Member Reviews

Emma and her family moved to Juniper Hills to get a fresh start. She.thought she was doing.great putting the past behind her. She had her owm bakery, her sister had her job and they were happy. But as fate would have it a disaster at the bakery brought the past rrarimg its ugly head in the form of Jake Rowan. Emma wanted them to.pretend the past had never happened, Jake tried.to do.that for Emma's sake but it all came tumbling apart. Can.the two of them have a future? Read to find out how they work things out.

Was this review helpful?

Violet is an amazing writer. Jake and Emma's story just transported me like I was actually living their lives with them. I couldn't put the book down because I had to see what happened next. Learning to forgive is one of the hardest things to do in life as is assuaging guilt whether it"s deserved or not.

Was this review helpful?

So I was told that this was a Hallmark novel that would have me in tears and I must admit that I found myself in silent tears a time or two. Jake and Emma story was tragic to say the least but the love and respect they held for each other shined through as well. You can't shy away from a past that had so much of a baring on the future but you can use it as a growth mechanism and dissect each piece until you find peace.

Violet Duke did this heart-breaking romance justice. She brought all the hurt, lies, and missing pieces to life like no other. Making reality out of fiction and putting hatred and anger in the appropriate box.

"'That’s all there is to it.’ And you’d always make me believe it was that simple and that doable.”"

It can sometimes be that simple and complicated. You just have to believe and listen to more than the negative voices and traumatic nightmares.

Was this review helpful?

What a beautiful love story! If you love Violet Duke books, you will love this one.
Jake, his two brothers and sister lived next door to Emma, Megan, and Peyton when Jake and Emma were in high school. One night some fireworks were let off which caught Emma's house on fire. She was watching her brother and sister, but didn't realize the house was on fire until it was heavily burning. Jake ran into the house to save Emma and was also able to get to Megan. Unfortunately the fire was too far gone to reach Peyton and he died. Jake took the blame for the fireworks even though it was his older brother who had let them off. The father convinced Jake that is older brother's life was more important. Jake spent two years in a juvenile home.

Fourteen years later Jake goes to a small town to look at some carpentry work his older brother wants him to do on a library. Once there the foreman on the job tells him that his work won't start for a couple weeks, but one of their good friends that owned the local bakery had extensive water damage and asked him to give her an estimate on fixing it. When he got there Emma was the owner. Everyone involved in the fire 14 years ago had a lot of guilt and blame they were carrying around. You will need to read to see what happens.

I felt so bad for Jake and how his mother and father had treated him, and made him feel he wasn't worth anything. He truly had a good heart and suffered for others. Emma has always felt like she wasn't a good sister, but she really is and Megan tries to tell her. I loved how the whole story came together at the end and things became clearer of what happened in the past. Jake and Emma were such a good couple, but they had to get through some strong feelings. I strongly encourage you to read the book. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

This is the first book in this series.I really wanted to like this story as it seemed to be a good storyline. I honestly really didn't care for it. I found myself just wanting to toss it aside but kept trying to finish since this was a book I received to review. This was a very slow book for me and I just really couldn't get into it. I'm just not one that can read books that take half the book to get going.I'm not saying it's a bad book but we dont all like every authors writing style which honestly I think that was my problem with this book.

Was this review helpful?

Defining moments. Everyone has them. The moments that make you… you. For Emma and Megan, Jake and Carter, it was a fire that happened years ago. Peyton died. Megan was burned, Emma felt responsible, Carter accidentally started it, and Jake took the fall for it. That fire tore two families apart. And now, years later, Jake and Emma run into each other in a different town, a welcoming town.

Violet Duke has written a story about a defining moment and the ripple effect. She grabs you in and you care about Jake and Emma, and whether they can get past their pasts. You care about the layers revealed for the characters – they are multi-dimensional and so very real. You care about the complexities of sibling relationships, and you care about whether young love is real and lasting.

Such a good story!

Was this review helpful?

Jake Rowan and Emma Stevens lived next door until a fire cost the life of Emma's step brother, the marriage of both sets of parents and Jake's future, when his father coerces him to take the fall for his older brother and he ends up serving 18 months in juvie. Emma carries the guilt that she couldn't save both of her siblings, but has moved herself and her sister Megan to a small town where she owns a bakery and her sister is the own librarian. While Jake had saved both her and Megan she can forget or forgive him. Megan, however, thinks of him as her hero. Jake barely ekes out a living as a carpenter. For some inexplicable reason, aside from forcing Jake to take the blame for the fire, he had Jake's and his 2 younger siblings' last names changed to their mother's last name and she also has nothing else to do with Jake. Jake's older brother, Carter, meanwhile has become very successful, but guilt ridden, hides behind his partner to be inviable. However, behind the scenes, he has been looking out for both Stevens sisters and now becomes his brother's "fairy godmother" to get Jake back together with Emma. The story shows how people can learn to forgive and that things aren't as they appear. The characters of Jake, Emma, Megan and Carter are well developed. I liked the book a lot, but would have liked to have some explanation of why Jake's mother abandoned him.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked this book.

Was this review helpful?

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this work. I have loved all of Violet Duke's series. The first book of her new series new series Juniper Hills tells the story of Jake and Emma. How will their heartbreaking history effect their relationships, lives and work, and their families. She blends tragedy, love, and humor with her wonderful writing style, bringing you into her characters lives.

Was this review helpful?

Violet Duke has outdone herself again! This book has all the feels. This is a second chance romance. Jake and Emma are an incredible couple. They have an incredibly painful shared past. Emma believes Jake set the fire that killed her little brother. Jake didn't set the fire he took the blame for it and ended up inJuvie for 2 years. There is a lot of humor and hi jinx in this story. The grief that Jake and Emma still suffer 14 years later is powerfully palpable. Violet Duke's writing is masterful. You never go wrong with reading a Violet Duke book. I don't even read the blurb's before buying.
****I voluntarily reviewed and gave my honest opinion of this Advanced Readers Copy of this book from Net Galley.****

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book. It was hard to put it down. Emma and Jake had a past that would be hard for anyone to overcome. The feelings of guilt over something out of your control are hard to handle. The way Megan showed her love and affection towards Jake, giving Emma the shove that she needed was very nice to see. It is a story that could have had a very different outcome, but I think that is was the best one!

Was this review helpful?

The technical stuff: This is book 1 of the Juniper Hills series, but it completely stands alone – *there is NO cliffhanger*. There is very minimal cursing in this book (no f-bombs) but there is one scene with on-screen sex. Also, this cover is so beautiful and perfect for these two characters.

This was my first Violet Duke book and I have to admit that I went in a little leery of the subject matter, but I was absolutely blown away by this book. I highlighted 28 times that I found myself chuckling out loud and that number was just a fraction of the lines that made me grin when I read them. But it isn't just a humorous book, this one also made me cry just a little. This story line premise should have been heavy and difficult to read, but this was so well written that even the few scenes that made me cry were so poignant that I felt sad, but it wasn't unbearable. I know this sounds like a wishy-washy description, but you really have to read this one to understand how Violet Duke has balanced incredible humor with heartbreaking moments. Side note: Without spoiling anything, I spent FAR too long trying to envision Jiminy Cricket's twin sister. Thank you, Ms. Duke for that mental image!

Jake and Emma have ridiculous chemistry from the very moment they first appear on the page together. I loved how they antagonized each other, and how they could read each other, even fourteen years after losing contact with each other. I loved how Jake protected Emma, how he loved her in the little ways without her even realizing that's what he was doing. I just happy sighed just thinking about it, that's how much I enjoyed their relationship. I am so intrigued by Megan and Carter's parts in this book and I hope that some day we will get to read their story because I know that if it comes to fruition, Ms. Duke will absolutely knock it out of the park.

If you enjoy a second chance romance that will make you laugh and cry, or just a book that features two characters who were literally meant. to. be. you really need to read this book. I am so glad that I gave it a chance.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley. I was under obligation to write this review, I did so because I so very much enjoyed this story and these characters.

Was this review helpful?

Fabulous book! This book had me so involved, I stayed up until 1 a.m. reading. Sweet romance of two former next door neighbors while growing up. A tragic accident removed them from each other until they unexpectedly are placed in the company of one another. Can Jake and Emma rekindle their friendship? Will Emma ever forgive Jake? This is a great book about low, friendship, and forgiveness.

Was this review helpful?

**Advanced copy received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

All There Is is the first book in the new Juniper Hill series by Violet Duke. I've been hearing about this book for quite awhile, so I was very happy to get my hands on it and I was certainly not disappointed.

While Emma Stevens is trying to move on with her life, it is a night fourteen years in the past that continues to dominate her thoughts and feeds her guilt. While she has started a new life in Juniper Hills by starting a very successful bakery, she still can't forget the night that she was unable to save her stepbrother from a fire that destroyed not only her childhood home, but her family as well. While she too could have lost her life, it was her next-door neighbor that saved her that night and he's the one thing about that night that she wishes she could forget, but like everything else, his memory stays with her.

Jake Rowan has his own demons that he faces daily following the fire that changed his entire life. After Jake took the fall for the fire that destroyed Emma's family home, he served the punishment and seemingly continues to due to the fact his contracting business has received poor reviews. The sad thing is the reviews have nothing to do with his work, which is impeccable, but everything to do with the fact he spent time in juvenile hall. When Jake gets a job opportunity in Juniper Hills, he has no idea that the one person he's never been able to get over is going to be walking right back into his life.

When Emma and Jake see one another, and subsequently are forced to work in the same town, will the past be too much for them to bear? Or will these two people finally confront what happened so many years ago and act on the chemistry that is still so obvious?

I really enjoyed this book and it was one that I did not want to put down. It felt very authentic to me in terms of how people in the real world would deal with this type of situation. There were disagreements, misunderstandings, very sweet moments and moments of realization that lead to both forgiveness and introspection. This is a great addition to Violet Duke's already wonderful stable of books and one that I would highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
A slightly humorous and lighthearted romance which was fun to read, although there was a more serious storyline to the book. The slow building relationship between Emma and Jake , tainted a bit by their history was well portrayed. I really liked the setting in a small town, with all the associated openness and everyone knowing everyone's business.
A sweet book which made me smile. 3 stars

Was this review helpful?