ALL I EVER WANTED by KATE HEWITT is a well written, emotional read that I hghly recommend for the brilliant character analysis and interesting story about surrogacy and how it affects the families concerned.
Ashley Weir feels like a failure when she cannot give her husband Mark a child. Mark was adopted and never knew his biogical parents. He is almost frenetic about having a biological child and gives Dani Bryson, the surrogate, a really hard time at the start of her pregnancy, and makes Ashley feel left out of the proceedings.
Dani agrees to be the surrogate mother of the Weir’s child in order to make enough money for her sister’s surgery.
When somethng unforseen happens, decisions need to be made before things blow up.
The family dynamics are well portrayed.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are competely my own.

read if you like:
🏡 family dramas
👶🏻 adoption stories
👯‍♀️ dual women POV’s

summary:
Kate Hewitt is an automatic read for me always, and this book did not disappoint. It follows two women — Dani, a 28 year old PhD student trying to support herself and her sister, and Ashley, a 38 year old wife whose husband desperately wants a child after being adopted himself. After Ashley finds out she cannot have a child naturally, her and her husband, Mark, begin to explore surrogacy. At the same time, Dani finds herself looking for ways to make money when her younger sister, Callie, needs back surgery that her insurance won’t cover. Ashley selects Dani from a surrogacy agency website, and with hesitation, agrees to use Dani’s eggs for her baby. What happens next is both predictable and heartbreaking, questioning what it means to be a mother.

As with all of Hewitt’s books, I sobbed. While the storyline itself is somewhat predictable, her writing takes you on twists and turns you won’t see coming. Both Ashley and Dani are deeply relatable, and their nerves and hesitation around the journey feels so similar to other moms. Mark is a pretty unattractive character personality-wise, and while he does redeem himself at this end, this book is a much better highlight of female strength and courage. Hewitt’s books ask tough questions and make you wonder — what would you do if faced with the same situation? I binged this book in a day, and can’t wait for her next book.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley as always for the advanced copy, and make sure you check this book out on Kindle Unlimited when it releases on April 24!

A beautifully written and super emotional story that will stay with you, long after you finish reading.

For some women, motherhood is a natural step in life, but that's not the case for Dani and Ashley. Despite that, when Ashley finds she is in early menopause at 38 and with her husband, Mark, desperate for a biological child, she agrees to hire Dani as a surrogate. Dani desperately needs money to pay for her sister's life changing surgery and so, for her, this is purely business. But that all changes when the two women see the baby at the ultrasound scan and they both fall in love.

Initially, I didn't especially like any of the three main characters, they were all very focussed on what they each wanted and had little regard for anyone else's feelings, so I really loved following their journey as they grew emotionally and learned what real love really means.

To a degree, the outcome of the story is fairly predictable, but the heart-wrenching journey that Kate Hewitt takes us on, with the emotional angst and moral decisions that have to be made by Dani, Ashley and Mark, this is a gripping read.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Kate Hewitt and Bookouture for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Two couples who are not at all ready enter a traditional surrogacy pact. Each has what they think are good reasons. Ashley cannot have children and Mark, because he was adopted, is desperate for a child related to him. Dani and Ryan are not partners but pretend they are because Dani needs to raise money for her sister’s much needed spinal surgery. Dani agrees to carry Mark’s baby. You know this will not go well and it doesn’t. Over the next tumultuous months, relationships are challenged and changed. The decisions made prove to be the right ones.

All I Ever Wanted is about families. What makes a family? What holds a family together? Because of their experiences, Ashley, Mark, Dani and Ryan don’t see family in the same way but they will realize that all families, however created, have one thing in common - love. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kate Hewitt for this ARC.

A heartbreaking read about surrogacy. We meet Ashley and Mark on paper the perfect couple but when Ashley is told she will never have children Marks desire for a biological child sends them down a route she is not sure she wants to travel and when things start to fall apart she starts to question her marriage and what she really wants from her life. Will his quest for a child ruin their marriage or can they all work out a way where everyone wins. It’s a great read.

A cannot put down novel. Realistic characters kept the story moving quickly. A surrogate…a couple…a baby…secrets…enjoy this story. Thanks Netgalley

When you come across true love, starting a family is a logical step for many. But Mother Nature does not always go along with these plans, unfortunately.

First of all, you have to give yourself and your partner time to process this news and then plans can be made ... together ...

Do you let yourself get carried away in what the other wants or do you go for what seems best to you?

This is a very emotional story. Everyone wants to sacrifice certain things for love. The only question is: how far should you go? And if you suddenly realize that this may not be quite what you want, what can it mean for your marriage?

The story is beautifully written and filled with raw and gripping emotions throughout. 

Some relationships can be broken and it seems like they can never be restored. Sometimes, however, something drastic has to happen to bring people closer together again. This book is a textbook example of this.

The author does a superb job of exploring the moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding surrogacy. 

 If you like emotionally charged domestic dramas, this is a must-read. 5stars

Thank you

This book had me sucked in from the very beginning! I will say I wasn’t a fan of Mark for most of the book, but thankfully he redeemed himself in the end. I felt so many emotions while reading this, and probably went through a box of tissues. Beautifully written and would absolutely recommend reading it!