Another winner from Emily Giffin. I read a lot of women's fiction and sometimes I'm disappointed in the writing even if the characterization is good. With Emily Giffin I always know I'm going to get the best of both worlds. Her latest, ALL WE EVER WANTED, is no exception. In fact, I enjoyed this novel more than some of her recent ones. I was drawn in immediately and mesmerized as I watched these people grapple with moral decisions and bad behavior and the long-reaching implications. Some readers may be turned off by Nina's extreme wealth. However, I would urge them to stick with her. Also, there are a ton of names tossed around in the opening pages. But as the story progresses, it gets easier to keep track of everyone.

This book is my new favorite from author Emily Giffin. It covers a difficult topic with a natural ease. The themes are timely and necessary in this social media focused society.

The book is told through multiple perspectives: Nina - a woman who marries into a wealthy family, and whose son, Finch, spreads an illicit picture of a classmate; Lyla - the teenage victim; and Tom - Lyla's father who pushes for justice. Nina struggles to accept her son's behavior and throughout the book questions both her and her husband's role. Lyla also struggles to understand her father's persistence in pushing for repercussions.

This book looks at what a parent goes through as they discover their child is growing up. It looks at how a parent must grapple with their role in their child's behavior, both good and bad. This book also touches on the role that wealth and status have in situations like these. Giffin is able to wonderfully articulate both the parents' and child's perspectives in this book. Although the ending is not quite what you want to see; it is unfortunately what happens too often.

This book will leave readers thinking and will hopefully illicit some discussions between parents and their children about social media and positive behavior.

I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC of this ebook via NetGalley..

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit to being a long-time fan of Emily Giffin's novels. I began this book with really high expectations and while I thoroughly enjoyed this book (staying up way too late so I could binge read since I couldn't put it down), I must admit to having mixed feelings about it. The book revolves around the aftermath that results when student Finch Browning takes a photo of a drunken, passed out Lyla Volpe at a party and then distributes it with a racist caption. When her husband fails to take the incident as seriously as she feels it warrants, Finch's mother Nina realizes her husband isn't the man she thought he was and that he is turning her son into an entitled, spoiled, amoral brat while she has just stood by passively and allowed it to happen. In the meantime, Lyla's father Tom struggles to parent Lyla alone through this difficult time SPOILER ALERT!!!

SPOILER ALERT!!! What left me so conflicted about this book was Lyla's ability to continue on through the aftermath of the photo's release. Being the parent of a 15-year-old myself, I find it hard to believe she would be able to show her face in the same school after an incident like that, particularly if she was already an outside. Kids are extremely cruel, and they would have made it impossible for her to return after an incident like that. And for her to trust Finch again so soon after that to go to a concert with him? That is just too hard to believe. I was also very unsettled by the fact that Finch didn't face any real consequences for his actions. I suppose that is the way of the world--the rich can always buy their way out of anything and life is not full of justice and HEAs--but it left me furious all the same! In any case, this book is still as well-written and enjoyable as the rest of Emily Giffin's works. Even though it isn't my favorite of her novels, I still recommend it as a good read.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy. This is another great book from Emily Griffin. This great read showed that just because you have money and privilege does not allow you to do what you want without consequences. The book deals with these social differences when a rich kid "bullies" a kid from the wrong side of the tracks. I enjoyed this book, but would have loved to see justice for the Lyla. I would definitely recommend this book!

I love Emily Griffin's books. She is a "must read author". I thought this book was very timely and at first I was "this is just another social media gone wrong story" but I loved it. I loved Nina and hated Kirk. Another great read from Emily :-)

This book is one of the best and most intense books I have read. And I can truly say it was amazing.
I have read and loved all of Emily's books. But as a mother and someone that was bullied this book truly hits home.
I dont want to give any spoilers, but let me just say money doesn't buy you happiness. As matter of fact, money can only by you things. Things can be replaced. But respect can never be replaced.
She may only be 16 but I truly respected the character of Lyla Volpe. She is someone I would be proud to call my child. She's strong and really brave young lady. I cant imagine what she went through the night that everything changed in her life. But she made it to the other side, Standing tall. And that is something t be proud of

This was my first Emily Griffin novel but it won't be my last! I loved the storyline as it is so relevant to today and what happens in high school with teens and their obsession with social media--and the inherent dangers of which they are often unaware! So we have Kirk, an arrogant husband, Finch, an entitled teen boy who has been spoiled rotten and pampered by his parents, and Nina, the wife who actually has some sense of morality and ethical values. Throw in Lyla, a sweet young girl with a crush on Finch, some alcohol, an unchaperoned party, and a cell phone and you may see where this is going.
Not only does this novel deal with the realities of high school and rampant texting, but it also addresses the great divide between the privileged and the middle class--with all its complexities and underpinnings of society's mores that suggest there is little equality where money can literally buy anything. I found this book to be honest and real with some characters I loved and others I abhorred. But that's what makes a novel truly fascinating to me --when I can experience both sides of a dilemma and feel emotions so strongly that I often struggle with the outcome. This is a very raw look at misguided judgment, young love and obsession, parenting struggles, and entitled adults who believe money is the root of all things good in the world. I loved it!

Great read, very well written! I have almost every single book written by Emily Giffin and yet I've never opened one and I'm so sorry I haven't read her work sooner.
I will say the beginning of the book, I was worried the story would be predictable. Privileged, rich family with spoiled rotten kid, Finch, who takes an inappropriate photo with a racist caption of Lyla. Finch's parents are split on how to handle the situation as their son just got accepted to Princeton. Tom, Lyla's single hardworking father, is determined not to let Finch get away with this. On the surface, that story line seems kind "eh", but the story evolved into so much more, really hit current issues, and was thought provoking along the way. The manipulation, drama, and sadness that some of the characters went through all tied together by the end. From the halfway point of this book, I couldn't put it down. I will definitely be reading my other Emily Giffin novels ASAP.

**Special thanks to NetGalley, Emily Giffin, and Ballantine Books for providing an advanced read copy in exchange for an honest opinion.**

What a wonderful book! I love Emily Giffin and her books normally, so I had high expectations. I think she did an outstanding job in character development, and this book quickly became my favorite of all of her books. I would definitely recommend this book!

All we ever wanted is a beautiful story of how we want so much to believe in those we love. With all the twists of the story we see each character wanting to believe that the other is a good person.

This book was very difficult to put down, because I was so engrossed with the plot line and the characters Emily brought to life in this book. I was surprised at where some of the story ended up going, because it was not what I expected!

This was definitely a different type of novel that I’m used to reading from Emily Giffin. Definitely topical, timely, and controversial , but I think she tried a little bit too hard to be all of those things. The story felt scattered, told from too many perspectives, without sufficient resolution. With that being said, it’s a story that should be told, I just think it could have been done a little better.

This is my 3rd Emily Giffin book and she is quickly becoming a favorite author. Her stories are real, and in All We Ever Wanted, it covers a story of teenagers and how social media, and texting can lead to bullying and humiliation.

Nina lived a life of luxury and on the outside looking in it seemed that everything was perfect. What happens when the perfect life you’ve created for your son backfires? What happens when the life of privilege your son has had failed to instill in him humility and compassion? Nina struggles with the fact that spoiling her son has left him lying to her and in the middle of a scandal that could jeopardize his future at Princeton. The story is told from multiple perspectives and Nina struggles with protecting her son and doing the right thing.

An amazing read. I was offered this book in return for an honest review and honestly wish I had more than 5 stars. This book really pulls the heart strings and plays with your mind. It’s definitely a page turner. This book is so on point with that girls and boys deal with in this day in age of social media and social class.
Nina, Tom, and Lyla will convince you there is good in the world. These three really have all had their own path to where they are now, but even though it seems they shouldn’t have things in common their lives and history really isn’t that too far off.
You will think you hate some characters and love other and that will change from time to time as the book goes on.

The first Goodreads giveaway I ever won was Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin and since, she's firmly cemented on my "must-read" list whenever she has a new book out. Upon hearing from Netgalley I'd been approved for her latest All We Ever Wanted, I did the requisite hooray dance I usually do, and moved her to the top of the to-read list. Emily Giffin doesn't disappoint, once again.

All We Ever Wanted follows the narrative of three distinctly different voices and offers their viewpoint after a scandalous picture of one of the three in a compromising position is forwarded through their small town. Lyla Volpe, the girl in the picture shares her view of the situation as her father Tom Volpe explains his viewpoint. Nina Browning is the mother of the boy who originally sent the picture.

Copy provided by Random House via Netgalley
There are a lot of layers here to this book and isn't exactly what I expected for an easy "chick-lit" read. Nina and enjoy the spoils that come after selling an app. To say they are rich is an understatement. One of the spoils of this wealth is being able to send your only son to the state's prestigious private school. It is here where he meets Lyla.

Lyla is not enjoying the spoils of selling an app. Instead, she's allotted the privilege of this elite education by being smart along with a couple scholarships thrown in. What isn't covered by scholarships, her single father, Tom, makes up for with his carpentry work. After picking up his daughter from a party, he sees that the photo has made its rounds.

So...

Now the groundwork is set... Let's go!

There are many issues in this book. The issue of class, wealth, honor, integrity and a host of other things. I could sit here and try and review which ones resonated most like the me against them mentality that runs amok in our country. That somehow there's a value placed on the rich that isn't on people that aren't. There were many instances that when it came time for Nina's son, Finch, to take responsibility, many in their circles couldn't help but feel bad for him instead of realizing he should have had the character not to send the photo in the first place.

Many, many issues later, we get to the story which was pretty entertaining. There were moments I believed Giffin would go one but opted for the other. She'd already laid the issues out so going back and doing a sappy love story seemed ridiculous and a little far-fetched so I'm glad she didn't dive deeper into that rabbit hole.

What's a good plot with a lackluster cast? Well... most novels really, but that's not the case here. Each character and their narrative is fully developed and fleshed out. I felt every perspective made sense for the one who was narrating. I didn't expect at any point for Tom to be Team-Finch after what he'd done to his daughter and his character didn't allow for him to be easy on Finch. Just the same, Lyla is a young, yet intelligent, teenager who's not going to always make the best decisions. But I loved loved loved her in this book. She's wise beyond her years and I just hope I was as mature as she was at her age. Yes, she made a couple dumb decisions but she didn't go the bratty teen route and learned from those mistakes.

Anyway, All We Ever Wanted was a great read. A little heavy for a beach read but still a light, fast read anyone who loves Giffin should tote with them this summer. Looking forward to what's next from this author.

Copy provided by Random House via Netgalley

The release date is end of June, but many thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance for an ARC. It's been over a year since I rated a book 5 stars, but Emily Giffin's new book "All We Ever Wanted" delivers! It is a difficult subject matter (sexting), but it is fast paced and very well written. It is timely and thought provoking, and she seamlessly switches between 3 different narrators. This is NOT chick lit. This is NOT a love story. Many of the characters are not very likable, but I found myself sympathizing with Nina. It really makes you think about one seemingly small event changing the course of your life. I highly recommend for Emily Giffin fans and for those not familiar with her writing, this is a great place to start. I commend her for writing a book way outside her comfort zone and succeeding!

Class Acts

Nina is the empathetic and attractive wife of Kirk, a wealthy businessman with no moral compass. Due to Kirk’s overwhelming wealth and family money, they enjoy a lavish life among Nashville’s most wealthy residents though Nina is searching for a greater purpose. A scandal involving their high school son Finch causes an uproar in the family and places each parent on opposite sides. Nina is at a crossroads causing her to reassess the life she has chosen and most everyone in it.

Lyla attends the same prestigious private school as Finch though her family is working class. As she struggles to make her mark, some of her decisions have adverse consequences as those without a conscience prey upon girls like her. The consequences of one bad night come back to haunt her and her single parent father who is doing his best to raise his only child.

I’ve been listening to Christiane Northrup’s work on empaths and energy vampires when it occurred to me that two of the main characters in Griffin’s story are in a classic empath/energy vampire marriage. The implications of this, especially on Nina are clearly stated. I also appreciated the far more dimensional message that money doesn’t always corrupt. Instead, it is a magnifier, enlarging what is already there. We see this in both Nina and Kirk’s case.

Life lessons abound regarding wealth, privilege, class wars, and what money really buys. The mystery lies in how the kids turn out. This will keep the reader turning the pages till the end. Who has the biggest influence on the child that receives such conflicting messages from either parent? What happens to the girl that wants so badly to believe the best in people that she makes one bad decision after another? What are the reverberations of bad decisions and exploitation in the digital age and how is justice meted out? Read it to find out.

BRB Rating: Read It.

I have been a fan of Emily Giffin from the very start of her career, so I was excited to get an advanced copy of her new book. Unfortunately, for me, this just didn't live up to her other books. I think the biggest problem for me is that the characters just did not come to life the way her characters usually do - they just felt a little flat and not fully developed, and therefore didn't engage my sympathy the way they should have - and that's the POV characters, the surrounding characters were mostly cardboard stereotypes. This book is about the aftermath of an inappropriate photo of a teenage girl being spread around a fancy private school community - the POV characters are Nina, the mother of the boy accused of doing it; Tom, the father of the girl in the photo; and with many fewer chapters, Lyla, the girl in the photo. A timely topic, but the way the book handled it annoyed me. Nonetheless, I read the book very quickly and somewhat enjoyed it, I just found it disappointing compared to Giffin's other books. I'll nonetheless continue to read everything she writes.

I’m not sure what I expected from this book but it was so much better than I imagined. It was a great story about the struggles of women and the horrible things that can happen to them. Nina and Lyla were such strong characters and I loved following them along on this twisting journey. Tom embodies everything a good dad should be and I was so engaged in his struggles. I highly recommend this book!

I flew through this book. I loved the different characters' points of view and appreciated the delicate handling of some tough issues - rape, sexual assault, suicide, divorce, single dads, parenting teens. Even though all of those issues are heavy, it didn't feel like a heavy read at all, which is a tough task for an author. Great new addition from Emily Giffin.

This novel was spot on, given the contemporary climate of today's social media atmosphere. The story of how two families react to a snapshot picture taken by an 18 year old boy of a 15 year old girl and then passes it around to his friends is more true than fiction. We have the rich entitled family, that of a family from the other side of the tracks, all of which show the divide among the classes. It cannot be easy to take on a subject such as this and bring it out into a fictional work of art. However, Ms. Griffin does it exceedingly well. Thought provoking and engaging, I couldn't put this book down. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.