The Choices We Make: A Double Back Diaries Novella

by Alexandrea LeChelle

1994.
New Orleans.
One weekend that changes everything.Vivian, Lisa, and Charisse have always been more than best friends—they’re sisters, bound by love, loyalty, and the choices they never expected to face.

Charisse is running from a love that refuses to let her go—even when she swears she’s done for good. Vivian has built the perfect life with Douglass, but an unfulfilled dream threatens to unravel everything. Lisa is weeks away from a marriage that makes sense on paper but feels all wrong in her heart.

When a trip home to New Orleans forces them to confront the past and the men who shaped them, tensions rise, desires reignite, and old wounds resurface. But through the music, the laughter, and the undeniable pull of their city, these women will have to Do they hold on, or do they finally let go?

Set against the backdrop of 90s Black New Orleans, this novella is a sultry, nostalgic romance filled with passion, heartbreak, and the power of second chances.

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 9, 2025

Reviews

[Lisa M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 🌟
Enjoyed the sisterhood in this book. This was a 1st with this author and I loved how she flushed out the details of each friend (Vivian, Lisa, Charisse. The 3 challenge each woman experience was believable; including loving a guy but choosing the better choice to secure your future. Spoiler!!###$$$: thought it was quite convenient that all the ladies ended up pregnant together but it made for an ideal story between best friends.

[Tre · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW: This book felt like I time traveled to the 90’s. It was a cute novella about the parents of some of the characters in Loved by You. It got me excited for the next book in the series now that we have some background information. The friendships were the best part of the book, how they loved each other and held each other accountable was great to see. Each couple was vastly different so it was interesting to see how their stories began especially knowing where at least two of the couples are in Loved by You. Very well written, funny and emotional at times. I can’t wait to read more.

[CheKesha Simms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as and ARC

I so enjoyed this novella!!! The 90’s nostalgia that I felt reading about these 3 best friends took me back to a time when the only issues I had were relationships and what to wear to the party.

This novella follows Charisse (h. Kenneth) how was in a toxic marriage that she just couldn’t get enough of; Vivian (h. Douglas) who looked like she had it all the amazing husband & great career; then Lisa (e. Wesley) whose engagement was more like a business transaction but she had her college sneaky link on the side.

Reading how these besties navigated their friendship, relationships, and secrets was top tier.

And the ending got me ready for the next book (it has to be). I definitely feel a book for each of friend in my spirit.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10/10 recommendation

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
The Choices We Make felt like a love letter to classic Black romance—it was nostalgic in the best way, giving real OG Black movie vibes. Each friend brought their own journey, navigating love, life, and growth, all while holding space for each other with grace and loyalty.

Everything came together so beautifully by the end. The way it ties back to Loved By You took the story to a whole new level—I was not ready! I still have questions, though, and I’m dying to see if my predictions come true in book two.

[Morgan Gayles · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW 📚🍧

If you and your best friends had to face life-changing decisions together, how else would you want your story told? Alexandrea LeChelle nailed it with this 90s-themed novella/prequel to Loved by You (The Double Back Diaries Series). Honestly, it felt like I was reading one of my favorite old-school sitcoms.

Charisse, Lisa, and Vivian have been friends forever, and now they’re each standing at a crossroads where the future doesn’t quite match the original plan. But what’s beautiful is that no matter how messy it gets, they have each other…real sisterhood, real support.

This novella gave all the feels: 90s baddies, tight-knit friendships, family bonds, and partnership goals. And baby listen here, the playlist that goes with the story?! Top tier! It made the whole experience feel like a true vibe while reading each scene. S/o to all the 90s babies (‘92 keep ya head up!).

[Bethany Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure if I ever rated a novella 5 stars, but this??? 😮‍💨 so so good!!!! I loved the dynamic between all the “mamas” in this book and having a glimpse of their younger selves. I’m just as intrigued with their story as I am their daughters and sons. Omg! I love this author writing and can’t wait to read more of her books.

[Bibliophile B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Read

I liked the nostalgia of the story, it was ok to me. Some elements could have been left out or expounded on more.

[Kearston · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5

This was a cute little read. It tells the backstory of Vanessa, Kelly, and Wesley parents’ friendship. Alexandrea does a really good job of placing you in the scene. I love New Orleans so whenever she describes NOLA makes me miss it even more.

[Ambra | ambreadbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5
- This novella was giving 90s nostalgia vibes that I was here for. We received some background on the parents of Vanessa, Kelly and Wesley (characters from the Double Back Series). The sisterhood built through this friend group while navigating life, love and heartbreak was beautiful to read about. This explains why the kids (previously) are so close knit now, it started with their parents.

[Milan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a 10/10, simple!

I had the pleasure of getting early access to the ARC and let me tell you — Alexandrea LeChelle did what needed to be done.

Pre-order is happening NOW! Official release date May 9th!
If you’ve read Loved By You (and loved it like I did), then The Choices We Make should already be in your cart or on pre-order.

Remember the characters from Loved By You? Now it’s time to get acquainted with their parents — when they were young and trying to figure it all out just like their kids did.
Do I wish it was longer?

Yes — but only because I wanted a deeper transition at the end. That’s how much I was into it!

This book was so relatable —
• We’ve all second-guessed our choices.
• We’ve all forgiven too fast when we should’ve waited for real change.
• We’ve all struggled through life-shifting moments.
And most importantly — we’ve all had those friendships that we simply can’t live without.

But y’all… there’s one part that had my nerves SO bad. (Two characters specifically — if you know, you know.) It honestly made so much sense for how things unfolded in Loved By You!

Even if you weren’t born in the 90s — or weren’t old enough to experience it — the dedicated playlist and song directives at the start of each chapter will take you there. You’ll feel ALL the vibes. (93’ baby here)

Overall: Alexandrea LeChelle, we are ready for the next one!

[Arianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably actually a 3.5⭐️ had I not already read Loved By You I would not have cared about these characters. It definitely felt like the author has fully developed characters for each of these in the book, but it just didn’t translate to the reader in the novella. I truly think novella’s are probably the most difficult to write to hook the reader and make them have a connection with the characters in a such short time. I hated all the male characters except one. This book really is not a romance but a story about womanhood and women’s friendship and how that’s truly the most stabilizing love. I really would’ve loved if this was a full novel and/or each woman character had their own book! I love seeing the back story of the parents from Loved By You to see a deeper picture of where the characters grow from and generational curses they’re breaking. I actually hope the author continues to do parallel books with the kids series and parents series because I think that’s a really beautiful relationship being unfolded. I still love this author’s writing and the way she really sets the scene and makes you feel like you’re watching a movie.

[Reem · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review:

This gave ALL the 90’s feel, I loved every second of it.

This was a novella that succeeded in hitting you with all the emotions. The powerful friendships, the heartbreak, the love, and the anticipation was everything. I didn’t expect to feel so much while reading this. My favorite part was definitely the solid, powerful friendship these 3 woman have with each other. You could feel the love between them and how hard they will ride for each other. I may have shed a tear or two…

It was exciting to read about the parents of some of the characters in Loved by You!! I’m so excited for book 2 🤭

[Janiyah :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ 2 🌶️
This was such a great novella oh my goodness!

I loved Charisse, Vivian, and Lisa so so much! They are all in different stages of their lives, but their friendship with one another helped push them through. Each woman is going through their own struggles in their lives and with their relationships and it was very interesting to see how things played out!

I cannot wait to see what else is in store for these ladies and for this series! 🤎

* Black Romance
* Black Novella
* 90s Setting
* Emotional

[Moriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I needed! I LOVED reading about the parents, and how they became who they were! because when I was reading loved by you, I wanted to know their backstory so much and now that I got it i’m like yessss it finally makes so much sense now! This group right is something else, but I loved it so much, so messy but so loving because they stayed looking out for each other no matter how mad they made each other! the storyline and how it flowed was just amazing! the writing style was *chefs kiss* I definitely need more by the parents asap 😭

[Brittany Kitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having read Loved By You and Lily in the Valley, this novella sums up the parents of the main characters in those books perfectly.

I wish we got more of why Kenneth was the way he was towards Charisse. I can infer his issues, but it would have been nice to have them fully laid out.

And omg, Lisa was a wild one. Gotta respect Wesley in this situation. I'm hoping book three will give us more insight on Lisa and Wesley Sr.'s relationship throughout the years and how it impacted Wesley Jr.

Happy to say I now understand the hype behind this series.

[Kennedy Bonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella might be short, but whew—it’s packed with heart, emotion, and a sisterhood that feels so real, it stays with you. Set in 1994 New Orleans, this story brings together three women at different crossroads in life, all navigating love, dreams, and the weight of the past.
What hit me the most? The reminder that it’s okay to stand by your choices—even the hard ones. Because we all make mistakes. What matters is how we move forward, and who we lean on along the way.

[Marshea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this novella, and I am so glad that I did. I enjoyed reading the backstories of Vivian, Charisse, and Lisa. The novella is set in the 90s and gives you all the feels. It’s real and raw with a hint of spice, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The playlist that goes along with the book enhances the experience while reading it. I have read it three times already and would read it again.

[Briitta (MommaMimiBre) · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the very first page, The Choices We Make grabbed me and refused to let go. Alexandrea Lechelle has crafted a story that is both deeply emotional and daringly honest. This is a quick read.

Pick it up if you love stories where relationships are tested, hearts are laid bare, and characters grow in unexpected ways. I found myself rooting for them, breathing through their pain and celebrating their victories.

[Sheridan McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story about love, friendship, and redemption. I hate that Risse decided to stay with Kenneth and give him another chance, but it made for a good storybook ending!

Listening to the playlist for the chapters was chefs kiss! It brought everything together especially when you really get into the book. It helped the scenes come to life in the movie that was playing in my head!

[Mya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read by Alexandra LeChelle, and I really enjoyed this little novella. I’ve never read a novella that follows more than one storyline, so I enjoyed getting to know the individual stories of this friend trio. I haven’t read Loved by You yet, so I’m now looking forward to reading that and Lily in the Valley. I didn’t realize this novella follows those FMCs’ parents, which was a nice surprise.

[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
This novella will transport you back in time to the 90s. It follows the parents story from characters we met in Loved by You and I loved it. It gave insight to things we read and allowed us to see new perspectives and angles. It highlighted friendship, love, strength of a support system that will never let you ride alone. I’m so excited for the next book because Alexandria can write!

[LaShay · Rating 5 out of 5]

It all makes sense now. Please ready “Loved by You” first. You will get frustrated, but it’s worth it. This one then comes with a prequel story of their parents and puts all the extra pieces in place to make it make sense! Nice quick read. I can’t wait until late 2025 for Kelly and Khalil’s story!

[Ayanna First of BourbonStreetBookers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where It All Started

So glad I learned about this Novella. Vanessa & Kelly got it honestly. This was a great treat, as a reader who was already judging the parents. Their friendship was always solid! A love of kinfolk you got to choose for yourself! 🤗📚💚💜💛

[Kéra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like the plot or any of these outcomes. Am I the only one? There were too many toxic moments in such a short book and the tropes were not my favorite. I wish we had leaned even more into the girlhood than the guys.

[Dana Prejean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very nice prequel to Loved by You. Was giving 90s r&b and New Orleans vibes all the way! Loved the friendship between the girls! Looking forward for what’s to come from this series!

[LaQuasha Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good one I just wished it was a little longer

[Nicolette Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it, quick read loved the vibe, the pace, the 90’s

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this story short and sweet the ending was a bit rushed but overall I enjoyed. Take a shot everytime you read humid lol!

[Tiffani · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute and quick, the relationships felt so genuine and real! had love/hate for every couple, except vivian and douglas, they can do no wrong!