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J.L. Berg
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The Scars I Bare: A Small Town Second Chance Romance (By The Bay Book 2) Kindle Edition

by J.L. Berg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 255 ratings

He was my patient but years later, he became my everything...

We met on the worst day of his life.

As a nurse, I’d met my fair share of patients, but Dean Sutherland was different.

His resilience and determination, as a recovering amputee, drew me in. His charm and striking good looks didn’t hurt either. But I was married, and he had recently ended his engagement.

Our timing was tragically off.

Fast forward three years and one divorce later, I find myself in need of a job. So I move my young daughter and me to a small island off the coast of North Carolina.

And that’s when I find Dean again.

He’s changed since I last saw him. His once unwavering determination now seems to have all but disappeared, like a ship lost a sea. But yet, I’m drawn to him still.

I tell myself not to get involved. I am a single mom, in a new town and carry years worth of emotional baggage that warns me against starting a new relationship. But, none of that seems to matter when it comes to Dean and I find myself falling regardless.

Some of the worst scars tend to be the ones you can’t see. I’ve never believed in fate, but when Dean utters those three perfect words to me, I know coming to this island is exactly what I was meant to do.

But, life isn’t a fairytale...

When my ex shows up, demanding a role in his daughter’s life, our storybook ending comes screeching to a halt. The animosity between Dean and my ex-husband is palpable, and I quickly realize that a life involving all three of us will never work.

So, I’m faced with an impossible choice.

Do I choose the father of my child or the man I love?

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  1. Book 2 of 6
    By The Bay
  2. Print length
    318 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    12 March 2018
  5. File size
    3.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 6 books in this series.

Product description

About the Author

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series and has written over a dozen other novels in the past decade. She is a California native but currently calls Virginia home. When she's not writing, you will likely find her spending time with her family or watching Doctor Who. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC. Learn more at http://www.jlberg.com

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B078ZKP3Y1
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ JL Berg, LLC (12 March 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 318 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ B0D1SVKCFF
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 255 ratings

About the author

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J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg

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J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series and has written over a dozen other novels in the past decade. She is a California native but currently calls Virginia home. When she's not writing, you will likely find her spending time with her family or watching Doctor Who. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC. Learn more at http://www.jlberg.com

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
255 global ratings

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Top reviews from Australia

  • Codie Riddell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect balance
    Reviewed in Australia on 13 March 2018
    The Scars I Bare is the first book I had the pleasure to read by J.L. Berg. I was blown away by It, this book is utterly raw, emotional and captivating. The story of two people who are both broken by different circumstances and life events, who deal with it by writing. This is a slow burning romance that is told in duel, point of view. I adored that it allowed us to see into both Dean and Cora. I loved that it included a little humor to balance the angst. This book is incredibly well written, I struggled to put it down.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • carvanz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely LOVED this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on 12 March 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Oh my gawd!!! I absolutely loved this book!!! It quite literally caused my heart to hurt and my gut to churn before flinging me up and away in the most amazing freefall of emotions.

    Dean lost his arm three years ago in a ferryboat explosion. During the long and painful days of recovery, he found Cora to be a bright spot of color and hope. Now he’s struggling daily to find some reason as to the purpose of his life. He is rambling throughout his days without any clear destination. The locals consider him a hero but he knows the truth. He is quite broken and there will never be any coming back from that fact.

    Cora has finally left her previous life behind her and is moving to Ocracoke, a small island in the outer banks. Years ago a patient shared stories of the island and when the time came for her to make the decision to move her daughter and herself away from Virginia, it was this idyllic place that she chose. She is broken in spirit despite the front she puts on for her child.

    When these two meet again things get…awkward. Each of them must deal with their own emotional and physical scars even as they yearn for more. Trust does not come easily to either of them but they slowly begin to build a relationship that has the potential to be the stuff of dreams.

    I adored both Cora and Dean. Dean’s pain is felt in every word of his journal entries even as Cora’s blog masks her own pain and lies. They each must face their pasts, despite their fears, in order to find healing and ultimately a forever kind of love. The actions of doing so was immensely moving and gut wrenching as they both take a step forward and then two steps back before finally leaping into the future.

    Lizzie, Cora’s daughter, was quite a character. Not your typical 4/5 year old. She is quite literally a genius and adds depth to the story that most child characters are unable to accomplish. I loved her sheer honesty in spite of her scary intelligence.

    This was a well written story that never bogged down. Filled with exemplary secondary characters, angst from mostly inner turmoil, a smattering of humor, a slow burn relationship and the most perfect HEA, this is definitely worth checking out.
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely!
    Reviewed in Canada on 10 June 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed the first book in the series. So much so that I purchased this one. Great easy read. Funny and captivating. I read it in two days. You get to know the characters and I personally could identify with some of their fears. Left me satisfied and with a smile on my face
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  • Jennifer L.
    4.0 out of 5 stars it is easily read as a stand alone novel
    Reviewed in the United States on 16 March 2018
    Verified Purchase
    If you haven’t read J.L. Berg before, I am here to offer you a bit of reassurance. Although ‘The Scars I Bare’ is the second book in the By the Bay series, it is easily read as a stand alone novel. Please don’t let that #2 scare you away from giving this second chance romance your immediate attention.

    This is the story of Dean Sutherland and Cora Carpenter, two people who are struggling to adapt to all that life has thrown at them. Dean meets Cora after a harrowing ferryboat disaster. He is hospitalized for a serious injury and she is assigned to be one of his nurses. Dean falls hard for Cora during his recovery but is saddened to learn that she is married and a mother. When he is discharged from the hospital, they both move forward with their lives.

    Several years later, after Cora’s marriage ends, she moves with her daughter to a small fishing village on the outer banks of North Carolina. She accepts a job at the local doctor’s office and is reunited with Dean. He turns out to be more than a local, he’s also the doctor’s best friend.

    As Cora and Dean struggle with their own private battles, they find glimmers of happiness whenever their paths cross. The second time around, the two pick up almost where they left off and build a friendship brimming with warmth and admiration. With a bit of distance from their personal obstacles, Dean and Cora find the ability to begin their individual healing processes with the support of one another. The more they heal together, the deeper into love they fall.

    ‘The Scars I Bare’ is a great introduction to the writings of J.L. Berg. I connected with Dean and Cora as well as Lizzie, Cora’s adorable and highly intelligent six-year-old daughter. The cozy setting of Ocracoke Island is full of well-developed and interesting characters. As soon as I finish writing this review, I’ll be adding Book 1 in the By the Bay series (The Choices I’ve Made) to my Kindle to keep me occupied while I wait for Book 3 (The Lies I’ve Told) to be published later this year. If you’re a fan of second chance romance and are looking for a new series to immerse yourself in, I happily recommend this book.
    Report
  • Kelly R
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely perfect
    Reviewed in the United States on 12 March 2018
    Verified Purchase
    New to this author, I picked this up on a whim based on the title and blurb, and I'm so glad I did! Note that while this is the second book in the By the Bay series, it works great as a standalone.

    My favorite stories mix humor and heartbreak together, something the author manages here beautifully. The writing was wonderfully evocative, with such a smooth flow that it was almost lyrical, yet with dialogue and character interactions that came across as so real and authentic I was pulled into the story immediately. By 10% in I was already loving it, and by 17%, I went to go 1-click Jake and Molly's story, not because I felt I needed to read that story first (I absolutely didn't), but because I knew I was going to want to put it at the top of my TBR list.

    There was just so much about this book I loved. How the title applied to both Cora and Dean, who each have their own scars, and how the author carried the theme of scars--and healing--throughout the book. How the author used excerpts from both Cora's blog and Dean's journal to sneak in bits of past events and feelings without using flashbacks or interrupting the flow of the story. I loved the writing I've already mentioned so much that I highlighted line after line, and paragraph after paragraph. Geek that I am, I have a special love for all the fandom references, from Star Wars to Harry Potter to Doctor Who, plus many others.

    Then there's the set-up, including that Dean is still best friends with Jake and Molly, and though Dean is Molly's ex and Jake and Molly are now engaged, everyone is completely okay with each other--well, there was a little purposeful weirdness on Dean's part that was freaking hilarious but still...completely okay. Most of all I loved the characters, not only Cora and Dean, how they are together and the slow burn of their relationship, but also the secondary characters like Lizzie, Jake, Molly and so many more, who are all just as wonderful.

    With all these things that I loved, plus a gorgeous epilogue, this book just hit all the marks for me; in fact, I'd call it absolutely perfect. One of my favorite reads so far for the year and a wonderful new author for me to stalk...erm, follow. 5+ stars

    B2B Kelly
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  • Jennifer
    5.0 out of 5 stars ~ 5 We All Have Scars Stars ~
    Reviewed in the United States on 12 March 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I knew going into Dean’s story that it was going to be an emotional one. My heart broke for what he endured in the first book (The Choices I’ve Made) when we met him. And I wasn’t wrong. JL Berg brought out all the emotions in this story.

    As always with a JL Berg series, I am loving this one!!! I love the characters she has given us and the storylines are unique and emotional. Her writing style always sucks me in and this was no different. This is a fairly quick read because you don’t want to stop reading it.

    What I wasn’t expecting but that totally worked for this book, was how many scars Cora had also. Even though you couldn’t see hers they were there. I think that was what made Cora and Dean a perfect couple. They learned to grow together and both had to overcome trust issues. I liked that this story was overcome with excess Drama..she added just enough to keep you turning the page. But this is truly a story about healing.

    The Scars I Bare is a standalone novel, but I would definitely recommend reading The Choices I’ve Made first. You will get a better appreciation for the characters and what Dean had to go through before reading his story. Also you see more of Jake and Molly in Dean’s story, so you don’t want to spoil their story by reading this book first. This books is told in Dual POV and I thought everything flowed well. This was a well written story that will have you feeling all the “feels”.

    I loved meeting Dean, Cora and Lizzie (Cora’s daughter) Dean and Cora are both flawed and broken but for two completely different reasons, but through their tragedies they have both lost the ability to trust. Trust in themselves. I loved watching both of them learning how to trust and love again. These are characters you will want to meet and will fall in love with.

    I would 100% recommend this book to everyone who likes a love story that makes all your emotions come alive. If you are a fan of JL Berg’s books then you don’t want to miss out on this series. I look forward to the next book in this series to come out.
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