oh this book! what can I say? I honestly loved it so much. It had just a little bit of everything to pull me in and keep me captivated until the last page.
The tension in this ex-lovers style book was fire!
I loved the dynamic between Grady and Arabella. And I can admit it. There's a part of me that just feeds on the drama between these two. But also the band as a whole. Because let me tell you. This brothers band has the drama haha.

This book is fast paced and just a fun swoony read. And who doesn't like a good hunky rock star every now and then ;)

I needed a good book to read for my plane ride to Vegas to see the BSB residency so obviously I picked the one with the NSYNC lyric in the title - All I Ever Wanted - but was amused to find that most of the chapters were named after BSB songs and I was 85% done with the book before NSYNC popped up again! haha. This book is about a boyband made up of brothers called Hearbeat. They had broken up and were putting on a reunion show in their hometown. This book focuses mostly on band member Grant and his ex girlfriend Arabella who was the band's choreographer. They used to date, but broke up when she thought he cheated on her. The book follows the band through setting up for their reunion show, the brothers trying to set up a reunion for Arabella and Grant and everyone dealing with their issues based on the band's parents no longer being with them. The reunion show ends up a great success and while they said it was going to be a one-off... are there more shows in their future? Arabella seems like she is all-in on being with Grant, but was selling her business a mistake? I guess we will find out in the next 3 books... all with BSB titles.

I really enjoyed this book and a boyband romance was JUST what I needed for my long flights to Vegas and back!! (I've already been approved for one of the sequels and can't wait to dive in!)

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

Grady Heart and his brothers were a wildly popular teen boy band. They quit performing when their mother got sick. Now that she’s gone, Grady is organizing a benefit reunion concert in her memory. All his brothers are on board, but there’s a problem…the slick dance moves they used as teens just aren’t possible now that they’re adults. Grady wants everything to be perfect since this is such an important cause. Even so, when his brothers suggest they contact their old choreographer, Arabella, Grady refuses. She broke his heart once. He isn’t willing to give her a second chance. Too bad for him, his brothers go behind his back and call her. Faced with the prospect of spending time with the woman who disappeared without backward glance, Grady admits he still isn’t over her. But he’s not going to give her his heart again.

Arabella is in a financial pickle. She opened a string of successful fitness studios, but she got in over her head and expanded too quickly. Now she either needs a serious infusion of cash or she’s going to be forced to take on a demanding partner who wants to rebrand her entire operation. But facing bad boy Grady Heart again after he ruined her for love isn’t high on her list of fun things to do. Still, she doesn’t have much choice if she wants to save her studios. Now she just needs to keep a calm head around Grady. There’s no way she’s going to risk falling for him again. She learned the hard way the rockstar life is not for her.

I really struggled with this book. I like rock star romances and figured a light boy band second chance love story was right up my alley. Sadly the brothers seemed to suffer from Peter Pan Syndrome. Despite all being in their late 20’s-early 30’s, they still acted like teenagers. The heroine was just as bad. Between her refusal to talk things out like an adult and the way she ran every time something got hard, I had a hard time buying that she was an adult with a successful string of dance studios under her.

I really believed Grady cared for her, but I wasn’t as convinced of Arabella’s feelings. She was closed off and ran at the first sign of trouble or drama. Because she didn’t stick with him, despite her saying she loved Grady, I didn’t buy it.

The premise was good, and I enjoyed some of it. I may continue on with the series.

2.75 out of 5

*I received an ARC of this book free from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review*
Grady is the lead singer of Heartbeat and the eldest of the brothers. Since they’d all outgrown the “boy band” age they were only reuniting to do a benefit to help their mother’s charity.
They’re all out of shape and out of practice…not that they’d admit to that easily…and getting their old coordinator back would be ideal. Only problem with that is Grady and Arabella had a past and he doesn’t want her anywhere around him.
Thank goodness his brothers never listen.
Arabella left Heartbeat with a broken heart and something a little extra. She never wanted to go back although her heart never truly left. She has a little issue with her business and so when she’s asked to work with them again she knows financially she has to take it, but seeing Grady again…she don’t know if she can take that.
Of course it doesn’t take long for sparks to reignite and walls to fall.
The storyline was okay, there were a few twists thrown in. The only part I had a difficulty with was getting interested in it. The beginning is slow and whiny. Nothing even remotely interesting happens until about a quarter of the way through.

Adorable! Can not wait to read the rest of the series!

3.5 stars
REVIEW – ALL I EVER WANTED BY LUANN MCLANE

SYNOPSIS

From USA TODAY bestselling author LuAnn McLane comes the first in a brand new series featuring the sexy Heart brothers: formerly the members of the cult-phenomenon boy band Heartbeat, they’re all grown up and back together for one last reunion tour….

When Grady Heart, former lead singer of the cult-phenomenon boy band Heartbeat and eldest of the brothers, decides to bring the group back together for a highly anticipated reunion concert, he doesn’t expect to be met with so much resistance from his brothers. He also doesn’t expect them to hire his ex-girlfriend and ex-Heartbeat choreographer Arabella York to help the band rock some new dance moves.

Back in Heartbeat’s glory days the brooding bad boy fell hard for Arabella; the studious, stable dance teacher tamed Grady’s wild side but her lack of trust in him eventually drove them apart. Although their chemistry burns hotter than ever, Grady tries to keep his relationship with Arabella strictly professional this time around but in his heart, he might just still long to find out what could have been.

Filled withs “McLane’s trademark devilish dialogue” (Publishers Weekly), All I Ever Wanted is a sexy rock ‘n’ roll romance, perfect for anyone who’s ever loved a boy band!

Purchase on Amazon




My Review

I have been a sucker for second chance romances lately and this was a great addition to my recent reads. All I Ever Wanted by LuAnn McClane brought back memories of my childhood with the story focusing around a boy band (four brothers to be exact) coming back together for a benefit concert. Through this concert someone from their past is brought back to them….

Grady

The eldest Heart brother, a man who takes charge and carries the world on his shoulders. He’s the head of the family, head of the foundation that they have set up in honor of their mother and after 13 years he’s still nursing a broken heart for the one that got away.

Arabella

Choreographer extraordinaire, the girl behind the moves of the infamous boy band Heartbeat, the girl who ran without a backwards glance who is now the woman striving to make it on her own. With her own business growing quickly to great heights she is now desperately trying to keep her head above water and keep her success going.

Circumstances tore them apart when they were young. Could it all have been avoided? Absolutely…one of my biggest pet peeves is misunderstandings and not hearing each other out, you’ll see why. Would the story have been the same without this? Nope…in the end it was a necessity.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, bringing Grady and Arabella back to one another. Through a range of emotions we follow these two through memories of their past, what broke them apart and what is now possibly bringing them back together for good. They were young lovers years ago and with a new maturity they approach the present. You will enjoy their interactions and their clear love for one another. You will also enjoy meeting the other 3 Heart brothers who I hope to see more of in the future ;)

“We’ve come full circle,” he said, and watched her blink back tears. “We can start again.”

ALL I EVER WANTED is the first book in LuAnn McLane's Heartthrob series. Grady Heart and Arabella York have a tangled past with painful memories warring with beautiful ones. Grady and Arabella's romantic past was back when they were both teenagers and he was ridiculously famous. Now, years later as adults, they are reunited and struggling to make things work and give their relationship a desperately longed-for reboot. LuAnn McLane balances the tragic what-might-have-been, with the uplifting and romantic present that develops between the reunited lovers.

Although the primary reason for Grady and Arabella meeting again is for business, the old magic and love still seem to be there. Things get hot and heavy pretty quickly, but the emotions take quite a bit longer to sort out. LuAnn McLane does a great job of describing what happened in the past in order for readers to understand how both main characters can have feelings of betrayal and righteous indignation. I like that, whatever Grady and Arabella's problems may be, wallowing in bitterness and recriminations isn't one of them. While the love between them is still strong, Grady and Arabella are sometimes their own worst enemies. Despite their foibles, both main characters are sympathetic and likable, and you root for them as the story progresses. Even though Grady can belt out a ballad to make the ladies swoon, his focus is always on Arabella, and his devotion to her and his family make him a stellar hero. Arabella lets ghosts from her past mess with her head, but her head and her heart eventually align. Grady and Arabella's romance is rocky but LuAnn McLane meshes the lighter moments with the drama.

ALL I EVER WANTED is a fun and promising start to a series with plenty of heart. Just like in previous LuAnn McLane books, ALL I EVER WANTED is a deeply passionate character-driven story, with tightly-woven and intricate relationships. I look forward to reading about how love finds Grady's brothers in future "Heartthrob" books.

Grady said no to offering Arabella the job of choreographer for the reunion concert . Oliver, Jesse, and Jimmy- all Grady’s brothers- protested. They were doing the Heartbreak reunion in honor of their late mom. But Arabella had walked out on Grady and wouldn’t believe he was innocent of cheating and wouldn’t take Grady’s calls but that was twelve years ago. Grady said he would do anything to help find a cure for Lupus. Including a cheesy boy band reunion. The brothers had been in a boy band called Heartbeat many years earlier. Arabella now had a business called Hip, Hop, and Health and seemed to be doing well so Grady thought. When the brothers had ended the boy band Heartbeat they moved home to Sea Breeze, Florida as their mom’s health had gotten worse and she had hidden a lot while they had done their world tour. Grady had been the biggest target of the Paparazzi back when Heartbeat was still together as he was the oldest and the front man of Heartbeat. Jimmy was the quiet voice of reason and had held everything together. It had been a wild four year ride for the brothers. Jimmy was a songwriter now and happiest when he and his guitar were on his balcony. Arabella had been the only one to ever break Grady’s heart he had never gotten over her. Grady nor his brothers were into lasting relationships at this time of their lives nor had they been other than Grady with Arabella. After the boys lost their dad in a fatal car crash and losing their mom to a horrible disease that attacked her body they knew how much it hurt to lose someone you love. Whoever came up with the notion losing love was better than never having loved was certifiable crazy as far as the brothers were concerned. Arabella’s dance studio was in financial trouble and she would do anything she had to as long as she kept her business going. Oliver had called Arabella a week after the brothers had been trying to get the moves the brothers had done as teenagers right. It had been thirteen years ago when Grady had broken Arabella’s heart. Arabella had expanded to fast with her dance studio and if she didn’t want to bring Maxine and all her horrible ideas for change into her business she really didn’t have a choice but to take the job offered to her by Oliver. Besides the three months by the ocean with free accommodations in a beautiful home. But Arabella knew confronting Grady would be hard. Arabella wanted to turn around and go back to LA but she needed the money this job would pay her for her business.
I loved this story and I especially loved the ending. A very sweet second chance romance. This had a great plot and pace. I loved the relationship between the brothers. I also loved the relationship between Arabella and the brothers. This was just a great fast read and I couldn’t find anything to complain about which was great. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this story and I highly recommend.

3 “Boy Bands & Second Chances” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Pocket Star!

The moment I read the blurb on NetGalley, I felt the Backstreet Boys fan in me rise and beg for attention.

A former teen boy band back years later, now all grown up and still hot AF? Yes, please.

Sexual tension between one of the guys (men, now) and the love of his life, the ex-girlfriend who walked out on him after she thought he cheated on her, and who also happens to be the band's choreographer? Yes, please.

So, I thought this book had all the elements to make this an amazing read. Unfortunately, it didn't happen quite like that. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it as much as I had hoped.

First, let me just point out that I started SCREAMING when I saw the titles. Seriously, you guys... the titles are name of songs like Larger Than Life, I Want it That Way, Incomplete.... SCREAMING!!!

That was pretty awesome, if you ask me.

Anyway... the story started out good with the brothers and Heartthrob band members interacting and talking about the reunion concert they were planning to raise money for a charity cause related to their late mother's condition. It was fun to watch them, because they had distinctive personalities and they acted like real brothers, getting on each other's nerves, but doing it in a loving way. The interactions between the brothers was one of my favorite thing about this book.

Then, the romance story started taking shape, and while I was intrigued by it, I wasn't exactly sold. And boy band obsession and good sibling relationship or not, this is still a romance story, so the romance HAS to win me over for it to be as enjoyable as it should.

I did like Grady and Arabella as individuals, and they shared some really good scenes as a couple, but the pacing kind of took my interest away from the romance. It took too long for Grady and Arabella to finally be face to face after all those years of separation, but once they were, they got back together too fast. I wanted more angst, and even a little more sexual tension. There was just something missing for me.

In the end, All I Ever Wanted delivered on some of the elements that caught my attention when I first saw this book, but didn't hook me with the main element: the romance.

Luann McLane offers us the first book in her Heartthrob series, a series about 4 brothers who used to be in a boy band. Fans of boy bands will love this glimpse into what life might be like after the hype is over and the members of the band have time to grow up a little. This story focuses on a relationship the oldest brother, Grady Heart, had with their choreographer, Arabella York, and what happens when they reconnect.
Grady’s heart broke when Arabella left him years ago. He knows that the situation didn’t look good, but he hoped that she trusted him enough to let him explain. When she refused to answer his phone calls, he went into a tailspin. Now Grady and his brothers are staging a reunion in order to raise money for the Lupus foundation they started. Unfortunately, they are a little out of practice with the demanding dance routines they used to be able to do. Calling Arabella back in to help them fix the steps and make modifications may sound like a great idea to his brothers, but Grady isn’t sure.
Arabella left Grady with her heart broken. She has secrets she has never told him and trust is not easy for her. With her current hip hop gyms in trouble, she reluctantly takes on the task of working with the band again. She knows that she is risking her heart, but she needs the money. Hopefully, she will be able to maintain a professional relationship with Grady. Maybe they can even resolve the past.
I liked the heat that is apparent between Grady and Arabella. We can feel it the moment they meet up again. Watching them struggle with what happened in the past and trying to figure out how to handle the old baggage makes for an interesting story. Since there is so much past between them, we don’t have the buildup of a new relationship.
I also really liked the dynamics between the Heart brothers. You can tell that these four brothers are a team and that they enjoy being with each other. Having them come together to raise money for the disease that killed their mother only shows how strong the family ties are. It will be interesting to see what happens with their stories in the future books.

Grady Heart, once the lead singer of the hot boy band Heartbeat, is working with his brothers to put together a benefit concert in their late mothers honor. While the choreography is a mess, he absolutely refuses the idea of hiring their old choreographer… and the one who got away…

Arabella York has put her days of working with boy bands behind her. She nows owns her own business and would never consider leaving it… until an opportunity she can’t pass up is presented to her.

Trying to put the pain of the past behind them and working closely together again, will Grady and Arabella be able to finally move on, or is saying good-bye a second time going to leave them broken forever…

I enjoyed the plot of this book. The storyline felt a little jumbled… and it was hard for me to get into. But mostly, I loved the characters, the inevitable relationship between Grady and Arabella, and all of the adorable Heart brothers.

I would definitely recommend this book if you are in the mood for a light and easy, second chance romance.

Arabella York has tried in vain to forget the past. Twelve years ago, she was a choreographer for the biggest boy band in the business – Heartbeat. She was also totally and completely in love with Grady Heart.

When everything came crashing down, she was left all alone to try to pick up the pieces. She ran all the way across the country to Los Angeles and started all over. Now everything that she’s worked so hard for is in jeopardy if she doesn’t take the offer to help Heartbeat with their reunion show. That means going back to Florida and facing the one man who changed the course of her life forever.

Grady Heart was the bad boy of Heartbeat. He could have any girl with just a crook of his finger but he only ever wanted Arabella. He couldn’t believe that she could just leave without letting him explain. She jumped to conclusions and didn’t care enough about him to even look back. He tried everything to exorcise her from his mind and failed spectacularly. He was resigned to existing without the other half of his soul.

On the verge of a huge comeback, Arabella’s the only one who can help the Heart brothers be the best that they can be and they will make it well worth her time. Just a few weeks and one show was all she agreed to. But when the chemistry between her and Grady proves to be hotter than ever will the hurt of the past run to deep for them to take a chance on love again?

“That’s what loving someone is all about. Forgiveness is the hardest thing, but the most important thing. Some people can’t apologize or even admit fault. You just did. And I forgive you. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ is every bit as important as saying ‘I love you.’ Sometimes even more. I might not ever completely understand why you fled, but the important thing is that you’re here now. We have a second chance, Arabella. Do you want to take it?”

All I Ever Wanted is a quick sizzling shot of boy band brilliance! It combines an angsty punch of heartbreak with a sweet twist of longing and hope. The journey to redemption for Grady and Arabella is as emotional as it is satisfying and we are now certified fangirls…

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Grady Hart is a stubborn man.  Seriously.  Stubborn.  He won't budge around his pride to accept that they need to invite his ex-girlfriend back in his and his brother's lives to help choreograph their upcoming concert.  She was their choreographer when he and his brothers were at the top of their game.  Heartbeat was the top boy band in the country.  Then they retired.  

Arabella York can't get past her fear.  Being back in the presence of the only man she's ever loved make it harder to leave him.  Grady is everything she's always wanted but didn't think she could have.  Selling herself short.  She's one of the best choreographers in the business.  Agreeing to help with the Heartbeat fundraising concert to save herself also presents a problem for her libido, and her heart.  

You'll be screaming for these two to just get over it already and move on.  Their hiccups regarding their relationship could be saved by a long conversation.  One that's overdue.  Eventually they do have said conversation.  I don't think Arabella is hearing what Grady is telling her though.  

You know we women have a tendency to get stuck in our heads sometimes and it's hard to pull back when you need to listen to hear you were wrong.  Because really - 99.9% of the time we're right! 

If you like rockstar romances - this one will tickle your fancy.  You might even have an "awe" moment a time or two.

LuAnn McLane is one of those authors that I just really enjoy reading. Even when I get behind on her books I still have to buy them all just so I know I have them available. Weird I know. It's just how I feel.

All I Ever Wanted had two things I'm not a fan of going for it, but I still had to read it because of who wrote it. First off, I don't really get into the musical hero, and I am also not a huge fan of second chance romance.

But for LuAnn McLane I was willing to try it.

I am so glad that I did. I really love this family! The Brothers crack me up. The way they go back and fourth at each other is like being in my mothers kitchen on a Saturday morning. You'll enjoy how they pick on each other but at the same time they really have each others backs.

Right away I knew I liked Grady. He and his brothers are doing such a wonderful thing in the memory of their mother. You can feel how much they loved her. You also can tell that their mothers passing (it was a while ago) affect them each in different ways. Hell, the whole boy band life affect them in some way. And not all good!

You will find All I Ever Wanted to be well written and fast paced. I couldn't put it down from the second I picked it up. Before I was even a chapter in I knew that I would have to read the brothers stories. That's how strong of characters they are.

I would say the only part of this story that I had so-so feel about was Arabella. I can honestly say in real life we wouldn't be friends. She kinda annoyed me. I wasn't a fan of hers. If it wasn't for the strong pull I had to the boys this review might have been different.

I've learn a long time ago that you can't always like a character. The good thing is that for me the rest of the book made up for it and won't stop me from reading more of the series.

Grady and Arabella are two people who learned the hard way that everything is not always how it looks. Now with years behind them Grady’s band is getting back together to do a benefit concert. Arabella was the bands choreographer back in the day so everyone except Grady want Arabella back to work with again for this concert. Will these two be able to get over what happened in the past or is it just too much to overcome? Is the love they had for each other back then still there?

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for a freely given and honest review

I tried to read this book but could only get up to 30%
I had a very hard time connecting to the main characters and the plot.
The dialogue is very bland.and it was not holding my attention.
I didn't feel the chemistry between the hero and heroine at all.

4.25 Stars

Grady and his brothers were a huge boyband sensation over a decade ago. Now he's 34 and wants to do one more concert to support a charity for his mom, who died from complications caused by Lupus. His brothers are on board - more or less willingly - but the old dance routines are just not happening so easily anymore.
Enter Arabella. She was the band's choreographer back then. And she was also the love of Grady's life. Until she walked in on him with a naked groupie in his bed. Only he wasn't doing anything wrong - the girl broke into the room while he was in the shower. But Arabella ran without waiting for Grady to explain.
So now Grady and Arabella are not really friends anymore. They haven't seen each other in over 12 years. They might still love each other, but it will not be easy to be working together for the next few months.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ARABELLA & GRADY?
WILL THERE BE A HAPPY EVER AFTER?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺

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ROCKSTAR ROMANCE!!!!!!

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I might be the biggest rockstar romance fan ever! And even though this was a boyband thingy, I still loved it.

When I first read the blurb, I thought, eww... old and washed-up boyband members want to do a reunion tour to make some money because they probably wasted everything they earned back then. But nope....that's not what's happening here. The boys all have their jobs and passions now - only Grady is not sure what to do with his life. That's why he started the charity in memory of his mom. And they only want to do this one show to make enough money to get things really started with the lupus foundation.
I'm really glad it was something worthwile like that, because I think there's nothing more ridiculous than old beer-bellied boyband guys wanting to relive their glory days on a reunion tour with the same songs and dance routines! ☺

I really loved the story. We immediately love all the brothers and Arabella too. She's adorably funny, but also easily scared. We want her to get the second chance with Grady. But a lot of time has passed and secrets have to be told ... it won't be easy. But the mega spark is still there. They're still in love with each other.

Great #RockstarRomance with a great cast of people! Can't wait to read the next books about the brothers!!!
And to see what will happen to Grady & Arabella after their THE END!☺

ALL I EVER WANTED was an amazing #RockstarRomance! An adorable & funny & sexy second-chance lovestory set in sunny Florida! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Grady - this one is MINE! ☺


were there some things I didn't love? A few tiny things. But don't worry, the book was great ... just a few little details like the blurb and the cover and the writing. ☺ The blurb made it sound a bit like old boyband idiots want a reunion tour because they need the money! But there is no tour and they only need the money for the charity. They were very good with the money they made as a band. They had amazing parents who raised them right, not like so many young stars out there these days.
And the cover. That's just plain wrong. It was what initially interested me in this book, because I'm the biggest rockstar romance fan ever, but this cover and the this book are not a good match. First of all it's so darkish pink that it screams: DANGEROUS! And the guy is a rock/punk guitarist. And this is not a book about a hardrock band on tour. Because that's what the cover suggests to me. We are in sunny, hot, happy Florida and the band is a boyband. Was a boyband. They are older now, but still not a rockband like the guy on the pic suggests. I would've chosen a shirtless guy with a guitar - to let people know that it'll be about music, even though the guys don't even touch instruments in the book - and maybe he could've been standing looking at a sunset on a Florida beach - and we only see the back of him?? Or a shirtless guy with a guitar sitting by a pool? Something like that. But this cover is not good! End of cover-rant.
Another thing. The writing wasn't my kind of thing here and there. Too long paragraphs, too long thoughts and talks. The pages are so full of words, I felt like I couldn't take a breath or get up to get something to drink. The chapters were just too long, with too many words and not enough breaks. But that's just my personal reading-weirdness! ☺
The beginning of the book was weird too. They sit around the pool telling us all about their life, what happend to them in the past, the band, the parents, Arabella, and it felt a bit like missed a whole series of books about them as a band, and the author just wanted to summarize everything real quick for new readers. Which is not true, because there was no series, but it just sounded like it.
Another tiny little thing, but I'll put it in a spoiler-thingy, because it happens towards the end (nothing really bad, I just thought it was weird!) [ At the end, Grady promises Arabella over and over again that he has NO intention whatsoever to go on another tour, or play in Vegas, or do any other band things. But then the charity concert happens and he calls her afterwards and tells her they're going to NYC in the morning for press and tv shows and then they're going to play some shows here and there. WHAT? Yes, I know it's all to support the charity, which is important to the guys, but he was sooooo adamant in promising her that there would be no more band after the charity thing. That was soo horribly weak and stupid in my opinion! (hide spoiler)]BUT I really loved the story. I would just suggest that for the next book another editor should go over it again and another cover-maker needs to be hired, preferably one who read the book!☺

Review will appear at Romance Reviews Today probably in Aug as owner is in process of moving. Website: http://romrevtoday.com/

ALL I EVER WANTED – LuAnn McLane
The Heartthrob series, Book 1
Pocket (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1501172526
July 2017
Romantic Comedy

Sea Breeze, Florida – Present Day

It has been twelve years since Grady Heart and Arabella York were together. They were once inseparable lovers, but that ended when she found him in bed with a naked woman. Arabella broke off their relationship, never giving Grady a chance to explain. Grady and his brothers were once on top of the music charts as a successful boy band group and Arabella was their choreographer. Life was good, but the boys haven’t sung together in years. They’re planning a benefit to honor their later mother, but need a good choreographer. To Grady’s initial annoyance, one of his brothers hires Arabella. Will sparks rekindle the flames between the former lovers? Will Grady get the chance to explain to Arabella that nothing happened that fateful night?

Arabella really needs the money or she wouldn’t have considered coming back to help the band prepare their dance moves for the benefit concert. She knew she’d run into Grady, but figured if she kept her emotions under check, she’d survive. Alas, it doesn’t take long before Grady and Arabella are all over one another and making love. Yet, as much time as they spend together, neither wants to address the issue of why they separated in the first place. And, Arabella has to tell Grady something he doesn’t know . . . .

It’s a reunion all around in ALL I EVER WANTED, the first book in the new series by LuAnn McLane about a former boy band, Heartthrob, making a comeback. Grady, as the oldest, considers himself the leader of the band, but his brother goes behind his back and not only hires Arabella to help them choreograph their dance moves, but lets her use Grady’s cottage (which he is currently not using). Unknown to Arabella, he built the cottage to her specifications as a gift to her more than twelve years ago, but they broke off before he could reveal the surprise. Things between them start off rocky, but the passion is soon rekindled, leading to kisses . . . and more.

Arabella has built a new life in California—including a spa business—but she’s unsettled and needs an infusion of cash. She has a partner in mind, but deep inside she doesn’t know if this is the right move. Meeting Grady again—and resuming her affair with him—leaves her even more unsure what to do. To top it off, she’s learned that her father is going to sell her beloved late grandmother’s house in Ohio. Arabella wants to buy it, but does she want to move there? What about her increasing feelings for Grady? Add in that she has a huge secret to tell him, is there any chance they can make a go of it again?

ALL I EVER WANTED is a fun, breezy tale of love found again. While not a total laugh out loud romantic comedy, there are plenty of chuckle worthy scenes between the brothers as they squabble. But the guys are united on one goal: raising money for a charity honoring their late mother. In ALL I EVER WANTED, there’s lot of sexy scenes between Arabella and Grady as they enjoy their reunion. Can it lead to explanations of what went wrong in the past and a chance for a future together? Find out in the fun to read ALL I EVER WANTED.

Patti Fischer

This book had such potential. A second-chance romance with a boy band set up could have been perfect. But as the story unfolded, I found myself shaking my head at the Hearts, who sounded like a bunch of teenage girls, rather than being in their late twenties, early thirties.

Grady, who was supposedly the "broody bad boy" of the bunch, was a little too whiney for me. His "woo is me" times detracted from any sexiness you might get out of any other page time with him. And then there was Bella. She practically Grady's twin when it came to whininess, except she added the unflattering charm of running off when things got tough. Between the two of them, it made it hard to believe either of them was mature enough to enter into any kind of romance and believe it would work this time.

All I Ever Wanted by LuAnn McLane is the 1st book in her new Hearthrob series. I love McLane’s Cricket Creek series, and was looking forward to reading this new one. Upon completion of All I Ever Wanted, I am happy to say that I really enjoyed the book and all the main characters. It is different than the Cricket Creek series, as it revolves around brothers that were part of a band “HeartBeat” when they were teenagers. When their mother had passed away from Lupus, the boys decided to do a reunion concert to help raise money for the foundation they created for Lupus under their mother’s name.

Grady Heart is our hero, and the former lead singer of the boy-band Heartbeat. As the brothers start practicing months before the concert, they have problems doing the movements they did years before. Grady’s brothers keep insisting to hire their former Choreographer, Arabella York, to come back and help set up new dance moves that they can do now. The problem? Grady and Arabella were lovers during that time, and she left him broken hearted when she found him with a naked girl in his dressing room. Grady had tried to call Arabella to explain that is was not what she thought, but she never returned his calls. This left Grady bitter, and refusing to allow them to bring Arabella back. But of course, brothers will do what they think best.

Arabella wasn’t sure she wanted to accept the offer to help Heartbeat, when Grady’s brother Oliver called her. She knew it would be difficult to face Grady again, but she needed the money to help pay for her new business venture.

What follows is a sweet second chance romance between Arabella and Grady, as well as watching the band thrive under her choreography. At first, Grady gave her a hard time, but slowly they both knew they still had strong feelings for each other. Both had their own issues, which threatened to endanger their romance. I loved the brothers, how they would do anything to help Grady forget the past and win over Arabella, and how much they cared about Arabella like a sister. Very nicely done.

All I Ever Wanted was a fun storyline, with a great couple, great secondary characters, sexy romance, and watching the behind the scenes of the band. LuAnn McLane once again gives us another sweet romance, and I for one cannot wait to see who will be the hero in the next book.