How far will you go to help a friend ? Friends Hannah and Kate explore this question in an emotional and heartfelt
story about family life, risks, and rewards.

This was the first book I read by Ms. Brown, and WOW! From the very first page, to the last page, it kept me wanting more. I had a very hard time putting this book down. This book is perfect for book clubs and would certainly rouse some great discussion. I give this book a 5/5!

Book about best friends. One cannot get pregnant and the other offers to be her surrogate. Complications occur.

This is another outstanding book by Karma Brown that will pull at your heartstrings while it introduces you several real characters in a story that could be happening right now anywhere in America. Once I started this book, I didn't put it down until I was finished because I had to know the outcome. I laughed and cried with the characters and they are still in my mind several days after the book was finished.

SUMMARY Hannah and Kate have been friends since fifth grade and years later they are still as close - or closer - than sisters. Kate is married and has two small daughters. Hannah and her husband have tried for years to have a baby and been unsuccessful and are about ready to give up when Kate offers to be a surrogate. This is the story of their friendship and what it means to have a family and to be a family. Read this book. You won't be disappointed.

The Choices We Make by Karma Brown really has quite the difficult to get through plot. I mean about 2/3 of the way through the book something happens that kind of put me off this book – which I guess is the whole point the story pivots around. Anyways, if you enjoy reading Jodi Piccoult, I guarantee you will enjoy this book. It has that same kind of ethical dilemma.

The Choices We Make is about two best friends – Kate and Hannah. Kate is a stay at home mother to two girls. Hannah is a recipe developer for a magazine and dealing with infertility. Kate who is too pure for this world offers to be a surrogate for Hannah as well as an egg donor. And so, she carries a baby for Hannah – going completely above and beyond for her friend. This book navigates that friendship and then navigates into when the unthinkable happens and how to handle it.

On the whole, this book didn’t quite jibe with me as much as In This Moment. I guess I just didn’t care for the twist. There were a lot of hints of what was going to happen. And I didn’t like at all how it played out. I feel somewhat emotionally manipulated into being sad over this book – sort of how I felt after two of Jodi Picoult’s books. The friendship between Kate and Hannah and the interactions with their respective spouses David and Ben were great and seemed realistic.


On the whole this book by Karma Brown is a quick read and even though I absolutely did not connect with it like I wanted to, there’s an audience. That audience is not me per se, but people who like ethical dilemmas and sad stories and tragedies.

Brown’s second novel is as emotionally charged as her first. The author has an amazing ability to inject humanity into her characters so that they feel like real people struggling and rejoicing. Be prepared to shed a few tears when you travel this road alongside these people.

Hannah and her husband Ben have been trying for years to have a baby. They have experienced miscarriages, failed IVF and many other losses. Hannah and Kate have been best friends since childhood, and Kate and her husband David have two beautiful children. As Hannah and Ben look into other avenues toward parenthood, Kate offers a beautiful gift: she will provide an egg and carry a child for Hannah and Ben. None of them realize the high price they will have to pay for this decision.

Such a well written book about relationships - both family and romantic-wise. I felt like you could really relate to their situations, and it kept the pages turning.

4.5/5

The Choices We Make by Karma Brown is a beautiful, heart-warming and very memorable read about friendships, husband-wife relationships and the unpredictability of life.

This book is one of those books that always stays with the reader. I believe Contemporary Women's Fiction as a genre has a lot of potential and when the books in this genre are paired with excellent writing, a strong and unyielding plotline and powerful and believable characters, they transform into magic. This book had all these things and so much more. I loved the dialogues in this book a lot because they were good and as a result, each and every conversation felt real. For me, this was the strongest aspect fo this book.

The second best thing about this book was the writing - clean, crisp and clear. As a result, the book felt like a very easy and quick read (something that I always appreciate.) The writing had a very smooth air about it and flowed beautifully complementing this beautiful story. The pacing was spot-on and the tension perfect.

I was totally blown away when the main turning point of the story came; I was left gasping for breath, literally. I did not expect it and it totally broke my heart. It took me a while to digest what actually happened and all the while I kept wishing for it to somehow get undone, but then when it did not, I found myself struggling to grasp what was actually happening just like the characters in the novel. I mean, one thing you know you love a character and then the next thing you know something very bad has happened to them and you totally did not see it coming (I'm remembering Ned Stark's execution in the first book itself... god! it still hurts!) After having read a lot of books you come to a point where hardly anything surprises you. But this book made me feel emotions I forgot having felt for a long time. This book made me feel like a first time reader who got involved in a book so much that even after having finished the book I am not able to forget the characters. 

I'm cutting back 1/2 a star because the author left me sleepless for a couple of nights with such a tragic ending (I hate you for it, Karma Brown, but I love you for writing this book!) I'm sure as hell reading other books by the author. And I'd recommend it to all the readers who have a hunger for really good stories but won't mind reading about issues related to surrogacy or pregnancy.

Hannah wants a baby more than anything. Kate, her best friend, just wants Hannah to be happy, so she offers to serve as a surrogate. Perfect plan, right? Except nothing turns out as planned. Disaster strikes, and Hannah is faced with a difficult decision- loyalty to her friend or to the baby she carries? This heartfelt novel is one to read with tissues in hand! Believable characters who pull at your heart strings.

I hadn't read a book by this author previously and I have to say it was a great read. You warmed to the characters straight away and felt you understood them from the beginning. The text flowed well and I felt it wasn't over complicated which added to the reading experience as some try too hard to mix things up and twist it too much. I would choose to read another book from this author again and look forward to any similar books which may come my way by Karma Brown.

Kate and Hannah have been best friends since the fifth grade. They have been together through thick and thin, through family issues and boyfriend troubles. Now they are in their mid-thirties and are married to great guys. Kate is married to David and they have two beautiful little girls. Hannah and Ben are desperate to start their own family. They have tried everything and are getting ready to explore the adoption option when Kate steps up and offers to be their surrogate. It is an offer that changes the dynamic of their relationship in ways they never thought possible. When tragedy strikes it forces Hannah to evaluate what is most important to her and the choices she makes will have long lasting repercussions.

I had a hard time getting into The Choices We Make, but once I did get into it, the book started to go by rather quickly. The story is told from alternate perspectives so you really get a feel for both Hannah and Kate. They are both good people. Infertility is such a personal struggle that I had to keep reminding myself of that when I thought Hannah was getting to be a bit over the top. There is an "event" that happens that is pivotal to the story and even then I struggled to like Hannah as she was dealing with it. I think her own husband had a hard time understanding where she was coming from and I was afraid that it was going permanently damage their marriage. I want to say that there was a happy ending - but it was really the best possible outcome for the story. But you still might be in danger of needing a hanky or three. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom line - The Choices We Make is a heart-wrenching novel about two women, a decades-long friendship, and sacrifices they make in the name of love. This book would be a good one to share with your best friend over a bottle of wine.

Details:
The Choices We Make by Karma Brown
On Facebook
Pages: 336
Publisher: Mira
Publication Date: 7/12/2016
Buy it Here!

Hannah and Kate have been dear friends for years, and when Hannah and Ben can't conceive a child, Kate steps in as a surrogate. The journey these friends take is touching and totally heartbreaking. This book had great characters and a heart wrenching storyline. Loved it!

Great book! Hannah and Ben have been trying to have a baby for years, but despite all their best efforts and medical interventions, they have been unable to conceive. Kate has been Hannah's best friend since they were kids, and decides to give Hannah the ultimate gift; she offers to become a surrogate to give her best friend the one thing she wants most in the world. The friends become even closer during the pregnancy, until a devastating event throws both families into turmoil. The story is told from both women's points of view, adding layers to a story that is already deep and compelling. The author does a brilliant job of portraying both women, along with their husbands, as they experience great joy along with disappointment and fear. Great story about love and loss, friendship and family, and the choices we must make to preserve those things.