Review and Giveaway: All They Ever Wanted

All They Ever Wanted (Second Chances - Book 2) by Tracy Solheim

Publication Date: 03/01/2016
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425281035
ISBN-13: 978-0425281031

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes

Tracy Solheim on the WEB: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

Books in the Series:

Second Chances 

1. Back to Before
2. All They Ever Wanted

Coverart: Click on the photo for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series

Excerpt from All They Ever Wanted, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

In the new Second Chances novel by the author of Back to Before, even love might not prove strong enough to save a man’s promising future from a woman’s hidden past...

All he ever fought for...
 
Aspiring congressman Miles McAlister has dreamed of representing his hometown of Chances Inlet, North Carolina, since he was a boy. So when he’s asked to help run his mother’s bed and breakfast he moves home and rolls out his campaign at the same time. But political stardom isn’t a given, especially when he’s expected to compromise the very ideals he’s trying to uphold. Making matters worse is the inn’s stubborn, and distractingly beautiful cook. He’s loved and lost before, so falling for Lori Hunt is not part of his plan.
 
All she ever feared...
 
Lori just wants to do her job and be left alone until she can safely move on. The last thing she needs is to get involved with her boss’s son. Miles proves to be too sexy to ignore, however.  Their heated fling elicits feelings deeper than either anticipated. But everything about Lori is a lie. She’s harboring a secret that’ll destroy Miles’s career, and when the truth gets out it’s going to shock Chances Inlet to its core, forcing Miles to make the hardest decision of his life.

Thoughts:

Tracy Solheim continues her Second Chances series with, All They Ever Wanted. This story has everything from political candidates to some very heavy secrets. Readers will appreciate Solheim's soulful storytelling. Her readers get a great romance, but also enjoy the charm of a small town coastal setting and the intrigue of a mystery. The author knows how to hold the reader in suspense, while giving them everything they want in a good romance. Another great book by Tracy Solheim.

What I liked:

Chances Inlet is one of those places that readers will want to visit again and again. It's a small town which always comes with it's own set of charms and it's own set of problems. Solheim has created a place where second chances abound and readers are able to believe that everyone deserves one. The townspeople are quirky and eccentric in some cases and completely engaging. I wanted to know more about every single one of them. They intrigued me and made me enjoy every line about them. Great job with setting in this one.

Political candidates are not always the kind of heroes or heroines I look for in a good romance novel. Especially, with the race for the presidency heating up. To Trump or not to Trump! (Eke Gads!) So when I figured out that Miles, the hero, in this story was running for office, I had a cringe worthy moment or two. But Solheim quickly won me over. Miles was a stand up kind of guy, if a little bit repressed and straight laced. He had a moral compass which is saying a lot for a congressional candidate, lol. I liked him in spite of his candidacy. Solheim always knows how to give readers characters that are easy to relate to despite their station in life or their political leanings.

All of the secondary characters were great. From the characters in the first book in the series to the new ones that Solheim introduced in this book, all of them were well drawn. I didn't feel like any of them were unnecessary or just put in for filler. They were multi-faceted and memorable. I found myself hoping that this character or that one would get their own book. That lets me know that the author took some time with these characters and put each of them in the book for a reason... good or bad. Matt has my vote for his own story in the future. Very interesting situation that one.

What I didn't like:

Lori was a great heroine. She was flying under the radar, trying not to draw attention to herself. She had some pretty big secrets. Just about everything about her was a lie and for good reason. But starting out a relationship on that kind of footing was not only scary it was a bit sketchy. I wanted Lori to be everything that Miles wanted and needed and when the situation between them heated up I felt a little bad for the guy. Honesty, even in a book is always the best policy.

Bottom Line:

This was actually a great book. I had my issues with a couple things, but nothing that was a deal breaker. I still loved Lori, the housekeeper and cook at Patricia's bed and breakfast. She had her secrets and watching her and Miles work throw them was a pleasure. Great characters and a great setting and one heck of a romance. Another great one from Tracy Solheim.

All They Ever Wanted is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Tracy Solheim, a military brat who now makes her home near Atlanta, began her writing career as a teenager when she penned a column in her town's local newspaper. Then, it was on to journalism school and a brief stint with NBC sports. After spending nearly two decades writing reports and testimonies for Congress, she delved into fiction. She lives in the suburbs with her husband, two teenagers, a Labrador retriever who thinks she's a cat and a horse named after her first novel. When she's not writing, she enjoys photography, cooking, and reading. A frustrated sports writer, the books she loves to read--and write--feature athletes and the women who capture their hearts. See what's she's up to at www.tracysolheim.com.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a one book giveaway for All They Ever Wanted by Tracy Solheim.

* You must be an email subscriber to participate.
* U.S. addresses only
* The deadline to enter this giveaway is, Midnight EST March 23rd.

1. Please leave a comment about your favorite second chance romance.
2. Please fill out the FORM.