Wow.
Just wow.
I’m at a loss to even write a review that would begin to do this story justice. This was incredible and really makes one think about life, purpose, and relationships with others. I’ve heard that a truly good story doesn’t just show you, but it makes you feel something. If the many tears I shed during the reading of this book were any indication, I felt a lot.
Nicole Deese is one of my top five favorite authors right now because she writes gritty storylines that deal with the hard topics of life and centers in on how Christ can use individuals to help heal those issues. We all need one another and that message shines through in a beautiful way. Definitely keep tissues nearby.

This story....even more awesome than I hoped. I loved the first book in the series, "All That Really Matters" (which was equally wonderful - and please note, as I always say- it's better to start from the beginning) so much that I didn't think a follow up could truly be as good...but I was wrong.

When security-minded Val takes a big chance, uprooting her life and moving her son to Spokane for a new job, she has no idea what changes are in store...but it just might be the best thing that ever happened to her.

When Miles, twin brother to Molly from "All That Really Matters" is thrown a major curve ball professionally, he assumes he understands all the factors....but with some time and perhaps new insight, he just might come to realize those changes are exactly what he needs.

I highly recommend this book! I appreciated the atypical subject matter, witty banter, well-timed arcs for both the primary and the strong secondary characters, and the self realization and personal/spiritual growth shown in both main characters. I especially loved that Val and Miles didn't have petty arguments about their differences and therefore have a misunderstanding leading to a big blow up (common trope which I personally find tiresome) - but they still don't settle OR give up on each other too soon. Also, this book addresses a very socially timely topic (that coincidentally coincided with its release, which certainly could not have been known in advance to the author), and does so in the most loving and gracious ways.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

All That It Takes sings with heart and depth and authenticity. As a companion novel, it works beautifully because it ties things together and adds to the feeling that I’m reading about real people. Although it could probably be read as a standalone just fine, I highly recommend reading All That Really Matters first because it’s just as wonderful as this book.

Val is a periphery character in the previous story but in this novel, her character absolutely shines with an endearingly authentic voice. She is such an easy person to empathize with, full of both bravery and insecurities, extremely talented but scared to show any vulnerability, whether emotional or physical. Deese excels at first person narration, flipping with ease between Val and Miles. She imbues each one with a distinct personality and voice. In some ways Miles is a foil to Val, and their interaction ring with sweetness and spunk and a slow burn romance.

The story is at once romantic but also full of spiritual truths, personal victories, and individual journeys that made my heart soar. I adored the secondary characters, especially Tucker, Val’s son. His exuberance had me chuckling and also comes across as realistic. Deese tackles heavy topics in such a way that reminds readers of the light in those dark times. I love the reminder that all it takes is one person to help another, one hand held out to offer someone a new perspective and shift things for the better.

Highly recommended to fans of contemporary romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel via Net Galley. A positive review was not required; these are my honest thoughts and opinions.

This book is a sequel, but in our opinion, even better than the first! After briefly meeting Miles McKenzie and Val Locklear in the first book, All That Really Matters, we now get to journey with them as main characters in this second book. And what a wonderful journey it is!

Both Miles and Val could be characterized as steady people, but the phrase "still waters run deep" perfectly describes each of them. Miles is an outreach pastor whose plans are not going in the direction he wants, while Val has just taken a huge risk to move her and her son over a thousand miles away in an effort to branch out on her own and follow her dreams. Although they have met before in the first book, they reunite here in a charming, humorous way before forging a strong friendship. Piece by piece, Miles learns about Val's regretful past as they try to revive a dying ministry in town.

As their relationship grows, this story explores depths we didn't expect it to. Val is given an opportunity to compete in a prestigious film contest and through this, she comes to discover just how much God will use her own story to impact the lives of many, many more people. As Miles seems unable to obtain his dream job and feels "stuck" in a corner, he has to come to grips with his own limited perspective on the impact he can have right in his own town.

This read is a charming little escape, both lighthearted and deep all at the same time!

While not as heavy on the life changing or foster/adoption plot lines as her previous books were....and more on the romance side, i still enjoyed this book. It was a bit more of a fluffy read than I was expecting from her. She always has a romance somewhere in the plot, but wasn't always this front and center. I still want to read more by her, but this wasn't my favorite from her.

All That it Takes by Nicole Deese

Did I love this book so much that I made sure my nails would match for #pubday ?!? Yes. Yes, I did.

I’m kind of lost for words to describe how much I loved this book.

Here’s what you need to know:

💙 This is the sequel to All That Really Matters… (which I recommend you read first - also, fabulous!)
💙 These characters feel so REAL to me. And I loved them so much.
💙 Nicole has mastered writing Christian fiction that doesn’t feel like mushy gushy fluff. My heart was swooning.
💙Val is single mom and aspiring film maker. Miles is a pastor.
💙 This is friends to lovers. There’s forced proximity. There’s laughing and crying and ALL THE FEELS.

This book left me feeling so content. It’s a warm cozy hug and it was a world I was sad to leave.

Nicole handles some tough, serious issues in this book with such grace. I’m just blown away.

This book is just a treat. Make sure you add it to your TBR. And your cart or your library holds list. It’s out today! 🎉

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review: All That It Takes by Nicole Deese

An Inspiring Story of Wonderful Changes

Two people who believe they have their lives planned out, are suddenly thrust together to find that God may have other plans for them.
Miles McKenzie is a Pastor who is sure of his spiritual path, until that path is suddenly removed from him, and he is faced with new challenges that he must face.
Val Locklier has always taken the secure approach to life, focusing on her limitations and her young son's future, however, once she is pushed out of her comfort zone, she finds a whole new outlook on life.

As Proverbs 16:9 says: We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. So, this heartwarming romantic story of Val and Miles unfolds to show how God can bring us out of our comfort zones into a world where we can bring His goodness into the lives of others as well as ourselves.

If you have read Nicole Deese's All That Really Matters novel, you will love this sequel to it. If you haven't, you should read them both. Each can be read as stand-alone novels but reading both will bring a much richer meaning and joy into your life, for not only are these books filled with romance, but they are also adventurous, surprising, heartwarming stories of how God works in people's lives to bring about His purposes.

I was given this book by Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.

I loved this book! The glimpse into Val's life and the journey that brought her to current life is one that is heart gripping and so full of emotion. Miles becomes an even more likable person with each struggle and real emotion that he portrays. This is a story that deals with real life issues that most people want to sweep under the rug. It shows the way Christ wants us to reach others and the grace he calls us to share with those who need it most.

**I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A delightful tale about our plans are not always God's plans. I love that Deese not only writes a charming story, she makes sure that there is some good old fashion lessons on being open to a change of course.
I recommend all of Deese's books to those that love good contemporary fiction.

My Thoughts:
Last year, Deese became my new favorite contemporary romance author with her novel, All That Really Matters. the follow-up book was just as amazing as the first. 
This one featured a women’s clinic, community center, and ministry. I LOVED the deep, soul-searching themes she brought to life here, as well as memorable characters and a soft and sweet romance.
I also really appreciated the fact that the characters from the first book reappeared in this one without overrunning the story. While All That It Takes can be understood as a standalone novel, I would recommend reading them in order.

Rating and Recommendations: I’m giving All That It Takes 5 stars. I recommend it to those looking for deep Christian Contemporary Romance.

~ I received a copy from Bethany House. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.

This was a great romantic book but also had enough depth and interesting things about it to make it different from all other romance books. It was great getting to catch up with the characters from the first book in the series an the new characters were great as well.

Seeing the inner workings of a large church was an interesting take and something that I've never really seen come up in a fiction book before. This is definitely a book I would recommend to others!

This book felt different then previous books I have read by Nicole, but still good and interesting. Val isn’t some perfect character, she has things she is struggling with and I love that Miles overlooks those things.

I also appreciated Nicole’s real look at the inner workings of a church, especially a big church. It’s not all perfect and sometimes church leaders loose their way.

This wasn’t my favorite book by Nicole, but I did enjoy it.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This needs 100 stars, seriously! The depth of emotion, the practical & thought provoking faith thread and the absolute assurance that YOU matter to God....no matter your messy, failed, no good past. He loves YOU simply because you exist.

And the romance? Oh my...again exquisite & deeply emotional, it rocked me to the core! I appreciate characters who talk through tough things and not cover them up or gloss over them. They face problems head on, no matter how hard they are or how much they want to bury them. Both Miles and Val are complex humans with complex feelings, but yet I connected to them. They felt like "my" tribe and truly showed what it's like to be the hands and feet of Christ to hurting & broken people. Their love story took time and trust and was sweetly satisfying. Val's son Tucker made me laugh with all his ten year old boy antics, attitudes and big personality.

The whole story touched me. I cried a few ugly tears, but was left with a huge smile on my face at the ending page. Nicole Deese is an author I've come to love because of her unique & engaging writer's voice. She speaks life into a story & gives it a heartbeat. Go ahead, give All That It Takes a read! My hope (and I'm sure the authors too), is you'll walk away changed and look at people in a different light. Everyone has a story to tell, no matter how painful the past was. God makes something beautiful out of the ashes of our lives!

It took me a long time to really get into this book. I was ready to put it aside, but kept reading. I guess a bit more than halfway through I began to WANT to keep reading.

The introduction of Carlee into the story was just what the book needed. And the way Val’s involvement with Carlee was the catalyst for Val to fully share her own story and come out of her shell (so to speak).

I did enjoy the slowly developing love story between Val and Miles, as well as the spiritual growth in both, especially Miles.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Four stars.

One of my reading quirks is that I don't actually read a ton of contemporary romance. Not because I don't like it, but just because I love historical so much...often I'm content just to hang out there.

But every once in awhile I get in just the right mood...and pick up just the right book...and am reminded of how poignant and engrossing contemporary fiction can be. And Nicole Deese's latest was just the right book for me at just the right time.

I started off by reading All That Really Matters—which you don't have to read in order to enjoy this one but oh my goodness, why would you not because it's so, sooooo good—and as soon as I met Miles, I knew I was going to need to get to know him more. In this one, he and Val—both separately and together—are so very relatable and believable. I love the time the author takes in this story to develop and delve so deeply into both characters—their pasts, their wounds, their hopes, their hang-ups. I was so totally IN this story as I was reading. It's moving and beautiful and really, the only, only downside is that I just read it way too quickly.

Love, love, love this and can't wait for whatever Nicole Deese writes next.

This book was a great sequel. I enjoyed getting to follow the characters from the previous book and get introduced to the new ones. It was a little hard for me to read as I have been burned by churches in the past, but I LOVED the ending and how genuine an real the pastor became. Would definitely recommend to others.

Oh gosh!! What a beautifully deep, touching, heart tugging and inspiring story about two struggling souls with a heart of gold, that have a yearning to do something that makes a difference in people’s life, and God joins their paths to learn from one another and make an even bigger difference in other’s people’s life!
Pastor Miles McKenzie, Molly’s twin brother from “All That Really Matters”, thinks his mission as an outreach pastor, his itchy feet and love of traveling to spread the word of God to vulnerable people in other countries, means he’s not called for marriage. He can’t help but being attracted to his sister’s best friend, Val, but she lives thousands of miles away in Alaska. When he returns from one of his short-term missions in Mexico, he never expects to have intriguing Val and her dynamic son as his tenants in the small apartment upstairs. Their arrival seems providential while he’s still trying to understand the nature of his true calling by God, while Pastor Curtis -his Boss- changes his position at Salt and Light Church, into an outreach position for Riverside Family Resource Center. A facility that has been neglected since Pastor Otto passed away a few years ago. This new ministry is totally unexpected and he thinks it’s not what he’s called to be, and wants to apply for another position through his dad’s connections -a mission pastor planting churches- abroad.
Val Locklier has finally stepped out of her comfort zone. She has accepted Molly’s offer of the marketing position at her new business “Basics First” oriented to help teens that age out of the foster system, and finally had the courage to leave the security of her parent’s nearness and support and travel to Spokane, Washington, to start a new life. But things take a wild change in her job options, and she is suddenly faced with the challenge of applying for a mentorship with a very prestigious professional in the field of film making, her deepest dream. Can this be what God, the recently discovered God her friends preach, intends her to do?
Val and Miles, as circumstances bring them together, start a beautiful friendship that is quickly growing into something deeper. Will their dreams drive them apart? Will they learn that God has wonderful plans for them, and mostly, through them?
As I started saying, WOW! This story really touched deep places in my heart. It’s so tender hearted, relatable, thought provoking in a totally inspiring way that makes you, not only cheer for the characters in their journey of self-discovery and learning God’s will for them, but also makes you want to learn from their life experience and put to practice the message of trusting God in using you for the greater good of many people, even if it means positively impacting one life, which it never reduces to that, but has a multiplying effect of mercy and good will. To realize that ALL THAT IT TAKES is for you to make a difference in one person’s life to start a chain of goodness that never stops!
I fell so in love with the characters: they are so real and close, so kind in spite of their flaws, that they feel like friends with whom you immediately bond and relate, and you don’t want to part when the book is over. Val, protective, ever-cautious and battling some insecurities, which are very understandable because of the rejection she has faced due to her hip injury, and after being rejected by her boyfriend when she told him she was pregnant. These things impact her greatly, but do not define her. She is brave and strong in many ways, while her fears may restrain her in others, and she big challenges to overcome that will help her become a bolder self and open herself more to others, to share her gifts as a nurturer, her love gentle and caring. She wants to provide in the best way for her son. She sacrifices. Miles is a generous, outspoken, easy-going, active, charming, compassionate man with a heart of gold, and big dreams. I so loved his tender and selfless heart. Yet, he has a journey to heal some hidden wounds, to discover pride has no place in his calling to serve others. And to discover who these others are, the people in other countries? Or the ones closer to him?
The strong message about intentional relationship building, about reaching out to others in need when God puts you in the right place and moment, really struck my heart, as it did the characters. The secondary characters, like adorable Tucker, Val’s parents, Molly and Silas, Carlee, Trisha, Nurse Charlotte, Grandma Miller and ever Pastor Curtis, there’s so much to love and learn through them too!
There are so many quotes I loved in the book, but this review is already too long. Here’s a short one: “I’d much rather my life be defined by a thousand little moments of faithfulness than by one big moment of fame”.
The plot never drags, and even if it’s not a suspenseful book or anything like that, I was captivated from page one until the last. I shed tears, I laughed out loud, I swooned, I prayed. I’m so sad this book is finished, and I can’t wait for Ms. Deese’s next story to come, hopefully soon!
I vividly recommend this life changing story! And to spread the word about itI it can change not only your life but many others too! And although it can be read as a standalone, I do recommend you to read Molly and Silas’s story first, where you can get the first glimpse at Val and Miles.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley, but wasn’t required to post a positive review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Nicole Deese is one of the sneakiest authors I know. She draws you in with the promise of a delightful contemporary story, fleshing out characters full of life and heart.

But then…

Just as you’re all settled in and comfy in your fictional world of enjoyment, she hits you right in the feels.

Hard.

And once your heart has been cracked open she pours a healing and restoring salve on your broken places, using only her words which, I believe, come straight from her heart.

This book hit me especially hard because it’s so very similar to my own real life story. I’ve lived this journey, and I emerged more aware and in awe of how blessed I am and how much God’s had a hand in my story since before I even began.

So, yes. Nicole is very sneaky. And you’ll be so much more ‘you’ after reading one of her books. But this one is going on my all time favorites list forever.

I received an advance copy from the publisher. All views and opinions are unsolicited and my very own.

This book surprised me in good ways. It was refreshing to have a protagonist with a disability, and experience with her ableism coming from well-intentioned people. I enjoyed this story, that wasn't just a romance but also a realistic-feeling look at transition, working through your past and the challenges that come with starting over. While a few moments felt a little neat & tidy, the whole of this book was a win for me.

Oh, my achy heart! This book struck a deep chord with me for its rich, emotional themes.

Abortion was a main point of emphasis. I loved how beautiful and redemptive this story was in that aspect. The heartache was real. The stress and overwhelmingness of the consideration of an abortion was exquisitely expressed in the character of Carlee. The healing from such a consideration was completely beautiful and amazing in several other characters, including a primary one. From beginning to end, this story was stunning and lovely, which was an extension of the amazing and beautiful cover.

Speaking of the cover, I loved it! The tiles of varying blue hues with little hints at different story attributes were the perfect collage to adorn this book. It totally fit the story beneath it.

The angle about mission work being abroad or domestic was wonderful. I think sometimes we can forget that people close to us need God just as much as those in foreign countries. Sometimes the mission is at home, y’all.

This story carries such positive, heartfelt messages that I’m sure they will impact hearts the world over.

For those currently considering having an abortion: Jesus sees you. He loves you. And He loves that baby growing inside of you. Jesus extends this invitation to you: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

I got so misty-eyed and wept through portions of this book. That is one thing almost guaranteed for me in Mrs. Deese’s books. Such rich, deep emotions! Every chapter builds so beautifully until the final pages. The relationships and themes worked well together to create such an intricate, emotional story. I loved it!

Content: tobacco, expletive, replacement profanity, teen sex and teen pregnancy (implied and spoken about), teen at a tavern (mentioned), crude sexual terms, abortion theme