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A review by mjhpjansen
All That We Are by Mariah Stewart
4.0
All that we are is the third book in the Wyndham beach series, which evolves around three life-long friends in their mid-fifties, Lydia, Maggie and Emma, and their hometown on the Massachusetts coast, Wyndham beach. The women have been friends since school and have shared many ups and downs together.
In the first book, An invincible summer, Maggie was in the center. The second book, Goodbye again, tells Liddy's story. In this third book, which will be published on December 13th, we finally get to know more about Emma. The first two books were both positive novels with strong female characters, life-long friendship, forgiveness, hope and second chances. Book 3 is much anticipated and I can tell you right now: It will not disappoint!
It's been ten years since Emma's husband, the town banker, has died. Emma leads an organized life in her hometown of Wyndham city and everything is peaceful. Until she finds out that her husband had an affair before he died. Emma is devastated. How can someone that's been gone for a decade still hurt her so much? Her son is a famous superstar singer. He headlines at concerts and has a special someone in his life as well. He doesn't visit as often as she would like.
So Emma needed something to give her life meaning again. She has founded an art center and invited a group of artists to take residence there. She has to focus on them now even though the betrayal still hurts.
Among the artists is someone who seeks refuge from her abusive ex and to make things even more complicated, a dashing businessman who came back to town sparks some butterflies with Emma.
The biggest plottwist will be an absolute lifechanger. Emma must find a way to make sense of it all, but she has her faithful friends to help her through and she finds out that she can get what she wants, as long as she has the guts to go for it.
After the first two heartwarming books in this series, book three does not disappoint either. A suiting addition to the series: Just as it's two predecessors it's filled with hope, friendship and second chances. Each friend has filled a book with their own life-changing events now and if you read all three of them, what stands out is the message of hope, turning over a new leaf and begin again. New life, new meaning, new love.
I grew really fond of the strong female characters and their life-long friendship they maintained since school and their growth as personalities. Other characters in the book are just as lovable. To me, the characters and their relationships with eachother are the real strength of the story.
I liked the plot also. The setting with the art center is very original. A superstar singer for a son is quite entertaining as well. I liked the fact that he is not arrogant like stars often are. The twist was very well written. The surroundings are absolutely marvelous. I want to live in Wyndham beach now!
Emma's journey is heartbreaking but it warms your heart to read about her finding her way and coming out stronger. To mourn the betrayal of your love is already hard but when he's deceased a decade ago, where do you start? Maybe that's why the new romance felt a bit uncomfortable somehow.
The pace is a bit slow and sometimes things were repeated. It didn't bother me, but I noticed that without it, the pace would have been higher which might have benefited the plot. Fortunately, the strong characters carry the story so it doesn't get disturbing anywhere.
Personally, I got what I hoped for reading this book and I am looking forward to read more. Mariah Stewart is a New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of several series, not just Wyndham Beach, but also The Chesapeake Diaries, and The Hudson Sisters, as well as stand-alone novels. The beautiful surroundings, the strong characters, family, friendships and love as well as messages of hope and second chances made me fall in love with her work.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Montlake and Mariah Stewart for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy. My views are my own and voluntarily given.
In the first book, An invincible summer, Maggie was in the center. The second book, Goodbye again, tells Liddy's story. In this third book, which will be published on December 13th, we finally get to know more about Emma. The first two books were both positive novels with strong female characters, life-long friendship, forgiveness, hope and second chances. Book 3 is much anticipated and I can tell you right now: It will not disappoint!
It's been ten years since Emma's husband, the town banker, has died. Emma leads an organized life in her hometown of Wyndham city and everything is peaceful. Until she finds out that her husband had an affair before he died. Emma is devastated. How can someone that's been gone for a decade still hurt her so much? Her son is a famous superstar singer. He headlines at concerts and has a special someone in his life as well. He doesn't visit as often as she would like.
So Emma needed something to give her life meaning again. She has founded an art center and invited a group of artists to take residence there. She has to focus on them now even though the betrayal still hurts.
Among the artists is someone who seeks refuge from her abusive ex and to make things even more complicated, a dashing businessman who came back to town sparks some butterflies with Emma.
The biggest plottwist will be an absolute lifechanger. Emma must find a way to make sense of it all, but she has her faithful friends to help her through and she finds out that she can get what she wants, as long as she has the guts to go for it.
After the first two heartwarming books in this series, book three does not disappoint either. A suiting addition to the series: Just as it's two predecessors it's filled with hope, friendship and second chances. Each friend has filled a book with their own life-changing events now and if you read all three of them, what stands out is the message of hope, turning over a new leaf and begin again. New life, new meaning, new love.
I grew really fond of the strong female characters and their life-long friendship they maintained since school and their growth as personalities. Other characters in the book are just as lovable. To me, the characters and their relationships with eachother are the real strength of the story.
I liked the plot also. The setting with the art center is very original. A superstar singer for a son is quite entertaining as well. I liked the fact that he is not arrogant like stars often are. The twist was very well written. The surroundings are absolutely marvelous. I want to live in Wyndham beach now!
Emma's journey is heartbreaking but it warms your heart to read about her finding her way and coming out stronger. To mourn the betrayal of your love is already hard but when he's deceased a decade ago, where do you start? Maybe that's why the new romance felt a bit uncomfortable somehow.
The pace is a bit slow and sometimes things were repeated. It didn't bother me, but I noticed that without it, the pace would have been higher which might have benefited the plot. Fortunately, the strong characters carry the story so it doesn't get disturbing anywhere.
Personally, I got what I hoped for reading this book and I am looking forward to read more. Mariah Stewart is a New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of several series, not just Wyndham Beach, but also The Chesapeake Diaries, and The Hudson Sisters, as well as stand-alone novels. The beautiful surroundings, the strong characters, family, friendships and love as well as messages of hope and second chances made me fall in love with her work.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Montlake and Mariah Stewart for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy. My views are my own and voluntarily given.