Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy! I have read every Emily Giffin book since Something Borrowed, but this one showed a different side of her writing. So thought provoking- while reading I contemplated motherhood, status, and the ramifications of social media. Nashville seemed the perfect setting for this story and as always, Emily Giffin presents a variety of voices and each one was pitch perfect! Add this to your summer reading list!

Very topical novel that will make you want to deny cell phones to all kids under 18 (or maybe older!). This has a very different feel from other Giffin novels- it's about the consequences of immaturity, the me too movement (in a sense), and lying. A cellphone photo of Lyla goes viral and all bets are off for Finch, the boy who took it, his mother Nina, and her father Tom. Lyla and Finch are student at a private school with an Honor Council and Finch, who has just been accepted by Princeton, sees his future at stake, as does his father, who is not a nice man. Nina is shocked by what her son has done and equally shocked by how her husband reacts. Tom, a single father, finds himself trying to cope with a situation you hope only to read about. These are wonderful, very real characters. There's some lying going on and a couple of twists that make you question who is telling the truth (never question Nina, Tom, or Lyla). Giffin is a storyteller and this one reads quickly and easily. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Two thumbs up!

Loved this book. It’s an extremely relatable story these days- what happens when your teenager makes a mistake and the entire world finds out about it, thanks to social media. Griffin somehow tells both sides of the story- from the teenagers’ point of view and the parents’ point of view- without it seeming like a YA book. You find yourself taking a side early, but the story keeps unraveling until the end. I read this one quickly, wanting to find out the ending. Great!

From the outside, Nina has everything she could ever want. She has a successful (and rich husband), a son on his way to Princeton, a beautiful home, and time to charity work. But that's not really who Nina is, as she finds out when scandal strikes, in the form of a picture of a nearly nude girl that her son snapchats to a few friends. The repurcussions of that force Nina to really examine her life and whether it reflects her values. Her introspection forms one theme of the story, and the did-he-didn't-he question of who actually sent the picture and what the consequences will be, form another. Add to that Lyla, the girl in the photo, who has her own story to tell, and her father, and you get a complex, layered book that explores issues of privilige, complicity, and redemption

This book is one that will stick with me for a long time and I think it has a much deeper than some of Giffin's previous works. Once I started this book I could not put it down. Lyla, Thomas and Nina were well crafted characters that I immediately liked and connected with. I cared about them all and felt invested in their stories. Powerful, timely and wonderfully written!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I was taken in immediately by the storyline.

Nina, wife and mother, finds her world may not be what she has allowed herself to believe. After years of married life, with a son who has just been accepted to Princeton, everything she has known, lived and loved changes in one evening. She is faced with decisions, heartbreak and finds herself having to move in a new direction.

Tom, father of a teenage daughter who attends the same school as Nina’s son, has tried to protect his daughter and provide her with a life full of all she could need, after her mom left when she was a young girl. Tom, a carpenter, living amongst a community of wealthy neighbors, does not allow this to infiltrate his family, until that one life altering evening.

Nina and Tom find their paths, though very different in the beginning, coming to a very common cross section which will bind them together forever.

This book has twists, turns, tear jerking moments I did not expect. It was a fast paced read, kept me interested and the subject was tough but applicable to the times we face presently.

2.5/3 This book annoyed me in so many ways. I'm still trying to figure out who the audience for this is- rich people? Because it's basically the story of some very rich and entitled people doing bad things to other people and then never getting punished for anything. Then you get a lot of "who's really a victim" debate. If a guy does something terrible to a girl, but she ends up together with him, is she still a victim? There are a lot of interesting ideas brought up dealing with entitlement and victimization, but ultimately the story doesn't really dive that deep into them. Overall, I'm just a little annoyed to have spent so much time reading about a case of affluenza.

June 26, 2018 Rating: 4-1/2*

After marrying into the “Nashville elite” Nina browning was living the good life after her husband made a fortune selling his tech business. High society and a busy social life, a son she adored doing well in his private school who has just been accepted into Princeton, and life never looked so good… – So good, in fact, that when a photo showed up with a racist comment on it Nina was devastated when she learned that her precious child was identified as the person who took it!

On the other hand, Tom Volpe is a struggling single dad doing his best to be a good dad and positive influence on his headstrong intelligent daughter who had won a scholarship to the ultra private and very expensive private school of Windsor Academy. For Lyla it was a miracle that some of the wealthiest students had befriended her and she might have taken it over the line to be accepted.

***. I guess this really was a story of values and how some folks let the change in their financial position change them from what they were into someone they no longer recognized as themselves, or to be perfectly blunt – a wake up call to discover they really didn’t like the person they’d become. In the case of Nina, she saw that the values she wanted to teach her son were not what he was practicing. Rather she took a good look at her life and didn’t like what was happening to her husband and what he in turn was beginning to teach their son.

It was also a story of a rebellious young girl who was caught up short in first love and discovered that the rules her dad imposed on her life were definitely not laid out to hurt her but were set down in order to protect her.

Bottom line: This was a short but inspired story of coming of age, and reflections of a life that needed some adjustments made to get a person back on track to what was right for them! Very, very good. 

Marilyn Rondeau

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin was a wonderful, emotional, roller coaster read for me. While it took a while for me to get hooked, it didn't take long before I had to have it read in a matter of two days. The story is told through the eyes of Nina, Tom and Lyla. While the story starts out talking about Nina and her husband becoming insanely rich and how it changed their lifestyle etc, the book focuses on the real, meat and potatoes of the story...how social media can ruin people, families, trust and reputations. It focuses on what parents are faced with today regarding teens, in particular, and the choices they make and how other kids turn that into cyber bullying. One night, turned into a "who's telling the truth" situation when Lyla, the daughter of Tom, went to a party where Nina's son Finch was attending as well. Lyla had a little too much to drink and the next day, there was a compromising photo of Lyla that had basically gone viral. The book is told through the perspective of these main characters and takes you on a roller coaster ride of who we, the readers, should and should not believe as far as who took this photo and why. Marital woes do play a part in this book between Nina and her husband, and other factors play out as well to the point where you begin to think one thing will happen and Emily Giffin has a way of twisting the story to lead your thinking and assumptions elsewhere. This was a good book that overall had my emotions riding high until the end...it didn't really end the way I wanted it to, but that's just my personal opinion. I wanted a bit more revenge in this book, but love saved the day. I would highly recommend this book, especially for parents of teens who are starting to venture out with friends.

4 timely stars to All We Ever Wanted! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Emily Giffin releases a new book, it’s a big deal, and I think All We Ever Wanted is her best book yet!

That said, All We Ever Wanted gets off to a rocky start. The first chapter is narrated by Nina who escaped her middle class roots to live amongst Nashville’s wealthiest. I was worried over-the-top grandeur would take center stage in this book, but it did not. Nina’s son, Finch (no offense to any Finches of the world, but that name made me giggle a few times!), has been accepted to Princeton.

The next chapter is narrated by Tom, a single dad working multiple jobs to raise his willful daughter, Lyla, who earns a scholarship to Windsor Academy, where she rubs elbows with the most privileged kids in town, including Finch, of course. We also hear from Lyla as a narrator.

Everything is going well until a photo goes viral. Amid all this scandal, Tom, Nina, and Lyla are left holding the bag. How will they move past what happened? What is the right thing to do?

All We Ever Wanted is timely because we hear most every day a story where a teen, or even adult, has made a mistake on social media, one that could have a lasting impact on that person and their family, and even their community. I enjoyed hearing from the different points of view, and where the truth actually lies is anyone’s guess.

Additionally, Giffin addressed race and class biases, and there were unexpected twists to the story. All in all, All We Ever Wanted was a powerful and emotional journey. I highly recommend if you are looking for a summer read with plenty of substance and much to think about.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine for an advance copy.

As a long time reader and lover of Emily Giffin's books, her newest book All We Ever Wanted was not at all what I expected because it is a departure from her usual writing style, but I loved it!  All We Ever Wanted is not only one of the most enjoyable books that I've read this year, it is a compelling look at motherhood, parenting, family, friendship, teenagehood, love, and ultimately the decisions one must make when faced with during difficult times-do you do what is morally and ethically right or do what is socially expected?  

Although the topics in All We Ever Wanted are heavier than Giffin's normal lighthearted romances, she doesn't disappoint her readers with this powerful and riveting novel. In the book, Griffin tackles important and timely topics such as sexism, racism, assault, social stigma, classism, and gender discrimination, as well as how social media and its lack of privacy can be extremely damaging to a person's reputation in just a matter of seconds...all it takes is one picture posted online to quickly spread and destroy a reputation. 

Unfortunately, this is what happens after a compromising and racially biased picture is taken of unconscious Lyla Volpe and texted during a drunken party. Of course, the pic goes viral, and the elite Nashville community starts to take sides against who is to blame. It is obviously not wealthy, privileged Finch Browning who did anything wrong even if he allegedly did take the pictures! After all, he was drunk and boys will be boys! Plus, he's from a wealthy family and he's just been accepted to Princeton...he certainly didn't mean any harm. Finch certainly seems very contrite and apologetic, and he'll do anything to make right the wrong. 

While Lyla, well, she's from the poor side of Nashville and not one of the rich and privileged since she's just a scholarship student at the private, prestigious Windsor Academy; oh, and mustn't forget that she's Latina. And her parents are divorced! But really, everyone seems to think the entire situation happened because she's Mexican..wait Latino...but what is the difference between the two, all the rich wonder as Lyla's father, Tom, keeps explaining it every time his daughter's race or ethnicity comes up while he defends her or fights to get justice for her amongst Nashville's elite and wealthy!

The story is told through the perspectives of Lyla, Tom, and Nina, Finch's mother, and I have to say that I loved all of their perspectives although I identified with Nina most of all. Yet, I loved hearing from Lyla as the confused teenager devastated by what had happened to her but determined to rise above, persevere, and move on despite all social repercussions. Tom is a great dad attempting to manage alone while trying to figure out how to give Lyla her freedom as she grows into a young woman and still protect his little girl. But Nina, in my opinion, made this book the excellent read that it is.

Nina is just all heart and soul even though she is torn in a million directions by the events of that night and what follows. I have to admit that I immediately felt a connection with her when in the first chapter, Nina tells about being from Bristol, a small town on the Tennessee-Virginia border. I laughed since that's where I was born and grew up and most of my family still lives there! I've never read a book about anyone being from Bristol-I didn't think anyone knew where that was, so Giffin shocked me a little!

Anyway, I knew immediately that I would love Nina, and I did. Even though she married into the high-class Nashville society, I knew there was no way she could lose herself and the girl who grew up in Bristol, and I was right! Giffin portrays how, as a mother, it is hard for Nina to look at her son and face some hard truths about his behavior, the repercussions his actions have on Lyla, Tom, and her own family, what consequences he needs to face, the tough love she needs to give him, and subsequently how her own life is changed by these events. Giffin deftly navigates the tumultuous waters of tough parenting with empathy and compassion. Being a mother of two teenage boys, what Nina went through tugged at my heart and I have to admit that I spent several parts of this book crying...for Nina, Lyla, and for the reality that these things happen not only in novels.

All We Ever Wanted is a blockbuster, must read this summer, and I truly think this is Giffin's best book to date. Griffin has more than proven she is multi-talented with the change in direction of this novel and it's more than timely topics. I hope to see more of these thought-provoking, enthralling novels from her in the future.

**Thank you, NetGalley and Ballentine Books for my review copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.**

4.5 Stars rounded up!

I love Emily Giffin and I get so excited when I hear the annoucement that a new book of her's is coming out. She seems to take really relevant experiences and apply them to a fictional story so that we can all somehow relate.

Nina and Kirk are a wealthy couple. They drive nice cars, they have a 4 million dollar house and they have a housekeeper who does all the work for them. They also have a son, Finch, who just got into Princeton and is not only a great student but an all around great kid. Lyla comes from a single father home, her mom is an alcoholic but her dad wanted better for her. She is an incredibly smart girl and therefore was given financial aid to go to the town's top school..Windsor. Her Dad is a carpenter for the town and does his best for him and his daughter.

One night Lyla and Finn end up at the same party after lying to her dad about "studying" (but really what teen doesn't??). Lyla gets sick, her friend Grace brings her home and we just think it was a night of some teens drinking and being stupid. The next day however a photo spreads around town and turns into chaos. Lyla just can't seem to remember anything that happened. Thus starts the conflict, the questions and we start to find out the moral of each of the characters.

What happens when your husband and you disagree on a parenting decision? What if your morals suddenly don't add up? Do our experiences when we were younger always shape who we are today? Can you always protect your daughter from 'bad' people? Some choices you make will forever be held against you...

I flew through this book. It caused me to stop and think so many times what I would do in Nina, Tom and Lyla's shoes. I love how they all come from different places but try to work together to resolve conflict. It was also a very relatable story in the sense that this probably happens to a lot of youth in today's age. No, it's not a YA book but it has a strong parent/child relationship presence.

Also, can we talk about this cover. GORGEOUS! This book comes out June 26th and I highly recommend you pick it up!

I was hoping for a more memorable story. This one was a bit dull and i was looking forward to it. I'm disappointed.

I loved this book! I was a huge fan of Emily Giffin’s with her Something Borrowed series but found her next couple did not keep me in the story. In fact, I passed on reading an advance copy a couple times until I noticed the locale was Nashville, a refreshing change from NYC and began reading and Could. Not. Put. Down.
Relatable characters, captures teenagers voices in a realistic way, important issues of today and all touched with Emily’s artistic use of details. Read this book, you will not be disappointed!!

I loved Something Borrowed and Something Blue, but it has been years since I have read Emily Giffin’s books. In that time, her writing and plots have matured as have I, making the book all the more enjoyable for the stage of life I am in. All We Ever Wanted was a compelling narrative that is strikingly relevant. The characters were easy to identify with, and the transitions in narration gave the feel of a meaningful adult novel with young adult perspective. A quality, thought provoking beach read seems like an unattainable label, but this was it for me and it was incredible.

“All We Ever Wanted” is a truly captivating story. All characters are fully developed, and little by little you start to like them and even root for them. This is a super contemporary story about parenting and teenagers, that shows the balance between defending your kid no matter what versus seeing the other side and maybe realizing that sometimes your kid can mess up and you should be able to do something about it. As you learn more about the story, you want to get to know even more about what happened to Lyla and how everyone else was involved. I also like Nina's attitude and how she decides to stand up for what's right, even though that can end up being bad for her family. And as a side note, I really like that one of the characters explains that a Brazilian is not a Hispanic.

Summary:

Have you ever stopped and wondered how you got somewhere? With this man, living this life? Nina Browning should be ecstatic. She is part of the Nashville elite with a charismatic husband and a son that was just accepted into Princeton. It all seems wrong, though. The preoccupation with material wealth, the inability to really connect with her husband or son… this just isn’t who she is. Any of it.

Tom is desperately trying to be a good father to Lyla, his beautiful and intelligent daughter. When she got a scholarship to Windsor Academy he is a bit worried, but very proud. Lyla is trying to keep up with her classmates both academically and socially. It’s a different world and sometimes the differences are glaring.

A picture snapped in a moment of drunkenness spins out of control. Windsor Academy is going insane with rumors and casting blame. In the eye of the scandal are Tom, Lyla and Nina. Each one is forced to question the relationships of those closest to them, and who they really are.

My thoughts:

I could not put this book down. It was gorgeously written, and moving. The trio of narratives was an interesting touch. I really enjoyed being able to see more of these characters, their thoughts and motives. These were really interesting, well developed characters. I loved Lyla especially. Tom with the chip on his shoulder and Nina who desperately wants to be seen as a good woman.

As far as the plot goes, I found it really intriguing and I loved the different twists and turns that kept me guessing. Through out the book I both loathed and loved certain characters, wanting to believe in them, but not knowing if I can. It’s definitely a different world. I also like how they portrayed the young victim- it was very believable. The horror, shame, inability to believe, and the desire to let it all just fade away. Her strength was also something I really loved. I feel like this book has a lot of adult moments, but also a lot that older teens would like as well. For me, this is a five star book.
On the adult content scale, this is pretty high. There’s a lot of language and sexual content as well as drinking. While I would, as I said, see no issue with an older and more mature teen reading it, I have to say it’s meant for adults. I give it an eight.

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

This book turned out to be much deeper than I thought it would be. It has great character development & a few twist. I will be thinking about this one for a while. I can’t wait to talk about in my book club in August. I definitely recommend this book & this author.

I got an early copy of this from the publisher and really enjoyed it. This novel tackles some serious subjects in a well done way. Emily Giffin does a good job of going back and forth between the parent and teen’s perspective of the plot. This novel reminded me a little bit of Beartown by Fredrik Backman where the setting is almost a character and the actions of teenagers affect everyone in the community.

This book blew my expectations out of the water. Giffin delivers a page turner with heartfelt characters while weaving stories of social media use among teens, classism, and changing relationships. I will eagerly recommend this book, especially from the public library of the book's setting!