Attempting to be to many things at once prevented this one from doing any one thing particularly well. It's...spread too thin, I guess is what I'm saying. Also at least one of those "twists" was deeply unnecessary.

I was excited to read this based on the description and the first couple of chapters sucked me in. Then I struggled to keep going. It was just too slow. It felt like there was a lot of pointless filler, without a lot of character development. The characters just felt ‘meh’’.

🔥POC female MC
🔥Love triangle (kinda)
🔥Someone seems like a stalker
🔥Lots of secrets and mysteries
🔥Plot twist after plot twist
🔥Some spice / no fade-to-black

All We Lost Was Everything is marketed as a #darkromantic thriller but I couldn't figure out what exactly was dark. The thriller and mystery aspect is stronger in this as opposed to any romance which was more like spice and longing.

I liked that we get a POC view with River Santos even though it was mostly centered around food (ube anyone?) and less into any extra cultural insight about her family.

The various mysteries we get to guess are in no order
-who gave her 2 million dollars?
-what started the fire that killed her father?
-where is her mother?
and these questions lead us down a further winding road which uncover more mysteries and secrets surrounding her parents, Logan her sexy co-worker crush turned bf, and Noah her pining ex-bf. Through it all her best friend Tawny tries to support her but also seems to get frustrated and doesn't want her chasing down mysteries amidst the grief of losing her parents.

So... who did it? I'll admit I didn't see the plot twist right up until the very last two pages before the reveal.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House for the ARC.

I had enjoyed Everything We Never Said, so I was excited to read more from Sloan Harlow. It had that dark tense atmosphere that I was looking for and thought the overall feel worked in the story. The characters had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the romantic thriller concept. It had a great twist and was wanting more. I enjoyed the way Sloan Harlow wrote this and can’t wait for more.

thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

this book was... an interesting experience. i tried to give it the benefit of the doubt the entire way through, especially since it was a thriller and i wanted to believe that maybe the author was trying to mislead the reader with the sub-par writing... unfortunately i was wrong.

everything about this book read like an unedited wattpad story. every character existed solely as an archetype (the bad boy love interest, the ex boyfriend, the best friend) and none of them actually felt like real characters with personalities. there was no complexities or layers to a single supporting character in the story.

additionally, the mystery element was very predictable. not a single red-herring, and everything was just revealed so easily and conveniently. there was one part in particular, where the protagonist picked a lock within seconds with absolutely no explanation of how she learned to do something like this. like i mentioned, it all felt too easy.

it also felt as though both the author and publisher don't know who the target audience for this book are supposed to be. the book is published under penguin's ya imprint, reads as very ya and has a teenage protagonist, but then for some reason is marketed as "sexy and romantic". and then reading the book, everything is very ya aside from the multiple dragged out sex scenes/makeout scenes. sex scenes sometimes do have a place in ya books, considering that sex can be part an important part of the teenage experience, however, these very much read as adult romance-type sex scenes. it just didn’t make sense within this story.

the romance also was not well written in the slightest. since logan barely had a personality, the romance felt like it lacked so much substance. everything just moved so fast and it felt as though the two characters were more in lust than love. logan as a character very much read as a perfect stereotypical brooding love interest. every single action of his felt like it came out of the fantasy of what a straight girl would want in a dream boyfriend. nothing about him actually felt like a unique and believable character.

my final opinion of this book is that it needed some serious editing. like, several more rounds of drafts before it went to the printer. it is so underdeveloped in every aspect despite its interesting synopsis.

My first book by Harlow! It was amazing. It had everything. The book is spicy, part romance, part mystery/thriller. I was hooked from the first chapter. I would love to read more by Harlow.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

This is a great book that had me constantly gasping for breath. River works at a diner after a house fire killed her dad and left her mom wandering the desert somewhere in Scottsdale, She has a crush on the new guy, Logan but he doesn't seem to notice her, River becomes curious when--out of the blue--someone donates two million dollars to the GoFundMe page set up for her and she begins asking questions. Old boyfriend, Noah appears again, even though he's engaged to another woman.and she's not sure if it's him she wants or the sexy, mysterious Logan. Things get dicey but River is convinced things need to be cleared up so she forces herself to confront the truths she knows and make peace with past mistakes1
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I DNF’d at 31%. I just kept waiting for something anything to happen and nothing did. River doesn’t want to use the 2 million anonymously, but she’s going to look for the donor. She works with the hot but terrible personality Logan. I’m h surprise she develops a crush on him and is debated when he doesn’t outwardly reciprocate. The premise was great and I was excited to read it but once I got into it, it reads like any other forgettable booktok college romance.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of ALL WE LOST WAS EVERYTHING by Sloan Harlow in exchange for my honest review.***

ALL WE LOSF WAS EVERYTHING grabbed me from the getgo. I became immediately invested in River’s story.

Sloan Harlow did a magnificent job making River well-rounded. I’m so glad Harlow didn’t fall into the trope of making River the grieving girl who pushes everyone away, until a manic pixie boy made her realize she could accept help. Harlow accepted the GoFund me, albeit reluctantly, she accepted support from her best friend Tawny and her aunt Tita Anna. River was strong, yet vulnerable.

The plot of ALL WE LOST WAS EVERYTHING was filled with twists and turns that made sense as well as red herrings.

Hopeful YA writers should read ALL WE LOST WAS EVERYTHING for a masterclass on storytelling.

Rezension: "All We Lost Was Everything" von Sloan Harlow
Sloan Harlow kehrt nach dem Erfolg von Everything We Never Said mit einem weiteren fesselnden Roman zurück, der Liebe, Geheimnisse und den Schmerz des Verlusts miteinander verwebt. "All We Lost Was Everything" ist ein emotionaler und spannender Thriller, der sowohl mit einer düsteren Romantik als auch mit überraschenden Wendungen punktet.

Ein Protagonistin zwischen Verlust und Neubeginn
Die Hauptfigur, River Santos, ist sofort sympathisch und vielschichtig. Nach dem Verlust ihres Zuhauses und ihres Vaters in einem verheerenden Brand versucht sie, ihr Leben neu zu ordnen – keine leichte Aufgabe für eine 18-Jährige, die sich alleine durchs Leben kämpft. Harlow gelingt es, Rivers Trauer und die damit verbundenen inneren Kämpfe authentisch darzustellen. Besonders berührend ist ihre Bindung zu den Dingen, die sie im Feuer verloren hat, wie ihre Gitarre und ihr Songbook – Symbole für das, was sie einst war und nun vermisst.

Die mysteriöse Spende von zwei Millionen Dollar auf ihre GoFundMe-Seite bringt nicht nur finanzielle Stabilität, sondern auch eine Flut neuer Fragen. Diese Unsicherheit, gepaart mit Rivers wachsender Paranoia, zieht die Leser sofort in die Geschichte hinein. Die Frage "Wer ist der Spender, und was will er wirklich?" verleiht dem Buch eine durchgehende Spannung.

Die Chemie zwischen River und Logan
Die romantische Dynamik zwischen River und ihrem geheimnisvollen Kollegen Logan Evans ist ein weiteres Highlight des Romans. Logan, der anfangs wie ein Feind wirkt, entpuppt sich nach und nach als vielschichtige Figur mit einer tragischen Vergangenheit. Harlow beschreibt ihre wachsende Anziehungskraft mit einer Mischung aus Zärtlichkeit und Spannung, die glaubhaft und fesselnd ist. Die romantische Komponente wird jedoch nie übertrieben – sie steht immer im Dienst der größeren Geschichte, die von Rivers Suche nach der Wahrheit geprägt ist.

Familiengeheimnisse und dunkle Enthüllungen
Ein zentrales Thema des Buches ist die Erkenntnis, dass Menschen – selbst die, die wir am meisten lieben – nicht immer das sind, was sie scheinen. Rivers idealisiertes Bild ihres Vaters wird durch die Entdeckung seiner dunklen Geheimnisse erschüttert, und die Abwesenheit ihrer Mutter wird zu einem weiteren Rätsel, das gelöst werden muss. Diese Enthüllungen lassen River nicht nur an ihrer Familie zweifeln, sondern auch an sich selbst und ihrer Fähigkeit, Menschen zu vertrauen.

Harlow gelingt es, die Geschichte mit unerwarteten Wendungen aufzuladen, ohne dass sie jemals konstruiert wirkt. Die Enthüllungen über Logan und den mysteriösen Spender fügen sich nahtlos in das größere Rätsel ein und treiben die Handlung voran. Jede neue Information bringt River näher an die Wahrheit – und an den Abgrund.

Ein düsteres, intensives Finale
Der Roman gipfelt in einem explosiven Finale, das sowohl emotional als auch narrativ befriedigend ist. Harlow bringt alle Handlungsstränge geschickt zusammen und überrascht mit einer Wendung, die viele Leser unvorbereitet treffen wird. Trotz der Dunkelheit und des Verlusts, die die Geschichte durchziehen, lässt das Ende Raum für Hoffnung und einen Neuanfang – eine Botschaft, die sich wie ein Lichtstrahl durch die Dunkelheit zieht.

Fazit
"All We Lost Was Everything" ist ein beeindruckender Roman, der gekonnt Elemente von Spannung, Romantik und Familiendrama verbindet. Sloan Harlow erzählt eine tiefgründige Geschichte über Verlust, Selbstfindung und die oft schmerzhaften Wahrheiten, die hinter den Fassaden unserer engsten Beziehungen lauern.

Mit einer vielschichtigen Protagonistin, einer fesselnden Liebesgeschichte und einer Handlung voller Wendungen ist dieser Roman ein Muss für Fans von düsterer, emotionaler Literatur.

⭐ 5 von 5 Sternen – Eine intensive Reise durch Verlust, Geheimnisse und die Suche nach dem eigenen Platz in der Welt.

This is an ARC from NetGalley. This is the second book I have read from Sloan Harlow, and another solid moderate rating. This is a very standard YA novel. Girl with a tragic backstory finds long buried secrets, meets a boy who knows the secrets, but doesn't come clean. This was a fast paced read, and I was hopeful for more of a memorable ending. I was going to rate this a bit higher, but the final twist was one too many, and I bit too hard to buy into. Ok to a quick read, but fairly standard. #netgalley #allwelostwaseverything # ya #mystery #romance

This deserves way more than five stars! There was romance, mystery and many strong emotions. River is just eighteen, a senior in school. She has lost so much when her house burned down recently. She lost her possessions, she lost her father and her mother had already run off some months before. Her serious boyfriend, Noah, dumped her withour giving a reason. Then she meets someone and feels he is THE ONE! But she starts uncovering so many secrets about her family. This was so beautifully written.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book blends mystery, suspense, and emotion in a compelling way. The story is primarily told through River’s POV where emotional tension is strong, and her journey through trauma and mystery is gripping.

I would have liked to know more about River’s parents. A deeper look into her childhood background would have added extra layers to the story to make the story more emotionally charged.

The twists and reveals are definitely a highlight. Just when you think you know what’s coming, the plot takes unexpected turns, keeping things exciting and unpredictable.

Overall, this is an engaging read with plenty of suspense and emotion to keep you hooked. Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC!

Packing several gut punches, All We Lost Was Everything by Sloan Harlow will appeal to YA readers who enjoy mystery, romance, and thrillers. Readers are treated to a potential romance with River Santos' silent co-worker Logan or a rekindling of her romance with former boyfriend Noah. Supported by her best friend Twany and aunt, River is hanging on after her mother disappears and her father is killed in a house fire that almost took her life. EVERYOME in this narrative has secrets which keeps the reader guessing until the end about what happened to River's Mother, as well as who and why did someone set fire to River's home, killing her father.. This is a book that will most certainly be added to our collection. There is no doubt that this will have vast appeal to YA readers who will recommend this novel to others.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc in return for an honest review.

This is my first book by this author and I read all in one sitting! Quite a few turns I did not see coming! The letters were confusing at first so I’m glad they were addressed at the end. Great character building, great plot progression. Solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thanks to NetGally for this ARC!

All We Lost Was Everything is a captivating blend of mystery, suspense, and emotional depth. River's journey through grief, secrets, and unexpected twists keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The combination of drama and mystery, along with a few surprising moments, makes it an enjoyable read. However, I would have liked more flashbacks to explore River's relationships before the accident for added emotional depth. Overall, it's a solid and fast-paced mystery with a satisfying conclusion.

A dark, sexy, twisty read from Harlow! As a teacher, I did find myself going back and forth on whether this book should be YA or not. As a 30-something woman…I highly enjoyed it!

After loving Everything We Never Said, I was so excited to read this one. Maybe I set my expectations a little too high, but there’s still a lot to appreciate. One thing this author nails—both in the previous book and here—are the twists and turns you don’t see coming. The beginning really drew me in, but by the end, I found myself a bit confused about the timeline and had trouble buying into some of the events. That could just be me, though, so I’d still recommend it if you’re into stories that keep you guessing.

I had high hopes for this book after reading the description- but after finishing it, I think it's just "ok". I have read other books by Sloan Harlow and have loved them. I think the issue I had with this book is that the slow burn start was too slow. The connections with the characters were disclosed towards the end of the book, and I feel that if there were more hints towards everyones relationships and everyones purpose in River's life throughout the book instead of everything revealed at the end, it may have been a bit better. I like the story line and the outcome - I just feel a lot of it couldve been written in a different way. But other than that, I didn't expect the relationship with Tawny and River to play out like it did. Or the connection between Noah and Logan.

The cover grabbed me right away. The story hooked me early and the twists kept surprising me. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book