I am a huge fan of Emily Giffin and was eagerly anticipating the release of “All We Ever Wanted.” I was so pleased to be able to receive an advanced copy and read through it in about 36 hours! “All We Ever Wanted” did not disappoint, it was an entertaining and engaging read.

All We Ever Wanted is a complicated story following two families from different sides of Nashville. Nina is a wealthy Nashville socialite, married to a pompous and arrogant man, raising a Princeton-bound only child, Fitch. Highlighting the realities of social media and our digital age, Fitch is accused of sending a provocative and racist photo of a younger classmate, Lyla. This immature decision leads to Nina to meeting Lyla and her protective, introvert father Tom, from “the other side” of Nashville.

Giffin tackles complicated, complex, honest realities of raising a child in today’s digital world, both those with an abundance of money and without. She forces us to ask ourselves, honestly, how far we go to protect those we love and where we draw the line between “right and wrong.” Giffin writes a beautiful story about the complexity of love and families, without this being a romance novel. There were a lot of characters in All We Ever wanted, but we didn’t get to know them very deep. I appreciated that all the loose ends were tied up with the epilogue, but did feel like it was a little abrupt and needed to re-read to fully close the loop.

** Thankful to the publisher and Netgallery for providing a copy of All We Ever Wanted in exchange for an honest review **

This book is very inline with so many things going on in our culture today. This story is told from three point of views. A single father, his daughter and the mother of a boy in the girls class. As someone who hasn’t had children yet it keeps my eyes open to the challenges these teens face and gives me hope that there are adults who still care. Powerful read and one that I think will cultivate lots of discussion

I was very excited to be given an advanced reader copy of the newest release by Emily Griffin who is one of my favorite authors. All We Ever Wanted is about the teenage son of a wealthy couple who takes a compromising photo of a female classmate that ends up on social media.

As the mom of a teenage boy, this book really hit home as I thought about the crazy, sometimes impulsive things kids do, and also how big of a draw social media can be for high schoolers who think nothing of putting their whole lives on display, without thinking of consequences.

This is such a great read, but honestly I was a bit disappointed in Nina, the boy’s mom. I honestly did not think she was tough enough on him, and her husband, like any rich guy, just wanted to throw money at Lyla and her dad to make the problem go away.

What I found interesting was how the story was told through differing viewpoints as the reader tried to find out exactly how the situation unfolded and see who was actually telling the truth.

I binge read this book in two days. It was that good. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballentine Books for the advanced copy!

Good story that is relevant to things that happen in today's world. Handled with common sense and bravery.

I couldn't put this book down! I instantly fell in love with all the characters and enjoyed how it showed multiple perspectives from different ages of people - from parents and teens - all dealing with this one problem. In today's digital and social media obsessed world what happened to Finch and Lyla (an inappropriate photo of her being shared on SnapChat after she passes out on a bed at a party) seems like it could be something that could easily happen in real life. I also liked getting the insight into what it is like being a poor person in a rich person's world, as Tom and Lyla are in Belle Meade, the world of Finch and his parents Kirk and Nina. Overall, I think this is one of Emily Giffin's best books! Can't wait to read her next one.

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin reminded me a little bit of Rochelle Weinstein's Somebody's Daughter. I feel like the same type of storyline was presented here... between teenagers and serious issues that are presented in our society.

Nina one of our main characters finds out that her son Finch took a sexual photo of a girl named Lyla while she was passed out with a racist remark and sent it to basically the entire school. Lyla's father is furious (as anyone would imagine) and he refuses to take money from Finch's father Kirk. A battle between the underprivileged and privileged emerges between the two families in this horrible series of events.

I feel like Emily Giffin did a wonderful job exploring challenging issues of social media, bullying, sexting, and pressure of alcohol that teens face today in society.

What I felt the story was lacking was depth and emotion to her characters. As you can see this dealt with serious issues in this story and I felt like the characters were base surface level. I want to FEEL when the characters are sad, angry, depressed etc. And.. honestly there wasn't emotion behind any of the characterization... just feel extremely flat and I was disappointed. I really didn't like any of the characters.

This was not an original storyline and like I had mentioned above... I've seen almost this same story in the novel by Rochelle Weinstein (which isn't a bad thing at all.....). But, I get tired of seeing the same plot etc etc.

This was my first read by Emily Giffin and I've heard such positive things about her writing. But, I was left disappointed and wanting more from this novel.

3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine Publishing Group for the advanced arc in exchange for an honest review.

Published to GR: 6/2/18
Publication date: 6/26/18

I enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed, but the subject matter could have been developed further.
The story took on more meaning toward the back end of the book.
I would have liked Kirks charter to be explored further. Overall, a good read.

The book is well written and interestingly told from several points of view.

The subject matter of teens and how they view their sexuality and social media is uncomfortable. The views of truth and morality added to my discomfort - mostly because we see this every day in the news.

I recommend the book.

All We Ever Wanted is Emily Giffin's newest release and it seems to be a departure from her more lighthearted previous books. This book delves into the world of sexting and the perils of being a teen and the parents of teens in this technology driven world. The families of Tom and Nina become involved in a scandal that rocks their town and involves their individual children. How strong will these parents have to be in order to help their children through this hurdle? Read and enjoy!

This was my very fist book by Emily Giffin that I ever read. She’s now on my author list of books to read. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. It was such a wonderful book that I could not stop reading. I found myself wondering what would happen next. I did not want this book to end. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a fantastic read and she’s a fantastic Author. If you get the opportunity to read this book please do you won’t be sorry.

📚Arc Book Review 📖 All We Ever Wanted @emilygiffinauthor •
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I haven’t read an Emily Giffin book since Something Borrowed. I wasn’t disappointed with this book. The pace was fast and it I could not put it down. I finished the book in about 2 days. #AllWeEverWanted was such a poignant and relevant read.
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All We Ever Wanted follows the lives of Nina, Tom, and Lyla in the aftermath of a photograph that was taken at a party.
Nina has to question everything that is important in her life, Tom looks outward for help to understand everything while trying to raise Lyla by himself to do what’s right, and Lyla has to deal with figuring out while still trying to fit in and still be happy.
This book really tugged on my heartstrings because in this day an age things like this happen all the time. Trying to figure out how to be happy and to stay true to ones values and family. It showcases the difficulties of teenagers trying to fit in and be well loved even by people who’ve hurt them. And adults just trying to get by. It shows the privilege and racism at its worst and being a Mexican myself, the situation itself sadly seems common.
Definitely pick up this book when it’s available. Honestly so well written and cried my eyes out at the end. 📖
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book. This was my honest review and I couldn’t be happier.

Emily Giffin has done it again. She has a knack for writing flawed and relatable characters who suck you right in from the first pages. Giffin is also known for writing about moral dilemmas with no black and white solutions., and her latest is no exception.
When Nina sees a picture her 18-year-old son has sent around to friends, she is forced to take a hard look at her marriage and her life choices. Told through the perspectives of Nina, Tom (father of the teen girl in the photo), and Lyla (Tom’s daughter), readers try to figure out what really happened, who is lying, and who is capable of redemption. In the era of #MeToo, the story is very relevant and thought-provoking. I would recommend for high school ages and adults.

All We Ever Wanted is a book about the interconnectedness of all people no matter their social or economic standing. Nina, a woman who appears to have it all, is suddenly confronted with the results of a horrible decision her son may have made one night at a party. Just as bad, Nina suddenly realizes her personal and family integrity may have to come before her personal desire to see her son succeed. She's starting to wonder if she's finally seeing her husband for what he really is and on the journey to discover her son's guilt or innocence, she also must confront her painful past. In this book, we learn that by following what is true and right in our heart, we can never go wrong.

Emily Giffin has done it again! She has written a book I just could not get enough of.

The characters start out seemingly predictable, but that quickly changes. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I realized I didn't. The characters were well developed and I found myself rooting for all of them at the end. Giffin approached a current social media concerns, presenting multiple viewpoints and exposing everyone who could be hurt'; all while never sounding preachy or dating the story.

Very well written! Would recommend you read it. The story was written from three different points of views. Usually hard to follow when books are like this, but this one was effortless.

I have come to rely upon Emily Giffin as a great summer escape and was surprised by the meat and depth that I found in her latest novel, All We Ever Wanted. Hot off the trails of the #metoo movement, Giffin explores a fictional story of an inappropriate image that is passed around a prep school of a teen girl, passed out and scantily dressed, captioned with a racist caption below the image. At the center of the controversy is one of the most prominent families and their well-respected son who took the picture that could cost him his coveted college acceptance to Princeton. The case must be brought to trial at the school and there are more twists and turns than either of them could ever expect.

This book is EXCELLENT and I finished it in just a day. It would lend itself so well to a book club discussion as we grapple with social media and the sexualization of teen girls. Giffin crafts characters that are believable and layered. She also creates a smart and unexpected ending for this story that I think you will really appreciate.

Although I’ve appreciated Giffin’s books in the past, I have to say that this one is, by far, my favorite!

Whoa - Emily Giffin has become an author that I really enjoy reading. Her first few books left me wondering what the fuss was about (but let's face it - I'm not into reading about cheating). But all her recent books that I have read have me hooked and wondering what will happen next. I cannot turn the pages fast enough!

This story has me so very scared. In the world of social media being king, a picture taken of a passed out girl gets sent around a private school world - and it's one that I am so very afraid of given that I am raising a daughter. The story is told with 3 narrators: 1) Nina - the mom of the boy who took the picture and sent it around, 2) Tom - the father of the girl who had the picture taken of her and 3) Lyla - the girl in the picture. Giffin did very well with changing the viewpoint with each chapter, and making it distinct enough that you knew who was narrating at that time and could seamlessly jump to the next chapter with the different narrator without a problem.

I highly recommend this one for all Emily Giffin fans, and parents raising their kids in the social media age. I know for me, this opened my eyes to things I not only need to teach my daughter, but also my newborn son.

I heard about this book from the Modern Mrs. Darcy summer book club picks. It isn't slated to come out until the end of June. The description had me hooked: something terrible happens among the teens of a private high school in Nashville...how do the parents react? How do the teens react? How would you react?

The story focuses on an incident between Nina Browning's son, Finch, and Tom Vlope's daughter, Lyla. This incident forces the people in the story to sort through their views on what happened and who they will defend.

All We Ever Wanted was told in present tense/first-person narration. The perspective changed in each chapter. This made it easier to understand both sides and watch the characters evolve. Present tense created a sense of urgency. There were moments when I literally could not put it down. I just had to see what happened next and if my predictions were right. Everything in my life shut down until I finished reading.

The story was well crafted and included so many interesting perspectives. At one point, I set the book down and thought how intentional Giffen was in making sure a variety of viewpoints were represented (wealthy, economically disadvantaged, various races, gender, and political views). For a less experienced author, this might yield a cloying moral tale. But Giffen does this seamlessly. I never felt lectured or that she was forcing unrealistic characters into the novel to make a point. Instead, this subtle diversity supported a major theme: there is good and bad in everyone.

As a parent, this was both difficult and timely. I put myself on both sides and gained a new level of empathy for families facing similar situations. Nina, one of the main characters, is a mother dealing with a horrible situation. She's asking herself tough questions and trying to figure out how to move forward. I think I wanted to hate her, but I ended up liking her a lot. Motherhood is complicated and nuanced and Giffen captured that in Nina's character.

"I just can't believe it. What's happening now. The person my son has both slowly and suddenly become."

Giffen also explores how money changes these situations. While Nina notes, "Character has absolutely nothing to do with finances" the reader does have to consider the role money plays (either having it or not) in the way different characters react. Very, very thought-provoking...possibly great book club discussion material.

Even though I related to Nina, the other character's voices were well developed and realistic. I really wanted to hang out with some of them (Bonnie, I'm looking at you). The book was highly enjoyable and I found myself skipping netflix and twitter to read. For me, that's winning. Look for it on June 26, 2018.

I was so happy to have a new Emily Giffin book to read and this did not disappoint although it felt like a little bit of a departure from her usual books. This one did not have a romantic subplot which was fine with me. The main character is Nina-a successful, wealthy philanthropist mother whose teenaged child makes a very unfortunate decision at the beginning of the book. This choice makes Nina take a good look at her life thus far and ask a lot of questions of herself. Along the way, we are also introduced to Tom, a single dad and his daughter Lyla. All characters were well drawn and thoughtful. I think the book simplifies what wealth does to people a little bit but I enjoyed the story as a whole.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Emily had my attention from the start. The way she writes draws you in to the story like you were there participating. That she tackled a current and relevant subject in a way that was tasteful and yet promoting awareness was an admirable feat.