So much emotion and love.

What happens when two people who love each other stop being involved in each other’s lives? Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke looks at a marriage on the brink. Jack and Lauren have been married for twenty years and have two teenage children. Lauren feels that Jack has checked out of their lives and Jack can’t seem to say anything without starting an argument. When their kids Jack’s father team up to “parent trap” them it becomes a revealing and heartrending story. 

The emotional impact of this story lived with me long after I finished the book. I needed a couple of days to process before writing this review. This story is real and gritty, and some hard truths were fleshed out. But love and remember to give nothing but it all wins. I loved these two, their kids, Harvey, the grandfather, and even Snaps the dog. The juxtaposition of relationships in several stages displayed in this book gave me all the feels. And I mean that. I was happy, sad, weepy, and elated as I read the journey of Lauren and Jack from apathy back to love. I highly recommend this book and kudos to Ms. Locke for handling a tough and personal subject. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

“Nothing But It All” is a captivating novel that unexpectedly touched my heart. Whether you’re a newlywed or, like Lauren (and myself), have weathered two decades of marriage, this book is a must-read. Beyond mere romance, it imparts profound life lessons applicable to anyone, regardless of their relationship status.

What sets this story apart is its raw authenticity. The painful realities of life strain even the strongest bonds, and we witness a marriage teetering on the edge. Lauren, who has devoted her life to her family, finds herself disconnected from her husband after years of juggling kids, responsibilities, and misplaced priorities. Divorce seems inevitable, but she hasn’t factored in her children and father-in-law. Enter a group of scheming teenagers, a cantankerous old man, and a husband unwilling to abandon the love of his life. Their shared connection, though frayed, refuses to fade completely. Can they rekindle their love? Are they willing to try?

Enter the clever old man who orchestrates an unexpected family vacation—a last-ditch effort to salvage their relationship. Lauren’s awakening moment arrives when she realizes something crucial is missing from her life. Something just for her, independent of her role as a wife and mother. As someone who once grappled with a similar identity crisis, I empathize deeply. Parenthood is a beautiful journey, but sometimes we lose ourselves along the way. Lauren’s journey resonates, reminding us that self-discovery is essential, even within the context of a long-standing marriage.

Lauren found a hobby she loved and made it so much more than a hobby. Similarly, I started a blog, and it changed my life. When your pleas for help fall on deaf ears, you learn to do it all. You lose yourself in the process of being everything to everyone else. Your existence becomes defined by others.

Jack, on the other hand, remained blissfully unaware of Lauren’s inner turmoil. His focus was on building his business, and over time, he and Lauren seemed to live parallel lives. The heartbreak lies in the love they still share, despite the pain caused by their circumstances. They love each other fiercely, yet their shared life has become a mere existence.

As I read this story, tears flowed freely. The dedication alone struck a chord deep within me. Sweet nostalgia mingled with my own emotions, creating a tapestry of heartache. This fictional tale felt achingly real, like a biography waiting to be lived.

Lauren’s thoughts and emotions mirror my own experiences as a mom and wife. The troubled marriage depicted here is poignant and raw. Lauren and Jack’s journey takes us on an emotionally charged ride. Locke’s words resonate, emphasizing the importance of family love woven into every page.

Nothing But It All isn’t just the best book I’ve read in a long time—it’s also refreshingly unique. Its authenticity and relatability make it a gem unlike anything else.

I love Adriana's books because they are so full of emotion and soul.
This one a little harder to read at first because it starts as the married couple has problems and then they separate. But what happens when they get the opportunity to spend some time together and reconnect? Maybe find their love again?
Lauren and Jack's story will make you feel everything! Every doubt, every decision, every hope, every sad moment, every drop of love and rediscovery. They are one of the most relatable couples I have encountered in a book in a long time.
I loved their teenager kids, Michael and Maddie, and how they interacted with their parent and everyone around them.
I loved to see the kids fighting for their parents to get back together, and that Jack didn't give up on the love of his life.
All in all, this story was perfect and I highly recommend it.

Lauren and Jack have been married for twenty years, but he’s always working, leaving her to take care of everything alone. Lauren wants to live her own life, so she’s contemplating divorce. Jack didn’t realize how she was feeling, but he is determined to change her mind when he finds out.

Michael and Maddie, their teenagers, were so fun and such troublemakers (but in a good way). I loved the way they worked with their grandfather to help Lauren and Jack rediscover their love for each other.

I felt for Lauren. The emotions she felt were valid, and I was glad that Jack opened his eyes to see things from her side. She didn’t just forgive him and let things go back to the way they were; Jack had to actually follow through. And he really put in the work to show her he still loved her and needed her in his life.

This book was angsty and emotional. It was a journey of heartache, sacrifice, and love.

I loved this story with its marriage in trouble with a parent trap twist plot from Adriana Locke!

Lauren and Jack are married with two teenage children, and they each run a successful business. What's not so successful is their marriage. In the Prologue we see the cracks that have formed and how they fight but never resolve anything. Now, two years later, nothing is better between them. That's when the kids and Jack's father conspire to bring them back together.

Adriana did a fantastic job with creating Lauren and Jack. They were realistic characters with realistic problems in their marriage. At some point they stopped connecting and understanding what being apart and working all the time was doing to their relationship. I could relate to Lauren's feelings of the neverending work of being a stay-at-home parent. When you're home and children are your job it's really hard to turn it off, and feeling like you are not supported by your spouse can be so hard. I really liked seeing the two of them come together with the forced proximity of being at the cabin together with the family. It was wonderful to see their spark reignite as they got back to what made them work and how much they loved each other.

This was such a wonderful story with great character and relationship development. I enjoyed reading it both as an ebook and audiobook. The narrators were both easy to listen to, and they brought the characters to life nicely. This is one of my favorite reads so far this year!

I loved The Sweet Spot so I was excited to read Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke.
Another entertaining read from Adriana Locke. Nothing But It All was an emotional, heart warming read that pulled a number of emotions from me whilst I was reading.
A wonderful story full of love, great characters, and a story that kept me hooked from beginning to end.
The family dynamic was intriguing and entertaining.
With endearing characters.
I just love her writing and look forward to more!

Thank You NetGalley and Montlake for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Lauren and Jack's marriage felt very real. After over twenty years together the flame had flickered out and every day life had taken over their once loving relationship. Anyone who's been married long term knows that this can happen if both people aren't investing time into each other.

I loved the way the children and family conspired to give them one last push to keep things together. Seeing that their love story wasn't over, it just needed a little hand. I got teary more than once during this book and recommend if you're looking for a sweet, small town kind of read. I loved it.

This book was a vast departure from the typical meet and fall in love with a happily ever after. Lauren and Jack are on the brink of splitting up. They're living separate lives while raising their teenagers Michael and Maddie. The teens are disappointed that their summer at the cabin is cancelled, but Lauren can't fake it anymore. Then weird requests keep coming... early pick up for Maddie from a sleepover, picking up medication and groceries for gramps and bringing it to the cabin. As they spend time together, albeit forced in the beginning, Lauren and Jack begin to realize what brought them together and why they needed to give themselves a second chance. Oh how this story made me cry!

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Talk about going through all the emotions!! I loved how real this felt and how much I related to it. It was a different type of “romance” than I normally read but I absolutely fell in love with it. You forget how easy it can be to not express yourself while things keep piling up. Nothing But It All was a wonderful reminder of how to fight for what you love! It was full of angst, love, and shenanigans!

Lauren and Jack had been married for twenty years and the pressures of life were getting to them. They were more like roommates going through the motions, than a happily married couple. Was it time to give up and get a divorce or was there still something left to save?

I loved how the kids got grandpa involved, all the parent trap vibes! The kids saw through what Lauren and Jack couldn’t. I am glad that they both wanted to put in the effort and make it work! Adriana really hit this one out of the park. I don’t think I can truly get all of my feelings out for this review. It made me want to hug my entire family and be grateful for every sacrifice each one of us has made. Gah, it was just amazing!!

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️

“𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮—𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧—𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮”

𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 20 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵, 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘱𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰-𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 “𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺” 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭….?

“𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚—𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙁𝙪𝙘𝙠,”

I’m going to say outright, that this is the best marriage-in-trouble book I have ever read, granted I haven’t read that many, but the last few I read left me with some disappointment. I think this is the most relateable and realistic look at marriages that suffer from negligence, from both sides. I love that Lauren didn’t put all the blame on Jack (yes, she did throw a lot of shit at him, but deservedly so), and she actually admit and apologize for her role in their strained marriage. Nothing gives me more icks when the FMC only blames MMC and not taking any responsibility. Relationship/marriage is a 2-way street, it goes both ways.

“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚, 𝙇𝙤? 𝘼𝙨𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩. 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙.”

And another applaud to the author, that this book didn’t even need smut to keep me interested, there’s literally nothing happened until 70% of the book, and the smut is just one sweet scene, and even when it’s taken away, I will still enjoy this book and not feel like I’m waiting for something more. That’s one of the issues I have from other marriage-in-trouble books, they usually have a lot of smuts (usually hate sex) to keep it interesting and add nothing to the plot. In this book, we see how they unravel the reason why their marriage fell apart and find a way to put it back together. And it's not an easy task, that would be for one of them to sacrifice their life for the family and it will only add to the resentment that's been building up. But in the end, they figured it out.

“𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩—𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 . . .𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧.”

That ending! I burst out into tears with how it ended, it didn’t give me a frustrating “third act break up”. It wrapped up so beautifully, and “FAIR” for both parties, it left me feeling satisfied. Adriana Locke is a new to me author, I was so excited to read her book, and it did not disappoint! Highly recommend this book for fans of this trope!

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 the author and Valentine PR 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠.

I loved this book!! It was fabulous and well done. The characters were on point and I thought the plot was well developed. I would recommend this book to others.

As Adriana Locke said, this is Parent Trap meets On Golden Pond. Lauren and Jack have been married for almost two decades and they are in a rut. Lauren feels taken for granted and Jack doesn't feel he has a place in Lauren's life anymore. They're basically living separate lives. 
When the kids find the card for a divorce attorney in Lauren's desk and she cancels the family's annual trip to their cabin in Story Brook, they (along with their adorable grandpa) decide to "parent trap" the couple. They're betting on spending time together as a family will rekindle their parents' love. They might be right.
I loved this one! It's hard to write a marriage in trouble story where there are no villains and there are none here. They just succumbed to the pitfalls of routine. I loved the kids's shenanigans and the grandpa is a hoot.
This story shows that, although we all appreciate the grand romantic gestures, it's not the grand gestures that make the solid foundation of an epic love story. It's, in fact, the million little things. It's truly seeing your partner.
A wonderful story of meddling teenagers, a hot husband, an irresistible wife, a love of a lifetime, a well-meaning grandfather, family traditions, a hero puppy, awful tasting burgers, and being there for the people you love. Just lovely!
Thank you, NetGalley for the early access.
Possible triggers: marriage in trouble, ailing parent

This was a great marriage in crisis. I felt like she really hit the nail on the head with some of their issues and I was impressed with how they finally talked through those issues (even though they should have done it sooner).

I loved the part the kids played in this story. It had serious parent trap vibes that were hilarious. Even my husband laughed at a couple when I read them out loud!

I love books where couples find staying power and reconnect.

I received an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review.

This is only the second marriage in crisis book I’ve read, but this one was one of my favorites of Adriana Locke’s.

Read if you like:
📚marriage in crisis
🚙small town/lake house
📚blue collar
🚙family interference
📚the most relatable couple.

This one to me wasn’t about falling in love per se, but about remembering why you love someone and that that partnership takes work. But if you don’t want it work, you’ll find ways that it doesn’t. I really loved Lauren and Jack (and their meddling family)! I think sometimes we can be so caught up in how we are feeling that we don’t consider how others feel and that was a tough lesson for both Lauren and Jack to face. I love that they took responsibility for their part in why they weren’t happy and wanted to work on it together. Their kids and Jacks dad definitely meddled to help them see how much they loved each other and what was important at the end of the day.

This one was a little different than Adriana’s other books (I still haven’t read Written in the Scars because I’m scared of that emotional journey🤣) but I honestly couldn’t put it down. I was really interested to see how it would all play out and it was a fun journey to read and definitely reminded me to appreciate the good a little more.

Thank you to Montlake, netgalley and the author for an early copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5⭐ Beautiful, sweet and perfect. This book is a really sweet story about two souls who were slowly drifting apart in a big sea called life. Lauren wanted more of Jack, just him. Jack wanted to provide for his family and secure their future in the only way he knew how – stay at work, work harder, earn more money. Somewhere along the way, they just stopped being a family. Their kids and Jack's dad contrive to get Jack and Lauren back together again. This story is about what they went through to get to the other side. And I loved every bit of it!!!

There were some tense moments when it felt like Jack was going to put his other foot in his mouth. And Lauren wasn't totally faultless in the breakdown of the marriage. Along the way, friends and family were recognizing what was happening and giving them advice without outwardly saying so. Jack was at a point where he felt that he couldn't even reach out and touch his wife, even in a kindly gesture, for fear of her seeing his touch as something it wasn't. He was having a hard time coming up with the solution to save his marriage. In the end, he smartened up and called Billie, Lauren's BFF, for advice. And then he followed her advice. Although there's still a lot of work to be done, it feels like Lauren and Jack are well on their way to mending fences and building a stronger future together.

“And this is the problem with a broken heart. It always remembers how to repair itself —and it doesn’t care if cracks remain.”

Thank you Adriana Locke, Valentine PR, and NetGalley for this ARC. The above is my own and personal opinion.

Long after the HEA.

I really like books that focus on after the marriage, the struggles of kids and life and the inevitable: becoming roommates. Lauren has made the decision to move on from her marriage to Jack. That is, until her two kids get involved, trying to get Jack and Lauren to stay together by manipulating a family vacay. Awkward to say the least. Can they get their mojo back?
Recommend.

Lauren and Jack are having marital problems. One of the problems is that Jack is completely unaware. In this book, their kids and Jack's father conspire to get them to their lake house. Although things aren't smooth, they start to talk about how each one has sort of checked out of the marriage. And the teenage kids have issues, there are work issues, and other family things going on. It's a rough time. Can they work things out and find the strong love that they once had.

This book points out that we all have crazy, busy lives, and that we need to make time and pay attention to the really important things - like the people we love. This book is different from the other Locke books that I've read, but it has some really thought provoking and very realistic life problems that real life people deal with.

This book is at once heart-rending emotions and warm hug. My heart absolutely ached for both Lauren and Jack in the beginning of this book. You know it's going to be something special when you're crying in chapter one, and that's exactly where I found myself with this book. This book hurt so good though. One of those reads that stay with you long after you've read the last page. Lauren and Jack have invested nearly two decades into building a life together, but things are more hurt than happy at the beginning of this story. Adriana Locke weaves her magic through this book, there's deep emotions, strong family ties, and so much love. I could not put this book down, I had to see how things turned out. How these two truly worked to meet one another in the middle, and come out the other side of their watershed years far stronger, and so much in love again. This book is easily one of my top reads of all time.

This book will tug at your heartstrings. Jack and Lauren's marriage is in trouble. A two week vacation may turn it all around for them. It's quite the journey. I loved the emotions in this story. The characters are wonderful and I enjoyed the storyline. It was so relatable. Overall this was a good read.

A love a good second chance storyline and this was a beautifully heartwarming but also heartbreaking at the same time. Lauren and Jack finding their way back to each other along with their children, who are pretty clever, made this a great read...and of course Pops!