Hadley Leggett's debut novel, All They Ask Is Everything, is a poignant story of motherhood, grief, and family that moved me to tears. In it, we are introduced to three women who are struggling to meet their own expectations of what it means to be a good mother: Hannah, biological mother of two young girls, Wren and Ivy, who lost her husband to a horrific car accident; Elaine, Hannah's estranged mother and power attorney who is also a widow; and Julie, the single foster mother who takes the two girls into her home when Hannah's world falls apart. The story takes place over the course of about a year, after Hannah's tragic mistake ends up with her children being taken into custody by child protective services. As Hannah struggles to regain custody of her children, the reader is drawn into her journey of finding mental health support, along with the challenges of mending her strained relationship with her mother.

While reading Hannah's trials (both in and out of the court), I often wondered what a judge would say about my own parenting. Leggett did a fantastic job showing how motherhood is just exhausting, even for the best intentioned of us. I found that I related to Hannah's (and all three of the women's, really) doubts and anxieties about making the best choices for your children. We see in this story how the stress of motherhood often collides with a foundation-shaking love for our little ones.

Leggett also writes about experiences of grief and mental health in this story. The mistake that led to the loss of her daughters was largely driven by Hannah's profound grief over her husband's death, which also compromised her financial stability. The author highlights the need for parental support systems, and ultimately, the story demonstrates how sharing caregiving responsibilities contributes to stronger, more resilient families. The book highlights the unfortunate reality that many parents endure the strains of caregiving to the brink of crisis before seeking help. Through Hannah's story, we witness the heartbreaking consequences of lacking that necessary support.

This is a powerful and hopeful debut novel, and I highly recommend it. Like me, you might have yourself a good cry with this story, but you may also walk away with a full heart after such a touching ending that shows the collective strength of mothers.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I requested this book because I wanted to see a diverse look at motherhood and at complex women characters. The story has a good premise and the book did give a look into women life, and the different struggles that women/mothers experience but it seems superficial and couldn’t reel me into their lives as I would liked.

While Wren and Ivy sound adorable little girls, the grown-ups seem very two dimensions. The author tried to do too much with each character not given enough space and time or depth in my opinion. By the time the ending came around, I wasn’t really interested in what would happen, and something drastic and tragic would need to occur in order to break the numbness that I felt towards this book.

Honestly, I would probably really enjoy a story that focus on each of those motherly characters individual arcs if well developed, but this book simply wasn’t my cup of tea.

What an awesome book! I loved the dynamics and voices between the three women and the themes of motherhood, loss, and grief. Such an incredibly read.

If a book makes you cry I would argue that it's a good book and this book had me in tears. I cannot even process how this is a debut novel! It's absolutely brilliant and it had me interested and engaged throughout the whole book. I cannot recommend this enough.

This was a nice susprise. The art cover caught my attention and gadly I read the synopsis and realised this book story would be a huge family drama - something I truly like. Especially when it is about foster parents and/or sons and daughters.
Characters who are flawed and human, which means they're realistic and easy relatable.
Hadley Leggett's writing is engaging and easy to go through. It's not an easy, heartwarming story, but it reads fast and just worked for me. I felt invested.

Hadley Leggett's heart wrenching debut, All they Ask is Everything had my heart in my mouth from the first chapter. Hannah, a struggling widowed single mom finds herself in the battle of her life as her two daughters, Wren and Ivy are put into foster care and she is charged with neglect. Julie is the young foster mother who longs only to be a mother and finds herself caring for the two girls instead of the newborn who she's longed for. Elaine is Hannah's mother and the girl's grandmother and is dealing with her own life changes as she is forced into retirement from her law firm and is fighting to make amends with Hannah after a lifetime strife. These three women are in an emotional and legal battle for what is best for the girls as they grapple with what it means to be a parent. This book's emotional tone is a fast-paced read, touching on questions of mental health, marriage, parenting, and the responsibility society has to raise and protect all our children. With a just-right hopeful conclusion, Leggett doesn't gloss over the realities of mental health challenges, the real work of being a parent, and what it means to be fulfilled outside of motherhood. This would be an excellent book club read as it touches on strong women and the many ways society does and does not respect the real work of motherhood and what it means to love unconditionally. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy.

This is a captivating story of three very different women who want custody of the same two little girls. Hannah is struggling, she is exhausted and isolated, recently widowed. She makes a horrible mistake one day and her two little girls end up in foster care. The foster mother, Julie, has always dreamed of being a mother, and she convinces herself that Hannah is not fit to have the girls back and she would like to have custody. Elaine is Hannah‘s mother. They have been estranged for a while now, but when Elaine learns about what happens, she wants to take custody of the two girls also. in someways, this was a heartbreaking story but all three women learned a great deal about themselves and how in some ways they are all the same.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Two little girls, three potential parents.
Three women fight for the custody two young ones, while fighting their own selves.
Incredibly well-woven and tender, I cannot believe this is a debut.
The ending is only slightly abrupt/rushed. 4.5 stars, otherwise a 5 star read.
I highly recommend this to all adult readers. At its core is an understanding and compassion for the human condition.

This book took possession of my heart and it did not let go of me until the very end. I cannot wait until this book comes out so I can read it again and again. I can only imagine what the audiobook sounds like. Ms. Leggett, please release more and more books please.

A heartfelt debut about the hardest job there is. Leggett handles the highs and lows with deft care and while you may not always agree with the characters' actions and reactions, you cannot help but empathize. I'll be expecting more great things from this writer and wish her the best of success.

This book tells the story of a grieving, harried mother whose life changes when she leaves her 2 young children in the car while she runs into the grocery store. Leggett does a great job showing the difficult parts of parenting.

This book grabbed my heart in the first chapter and didn’t let go until the final page. I adored every single scene, storyline, and character. As a mom with two kids of similar ages to Wren and Ivy, they rang so very true. Not only was the story exceptional, the writing was so smooth, I didn’t notice myself reading. I was in the story the whole time, and I didn’t rewrite a single sentence in my head, as I so often do while reading.
All I can say is, I loved every second of this book and I want more from this author ASAP.

Wow. What a novel! My eyes are filled with tears right now! I loved it. I have never seen a book describing how it is like to taking care of little children. The details about motherhood, mental health, family issues everything was described very well. It really touched my soul. We don’t often see these kind of novels with multiple points of views about motherhood. As a former teacher I truly understand the struggles that come with toddlers. You want to do your best and show them an example attitude. So I can’t even imagine what mothers go through. The novel is an amazing example of how children think, react, how they are affected by adults. Talking about mental health and grief stages was also an important aspect of the book. Overall I loved it. The ending was so beautiful and I think that’s how I wanted it to end. Thank you Netgalley and Lake union Publishing for giving me ARC in exchange for my honest review. You made my day..

This book deeply resonated with me as a parent, evoking strong emotions and a connection to all the characters. I saw myself in each one of them.
It authentically portrays the challenges of mental health issues and as someone who suffered from post-natal depression I felt it truly highlighted the struggles and the potential for it to impact anyone.
The story emphasizes the importance of understanding and supporting individuals facing these issues and to me showed how fearcely mums will fight for their babies whether that is biological mums or not.
Hands down the best book I've read in a while and I truly found it healing to read.

What a gem of a novel! I was hooked immediately by the powerful voices of the three women at the center of this brilliant novel. The close exploration of community and mothering and the expectations surrounding both are sketched with such precision. The mother—daughter bond is examined from a variety of angles with poignant, vivid writing.

I found the detail and description perfectly drawn. Clearly this author has researched and created a powerful story about love and family and forgiveness and growth, even when sometimes it is painful and messy.

Bravo ! I can’t wait for Hadley Leggett’s next book !

Hadley Leggett's lovely debut novel shines a light on three women struggling with the demands of motherhood in a society that offers very little support for parents. The story centers around two litter girls, Hannah and Ivy, and the three women fighting for (and over) them. Their widowed mom, Hannah, loses custody of them after a horrible lapse of judgement brought on by the exhaustion of a single parent who's trying to do anything. The girls are placed in the custody of Julie, a single woman whose dreams of being a parent have been stymied by infertility, but who falls in love with Wren and Ivy. Meanwhile, Hannah's estranged mother Elaine, a hard-charging lawyer forced into retirement, swoops in to "rescue" the girls from foster care as a way to atone for her own parenting mistakes. Leggett portrays these three women with compassion and empathy, and I came to sympathize with each of them, and related to parts of each main character's dilemma. By the end, I was so invested in the story that I couldn't put the book down. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's struggled to be the "perfect parent" in the face of impossible demands.

Leggett's extensive research infused this book with a sense of authenticity without being didactic or detracting from the emotional core of the story--quite a feat! An extremely promising debut.

I really enjoyed reading this novel about motherhood, grief, and healing. As a mother of 2 small children, I know how all-consuming the task can be. Even when I am not with my kids, I am thinking or worrying about them. In All They Ask Is Everything by @hadleyleggett , Hannah is a mom and widow who struggles to get custody of her 2 small children after a terrible mistake lands them in foster care. This book brings to light how tough motherhood is, and how fragile the human psyche can be when faced with tragedy and isolation. I rooted for Hannah to pull herself up by the bootstraps, and toward the end, I saw just how badly Hannah needed help from outside sources. Julie was annoying at first, but her change in perspective was redeeming. I really disliked Elaine.
I thought the writing flowed well, and the only reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the storyline became a little chaotic and rushed toward the end. I didn’t quite believe it. I did appreciate the happy ending, though I am sure most cases involving the foster system in the United States don’t turn out as pleasant as was written. I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend.
4/5 stars
Thank you Lake Union Publishing for this ARC via @netgalley
All thoughts are entirely my own.

ALL THEY ASK IS EVERYTHING is an absolute gem of a debut.

This heartfelt and compelling novel masterfully delves into the silent struggles of motherhood through the intertwining lives of three very different women. The way their lives converge over the custody of the two girls is both heart-wrenching and uplifting, revealing the unspoken bonds and shared experiences that tie them together. Leggett so beautifully captures the complexities of love, loss, and motherhood. A must-read for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories that tug at your heartstrings.

I'll definitely be reading everything this author writes from here on out!

When a grief-stricken Hannah leaves her two young daughters in the car for a what is supposed to be a brief errand, she has no idea just how far-reaching the effects will be. As she navigates the legal system in a desperate attempt to regain custody of her children, she must confront her own failings as a mother and along the way, finds support from the unlikliest of people. Emotional and thought-provoking, this beautifully written novel is an honest depiction of what it means to be a good mother.

A warm, engaging story that shines an important light on the truth of motherhood with all its challenges and messiness. Society loves to paint motherhood with a shining, unrealistic brush, leaving women set up to fail as they try relentlessly to live up to impossible expectations. This story of one woman’s brave intentions and unfortunate mistakes is a refreshing, compassionate view of the complexities of mothering and the necessity of support. Two other characters who both help and hinder her add multiple layers of conflict, each woman convinced of her own perceptions.

This is the book I wish I’d had during my own years of parenting and believing the cultural pressures to have it all, do it all, and never ask for help. The antidote is this beautifully written, relatable page-turner. A story that will stay with you long after the ending.