This story was a romantic delight, well-paced and beautifully written! I already knew that Mia Sheridan was an exceptionally talented writer that knows how to deliver a great romance. But this book totally surpassed my expectations. If you are looking for a break from womanizers and want to fall in love with a spectacular guy, look no further. Gabriel Dalton is your man!

Gabriel has been to hell and back. He was abducted when he was a kid and escaped after six years in captivity. Gabriel is a survivor but struggles to recover from the trauma. He can’t tolerate people in his personal space and is socially awkward. He hires Ellie to help him practice getting close to a woman. Ellie and Gabriel click right away. Their relationship is complicated, though, they are two broken souls.

Ellie is deeply moved by Gabriel’s kindness and sincerity. He is a man with his own share of painful insecurities but his heart is a thing of beauty. He never let himself forget what love felt like. Ellie has given up hope that her dreams of love and happiness would ever come true, she feels unlovable. She is scared and tends to sabotage the good things happening to her.

Mia Sheridan did a fantastic job of writing these two people building a relationship. The romance between Gabriel and Ellie is a slow burn. It forced them to get to know one another and really understand what the other needs. They bring out the best in each other and lead each other to the happiness neither thought they'd find. This book is a journey of emotional healing, an inspirational story of resilience, hope and new beginning.

In a practical sense, a Mia Sheridan novel means having your 'emotional reading care pack' ready and waiting to deal with any heartbreaking symptoms occurring whilst indulging in one of her books.

Gabriel Dalton needs help to mend the final part of his previously broken life to be whole again. He has a plan, knowing the path leads him along the one he's meant to follow. However, the subject prompting his actions changes as he meets a young woman who, he always knows will touch his heart.

Crystal's surprised when a handsome young man asks for her help. His request is unconventional, but she agrees all the same. However, she soon realises Gabriel is wrong to assume she can assist him to overcome a personal problem, when, she's the one that needs saving.

The pace is slow in this emotional narrative, but in this instance, it didn't work for me...or so I thought. The narrative peaks and troughs with enticing passages that draw me in, captivating me then, follows with passages that make me skim because my attention is lost. However, the overall impact of Gabriel and Ellie's (Crystal) story didn't hit me until the end. I'm now left thinking...pondering after engaging with the poignant words and metaphors. Bravo Ms Sheridan.

The chemistry between the protagonists is intense and palpable but the romance is slow to develop. It takes a while for them to be on the same page and even when they are, the time still isn't right for them to be together until unresolved issues and conditioning behaviour from the past are dealt with.

If you've read Archer's Voice, you'll adore Gabriel and his intuitive observations. You can't help but love him, as this broken young man begins a final step to become a whole person again. Then, there's Ellie, whose life has been all about acceptance until she realises she has to break the mould that has shaped her past, to start living a life she deserves.

Due to my personal reading preferences, a plot thread that runs intermittently through the duration of the book made me uncomfortable and antsy. The conclusion is satisfying for me, although I'm not sure the sub-plot is necessary. The narrative covers distressing issues with heartfelt compassion with defined character development, even if it's a little uneven and sometimes unrealistic. Yet, that's the beauty of fiction, where characters don't always act and behave as we think they should.

In some respects, this has been a difficult novel for me to read yet, somehow I've come out the other end appreciating the slow journey.

3.5 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of Forever via NetGalley***

What are heart wrenching story. Mia Sheridan definitely knows how to pull you in and keep you tossing and turning with this gripping yet raw story of love.

I cried, I screamed and I wanted to hurl something at someone; these are the feelings that Mia had evoked in me when I read this story. I know it doesn’t seem like I enjoyed it but that’s the furthest from the truth. I get hooked on stories like these, the ones that grip your heart in places that make you feel uncomfortable and question your sense of comfort.

I absolutely was engrossed in every chapter, holding onto my breathe with every word. The characters were just so broken that you wouldn’t think that hope could be their saviour. Their lives cross in the most unpredictable way, that you start to question how can, two lost souls possibly have a chance at any kind of happiness. You just feel utterly destroyed by their pasts and what they have endured.

I absolutely recommend this masterpiece to every soul out there looking for hope in the most inconspicuous places.

Wow! This author's writing is so beautiful! Her stories always pull me in and makes me feel all the feels! Gabriel and "Crystal's" story is heartwarming and heartbreaking, it's sweet and sexy, it's about two people who have been through so much and it shows their strength they have to overcome what life has given them! I just want to hug them! Great storyline with outstanding characters that I love! Looking forward to what's coming next from this author!

Most of All You was a breathtakingly emotional story of two broken people trying to make it through life and the life altering hurdles it threw in their way. This story is one that is filled with unimaginable pain and anguish, yet in the same breath is filled with the most soul touching love and healing that you will ever experience. As much as this story is about hurt and darkness and things that threaten to take the life out of you, it is just as much, if not more so about love and light and the things that make life worth living for.
Mia Sheridan continues to be one of the most talented authors I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The way she so thoughtfully weaves together stories and characters that are deep, so unforgettably real, and that sear themselves to your heart is what continues to make her one of my favorite authors. Her words, the feelings and emotions behind them, and the beautiful and powerful meaning she crafts behind them are so much more. They are more unforgettable, more amazing, more consuming, and more all-feeling.
She just makes her stories and characters and everything with them mean so much more, and that truly sets her books in a league of their own.
Most of All You follows what happens when two people with a world of hurt and pain in their pasts, find themselves on the same path trying to find a way to heal, to find themselves, and to be who they were always meant to be. This story follows them through every struggle, triumph, and moment in between with them as they fight against each other and what they know is right, as they fight for themselves, and as they fight to end up in the exact place they know they need to be. Most of All You gives you their highs, their lows, and every moment in between as they try to find their way through the darkness that threatens to surround them. This book has a story within it that is bursting with so much heart, so much varied emotion, and so much hope. Hope for the future, hope for healing, and hope for what could be if fate finds a way. Getting to experience that hope along with everything else in this book was extraordinary.
Every page of this book, every sentence with these characters, and every word I experienced while reading put me right in the thick of this book with these characters loving and feeling and breathing and living everything that they were.
The way that Mia Sheridan once again puts you in the heart of her story will pull at every one of your emotions, and will have you rooting with all that you have that Gabriel and Ellie will find a way to get to the place they both deserve to be. Through every page of this book my love for those two grew exponentially, and the way that Mia Sheridan gave me them, as their messiest, at their most complicated, at their most broken pulled my heart to them a million times over. She allowed me to get them, to understand their pain and their journeys and why they guarded their hearts the way she did. She also allowed me to see and feel how it all started to change, and to understand the fears and worries and vulnerabilities that went along with that.
Through every page and word of what I read and felt, I got these characters. I got them, their fight, their falls, and every moment of the two of them seeing what could be if they could only find it through that darkness to the light they both wanted. Ellie and Gabriel’s story was beautiful. It was raw and intense at times and so breathtakingly real, and getting to fall in love with them both while I got to experience their incredible journeys of fight and healing was everything.
Gabriel was a man who melted my heart from the very first page. His honesty, his sweetness, and his patience blew me away. That man had a heart of gold that shined on every page, and the words out of his mouth and the meaning behind them had me loving him with all that I had. Ellie and her hard exterior, her blunt nature, and her fiery self pulled me in, even when that girl did all she could to push others away. Getting to see that exterior of hers crack, getting to see her walls fall, and getting to be there with her as she tried to figure out who she was and what she wanted was amazing. It was real and genuine and it was her, and that was everything to get.
Most of All You was one of the most perfect love stories I have ever read, and what’s funny is it probably had two of the most broken characters in it, yet it was their brokenness, their cracks, and the dings in their armor that made this story so beautiful, so right, and so epic. Every word of this book wowed me. Every emotion behind it all moved me and had my heart melting and my eyes tearing up more times than I could count. Every moment I got with these characters gave me it all, and in the end I know that I will not soon forget what this story so exceptionally gave me.
It was breathtaking, it was emotional, it was healing, it was pain and hurt and love and light all mixed into one, and through it all it was a story about what can happen when you learn to embrace the cracks that let you see the light.
I cannot say enough how much I loved this book and what it gave me. Ellie and Gabriel’s story will move you in ways you didn’t know possible, and will give you a love story you won’t soon forget, and it truly does not get better than that!

Mia Sheridan has done it again! I absolutely loved Most of All You! This is a beautifully written story that reached deep into my soul. It completely gutted me, made my heart ache and caused me to ugly cry; yet taught me a much-needed lesson in forgiveness and acceptance (of myself as well as others). Very few stories have ever touched me the way that Most of All You has.

Mia Sheridan is a beautiful storyteller! Most of All You is a story that will stay with me for a long time! It is definitely a top read of 2017 for me!

4.5 Stars

As a young girl Ellie knows her share of heartache. She lost her mother, and was left to live with her father that did not want anything to do with her. She sought love from people that were abusing her. In her mind she was worthless. Always looking for ways to pay the bills she falls into the life of a stripper. While working at the Platinum Pearl she meets Gabriel Dalton. He looks so out place in the club that she can’t help but watch him. When he approaches her she realizes she remembers him from years back. He was in all the papers, the boy that was kidnapped and escaped after being held for 6 years.

Gabriel wanted to get his life back, he had been living for years within the shadows of the kidnapping. It was time to break free. He still had many issue when it came to socializing with people. When he met Ellie she was going by her stage name Chrystal. He knew right away that she was going to be the one that could help him break free of his anxieties. Crystal was not interested in helping Gabriel, however she did try. When she thought things were not going to work she backed away.

Crystal has a run in with customer from the club leaving her hospitalized with many injuries. When Gabriel hears about the attack he rushes to her aid, taking her home with him and caring for her. To their surprise a lot of Gabriel’s issues are confronted without him even knowing. Caring for Crystal helps him push away some of his anxieties. When they both let the shields break away from their hearts they find a connection that is indescribable.

Gabriel and Ellie’s relationship intensifies, bringing both happiness and conflict to Ellie. She finds herself using Gabriel as a shield from the rest of her heart ache instead of dealing with it. She makes a decision to stand on her own and find her true self. Will they be able to sustain the distance? Will Ellie and Gabriel find their way back to each other?

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***

Two broken souls, one emotional story that'll be impossible to let go of long after you've put it down. Mia Sheridan delivers a poignant story that will break your heart and put it back together with a deep and beautiful love that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit.

Gabriel Dalton had to cope with a horribly undesirable past, but he pulled through with his own unbreakable strength and will. Though there’s still a part of him that needs healing.

From an early age Crystal learned about loss, feeling the emotional pain down to her marrow and enduring the consequences of it by being neglected, deprived of the love and safety all children should enjoy.

Given her unfortunate circumstances and in order to evade ever feeling heartbreak again she built a fortress to protect her and learned to detach body and mind during the unpleasant moments she still has to endure. Until Gabriel Dalton with his tender gaze, gentle patience and sculptor’s hands chipped away her defenses and taught her that there are good men worth taking a risk.

It wasn’t an easy acceptance, she’s broken and afraid. She pushes him away again and again because every man she’s come across has only used and abused her. But Gabriel, sensing a dark past not unlike his own, doesn’t give up.

Together they find a love that’s capable of mending their brokenness. But it’s up to them, especially Crystal, to find herself and the ability to trust him.

Right off the bat, I was hooked and saddened by Crystal’s story. Her start in life was so desolate and only got worse with time. Her hardness and wariness was warranted. She needed those walls to survive. Gabriel saw that, but also saw her softness and the potential for so much.

Gabriel was such an incredible hero, having gone through his own hell also at a young age, but having a better family life, he came out broken yet with his soul intact. I fell in love with him right from the start with his shy smile and strong will. And the more I read, the more I fell, because he was just such good and gentle man, full of love, gratefulness and strength which was also so very sexy.

Most All of You is an emotionally naked story about fortitude, hope and healing brought by a virtuoso at lacing heartbreak, passion and love. A must read for all romance lovers. This one goes straight to my favorites list.

Most All of You is a standalone contemporary romance by author Mia Sherida. It is told from both points of view with a sweet, sweet happy ending.

I don't write lengthy reviews because I don't feel like I need to hash out the story or basically rewrite the synopsis for someone to read the book. First, that kinda spoils the story and second, it spoils the story. My job is to just tell you how the story made me feel and if I recommend it. With this review it's going to be kinda shorter then my normal short review.

READ THE BOOK!

There, that's it, my short review. It's emotional and gutting and beautifully heartbreaking. Ellie and Gabriel's story tore me up and owns a piece of my heart. They help each other heal all while healing themselves. That's all I'm going to tell you. Grab this one and see for yourself.

Mia Sheridan serves up another stunning, heart-wrenching romance with Most of All You. From the very first page, I was captivated. I knew that this novel would be as refreshingly unique as every other book from this author and I was definitely not disappointed. Crystal and Gabriel’s journey was one-of-a-kind and they shared a connection that was all their own. This couple was as unlikely as they were perfect for one another, their individual jagged edges fitting together to create something whole and healing. With a chemistry that absolutely sizzled, Crystal and Gabriel were the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and I quickly found myself totally addicted to this novel.

Crystal is not your usual heroine. Life had not been kind to her and yet she seemed oddly accepting of her circumstances. Resigned to a lackluster fate devoid of emotional connection, there was something about this character that called out to me. Crystal had a fierceness in her that hinted at an incredible strength and begged for something better to find her. I adored the way in which this character blossomed over the course of the story. Mia Sheridan did a fantastic job unraveling Crystal’s insecurities, revealing her strengths, and highlighting the things that made her utterly lovable. She fought for her own happiness and she fought hard. Crystal’s resilience and determination ensured that I rooted for her happily ever after.

I can’t say I’ve ever read a character quite like Gabriel before. He tugged on my heartstrings in seriously surprising ways. This hero was sweet, thoughtful, kind, and respectful – everything Crystal didn’t know she needed. Having endured more than his share of loss and heartache, Gabriel seemed to unknowingly recognize something in Crystal that allowed them both to grow and heal. In being able to care for her, he took back control of his life and, for the first time, was able to choose his own path. I loved how Mia Sheridan quietly evolved this character, putting aside his initial expectations for the relationship and allowing something else entirely to take root and eventually, transform them both.

Crystal and Gabriel weren’t the only characters to make me feel. I also enjoyed the colorful and emotionally raw secondary personalities that helped shape our couple’s journey. Most of All You is leisurely paced, perfectly in line with Mia Sheridan’s other more touching reads. The character development, plotline progression, and emotional build-up were exceptional, ensuring that Most of All You is a true testament to Mia Sheridan’s undeniable talent. While Crystal and Gabriel’s story felt completely different from any of the author’s previous work, there was also something perfectly identifiable as Mia’s writing magic that warmed my heart as I read. Crystal and Gabriel’s journey is memorable and moving. Most of All You is another beautifully distinctive and breathtakingly poignant story from Mia Sheridan.

Stunning. Poignant. Mesmerizing. One of those stories that I didn’t want to end while trying not to inhale it at the same time. A story that made my chest and heart physically ache, tears freely spilling down my cheeks, at least once without me even realizing. A story written in a beautiful and prosaic way that will stay with me for a very long time. This is the most perfect example imaginable why I love reading romance novels so much.

Ellie and Gabriel’s journey is breathtaking, heartbreaking, but, above all, beautiful. Two broken, deeply scarred souls searching for peace, if not healing: Some damage simply can never be undone completely and stays inside you permanently.

Two people who couldn’t be more different from one another meeting at an unexpected place in a very unusual situation. Two complex and extraordinary characters that are in total contrast to each other, yet complement each other perfectly, which becomes more and more obvious with each layer that is peeled off as the story progresses. Characters that feel unbelievably real, which you want to call friends in real life.

The torment and all the tragic they both had to endure ripped my heart apart, my soul bleeding for them. Neither of them being at a point where they wanted to be in life, they somehow– with a huge push from fate – become exactly what the other never know they needed.

And Gabriel … gosh, Gabriel! He is one incredibly wonderful man. The material book boyfriends for eternity are made of. He exudes a quiet strength, is brave beyond compare and sees the good in people despite his past. He might still suffer from its aftereffects but he isn’t allowing for it to define him or to hold a grudge: He is positive he is exactly leading the life he was supposed to have. Then there is the way he believes in Ellie from the very first moment… How can you not admire such a man?

MOST OF ALL YOU is an exceptional multi-faceted story – one of the must-reads in 2017!

Mia Sheridan is known for writing the broken boys with soft hearts. In Most Of All You you get the sweet boy that you come to expect from Sheridan. In Gabriel’s case he was kidnapped as a kid and is trying to work out on last issue. By the time Gabriel meets Crystal he has made peace with a lot of things that have happened to him. He approaches Crystal hoping she can help him with his last roadblock; human touch. The problem is Crystal is extremely damaged from her childhood and having to get close to Gabriel to help him, is hurting her.

It took me a bit to warm up to Crystal because Gabriel was so sweet and in her effort to push him away she his mean to him. She decides the emotional cost to her is too great and tells him she can’t help. But they are thrown together again after she is attacked and Gabriel offers his help. I thought Most of You was a sweet story and a bit sad. It was a bit insta-love on Gabriel’s part but it made sense for him. He felt connected and he needed to nurture and love someone to completely heal. Crystal grew on me as she healed from her injuries and you learned how deep her hurt was. I liked that she finally realized she had to grow and fix herself in order to lead a full life.

All in all this was an enjoyable read and it had a sweet HEA.

**Copy provided in advance for voluntary review.**

4.5 "Keep grasping rainbows." STARS

I finished Most of All You by Mia Sheridan a few nights ago and my heart still hurts. It was destroyed in a beautiful way. Mia Sheridan broke my heart into pieces, just to touch it and heal my pain. Gabriel was remarkable. I found a little bit hard to like Crystal at the beginning, but at the end, my heart was rooting for her.

"Our hands linked together in a way that made me feel we'd been created together, that every part of his body might contain a place just for me, a place I'd fit like no other. As if we'd been sculpted with the other in mind."

Poignant, beautiful and at times breathlessly heartbreaking, Mia Sheridan's Most of All You is a total page-turner that explores the tale of two broken souls and the healing power of love.

"I'd had to turn away in order to travel the path that would bring me back to him, the path that ended with nothing separating us at all"

Along with the beautiful romance, there was the process of self-acceptance. Because the truth is that you must first love yourself before you can love another.

With a plot that will pull you in from page one and won't let you go until the last. Most of All You will take you on a journey of all-consuming emotions. A story that won’t let you go even after the last page is turned. And will let you hoping that someday you will get the chance to experience a story as touching as this one.

Most of All You is for romance lovers. So if you are one of them, this is a book worthy to hold in your hands and get lost in its words.

Crystal wanted to be anyone else other than who she really was. The pain of her past was too real and she had to get on with the hard business of living.

Dancing at the Platinum Pearl was all she could really do. She could turn it all off and become the girl of their dreams. That gave her enough courage to keep going. Until an angel walked through those doors.

He started to turn away but then looked back. “Can I just ask one more question?”
I moved from one leg to the other. “Sure.”
“What were you thinking when you looked at me from the stage? When our eyes met.”
I frowned slightly, about to deny I’d been thinking anything at all but deciding it didn’t matter at that point. I’d never see him again. “I was thinking you didn’t belong here.” And I’d been right.
He paused, his expression enigmatic as his eyes moved over my face. “Huh. Funny,” he finally murmured. “I was thinking the very same thing about you.”
I laughed, a short huff of sound. “Well, you were wrong there. This is the one place I do belong, sugar.”
“Gabriel.” His lips tipped up slightly, his eyes lingering on me for a heartbeat too long, before he turned and walked away.

Everyone knew Gabriel Dalton as the boy who was kidnapped and lived to tell about it. Those six years could have completely broken him, but it was his memories of love that sustained him.

He was only searching for a girl who could teach him how to be close to someone again but instead he found the one that he wanted to give his heart and soul to – forever.

“You can’t fix me, you know.”
She’d said something similar to me at the Platinum Pearl and I’d questioned my own motives. But looking at her now, I knew that had never been my intent. I wanted her to heal, and I hoped I could be a part of that. But no one could fix anyone else. We could only fix ourselves. “No, you’re right. I can’t fix you.” I can only love you. And I truly want to try.

Most of All You is an exceptional read on so many levels! It’s devastating and yet hopeful, dehumanizing and yet uplifting and completely soul shaking.

Mia Sheridan once again creates characters that leave an indelible mark upon you. She shines a bright light on the beauty of the broken that will have you smiling through tears and you’ll remember just how deeply it makes you feel for long after the last page is turned…

Most of All You by Mia Sheridan tells a beautiful, amazing and heartbreaking story that stays with you. It was emotional, dark and sweet t story of two broken and lonely people who find each other when they most needed it.

Crystal/Ellie and Gabriel have both suffered so much in their life already. They are both haunted by their pasts. Their stories are sad and dark and will break your heart. Once they meet, Ellie and Gabriel slowly develop a friendship and connection. But coming together also means learning to trust and heal. Can they find a way to heal and love each other or will their pasts continue to haunt them?

I loved Ellie and Gabriel. Despite his past, Gabriel was such a sweet and caring man. Though he found it hard to trust and be open, he sought a way to get past it. Ellie was so broken. She was bitter and hard and refused to let anyone in. Until Gabriel. With Gabriel we can see a different side of her.

Most of All You was another amazing story by Mia Sheridan. It was a sad story about two people who are both lost and broken, but find something they needed in each other. It was a slow-burn romance and it’s a story you need to experience. It has all the feels and is heartbreaking, but also full of hope and redemption. A must read!

When I first stared reading this book it was a little slow catching for me but it did not take long for me to get hooked. Mia has delivered a story so unique and completely beautiful it's in a class of its own.

Gabriel and Crystal have lived through situations left for our worst nightmares. There chances to fight for something good in their lives doesn't come easy and there are struggles that hold them back. I couldn't put the book down, both Gabriel and Chrystal moved into my thoughts. I felt like I had grown attached to them, I wanted them to be okay, to heal and of course heal.

I also want to give mad props to the author for giving us some of the best supporting characters in a book EVER! From Dominic and George to Chloe I felt a kinship to each one and thankful they were in one another lives. I can't explain it but as I read this book I felt like I was transported right into the story.

Shattered memories of a childhood from long ago. A past riddled with disappointment and abandonment. Revelations that leave Ellie expecting very little from life. A loss of faith in humanity and the people that she meets along the way. A girl who grew up longing for the mother that left her behind. Knowing that the hand she once was dealt brought nothing but despair and longing. Crushing the spirit of a girl who desperately wants to have a home and family to call her own.

No one could possibly know the anxiety and pain that envelopes Gabriel’s life. Moments that have shaped the path that he now leads. Leading the course of his life while hinting at the turmoil that still haunts Gabe’s dreams. A tragedy from circumstances beyond his control. Now picking up the pieces have led Gabriel on a path to take back the remaining pieces of a life that he so desperately deserves.

Unconventional doesn’t begin to describe the way that Gabriel comes into Ellie’s life. Bringing with him the possibilities of hope. Something that has evaded Ellie’s life for so long. As the two are thrust into one another’s life, secrets from both of their pasts come barreling into the present. A catalyst that pushes the two towards finding what makes them whole once more.

Okay….I have been waiting (not so) patiently for another Mia Sheridan book!! Most of All You is Sheridan’s first book with a publisher. While it is the romance that we have come to crave as readers, Gabriel and Ellie face a set of trials unlike any of Sheridan’s other characters. While reading this novel, readers will uncover a crushing feeling of desperation for Ellie and Gabe. One that leaves you longing for them to find a life that they deserve.

There were so many feelings rumbling around my head as I dove into this book with fever. The heart ache and excitement clearly evident as I engrossed myself in this book. It is filled with angst, heartache, and strength. A culmination of the vast emotions that Sheridan never fails to treat her readers to upon reading. A beautiful beginning to Sheridan’s partnership with her first publisher!!

4.5 stars

Once again Mia Sheridan has written a story that will inspire emotions across the spectrum as you read it!

Crystal and Gabriel have each been broken by their pasts in different ways. They are more similar than they realize but they are also at very different places emotionally. Crystal learned early on that death steals more than just your loved ones from you: it takes away chances at what most would call a normal life too. Now in her twenties, life has taught her that men use and abuse while giving nothing back but misery, and she gets by day to day by stripping to pay the bills. She has hardened her heart against caring for anyone else in order to protect herself and she hides behind a facade to keep others at a distance. One night when a man who most definitely doesn't belong in the club shows up and requests a private meeting with her, she has no idea that the course of her life is about to be altered.

Gabriel survived horrific experiences of his own as a child. He was abducted and forced to endure unspeakable acts until he was able to finally escape after years of captivity. He has struggled to re-adapt to the world in general, but he has managed to retain a positive outlook on life and developed a wonderful appreciation for nature and beauty in all its forms. The one downside is that he has difficulty tolerating even the most innocent of touches from others, and when he is approached by a vivacious grad student who would like to interview him for her thesis, he decides the spark of attraction he feels for her is the catalyst he needs to try to overcome his limitations. He goes to the strip club uncertain of his exact plan but when he sees Crystal dancing, he recognizes a bit of a kindred spirit even if she doesn't want to admit it.

His request for help learning how to accept the touch of others doesn't go very well, but he isn't willing to give up on her or himself easily. Despite multiple rejections, Gabriel's persistence eventually wears Crystal down and she agrees to try to help him when she hits a financial bump in the road. The innocence in his eyes is something she never sees anymore, and it scares the hell out of her to hope that maybe just one person won't let her down or treat her horribly. Reality kicks in harshly soon after and when that unexpected event sets her on a path to even closer contact with Gabriel, she is left with no choice but to accept his offer of help.

Their story is a definite slow burn as they get to know each other by small increments, and their intimacy is built not in the carnal way that Crystal has come to expect but rather through sharing parts of their stories and themselves that no one else knows. The girl she could have been slowly emerges but she still struggles with self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy. Gabriel's gentle nature and easy demeanor nurtures her but she is helping him along the way too as he becomes more at ease with himself.

I will leave you to discover the rest of their story and their journey for yourself, but suffice it to say Most of All You is everything you would expect from a Mia Sheridan story! From the emotions to the complexity of the characters to the bit of a twist she throws in along the way too, this book is well worth the 1-click.

I don't recall the last time I have read an actual Romance book. And not just a New Adult book (which I absolutely love). I mean an actual gut-wrenching, beautiful, devastating and amazing Romance book - a Mia Sheridan book of some sorts because that woman can write! If you've ever read Archer's Voice you know what I'm talking about.
Anyways, Most Of All You seemed like the perfect book to refresh my Romance memory.

Crystal and Gabriel couldn't be any more different, yet their lives seem so alike.
Crystal doesn't trust men and doesn't believe in love. Both have only ever brought her heartache and pain. She guards her heart behind a big, thick wall and lets no one in. However, when Gabriel walks into her life, things start to change for the better. Not even his dark past seems to scare her away, she is rather drawn to him by it and his genuine, honest character. Neither Crystal nor Gabriel would have thought that their encounter would change both their lives so much.

Gabriel and Crystal meet under the oddest circumstances ever. After reading the blurb you wouldn't think that a situation like this was even possible. Well, I guess it's a possibility somehow, but it's not what I expected for this book at all. I was positively surprised and I really enjoyed their unique but odd encounter. I'm pretty sure you're wondering now what kind of encounter I'm talking about, aren't you? Well, my lips are sealed, purchase the book and find out yourself. ;)

I had mixed feelings about the characters. I didn't really like Crystal, to be honest. You know when they say 'You never get a second chance to make a good first impression'? Yeah, Crystal ruined her first impression in the first few chapters. I can't believe how ruthless she was. There was this one scene in the beginning in which she clearly knew what she was doing to Gabriel. Yes, Crystal didn't have the nicest of childhoods but that didn't give her the right to be so malicious to Gabriel, especially because he was nothing but kind to her. Although Crystal changed over the course of the story, she couldn't win me back. I also didn't like her constant pity-party.
Gabriel on the other hand was gold. To become such a great, strong, forgiving, and kind person after what he went through is remarkable. Although we learned a few things about his past, I wasn't satisfied with them. I wished we would have learned a few more details.

"She looked away from me, out toward the road for a minute before looking back. 'I'm sorry for leaving without telling you. I just...' Her words faded away and she shook her head. 'I'm good at running, I guess.'
I inclined my head, trying to catch her eye, to make her smile. 'I don't mind chasing you. Just let me catch you once in a while.'"

The story started off great and I really enjoyed it, even though I didn't care about Crystal. Then there was one point in which everything became too much: too much romance, too much whining, too much drama. I also think that the story could have lived without a certain plot twist in the end. Well, there were actually two plot twists the story could have lived without. Nevertheless, I still think that Most Of All You is a great and decent Romance book.

3.5/4 Stars

I was thrilled to receive an early of Mia's new novel as this has been the one book I couldn't wait to read in 2017! I am big fan of Archer's Voice and when I heard this book had a similar feel I was sold! I’d seen a few early reviews who’d said this was Mia’s best book so I was excited to open my Kindle and dive straight in!

“I don’t create beauty, Eloise, I just reveal what’s already there.”

Out all the authors I have read Ms Sheridan certainly delivers when it comes to bringing out all the emotions in a read and I can't argue that this one did that too. The story line about two very broken souls really packed an emotional punch. Both Gabriel and Crystal have both really been through the wringer but in very different ways.

“I knew in my heart that to stop her from going meant trapping her in its own way, and it was something I would never do.”

Crystal is a fiercely independent woman who has learnt the hard way she can only rely on herself. She’s been badly let down by the one person who should always love and protect her after the loss of her mum. She’s willing to do just about to anything to survive but always on her own terms. She has to have control of her life so when a stranger who requires her help walks into her life it knocks her sideways.

“I’m still a work in progress.”
“I suppose always will be. We all are sweetheart. All of us.”

Gabriel has experienced an appalling trauma childhood which understandably is still having an impact in his adult life. He’s desperately trying to get his life back on track. I have to say I loved him from the start! His vulnerability and strength made me fall for him even more! His steely determination to have what he calls a “normal life” leads him onto a somewhat unorthodox path but he sees it as his only way.

Can these two damaged characters navigate their way towards a real conventional relationship or are they just too broken? The beauty of this story is how the author takes you on their journey and almost makes you feel at times you are living it too.

“I’ll miss you.”
“You will always be the great love of my life, Gabriel Dalton.”

I have to say this book did start off a little slow for my liking and at times I kept waiting to the other shoe to drop. I also felt the background for Gabriel’s history didn’t quite get the attention that Crystal’s did. You were almost left to imagine what he went through. Maybe this was intentional as his background really was the things nightmares were made of. I thought I knew how this story would pan out however, what I assumed would happen didn’t. I was almost disappointed but then surprised in a good way at the ending. Ms Sheridan wove a really sweet and sad story but for me it could’ve been condensed. Having said that the writing was excellent, beautiful and angst filled. As readers is very easy to put authors on the proverbial pedestal and I have truly tried not to compare this read to Archers Voice as I believe every book should speak for its self however, for me this book didn’t give me the ‘feels’ like Archers Voice did but that’s not to say it won’t for other Mia Sheridan fans, old and new.