This book was written like more of a young adult book than general fiction. It’s the story of two Hugh schoolers, Catherine and Elliott who fall in love. Elliott has a history involving impulsive acts of anger and Catherine lives in a mysteries B&B with a huge secret. Catherine is bullied at school and Elliott switches schools to protect her. He knows she is hiding something. The book kept me guessing throughout. I felt like I had it all figure out and yet I didn’t see the end coming. The book was a bit slow moving at times, but the ending was worth the wait.

This felt more like a YA than the adult romance that it was marketed as, so I was a bit confused by that (I requested it because it sounded like YA, actually, so I wasn't misled - I didn't realise it was supposed to be adult). It felt a bit long - I think 400 pages is the upper bounds for this kind of story, so it dragged a bit.

Loved this book! I love all of Jamie’s books and this one did not disappoint! Perfect dad deep secret of the love of teenagers. Had many twists and turns that I did not see coming. (Sorry this review is late, completely did not realize I never posted here!) thanks netgalley for the chance to read a preview.

My Thoughts:

It's been a weird reading year so far for me. I've only rated one book 5 stars, and that was Verity by Colleen Hoover. If you know my reading habits, you know that's really unusual for me. I was starting to feel like I broke my enjoyment of reading, and the whole year was going to be nothing but 3-4 star reads. Then I read All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire. I absolutely fell in love with it.

All the Little Lights was just what I needed to get out of my book funk. I loved everything about the book. I loved how Elliot never gave up on Catherine, no matter how difficult things got. In the face of those circumstances, most people would have moved on a long time ago. Not Elliot though. In fact, I loved these two characters together. The chemistry that they had was amazing. You could practically feel it coming off the page as you're reading.

Not only did I love the characters in All the Little Lights, but I loved the plot as well. The book kept me guessing, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. It's not labeled as a suspense book, but it does have just enough suspense along with everything else going on to keep the reader flipping pages, wondering what's going to happen with certain scenes. The second half especially pulls that off really well with the mystery surrounding it. Also, I loved the crazy ending. I can usually predict how books will end, but this one left me shocked. My jaw hit the floor. I would have never guessed that in a million years.

I loved All the Little Lights. So far, it's definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year. I know it's early in the year, but I think it definitely has potential to be in my top 10 of 2019 at the end of the year. It made me want to go back through my bookshelf, and reread some of my favorite Jamie McGuire books.


I give All the Little Lights: 5/5.

I went in thinking this book would be a standard contemporary romance, but I was wrong. It managed to give me the creeps better than many books actually written to be horror. Definitely worth a read.

Jamie McGuire has a wonderful talent. The story of Elliott and Catherine kept my interest with every turn of a page. Definitely an author I am adding to my watch list.

Ms. McGuire writes some of the swooniest books out there. It’s hard not to fall in love with her stories and writing style. The book was heartfelt and beautiful.

This felt like it was drug out to fill pages. The story was great but some parts were just totally unnecessary. The ending blew me away!

I 1-starred the heck out Beautiful Disaster but then again, there's always the benefit of the doubt that something might be able to turn me around. I'm sad to report that while this seemed promising, it was too dark for me when I read it (I'm all for the fluff and happies now), and thought that again, just like with Beautiful Disaster, it could have been executed more efficiently.

Review for NetGalley
All the Little Lights is a fantastic book, like all of Jamie McGuire’s work. I loved this story and I see myself reading it again shortly

I love the cover on this one, it's so visually pleasing. Honestly, it's what drew me to it in the first place. A very good read a well, good for a lazy day.

This book had me from the first chapter! I really adore this author and was so excited to get a review copy! Will recommend to friends and family!

I’m kinda conflicted with this story. As much as I appreciated the author’s intention to provide a suspenseful story, with a heavy atmosphere taking place in the middle of nowhere. It was a bit odd and peculiar. I was very intrigued at first, waiting about the turning events.

I enjoyed it for the first part, when the story took place behind closed doors, with an tensed and intriguing climate. I’ve been moved by the two main characters’ story, when they found someone to rely on in this world of heavies, when appearances matters, instigated by old families and town gossips.

As the story unfolds, I was waiting for more action, or more revelations but the slow pace and the little hints we seemed to discover didn’t lead anywhere for half part of the book. The main characters frustrated me a lot and the heaviness in the story created this suffocating atmosphere.

We went from almost nothing to suddenly overwhelmed. In that kind of story, having such discrepancy from one scene to another one could have been interesting but it was to me overused, and repetitive.

I had to admit that I’ve been surprised by the ending, definitely creepy but pretty smart. I just wished some parts were more developed at the point and some things should have been picked up sooner. The length and pace of the book didn’t help for sure.

As a fan of Jamie McGuire, this novel was at the top of my list to be read. It did not disappoint. The connection between Elliot and Catherine is phenomenal and keeps the reader captivated through the entire book. You will not want to put it down.

I loved this book! I was skeptical over reading some reviews in if this would be up my alley, but I enjoyed it so much and glad I gave it a try! Jamie McGuire is always a must read author for me and you will love this book!

I really enjoyed this book, it took a little bit for me to get into though. Once I did, I could not get enough of it.

I am not quite sure where to start or how I am feeling about this book. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. I think it is certainly more YA romance than adult romance. It was a bit too long. I also feel it was a bit disjointed at times. It was almost as if the book couldn't figure out what type of book it wanted to be. All this sounds negative but I still really enjoyed the book. Trying to stay spoiler free, because you need this to be spoiler free, but the story is moving and tender, yet dark and mysterious.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I'm conflicted about this book. On one hand, the writing was great - descriptive but not distracting, good dialogue, etc. On the other hand, the story was ALL over the place and there was WAY too much going on (the bullies, the Juniper, the abusive parents, the friends issues, all on top of the drama with Elliott and Catherine). While the twist at the end was cool, leaving it until the end made the rest of the book pretty confusing and weird. And I still have lingering questions that weren't answered <spoiler>(if there were never any guests, how did Catherine and her mom have any money to live on? If Mrs. Mason's house was a bloodbath, why did she only need some stitches?)</spoiler> I don't know. I feel like this could've been a really good story if it was tightened up and streamlined, but as it is, I didn't really care for it.

This story was interesting and I ended up really enjoying the characters and the romance. Well written and easy to read.

I’ve been an avid reader of Jamie’s books but this one just doesn't do it for me. It was hard for me to keep in it and not be able to relate to the characters. Just not for me. I will still be looking for her next read and hopefully next time will be able to connect with the characters.