All They Need to Know is the story of Kyra Smith, a woman fleeing an abusive relationship and on the run to start her life over and give herself a second chance. She ends up in Gold Creek and finds solace and friendship with a group of women who call themselves the Tattooed Ladies. While trying to keep her past a secret from them, she finds a way to heal and begin her life again.
As so many other reviews have stated, if you're a fan of Virgin River, this will definitely be a fan fav! While there was nothing ground breaking in the story, the author did a great job of making the main character strong yet vulnerable and one that the reader wanted to root for.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinion of the book!

This was a great book. With vivid descriptions of the landscape and surroundings, the quirky small town, and the townspeople. It has a great cast of women who take Kyra under their wing very quickly.

The book has not only friendships, romance and family it also has an element of crime and police work, and has some scary tense moments adding to the depth of the story.

I enjoyed this one and only just realised it is the first in the Gold Creek series. Would definitely be up for reading more in this world with these characters.

The writing was good, but for some reason it took me a long time to read and although I loved the beginning and the set up, and I really enjoyed the first and last third of the book, for some reason with the middle I wasn’t hugely invested.

Thanks to @netgalley and @lakeunionauthors for my digital ARC copy of this.

3.5/5

All They Need to Know by Eileen Goudge is a heartfelt and engaging novel that delves into complex family dynamics and personal growth. The characters are well-developed, and the story strikes a good balance between drama and emotion. While the plot is somewhat predictable, the writing is strong, and the emotional payoff makes it a rewarding read. A solid 4 stars—touching, relatable, and a great choice for fans of family drama.

I hadn't read a book by this author in years, so I was delighted to see her name pop up in my NetGalley feed. What fun to get to revisit an author after a number of years away. All They Need to Know was a great read and I so enjoyed getting to dig into a new novel by Eileen Goudge. Even better I found out it's the beginning of a new series by this author. I am looking forward to the next books.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of All They Need to Know in exchange for an honest review. This book is now available for purchase.

All They Need to Know by Eileen Goudge is a heartwarming and empowering story of survival, friendship, and new beginnings. Kyra Smith, escaping an abusive marriage, finds solace in the small town of Gold Creek, where she’s embraced by a supportive group of women known as the Tattooed Ladies Club. Each woman faces her own struggles—whether it’s family, love, or loss—but together they form an unbreakable bond. As Kyra rebuilds her life and opens her heart to love again, her past catches up with her in the form of her dangerous ex. With courage and newfound strength, Kyra must confront her past to protect her future. This novel is a compelling blend of personal growth, resilience, and the power of sisterhood.

Eileen Goudge, All They Need to Know”
Abused woman escapes and tries to make a new life far herself far away from her abuser.
This book keeps your interest as you join Kyra as she faces new challenges and new friendships.
Thank you Net Galley for this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow!!!!!!! This story is insanely amazing. I love all of the "good characters " and hated the "bad ones". It made me feel every emotuon like I was smack in the story myself .

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While perusing NetGalley one day, I was in the mood for something other than my usual psychological thriller. When I came across this one, I saw that it was a “Read Now” and thought why not? It’s been a very long time since I’ve read anything by this author. Now I’m thinking I should go back and look at some of her other books.

A woman is on the run after leaving her abusive husband. While on one of her gas/snack stops, she finds a neglected dog in the back of the store. She scoops him up and he continues on her journey with her. She winds up in tiny Gold Creek, California, and is quickly befriended by a group of women and a very welcoming community. They all become her biggest supporters and deep friendships are created.

I really like this one because it’s a starting over type of story with a bit of suspense built-in. It gives major Virgin River vibes. I’ve never finished that book series, but I’m a big fan of the Netflix show!

I’m really looking forward to continuing with the series. Mainly because – let’s be real – my favorite character is Ranger, the neglected dog that is naturally the hit of the book for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for my advanced copy to read and review.

Girl power…

Romance-adjacent, this story revolved around Kyra’s search for a new life. Along the way, she shed her past, forged a promising future and, above all, forgave herself… Shame can bog you down and Kyra felt it every moment of the day. When she knew it was time to leave a bad situation, she did, but with no expectations other than staying under the radar before plotting her next move.
Stumbling on the town of Gold Creek, she worked through many of her challenges within the embrace of new-found friendships (both human and canine) and support from an unlikely landlord.

I loved the bonds that grew between all the characters as strangers became friends, advocates and more. It was a gentle read (despite some of the subject matter), perhaps a bit predictable, but highly entertaining all the way through. The romance was secondary to the women who surrounded Kyra. They offered no judgment, a helping hand and above all, unconditional friendship and acceptance.
There were no awkward pauses to this plot and I will be watching for more in this series.

*I happily reviewed this story
**Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing

This book gave me heart palpitations whilst reading it. I can't imagine how strong you have to be in order to make a run, cross a country and start a new life from scratch. This book gave me hope that good things can happen if you really word hard. Positive thoughts lead to positive happenings. I needed this good dose of happy ending. Definitely recommend if you are currently at cross roads in your life.

I really enjoyed this book. There was a lot of subject matter involving domestic violence so please be careful reading this if it triggers you.
The main characters strength and perseverance was refreshing, and the humor mixed in helped lighten the subject matter.
I do feel like it was a bit too predictable so am rating it as 4 stars overall.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

Eileen You're has crafted a tough but wonderful book of starting over with interesting characters struggling with real life issues. I love a good story about the importance of trust and friendship. Throw in an interesting mix of wonderful women and a faithful dog and I'm hooked! Thanks #NetGalley #LakeUnion

I have always enjoyed Eileen Goudge’s books through the years. “All they need to know “ is about some of her personal life experiences that she turned into a story about abusive,toxic and leaving a relationship to save your life. Kyra ran for her life and rescues a dog moves to a new State & town and finds herself with a new job and a host of friends who believe in her and have her back and when she needs help her new friends definitely come to her aid and rescue her and Kyra feels free and can continue to live her best life without having to always look over her shoulders.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this story.

All They Need to Know by Eileen Goudge got off to a good start. I love how Kyra rescues Ranger. Ranger is my favorite character. He is an expressive and lovable canine. The author’s depictions of Gold Creek brought the area alive for me. The Tattooed Ladies Club consists of a great group of ladies. I like how they welcomed Kyra and helped her. A forensic artist seemed a natural fit for Kyra. It was interesting learning about the occupation and how it aids the police in their investigations. The climax, though, felt anticlimactic. It seemed that it had to happen, so it did. The romance felt forced (so there could be a happily ever after). I do not know how Kyra could be ready to date someone new after what she had been through (ready to visit a psychologist, but not to begin a new relationship). I would have preferred seeing Kyra overcome her disastrous marriage with the aid of her friends, and ready to face a bright new future on her own (does a woman always need to have a man by her side to have a happy ending). The conclusion was rushed. The story moved at a slow pace (after reading for a while, I began to wonder if the book was six hundred pages instead of a little over three hundred) and I thought it was predictable (since it followed the standard formula). All They Need to Know does contain domestic violence, sexual assault, foul language, and the use of guns. I liked the bond between the Tattooed Ladies. I wish the rest of All They Need to Know had lived up to the beginning.

Kyra Smith redefines herself and her life by escaping domestic abuse of her past. She begins by discreetly leaving her violent husband, not leaving a trace of where she is behind. She happens upon a small California town and meets a group of amazing women who envelope her into their group. Eventually, they gain her trust, and she shares details of her past life. Kyra learns that all the women who have befriended her have their own life struggles in which they support each other through. Kyra is able to rebuild a life on her own and begins to gain confidence in areas she never knew she had. She finds a new career and eventually, that work community advocates for her, as well. In time, Kyra confronts her past and ultimately is able to rid herself of her terrible past as she forges ahead in the beautiful life she has created.
If you like a good underdog overcomes story, this is it! Bravo, Eileen!
Thank you to NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing, for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#AllTheyNeedToKnowColdCreekBand1 #EileenGoudge #WomensAdultFiction #WomensFiction

This book pulled me in from the beginning. Kyra Smith is on the run from an abusive husband. She arrives in Cold Creek, a small town with friendly citizens, with a dog she dog-napped along the way. This book has a lot to like; friendship, romance, and suspense. Thanks to author Eileen Goudge. Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I've been looking for a substitute for Virgin River, so I hope Eileen Goudge has it in her to to write 19 books in the Gold Creek series.

Kyra is on the run from her violent ex husband. She ends up in Gold Creek, CA. Upon arrival she immediately befriends tattoo artist Frannie. Frannie introduces Kyra to her friend group, The Tattooed Ladies Club. As Kyra begins to put down roots and gains the confidence to confront her ex.

This book is just what I needed, a simple story of friendship and starting over.

I’m quite positive that this was my first time reading a book by Eileen Goudge. All They Need To Know was a very enjoyable story that grabbed my attention right from the start and kept me captivated the whole way through. I loved the authors writing style, it was smooth and seamless and easy to read. This is a story about Krystal Stanhope who is on the run and hiding out from her abusive husband. She changes her name to Kyra Smith, swaps her BMW in for a clunker and has the courage and strength to travel cross country. Along the way, on a pit stop to use the bathroom at a little gas station, she steels herself a dog that she found chained out in the hot sun with nothing to eat or drink and looking like it had been starved for quite some time. These two become fast friends and partners throughout the story. They end up settling down in the small town of Gold Creek where they meet the nicest people. A group of women known as The Tattooed Ladies become her best friends. This is a story of a woman’s strength, courage and ability to change when needed when it comes to survival. It’s also about finding friendship, trust and learning to have faith in love again after being horribly mistreated. I really liked this story, I loved all the characters and I’d really be interested in reading more about them if the author was to write another book including them. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I obtained off the Read Now section. This book was a great read in my opinion and I’m giving it a 5 star rating!

A woman running from her powerful, abusive husband arrives in Gold Creek and her life begins to change. She meets the local tattoo artist who introduces her to her group of friendly ladies. The good that begins to happen to her contrasts with the fear that her husband will track her down. A story of deep friendships, romance, and facing fears.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

I'm so excited that this is a series, but now I have to wait for the next one to come out because I want more from these wonderful characters and Gold Creek. This book is a gripping story of strength, courage, and resilience. It was smooth and easy to read. Loved it!