Cover Image: All There Is

All There Is

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Member Reviews

Once again, Violet Duke has given her readers a beautiful second chance love story. With all the sweetness, sass, and feels anyone could ask for, this book is every bit as good as any of her other books I've read.

Once upon a time, Jake and Emma were budding high school sweethearts. Then tragedy stuck and their lives went very different directions. When they meet again, fourteen years later, they find that their attraction is still alive. But can they get past all the pain of their past, find a way to forgive not only themselves but each other? Can Emma forgive the things she thinks happened all those years ago and love Jake the way he needs and deserves to be loved. Can Jake find a way to win the heart of the only girl who has ever meant anything to him?

As the first book in her Juniper Hills series, I think Ms Duke has found the perfect mix of sweet and sexy. She proves that sometimes less is better.

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Can we ever really escape our past? We try to forget it, or hide it deep within ourselves, and yet, in the end, we are unable to move forward with our lives until we willingly face it. This is Emma's dilemma. At sixteen, she lost all her teenage dreams when her stepbrother dies in a fire. She still carries the memories and the only way for her to live each day is to block the past and just live her new life.

Jake was her first teenage crush. Maybe even more than a crush, since he occupied her mind all the time when she was sixteen. Now, all these years later, to find him standing in her bakery offering his contracting services to repair her flooded business, is more than she can handle. Guilt, grief, and unresolved questions all spring up to separate them once again. Only looking in his eyes and realizing he is not the same man she thought he was makes her reconsider. Is it possible she has mistakenly judged him?

If you ever read a story about second chances and loved it, this book will make you a believer second chances come in all different guises. We judge people all the time by what we see. How often do we make the effort to find out the real truth? Are we strong enough to face the truth and not to blame others? Emotions flare, love abounds, the magic of friendship changes hearts, and a marvelous story is born. Not to be missed!

I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I thank the publisher for sharing a copy of this book with me.

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Wow!!! There are lots of twists in this one that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. I thought I knew where this one was headed for sure, but nope!!!! I loved it!!!! Great story, wonderful characters with lots of chemistry. I won't give much away because this one is just too good to miss!!! Definitely put it on your next TBR!!!

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This might be a case of "its not you it is me" because I am against the popular vote here. I could not get into this book. I thought it kind of dragged.

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The cutest little town, Juniper Hills, I feel like I went for a visit and have many new friends. I am so happy that Violet Duke was able to transfer her amazing storytelling talent to paper and share it with all of us. Jake and Emma's story is an emotional journey that made me laugh, cry, and sigh. Emma's days are filled with wacky humor and practical jokes aplenty. Jake, as well as Megan get their digs in often. The emotional gut wrenching guilt and loss felt by so many of the people in this story. So many sexy little romantic escapades that show how well Emma and Jake know each other. Family and life are messy, but they are doable, even when they are not simple. Thank you Violet Duke for an wonderfully realistic happily ever after story.

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Violet Duke has managed to create a sweet emotional romance that pulls the reader into the story & keeps them reading through tears, laughter & love. The plot evolves around a pair of childhood sweethearts forced apart by circumstances that accidentally meet up again years later. The chemistry & feelings still exist & are just as intense as they were in the past. While the incident causing the separation could be dark & depressing, it was not the focus of the story & delicate emotions are treated with a light touch. The focus of the story was the emotional growth of Emma & Jake & their path to that growth.

Fourteen years ago, a tragedy happened. Yes, a house burned down, a young girl was burned & scarred, a young man was killed & a marriage didn't survive. The real tragedy was a young man being told his life wasn't as important as his brother's because the brother was actually going to do something with his life. Tragedy was another feeling guilty because of an impossible choice she had to make. Two teenagers are forced to continue their lives paralyzed by guilt.

I have read all of the books published by Ms. Duke & this has to be my favorite. Instead of showing the affection & love through steamy love scenes, the chemistry is shown more through emotional interactions, tender motions & flirting. In tense moments, the mood is lightened by practical jokes, sarcasm & wit. I found myself chuckling several times while reading. The supporting characters, including Megan, add dimension, depth & additional emotion to the story. If the rest of the books in this series are as riveting as this one, Ms. Duke as another outstanding series to her name.

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Violet Duke needs no introduction. A brilliant writer of contemporary romance, if you haven’t read her before, you are missing some ultra charming love stories that get straight the heart. Coming up later this week is book one of her new series Juniper Hills, a new set of characters, their fears, and insecurities, hope and love, a new town of warm and caring people, and what is going to be a captivating series for the readers.

Jack Rowan is trying to get his life back in construction after a stint in prison for a crime he never committed, but made a choice to sacrifice for his brother. A job instigated by his brother takes him to Juniper Hills, and his one and only love since his teens Emma Stevens. A perfect opportunity and yet a scary one to mend the relationship with Emma, and “All There Is” for Jake is patience, perseverance and some luck to get the love of his life back into his arms.

Emma Stevens has made a life for herself and her sister, leaving a past that burned to the ground, yet the guilt of losing her stepbrother to a fire never left her heart. Running a successful bakery and having made a fresh start, coming face to face with the boy next door she had loved and hates, was something that she had ever dreamed. But now thrown into a situation with Jake helping her fix her bakery, “All There Is” left for Emma is to let go of the past and giving this second chance of love giving it a shot.

Every book of Violet Duke’s always seems to give me a glimpse of the author herself. Endurance, hard work and perseverance is the norm of her heroines, as well as in real life and she reiterates the fact that there are so many good people in this world who are kind and helpful, and that all is not lost. With a positive attitude and courage, she pours her heart and soul into these wonderful stories of love, hope and faith.

Received an ARC from Montlake Romance via NetGalley for an honest review

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All There Is
By: Violet Duke
📚💕⭐⭐⭐⭐💕📚

Sweet not Steamy

All there is Jake and Emma's long road to love. Not seeing each other after tragedy hit them both at sixteen years old shocked is the only word to describe each other's reaction fourteen years later.

Jake taking the blame for the fire that burned down Emma's home that left her sister with burn scars and the loss of her stepbrother Peyton. Thrown back together by outside influences Jake takes on the job of restoring Emma's bakery back to working condition after a huge water breakage that resulted in a huge expense and time Emma will have to close her shop. Coming in as the lowest bidder Jake is given the job. We get to watch these two people rediscover each other while also having truths be revealed. Violet Duke did a tremendous job making these characters not only believable but likable as well.

Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks you Netgally for letting me read and review.

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OMG what a beautiful story written by the author.
Jake has lived a hard life, a choice made by his father. He & Emma met when they were 14 and spent a lot of time getting to know each other over the fence that separated their yards.
Young love destroyed in one fateful night. 14 years later they meet again and it's not a happy meeting! Can they overcome their pasts so they can actually have a future? Or will the events from that one night forever keep them apart?
5 stars for this one by Violet, make sure you add it to your TBR and grab it when it's available

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Second Chance Romance
I loved the characters in this book and the friendly, quirky town. Both Jake and Emma have been through trauma that has left them still guilt ridden many years later. The author wrote about it very sensitively (moving me to tears in places) and I connected with both characters; rooting for them to get their HEA. I will be looking out for more books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

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Jake moved next door to Emma when they were 16 and for that 1st month they talked over the fence and became friends. But one night Emma's house catches on fire because of fireworks. Jake helps Emma and her sister Megan out of the fire, but Emma's stepbrother ends up dying in the blaze. Jake ends up being charged with shooting off the fireworks that ultimately killed Emma's stepbrother and he goes to juvie for this crime. Emma tries to put the past behind her, by moving to Juniper Hills with her sister, after her family falls apart. and start over. 14 years later, when Emma's bakery gets flooded, who comes to bid on the restoration ... you guessed it - Jake! It doesn't take Jake long to realize that he still has feelings for Emma and would like to explore them, as Emma decided they should pretend that they just met and not talk about the past. This story has lots of twists and turns and secrets that surely can't stay hidden forever. This is a sweet heartbreaking story that shouldn't be missed.

I received an ARC copy courtesy of Montlake Romance through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

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Violet Duke’s All There Is is a sweet and heartfelt second-chance romance with a hero you’ll fall in love with. Jake Rowan went to juvenile detention fourteen years ago for accidentally starting a fire that burned down the house next door killing a young boy. He was falling in love with the boy’s older sister, Emma Stevens, when the tragedy occurred, and he is tortured by what happened that night. But there is much more to the story of the fire than anyone realizes, and Jake walks numbly through life burdened by secrets and guilt.

He is a carpenter and travels to the small town of Juniper Hills to work on the renovation of the town’s library, which his older brother bought. He sees Emma again when he agrees to help repair water damage sustained to her bakery, and both are overwhelmed to be reunited. Jake sees this as an opportunity to make reparations to Emma, and he pushes her to allow him to help her. She’s resistant because seeing Jake brings back all of the emotions and horror of that night, including her own guilt over what happened. But she does agree to give him a chance, and they agree to mute their history and try to start over.

As they get to know each other again, Emma and Jake find themselves drawn to each other just as they were in their teens. Although they would like to pretend they do not have a tragic past together, Jake knows they cannot. In order to move forward, they must look backward. Jake is incredibly sweet and patient with Emma as they excavate the past and come to terms with what happened.

All There Is is an incredibly bittersweet and captivating romance. Ms. Duke does an excellent job of developing Jake and Emma’s current relationship while balancing it with their past. There is so much feeling in the story that the reader will be left breathless, and All There Is is a phenomenal and emotional second-chance romance. - Keeper Shelf Book Blog

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Nobody delivers complicated like Violet Duke. Whether bemused or enthused, her tales of tempestuous love and heartbreak get the emotional juices flowing. Her brand of seduction is laced with enough suspense to keep readers intrigued and enough emotion to add realism. All There Is is a tragedy that spins out of control. Jake and Emma are caught up in a storm that continues to wreck their lives. To the naked eye this romance seems doomed to fail, but revelations come to light that could redeem them all. A powerfully crafted eye-catcher that left me breathless.

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This is an absolutely fantastic book! It's a little different from other books by this author but she did an amazing job with it. Her building of the story between Emma and Jake, both past and present, really helped us get to know and care about these characters. Their story is very emotional and it's one of forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance. It's beautifully told and not to be missed.

Everyone needs this on their must read list. I highly recommend it.

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Beautiful story. Loved it and I loved the characters xx

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This Is my first book by violet and I loved it! Her characters are intricate with so many layers of emotions... something that I wish more authors would strive for. Great job!!

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A wonderful story.

I'm a sucker for romance stories that touch on all of my emotions and All There Is does that in spades. One of my favorite romance tropes is the second chance romance and Violet Duke did a fantastic job with it in this book. Ms. Duke warned her fans on Facebook that this story doesn't have as much heat to it as others she's written. Be that as it may, explicit sex scenes aren't necessarily needed to get the point across; sometimes less is actually better.

Jake and Emma were neighbors and friends when they were young and there was a spark of something more between them. Everything came crashing down when a fire destroyed Emma's home and left her sister scarred and her young step-brother dead. Jake saved Emma and her sister but he also took the blame for starting the fire. Emma doesn't know he didn't actually start the fire and can't bring herself to ever forgive him.

Violet Duke writes with such emotional depth and I bet this book had her tears flowing in more than one place as she wrote it. But the story wasn't all just sad emotions at all; it also has a lot of humorous moments. Emma is fond of playing innocent pranks and her sister is pretty good at them, too.

Jake is the kind of guy that most women would fall for in a heartbeat. He's kind and considerate and there doesn't seem to be anything he can't fix. I wanted to hug him and keep him for myself.

I would love to see Emma's sister, Megan, get a book of her own. She's been through fire and come out scarred but her attitude towards life is amazing; she deserves to get her own HEA. This book is a fantastic start to a new series and I hope additional books are coming.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

This review will be posted to Xtreme-Delusions dot com on June 27, 2017.

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This was truly a touching story. I really enjoyed the development of the characters and watching them overcome the challenges they were facing to overcome their past. Can't wait to see what the next book is about!

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I loved this book. It was a sweet love story with a HEA. I fell for both the heroine and hero. As always Violet Duke blew me away. I highly recommend this book.

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