CHOICE: Friends to Lovers Second Chance New Adult Romance

by Laikyn Meng

Who would you choose to love for the rest of forever?

I picked the wrong one.

We weren't chasing rainbows, just the breeze from the mountain tops.

Colt, my best friend growing up, and soon that blossomed into first crushing love.
Shiloh, the curly-haired heartthrob.

There were mistakes we all made, consequences none of us could take back.
Years passed and the wonder of regret determines who we've become and whom we let go of.

How does a girl grow into a woman looking for a second chance at her first love?

Choice is a standalone romance with the themes of friends to lovers, second chance new adult romance.

Mature content 18+ Explicit language, Sexual Content.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published January 19, 2022

About the author

Laikyn Meng is an award-winning Japanese American indie author.
She has penned over forty publications. She maintains a steady stream of romantic expression involving diverse character representation.
She is the author of noteworthy series, the female empowered; Femme Fatale, and the family drama; Mum's the Word. Her poetry and memoirs have appeared in literary magazines. Laikyn's unique tone is an iconic symbol for her stories.
Originally from Idaho, she now resides wherever the road takes her and her three children. A dreamer, traveler, and overall lover of life.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaikyn...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laikynmeng/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/laikynmeng/

Reviews

[Megan (sporadic hiatus due to law school) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel bad with my average rating, but I personally struggled reading CHOICE. The style of writing is gorgeous, but it's hard for me to follow prose-like structure.

I recommend reading an excerpt or a few pages before fully committing to read this, but it's beautiful if it doesn't take you ten minutes trying to get through a single page.

It could have been four stars minimum if I didn't have a personal issue with the style. If you like reading a more poetic-styled, rhythmic structure (if that's the best way to describe it) then this is probably for you.

I received a free ARC and am leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/3/2022)! 🎁

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book, the story was well written and the characters were intriguing. Once I started I could not get enough, from the start till the end I was engrossed I was even on the edge of my seat with twists and turns, lust and passion, strength happiness and love. The story of sensational feelings that can run through the body while reading. Do yourself a favor and buy the book you want be disappointed.
Thank you for allowing me to review your book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I've read written by Laikyn Meng; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the chemistry between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ana * · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good, I enjoyed it and I loved the characters and how real and flawed and truly human they are.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Naomi Blush · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was compelling in all the ways you know love can hurt you and break you. But this lifts you back up and rebuilds your belief in second chances. A true work of art.

[Vatha · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️-pretty cover
⭐️-the story had potential

2.5 ⭐️

I'm annoyed; not with the writing style, but with the way a specific event was downplayed and eventually dismissed as nothing. RaeLynn and Colt are friends who live somewhere in Wyoming, share a mutual attraction and do act on said attraction, but don’t make their relationship official. So they’re friends who kiss and touch each other. I think RaeLynn also has a thing with Shiloh, another kid at the high school. A lot of flirting between RaeLynn and Colt. Something involving text messages drive a wedge between RaeLynn and Colt, which leads to her going to a party alone. Gossip runs rampant in a small town, and she’s aware of the sl*t shaming about her behind her back. She doesn’t defend herself to quash the rumours, but pretends she’s okay with everything that’s being whispered about her. Wear their words like armour so they can’t hurt her. But she does get into trouble. And it’s not her fault.

Trigger Warning--descriptive sexual assault

The FMC gets assaulted at a party by one of MMC's friends. Actually, a few guys assaulted her by touching her body without consent, but only one shoved his penis in her mouth without her consent. The narrator describes how he just took and didn't ask permission, basically insinuating her permission was not granted. Afterwards, left alone, her friend finds her and senses something happened. When friend straight up asked if she was r*ped, FMC responds with 'No, they left my clothes on.'

WHAT?!?! Someone forcing their penis down your throat without your consent while being taunted by him and a bunch of guys is R*PE! Your clothes do not have to be off to be r*pe. A penis does not have to be inside a vagina or anus to be r*pe. Any violation of your body without consent is r*pe. If you're coerced into having sex when you don't want to, that's r*pe.

And then she goes on to say 'it doesn't matter.' YES, YES IT DOES MATTER! Throughout the book, FMC (RaeLynn) is written to be headstrong and tough, and berates herself for being weak for not having the strength to stop the assault from happening, which is understandable, but to write off what happened to her diminished whatever character strength she had. Maybe she just wanted to pretend it didn’t happen? But that’s a lot of trauma to just shove aside. She even kind of jokes about statutory rape later in the book with her best friend. Or maybe I read too much into it, I don’t know.

Even towards the end, she insists she wasn't r*ped. The MMC even made a comment like, 'I know he didn't r*pe you...' But, yeah, she was, and it's such a disappointment that something like that can be dismissed or treated so lightly. I know it’s a love story and not a heavy read, but I guess I was hoping she would admit to it and become stronger because of it.

As for the characters...they were teenagers living in Wyoming. They did a lot of stupid things and made some dumb mistakes, but whatever, they got their happily ever after as adults. There was a lot of bad communication between RaeLynn and Colt, a lot of stringing each other along, a lot of lying-to themselves and each other. The love story was okay, and it seemed like the characters grew somewhat, but the story wasn’t for me. I know the author put a lot of heart into her work, but it read pretty clunky. It didn’t flow for me.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author. I enjoyed the book, it offers a really good story with realistic and relatable characters. The characters in this story have had some time apart, now they come together to see what the future holds, together or apart. Enjoy!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a good small town romantic comedy read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry. The story is an enjoyable second chance romance read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laikyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second chances are made for first loves

[Tracy Books_Beers_Brews · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book has a very different style to my normal reads, it almost has a rhythmic quality to the writing and it makes for a very nice read.

Now I would call this close to a love story then a romance, as the book focuses more on the journey these characters go through then the actual HAE.

[Debra Johnson]

Purch. Sept. 3, 2022 Amazon

[Laikyn Meng]

Second chances are made for first loves