Chocolate for Breakfast, Martha Reynolds (4 stars)

From Amazon: Young Bernie (Bernadette) Maguire is in for the journey of a lifetime when her junior year abroad takes her to Fribourg Switzerland. Ripe for love and adventure, she is seduced by a handsome Swiss banker. She is horrified when she discovers she's pregnant.

Protected and befriended by those who help to keep her secret for as long as possible, this moving rite-of-passage tale will warm the heart as a young woman struggles with an all-too-familiar dilemma. Yet after the unexpected death of her father and the discovery of her pregnancy by her classmate Timmy, who believes the child to be his, Bernie’s life takes some unexpected turns that it will take decades to resolve.

Review

Bernie is ready to experience life and love, and what better place than her trip abroad to Switzerland. From the moment she gets on the plane, she’s determined to shed her former life. Mere days into her new adventure, she is swept off her feet and enjoys some intense moments of seduction.
 
Unfortunately, the handsome man is a playboy and disappears quickly. Just as Bernie starts to move on, she realizes she’s pregnant and everything changes. Friends offer support, but ultimately Bernie has to make her own decision. No path is easy, and no decision is without its own scars.
 
The decision haunts Bernie years later and affects every facet of her life, including her choices in love and her relationship with her family. One simple night of reckless abandon costs her so much.
 
Don’t let the title fool you, this is no run-of-the-mill light romance. The author creates a rich depth in Bernie’s dilemma while avoiding getting preachy. While it was a bit slow to start, I found myself getting pulled into Bernie’s life and choices. I hope you will, too.

I read in the author's bio that she is considering writing a sequel, and I hope she does. Bernie has so much more life to live, and I want to know she gets the opportunity to come out of the shadows of her decision. She deserves to be loved, and to love herself.

Recommended for readers who can embrace a flawed character, but one who finds a way into your heart.
 
Rating: 4 stars
 
Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.
 
About Martha Reynolds
(From Amazon)

Martha Reynolds ended an accomplished career as a fraud investigator and started writing full time in 2011. Her debut novel, Chocolate for Breakfast, follows a young woman into adulthood during a year abroad in Switzerland.
 
Martha is presently writing her second novel, tentatively titled The Reunion, and plans a sequel to Chocolate for Breakfast.
 
She and her husband live in New England, never far from the ocean.
 
Read and follow the writings of Martha at her website and on GoodReads.