This is one of my first reads by Marisa de los Santos. It’s a great story. Great characters. Made me add more of her books to my To Read list.

I enjoyed this book. It hit a lot of the things I look for I a good book. And I'm glad I decided to pick this one up.

Another Great book by Marisa de los Santos! I love how she makes you part of the book by getting me emotionally involved with her characters. Reason why she is one of my favorite authors!

It has been twenty years since Ginny's world was turned upside down. Twenty years since there was a fire at the school and one of her best friends lost his dad trying to fight the fire. Twenty years since she lost all of the people who were most important to her. Twenty years since she overheard the most important person in her life admit to starting the fire. Now her own personal life is on fire as her husband has been fired due to an embarrassing scandal. Ginny's first priority is protecting her sixteen-year-old daughter, Avery. She has made new friends at the dog park that she frequents, but it sure would be nice if she had those friends from her past on her side. Will Ginny be able to get through this latest fire and will she finally be able to put the past to rest?

I'd Give Anything is about a woman with a lot of unresolved issues. I liked Ginny and felt bad that she was married to a shitty husband, but I felt that she was extremely overprotective of Avery. The way she treated her daughter was almost embarrassing at times. The book is told in alternating timelines, the present and in 1997 when Ginny was in high school. I don't deny that Ginny went through some tough stuff as a teen, but the way she handled it was not ideal and present-day Ginny admits that. I was impressed with the way Avery handled the situation with her father, she was almost more mature about it than her mother. The big reveal about who started the fire was a bit anti-climatic after the confrontation between Avery and her father. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - I'd Give Anything is a rich and layered story of forgiveness. While some of the character's personalities were annoying, the story had a lot to offer and should be read.

Details:
I'd Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos
On Facebook
Pages: 272
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 5.12.2020
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the free book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book, Suspenseful and Dramatic, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies. Becoming a big fan of Marisa de los Santos!

I loved this book. The mother-daughter relationship between Ginny & Avery, and Ginny and her mother. Ginny’s friendship with Kirsten. The backstory. All of it.

This wasn't my favorite by de los Santos. I enjoyed the read, but wasn't hugely impressed with the characterization or how emotionally involved I felt in the plot. Several elements could have been removed without hurting the story and allowing for more character development.

I love anything Marisa de los Santos writes, so this won’t be an unbiased review. This is a tale of two people, both the same woman. There’s Ginny, who is a married woman and her younger self, Zinny, the teenager who reveals herself through a diary. But sadly, she’s torn out the page that tells why the exuberant, fun-loving Zinny has been replaced by Ginny, the responsible mom. Secrets, family struggles, relationships there all there making a completely satisfying read.

This is a well written coming of age story about four friends. The author flips back and forth between two time periods set twenty years apart. Something tragic happens when Ginny is 18 years old and she spends the next part of her life unconnected from these friends. Secrets and twists keep the reader involved as we slowly find out the truth about that tragic night. This is my first book I’ve read by this author but I will definitely be reading more! Well done! #I’dGiveAnything #MarisaDeLosSantos #NetGalley

#I'dGiveAnything#NetGalley
Another great read by Marisa de losSantos. Ginny Brake is an eighteen year old who looses her life as she knows it because of one terrible night. Ginny has a Secret that will change everything but she keeps quiet for decades. Ginny married a quiet man, has a daughter and moved back to her home town. Her husband Harris is involved in a scandal. Ginny 's life is on shaker ground and the secret she has kept for twenty years will destroy her life in the future. Avery her daughter and her friends give her the confidence to free herself from the mistakes of the past. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

“It wasn’t an affair,” isn’t what Ginny Beale thought she’d hear when her staid husband—a pharmaceutical exec—is fired. As gossip spreads the scandal (insider trading, an unhealthy obsession, an 18-year-old intern), the once-fearless mom realizes her life is off-track, and she has to protect their daughter. Regrets, honesty, and second chances abound in this engaging family drama.

I’D GIVE ANYTHING
By Marisa de los Santos
Reviewed by Leah DeCesare

There’s nothing that Marisa de los Santos writes that I won’t read. Her writing is warm and accessible, like open arms welcoming us into the story.

I’D GIVE ANYTHING follows one character in two time periods, Ginny in present day and Zinny as an idealistic, bold high schooler, told through her diary entries. As the story opens, Ginny is a mother of a teen daughter, her husband is caught up in a scandal that forces her to examine her marriage—and why she chose him—and her mother is dying. Her difficult, insensitive mother who is controlling, divisive, and who must have everything her own way, right down to how she wants to die.

Ginny Beale has been living a steady, safe life that contrasts with her quarry-jumping, fun-loving, big-dreaming younger self. We are privy to young Zinny’s innermost thoughts as we read her journal entries which vividly capture the spirit of her character and the voice of a vivacious, optimistic teenager. The diary entries convey the dramatic, exuberant highs and the dramatic, desperate lows of youth that are so authentic, they reminded me of my own high school journals.

Zinny tears out the pages of her diary that reveal what happened in her senior year of high school that changed her from wild Zinny to safe Ginny. This gap makes us—and later her daughter— question what happened that ruined her dearest relationships—her close connection with her brother and her friendship with her high school foursome? Ginny’s past collides with her present and she not only has to face old wounds, but the secret threatens the closeness with her own daughter—a relationship she values above everything.

I’D GIVE ANYTHING is a story about redemption, grief, and healing broken relationships. De los Santos explores the power of family and friendships and the harm in guarding secrets. Often in books, I’m frustrated when characters don’t talk directly to another or don’t ask a tough question, but while there are misunderstandings and things that go unspoken, de los Santos lets her characters confront one another. They have difficult conversations, they call each other out, they connect and relate in an active, real way so that we understand when they keep something to themselves.

In true Marisa de los Santos fashion, she weaves a compelling, wisely plotted story with characters you want to hang out with and have as friends. She addresses weighty issues with beautiful prose, and while her writing is elegant and gorgeously crafted, it’s approachable, never sentimental, haughty, or pretentious.

I’D GIVE ANYTHING earns five stars.

A lovely story of friendship and secrets. And the truth about no matter how hard you try, it will always be revealed along with all the secrets you keep.
How hard is it to forgive the mistakes of our past.

I'd Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos toggles back and forth between Ginny's life as a teenager and her current life two decades later as she deals with moving on from her crumbling marriage while raising a teen daughter. Ginny is reeling from a startling revelation about her husband while also dealing with the loss of her mother. This novel has a lot going on but it all blends effortlessly together to create a charming tale. Read and enjoy!

I read the first book in the Love Walked In series nearly 12 years ago and I remember being captivated by the way de los Santos could capture a complex feeling with a couple poetic sentences. The poetic writing of I'd Give anything starts off at a canter not a trot. It took me a minute to get used to the rhythm of the writing but once I fell into step, I was surrounded by the magic of the sentences. Reading any de los Santos book is always an experience, and I'd Give Anything was exactly as lovely as I would have hoped.

At Almost 40 Ginny's quiet, steady husband finds himself in the middle of a work scandal that changes everything for Ginny and her daughter Avery. In the midst of the complex emotions she has surrounding her husband's error in judgement, Ginny is faced with the toll a family secret has taken on her and the the friendships this secret has cost her over the course of her life.

For such a short little book, the narrative sure covers a lot of ground! The story perspectives switch between Zinny, a wild hearted teenager who found wonder in everything, and Ginny the mother who after all these years is attempting to reconcile who she was as a teenager with who she has become. I felt that both narratives were equally as engaging and I wasn't bidding my time in one chapter to get to the story I found 'more interesting'. Both held their water separately thanks to the vibrancy of the characters. The most successful part of the character's journey was the deep dive look at the familiar gray areas we find ourselves a part of. The exploration of both the blurred lines we fall between, and the ones we place ourselves in without knowing the cost, brought up so many interesting issues to examine. I found these issues both relatable and satisfying to think on long after the book had ended.

The only part of this novel that did not work for me was the way the two narratives intersected. I felt that the convergence was a little clunky, and the ending felt slightly rushed. The stories took their time and were unfolded so carefully I had assumed the ending would follow this lead and I didn't feel like that was the case. It was a little bit disappointing, but that tiny disappointment only docked one star from what would have been an easy star read! I would still recommend this to a lot of people (In fact, I just told my sister to go put it on hold). This would make for a lovely summer read selection! It is worth noting that even though this is the fourth installment in the Love Walked In Series, each of the books easily read as a stand alone, so find the book in the series that interests you the most and let the lovely prose wash over you.

In I'd Give Anything, Marisa de los Santos has written one the most nuanced and layered women's fiction books I've ever read. The story is perfectly plotted and the execution of it was utterly flawless. It's evocative and I was hooked within minutes. It's the kind of book where upon finishing it, I found myself thinking about it for a long while after.

Part of it maybe that I love stories where the past unfolds through journals entries and the present through the eyes of out main character. In this case it's Ginny. Ginny who has a very complex love/dislike relationship with her mother and her brother. Ginny with a husband that has made a few poor choices, who is staid and very disconnected. Ginny, with a best friend Kirsten, who will do anything to get back the passionate Ginny she knew as a teenager. And finally Ginny, the mother of one of my favorite characters ever, the brave and principled Avery.

Each and every character can be felt by their actions and/or words. Her writing is so descriptive and not a word is wasted. In this story, de los Santos manages to explore love, friendship, forgiveness, and grief, all while pulling the reader through a year or so in the life of the Beale family. My heart ached and sang for joy as Ginny and Avery reckon with their new future. How these two rise above as they struggle to find the truth about both the past and the present.

While this is part of a series, I read this as a stand alone as it's my first by Marisa de los Santos. But, now that I understand the magic that is her storytelling, that I fully understand the praise for her writing, I will be blocking out time to read all that I can by her. I savored every minute reading this book. I'd Give Anything is by far one of my top reads of 2020 and a book I emphatically recommend. 5++ Stars!

Marisa de los Santos does not disappoint. I have read other books by this author and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her new novel.

How many of us wouldn’t “give anything” to go back in time and change something? This was a theme that ran throughout the book. The main character is Ginny Beale who at 18 has it all: true friends, an amazing boyfriend, and a brother she adores. She is fun, adventuresome, and sees the world as a blank canvas that she can paint. After a tragedy strikes, she loses everything she holds dear. Twenty years later she has the chance to face her past and look for redemption for all involved. Her teenage daughter plays a big role in the novel as well.

She is a gifted storyteller who writes beautiful prose. Her characters are believable and the plot has a nice flow. It was fun to read a book that was so enjoyable to read. It had just the right amount of suspense to make me turn the page and painted such a lovely picture that I would like to see this novel become a movie.

The book deals with some real life tough issues that all of us can relate to: secrets, lies, confessions, betrayal, love, hope, romance, disillusionment, relationship difficulties, true friendship and true, pure love.

I don’t want to spoil any of it for you, so just pick up a copy for yourself and see if you aren’t swept away.

*A special thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. #IdGiveAnything #NetGalley

Marisa de Los Santos has done it again! If you like low key love stories with a bit of family drama, betrayal, friend issues, and secrets, then you will love this book.
Ginny (Zinny) is a middle aged married mom of a sixteen year old girl, Avery. Ginny is reserved, quiet, and calm, but she didn't use to be. Things changed after a fire was set at her high school and the culprit was never caught, but Ginny knew their identity and planned to keep it a secret forever. But secrets create rifts in relationships, future and past, and when Avery finds her mom's high school journal and realizes she has a secret, she decides to get to the bottom of it.
Enough mystery to keep you reading but not too keep you up at night. A feel good story to warm your heart.
#idgiveanything #netgalley

It's kind of shocking that I hadn't been introduced to this author until now. I had no idea what I was missing out on, but based on first impressions she just found herself a faithful follower. Marisa de los Santos is such a master at expressing emotion, setting the scene with lush descriptions, and telling a weighty story that stays with you. Even though the page count is just under three hundred pages, every theme was explored with precision. Grief, depression, the complicated relationship between mother and daughter, the burden of secrets on our lives, and healing fractured friendships were just a few of the things touched on.

The story centers around Ginny Beale, both in present time and in the past when she was in high school. Alternating between her teen years and the current mess of her life, we learn how she transformed so drastically from a vibrant, optimistic girl who reveled at new experiences to a woman satisfied with safe.

She no longer sought out adventure, she abandoned her creative passions, and settled for a life that brought her no joy. We know that there was some sort of tragic catalyst that flipped a switch with her. A betrayal from someone she loved made her retreat within herself and erect a barrier against those closest to her. In the present time, most people perceive her life as perfect. The truth is, that stable life she thought she was giving her daughter Avery is tumbling down around them like a flimsy house of cards.

Ginny had a very complex relationship with her mother. De Los Santos could have made her a caricature of an antagonist. Wicked, mean, and hateful to the bone with no shades of grey. That kind of character would be easy to despise, but the authenticity would suffer. Adela was a cold woman, not prone to display any affection towards her two children. She was selfish, and cared about appearances rather than what made her family happy. She could also be ruthless and liked to control every situation and person she interacted with. But there were moments when she allowed a glimpse of softness to peek through her armor. In those moments you wonder what could have been just as Ginny does.

Then there was the relationship between Ginny and her own daughter. When her marriage suddenly and dramatically implodes, her only concern is how it will impact Avery. Her marriage was a mistake from the very beginning, but the one thing they did right was her. As a mother you want to shield your child and protect them from hurt. She gave up a piece of herself when she chose Harris. "It seemed like a good idea at the time" couldn't be more appropriate in describing how that choice panned out.

That shining spirit that she had as a teen was suffocated and snuffed out by a series of events that she couldn't recover from. The past must be dredged up now in order to heal that long-standing wound. For the good of her family, and to finally right a wrong that had taken so much from her. It took a lot of courage for Ginny to finally face what she'd pushed down for so long.

I'll admit, I guessed very early in the book what the twist would be. And yes, the romance was minimal, but I never felt that the story lacked because of it. The focus was placed primarily on Ginny making her way back to her true self and putting the broken pieces of her friendships back together. I enjoyed every minute spent on this touching story. This is going on my favorites list for 2020!

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow/Harper Collins, and Marisa de los Santos for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel. I'm a huge fan of this author's gorgeous writing and this book was no exception. Plus it will give you all the feels!

Twenty years ago, Gray, Zinnie, Kirsten and CJ were the best of friends - there for each other no matter what. Zinnie was fearless and relied on her brother, Trevor, to be her everything because their mom was not there for them. Then tragedy strikes and none of these relationships will ever be the same. In the present day, Ginnie, as she is now known, is the mother of Avery and married to Harris. A life-changing event happens in their marriage and Ginnie is forced to confront her life and her relationships.

You're better off going into this story with not too much information. I loved every page - you will feel so much when you are reading this book about family, friendship, truth, forgiveness. It's the perfect coming of age story with so much for all of us to think about.