This is the first Emily griffin novel I have read. She definitely does a wonderful job telling a compelling story that has elements from todays’ news stories.

While the characters are well developed in this book, I felt they definitely fit the stereotypes that many would expect. The ones born wealthy, especially Kirk, lived with a feeling of rich privilege that allowed them to run roughshod over others and take advantage of poorer people acting as if throwing a tiny amount of cash at everything makes it all ok. Nina, who grew up with less and married into this world of wealth was kinder and more empathetic; however, enjoyed being able to spend all that money and live a better life. Even though the characters talk about how all rich people aren’t like Kirk, there are no examples in this book. (I’m not counting Nina.)

Tom, Lyla’s father, had to drop out of college because he couldn’t afford to finish and worked as a carpenter as well as an Uber driver. He comes across as crude when he is introduced in the book, using the f word a lot, and his thoughts of his ex-wife throughout their relationship are vulgar. He often acts without thinking things through first. This seems like more stereotyping to me.

The book also has a sex scene between a sixteen-year-old and another teenager which seems a bit weird in a book that is for grown-ups.

Overall, I did find the book to be well-written.

The author's previous works were more light-hearted and fun. In this novel she brilliantly presents a novel which topics include bullying, social media, date rape and the use of alcohol among teens and what it looks like to grow up juggling all of those issues. The use of the different voices was at times difficult for me to make the switch, but not to where I wanted to abandon the story. In fact I read this in one afternoon, I didn't want to put it down. This should be required reading by all high school students and their parents.

I’ve been a big fan of Emily Giffin’s books since Something Borrowed so I was ecstatic to receive this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. This book didn’t disappoint and was my favorite Giffin book so far!

This novel is told from three different points of view. Nina is a wealthy woman married to a powerful upper class man. Lyla is a teenage girl that attends school with Nina’s son, Finch. And finally, Tom is Lyla’s single dad raising her by himself and trying to provide the best life he can working two jobs to make ends meet. Tom and Lyla’s lives collide with Nina one terrible night with an unfortunate string of events.

Happiness and love can not be purchased and certainly doesn’t come from being part of the upper class. Nina discovers this and herself throughout the book. The book also shows what the ramifications of bullying/assault on social media (or with current technology) and what gossip can do to a community and especially to teens. Great novel with strong women! I love her character development (always). Highly recommend this one!

Thank you Ballantine books and Netgalley for this ARC!

Unlike the other Emily Griffin books I’ve read in the past, this books seemed to drag. The characters were bland and it was hard to invest in any of them. I was so looking foreword to this book, too.

Opening with a lavish gala fundraising event for the prevention of the heavy-hitting topic of suicide, Giffin explores how one bad decision spirals against the backdrop of Nashville's high society. The stories told are ones that have bounced around for decades as the horrible acts of humans can be rapidly spread through a network of society types who eat the misery of others for breakfast. There's discussion of class, race, and oppression of women, but with the exterior of wealth that allures the average reader. These trending topics aren't discussed with any depth, but they do bring to light how one moment changes everything and how something terrible can redirect a person onto a better path.

Not everyone "just gets over things" and the book never gets into the pain of recovery, but it is a surface level exploration of topics worthy of more than a beach read.

Told from three different perspectives, Giffin explores the differences between social classes. One drunken high school night and a photograph changes everything for these 3 characters. I was immediately pulled in by their intertwining lives and their struggle to move on after the incident.

This was a great book that I really enjoyed reading. Solid characters and a powerful plot with a message not typically delivered in "woman's" fiction.

Nina Browning has it all from the outside - the perfect husband, son accepted to Princeton, lovely house, lots of money. Unfortunately, her son gets in trouble on social media and suddenly Nina doesn't know who to believe anymore. All the things she thought were important fade away and she has to look at her life in a new way.

I don't want to get into spoilers, but Nina's son posts a semi-nude photo of a teenaged girl and the whole community gets involved. It brings up a lot of issues for Nina with both her husband and son. The author handles the tricky subjects of racism and exploitation with care.

I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC of All We Ever Wanted. I have loved all of Emily Giffin's books. And this one was no exception. For this book Emily has taken a more serious tone. It is not just fluffy girl fiction this time. It is told from three points of views and I really like the way they each get their chapters. I think this is a very important topic of privacy and social media. I would recommend this book.

This story is very real for today's world. Parents want to believe their kids are telling the truth but that's not always the case. Sexting is very real today and kids do not use good judgement. This story does a good job showing that parents need to be actively involved in their children's lives. All the wealth in the world does not replace good parenting. Highly recommended!

Love. This. Book.  I have always enjoied Emily Giffin's work, and this is no exception.  I finished this book in two sittings, not realizing I was reading for as long as I was.  

The characters were so real feeling.  You felt for each and every one.

Them scandal and conflict is very acurate, sadly, for today's youth.  While not everyone has the access to loads of money (and last minute Luke Bryon tickets) all teens today have phones.  The cyber bullying, the difficulty of proof behind the phone and the feelings that can be irrepairably injured is real to everyone.  Emily did a wonderful job addressing these very real issues. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Random house for the free eARC to review.

In All We Ever Wanted, Emily Giffin manages to do something very challenging! She writes a book that touches on sexual abuse and the #metoo movement for sure, but instead of her work being a dark and dreary social story, it's a captivating, page turner...okay it's heart wrenching too!

In this novel, Emily writes about a mother and young sophomore female student. She write about a mother's love, no matter what. How a mother can love their son through it all, yet still fighting for what is right. Emily reminds us that there are a variety of types of sexual assault, all of them awful. She weaves a tale so thoughtfully and creates an amazing book that isn't just entertaining, but it's also a must read for parents of young boys and girls.

As a parent of a teenage son, this book really hit home. Where do your loyalties lie? Do you protect your children from the dangers of the world or do you let them experience the consequences of their actions? How do you find a middle ground? Then, with all that in question, Nina is also dealing with the consequences of her own actions. Does her husband love her or better yet, does she love him? This book tackles some big issues and does it beautifully.

I loved this book! I would have given it 5 stars except I didn't love without the epilogue and the results of everything that happened. Even though I know that's the reality of what most people endure, I still would have liked to see some repercussions. I liked how this book alternated between 3 perspectives and you got an idea of what everyone was thinking. The characters were relatable and I felt a connection to all three story tellers. Ultimately I would recommend this book to everyone!

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin is an emotional tale that is very fitting in today’s social media obsessed age. One drunken night leads to a risque photo being passed around of a young teenage girl leading to the characters all dealing with the situation from their own points of views.

Nina Browning is the mother of the boy accused of taking the photograph and is appalled at his behavior. Nina came from a middle class family and while happy her family doesn’t want for anything she’s also somewhat ashamed of their wealth at times. She desperately wants her son to see that what he did was not right and not hide behind his father or their money.

Tom Volpe is the single working class father of the teenager Lyla who was the subject of the photo. Tom is furious that the incident happened but Lyla is only concerned with fitting into the rich crowd at her school and doesn’t want her father to make a scene and embarrass her further.

The book follows Nina, Tom and Lyla and changes the point of view between them as the incident unfolds to see how they all cope with what had happened. The author did a wonderful job conveying just how each person was feeling and their prospective on what was going on making it feel as if we were there witnessing the events with them and the effect it was having on each family throughout. It was wonderful to watch each grow and learn from their own mistakes and those of others in the story. Definitely a book I’d recommend checking out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was my first Emily Giffin book so I had no idea what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. A story that deals with some deep subjects like race, sex, underaged drinking, kids sending inappropriate photos, and the world of the ultra-rich feeling unsatisfied with life. Giffin does an excellent job at handling the different voices of the characters she's crafted for this story. I was a little nervous about it being multiple perspectives, but it worked seemlessly for the prose. My only realy complaint is that there were parts of the back stories that seemed unneccessary and to drag for a little bit. Though I didn't love the outcome mentioned in the epilouge, I'm sad to say that I think it was all too realistic. As someone who lives in Nashville, I loved the representation of the city. I thought Giffin's discription of the city was perfect to transport any unfamiliar with Nashville straight here. Despite the heavy topic, it was a quick and easy read and I would definitely recommend to my girlfriends.

As a fan of Emily Giffin's work, I was excited to read this latest novel. Although it does maintain her voice and ease of simple storytelling, this story delves into some heavy territory, and actually reminded me a lot of a plot you would find Jodi Picoult writing.

The main themes of the book center on honesty and character. As one might expect, it did get a little cheesy and trite at points, but I found myself able to ignore that and focus on the characters and their story. It's clear who the likable and unlikable characters are supposed to be, and I couldn't help but like them myself. I do wish we could have seen more from Finch or Kirk's point of view.

I read another review that lamented the "political" nature of this book, and I have to say I strongly disagree. Yes, rape and sexual assault are hot topics in our culture today, but I appreciated this attempt to humanize things. These incidents don't exist in a bubble, and I hope that people can read this book and take away that the truth isn't always as simple as it seems.

Emily Giffin takes us on a journey that perfectly depicts what teenagers and society today faces in a life filled with technology. I'm a huge fan of Giffin and when I saw this book on Netgalley, I was excited to read it. What caught me off guard was the realistic tone that the author sets. I could visualize this happening to the children in my life. Reading this book both enforced many thoughts I already had regarding wealth and privilege, just as it opened my eyes to other aspects. Giffin is a master storyteller and I can't wait for what comes next.

I have read most of Emily Giffin’s books and loved them all. All We Ever Wanted is a very timely, thought provoking book. Any parent can relate to the characters in this book and wonder how you would handle the situation. Giffin keeps the reader guessing what actually happened until the very end.

This is what I would call a perfect book for the summer- it's fast paced, has twists, and is drama filled. At the start there is an incident that could have lasting ramifications for those involved. An inappropriate picture is shared, lies are told and we, as the readers get to witness the drama that goes down throughout the school community as they try to find out the truth. I will say there are some weaker areas of the book, but as a whole it was worth the read and I'd recommend adding it to your beach bag this summer!

I think this may be my all time favorite book that Emily has written. I was sucked in from page 1 and I couldn't put it down. What a page turner! As a mom of two daughters, it really got me thinking and wondering how I would have handled the incident. I absolutely loved the ending, it was what I was hoping for throughout the novel. Just loved it.