“All The Rest”
This book came to me via an ARC program, after reading another of the author’s books “Hearts on Fire.”
The Premise
The Pros & Cons
This is my second book by this author, and I snapped it up immediately once I got the alert that it was available. Having read her work before, I knew what I was in for in terms of smut — and if that’s to your liking, you’ll be more than satisfied here.
Though I personally found some of the sex scenes gratuitous, they are very well written so no complaints there. Above all as a reader I appreciate the story above all else — fortunately, there’s enough of that here too. As it’s the last book in a series and I haven’t read any prior in the series, I’m not sure how that affected my overall impression, but it’s easy to settle in and buckle up for the ride.
The main character Sheryl was fun to read, and you really do feel like you’re inside her head as she bounces off the walls — literally skating her way through life, flitting from one thought to the next. Still, there is some gravity to her childlike behaviour with her friends who trust her with their children, and as she opens up to Manic and reveals her softer side, it’s a truly glorious unfolding. Similarly, the gradual build-up to the reveal of Manic’s background is heart-wrenching and gripping.
Despite all of this packed into a story that was enjoyable to read, where it fell a bit short for me personally was that I was somehow hoping for a climactic event that didn’t materialize — it’s focused on their relationship, with minor speed bumps but no real off-the-cliff moment that you ever doubt they’re the end goal, and the final “resolution” is an easy slide into the end of the ride. Nevertheless not all stories need to shock you with that hard drop, and where this one shines is in its quieter moments. In particular, I loved the beautiful imagery of layers of a cake, and you feel this multiplicity in each of the main characters. I also appreciated that, in choosing characters with so-called “damage” to highlight, there is a sense of healing as it all wraps up.
Conclusion
Overall this is a great book that would tick most of the boxes for the average reader, especially for those who like a raucous romp in the sack as there’s oodles upon oodles of that here. As a second-time reader of this author, I’m glad that I took another chance, and I’m more than willing to go again!
