I was blown away by Hadley’s beautiful writing and storytelling. This touching story is about three women at different stages of life who each have their own reasons for fighting for two little girls in the foster care system. Bring a tissue. Or two. As a mom myself this was a dagger to the heart- I could see the reasoning between all the women and it was hard to pick sides! Satisfying ending and I look forward to reading more from this author! Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Validating and such a cathartic read for a mom. I love books like this because they make me feel seen.

Wow, Hadley Leggett does such an incredible job of portraying the hardships of motherhood. What a stunning debut, I can't wait to see what's next from her.

A poignant tale of the struggles and resilience needed for motherhood.

Hannah is trying hard to be there for her kids, but she’s not making the cut. Meanwhile, Julie pines for kids and is thrilled when Hannah’s two little girls are placed in foster care with her. But Elaine, the kids’ grandmother, thinks they belong with family — specifically with her.

The author skillfully portrays three characters, each wanting the best for two little girls. But each character makes heartbreaking mistakes along the way.

A wonderful novel portraying complex relationships and imperfect characters, each trying to do the right thing. Would make a fabulous book club choice.

A testament to the power, joys, pain, and many types of motherhood.

I'm really really glad I decided to grab this powerful struggle about what it means to be a mother.
Those poor sweet girls! My heart really went out to them. They're so brave!
Grief can do many things to a person. Even those who are closest to you. It's a hard thing to deal with.
I've learned much from these 3 women.
I simply couldn't put this wonderful debut novel down. It has touched my heart and mind in many ways.
My own parents were foster parents. That's why this story touched me deeply. I've seen first hand how these sweet kids suffer and are fearful. One was just like Wren. And another like Ivy. This story brought back many memories.
This novel is a hands down page turner as the battles get fiercer and fiercer. The drama oh my I think my heart stopped a time or two.
Abuse can come in many forms. Not just actual physical contact either. Verbal abuse just as bad.
I didn't like Elaine at all. She reminds me quite a bit of my own mother in law. I found myself wanting to knock her out for the things she did and has done. Some people never learn.
But anyways I really enjoyed this story and feel like it would be a wonderful Hallmark movie.
I will be looking for more my this author. She has made me shake my head at times and shout at the characters at times.
Something I want to remind everyone
" Motherhood demands pieces of yourself Hannah would say
Your body, your solitude, at worst your mental health. All that giving and giving and giving
away can come at a cost, and one morning you might wake up to realize you’ve lost yourself
and can no longer mother at all."
Wow! Poor Hannah. I feel just like her sometimes.
Such a good story
And she goes on to say " make a different kind of sacrifice, by letting go of being the giver and the caretaker, and learning how to ask for help."
5 stars from me. This powerful debut novel will leave you thinking about this family long after the story is over. I still am. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Well this freaking wrecked me!

This is a story about what it means to be a mother. Three women are bonded together by two young girls, Wren and Ivy. Hannah, their biological mother, is struggling with grief and depression. A terrible lapse in judgement results in her daughters being put into protective custody. Soon Julie, a woman who wants a child more than anything, becomes Wren and Ivy’s foster mother and feels an instant bond with the two kids. Elaine, Hannah’s mother, is estranged from her daughter and wants to reconnect with her grandchildren after a year of silence. As the three women struggle with their own emotions and loss the question of where Wren and Ivy should be becomes harder to answer. Hannah is desperate to have them back, Julie is positive they should be with her, and Elaine is terrified of losing the last members of her family.

This story is so emotionally rich. There are pockets of such unfiltered joy and humor, there are lows that will bring tears to your eyes and make you gasp. I felt myself feeling all of the feelings with this own. Not all of the characters are likable, but they’re all very relatable.

What a dynamic debut.

This debut novel by Hadley Leggett focuses on two young girls Wren and Ivy.
The story is told in three viewpoints of the women who are fighting for custody of them. We gain insight into the foster card and child protective services systems and how each of these women want what is best for Wren and Ivy. And how each of these women are fighting to be the one that raises the girls.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

“Motherhood demands pieces of yourself…your body, your solitude, at worst your mental health. All that giving, and giving, and giving away can come at a cost, and one morning you might wake up to realize you’ve lost yourself and can no longer mother at all.”

I really, really liked this book. This book really explores motherhood and the ways it can change you (both for the better and worse) in such an insightful way. I think any mother can find themselves able to relate to Hannah in one way or another. I loved that the children in the book had such great personalities, and they weren’t just a background part of the book. I found myself rooting for both Julie and Hannah throughout the book.

Most importantly- I LOVED the overall message at the end of the book. Don’t want to spoil it, but I think it is such an important one for mamas to remember ♥️

I found this debut book from another booksta friend. The topic of fostering has been something of a soft spot for me since before I was a mother. It’s something inside of me that was the same as Julie…. I knew I always wanted to be a mom… just didn’t realize how hard it would to become one, and be one.

This story tackles 2 intersecting storylines. One is Julie, a single foster mother who desperately wants to be a mom but hasn’t yet become one. Being part of the fostering community has been the dream for her to become a parent but she never thought she would have to watch after 2 young girls… and eventually fall in love with them.

The other story is Hannah. A devoted and loving mother… but one who is battling depression and anger. The loss of her father and husband has built a wall of grief up in her that allows for her two young girls to be … neglected.

Now before your assumptions or judgement kicks in; I want to say that your lens on this story… that and if you are already a parent.. may cloud which woman you judge more harshly.

For me, I wanted to wrap them both up. And then help them find their strength again.

The reality is that this novel may be fiction but a hell of a lot of stories out there with similar threads. The writing was decent for a debut but the emotional punch was where you’ll find readers giving this a 5 star.

Bottom line is, I don’t care if the writing wasn’t as smooth as an experienced author because the author kind-of reminds me of an early book by the famed Jodi Picoult. What do i mean.., well… this novel opens your eyes and snaps the judgement you may have back into place.

i love books that dig deep. bravo to the author. i have no doubt itll affect many.

this is a debut novel, three women are fighting for custody of the same two little girls. very good story.

What a great debut novel for Hadley Leggett. This was such an emotional rollercoaster for the three female characters. All three of the women were fighting for custody of two young girls. Incredible portray of the different types of motherhood. There are some heavy themes, but I feel they were well handled by the author. I really enjoyed this novel. I would highly recommend it to all.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced copy.

“All They Ask is Everything is the delightful debut novel of Hadley Leggett.

The heart of this novel centers around two young sisters, Wren and Ivy, and the three women battle who for custody of these girls. The girls’ mom, Hannah, lost the girls to CPS and desperately wants them back but stubbornly fails to listen to reason. Meanwhile, her mother, Elaine, didn’t do everything she should have when raising Hannah and seeks a second chance with Wren and Ivy. Finally, the girls’ foster mother, Julie, quickly falls in love with the girls and believes her salvation might come about by raising them herself.

The author does a brilliant job in capturing the voices of these three individuals. Each of these woman is wonderfully flawed but so identifiable. I have never been a mom, only an aunt, but I really empathized with each of these women. While parts of this story are sad, I assure you that moments will also bring you hope.

Five out of five stars.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read this book.

Hadley Leggett's debut "All They Ask is Everything" is a contemporary women's fiction multi POV journey through the foster care system. A. young, troubled, mother is accused of a crime plus neglect and her children are removed to foster care. She has an overbearing, estranged mother herself and both have a history of profound losses. The story is told from three POV's--the young mother, the foster mother, and the estranged grandmother, all who want to serve the children's best interests. Leggett brings to light how complex such situations are and how navigating social services can make it even more so. I found this book a quick read, with fast paced dialogue and scene, and it left me with much to consider. Leggett's medical background comes through in tidy glimpses as well. The social worker's depiction fell short for me, and did not feel as authentic as other characterizations but perhaps the character is based on someone the author has encountered in real life. Ultimately, Leggett brings the book to a satisfying end and though some of the plot points lose a little plausibility in their execution, it definitely kept me interested and I kept on reading. I am giving it five stars as I continue to think of the story several days later. Appreciate Lake Union and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Painful but honest mother/foster drama from three perspectives.

4.5 stars

This was hard to read. It's not fun as a parent to see children caught up in stories of abuse and neglect. And reading this, seeing all sides, didn't make that easier.

But the three narrators did keep this a gripping story of a grieving, depressed widow who's let things slip, and showed how the system might close in around her when her children are seen as 'at risk'. Hannah leaves her daughters in the car for too long going to the shops and social services takes them away from her. Julie, desperate to be a mother is the foster parent now taking care of them and finding a family that she doesn't want to let go of. And Elaine, Hannah's high-flying lawyer mother, with her own career now faltering she sets her sights on swooping in to 'save' her daughter but then determining the children would be better off with her instead.

The stage is set for a three-way confrontation of determined women, with two little girls at the heart of the battle.

Each story demands sympathy, all the women feel like real women with real wants and problems and failings. The story doesn't seem to take the side of anyone, and never does lose sight of the two girls in the middle.

I dreaded making my way through this at the start, but grew more empathetic towards Hannah as the book progressed, and my fears about graphic scenes were unwarranted.

It's a sad book in the end - about lost fathers and loves, lost chances, but bringing the hope and possibility out by the end.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. As a single cat lady with no intention to ever have kids, this didn't seem like the book for me. And then I started it and couldn't stop. It had me rushing through it page by page, chapter by chapter, trying to figure out what happens next.

The author did a great job of sharing the complex layers and pressures of systems trying to protect children and mothers doing their best while dealing with life's complexities. I wasn't sure what was going to happen from page to page and appreciate how real and raw it all was. Each character had very different circumstances and complex things they were grappling with and trying to navigate. It impressed me how well the author balanced all of it and how connected I felt to each of them and how unsure I was at what should happen or would happen at each turn. It's an important and valuable narrative and I'm so grateful to have experienced it!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC. I’d give this 4.5 stars. I loved almost all of it, with the exception of part of Julie’s storyline which just seemed overly dramatic. But this story was heart wrenching and I found both Hannah and Julie relatable, less so with Elaine. Really wonderful book!

This thought-provoking story pulls at your heartstrings from the very first page and I just wanted to reach into the book and give Wren and Ivy a huge hug. They need so much love, attention, and stability. There are a lot of difficult issues brought to light in this book, but I felt like the author did a good job of handling them with sensitivity. I really enjoyed the writing style and the way I was drawn in and emotionally invested in the outcome for these girls and the three women involved. I was moved to shed a few tears at the hopeful tone of the ending and the challenges faced in the story will stay with me for a long time.

Hannah has recently lost her husband. She has two little girls. And Hannah is spiraling! Due to a unique situation, her children have been taken away from her. She is struggling with this fact, and refuses to accept help in any shape form or fashion.

There are so many emotions that the reader experiences in this tale. I found Hannah’s situation so tragic. But I also found her to be so stubborn. There is a southern saying, “ you are biting your nose off to spite your face.” It basically means, don’t be so stubborn that you hurt yourself in the process. Hannah tended to do that on more than one occasion. She frustrated me. But, who is to say, that I would not have done the same thing. Anything to save my kids!! Hannah‘s heart was definitely in the right place, even if she didn’t go about it in the correct manner.

Then there is Hannah’s mother, Elaine. She is a piece of work. But I absolutely love the way this story turned out. You have to read this to find out! And believe me, you do not want to miss it!

The narrator, Eva Kaminsky, could not have been better!

Need a fantastic book from start to finish…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Meh this just didn’t work for me. The whole thing was just infuriating on every level. All three lead characters were abysmal. Everything was just so over the top including the cops actions and Hannah becoming increasingly more manic. The ending was very disappointing.