Wow did I love this book!! This story was filled with such emotion!! Did not want the story to end! Highly highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of Everything You Are by Kerry Anne King.

When Phee's grandfather signs over his music shop consisting of string instruments, she has no idea what she is getting herself into. Because when a string instrument is given to a musician, they are bonded with that instrument for life. To quit or abandon the instrument would surely bring a curse to them and their family.

That's exactly how it looks for Braden, who lost the use of his hands to frostbite. Sunk into the depths of alcohol and despair, he's forced to reconnect with his daughter after learning that his ex-wife and son were killed in a care accident. With the help of Phee, Braden works hard to overcome his addiction, his injury, and the damage done to his relationships.

Okay, I can see the appeal of this book. I'm a music lover myself, I understand the obsession and borderline superstition that comes with it. However, the overall tone of this book wasn't for me. The over dramatization felt a bit manipulative, and unbelievable. But, overall it was well written and executed.

Everything You Are is both a heartwarming and heartbreaking story that is an enjoyable read. It is about a cello, a magical cello that tears a family apart and ultimately, brings it back together. It is well-written and includes important themes like addiction and suicide plus forgiveness, love, redemption, family, and hope.

Braden Healey is an accomplished cellist who, after an unfortunate accident, can no longer make music. He is convinced he is cursed. Divorced from his wife and kept from his children, he has succumbed to a life of alcoholism and has given up all hope. But after his ex-wife and son are killed in a tragic car accident, he is left with no choice but to return in order to raise his 17 year old daughter Allie and protect her from the curse.

Even though he is an alcoholic, Braden has other redeeming characteristics that makes him a sympathetic character. He is trying to make amends with his daughter but she rejects his efforts at every turn. While desperate to remain sober, he feels pulled to drink again and again. Braden is a broken person forced into a situation that will cause him to rise to the role of Father despite setbacks along the way or fail miserably and lose his daughter.

<i>Braden does the math, the number of days from Monday to Thursday divided by the distance between him and the drink he just poured, multiplied by the enormity of his failure and loss. All the calculations come out to the same answer: he is a miserable excuse for a human being.</i>

<i>Braden needs a wall to lean on. He needs to be nicely inebriated, lubricated, sloshed, to protect him from his daughter’s venom and the overpowering presence of the cello. He needs it so bad he can taste the wine in his mouth, warming his throat, creating a shield between him and his emotions.</i>

At the urging of a friend Braden joins what appears to be a novel approach to deal with alcoholism, in contrast to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). It is called Adventure Angels and is a different kind of support group. Instead of what is considered to be AA’s themes of guilt, shame and powerlessness, Adventure Angels treat each day like an adventure and try to bring a positive experience to someone else, perhaps through an altruistic act. If the member suffers a setback, they inform the group who then decides on an adventure for them. Some might say this approach reinforces their bad behavior but Adventure Angels consider it a celebration of an individual’s return to sobriety.

The cello plays a predominant role in the story. This musical instrument is the one thing that Braden and Allie have in common. He paid for music lessons so that she could learn to play the cello, but like her father, she has given it. Braden and Allie hear it playing music at times and also feel a magnetic pull toward it. The magical realism element adds another layer and for me, greatly enhanced the story. But the power of music truly has the power to heal.

<i>In all of the years since he walked away from his music, his home, and his family, the cello has followed him into his dreams, inhabited all of his waking moments. A phrase of music here, a sensation of strings beneath his fingers there, a phantom bow in his hand when he’s drowning his memories in a bar.</i>

<i>Maybe he and Allie still have a chance. Maybe they can connect over the music. If he could teach her, it would be almost like playing himself.</i>

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader. Opt in exchange for my honest opinion.

Beautiful tale of redemption and the magic of music with relateable characters. A fast moving heartwarming read.

EVERYTHING YOU ARE by Kerry Anne King

If she could die quietly, just close her story as if it’s a book she started reading and decided she didn’t like, she would welcome that. But she has to keep turning the pages; she’s not allowed to quit, because this is her fault and it’s the punishment she deserves.

Sometimes a book comes into your life and you never look at things the same. This is such a book. It’s so well written. So touching. Heartfelt. Filled with so many emotions. It’s like something you never expected. Nothing is the same from start to finish and yet every single word, page, chapter, just fits perfectly. From the death of a mother and son to the lives of a daughter and father. A promise to a grandfather. From alcoholism to drugs. From love to hate and back again. This book is filled with emotions you may not even know you have. Laughter, sadness, death, tears(lots of tears), life, music. Oh the music. You can feel that in your heart. I could at least.

Love is such a fantastic feeling. True love that is from your heart. The language of love. From a woman to a man. A daughter to a father. Family to family. This book has many characters in it and they all feel such deep things. They are all fighting something. Something that is almost to strong to bear. Phee, the luthier, has to made a promise to her grandfather that is almost impossible for her to keep. Does she believe in curses or was that all just something in his head? Allie, lost her mother and brother and blames herself. Braden, a first-chair cellist for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, lost his ability to play and became a drunk. Left his wife and children eleven years earlier. After the death of his wife and son he has to go be there for Allie. He’s always loved her but she hates him so bad. There are other characters, ones who have problems. Drinking problems. They are all there for each other no matter what though and keep each other on the straight way to being sober.

Can anything fix these broken people. Can music be the salve that mends them? This is the story you have been waiting for. It’s going to grab you by the heart and pull you deep inside and won’t let go until you find the answers to every question. Until you read the very last word and believe me the ending of this book will make you weep. I wish I could think of the perfect words to describe how much this book touched me. The love that exists between people. The empathy, the heartfelt true caring of each other. A near tragedy that brings them all together to help mend. A cello that needs to be played. The music that touches you.

This book is one that I will not forget to soon. It’s a pure piece of poetry that will make you so happy you read it. From start to finish you will love this book. You’ll cringe in places too. Hold your breath when you wonder what is going to happen next. Will they make it or will they all turn against each other. It’s just a story that I felt inside. The love, laughter, sadness, heartache and tears. So many feelings. It’s one of those books that give you all the feels. That in my opinion is a great novel.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublishers for this ARC. This review is from my heart and told in my own words.

A million stars for this but alas I can only give it 5. I highly recommend this book. A must read by a wonderful author. I look forward to more from her.

I loved the magical realism element of the cello with a soul. I also loved the study of family relationships between the absent father coming home and his daughterand some of the other deep themes explored. I could have done without the romance and had a hard time connecting with Phee, especially in the beginning.
This book was overall an enjoyable read.

A story of redemption. I was rooting for all of the main characters in their quest to work through loss, grief, alcoholism, family relationships that are so badly broken, and a good old fashioned curse! Music and a cello are at the center of the relationship between Braden, his daughter Allie and Phee, the granddaughter of the cello maker.. I loved having the cello and music as the thread that holds them together. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This book covers some interesting themes. Grief, Alcoholism, teen angst, and a good old fashioned curse. When Ophelia MacPhee inherits her grandfathers store and workshop she soon learns there's more to the job than she thought..
As a Luthier she has a responsibility to keep the instruments she makes maintained,. Some instruments require more care than others.

This is where Braden Healey comes in. He owns a cello made by Ophelia's grandfather.

As part of the extra care, Ophelia needs to meet with Braden to discuss the cello.

Ophelia arrived in Braden's life when he was very vulnerable. He is getting to know his daughter Allie. He and Allie both have some intense personal issues they need to resolve as well as the management of the cello.

This book is a great read. I give it a solid 4/5 stars.

Braden is a famous cello player with a great life ahead when he has a terrible accident. He loses his wife, his son and injures his hands so he can no longer play the cello. He is struggling desperately with the loss of his family and his purpose in life, making music. Now a broken alcoholic he needs to repair the relationship with his daughter Ally. As a side plot, Phee who is the granddaughter of the man who sold Braden his cello, believes her grandfathers cello was cursed. Something always happens to cut the players career short .Phee wants to help lift the curse from the family, help Braden and even starts to have feelings for him.. Can she, Braden and Ally forgive, heal and come together.

King’s writing was beautiful, almost like reading poetry and I loved the characterisation of Braden and his alcoholism, The image of him weighing up his life against the glass in front of him rang true and the self-pity of the addict was well drawn. I was a bit confused on the curse and the rules of it, but Phee certainly believes and is determined to see Braden continue playing. The length of time it takes Braden to change things is very short, but I think waiting might have dragged the novel out for too long. In the end this is a novel full of relatable characters, and I was rooting for Braden to turn his life around.

Family drama and music combined with folklore in this tale of Brandon, his daughter Allie, and Phee, the woman who owns the luthier shop where his cello was made. There's a secret, of course, and some sadness, but it's a good tale with a happy ending. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for those who like stories of redemption.

I enjoyed this book! A little magic, mystery, love and romance. It was a quick and easy read! Great developed characters!

‘Avoiding talking about things is much more dangerous than having conversations.’
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How gorgeous is Eveything You Are? It’s more than just a pretty cover.
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Synopsis:
One tragic twist of fate destroyed Braden Healey’s hands, his musical career, and his family. Now, unable to play, adrift in an alcoholic daze, and with only fragmented memories of his past, Braden wants desperately to escape the darkness of the last eleven years.
When his ex-wife and son are killed in a car accident, Braden returns home, hoping to forge a relationship with his troubled seventeen-year-old daughter, Allie. But how can he hope to rescue her from the curse that seems to shadow his family?
Ophelia “Phee” MacPhee, granddaughter of the eccentric old man who sold Braden his cello, believes the curse is real. She swore an oath to her dying grandfather that she would ensure Braden plays the cello as long as he lives. But he can’t play, and as the shadows deepen and Phee finds herself falling for Braden, she’ll do anything to save him. It will take a miracle of forgiveness and love to bring all three of them back to the healing power of music.
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I really enjoy books with a family drama and this novel, told from multiple points of view, was such a good one. It covers family, addiction, loss, forgiveness, music and throws in a touch of magical realism to weave it together so effortlessly. The three main characters were written with so much feeling and I couldn’t help but get so invested in this story and devoured it in a couple of sittings. •
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

More like 3.5 stars

This is a story of a broken family trying to confront their past and connect through music. I believe it must be an amazing experience for someone, who cannot imagine their life without playing the instrument and understands the magic it brings. Even though I am not a musically oriented person, I enjoyed the “magical realism” elements of this story. I liked the premise of an ancient curse and the backstory of the instruments, I would even appreciate a bit more of them.

In terms of the story, there were moments, mainly at the beginning, where I thought about giving up reading it. However, the author’s choice of pacing the book makes it difficult to choose the right moment, because the plot is developing so quickly you cannot have the excuse of getting bored. I still don’t understand, how it is possible to fit a storyline of an average soap opera into one book and do it well. I do appreciate the balance of the writing style, in the ratio of descriptions, dialogues, and plot. I believe that not many authors can do it with a plot so full of turns like this one.

I received this book "Everything You Are" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. Magic, mystical. I really like books that have this theme. The story focuses on "the cello" - it's mystical and magical. I enjoyed reading this book. Unique with great characters.

An enchanting story that can haunt you deeply. This is a story about musicians, interrupted lives, and an overwhelming calling by these specific musical instruments. It touched on various topics such as death, alcoholism, parent/child relationships, and more.

This was a beautiful, heartwarming story Of a woman, a man and a cello. That may sound silly but it is the cello that links them all together. The characters in this book have all gone through their own personal hell, from death to alcohol abuse. The families of the two main characters are drawn in to their story and must endure one heartbreak after the other until a group of “angels” helps them heal. This book forces you to believe that a touch of magic may be the reason for the events that have occurred yet this is not a fantasy or religious book. It is a wonderful story of love and forgiveness and the strength that we each must find to first forgive ourselves. I loved these flawed characters who made me laugh and cry. Thank you to Net Galley, Kerry Anne King and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book

I highly recommend this book. Very unique plot line, which was told by three POV. All thru the book i kept wondering what happened at the cabin that caused Braden's PTSD, making him unable to play his cello again. The last few chapters explaining it took me completely by surprise. Looking forward to more books by Kerry Anne King in the future.

This book has likable characters, and addresses alcoholism and loss. One of the main characters has inherited her grandfather’s luthier store, and the story revolves around the instruments from that shop. It is a little far-fetched in that the deceased grandfather has the ability to bring wrath upon anyone who may sell or give away one of his instruments. There is a lot of bad language, and if not for that, I would have given the book one more star.

3.5/5 stars for this haunting family drama!

I did receive this book in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.

Not gonna lie, this was a cover request on my part :P That and the fact I love a good family drama/saga. But the story is so much darker than the cover would lead you to believe. The beginning of the book was a little slow and difficult to follow, but about halfway through it really picked up! I absolutely loved the last quarter or so of the story. Great characters, great story. Definitely recommend if darker family books, like VC Andrews (maybe not that twisty lol) are your thing!

Trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts and PTSD.

Wasn’t sure how this was going to go, magical and mystical or family drama? Turns out story had little bit of everything in it. Which is not a bad thing. I enjoyed it and found it an easy read.