For Molly is a book that I picked up and put down a few times before finally settling down with it. Vicki Allen has a style that gently pulls you in but doesn’t grab you by the throat. It’s a pleasant book to read while you spend an afternoon catching some rays in the back yard.

Ashley Stewart was the belle of the ball in high school. She had two best girlfriends, Kate and Susanna, and several good guy friends, the best of whom was Doug Fairchild. During her senior year, Ashley fell in love with Jimmy Moreau, dashing Doug’s hopes of having her for himself, but tragedy sent Ashley’s life in a different direction. Grief leads her to a bad decision and a bad situation that she has to spend years getting out of.

A note from the author in the front of this book states that she wrote the first part as a 15-year-old and later found it and added to it. Interestingly enough, that original part was my favorite part of the book. The focus on Ashley and her high school love was sweet and a bit sad, and Ashley didn’t have to worry about too many things. After tragedy and grief set in, the bad choices Ashley makes turn her life into a roller coaster of ups and downs.

Ashley enjoys life and loves her family and friends. Though she’s a likable character, she doesn’t always make the best decisions. She makes up her mind and gets stubborn even when there are major warnings that she has made a bad decision. That was one of the aspects of her character I didn’t understand. Most people learn after a few bad choices – but not Ashley. It takes her too long to realize who her true love really is when it has been obvious to the reader for a long time. Then when she does realize, she chooses not to do anything about it. Ashley’s constant disregard of the signs of foreboding makes her seem almost stupid. After the first time, I wanted to shake her. After three or four times, I wanted to yell at her.

If there were a true hero to this book, as in a romance, it would be Doug Fairchild, Ashley’s high school buddy. He’s her best guy friend, and the man who worships her from afar. He’s nice, good-looking, adores Ashley and is there for her any time she needs him, as she is for him. They bicker like a married couple and miss each other when they’re not speaking.

Rick LeNoir, the other man in Ashley’s life, is a total creep. Because he dominates a large portion of her life, I can’t completely ignore him in this review – much as I’d like to. Ashley is very gullible and naive when it comes to Rick even though there are very obvious signs that he is a creep and is going to hurt her.

The time Ashley spends with her friends is fun and was the most enjoyable part of the book for me. Even after high school she maintains an easy banter with the guys and closeness with Kate and Susanna. Kate is the friend who backs up Ashley most of the time but still tells her how she feels. Susanna is the one who calls it like she sees it in the most straightforward manner. The reunions with friends at home were nice, and her friendships in college were strong. The way Ashley’s friends rallied when she needed them was wonderful.

Allen has a smooth writing style, but tends to call her characters by their first and last names, a trait that got a little annoying. Overall I enjoyed this book, even if I would have made different choices. Still, I suppose you have to cut a 19-year-old a little slack. It was nice to see Ashley have a happy ending, and it’s nice to leave her there.