All There Is seriously gave me all the feels as I read it. I have a personal experience with a house fire and losing a family member to said house fire, so this book was an emotional read for me.

I absolutely adored both Emma and Jake in All There Is. They are both such strong characters yet both have vulnerability about them as well. Emma is super protective of her sister Megan and Jake is super protective of his brother Carter, who Emma doesn't even know exist. I hated that Jake took the fall for starting the fire all those years ago that killed Emma's stepbrother. I did like that Emma wanted to have a fresh start with Jake while he was working in Juniper Hills, but questioned if they could have a real fresh start.

Jake and Emma had a bit of a reunion romance in All There Is. They had a budding romance was teens and as they spent more and more time together, it was obvious they had the makings of a real relationship. I felt like the truth of the fire would need to come out. I have to say with everyone who was involved with the fire, I was most impressed with Megan and how she had moved on and she was the one with the most physical scars from the fire. I think maybe the psychological scars both Jake and Emma suffered were way harder to face than Megan's physical scars.

I really did love Jake and Emma as a couple. They had wonderful chemistry and really truly loved each other. I loved that Megan was so in favor of their relationship. It gave me hope that Emma and Jake could both move on from the past. I have to say, it totally made sense to me that Emma would have some memory loss from the night of the fire. I know from personal experience that the mind will play tricks on your memory, and it absolutely broke my heart seeing all that Emma had forgotten.

I will say I really enjoyed All There Is. It made me both laugh and cry, and I adore a book that makes me experience so many feelings. I honestly believe all fans of contemporary romances will enjoy this story.

Rating: 5 Stars (B+)

There are times when life throws you a curve ball. Sometimes for the good, other times it’s a path that haunts your soul. For Emma - a unforgettable night from her past changes the course of her life. Fleeing from the memories and the pain, Emma pulls up roots and heads to Juniper Hills with her sister in tow. Planning a ‘new’ life that leaves those unpleasant memories by the wayside.

In Juniper Hills, Emma owns her own bakery. A way to provide a nice life for her sister with the support from their newly adopted town. With the demands of custom creations, running the bakery and taking care of Megan - Emma rarely has time for a love life. Something that has been more of an irritant of late. Why couldn’t Emma find someone that wanted her AND the life she established?

After a flood at the bakery, Emma finds herself face to face with the one person from her past that still torments her thoughts. The Jake standing in Emma’s bakery is a far cry from the young boy from the past. He has been battered and broken in his own right, but Jake definitely still feels everything that remained in his heart for the girl next door. As Emma struggles to overcome her pain from the past, Jake shows her that the heart can heal in ways you wouldn’t expect. Can these two overcome the stigma and pain that ripped them apart?

First let me say I was excited to jump into a new series by Violet Duke!! When diving into a book by Duke, you know its going to be pretty good. The plot of this book revolves around Emma and Jake. Two next door neighbors that were toying with more than friendship when tragedy struck. Through a series of unexpected events, they find themselves back in the same place again. The pain from the past still taints the obvious attraction that the two feel. With their paths intertwined, Jake and Emma feel the heartache that plagues them both.

All I Want is the sweet type of romance that leaves you with a smile on your face. A perfect beginning to a series that is simply the epitome of all that Violet Duke graces her readers with.

Highly emotional journey for this sweetly romantic couple. They only had a short time together as teens (literally the girl and boy next door) but they lived so much in that short amount of time that it almost crushes any chance they might have for a future 14 years latter.

Emma Stevens is a true survivor with the most amazing heart and determined protectiveness for those she loves. Jake Rowan is the perfect brooding alpha male hero not really looking for forgiveness until he comes face to face with Emma unexpectedly. This little reunion orchestrated by non other than his estranged older brother Carter. Lots of intense emotional twists and turns in this highly entertaining romantic adventure. Loving Juniper Hills.

Really enjoyed this book. It is an touching journey for the two main characters, Emma and Jake. They were friends and neighbors in their youth until one tragic night drastically changed their lives leaving them both closed off emotionally and Emma’s sister Megan physically changed. Both Emma and Jake have closed off their hearts and are building new but impassive lives when they meet again. How Ms. Duke brings them together to heal and allow love to grow and strengthen was a fun and satisfying read, filled with humor and touching moments. as well as the quirky town of Juniper Hills Kansas which is full of characters that you can’t help falling in love with. I adored this book and am really hoping she returns to Jupiter Hills again for a book about Megan and Jake’s brother Carter!

I loved this book. Wish I had a Jake! Both him and Emma went through the wringer. That he survived his incarceration with his beautiful spirit still intact was great. I was in tears reading quite a few of the chapters. The guilt they both carried was suffocating. That they found their way back to each other made me sigh happily. I seriously hope that more Juniper Hills books come out because I need to read Megan and Carter's stories. This little town has lots more stories to tell.

Jake and Emma's story was sad and tragic yet beautiful and triumphant. Slow paced with intrigue left for book 2, VD gave us some needed fun and humor while telling a love story destined from tragedy.

I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I will leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.

All There Is by Violet Duke is the first installment in the Juniper Hills Series.

Meet Emma Stevens and Jake Rowan.
Emma Stevens owns a bakery in the small town of Juniper Hills. Her dating life is non existent, with exception of "homo jerkus"- LOL- online dating. She is the survivor of a tragedy , that cost her brother his life, many years ago.
Jake Rowan is a contractor with on-call work. He gets hired to work in Juniper Hills. There he meets Emma again.
They know each other from childhood and the tragic accident.
Slowly they build a relationship and over time wounds get healed and issues and scars overcome.

All There Is is a beautiful story about healing wounds, second chances and finding love.
I liked the characters and I liked the words.
I give 4,5 Stars and thank you Violet Duke!

4 stars

All There Is by Violet Duke was a beautiful and heartwarming read.
The writing is well done, the storyline held my attention all throughout the book, once I started reading I didn't want to put it down.

I found Emma and Jake likable, relatable characters that I easily connected with. They brought out all the feels with their story.
My heart went out to both Emma and Jake, I couldn't be happier they found each other again and could work through the pasts hurts to love each other unconditionally.

All There Is, is the first book from the new series Juniper Hills by Violet Duke and I can't wait to read more from this talented author.

*Purchase Links*
✦ US → http://amzn.to/2s9AQG4
✦ UK → amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MTJWHME
✦ AU → amazon.com.au/dp/B01MTJWHME
✦ CA → amazon.ca/dp/B01MTJWHME

*A big thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.*

A beautiful, heartwarming, heart tugging story. All There Is has to be one of the best books I've read in quite awhile. Emma and Jake have a heartbreaking past, but can they accept that past and move into their future? It's not easy going for the two, as Emma refuses to talk about the past and Jake thinks they have to talk about it in order to move forward. 14 years ago Emma and Jake were the boy and girl next door, friends who had hopes of it becoming so much more. Up until the fire that tore them and two families apart.

Now, Emma's bakery needs major repairs and Jake is just the carpenter to help her, that is, if Emma will accept his help. As they fall back into a new friendship, the scars of their past are lingering, but I love how they move past them and fall in love. Their connection is based in part on their shared past, but that they allow themselves to be together in the present is just so beautiful. I like the moments of fun and laughter, even as the sadness and grief that sit below the surface are just waiting to burst forth.

Thank you Violet Duke for this beautiful, sweet, sexy story. I am so looking forward to more from Juniper Hills!

Another fabulous masterfully emotive piece of work from Violet Duke. Drawn in from the opening passage, I was enthralled- smiling at the back and forth banter, feeling for the characters as they rediscovered each other and their own feelings about their lives entwining. An awesome book!!

A really good well written read that I found hard to put down. I'm looking forward to the next book

Review by Shannon:

Emma was so strong for her family. Even at twenty three years old, she picked up her life and took her sister to a better town to live in. She supported her sister’s dreams before even considering her own and did everything in life to make Megan’s a better one. Emma was extremely humble about all of this at the same time, which in my mind makes her more endearing as well. What the big kicker was though was how when Jake walked back into the picture, it was Megan who actually turned around to help Emma get through it. It was Megan’s perspective which finally allowed Emma to let go a little of her resentment towards him. It was Megan who showed Emma her outlook on life, and how it was nothing but compassionate and positive, even when Jake where concerned. This helped change how Emma saw him and was truly a big catalyst of the romance portion of the plot. I liked how the sisters could rely on each other this way and it wasn’t always one being strong and helping the other, they both filled this role.

“I didn’t recognize him. Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve come down sooner if I’d known.”
This wasn’t going at all how she’d imagined. “Why would you have come down?”
“To see how he’s doing. To thank him for saving my life. To see how his brother and sister are doing. I don’t know. Why? Did you think I wouldn’t want to see him or something?”
[…]
“Things we lose usually stay lost. Folks we miss, we typically don’t ever get a chance to stop missing. Now, Peyton’s never going to walk back into our lives again, but Jake just did. So if you miss Jake like I suspect you do, you now have a chance to close up that hole he left in your heart after the fire . . . one way or another.”

So yes, there’s a lot of heaviness in this book but there’s also a lot of fun and lighthearted moments as well. For instance, these characters would make little jabs or play pranks on each other, which was so refreshing, especially after the start to their story. To be able to find the room in your heart to laugh with the person who you hated for so long? That was great to see. It was also absolutely fantastic how easily Jake could read Emma’s thoughts and how he called her on it. Drove the poor girl nuts but as a reader, it was extremely entertaining.

“All he knew was that it was on. Messing with a man’s coffee was just plain mean.”

I really liked the small town family vibe that Juniper Hills had going on. A lot of times small towns are portrayed as being nosey and in everyone’s business, how you can’t keep anything to yourself and etc. Sure, that’s still true here, but it was mixed with warm and welcoming citizens who were more than happy to have Jake around, especially if he was helping the towns beloved Emma. Everyone had their own crazy stories and were more than happy to let Jake in. They treated him as part of the family and gave him a reason to love the little town even more.

Barb arched an observant eyebrow. “Well, well. I think maybe I’m warning the wrong person. Don’t you go letting her break your heart now.”

Guess her soothsayer powers weren’t always quite so accurate. “Lost my heart a long time ago,” he admitted quietly, for Barb’s ears only. “So you don’t need to worry about me.” Nothing to break here.
“Oh, I’m not worried. I think you’ll be just fine.” She patted him gently on the shoulder in a sage seer way. “That said, word to the wise so you’re not caught unaware. Most of us only call things in our life lost when it’s something we hope to find again one day.”

Want to know something so absolutely fantastic that I loved immensely? The fact that these characters grew up, and actually acted like adults! The sad thing is, that shouldn’t be such a selling point but I was so happy when they spoke and acted like adults, treated each other as the grown up versions they are and didn’t fall back into any fits or immature words and actions, because that seems all too common these days. I love when a character can actually act their age, know what they want to do/say/feel, and can express that.

Jake is actually the swooniest book boyfriend ever. It’s been decided. By me. Right now. So I think that makes it official. Really though, his actions were on point and his words even better. I could feel his yearning for the heroine through the pages. Some of things he said either to or about her, wow, I think even I melted, so there’s no way that Emma could’ve stayed strong! Plus all the small things he did to show her who he is now as a person, his integrity and respect, his attention to detail and his desire to make her happy. Their first date for instance, was the absolute perfect thing for these two.

“I think,” he said quietly to his captive audience, “my favorite small-town memories are mostly about the girl next door.” He slid his hooded eyes over to her and snagged her gaze for a full beat. His eyes went from the calm sage green they normally were, to the dark mossy green they sometimes got when he was deep in thought. Instantly, she felt herself get sucked into his orbit like she used to when they were teens. “Looking over my family’s fence and seeing her out in her backyard, giving the sun a reason to shine, was always the best part of my day.”

If you read the blurb about this book, you already know that it’s going to have an interesting and unique plot, definitely not something that you see all the time floating around the book world. Now based on this alone, I expected this book to be jam packed with angst, but I was actually surprised at how manageable it was. Everything was it small doses as to not overwhelm the reader, and broken up with fun pranks or town stories to lighten the mood.

I really appreciated the issues that these characters had to find a way to overcome. I understand why it was so hard for Emma and in turn, the fact that it was as equally hard on Jake added some excellent depth to the characters and the storyline. Their journey to then overcome and move past these issues was a fantastic one. I can easily believe the chemistry these two had as teenagers when they first met because it has those first love kind of vibes too.

You’re incredible, Emma Stevens.” His voice grew thick with emotion. “No one’s ever done for me what you did.”

“Gush about you like you’re the best thing since sliced bread?” she asked, eyes crinkling at the corners.
He shook his head. “You defended me. Protected me. Fought for me. Despite everything in our past, despite having every reason not to, you continue to choose to believe I’m worth all of that. Unconditionally. Based on blind faith alone. I’ve never had that before.”

In fact, he’d never felt he even deserved any of that before today.

Before Emma.

This is my second book by Violet Duke and the writing is just so comfortable, it feels soft and welcoming, kind of like coming home. I can’t wait to jump into her other stories, because this is a feeling that any reader can appreciate.

THIS BOOK!!!! OH THIS BOOK!!!! This book will leave you so raw you may not want to read another book ever again or at least for a long while...well, a tad dramatic since I read another book the next day but oh the emotional roller coaster of a story this is!

Emma Stevens saved her sister in a house fire long ago but she carries guilt of not being able to save her brother in the fire. Jake Rowan is the boy who saved her family in the fire, he's also the boy who started the fire, at least that's what everyone believes.

Years later when Emma and Jake meet again, both are carrying around baggage from those days of long ago. They still also hold feelings for each other from those days. Will they be able to get over their past and make way for a relationship or has too much time and damage been done?

This is another beautifully written book by this author and the first in Juniper Hills series which I look forward to reading.

Violet Duke has done it again, she knows how to write a heart-warming/breaking story that grips you in its claws from start to finish. Its great second chance romance story that really plays on your heart strings. Emma and Jake's story is one of pain, love, loss, healing, forgiveness, and about letting the past go and moving on for the future.

Even though the basis for this story is quite gut wrenching and raw there is still so many funny moments that have you laughing out loud (especially when Emma gets stuck)

Jake and Emma were neighbours and friends with the promise of there being more between them until one fateful night and their lives are changed drastically forever. A fire destroys Emma's childhood home and her younger step-brother dies and her sister is badly scarred. Jake went into the burning building and saved Emma and her sister Megan, even though he was a hero. He took the blame for the fire and ended up going to Juvie.

Jake is totally swoon-worthy, he is the kind of guy that will make your heart pound and your panties drop. Jake has never had peace since that night, he lost everything, his freedom till he was an adult, his family and his reputation. He's been holding on to the secret of what really happened that night for 14 years.

Emma has moved on, trying to get on with her life, she moved with her sister to the beautiful small town of Juniper Hills where they have slowed healed and started living again. She has lost a lot and holds onto so much guilt of that night.

The banter and chemistry between Emma and Jake is beautiful and full of emotions, they are both broken and stuck with the amount of guilt they both feel. Everyone can see how they feel about each other they just need to admit it.

I love his banter with Emma, once they get over the shock of their chance reunion after 14 years. Can they put the pain of the past behind them and move on and get the happy ever after they both deserve so much.

I can't wait to see what happens with this series and I am hoping the next book is Megan's story, I have a feeling that its going to be a painful, emotional one.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the Author and L Woods PR

https://www.facebook.com/Bookloversreview/

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Packed with humor, emotion, and heart-tugging romance. This one's a keeper!

Star-crossed young adults reunite. Fantastic story of forgiveness.

I loved All That Is by Violet Duke, which introduces us to Jake Rowan and Emma Stevens. Emma started a new life for herself and her sister in small town Juniper Hills after a fire destroyed their family home and killed their step-brother. Jake was the boy next-door who dragged them to safety but was also blamed for causing the fire. Although Jake wasn't able to save Emma's brother that fateful night fourteen years ago, he takes comfort knowing he saved his own brother. By taking the fall for the fire, Jake agreed to a sentence that enabled him to protect his older brother's future, but it cost him Emma, the girl of his dreams. Now, fourteen years later, Jake finds himself on Emma’s doorstep once again. Not to save her life this time, but to repair it; and more importantly, her heart, if she’ll let him.

I enjoyed getting to know Jake, Emma, Megan and the people of Juniper Hills. I hope Ms. Duke is planning on writing additional books in this series featuring some of these people. I really enjoyed the interaction between Emma and Jake as they start the 2.0 version of their relationship. I believe the manner in which Ms. Duke handled their problems and kept the love between them alive benefitted as well as drove this story.

I loved reading this book and had trouble putting this book down. Violet Duke is a wonderful story teller, always drawing me into her books, and making me forget the world around me. I highly recommend this book to other readers and I truly hope that Ms. Duke writes another book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

All There Is was a great 5 star read.
This is Emma and Jake’s story and it was written perfectly and pulls you right in. I was emotionally exhausted when I finished this book.

Emma has her own bakery. She is currently trying the dating pool but isn’t having any luck.
When disaster hits her bakery, Emma finds herself face-to-face with a man from her past, Jake.
It’s been 14 years but she will always know who he is.

Jake had spent some time in juvie when he was younger, he took the rap for someone else. Now he’s older and for some reason cannot get a certain woman from his childhood out of his mind. He dreams about her in his arms.He is now a carpenter and gets a job to repair a flooded bakery and is shocked to find out who the owner is.

There was a tragic fire that killed Emma’s brother. Both Emma and Jake are suffering terrible memories and guilt years following this tragedy. Seeing each other is bringing back so much pain for Emma. She couldn’t have Jake back in her life.

These two have so many things to work out. They have a lot of similar experiences that make them perfect for each other, they just need to see it. There are some raw emotions that will get to you, I had a few ugly cry moments. I did have some LOL moments as well. I loved the ending, it couldn’t have been more perfect. If you’re looking for a great romance than 1-click and get started. Violet Duke does a great job of pulling you right in.

What a great story of fist loves, heartbreak, healing and second chances.
Jake fell in love with the girl next door when he was 16, until a house fire took the life of her little brother and their lives changed forever.
Fourteen years later and their paths get crossed again. Can they move forward and leave there past behind them??
5 stars of tears, laughter, heartbreak, healing and love.
I received a advanced copy for a voluntary honest review by Publisher.

I adored this book! It is heartwarming and so sweet! I love a good small town love story and this one really delivers because it's also a second chance romance! Jake and Emma are wonderful together! Sweet, funny and sexy! They have a bit of a heartbreaking past to work through which causes emotions to run pretty high but they get through it because they are truly meant to be. Fantastic storyline, great characters!
5 romantic stars!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this wonderful love story!!

What an incredible story written with such depth and caring. The characters have strong chemistry and great interactions. Jake and Emma deal with their feelings, past and present, as secrets long buried come to light. Second chances are rare, but true love never dies! Enjoyed this book very much.