Friendship:
new Love
Last chance to avoid spoilers! Don't click on any of the topics below unless you've read the book!
Christine and Aleah
Although Christine lives far away, she and Aleah remain close through phone calls and life updates. Christine has heard all about Bobby and has witnessed interactions between him and Aleah. She thinks they belong together, but when Aleah explains that she’s dating David, Christine decides it would be in poor taste to share this. However, when Aleah opens up to Christine about her conflicted feelings, Christine has an honest conversation with her, helping Aleah to dig deeper inside her emotions and get to the root of the problem. Christine respects Aleah’s choices and doesn’t try to push her opinions. Instead, she helps Aleah understand herself better, giving her the opportunity to figure out what kinds of decisions she should make.
Aleah and David
Christine and Bobby aren’t close the way Christine and Aleah are, but over their time together in the Dominican Republic, they do develop a friendship. Christine recognizes Bobby’s love for Aleah and initiates conversations with him about it, giving him space to discuss his feelings with someone who cares deeply about Aleah. She also calls his bluff when he tells her that he doesn’t plan on calling Aleah until she calls first--reminding him that relationships don’t improve by people ignoring each other. Christine is straightforward and honest, telling it like it is.
Lauren's Support System
Lauren’s decision to foster Julie and Mason leads to some immense challenges, and there are points when she feels hopeless and desperate. However, a run-in with Rebecca at school gives her something to smile about and look forward to. Rebecca becomes someone she can talk about her situation with, and having someone to talk with about difficult things can be very helpful.
Lauren also has Heather, her best friend since college. Although the two of them are living busy lives and don’t get to see each other much anymore, Heather is still someone she can trust and who she enjoys spending time with. The two of them get to spend Easter together, and when Lauren is deciding whether to adopt Julie and Mason, Heather is the person she talks it over with.
Lauren sometimes feels isolated from her co-workers, while they’re chatting happily and she’s worrying about her situation. But her co-workers are kind and supportive too, such as when Ishanvi suggests that she can invite Heather over to her house so she can enjoy Easter dinner with her friend and also keep an eye on Julie.
It’s very important to have a support system when you are going through a hard time. If you don’t currently have anyone in your life who you’d feel comfortable talking to about the things you’re struggling with, I encourage you to find a church group, therapy group, or some kind of specialty group for people who are dealing with similar things.
Lauren also has Heather, her best friend since college. Although the two of them are living busy lives and don’t get to see each other much anymore, Heather is still someone she can trust and who she enjoys spending time with. The two of them get to spend Easter together, and when Lauren is deciding whether to adopt Julie and Mason, Heather is the person she talks it over with.
Lauren sometimes feels isolated from her co-workers, while they’re chatting happily and she’s worrying about her situation. But her co-workers are kind and supportive too, such as when Ishanvi suggests that she can invite Heather over to her house so she can enjoy Easter dinner with her friend and also keep an eye on Julie.
It’s very important to have a support system when you are going through a hard time. If you don’t currently have anyone in your life who you’d feel comfortable talking to about the things you’re struggling with, I encourage you to find a church group, therapy group, or some kind of specialty group for people who are dealing with similar things.
Rebecca and Aleah
Rebecca and Aleah’s friendship has grown since they first met at the beginning of New Chance. The two of them collaborate closely to help their counseling group run as smoothly as they can. When either one of them expresses insecurities about her ability to lead the group, the other is quick to encourage her.
Rebecca’s faith has also grown since she and Aleah first met, but there are a few things holding her back from fully committing her life to Jesus. Aleah is patient with her, understanding that a transformation like that needs to come from the heart and cannot be forced. When Rebecca finally does decide to follow Christ, she says about Aleah: “I never listened to her, but she didn’t stop being my friend. And she didn’t give in and start partying with me either. And I think those two things were pretty powerful in helping me see that her faith really meant something to her.” Good friends maintain their own moral convictions while still showing love to friends who are struggling or whose convictions are not the same.
Rebecca’s faith has also grown since she and Aleah first met, but there are a few things holding her back from fully committing her life to Jesus. Aleah is patient with her, understanding that a transformation like that needs to come from the heart and cannot be forced. When Rebecca finally does decide to follow Christ, she says about Aleah: “I never listened to her, but she didn’t stop being my friend. And she didn’t give in and start partying with me either. And I think those two things were pretty powerful in helping me see that her faith really meant something to her.” Good friends maintain their own moral convictions while still showing love to friends who are struggling or whose convictions are not the same.
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The cover on the left is the Kindle cover, and the one on the right is the print cover. Note the slight differences - the coloring, the title size, and the positioning of the characters. The characters are positioned to the side on the print cover so that the image can wrap around the spine, but we decided to bring the more toward the center for the Kindle cover. The text size and color vibrancy were also decisions made to make the Kindle cover "pop" more while keeping the print cover consistent with the other books in the series.
Go to the New Love summary page
Tears pooled in her eyes, and she did nothing to hold them back. She let them flow freely over her cheeks, while Christine wrapped her arms around her in a comforting hug.
-p. 342
