I enjoyed All in by Shelley Shepard Gray. The main characters are enjoyable and I was pulled into the story from the beginning.

I will say if you are use to reading Shelley's amish books this is not going to be the same style that you may be use to. That being said this book was super fun and really good. This book talks about some deep thing and some light hearted stuff as well. I loved the relationships and how it really takes a community when things go rough. I loved how Meredith its strong and independent but she realizes she need to work on breaking her walls down to let those in. I really also enjoyed how the author has Finn and Ace with these strong names and personalities, but they both have a sensitive side. I just really enjoyed how the author kept the characters simple and completely relatable. This book does have a few curse words but over all this book was a good clean read and completely worth it.

This book starts off great with Meredith being pushed down while someone steals her backpack which contains her keys and wallet. Thank goodness Ace and his son, Fin, come to her aid.
Instant attraction.
Too bad they both try to fight it.

I got bored though as the POV switches from Meredith and Ace.
I just wanted a love story... not the POV from teenagers.
Sadly, this story didn’t fully hold my interest and I started skipping chapters.

Not the book for me.
This was written well. I would recommend it to the right reader.

A hard shove brings three hurting souls together, at least in that moment. A father who has finally stepped up and moved his fifteen-year-old son away from his neglectful mother, and a young woman who is making it on her own despite a disapproving mother and an absent father.
We follow these three a life’s curves and lessons are thrown their way, and we walk in each of their shoes, and hopefully learn with them.
Now this is the second book in this series, but enough information is given that it can be read alone, but I loved that the previous characters are here and play bit parts.
There are also offered tips on Pilates and Poker!

I received this book through Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review

This book was so good and such a quick read! I was immediately drawn into the story and the lives of the characters. Shelley Shepard Gray has done an amazing job at creating characters that are easy to like and relate to.

From the very beginning, this story had my full attention. The situations the characters found themselves in and the way they reacted was all so genuine and realistic. SSG does a great job constructing believable characters in different age ranges and social backgrounds. This makes the story authentic and enjoyable to read. I liked all the characters and enjoyed the natural progression of their relationships. These people felt real to me and it was fun to experience their stories.

As always the writing style of this author is excellent. She pulled me right into the lives of these characters and made me feel as if I were right there with them and not just reading words on a page. I can't wait to read more about the people of the Bridgeport Social Club!

(One note for readers of this author's other works. This is a contemporary romance and not a clean read. There are some situations and a bit of language in this book that one wouldn't normally find in her books. But that shouldn't stop one from picking up this book as it's a well-written story and an easy read.)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.

All In a very well written romance. Loved the plot. I really don’t know how I missed the first book in this series because I love SHG and read all her books. I highly recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc this is my unbiased review.

This was a simple romance with likeable characters - it wasn't deep, but it was a quick read. I didn't totally get all the poker references and how they related to the book itself, other than the title and the leads jumping "all in" to their relationship. I loved that the characters had flaws and rough edges - it totally made them adorable. The chemistry was spot on. I quite enjoyed Finn's character and think he would make a great hero in his own title one day. The rest was somewhat cliche and predictable.

The book had elements beyond the romance with some stubbornness, family relationships, and learning to lean on friends. I was expecting a fairly clean book (think classic Christian novel), and while there wasn't anything explicit, I was surprised by the innuendos, was not a fan of the words used to disparage or describe the main male lead's ex, and was disappointed in the ending. I feel the book as a whole fell short in the inspiration department.

Not a favourite, but I didn't hate it - 2 stars for a Goodreads "it was okay" rating. Note, this is the second title in a series, but reading the first novel (Take a Chance) was not necessary to understand what's going on. Perfectly fine as a standalone.

I was provided with a copy of this book from the author and/or publisher, via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own, with thanks for the opportunity to preview the title.

This is book two of The Bridgeport Social Club Series and it is just as good if not better than book one Take a Chance. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one. You don't have to read book one to know whats going on, it just has some of the same people in it. This book is full of emotion and once you start reading it you don't want to stop. Thank you Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

This was the first novel I have read by this author. It won't be the last. This novel grabbed me and did not let me go until the very last page. I loved Axe and Meredith, Both had been through so much. I loved the chemistry between the two of them. I do love a slow burn and this novel did not disappoint. Loved it!

I liked 95% of this book but was disappointed by the ending. I felt it didn’t stay true to the book or to what I’ve come to expect from this author.
Aside from that, I feel that Gray does an amazing job with her main characters. They are very authentic. I felt I was watching the story unfold before my eyes. I felt for Finn who doesn’t know how to respond to seeing a loving, healthy family. I liked that Ace didn’t fit the stereotype for a gentleman but had an amazing protective streak towards Meredith. I enjoyed seeing how Meredith “helped” out in school.
Just like the first book in this series, the power of community, having people around you who care for you (and letting them do that) was compelling. As Meredith and Finn find out, sometimes your real family aren’t related to you by blood.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Bridgeport Social Club
Book 1: Take a Chance
Book 2: All In
Book 3: Hold On Tight (coming out June 11, 2019)

When Ace and Meredith have a run in their fascination with one another begins. Ace and his son, Finn, come to the rescue when Meredith is mugged.

I thought these characters and this community were perfect for the sweet romance. I enjoyed Meredith and her strength and being on her own basically her life. Finn pulls the heartstrings as a young man growing up in a life that wasn't great for him. Now with his dad, Ace, Finn is having a great change in his life.

Ace was a sweetheart that's been hidden under a rough and tough exterior. I loved how he talked to Meredith and treated her.

This was a sweet read that I highly recommend.

This is a romance between Meredith, a Pilates studio owner and local high school volunteer, and Ace who is a single father with a teen son trying to make a fresh start. The chemistry between Meredith and Ace is quite strong, but both fight the attraction for their own reasons. Ace because he doesn't want to trust a woman and Meredith because she doesn't like to have to/need to lean on anyone.

It was very enjoyable watching these two learn to lean on each other and trust each other. In time the went ALL IN and found a beautiful story together.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

I have always heard good things about Shelley Shepard Gray‘s Christian Amish and historical books. When I saw this was a contemporary story, I was excited to get to read it (as I am not a fan of Amish and historical fiction). Not long into the story though, I realized that this was not Christian fiction. The characters were good people and valued their families. But even with a few cuss words and some loose morals, I did come to like the edgy characters. I especially enjoyed the Pilates information because I have just began Pilates myself. My biggest problem was that often the writing was hard to follow. The sentence structure and wording was often awkward and did not flow. The ending was really not all I had hoped for either. I probably will not try this author again.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

All in was a great book. You could almost feel the instant chemistry. I enjoyed Finn being a huge part on his father’s falling in love story. It was An enjoyable.... I cant Put this book down read. Will definitely keep my eyes open for this author.

Okay. Let me begin by saying that as I write this review, I find myself in a bit of a conundrum. It comes from my background of experience with author Shelley Shepard Gray’s earlier books. My experience with this author has been through her works in the genres of romance/historical/mystery&suspense mainly involving Amish and Mennonite. They have also been labeled as religious/christian/clean&wholesome. Thus, my conundrum begins. I had to separate & get passed my past experiences with the author’s prior works in order to give my honest thoughts about All In.

So, let me just begin by saying that my first challenge was to accept that All In doesn’t fit into a mold that I’ve experienced with the author’s prior works. That being said, it was scary, refreshing and exciting for me to read. Scary in that from the beginning, I could tell this was a different type of story from what I was used to from this author. Refreshing in that from the beginning, I was immediately drawn into the characters, which were different from the other works I’d read by this author. Exciting in that I really wanted to see where the story would go.

I was indeed drawn in from the start when Meredith Hunt is mugged and two guardian angels in the form of Ace and Finley Vance, show up just in the nick of time to help her. The problem is that Meredith isn’t used to being helped. She didn’t have the best situations while growing up. The difficult situations in her life and relationships have made her self reliant and hesitant to receive help from anyone. Even in this situation, she found it uncomfortable to
have someone, make that two someones, helping her.

Ace Vance hasn’t had things so easy either. He’s just moved to Bridgeport to make a better life for his son Finn and to get away from Finn’s mother. His main focus has been to make things better for Finn. The situation with Finn’s mother combined with his focus to make a better life for Finn has kept the whole dating thing off of his radar.

And as for Finley Vance, he’s had his share of bad experiences in his young life, most of which stem from his mother’s lack of mothering. At his young age he feels the need to be self reliant but also struggles with things he’s missed out on, as well as the typical challenges faced by teens.

The lives of these three become entwined when Meredith’s mugging brings them together. The story has romance, mystery and intrigue. But the largest part of the story revolves around how these three individuals come to terms with their pasts and how they are able to move forward from there to find forgiveness, healing and love.

So, I said all that to say this. All In is a clean, wholesome read with a slight contemporiness (is that even a word?) to it. It will take you to a place where you will find just how powerful love, and love’s healing, can be.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really liked this story but it wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it fell under the Christian genre because of the author but there was some cussing in it and by the end Meredith was going to move in with Ace and his son Finley. The story is about overcoming your fears....fear of failure, fear of trusting others, fear of rejection. Meredith meets Ace and his son Finley when she is mugged. She learns to overcome her fear of rejection by accepting their help. They all three struggle with the issue in one form or another but as they grow closer to each other they learn to overcome these fears and trust again. The title "All In" is something that we all need to do in our lives,and relationships, be "all in".

The story of Axe and Meredith is a good one! There is plenty of action, a little mystery, quite a bit of romance and some gritty real life elements. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Axe and his teenage son, Fin.
Fans of Shelley who have not read the first Bridgeport Social Club book may not realize that she is aiming for a different audience for these books than the usual "Christian" market. I think she does a good job making the leap in that way. I have to admit that I'm on the edge of my seat now, waiting to get the next book to find out exactly how the story progresses!
I was given an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. I was happy to provide a review and these are my own thoughts on the book.

The formatting was not great. I didn't realize this was going to be a closed door read and this was not what I was looking for.

All In
Shelley Shepard Gray
Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date 2/12/19
3.75 stars/ 5 ☆☆☆.75

Welcome To Bridgeport Ohio, home of the Bridgeport Social club, small town American poker club where family and friends are serious about being there for one another. Men like Ace Vance and his buddies are role models for their growing young sons (Finn who is a budding football star running back) and the social club extends to the wives and girlfriends who all show up when Meredith Hunt Shine Pilates owner and instructor has her home broken into...there a single lady is treated with respect and the whole town shows up to clean , cook her dinner and show her love. This is a story that you want to carve out a morning for, with a great cup of mocha latte, and a cozy fireplace. .it is what lures you in like Netflix..great for your binge hangover after watching The Kissing Booth and To All theBoys Ive Loved Before!

What I liked:
This story is reminiscent of Nora Roberts novella series like her Bed and Breakfast , Irish series, or the Wedding planner series. You get to know the characters like your fave drama on tv and know there is a new installment coming so there may be a follow up, like will Allison and Finn finally go to the Prom? will Ace break down and propose? Will we get to see more of the town outside of the school, and the Pilates studio?

What I needed for it to be five star?
The ending seemed rushed and chopped. I seriously was cozy and wanting another ten chapters...I will not ruin it for you followers... Once I am "All In" ..i want it all!!!!

There is another title coming ..and one before this so "Take a Chance" and get them both from Shelley Shepard Gray.. I can't wait to meet her new set of characters 3.75 stars is more than a maybe Netgalley! thanks for my arc #blackstonepublishing

This book was received as an ARC from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

We have the first installment of the Bridgeport Social Club series and it is one of our popular Romance novels that gets circulated among our adult patrons. So, when the next book in the series All In was available as an ARC, I had to jump at the chance. While reading this book, I could not help but think that this will not be your typical love story and it will be more drama than any other romance novel I have read and it definitely delivered. The characters are easily relatable and how they cross in eachothers lives is not what anyone will expect. Even though it is a romance novel, there are some thrilling aspects that just add more drama to the story that really left me on the edge of my seat and I know our readers will definitely enjoy that. A mindbogglingly romance novel that will keep you in anticipation of Book 3.

We will consider adding this title to our Romance collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.