This is my second book by Erin Bartels, and although it was a page-turner, and I felt it difficult to relate to the characters. Everytime I wanted a break from reading, there would be a bit of cliffhanger so I managed to read the book in about 48 hours. My favourite part was the detail of the scenery - I felt like I was hiking through Michigan's Upper Peninsula through the eyes of the main characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This Contemporary Inspirational Fiction was about a broken relationship between two sisters. They decide to go on a hiking trip after ten years of silence. The book is told past and present so that we see their relationship a little clearer.
I could relate to everything going on between them. How they acted toward each other andthe things they fought about. The social media, pantheistic view and overall relationship hit really close to home for me. I loved Josh and want him available when I go on my next hiking trip.
This really worked for me and if you like Christian fiction I highly recommend this for you. I thought this author wrote a very realistic, fun and challenging read.
Thanks to Revell via Netgalley for this. I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review. All opinions are mine.

This was a book A book about family, specifically about sisters reuniting 10 yrs. of the tragic death of both parents. But most of all, it's a story about forgiveness.
A good, "clean" read.

This title surprised me! It was suspenseful enough to keep me guessing and I could see it going a number of directions. I enjoyed the play between the sisters and could almost picture the scenery. A satisfactory ending and a great weekend read!

Olivia and Melanie are sisters who have been estranged since their parents' deaths. To reconnect, they decide to hike the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. However, they are inexperienced hikers and their journey is fraught with troubles and disaster. Olivia is a control freak and needs everything planned and in order, Melanie is casual, believing everything happens for a reason and there are no coincidences. Both women are trying to figure out their relationship to God and His role in a world that could so unjustly take the lives of their parents. To top it off, Melanie has forgiven and fallen in love with Olivia's former best friend who caused the accident that led to the parents' deaths. Through danger and disaster, the sisters change their perspectives and come to a place of relative peace.
This book is recommended for its beautiful descriptions of the natural environment. The author is a hiker who is very familiar with the mountains and describes them in great detail.

First off I want to state that I received a non-corrected galley copy of this work after its release date, not before, in exchange for an honest opinion of this work. My thanks to Net Galley, the author and publisher for this opportunity.

As you know by now, two estranged sisters try to reconnect by going on a hike together in the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Olivia is the eldest, Melanie the younger one. They lost their parents 10 yrs prior in an unexpected auto accident. Melanie stayed behind in the house and took care of all that needed to be done in the aftermath of their funerals, whereas Olivia, an attorney in New York left right after the funeral thinking that working would help her cope. They each coped in their own way as people do, but resentments toward each other caused a rift in their sisterly relationship. This trip was planned between them to have the uninterrupted opportunity to talk it over and reconnect. Easier said than done. Many unexpected setbacks, like foot blisters, falling into the water with your pack on, losing the map, getting lost and several other things happened along the way.

Personally, if the location of their hike had not been so well depicted, causing me to google (actually duck-duck-go) some of the stops they made to look at photos, I would have gotten more bored than I often was. One can only take so much bickering and petty sisterly arguments.. Sometimes I felt I could have been reading about me and my own sister.

The second half got better, fortunately. The author can write, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. I loved WE HOPE FOR BETTER THINGS, so I didn’t hesitate to order this ARC. I’m rating it at 3.5 stars, but many have liked it more than I have. Feel free to make your choice, you may love it.

For my first dip into Christian Fiction, this was a really lovely place to start. In this story we follow two sisters, who have drifted apart since their parents deaths 10 years ago, as they set out on a hike together. It's a really gentle, easy to read story but with just the right balance of interesting events happening along the journey and the discussions and discoveries they are having.

The book opens up so many interesting thoughts and reflections, about how the two sisters have responded to grief differently and how that has impacted their lives, how their grief has impacted what they believe about life and faith, and what they are each searching for in life.

The only reason this doesn't reach a 5 stars for me, is that at the beginning one of the sisters, Melanie seemed almost like a caricature of herself, it was just a bit too much; and there were a couple of hints towards something about Josh, a character they meet, which I really didn't like - it just felt very unnecessary and took away from the story for me.

I've read plenty of bad writing in fictional books that deal with faith. But the characters and dialogue in this book rang true, and I stayed engaged. 3.5 from me.

I received an ARC from Netgalley.

What attracted me to this book to begin with was the concept of the story being different to most books that I come across. I wanted to know how two sisters that had been estranged for the better part of 10 years would patch up their relationship, would they be able to put past grudges aside and forge ahead or would they decide that “what’s done is done and can’t be undone”.

Melanie and Olivia head to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan for a hiking trip in an attempt to mend their failed relationship. The two sisters have very different personalities. Olivia is critical, controlling and bossy whereas Melanie is more gentle and sensitive. The car accident that took their parents lives left a huge void in their lives and their relationship with one another. Each one dealing with their grief in extremely different ways.

The hiking trip is a lot more challenging than either of them had prepared for, even though Olivia seems to be about as prepared as a person can get but the trip takes it’s toll on both sisters physically and emotionally in ways that were unexpected. There are things Melanie needs to speak to Olivia about on this journey and you wonder if they’ll ever make a break through and get to a point where a more open mind can be contemplated by Olivia.

As someone who is not very religious, I wondered if maybe this would be a bit too much for me in the way of religion but it really wasn’t like that at all. The story is so beautifully written and more about questioning and wondering and maybe opening up to the idea of something more being out there. It was very beautifully written and with the detail of the descriptions of nature, I felt like I could picture so cleary being there with the two of them.

Thank you NetGalley and Revell for allowing me to read All That We Carried as an ARC in exchange for my review.

All That We Carried by Erin Bartels is a beautifully written tale of forgiveness. I agree with other reviewers that this book is not for everyone. But I do not think that is reason enough to lower the number of stars. This book takes on heavy topics like grief and unforgiveness and attempts to deal with them in ways that might even be described as literary. I really appreciated the author's work in creating this beautiful book. The beginning paragraph alone was so lovely that I read it out loud to my husband. This author has amazing writing talent and I cannot wait to see more from her in the future. Just because the style is not your style, does not meant that it is not beautiful writing. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This one was a good read. However for me it was a trigger for parental death. And despite the siblings being estranged and deceased parents I did enjoy it but I did go through a lot of tissues reading this one. So keep that in mind if you want to read this one.

This novel introduces us to sisters Melanie and Olivia who are struggling with grief, loss and deep personal and interpersonal conflicts that make themselves clearer as the story unfolds.

The sisters attempt to bond over a hiking trip, a long overdue reunion taking place a decade after the traumatic death of their parents. Along the way, history, childhood patterns and memories surface and help bring the sisters and their struggles alive. The sisterly dynamics, in fact, were my favorite component of the book - ringing clear and true, with each sister, new-age Melanie and rational lawyer Olivia, totally engaging and compelling in her own way, as well as in the context of her sisterhood.

Without giving any spoilers away, the challenges that Melanie and Olivia face on this journey, both physical and emotional, uncover deep themes, including spirituality, death, and the meaning of life. Through the events that unfold, the author’s handling of these themes, tricky at the best of times, is skillful, raising questions and possibilities that tug at the heart strings, while leaving it to the reader to come to final conclusions.

Four very well-deserved stars. I would be interested in reading more from this author.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Revell, and the author for an advance review copy of this book.

The author has crafted a story that will keep the reader engaged form page one. So glad I had the opportunity to read this one .

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher and Net Galley but the thoughts expressed are my own.

A decade has passed since sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were hiking the back country of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) together when their parents were killed in a car accident. They grew apart as each coped with the tragedy in a different way…Olivia losing herself in law school and building her career; Melanie dropping out of college to become an online life coach, building her brand around a cafeteria-style spirituality, borrowing what she likes best from many religions.

Melanie convinces Olivia to hike the Porcupine Mountains in the UP in an attempt to reconnect. But Melanie has a hidden agenda…a secret she has to find a way to tell Olivia.

The two women face their fears, their anger and their past as they find themselves in danger they never expected to encounter. They discover neither may have coped as successfully as they’d hoped…but they may find a brand new way forward.

All That We Carried is a realistic story of two sisters who know how to push one another’s buttons, but who discover how important each is to the other. Ms. Bartels tells a tale of forgiveness, love and redemption.

I read All That We Carried in three days. I was caught by the opening pages that offered beautiful and true descriptions of the day in March when warmth and new life are promised. Erin Bartels creates the story of two sisters pursuing truth, connection , and healing on a planned five day hike in the Upper Peninsula. The story of the hike is accurate to those who hike, informative for those who do not, and suspenseful.
The terrain becomes a metaphor for the sisters who try to surmount great pain over a tragedy that happened years ago. Under the expert hand of Bartels, the complex and beautiful characterization of the sisters reveals life not as it should be but as it is. The trail reveals challenges, mercy and help from others, and a recognition that God is indeed in all.
I really enjoyed the book. I am a hiker with three sisters. Barrels reveals the very real love sisters share, the danger of false perceptions, and the ultimate mercy that heals relationships. Understanding and forgiveness ultimately mark the way in this engaging story. New life awaits. Like the warm March day in the beginning of the book, the reader is left with hope, a recognition of God's hand in everyday events, and an appreciation of seasons in relationships.

ALL THAT WE CARRIED - Erin Bartels

Great book I received free on my Kindle from Net Galley.

I will highly recommend this book for its well written and interesting story line. Olivia and Melanie, sisters, but as different as could be, a type A Obsessive Compulsive with a "fly by the seat of your pants" sister. These sisters embark on a journey to try to connect after 10 years.

Now, if I was wanting to reconnect with a family member I don't think I would choose a camping trip in the upper peninsula of Michigan in the fall...just sayin'

But that was the decision by the planner and the not so enthusiastic sister. You decide which one takes what role. Fraught with emotions and just being sisters the trip is immediately challenged and you begin to have compassion on both and I tended to not believe how insensitive either one could be toward the other.

However, it is based in reality and wisdom that we can all take a small lesson in compassion.

Don't miss it.

#NetGalley# All That We Carried

#Goodreads# All That We Carried

Sister relationships can be very complicated but one thing is always true, whether you love your sister to distraction or wish she would drop off the face of the earth, she’s still your sister. You can’t change that!

Often, family incidents can mar the relationship. Sometimes, sisters can be very stubborn. Occasionally, circumstances totally beyond anyone’s control contribute to the drama.

ALL THAT WE CARRIED by Erin Bartels, tells the story of two sisters whose actions express all of the above. Separated for 10 years because of their reaction to a tragic car accident that killed their parents, Melanie convinces her sister Olivia to go on a week-long hike in the Porcupine Mountains of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan.

On this long hike, meant to restore the relationship, the girls encounter wild animals, get lost, are rescued by a handsome stranger, defy death, outrun a forest fire…

The author intersperses memories from the girl’s childhoods that help the reader better understand the relationship. However, rebuilding sisterly connections after major trauma is very difficult. Erin Bartels does an excellent job of showing how challenging and rewarding the process can be.

Love the opening! (The laconic, laid-back style...) The reader is involved from very early on, experiencing the hiking trail along with the sisters. It is interesting to see how our childhood attitudes & experiences can shape the rest of our lives. I like the way facts are only gradually revealed, so that one can’t guess the story right from the beginning. [Later...] Well! What a powerful, powerful, challenging book this has turned out to be!! At first it didn’t look like being a very lengthy read, but it has been a demanding one. (And a very apposite title.) I expected much of this volume, due to having read the author’s previous books, & she has certainly delivered. I rather suspect the story will stay with me, & have no hesitation in recommending it most highly : it is so worth your time.

Perhaps I am looking at this too rationally, but really! Neither sister has been hiking for ten years, they can't stand each other, they are going hiking over a three-four day period in upper Michigan in October. One sister is woefully unprepared and could not be a responsible adult and take charge of her packing. The other sister, who is suffering from a lot of pain in her hip, overprepares. The two gripe and carp at each other mile after mile after mile of rugged trails. Still stuck in grievous anger from ten years before, when their parents died, they fail to see that each one needs to be a responsible adult and move out of their respective ruts.

Olivia is a buttoned-up prosecutor who has seen the evil in people. Melanie is a free spirit, espousing all that is good in people, with little to no discernment in selecting what might be best for her personally. When they think they can go no further and face the fact they might be in serious trouble, they meet Josh, a fisherman, who helps them out.

The story reminded me of "The Shack" and how people fail to recognize God when he appears in their lives. Is life random? Or is there a plan for these things that seem random?

I had heard so many things about this book that I had high expectations for it. Unfortunately, I struggled to get into it but couldn’t bring myself not to finish.

Olivia and Melanie are sisters who have been estranged since their parents tragic death ten years earlier. The sisters are different personalities- Olivia is focused, career driven and Melanie is more take life as it comes person. Each have struggled to deal with their parents death in their own ways and it has only driven them further apart. Melanie suggests a hike near the 10 year anniversary of their parents death and Olivia reluctantly agrees.

The story is about the sisters taking that hike together and some of what they experienced. While the scenes are vividly written like the foliage and waterfalls, it falls flat in a resolution for the sisters. We do have peek into their individual thoughts, but they only seem to be able to communicate with each other by arguing.

The sisters encounter a few people on their hike like the stranger, Josh, who seems like an angel encounter. This part of the story had a parable feel to me as did the two different pathways and I had a hard time connecting with it.

Overall, this particular book was not for me. I had a hard time “getting lost” in the story as I like to do.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own,