Blurb for The Year He Chose At seventeen, Liam Carter makes a decision that will shape the rest of his life. When his next-door neighbor—and first love—Emma Miller transfers to an elite prep school across town, Liam does the unthinkable: he convinces his parents to let him transfer too. He even volunteers to repeat an entire year, sacrificing time, pride, and certainty just to stay close to her. What he doesn’t tell anyone—not even Emma—is that he’s doing it for love. For a while, it feels worth it. Their first kiss in falling snow. Late-night study sessions. Dreams whispered beneath an old oak tree that has watched them grow up. But as Emma’s world expands and ambition pulls her toward New York City, Liam begins to realize that love alone cannot hold two people in the same place forever. Spanning decades, The Year He Chose is a tender and deeply reflective story about first love, sacrifice, and the quiet ways we become who we are meant to be. As Liam builds a life he never expected—one rooted not in chasing someone else’s future, but in shaping his own—he comes to understand that some relationships are not meant to last forever. They are meant to change us forever. Perfect for readers who cherish emotional coming-of-age stories and sweeping yet intimate reflections on love, growth, and second chances, The Year He Chose asks: What if the year you thought you lost was the one that built you?