I was immediately drawn into the dusty little town of Oak Creek, Oklahoma and the lives of Catherine Calhoun and Elliot Youngblood.

McGuire once again showcases her ability to create a complete departure from her previous works in this suspenseful and mysterious YA romance.

Not only is it dark, twisty, and full of intrigue, but WOW! The events that unfolded throughout the story had me completely blindsided. The high school romance between Elliot and Catherine is heartwarming and sweet but ultimately takes a back seat to Catherine’s secrets. This book will leave you feeling like you need to go back for a re-read once you understand the truth!

If you’re looking for something that will keep you turning the pages and might even keep you up at night, you should definitely check out All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire. It’s a page-turner that was a much-needed change of pace in my TBR list!

I received this book from the publisher through Netgally for a review. Catherine and Elliot become friends, they are separated, Elliot comes back to town a few years later and they fall in love but Catherine has a troubled home life and their families/the town and their issues try to break them apart. I felt that this one was just ok. I loved Jamie McGuire's other series so I'm disappointed that I wasn't 100% in to this one. I personally was able to figure out what was going on fairly quickly which potentially impacted my enjoyment of the book since I wasn't surprised at the big reveal. It was different from a majority of YA romance/hiding secrets from each other though so I would recommend it for people who are looking for something to read outside of the norm. Don't take my middle of the road reaction to this one though as any kind of deterrent from reading anything by Jamie McGuire because she is a great author and her other novels, especially Beautiful Disaster, are some of my all time favorite DIK novels

I must admit, Jamie McGuire is one of my guilty pleasure favorites. Her writing is easy and flows well. I didn’t find this as addictive as some of her other works, but still enjoyable.

Oh. My. God. This book was AMAZING.

I've read Jamie McGuire before (I love Beautiful Disaster, no matter how "abusive" the relationship may be), but this one blewe away. This was definitely not a first novel - this is a novel from a seasoned author. This is one for the ages.

I'm not going to summarize it - there are enough reviews that will do that. All I am going to say is, if those summaries remotely make you think "hey, I might like that" - GET IT. IT IS PHENOMENAL. Five stars is nowhere near enough.

I received my copy through netgalley and read it voluntarily. Thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I found it very hard to put down. It’s a beautiful romance and had me hooked from the very first page. Jamie doesn’t disappoint with this book at all. Thank you

I have a bit of writer's block in trying to review this particular book. All the Little Lights had some lovable characters (I especially took to Mrs. Mason) and a *big reveal* that was interesting enough, the drag around the middle of the story was enough to make me lose interest.

Elliot fell in love with Catherine at first sight while they were very young; when he finally gets to transfer to her high school, Catherine is an outcast. Her father has passed and she and her mother live in their mansion-turned-bed-and-breakfast, where many nefarious but non-specific things happen.

One very specific event: the disappearance of mean girl Presley, the accusations against Elliot and the events that transpire in a small football town.

I cannot say too much about the ending without giving it away other than - while the big reveal was intriguing, some of the events that were explained thereafter seem extremely far-fetched.

Overall I wish I were just a little more invested in the characters and the book in general, but I enjoyed the differing points of view and would most likely pick up another book by the same author. Thanks Netgalley for the preview!

First off I went into this book blind not know what I was getting into. I have loved all of Jamie’s books so I dove in not looking back. This book was so different from any books she has done in the past. There were times I was left breathless and confused in a good way. I could feel that there was an underlying issue. That there was something I was missing. This book was heartfelt and beautiful with a twist. A huge twist that gives you the aha moment. I was blown away!!! I am left speechless you need this book in your life. This is by far my favorite of all the books Jamie has written. I love when an author takes you on wild ride that you never saw coming. When you think the book is going one direction but then everything gets turned upside down. I would recommend this book to anyone and I can’t wait to get a paperback to add to my shelf it is one I will treasure.
I received a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

I honestly had a very hard time getting into this book. It's not like Jamie McGuire's other series. While I was expecting something new and different, I wasn't expecting to have to struggle through it. It's very mild and I would liken it more to a YA read than an NA read. The last quarter of the book is where it finally picked up for Me and redeemed the rest of the story.

Wow. Just wow. Jamie McGuire just shattered my mind.

Let me start this off by saying that I am the Queen of calling plot twists. If I'm reading a thriller, I always guess the killer/stalker/bad guy correctly. I called what was going to happen in Gone Girl. I guessed the plot twist for Interstellar. As you can see, I have a knack for figuring out plot twists....but I didn't guess this one correctly.
Jamie McGuire is making me question my abilities The groundwork was set but it was done so subtly that I didn't realize what direction this book was going in until I read it.

For that reason alone, I recommend this book. Please read it. Let your jaw drop in shock. Question how you missed the signs. Applaud Jamie McGuire for tricking you in the best possible way. Honestly, I recommend this experience.

Okay, let me back up a bit and explain what this book is about. Elliott and Catherine meet the summer after their freshman year in high school. Elliott is in town visiting his aunt and uncle because his parents fight constantly--and they're fights escalate to violence very quickly. Catherine's parents also fight constantly but they're not violent with each other. These two bond almost immediately and become fast friends. However, the day before Elliott is supposed to go back home Catherine's father has a heart attack. When Catherine goes back outside to seek comfort from her best friend he is nowhere to be found. Turns out, Elliott's mom showed up a day early when she found out who he had befriended. His mom, Kay, hates every single person in her hometown as they bullied her for being Native American growing up. Naturally, Kay is not okay with Elliott forming any attachment to the town she hates so much. She forces Elliott to leave without saying goodbye or even checking on Catherine.

Fast forward 2 years, Elliott is back. He finds Catherine to explain why he disappeared 2 years ago, and he informs her that he will be living with his aunt and uncle for his senior year of high school. Needless to say, Catherine is still incredibly hurt and doesn't wish to rekindle their friendship. That doesn't deter Elliott in the least, he's determined to fix things with Catherine. However, what Elliott doesn't know is that Catherine has been holding onto a huge secret for the past two years. Once her father died, her mom fixed their house into a bed and breakfast--although, Catherine is the one who keeps the place running. But, the guests at the bed and breakfast are peculiar...controlling...scary... Will Elliott be able to save Catherine from her predicament? Will Catherine finally confide in someone? Who knows.

Let's talk about Catherine for a second. This girl is the living embodiment of loyalty and strength. I admire and respect the hell out of her. I honestly cannot imagine living her life. As for Elliott, what's not to love? He's simply a great human being. He's incredibly considerate, loyal, and kind.

Honestly, I recommend this book. Yes, it is a bit slow in some parts BUT the ending is worth it, I swear. This book does a tremendous job in showcasing the power of first love, the power of friendship, and the unconditional love one feels for their parent.

***ARC received for an honest review***

A YA romantic "thriller?" with a twist.

Elliott and Catherine are summer neighbors in a small miserable town. The story spans about 8 years, and their relationship grows from a sweet love into something a little more intense. Catherine has a big secret that defines them.

This book was a little sad and a lot slow. Descriptions of weather that was always too hot or too cold. And Catherine's life was a giant uphill struggle - to the point that it got a little tedious to read.

The twist became clear, and then it was frustrating to watch Catherine live in that situation without telling anyone. Elliott was sweet - and i loved their love.

<a href="http://www.alleskelle.com/"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1471716947r/20097901.jpg?v=1471716951482"width="400"></a>

All the Little Lights is a coming of age/love story focusing on two characters, Catherine and Elliot. The book starts when both the characters are 10 years old. Elliot is spending the summer with his aunt who lives in the same town as Catherine. It isn't until they are both 15 years old that they meet and become best friends. They are separated when Elliot has to leave. However, he does come back and the story unfolds from that point as both the characters face the reality of their lives as well as try to rebuild what they once had.

I wanted to read this book simply because I loved the author. Jamie McGuire has a way of making you feel very attached to the characters and yet is able to keep the plot somewhat interesting. However, sadly, I did not feel that for this book. Both the main characters were very boring and the story unfolded very slowly which in this case was not such a good thing since it did not seem to help the character development. There are certain topics in the book that I wanted the author to explore more however, that did not happen. Also, the ending seemed very rushed so the situation was explained but not very well and left the reader with more questions.

Being familiar with the author I had some expectations and whilst the story didn’t meet all of those it was an enthralling read. I was a little disappointed with such an obvious ending and had hoped for a little more, so the twist wasn’t really a twist. The romance was true and kept me interested although didn’t seem to have the passion that some other books from the same author have provided. I definitely feel divided with this book, I neither loved or hated it

4.5/5 stars

Initial thoughts: This book was absolutely nothing like I was expecting. Elliott and Catherine are the two main characters/narrators (1st person POVs).

Elliott is Cherokee/native. This was so interesting. And it played such an important part in the story.

Both Elliott and Catherine had troubling family lives. This was a key part of the book.

But the biggest surprise to me was that this book is part romance and part mystery. The mystery aspect added so much to this story. And the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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All The Little Lights is a Young Adult contemporary romance/mystery. The story is told in alternating POVs. The narrators are Catherine and Elliott. We get to see their lives at a few different points in time. But the main time period is when they are 17 going on 18.

Elliott loves to take pictures and he is an athlete. He sometimes stays with his aunt and uncle because his parents fight a lot. Catherine is a bit of an outcast at her school. She is bullied. She has to deal with so much at home. Because of this she spends a lot of time alone or working.

The book features a mystery, but it only takes place in the second half of the book. IMO it was such a great idea to have a mystery aspect in the story.

The things that I liked about this book: 1) I loved Elliott's Aunt Leigh and Uncle John. I just loved this couple. They were so supportive and wonderful. And they added so much to this story.

2)I loved Mrs. Mason. Mrs. Mason works at the local high school as a guidance counselor. It was so nice to see someone in a position of authority that listened and tried to help the students.

3)Photography. Elliott was obsessed with taking pictures. This was such a meaningful and important part of this book.

4)Catherine's house. Her house was creepy and played such a big part of this story.

5)I loved the mystery. I had absolutely no idea that there was a mystery or that it would be such a big part of the story. I actually wish that the mystery was not only in the second half of the book. But this part of the story made the book so much better IMO.

6)I loved that Elliott, his mom and uncle were Cherokee. I can't recall ever reading about a main character that was Cherokee. The racism and things that Elliott had to deal with made this story so much more interesting.

7)The romance. Catherine and Elliott were very different. But they also had things in common. I really enjoyed seeing their friendship and romance develop.

8)The end was everything! The ending of a book is super important to me. It is the last thing that a reader has to take away from a book. For me this ending was wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall, this was a really enjoyable YA contemporary romance that was part mystery. This book dealt with so many interesting and relevant topics including racism, bullying, friendship, troubled families and more. This book was so different from the Maddox brother books. But it was definitely a very compelling read.

I read everything that Jamie McGuire writes and I'm a huge fan of the Maddox brothers, but I have to say, this book was one of my favs! I didn't want to put it down and I thought about it all of the time. I am still thinking about it and I finished it last week! Do not hesitate to read this one!

** I received an early reading copy of this book from netgalley for an honest review**

I finished this book in less than 24 hours. The story was mysterious and I honestly was a little shocked by the big ending. Wow!
My only critique of the book was that the story was very slow moving, it took a while for the storyline to play out. There were a few time jumps during the book that weren’t annotated so it was a little difficult to keep up with the time. I did like the mystery-romance element, I was very surprised. I did not expect that from this book. The ending made up for the long awaited plot. I was pleased with the ending. Although, I wanted a little more of an epilogue included Mavis and the guests. All in all, good read.

Review goes live on May 25 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Interesting
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: The Oak Creek setting came with the little town with secrets, annoying attitudes, and discrimination moments galore.
Characters: Catherine was torn between tough choices. Elliot was very protective and pretty intuitive, which I really liked.
They both had tough lives, very dysfunctional families. They were both cute, but I can’t say I felt any chemistry there, and I wasn’t emotionally invested in either of their stories.
Plot: The story felt very slow to me for about the first half of the novel, so much so that it barely kept my interest. It covered years of their interaction, which might have been fun had I been emotionally invested, but I wasn’t. The second part of the story was very interesting to me; with the disappearance, it got more and more interesting as the ending was nearer. I really enjoyed the ending.
Writing: First person, past tense narrative, his/her POV.
Curb Appeal: Cute cover, hooking blurb – potential impulsive buy material for my admittedly rare YA moods.

I recommend All the Little Lights to fans of teen romance and stories which include mental illness.

I've read the Maddox Brothers books from Jamie McGuire but I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but it was pretty good. There were some unexpected twists and turns that kept you guessing but you were always missing enough pieces of the puzzle that you can never figure out what the bigger picture was. It was great. It was a lot darker than anything I've read from Jamie McGuire and the first half and second half of the book do feel like totally different books but it was still a good read for me.

I just have to say, it’s so refreshing to read All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire. Something that was non-Maddox related. And I don’t mean that negatively, I am a Travis Maddox girl through and through. But I was just ready for a different side of Jamie and All the Little Lights delivered just that.

It was really cool to see Jamie go back to sort of a Happenstance type realm. A book where two characters are just trying to survive the day to day struggles of teenage years, parents and school and even bullying. Catherine and Elliot are two very strong characters, especially for the YA genre. That was a huge plus for me. They were actually characters that had depth and weren’t just two dimensional people who were wrote out on a page for you.

I do want to say this: The different types of subjects Jamie touches on in ATLL were eloquently done. From the stereotyping of individuals to the mental illness to the way children are treated in today’s society- just bravo, Jamie. Bravo. Thank you for not doing this for the shock factor or the drama.

My only quirk and downfall of ATLL was the pacing, it was a tad slow at times. Some parts were drawn out and tedious but other than that I had no problem enjoying every minute of this read.

I enjoyed how the story played out and the way the twists and turns played into the story. The plot was strong and there is nothing I love more than a plot driven story. It was all diligently woven in a sense that needed to happen and Jamie did an excellent job at executing that. Her writing was exceptional and definitely something I was not surprised to see. She has a natural flow to her stories and plots that I tend to enjoy so much.

The best part of this entire book was I didn’t know what to expect. I had my suspensions and my guesses but I still wasn’t 100% sure where Jamie was taking this story with Elliot and Catherine. It could have gone multiple ways but in the end- I was completely happy with the route she took with these two characters.

Admittedly, I have this perpetual soft spot for McGuire and her dysfunctional new adult romances. I fell hard for her work back when I first read Beautiful Disaster and am a big fan of the OGs, Travis and Abby. So when I found out she was releasing a new novel, I was beyond excited. I was ready for some more Travis & Abby/Trenton & Cami level fire.

Comparatively, however, All the Little Lights was more lukewarm than fire.

All the Little Lights skews to a slightly younger character set than we usually get with McGuire’s twenty-something MCs. Our leads, Elliott and Catherine, are only about twelve or so when they first meet, and when they reunite they’re high school seniors. Elliott used to visit his aunt and uncle in the small town where Catherine lives, and after a fast and somewhat romantic friendship with Catherine, he is forced to leave right after a tragic event in Catherine’s life because his mom shows up and takes him back home.
Keeping in mind, of course, that he is literally a child, Catherine apparently totally hates him for this and vows to never forgive him. But Elliott returns in high school when his parents split up and he moves in with his aunt and uncle while he finishes his education. And of course, because this is a romance novel, after all this time, he still has a thing for Catherine. Part of the book is spent on Catherine awkwardly despising Elliott and Elliot awkwardly trying to win back her trust, and then the second half of the book is spent kind of meandering through various unimportant seeming events in their lives as they navigate their relationship (awkwardly) and Catherine forbids Elliott from ever coming inside her house because she “has a big secret” which has also caused her to drop her only two friends like hot potatoes. Obviously, Elliott wants her to tell him whatever the “big secret” is and obviously, Catherine reminds us like every five pages that there’s a big secret.

I don’t know, this one just didn’t do it for me. Right from the get go, the stakes didn’t feel very high. At least in the Beautiful Disaster and Providence series, as sometimes over dramatic as they may be, there are some pretty high stakes. The whole first half of this book just felt so inconsequential as Catherine half-heartedly hated Elliott for something he had literally no control over because he was a literal child when it happened. I just couldn’t really get behind it and it seemed really silly. Even the characters don’t seem to have a ton of conviction in their feelings. There’s also some stuff with Elliott’s mom insisting that Catherine will drag Elliott down because she’s from a small town and small towns are terrible and they will go nowhere because nobody ever leaves small towns. Being from a small town myself, I totally get this mentality and I can see where McGuire was trying to go with it, but it was really surface level, not fleshed out at all, and even that concept seemed to lack any real conviction. There was also some stuff where family members half-heartedly implied that Elliott was being targeted by police in the disappearance of a classmate simply because he was Native American, and even that seemed to lack conviction. It seemed like perhaps there was so much that the author was trying to work in, none of it really got the fair chance to be fully developed so that the reader could get truly invested in it. The stakes didn't feel high, which makes it hard to root for the characters or really get super wrapped up in it the way you can with some of her other novels.

And then there was the big reveal or the big twist. Suffice it to say I was not impressed. I didn’t think it was executed very well and it almost felt cheap, if not a bit mishandled (for lack of a better word). There was definitely some effort on the author’s part to be respectful about it and show empathy for the characters involved in the twist, but for some reason, I didn’t feel great about it and I wonder if it might perpetuate certain negative stereotypes about a certain group of people.

On the upside, there was a romance and it did have its cute moments now and then, like when Elliott teaches Catherine to drive or shows gives her an old photo of her and her dad (which was cute, but also a bit…stalker-ish). Catherine also makes friends with a girl from her school named Madison who people seem to think is quiet and shy until she has little outbursts like turning around during a football game to the girls who frequently bully Catherine and yelling at their ringleader to eat sh*t. Honestly, I would have stuck it out just for her little outbursts and random comments which made for great comedic relief. If Madison had a book all to herself, I’d totally read that and she would probably make for a potentially much more entertaining main character.

But I digress.

The friendship between Madison and Catherine after Catherine spent so many years as a loner being bullied is definitely a major upside of the novel. There’s also a cute moment where Catherine and Maddy end up having to ride home from an away football game on the bus with the players and Elliott thinks about how much he likes Catherine as he watches her from the back of the bus. So, yeah, it’s a romance novel, which means it’s not without its cute (though sometimes unrealistic) moments. It has its slightly redeeming moments, and like I said at the start, I have a major soft spot for McGuire that I just can’t shake. As a result, I’d probably give this book about two and a half stars, maybe three.

I still kind of enjoyed reading it at times, I just think there are some ways it could have been better, and I didn't like it as much as I liked her other books. But I also have to be honest with myself about the fact that no book is ever going to be Beautiful Disaster and no other couple is ever going to be Travis and Abby, so I acknowledge it is a little unfair of me to expect that from new Jamie McGuire books.

I do think this would make a really great beach read for the coming summer months! Despite its drawbacks, it is cute and at times lighthearted.

The one word I would use to describe All the Little Lights is irresponsible.

It’s going to be hard to communicate my overwhelmingly negative thoughts and feelings towards this novel without spoiling anything, so bear with me as I navigate the spoiler minefield.

Jamie McGuire introduced me to the romance/new adult genre with Beautiful Disaster and I’ve been a fan ever since. So, when I seen her latest release on NetGalley I requested it immediately. Unfortunately, not only is it an overly long and boring romance, it is also mislabeled in terms of genre. On NetGalley, it’s labeled as general giction (gdult) and on Goodreads it’s labeled as romance, rontemporary, then young adult. All the Little Lights is most definitely a contemporary young adult novel, not an adult novel. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, however young adult romances do not interest me. A combined page long description from both perspectives about holding hands does not appeal to me.

All The Little Lights follows Elliot and Catherine as they fall in love, but are torn apart only be reunited years later. Now, Elliot and Catherine are seniors looking toward the future, but Catherine’s mother and her mysterious bed and breakfast are holding Catherine back.

All the Little Lights is about 200 pages too long. It’s incredibly slow paced with nothing happening other than typical, juvenile high school drama. McGuire employs the mean girl trope with the unpopular main character cliché. These coupled with the star quarterback falling in love with the unpopular main character who then becomes popular herself made All the Little Lights one big eye roll.

The mystery of the bed and breakfast is incredibly frustrating. McGuire hints at the mystery throughout the entire novel, but doesn’t do anything with it until the last 10% of the novel. There is obviously something nefarious happening at the bed and breakfast, but none of the other characters push Catherine to divulge the information leaving the reader frustrated and in the dark until the final moments of the novel. In hindsight, the climax of the novel should have been obvious, but I couldn’t believe McGuire used [insert spoiler here] as a plot device.

Overall, All the Little Lights is an absolute disappointment and incredibly irresponsible.