This novel delves into the complexities of a marriage in turmoil, offering a realistic portrayal of the struggles faced by both partners. Lauren's sense of invisibility in her role as a dedicated wife and mother resonates deeply, while Jack's commitment to providing for his family leads to unintended consequences. The narrative skillfully explores themes of sacrifice, communication, and self-discovery, with relatable moments that many readers will identify with. Despite its brevity, the story packs an emotional punch, underscored by moments of humor and heartwarming family dynamics. While some may find the resolution too swift, the novel ultimately delivers a message of hope and the power of love to overcome adversity.

A failing marriage, a wife at her wit's end, and a husband who is willing to give up everything to fix it all.

Adriana Locke made me go on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. And I loved every second of it. If you love:

✔️ second chances
✔️ groveling
✔️ failing marriage trope

Ugh this book if for you. Grab it. It's gold!

<b>Never a choice to make...</b>

I'm gonna be honest, "second chance marriage" or "marriage in trouble" are not my favorite tropes. But from the first few pages of this story, my heart hurt. It was real, honest and I felt seen.

Lauren was caring around my heart in the early pages of this story. She lost herself in caring for her children and husband. When she no longer recognizes who she sees in the mirror, it's time for change. Jack is like so many husbands, "providing" for his family and not realizing the foundation of his marriage is in trouble until it's almost too late. Kids always see what is going on, and Maddie and Michael are no different. They are no longer going to sit by, with the help of their grandfather a little forced proximity for their parents is exactly what's needed.

Every emotion I felt being that stay-at-home mom came to the surface while reading this book. Feeling lost, living for your children, and a marriage with silent storms always weathering your heart. When both Laurena and Jack finally hear what the other has been missing, it's the balm to my soul I never got to experience. Absolute perfect second chance marriage!

I loved this so much. A second chance at a marriage in trouble. This was everything I needed and more.

This book had me in tears. I just felt so much for Lauren and Jack.

This was a beautiful read although emotional. This family just wanted to be happy. The kids and their grandfather went out of their way to make an annual tradition go on. While at the same time showing their parents what the real problems are.

I love this author’s standalones, there’s always something that pulls at my heart.

This was an easy read and enjoyable. I cannot wait to see what’s next.

I loved these characters especially Harvey and Mrs. Shaw, they were a hoot. This book made me think about my own life and if I’m truly happy or just going with the flow and keeping things moving.

I gave this family: Lauren, Jack, Michael, Maddie and Harvey 💛💛💛💛💕

This book was amazing and I wasn't able to put it down once I started reading it. If you love a second chance romance you will love this book. Add this book to your TBR and you won't be disappointed.

Ms Locke has a gift of drawing emotions from you. I have never had such a visceral response to a book. This book touched me on so many levels. I felt seen, heard but above all it made me realise... don't sweat the small stuff.

Lo and Jack's relationship was in desperate need of saving, but the journey to get to the recovery is full of revelations, and realisations that it takes two to make a marriage work and you both have to want to make it work.

Just beautiful truly, the words, the emotions. Thank you

This is a first time read for this author and I am so glad I found her. This is a story about Lauren and Jack. They've been married for a while and there marriage is struggling. He works all the time to provide for his family and she feels neglected.

This story I felt in my bones. Marriage isn't easy and it goes through its ups and downs and this book described it perfectly.

I enjoyed the dual POV to see how both Lauren and Jack felt towards everything. Jack was taken aback when his kids told him they knew about the divorce when he didn't.

Jack stepped up and try to fix it. The love was still there and he put in the effort to make her feel wanted.

I loved this book. It was easy to read, flowed well, and, and kept me invested. Thank you so much for this arc and you know have a new fan.

Tropes
~Smalltown Romance
~Second Chance
~Troubled Marriage

In my opinion, there aren't enough books written about men and women who are married and trying to find their way back to the feelings they used to have for each other. Locke gives us an honest view into what can go wrong in a marriage and the feelings of both partners. The feelings of emotional abandonment that Lauren had and then Jack's feelings of having done everything right because he was providing for his family resonated with me.

This was beautifully written. The dual point of view displayed both partners evenly and the other characters were also very well developed. I thoroughly enjoyed this look into their family and their hearts. And there's a dog!

Thanks to Valentine PR for the copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is a story of Lauren & Jack, and how being happy with each other for so long, having two teenage children, now they're on the verge of divorcing. Cause one is never present and another takes all the responsibility. So to save the marriage Maddie and Michael with their grandfather devised a plan and tricked both their parents into going to their holiday home. And the story is them unpacking their relationship, to try to build again.

I'm not that much of a fan of second chance romance, but this book is also an example that I like to read the trope from time to time.

And for this story, this is such a good story that I cannot explain how much I love it. The way the author explains both Lauren and Jack's situations, and how step by step they shared their emotions is just amazing. And the way the story ends makes me happy and my heart full.

And not just the protagonist's romance, but the familial bonds and teenage love and the companions an older person tries to find is also shown with great care. And I love every second of it.

The story also proves that a vacation, a little quality time with the family and a willing heart and some patience to listen to can solve a lot of problems.

Ok. I loved this book. I loved that it was about an established couple that had hit a rough patch. I loved that it showed that you have to put in work to make a marriage work. That it is normal for marriages to have rough patches. I haven’t read many books like this, but I definitely loved the concept. The angst and the tension is top level in this. Also there is a puppy and some sneaky kids and a snarky grandpa. All of my favorite things ☺️

❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 Second Chance
💋 middle age MCs
💋 forced proximity

Lauren and Jack have been growing apart, and the annual two week summer vacation to the cabin was cancelled. At least, until their two sneaky kids and their crafty grandpa came up with a plan. In a Parent Trap style of forced proximity, they manage to get them up to the cabin separately and just so manage to have everything packed for that two week vacation. 3 hours away from home, they decide to give the kids one last family vacation before Lauren’s appointment with a divorce lawyer. Only Jack isn’t willing to let their marriage go down without one last try to save it.

Thank you to Valentine PR for the copy, all thoughts are my own.

Tropes: second chance, small town, marriage in trouble

I always have loved a second chance romance and this one was so good due to the forced proximity of a separated married couple.

In true parent trap fashion, Lauren and Jack’s two kids Michael and Maddie have worked together to get both their parents to be together in the same house for 14 days. What is at first uncomfortable and awkward turns into a second chance and a romance that is reignited between Lauren and Jack.

This story is one I truly enjoyed and Maddie and Michael were fantastic and I loved the relationship that they have. Lauren and Jack are meant to be together and seeing them find love with each other again was great and everything I needed in a story.

I can't even put into words how much Nothing But It All touched something inside of me. I knew Adriana Locke could pack the emotional punch but I didn't know she had this in her. I mean wow.

There was so much to like about both Lauren and Jack. Both hardworking and dedicated. Both unsure of how to move forward, both wanting to, just in different directions. Only Jack wasn't having it. Thank goodness for his dad and kids and their scheming to help him.

I loved Lauren and Jack's quasi second-chance journey. It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. The raw, honest look at marriage and what happens when life gets in the way. It was about the small moments that equal the big things. About making the time and wanting it to work. And that ending...just the Story Book ending they made happen.

As a woman who has been married for many years, this book touches on some hard, but realistic issues! I felt the heartache to my core because Locke not only hit the issues head-on, she had the characters fight through their struggles and come out head. It wasn't a magically perfect happily ever after. This love story is one that teaches partners to fight for what they want and how to adapt to put their relationships first as their kids grow older.

I was not expecting a heavy hitting book, but that's what I got. It took me longer than expected to read but I think it was because I took time away from the book and thought of all the little things that add up in my own life and marriage and appreciated them that much more.

A beautifully written second chance romance between a husband and wife who have lost their way and can't stand each other after twenty years. However, they still really love each other. There's lots of angst and frustrating scenes re their relationship. We have teenage children and a meddling father in the mix, trying to get them back together. While I enjoyed reading it, I know what the outcome would be, and it was a fairly predictable story. I did wait until the book was published before reviewing this for NetGalley and I borrowed the book via kindle unlimited which also included the audio book. Narration was very good and I liked the story as a whole. 3.5 stars.

Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke is a heartfelt and inspiring story that delves into the complexities of what happens after the usual happily ever after, beautifully capturing what happens after the happily ever after, showcasing the struggles of day-to-day life and the importance of communication and compromise in a relationship.

The story is incredibly realistic and raw, portraying the ups and downs of a marriage that has lost its spark. I found myself cheering for the characters, rooting for them to find their way back to each other. This underrated trope of a marriage in peril second-chance romance is expertly crafted by Locke, who infuses the narrative with humor, frustration, and most importantly, a huge amount of heart.

I was captivated by the journey of both Lauren and Jack as they navigate through their issues – even if only thanks to a little nudge of their closest loved ones – and rediscover their love for each other. The growth and development of their relationship felt authentic and relatable, making me believe that anything is possible when desire and determination are backed by love.

Overall, Nothing But It All is a charming and funny read that will leave you feeling inspired and hopeful. One of my favorite marriage in trouble stories I’ve come across so far.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

💖 Second Chance Romance
💖 Marriage in Trouble
💖 Meddling kids & grandpa
💖 Small Town

This book is in a league of its own! This was one of the most raw and real marriage in trouble, second chance romance books I’ve read. It was relatable and full of emotion, while still making me giggle at the Parent Trap-like plot.

Watching Jack & Lauren re-discover each other, after drifting apart for years, was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Thankfully, in that order!

With meddling teenagers, and a grumpy and hilarious grandpa, this story had all the feels. Even though it wasn’t super dramatic or high angst, it definitely reeled me in, and kept me invested along the way.

Such a beautiful example of the importance of not letting life get in the way, and continuing to make our relationships (of all kinds) our priority.

OH MY GOSHHHH I READ THIS IN ONE SITTING + STAYED UP UNTIL 1AM TO FINISH + I LOVEDDDD IT.

Marriage in trouble hits such a tender spot in my heart. I felt EVERY-STINKING-THING with Lauren and Jack on this emotional rollercoaster of a book. Adriana hit all of her marks with this one.

Honestly, this book was so hard and beautiful and wonderful and bittersweet and SWEET and STEAMY. It had so many things to love/hate. Marriage-in-trouble is hard because the main characters are lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, and that hurt, the tension, the pining through the walls erected around hearts that have been bruised and beat up and broken, it captures marriage perfectly.

List of things I LOVED:
- Jack being jealous in the first little bit of the story (swoon)
- Lauren being an absolutely beast of a mama bear, working so hard for her kids and then for herself
- The meddling teenagers and the grandpa who needed to insert his own learned wisdom
- Jack doing dishes with his shirt off
- That the reconciliation was a forced proximity situation
- More meddling teenagers ;)
- When the fighting turned to breakthroughs and I just wanted to CHEER AND SCREAM with gratitude
- When Jack and Lauren rediscovered things they love about each other
- Jack forcing his help on Lauren
- When they start to believe the best in each other again
- The specialness of the lake cabin
- The memories
- The way that this family felt real and you could just imagine all of the ways that this fictional family felt so imperfectly perfect and real

Thanks for early access to this ARC via NetGalley to Montlake and Adriana Locke and her team! These are my honest thoughts!

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈— 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈—𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒆."



𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖊𝖝𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖙:

💜 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦
💜 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
💜 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯
💜 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳
💜 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦
💜 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘖𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘯𝘥



“𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝑰 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”


This was the first book, or least that I remember, that deals with such a every day struggles and real life that I read. This isn't your usual romance story. This is a story about what happens 20 years after you say "𝐼 𝑑𝑜".

Most of us can probably relate to this story in one way or another, because I know I do. This story will make you feel resentful, angry, sad... But also smiling, happy, laughing out loud and all of those every day emotions that we all feel on a daily basis.


“𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒚, 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒏, 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒅𝒐. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆— 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔.”


You might be asking " 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑑𝑜 𝐼 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒? ". Well I will tell you why. Because sometimes, we need to look at the situation from another point of view to really see it the way it truly is. Most things in life have two sides to it and just like a coin you need to look at both sides to see true value in it.


“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒉𝒆’𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆.”

Okay, so I want to start off by saying that I don’t usually read books about couples who are not only already married, but who are also having problems. However, I was definitely willing to give Jack and Lauren’s story a chance. And I’m so glad I did!

Jack and Lauren had a lot to work through. Their marriage problems had become a serious issue, but they both had things they needed to improve on when it came to the other.

They happen to be parents to two teenagers, Micheal and Maddie, who end up conspiring with their grandfather, Harvey, and using trickery to get Jack and Lauren to both come to their family’s lake house. Once they were trapped, they felt obligated to stay.

I thought this was an amazing read! It was certainly angsty at times, but it had enough humorous moments to break it up. I felt like Michael, Maddie, and Harvey all had unique personalities, and their presence made the story more enjoyable.

Jack and Lauren were both likable characters, and I was invested enough in their relationship that I really hoped they would work things out - not just for Michael and Maddie, but for themselves. No spoilers, but I was very satisfied with the ending! This was absolutely a 5 star read for me!