A friend (MH) sent me this book in a box of books.

For some reason, from the book, I got the idea that Sam (the dog) was a big dog. The dog on the cover of the book is not a big dog.

What I liked:
*The growth in the main characters. Discussions of family legacies and how to overcome the bad ones and proceed with the good ones.
*The support groups each attends and the good friends they have at them.

What I didn't like:
*The short time frame of the romance (less than a school year). There's no previous relationship between the two that was based on anything of substance, yet they're married by the end of the book.
*The sentence by the aunt and uncle seems odd--apparently a lot of influence used on the judge to approve it. The aunt comes off as bitter, scheming (and apparently an alcoholic--unless all the bottles had belonged to Bobby Lee and she just never cleared them out--which is possible.)

Indifferent:
*The job offer at the end of the book. On one hand, I like that Jake is getting a job he wants and will probably be good at. On the other hand, it means moving away from the support systems and friends they have. ( )