I was very excited to read the All We Ever Wanted from Emily Giffin who is a must read author for me.

When an inappropriate picture is shared on social media after a typical teenage party in Nashville, it intertwines the lives of privileged upper class Finch who has just been accepted to Princeton, scholarship student Lyla and their parents Nina and Tom in ways that will significantly change their lives and the lives of those around them forever.

All We Ever Wanted struck a cord with me as a mother of an almost teenage son. It is scary how much one lapse of bad judgement could have such a major impact. I found myself wondering if I would have the moral character Nina did and take the road less traveled so to speak.

I also think Giffin did an excellent job of showing the mindset of young girls today - they are entrenched in the world of social media and put so much of themselves out there, that even the "victim" Lyla did not think what happened was such a big deal.

Although the character of Finch is not a narrator in the book, I spent much of the novel trying to determine whether or not he was telling the truth, which lent an air of mystery.

And every girl deserves a Dad who has her back as much as Tom had Lyla's!

Emily Griffin has a new must read for those, like me, who eagerly look forward to her next new story.

Nina is married to a man who was rich and who got much richer in the not too distant past, allowing her and her family to have a life full of good things. That is, until her teenage son commits an act that spreads like wildfire among first his friends, then classmates and keeps spreading until Nina's friends make her aware of the situation. But.. did he really? Kirk, her husband, treats it more as a boys will be boys thing and not a big deal, in fact it's just one more thing his money can get him out of, but not so fast with Nina, who identifies more with Lyla, the girl at the center of the story. What a dilemma, since she wants to believe her son.

It's hard to know who is telling the truth, so the reader really doesn't know what to believe as more facts come to the surface. That not knowing, makes for a book that you want to keep reading due to torn loyalties; in other words a great story.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Emily Giffin has provided a pleasurable, realistic and engaging read with All We Ever Wanted. Nina Browning lives the good life with her handsome (and rich) husband, Kirk and her successful teenage son, Finch, who has just been accepted to Princeton. At a social function, Nina is shown an inappropriate picture of an unconscious female with a racist comment, supposedly from her son to some of his friends. This is the start of her quickly crumbling perfect world, and as it crumbles, Nina’s vision of those around her begins to clear.
The girl in the photo, Lyla, lives with her single dad, Tom Volpe, who has worked hard to raise Lyla with no help from her mom. She’s an attractive young teenager now, and life just got a whole lot tougher for Tom.
Ms. Giffin brings these characters to life so clearly. As I read I was reminded of students I had gone to school with years ago who had these same character traits. There doesn’t seem to be a good answer for how all of these hard feelings will end, and Ms. Giffin is very realistic in the manner she chose to end it. I really appreciate that about this book. I didn’t feel slighted at the end like I do with some “fairy-tale ending” books. I found her style of writing to be smooth, a pleasure to read, and very relatable.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley for making it available.)

All We Ever Wanted is a change from Emily Giffin’s previous work, and I expect some of her die-hard fans will at first be disappointed with this offering. However, I hope they persist and give this book a chance. It deals with teen issues of our day – privilege, sex, social media, drinking – and presents them in an even- handed way so that you’re neither preached to nor talked down to. The main three characters were well drawn, but many of the others felt like stereotypes. An odd “side trip” home for one of the characters felt out of place in the narrative especially with her pushy mother and her “ex” – neither seemed to fit with the rest of the plot. I did keep turning the pages to find out what would happen and wished for a slightly different ending, but it fit within the framework of the story. This would be a good book for a family with teen aged children to share as the issues it covers should spark some discussion about how a single poor choice can change your life direction.

Thanks to NetGallery, the author and the publisher for allowing me to have this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nina, a middle-class woman, married rich and became richer. Their son has been accepted to Princeton. Tom, a single dad, lives on the other side of town. Lyla, Tom’s daughter, tries hard to fit in at the expensive private school she attends on a scholarship.
Windsor is shaken when a scandalous photo circulates among the students—and parents—of the prestigious community. When her son is accused of taking the photo of Lyla, Nina’s life becomes intertwined with Tom’s as they try to protect Lyla from a situation that doesn’t seem to bother her. In fact, she is drawn to Nina’s son.
In one vivid scene, I felt like I was reading child porn. I’m uncomfortable with details of teenage sex meant to titillate.
As I got farther into the story, I kept waiting for something else to happen. Eventually, something did. I would have liked the story keep building. Still, it kept me turning the pages.
The story is broken up by chapters into POVs of Nina, Tom, and Lyla. I really liked the main characters. Had it not been for the “child porn” scene, and had there been a couple more plot twists, I would have given it five stars.

This book is unlike any I’ve read before. It digs right into some very serious real life issues without getting to heavy or being preachy. The character development is excellent and the plot has enough (believable) twists to keep you guessing. I couldn’t put this book down and highly recommend it.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Emily Giffin has touched on an issue that many teens face in today's world without holding anything back. I enjoyed this story and the way she handled it. The story centers around blue collar worker Tom, and his daughter Lyla, who attends a prestigious prep school where she feels she does not fit in. Since her mother abandoned them, Tom is strict, trying to keep her from becoming anything like her mom. After telling a fib (lie), Lyla goes to a party where, of course, drinking is expected. Finch is a good looking rich boy, who attends the same school and of course the party. When Lyla has a little too much to drink and passes out, Finch snaps a picture of her and shares it with his friends. Before the next morning it has gone viral, and the ensuing fallout threatens not only Lyla's world, but his as well. His acceptance to Princeton could be in jeopardy if the school board reports it. His dad, Kirk, will do whatever he has to in order to prevent that. His mom Nina wants him to face the situation and take responsibility for what he has done. This book will have you questioning what exactly is fair and justified, and shows how one seemingly innocent action can have an unexpected snowball affect on everyone.

Emily Giffin presents a real look at families in today's world, and how there is more of a generational gap than we realize, more so now than ever before. This book touches on so many subjects; the realities of being a teenager in our current social media driven world, a look at wealth and the differences in thinking/living between those who have it and those who don't. There is also the topic of morality and judgement, and how the most small, insignificant moments and lapses in judgement can seemingly affect one's entire future.

Nina Browning lives a picture perfect life in Memphis' wealthy Belle Meade area. Her husband, Kirk, had sold his business a few years back and money was never an issue for the Browning's again. Their son Finch attended an exclusive private school, and had recently been accepted at Princeton University. While attending a gala fundraiser that recognized the generous contributions of a suicide awareness program, an acquaintance of Nina's shares the news that Nina's son had texted a compromising photograph of a young women captioned with a racial slur. Over the course of the next few weeks Nina uncovers some truths about her life, her husband, her son, and her life that disturb her, causing her to re-evaluate her life and how her son was raised.

This is such a current topic - the use of social media and its repercussions. I found it quite a comparison, too, of how causal that has become, along with sex and teen angst. Nina's husband, Kirk, has become really good at glossing over truths, and he has become accustomed to using his money as a way to pave the way through his families lives. Nina realizes that by not standing up for her own beliefs and taking a more down-to-earth hand with her son she may have helped create his flawed character. I enjoy Emily Giffin's writing style. Her women's fiction really strike a chord in the lives of modern women living in the 21st century. I was so grateful for a chance to read this book in advance; I look forward to having my book group read and discuss it in the future.

This story spoke to me as someone who has had pictures spread of me. YA is so full of teenage angst, and this story was no different. It will speak to teenagers about making poor decisions that affect their entire lives.

'All We Ever Wanted' is an easy read that attempts to delve deeper than your average chick-lit, but ultimately isn't quite edgy enough to provoke real tension. To me, it seemed a bit too soft, as if the author was pulling punches so as not to offend, rather than really saying what she wanted to say and going for the jugular. The book is enjoyable with its fluid story lines, average characters, and straightforward language, but could've contained far more conflict and blurred lines. I'd recommend this as a beach read, especially for audiences who are more conservative in their views, as it's not particularly salacious. It would also make a nice present for someone in that demographic.

Let me start by saying I love Emily Giffin books. I love her writing style & usually breeze through them. I generally love all the characters so much am sad when the books ends.
All We Ever Wanted was a different story. The entire book I kept comparing to 13 Reason Why and it was eerily similar. I knew where the book was going before it even got there and because of that it dragged on and on. I did not enjoy the main character or any of the supporting characters. While I usually can connect quickly with a flawed character (as long as there is that emotional pull that draws me to them), I felt this book lacked all of the feeling. The characters were not developed (Why even reintroduce her ex? Why briefly introduce her parents?), the book was emotionless (as was the main character), and the plot was simple—maybe too much so? Very disappointing.

Thank you to Netgalley for a chance to read Emily Giffin’s newest novel before it’s released. I read a couple of her first books, but haven’t checked in on her for a while and her writing has really gotten good. I was stymied by what was going to happen in this book and the ending surprised me, which is hard to do.

Nina has married a wealthy man and lives in the upper crust of Nashville where her son, Finch, has just been accepted into Princeton. But all is not right with the world. Enter Lyla, another student at the same high school as Finch, only she’s there because of earning a scholarship, not because her dad, Tom, is rich.

Enter: the ugly teenage angst, photos that never should have been taken and social media. Now everything has turned on its head for both these families.

Written in rich language, impeccable detail and characters you probably know, this book will keep you reading until the last sentence. I can’t wait for another installment from Giffin.

I was provided an ARC of "All We Ever Wanted" written by Emily Griffin from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In one of Nashville's most prestigious private schools, most students are there simply because they have the money to pay their way in. Not all students though, take Lyla for example. She is currently a sophomore, one of the few students there because of her good grades and assistance with financial aid. At a party one night, Lyla drinks a little too much. A well loved senior from the academy, Finch is also there and makes the despicable choice to to take a picture of a passed out Lyla and send it to a few friends, who then continue to pass it on. This one photo changes everything, especially for Lyla. The community takes sides, honestly based on which side of the tracks you live on...or more importantly, the size of your bank account.

Finch's mom Nina is not like the others. She is one of the few who feel sorry for Lyla for what her son was accused of. As the story continues, the blame will shift, lies will be told, secrets will be kept. It also reveals while money can buy a lot of things, it certainly can't buy happiness. For both Nina and Lyla's dad Tom, they each start to understand maybe people aren't so different after all.

This is not my first Emily Griffin book, and it will certainly not be my last. Her writing flows so well, the characters are well developed, and you really react to what they are feeling. There are many 'hot topics' addressed in this, racism, sexual harassment and assault, entitlement...many of which are front and center today. The author does a great job of not only highlighting these issues, but also proving everything isn't always as black and white as it seems. There are both good and bad people from all walks of life.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It was a quick read, although I wish I had the time to sit and read it in one day! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something to read while sitting on a nice beach, just give yourself enough time to read it in one sitting!

Emily Giffin is one of my must read authors so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest novel.I have read every book of hers and feel like as I've grown as a person, she has grown in her writing . All We Ever Wanted really hits hard at so many topics that are in the news today, racism, sexual assault, and harassment. I loved the way each chapter was told from a different characters POV, yet they all flowed so seamlessly. This will definitely be a perfect summer read!

ALL WE EVER WANTED tells the story of an inappropriate photo/text that was shared. The novel tells the story from three perspectives: Nina, the wealthy mother of the accused who’s also dealing with other issues as well; Lyla, the teenage victim; and Tom, the victim’s parent who struggles to make ends meet for him and his daughter. While the novel lightly touches on important issues, it was disappointing that it contained no surprises. I wish the novel wouldn’t have taken the easy road… #AllWeEverWanted#NetGalley

Another amazing book from Emily Giffin.. The plot is riveting, capturing your interest and won't let you stop reading while the subject matter is so appropriate in our world of lies and scandal and deceit that we face everyday.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. But I was disappointed in the Epilogue. I felt that it didn't tie up all the loose ends or skimmed over some of the more important parts of the books. I would've like to have closure with Kirk, Polly and would've liked to have known more about the letter that was referenced. Overall, it was a gripping storyline, one that makes me think about how I want my boys to act when they're teenagers/young adults.

This book started out strong for me as I’m
All about the #metoo movement. I was happily surprised that it was such a departure from her other books. But then, sometime around the 10th time the girl in the story told her dad that he was ruining her life, I lost interest. It was so repetitive and predictable.

Though somewhat predictable this book is highly readable. It's also not the usual Giffin chick lit. She delves into issues of race, class and gender which makes the book a bit more thought provoking than Giffin's other work. I think I would have liked a bit more concrete closure with respect to certain characters

I really enjoyed the story and the back and forth between the kids. I only wish the ending had been a little bit more expanded to fully show what happened with the school. I also wish Kirk's character had been explored a little bit more and I wanted him to face the repercussions of his actions! So while the ending did feel a little bit rushed, it was still a good read. 4.5 stars!