazine, and Child Education, amongst others) specialising in family and education. Penny has also written readers for English language learners for Cambridge University Press, and a Primary English course for children published by Longmans. It was an Arvon writing course and an MA in creative writing at Anglia Ruskin University that encouraged her to complete her first novel.
Source: http://pennyhancock.com/bio/
While bringing up their three children, she continued to teach in primary schools, taught English to asylum seekers, and ran adult education classes in writing. She also wrote articles for various papers (The Independent, The Guardian, The Times Ed, The Sunday Express magazine, and Child Education, amongst others) specialising in family and education. Penny has also written readers for English language learners for Cambridge University Press, and a Primary English course for children published by Longmans. It was an Arvon writing course and an MA in creative writing at Anglia Ruskin University that encouraged her to complete her first novel.
Source: http://pennyhancock.com/bio/
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 1, 2022
"The Choice" is the perfect choice for an engrossing and heartfelt family drama.
It's a book with rich characterizations and powerful messaging about how secrets, impulsivity, and poor parental decisions can rip families apart.
The pressures and conflicts of motherhood become center focus when the book's protagonist is faced with an impossible choice that no mother should ever have to make.
The story follows Renee, a working mother of three adult children and one grandson.
Renee is a successful, sought-after relationship counselor but when she forgets to pick her grandson up at school and he goes missing, it becomes clear that it is Renee, the relationship counselor, who needs help remedying her own family's toxic relationships.
The story is very fast-paced with protagonists who are unreliable, poignant, and deeply flawed. (My favorite kind!)
What elevates this story, however, is Penny Hancock's exceptional writing skills and her unique ability to tell a story and stay on track.
I listened to the audiobook read by Katherine Press and Lucy Scott and the narration was superb.
This is my first Penny Hancock book and I look forward to reading future titles by this talented author.
4.5 stars rounded up.
It's a book with rich characterizations and powerful messaging about how secrets, impulsivity, and poor parental decisions can rip families apart.
The pressures and conflicts of motherhood become center focus when the book's protagonist is faced with an impossible choice that no mother should ever have to make.
The story follows Renee, a working mother of three adult children and one grandson.
Renee is a successful, sought-after relationship counselor but when she forgets to pick her grandson up at school and he goes missing, it becomes clear that it is Renee, the relationship counselor, who needs help remedying her own family's toxic relationships.
The story is very fast-paced with protagonists who are unreliable, poignant, and deeply flawed. (My favorite kind!)
What elevates this story, however, is Penny Hancock's exceptional writing skills and her unique ability to tell a story and stay on track.
I listened to the audiobook read by Katherine Press and Lucy Scott and the narration was superb.
This is my first Penny Hancock book and I look forward to reading future titles by this talented author.
4.5 stars rounded up.
August 10, 2023
like.... right
January 5, 2023
Complex, thought-provoking, and engaging!
The Choice is a multilayered, emotional, domestic drama that delves into all the complexities, dynamics, and dysfunction that exist in the familial relationships of the Gulliver family, including the long-lasting effects of secrets and the art of forgiveness.
The prose is mysterious and smooth. The characters are hesitant, conflicted, and troubled. And the plot is a well-paced, pensive tale about life, loss, love, tragedy, resentment, regret, guilt, grief, familial drama, self-reflection, friendship, and absolution.
Overall, The Choice is a rich, immersive, absorbing tale by Hancock that reminds us that life is complicated and messy, and even the smallest choices we make often have far-reaching consequences.
Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Choice is a multilayered, emotional, domestic drama that delves into all the complexities, dynamics, and dysfunction that exist in the familial relationships of the Gulliver family, including the long-lasting effects of secrets and the art of forgiveness.
The prose is mysterious and smooth. The characters are hesitant, conflicted, and troubled. And the plot is a well-paced, pensive tale about life, loss, love, tragedy, resentment, regret, guilt, grief, familial drama, self-reflection, friendship, and absolution.
Overall, The Choice is a rich, immersive, absorbing tale by Hancock that reminds us that life is complicated and messy, and even the smallest choices we make often have far-reaching consequences.
Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2022
It's been a long time since I read a book by Penny Hancock, and have to admit that I have a couple of her books still on my shelf, waiting to be read. I really should rectify that soon.
The Choice is a emotional story featuring family drama and long held secrets. We meet Renee, a woman who appears, on the surface to have it all. A long marriage to Tobias, a thriving career as a therapist, an amazing house and three adult children. The real love of her life is Xavier, her beloved grandson. She didn't really know love until Xavier appeared.
One day, Renee forgets to collect Xavier from school, and it is this event that paves the way for the drama to follow. First, why did Renee forget her most treasured Xavier, what on earth could she have been thinking about? And then, she suddenly becomes the most hated person around. Friends, neighbours and even family become her enemies
I was so impressed by the author's ability to get to the heart of the issues, creating a story that will leave the reader in tatters at times. Despite Renee's failing, it is very difficult not to empathise with her as issues come to the surface. It's a talented author who can show all sides of a character and get her readers on board so very well.
A thought-provoking story that looks at how actions can have consequences for a very long time. It is enthralling and compelling. Complex issues dealt with tenderly and compassionately. A story to savour and to remember.
The Choice is a emotional story featuring family drama and long held secrets. We meet Renee, a woman who appears, on the surface to have it all. A long marriage to Tobias, a thriving career as a therapist, an amazing house and three adult children. The real love of her life is Xavier, her beloved grandson. She didn't really know love until Xavier appeared.
One day, Renee forgets to collect Xavier from school, and it is this event that paves the way for the drama to follow. First, why did Renee forget her most treasured Xavier, what on earth could she have been thinking about? And then, she suddenly becomes the most hated person around. Friends, neighbours and even family become her enemies
I was so impressed by the author's ability to get to the heart of the issues, creating a story that will leave the reader in tatters at times. Despite Renee's failing, it is very difficult not to empathise with her as issues come to the surface. It's a talented author who can show all sides of a character and get her readers on board so very well.
A thought-provoking story that looks at how actions can have consequences for a very long time. It is enthralling and compelling. Complex issues dealt with tenderly and compassionately. A story to savour and to remember.
September 4, 2024
This was my first novel by this author. The plot sounded great, mom, a therapist, torn between an estranged middle daughter, a bitter older daughter, with a missing grandson and a recently disabled husband - lots of drama to be had, right^
For me this was only ok. I was able to put it down and attend to other things, like sleep. But I can't say I didn't enjoy it, and I never considered DNF'ing it, so there you go. I can't put my finger on a specific thing that made it less than stellar for me, although I felt that maybe a lot of Renee's therapist-type thinking was a little forced at times. All in all, it was thought provoking, and I was invested enough in the characters to want to know what would happen. I note that I am a bit of an outlier here, this book has many wonderful reviews, so maybe it was just me.
For me this was only ok. I was able to put it down and attend to other things, like sleep. But I can't say I didn't enjoy it, and I never considered DNF'ing it, so there you go. I can't put my finger on a specific thing that made it less than stellar for me, although I felt that maybe a lot of Renee's therapist-type thinking was a little forced at times. All in all, it was thought provoking, and I was invested enough in the characters to want to know what would happen. I note that I am a bit of an outlier here, this book has many wonderful reviews, so maybe it was just me.
April 30, 2023
Sizzling Starbursts! 😳😯🥺😳
⊰ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐤 ⊱
Oh for the love of chocolate & carbs! This book gave me so many feels, much like a Picoult book. Hancock weaves such a beautiful, heart-breaking yet full of drama and uncertainty for a plot; family dysfunction at its finest. The emotions that were provoked from this novel are so deep and unreal. Choices, consequences, what love will make us do, especially to protect our family, is at the core of this novel. The layers peeled back through every chapter keep you engrossed and finding yourself able to relate to each character on so many levels. Life is messy, complicated and struggles galore, & Hancock does such an eloquent job of portraying the realities in this plot. Each character is struggling with something within and the question is, will secrets, hurt & guilt tear them all apart? How far is too far gone?
Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for this ARC.
Release Date: Out Now!
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Full Moons! 🌕
⊰ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐤 ⊱
Oh for the love of chocolate & carbs! This book gave me so many feels, much like a Picoult book. Hancock weaves such a beautiful, heart-breaking yet full of drama and uncertainty for a plot; family dysfunction at its finest. The emotions that were provoked from this novel are so deep and unreal. Choices, consequences, what love will make us do, especially to protect our family, is at the core of this novel. The layers peeled back through every chapter keep you engrossed and finding yourself able to relate to each character on so many levels. Life is messy, complicated and struggles galore, & Hancock does such an eloquent job of portraying the realities in this plot. Each character is struggling with something within and the question is, will secrets, hurt & guilt tear them all apart? How far is too far gone?
Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for this ARC.
Release Date: Out Now!
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Full Moons! 🌕
January 22, 2023
Round up to 4.5 stars.
June 13, 2023
Poignant
July 27, 2022
I LOVED this book, who wouldn’t, family drama! Secrets! Horrible characters, forgiveness and good old forgetfulness.
My heart melted for Irena and all she had been through, Tobias was horrid!! The fact he carried on with the original thoughts and put Mia first to protect her.
Mia- where to begin!! If I could punch her in the face, I would do, couldn’t stand her, completely full of herself and nasty 🤢
Grab this book know for your summer read.
My heart melted for Irena and all she had been through, Tobias was horrid!! The fact he carried on with the original thoughts and put Mia first to protect her.
Mia- where to begin!! If I could punch her in the face, I would do, couldn’t stand her, completely full of herself and nasty 🤢
Grab this book know for your summer read.
October 2, 2022
Penny Hancock’s The Choice is a thought-provoking tale about family secrets, long-held resentments and the complexities of the ties that bind us together that will keep you glued to its pages.
Renee Gulliver is a woman who seems to have the world at her feet. She has a thriving career as a relationships therapist, a beautiful house, three grown-up children and a grandson she absolutely dotes on. Xavier is the apple of Renee’s eye and there is simply nothing in this word she wouldn’t do for her beloved grandson. But when Renee fails to pick him up from school, she sets off a chain of events that threaten to jeopardise the life she has worked so hard to build and the family that means everything to her.
Renee’s error of judgment transforms her from pillar of the community to pariah. Her clients begin to desert her, the local community turns its back on her and simmering tensions come to the surface and tear her entire world apart. Renee’s daughter Mia offers her an ultimatum that breaks her heart, but if she wants to unite her family, the devastated grandmother finds herself with no other choice but to comply.
Can Renee fight her way through dangerous secrets and distressing lies to reunite her family? Or have her actions succeeded in tearing them apart forever?
A captivating domestic drama full of tension, intensity and menace, Penny Hancock’s The Choice explores the life-changing repercussions of our actions. Intelligently written, deftly plotted and brilliantly involving, The Choice is a compulsively readable tale that is so engrossing, once you start reading it, putting it down is simply not an option.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Renee Gulliver is a woman who seems to have the world at her feet. She has a thriving career as a relationships therapist, a beautiful house, three grown-up children and a grandson she absolutely dotes on. Xavier is the apple of Renee’s eye and there is simply nothing in this word she wouldn’t do for her beloved grandson. But when Renee fails to pick him up from school, she sets off a chain of events that threaten to jeopardise the life she has worked so hard to build and the family that means everything to her.
Renee’s error of judgment transforms her from pillar of the community to pariah. Her clients begin to desert her, the local community turns its back on her and simmering tensions come to the surface and tear her entire world apart. Renee’s daughter Mia offers her an ultimatum that breaks her heart, but if she wants to unite her family, the devastated grandmother finds herself with no other choice but to comply.
Can Renee fight her way through dangerous secrets and distressing lies to reunite her family? Or have her actions succeeded in tearing them apart forever?
A captivating domestic drama full of tension, intensity and menace, Penny Hancock’s The Choice explores the life-changing repercussions of our actions. Intelligently written, deftly plotted and brilliantly involving, The Choice is a compulsively readable tale that is so engrossing, once you start reading it, putting it down is simply not an option.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 4, 2022
Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things tours for my invitation to the tour and to Mantle books for my proof copy in return for a fair and honest review.
Renee does look on the surface to have it all, a loving husband and family. However, when you peel back the façade there is much that is not perfect. Tobias, her husband of over thirty years, who has ill health after a stroke, a missing daughter Irena, and then her grandson Xavier, who she absolutely dotes on disappears when she forgets to collect him from school. Her other daughter Mia is distraught at her son’s disappearance and blames Renee.
This book totally gripped me from the first chapter, the total angst of realising that you have forgotten to collect a child is bad enough but to find out that the child has disappeared is unthinkable. The author really delves deep into family relationships and the flaws that they can have. I really felt for Irena who left home at sixteen and has never returned, her relationship with Tobias was always strained and it must have felt unbearable. It is cleverly plotted as I thought I knew where the story was headed but it threw me many a curve ball that I loved. The secrets in this family have caused such a chasm in the relationships it is hard to believe that they can ever be repaired. The book is written from the perspectives of Renee and Irena which gave a really insightful look at the family and I am not going to give anymore away about this emotional rollercoaster of a read.
This is my first book by Penny Hancock and I will be definitely be seeking out her others, if you like a book that will grip your heart then this is for you !
5 stars *****
Renee does look on the surface to have it all, a loving husband and family. However, when you peel back the façade there is much that is not perfect. Tobias, her husband of over thirty years, who has ill health after a stroke, a missing daughter Irena, and then her grandson Xavier, who she absolutely dotes on disappears when she forgets to collect him from school. Her other daughter Mia is distraught at her son’s disappearance and blames Renee.
This book totally gripped me from the first chapter, the total angst of realising that you have forgotten to collect a child is bad enough but to find out that the child has disappeared is unthinkable. The author really delves deep into family relationships and the flaws that they can have. I really felt for Irena who left home at sixteen and has never returned, her relationship with Tobias was always strained and it must have felt unbearable. It is cleverly plotted as I thought I knew where the story was headed but it threw me many a curve ball that I loved. The secrets in this family have caused such a chasm in the relationships it is hard to believe that they can ever be repaired. The book is written from the perspectives of Renee and Irena which gave a really insightful look at the family and I am not going to give anymore away about this emotional rollercoaster of a read.
This is my first book by Penny Hancock and I will be definitely be seeking out her others, if you like a book that will grip your heart then this is for you !
5 stars *****
May 7, 2022
I haven’t read any of Penny’s previous books but am now compelled to do so as I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Renee is a relationship counselor who from outward appearances seems to have the best life so the locals flock to her door for help with their family problems. But there are cracks that are threatening to widen in her world that others don’t see. Her perfect family is not so perfect. Her three adult children all have issues relating to previous traumas and she struggles to balance her life between caring for her husband after a stroke, her work, her children's interactions, and her aging mother. When an incident causes her to forget to pick up her grandson at school and he goes missing she is forced to confront all the angst and resentments members of her family hold for past events.
Some clever observations about how easily misunderstandings happen within families that have far reaching consequences and even the most seemingly perfect families have secrets and scars.
Renee is a relationship counselor who from outward appearances seems to have the best life so the locals flock to her door for help with their family problems. But there are cracks that are threatening to widen in her world that others don’t see. Her perfect family is not so perfect. Her three adult children all have issues relating to previous traumas and she struggles to balance her life between caring for her husband after a stroke, her work, her children's interactions, and her aging mother. When an incident causes her to forget to pick up her grandson at school and he goes missing she is forced to confront all the angst and resentments members of her family hold for past events.
Some clever observations about how easily misunderstandings happen within families that have far reaching consequences and even the most seemingly perfect families have secrets and scars.
August 1, 2022
An estranged daughter. A missing grandson. A mother faced with an impossible choice. This promises so much in the way of emotion and suspense, and delivers it well as grandmother Renee realises with horror that she has forgotten to pick her grandson up from school. In the time that Xavier is missing, family conflict plays out with secrets surfacing and old resentments play out – leading to Xavier’s mum, Mia giving her own mother a heartbreaking ultimatum.
This was a strong and satisfying emotional read, delving deeply into family dynamics and posing questions of who shares the burden of guilt and innocence when things go horribly wrong.
Along with strong characters and a well-paced, emotional plot, this book carries the reader along with the beauty of its prose.
Engaging, thought-provoking and a reminder that all actions, big or small, have far-reaching consequences that cannot be ignored for ever.
This was a strong and satisfying emotional read, delving deeply into family dynamics and posing questions of who shares the burden of guilt and innocence when things go horribly wrong.
Along with strong characters and a well-paced, emotional plot, this book carries the reader along with the beauty of its prose.
Engaging, thought-provoking and a reminder that all actions, big or small, have far-reaching consequences that cannot be ignored for ever.
May 13, 2022
This is a moving family drama centred around therapist Renee who, due to a clandestine meeting, forgets she has to collect her grandson from school and when she realises he isn’t there and no one knows where he is. The impact of this causes a rift with daughter which leaves her with an impossible dilemma and repercussions at work caused by a lack of trust in Renee. There’s a whole lot more to this than just this incident as Renee’s family has quite a backstory which is well revealed as the book progresses. I felt for Renee not just due to this lapse but overall as she, like many women her age, has a lot to juggle with her day to day struggles and with menopause on top of everything else. It wasn’t as easy to feel for the other characters as individuals but I certainly felt some sympathy for them. Overall this is a solid character read with a whole lot of drama thrown in.
Read
August 31, 2022Renee is a relationship counsellor who from outward appearances seems to have the best life so the locals flock to her door for help with their family problems. But there are cracks that are threatening to widen in her world that others don’t see. Her perfect family is not so perfect. Her three adult children all have issues relating to previous traumas and she struggles to balance her life between caring for her husband after a stroke, her work, her children's interactions, and her aging mother. When an incident causes her to forget to pick up her grandson at school and he goes missing she is forced to confront all the angst and resentments members of her family hold for past events.
Some clever observations about how easily misunderstandings happen within families that have far reaching consequences and even the most seemingly perfect families have secrets and scars.
- Leanne
Some clever observations about how easily misunderstandings happen within families that have far reaching consequences and even the most seemingly perfect families have secrets and scars.
- Leanne
July 27, 2022
What an opening chapter!
When Renee's grandson Xavier goes missing, stories soon start to unravel.
As a therapist Renee helps bring lives back together, so why is he family falling apart?
This was a one sitting read for me. A first by Penny Hancock and I absolutely loved it.
An emotionally charged read, that will capture your heart.
Overall.
The Choice is fraught with secrets and unhealthy family dynamics. Brilliantly written characters brought the story to life. Irena left me completely heartbroken, the development of her story was written perfectly. The whole book flowed so naturally, with believability and characters you'll love and those you despise. I was completely invested from the first chapter.
When Renee's grandson Xavier goes missing, stories soon start to unravel.
As a therapist Renee helps bring lives back together, so why is he family falling apart?
This was a one sitting read for me. A first by Penny Hancock and I absolutely loved it.
An emotionally charged read, that will capture your heart.
Overall.
The Choice is fraught with secrets and unhealthy family dynamics. Brilliantly written characters brought the story to life. Irena left me completely heartbroken, the development of her story was written perfectly. The whole book flowed so naturally, with believability and characters you'll love and those you despise. I was completely invested from the first chapter.
August 3, 2022
This book was an emotional rollercoaster. A real family story showing how secrets, when buried, can ruin a whole family.
On the face of it, Renee has everything. But like many stories that deal with family emotions, nothing is as it seems. Her relationships with her children have crumbled over the years. All stemming from childhood incidents that were never resolved. It shows how even a family counsellor can miss what’s happening in their own home. This book will take you through every emotion there is, and then some!
I enjoyed every second of the book and found it thoroughly immersive and true to life. It’s my first by the author, but I don’t intend it to be my last!
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
On the face of it, Renee has everything. But like many stories that deal with family emotions, nothing is as it seems. Her relationships with her children have crumbled over the years. All stemming from childhood incidents that were never resolved. It shows how even a family counsellor can miss what’s happening in their own home. This book will take you through every emotion there is, and then some!
I enjoyed every second of the book and found it thoroughly immersive and true to life. It’s my first by the author, but I don’t intend it to be my last!
With thanks to Anne Cater, the publisher and the author for the advanced reading copy of this book.
January 9, 2026
📚The Choice
✍️Penny Hancock
🎧Audiobook
3⭐️
Renee and Tobias have three children; Mia, George and estranged Erana. One day, Renee forgets to pick grandson Xavier up from school and by the time she arrives, he’s nowhere to be seen. This accident has a domino effect on the family; revealing long kept tensions and secrets. Renee was a frustrating, short-sighted therapist who doesn’t appear to have empathy for members of her own family or even her clients. She is completely self-absorbed and is only interested in how the goings on in the family affect her. None of the characters felt overly authentic, they were far too measured and just acquiesced to someone else’s version of history or opinion, without giving their own.
✍️Penny Hancock
🎧Audiobook
3⭐️
Renee and Tobias have three children; Mia, George and estranged Erana. One day, Renee forgets to pick grandson Xavier up from school and by the time she arrives, he’s nowhere to be seen. This accident has a domino effect on the family; revealing long kept tensions and secrets. Renee was a frustrating, short-sighted therapist who doesn’t appear to have empathy for members of her own family or even her clients. She is completely self-absorbed and is only interested in how the goings on in the family affect her. None of the characters felt overly authentic, they were far too measured and just acquiesced to someone else’s version of history or opinion, without giving their own.
July 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It shows how powerful families can be and how an incident changes how family members perceive each other. From a misunderstanding that was covered up for years, heartbreak, arguements, tears follow and the family is broken up but the truth has to come out eventually.
I liked the characters, the story got me hooked and I could see the different sides of the family as I read on. The storyline was gripping and a real page turner. I'm sad to have finished it!
I liked the writing style and liked that each chapter was from a different person's angle. Would recommend this book.
I liked the characters, the story got me hooked and I could see the different sides of the family as I read on. The storyline was gripping and a real page turner. I'm sad to have finished it!
I liked the writing style and liked that each chapter was from a different person's angle. Would recommend this book.
July 24, 2022
The first book I've read by Hancock and what an absolute tearjerker this was. I found so much in this that I could relate to with my step-fathers behaviour and resentment towards me and that was over a misunderstanding too.
A beautifully written piece of family drama showing how perceptions and favouritism can change a family's dynamic overnight. It shows why secrets and lies should never be told/kept as they'll always work their way back to the surface.
With solid characters who were both realistic and relatable I found The Choice an emotionally raw read, that was both powerful and thought provoking.
Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my tour spot.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A beautifully written piece of family drama showing how perceptions and favouritism can change a family's dynamic overnight. It shows why secrets and lies should never be told/kept as they'll always work their way back to the surface.
With solid characters who were both realistic and relatable I found The Choice an emotionally raw read, that was both powerful and thought provoking.
Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my tour spot.
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 9, 2023
As a therapist, Renee knows that all is not always as perfect as it seems. One day, when she is supposed to pick up her grandson, Xavier, from school, life gets in the way and she forgets. And when she realizes her mistake, Xavier is nowhere to be found.
This domestic drama is told in dual POV. It's raw, thought-provoking, all about choices, actions and consequences, as well as the weight of secrets. I did not vibe with Renee and her dysfunctional family, they way they deal with trauma. If you love a slow pace drama that is character-driven, you will surely appreciate this.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This domestic drama is told in dual POV. It's raw, thought-provoking, all about choices, actions and consequences, as well as the weight of secrets. I did not vibe with Renee and her dysfunctional family, they way they deal with trauma. If you love a slow pace drama that is character-driven, you will surely appreciate this.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 4, 2024
An interesting book, quite different from what I would usually go for, this is a quick read, I read it in a day. The characters were complex, Renee is interesting, a very reflective person with a tendency to blame herself for everything, a bit of a martyr actually but I liked her. Tobias is her husband and at the beginning of the book I thought he was a bit of a dick, by the time I reached the end it was confirmed, he was a dick. There is lots of therapeutic language, lots of affirmative dialogue, it is even a little preachy at times but at its heart this a story of a family that for a number of reasons has lost its way. Well written and well worth reading.
December 26, 2022
The Choice is a through provoking story about family secrets and the wedge they can cause when kept hidden.
Renee appears to have her life in order- a mother, grandmother, and therapist, her seems seemingly perfect. But there are fault lines running through the family that can easily drive any family apart.
Although slow at the beginning, I found the characters easy to connect with and the story flowed well through to the me. Recommended as a good read.
* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, Mantle In exchange for my honest review
Renee appears to have her life in order- a mother, grandmother, and therapist, her seems seemingly perfect. But there are fault lines running through the family that can easily drive any family apart.
Although slow at the beginning, I found the characters easy to connect with and the story flowed well through to the me. Recommended as a good read.
* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, Mantle In exchange for my honest review
October 29, 2025
I found this an ok, entertaining book. The language was ok - no obvious spelling/grammar issues, so that's great. However, I found the blurb very misleading: 'a mother faced with an impossible choice' - yes, this was the theme for a little while, but it wasn't actually the main thing throughout. It is a book about family and relationships. As often with these books, it was a little exaggerated, the issues and the reconciliation a bit overblown etc. But it was ok, and a quick read.
August 29, 2022
This is the first I have read of Penny Hancock's books, and it is an engrossing, thought-provoking novel about people, their choices, and failings, of family relationships and of secrets. I enjoyed the way it was written to allow us to see the same events from different viewpoints. I will certainly be reading more from Penny Hancock.
February 3, 2024
Relationship counselor Renee Gulliver's family was split apart years ago --- and the wounds never healed. Now, as anothe family crisis pivots them all, she is faced with an ultimatum from her oldest daughter, choose a sibling. A heart wrenching, gut slugging, impossible choice and the final resolution.
October 29, 2024
While the description and some details in the first couple of chapters were interesting, the story moves very slowly. Part of what slowly makes it progress is how the chapters are written. They are like Renee’s stream of consciousness throughout half of each chapter, making both the relevant and the irrelevant jumble together.
October 15, 2022
I'm giving this four stars, but to be honest, I'm not sure why. At one point I just wanted it finished but having now finished it, I can appreciate the craft in it.
Probably not my usual genre but I would suggest giving it a go.
Probably not my usual genre but I would suggest giving it a go.
August 12, 2023
This is the first book I have read of Pennys but it won't be the last. Well written, a good pace and twists along the way! When Renee's grandson goes missing, the family must face the accident which happened years before. Highly recommend this book for fans of thrillers.
May 20, 2022
A relatable and raw look at the family dynamics and how they are navigated through. A very powerful read that I couldn't put down.
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