Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was INCREDIBLE. It was so I'm interesting and well done, I flew through it. The concept I was worried about being bland at first just got blown out of the water. The pacing was well thought out, the twists well done, it was like inception the book. Really really cool.

Loved the Choose Your Own Adventure concept. I loved them as a kid. That is what pulled me to this book. I am one for a conventional type read though as it was a little outside my norm. I had a hard time deciding how to read it: straight through or choose?! How would my experience be different? I dont like that being left up to me.

This is the second book I’ve read from the author, and I found it a twisty and enjoyable read. The idea of a choose your own adventure novel was intriguing and reminded me of books I used to read as a kid. The story itself was interesting and kept me guessing. Definitely will continue reading this author in the future.

I am a fan of Shepherd’s writing, having really enjoyed The Cartographers a couple of years ago, so I was very excited to see a new release from her. This high-concept story reads like an adult version of the choose your own adventure books I loved so much as a kid. Here we follow middle-aged Marsh as she’s chosen for a new reality show which uses quantum physics to give contestants the opportunity to create their perfect new reality by revisiting the choices they’ve made in the past.

I’m a sucker for a sliding doors story and this one MOSTLY worked for me. The characters were well-drawn and though I was frustrated with Marsh several times, her story was compelling and propulsive. Reading this on an eReader was challenging to say the least, as there are many opportunities to choose different directions in the story. I often wished I had a print copy so I could flip back and forth with greater ease. The ending and ultimate motivations of some of the characters did not quite come together for me as well as I had hoped. I found them confusing and a bit messy, perhaps just a side-effect of the story structure. However, the concept and characters were interesting and the story kept me turning pages. This one felt like Dark Matter meets The Truman Show.

All This and More releases July 9th, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced reader copy.

This was quite a fun book. I loved that it was an actual choose your own adventure, and at some point I want to go back and try the different paths presented. I thought it was a very interesting concept for a novel - combing that what-if, It’s a Wonderful Life, what if you could change things vibe with reality TV made for a fun story. And the structure was not only cool but really fit that theme.

The plot kind of fell apart for me at times, but I genuinely liked the big reveal so I didn’t completely mind that. My best advice is that you really need to suspend your disbelief for this book to work, but it’s an enjoyable ride so it’s worth it.

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for this ARC. All This And More is out 7/9!

Thank you for this ARC!

Oh my gosh, what a spectacular concept! I really enjoyed getting to pick me own adventure and it really took me back to my Goosbump childhood, creating endless stories.

While I do feel like the characters weren’t fully fleshed out and I didn’t buy their relationship 100% of the time, I think that is just to be expected with the genre of the book.

I had a wonderful time and absolutely devoured the book.

All This & More is a fun mash up of reality TV, quantum mechanics, and choose-your-own adventure. I really enjoyed the ability to choose how the story progressed and went back a few times to pick other choices. The story itself was enjoyable, if not particularly interesting. I think the novelty of the choose your own story aspect outweighed the strength of the story, but still a worthwhile read.

3.5/5

This was a case of awesome concept, so-so execution for me. I think it would've worked better if I'd read a hard copy of the book and could easily flip around the pages like the old Choose Your Own Adventures books of yore.

That said, the writing is solid here and the characters were relatable, if a bit meh. Which was kind of the point. It shows how an everyday woman can change her life. I can see why the show-in-the-book was such a hit. I'm not usually a reality TV fan, but I'd check it out.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Read if you like:
🛣️ Choose your Own Adventure
⏳ Time Hopping
✨ Fate versus Choice
🔭 Sci Fi
3️⃣ Alternate Endings
📺 Reality TV

Have you ever wondered what your life would look like if you made different choices? When Marsh gets the opportunity of a lifetime to be the star in season three of the reality show All This & More she gets to explore just that…

Which couldn’t be better timing on the heels of a breakup and the ruin of her 20 year marriage where she definitely has regrets….

So when Marsh starts exploring different choices for her life based on her career, her romantic relationships, her daughter, and even where she lives, things start to get weird the longer she is in the bubble and with every new change she makes throughout the process…. Especially when she keeps realizing there is something looming with her in the bubble as she makes more and more choices that get her further and further from her real life, but all have a common theme of love with the hunky Wren and getting further and further from the relationship she once had with her ex husband and father of her child.

I really loved how the mystery of what was going on in the bubble mixed in with the romance, pick your own adventure, reality tv aspects, and looming feelings kept me so engaged and wanting to know what would happen as Marsh continued to mess with her life and explore all her alternate realities.

If you like books that make you wonder and explore the idea of what if, I highly recommend checking out this awesome story that had me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you William Morrow and Harper Audio for my ARC, ALC and gifted finished copies in exchange for my review!

**Features:**
- A once-in-a-lifetime chance to rewrite the past but things aren’t all what they seem
- A Science Fiction “choose your own adventure” story with a dose of mystery
- Explores how our choices influence both our own lives and the lives of those around us
- Examines what it means to feel fulfilled in a career, relationship, family, and life in general.


Do you ever wish you could do something over? Ever wonder what your life would be like if you had made different choices? On the show All This and More, one lucky contestant will be able to do just that! This adult ‘choose your own adventure’ story is extremely clever and you quickly find yourself fully invested in main character Marsh’s life. Though the book allows you to skip around (make choices) at certain points, you are also able to read straight through on a ‘golden path’ if jumping back and forth isn’t for you. Because of its structure, the heart of the story takes a while to develop (or piece together) and there may be times you loop back to sections and choices you might have already made. As a result, this book will speak more to readers who don’t mind a slower paced story or who like the idea of wandering around in a story for a while. Overall, this book far exceeded my expectations and it is definitely one I would recommend!

**Cleverly immersive and encourages exploration**

It was a night like any other when suddenly the show All This and More came on and changed the world. Using a new technology called ‘quantum bubbling’, the show’s contestants can rewrite their past in order to live the life of their dreams. After season 2 was mysteriously canceled, the show is finally back for season 3 with middle-aged Marsh as its star. Marsh will face a series of choices that will help the bubble create the life she dreams of. But nothing is ever that simple, is it?

I was interested to see what an adult choose your own adventure book would look like and this one did not disappoint! I appreciate that the book never tries to hide what it is going to be and the concept of the TV show All This and More is a clever framework for the choices you are going to be making. As a character, Marsh is very cookie-cutter and somewhat bland, but it really works in this scenario. There is something about Marsh that everyone can connect to and so you are personally connected to the choices you are making.

The experience of making choices is further enhanced by some of the overall mysteries surrounding the show itself. From the beginning, the narrative encourages you to explore many different pathways and I found myself more than willing to do so in order to uncover more information about what is truly happening. Ultimately, I was left with a lot of interesting thoughts about the ‘role’ of the reader in this story and I love that this book was able to make me approach it in this way.

**A long and winding road**

This book is a choose your own adventure. However, each of the ‘episodes’ that comes as a result of your choices are pretty long. In fact, there are relatively few choices to make throughout the book and it is also structured in a way that allows one to read straight through if they really wanted. However, there are only a few endings it is possible to get no matter your choices and some of the choices you make will loop back on each other as you jump around the story. Where I think this makes an interesting statement about the nature of these choices and it is easy to skip through sections you have already read, it sometimes makes the book feel like it’s dragging on.

The factors that make Marsh easy to get invested in also make her less compelling once a choice has been made. Marsh occasionally makes some intriguing observations, but it takes a while to get from one choice to the next and not every section develops the mystery or Marsh as a person in meaningful ways. I chose not to read straight through at the start, but I can see how this factor would be more noticeable if you are reading straight through. I think some of this is purposeful because another choice is being set up and the reader still needs to feel free to make it, but it is worth noting.

This is one of the most unique books I have ever read. I could not put it down! The characters were engaging and fun. The story jumping from different scenes still kept its continuity and engagement. The ability to control the story and choose your own path was so fun and inventive. I will be thinking about the story for a long time.

Holy mackerel, this was an adventure! ALL THIS AND MORE is definitely one of the most ambitious and clever books I’ve read in a long time.

At its core, this book is about choices and their consequences. When we meet Marsh, she is a very passive character; someone who has let circumstances and the decisions of others dictate her life. As Marsh begins her journey on “All This and More”, we slowly see her gain confidence and begin to speak up for what she wants. Hooray, right? But there’s always a catch- as Marsh begins to make choices that improve her life, the lives of her loved ones around her seem to crack and diminish. This leads Marsh (and the reader) to wonder… can she really make her life “perfect” without ruining the lives of others?

In addition to the exploration of choices and consequences, this book is a distinctly sci-fi/dystopian thriller. There are a lot of questions about the technology, who is in control, and more than a few “blips” and anomalies that make you feel like something is just not right. This creates a gentle, creeping sense of unease that really starts to pick up at the halfway point. I was racing through the pages to see how it all ended; however, “how it all ended” ended up being completely up to me! You really do get to choose your own ending to Marsh’s story- not just an ambiguous ending but more than one scenario that you, the reader, get to choose. It was a bit jarring at first to realize there isn’t a “true” ending, but the more I thought about it the more I loved it. Even though I read the book and finished the story, I still feel like there was so much more to explore. I really want to pick up a physical copy to play with the alternate paths I didn’t pick!

Overall, ALL THIS AND MORE was a highly original and engaging reading experience I won’t soon forget! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

P.S. I would highly recommend reading this one in print form! I think the “choose your own adventure” style is most effective (and least confusing) when you can physically flip back and forth or jump around.

I wanted to love this and for a long time I was but then the plot got so convoluted and confusing. I’m not even sure I know how this one ended because it was hard to read as an ebook.

All This & More was one of my most-anticipated novels of 2024 and I have never been more sad to be let down by a book. I loved Choose Your Own Adventures books as a kid, I am absolutely fascinated by physics, and I love Peng Shepherd’s writing. I should never think, “How could things go wrong?”

Where did it go wrong? It’s not the plot. That’s actually pretty solid. It’s not the storytelling device, either (though I will tell you that reading this on a Kindle Paperwhite wasn’t very fun in it’s eARC format, so this might be one of those books where a physical copy might be the preferable format). No, the issue with this book was the protagonist, how poorly-written she was (in my opinion), and how I couldn’t connect with her at all.

I understand speculative fiction. I understand the premise of this book necessitates a plot-forward approach. But some readers need to connect with the protagonist in a story in order to stick with it. I’m one of those people. On the surface, you’d think I would connect with Marsh: I’m in my 40s, I’m a mom, I’m divorced, I have a lot of things I wished I’d done better or different with my life. But it stops at the surface, because I didn’t connect with her at all beyond those superficial traits. As the pages went on I just found myself more and more annoyed with both her and Talia, the main supporting character in this book.

I wish I could tell you I liked this book more, but I didn’t. You can have the best plot and the best idea for a story, but if the characters aren’t the least bit appealing then some readers just can’t vibe with it.

I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Owing to the fact this review is rated three stars or under it will not be appearing on my social media. Thank you.

File Under: Speculative Fiction

REVIEW: All This & More ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have always loved good fiction or romance with some science fiction or fantasy elements. I love a mix of genres to really make the story unique from others that I have read. All This & More was definitely one of those books for me, with a great blend of contemporary fiction, romance, science fiction, mystery, and fantasy.

Marsh is in her 40s and is not particularly happy in her life. She remembers hearing about a TV show that can take you into a time “bubble” to show you different outcomes of your life by changing different parts. She decides to apply and is accepted into season 3. Marsh is so happy to be able to change her life, but will it be as simple as it seems, and will she get All This and More?

The premise of All This & More is a fun little twist on the time travel and what-if types of books. Having it as a reality game show allows the story to be more unique and gets to play with the idea of an audience with reality shows. The author, Peng Shepherd, added a little extra fun to the story by making this book an optional Choose Your Own Adventure book. You can either read the book straight through, or you can make choices and flip around to different pages. This definitely showed Shepherd’s writing skills through the storyline being strong enough to fit all scenarios. Although having multiple endings, I am curious to know what Shepherd’s ending would be.

Overall, I really enjoyed All This & Moore. It grabbed me right away, and I just had to keep reading to find out more. There were so many twists and turns, which made it so much fun to try to figure out. All This & More was such a fun journey, and now I definitely want to check out more from Peng Shepherd.

Thank you, Netgalley and William Morrow, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

#bookreview #bookrecommendations #arcread #bookstagram #books #booklover #bookish #bookaddict #igreads #bookcommunity #igreads #readingbooks #bookishpost #readersofinstagram #reading #alwaysreading #booksofinstagram #bookaholic #bookcommunity #booksofinstagram

All This and More by Peng Shepherd is hard for me to review. Overall, I really liked this book. Shepherd has a unique writing style and it works really well in this book. This is a choose your own adventure book, which I’m not sure I’ve ever read before. I read an ARC and I can’t wait to see the physical book to see how this is laid out!
.
I was pulled into this story right away and stayed up too late two nights in a row to get to the finish as quickly as I could. The author had me gasping with surprise numerous times and really in suspense as to how she would land this. Being this type of story, there are alternative endings. I like the one I chose best and, of course, I went back and read them all. To my astonishment, this is science fiction! I guess since it has “quantum bubbling” I should not be surprised! It’s also a bit fantasy or magical realism. Not my normal wheel house!
.
What is difficult for me, is that most my followers will definitely not want to read a particular scene in the book. Because it’s this style of book, you don’t have to. In the beginning it says “At certain points in the text, the story will present you with several options about what to do next. You can either allow the book to guide you along like a more conventional novel, or you can forge your own path”
If when you get to a point in the story where you are concerned that her choice is going to be something you do not want to read, this is the one time when you’ll for sure want to take the alternative path. If you do that, you will be fine (as far as I could tell, and I think I read all the paths).
.
In spite of that scene, I gave this book 4 stars. I think it earned them! Thank you to @netgalley and @WilliamMorrow for the ARC that I received through @ThoughtsFromAPage podcast. I am very much looking forward to talking about this book with the author!

"All This & More" is an inventive and wholly original novel about a woman who wins the chance to rewrite every mistake she’s ever made. Marsh, a 45-year-old whose life is in shambles, gets selected to star in a reality show that uses quantum technology to allow contestants to revise their pasts and change their present lives.

Marsh's journey is filled with twists as she becomes a famous lawyer, rekindles an old romance, and travels the world. However, as she navigates these new paths, she begins to notice unsettling inconsistencies and wonders if the show's promises are too good to be true.

The book is structured like a "Choose Your Own Adventure," which adds a super fun layer to the reading experience. As Marsh explores different realities, the story explores themes of choice, consequence, and the pursuit of happiness.

While the premise is really cool, the execution felt a bit lengthy at times. The story could have been tighter, and some parts seemed to drag. However, the concept is so intriguing that it keeps you hooked. The unique format allows readers to feel more involved in the narrative, making it a fun and thought-provoking read.

Overall, "All This & More" is a creative and captivating novel that stands out for its originality. It might not have been the exact book I was expecting, but it’s still a compelling read that offers plenty to think about.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

All This and More is such an utterly unique book that I'm truthfully struggling with putting my thoughts together for this review. I read more than 100 books each year and can honestly admit that I've never read anything quite like it. You've seen it compared to the Choose Your Own Adventure books that adults of a certain age enjoyed as children, and that's the quickest way to describe the function of this book. The plot lives in the center of the Venn Diagram of science fiction, romance, reality television, and chaos theory. In other words, I'm grateful to not be employed as a book seller so I don't have to figure out where to shelve this book.

The concept is creative, engaging, and fascinating. The execution, though, is a bit chaotic and I had to actively decide that I wasn't going to understand any of the "how" in this book and just let the plot sweep me along. I read this digitally and that appears to be the perfect medium for this book as you can literally click to the next section when it's time to choose your path forward. I initially chose to read straight through (opting for the "turn the page" option for the first few choices) but did end up getting more adventurous and steering Marsh onto different paths as the story unfolded. Before I called the book complete, I went back to make different choices in order to feel like I had fully consumed Shepherd's vision. I am blown away by the creativity and attention to detail that it must have taken to create this book!

Is your life perfect? Are you (and the other people in your life) living up to your maximum potential? Should you even want to be? I'll be thinking about this book for quite some time. It kept me engaged and seriously considering what I would do each time Marsh was presented with a choice to make. We are very different people with very different goals and dreams, so parts of this book were frustrating, but it was fun to be able to turn the story in a different direction (unlike so many other fiction books with frustrating main characters where all you can do about it is shout at the clouds). I enjoyed this book, but I can see where it will not be for every reader. At times the chaos in the middle of the book made me think, "enough! let's move on!" but in this singular instance I can say I have no one to blame but myself.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Peng Shepherd for inviting me along on this unique adventure. It was so fun to play along!

Big thanks to @netgalley, @williammorrowbooks, and the author for the gifted eARC!

The description of this book immediately intrigued me. A choose your own adventure book for adults?! Count me in! And it really is. First, we are taken through an entrancing summary of the FMC’s life. Marsh is so relatable: a middle-aged woman who feels like her life passed her by as she settled for a mediocre existence instead of taking chances. Don’t we all have a “what if?” hidden in the back of our minds? What if you could go back and take that chance? We are presented with multiple points where we, as readers, can choose which path Marsh should go down. The suspense at the end of each chapter had me so captivated that I physically couldn’t put this down!

Then, about midway through, I hit a snag. I was reading a new chapter that I had been instructed to jump to, and wasn’t given a choice at the end. This isn’t abnormal, but then I was led through 2 chapters I had already read, which culminated in the same choices I had been given previously. So, I picked a different one, and then the book just went on… it was extremely confusing. Why was I made to reread two full chapters that I had already read? Was the storyline I had chosen supposed to have ended, and I accidentally just kept reading? Did I do something wrong at some point? I backtracked a few times and couldn’t find any place where I hadn’t followed the ebook’s instructions.

After that confusing debacle, I lost a lot of motivation to continue because I found the book to be longer than it needed to be. It started to lose its fun for me, and I was happy to reach the book’s suspenseful conclusion.

Overall, this is SUCH an ambitious novel and I cannot remember the last time I was so engrossed in a storyline. Choose your own adventure books were like the holy grail to us 90’s kids, so this was so nostalgic and just plain fun! Shepherd’s writing is beautiful, and I wish I was able to quote it, but could not due to it being an advanced reader digital copy. I want to stress that since I did read an ARC of this book, the issue I ran into midway through (and the reason for my overall rating) might not even be in the finished version. Or, it very well may have been user error on my part.

I’m so excited to read more by Peng Shepherd, and give many thanks to her for giving this 90’s kid an awesome choose your own adventure read experience!

A choose your own adventure book for grown ups! Marsh is middle-aged and doesn't feel great about her life--nothing seems to be going her way. But her luck may be changing when she's selected as a contestant in a hit game show that allows people to go back and change their pasts.

The cool thing about this book is that the reader can choose different paths for Marsh by selecting which chapter to read next. Or if that seems too weird or too much work, you can just read straight through.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book and it made for a very enjoyable read. But more than that, it made me think not only about how our choices impact the rest of our lives but about what really makes us happy--it's often not what we think. And even though Marsh seemed to have everything she wanted, she couldn't help but keep tweaking things to make them "more perfect."

Really enjoyed this latest book by Peng Shepherd and can't wait to see what wild ideas she comes up with next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.