This is a story that starts with two teenagers who are seen as awkward and like each other. They don’t really know how to act on that and tread very carefully with each other. While they may not know how to act on their like of each other they do know that they can trust each other and share their secrets. Then Elliott gets torn away at the time Catherine needs him the most. They both don’t stop thinking about each other but being teenagers they are lost to their parent's rules. Elliott finally returns to Catherine their senior year of high school but must work to earn her trust again.

I was entirely invested in this book. Elliott’s persistence in earning Catherine’s friendship was wonderful. He warmed my heart by never giving up on her yet realizing that there were times that he had to give her some space or he would lose her forever. I like that Catherine made Elliott work to earn her back. She wasn’t mean, she wasn’t unforgiving, she was careful with her heart.

Jamie McGuire tackled bullying, racism, peer pressure, and mental health all while keeping the story realistic. She didn’t cover up the real world of being a teenager and showed that there is help available when needed. This is the first book I have read by Jamie but I am excited to read more from her.

4 Stars

All The Little Lights by Jamie McGuire is a stand-alone young adult romance novel. I love Ms. McGuire and when I heard she was coming out with a new book, I was so excited. All the Little Lights is full of love, loss, and suspense.

Elliot and Catherine meet when they are young. Their friendship blossoms into more as they spend more time together. But when Catherine suffers a horrible loss, and Elliot is taken away, everything changes. Now years later Elliot is back but Catherine is no longer the girl he fell in love with. Will they be able to rekindle their love when everything is falling apart around them?

I loved this book! It was well written and the characters were amazing! Catherine was such a strong heroine and her light shown so bright throughout the entire book. And Elliot was just so passionate and kind and made the perfect hero in this story. It was kind of slow paced at times but the plot made up for it! And the plot twist was OMG so good! I highly recommend reading this book!

Jamie McGuire has done it again, except this time it's better. I didn't know I could like a book more than others but Jamie tales on issues lile depression, racism and abuse. Not actual physical abuse but mental abuse. Elliott and Catherine's story was amazingly written. Elliott a boy just visiting his aunt and uncle for the summer and Catherine who's parents/family are the talk of the town. Elliott on the other hand could care less of the rumors and stories he just wants to love Catherine if she will let him. Ripped apart at one of the most devastating times in her life, Catherine thinks she will NEVER forgive Elliott for leaving but when she finds out he had no choice....the love these two share is just beautiful. I was sucked in from the first chapter and couldn't put it down!! I don't know how you did it but please write more of their story. You got me all in the feels with this one!!! #Netgalley #Allthelittlelights

I won’t lie I’m a huge fan of this author and I have been waiting for this book, however the beginning was so slowwww. But just push through it and you won’t regret it. I loved this book so much as always Jamie didn’t disappoint.

I think about 80% of the young adult genre fans of my generation have read Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster series, or at least the first book in the series, featuring Travis Maddox - probably the ultimate hero for any young adult book. And then there are a couple that read other books by the author as well, myself included. And I've got to say, All the Little Lights reminded me so, so much of Happenstance. And in the beginning, I didn't like that. I thought it was all the same, same story, same characters. Nothing made it feel special to me. And it dragged on and on. Honestly, I wasn't sure whether I'd ever like this book.

But then things started getting interesting. Catherine's mother is a bit - and I actually mean a lot - special. You'll know what I mean once you read the book. She's not really looking after her daughter, dealing with her own problems. And I thought I had it all figured out. I thought I knew what the author had intended. With all the strangers you read about, you think the mystery about Catherine's story has to be the obvious. But it's not. I was so surprised by the outcome. It was something different! I liked that a lot. But then once you find out the truth, the book kind of ends. There's no real ending to it, for me at least. I was disappointed by it. After spending many hours reading this book, the ending was rushed.

You'll read about bullies, which is also probably why All the Little Lights reminded me so much of Happenstance. And of course Elliott doesn't care about Catherine being unpopular. He stands up for her when she needs it. And people still look up to him. That's such a clichée thing. Not every boy is handsome and self-confident. I mean, sure, Catherine stands her ground and she's tough enough, but why does Elliott have to be this popular football guy?! Oh why. But I won't complain any further, because in the end I love romantic stories and I shouldn't critize things I liked in other books.

The main idea of the story - of how everything leads to that revelation - is very interesting. And pretty creative, as well. It's just the how to get there that bothered me at some points, some scenes, some decisions of the characters and then how suddenly crime was involved and I couldn't place the book into any genre or category anymore. Which is most likely a good thing for most readers, but I'm way too organized to let the chaos take over. But if you're looking for a mystery read with still a lot of romance in it or if you're a Jamie McGuire fan, you should totally read this one.

This book was perfection. It was an emotional read for me, which is the best kind of book; it made me feel something. It was different that the other books I have read by this author, but great all the same. Both of these characters were flawed and far from perfect, but I loved them despite their flaws. They were interesting characters, I wanted to know their story, and am so glad I got the chance to read this fantastic book!

I did the biggest snoopy happy dance when I was approved for this through NetGalley and wow I don’t think I’m going to recover anytime soon.

One heck of a book hangover and I really can’t move past it cause there is not another book I want right now.

I sat riveted to the edge of my seat. Feeling every emotion and putting the puzzle pieces together. It’s so well written that the mystery stayed until the very end. Beautiful poignant words written like a melody for your imagination and a treat for your reading eyes.

I’ve been a Jamie fan forever...since Beautiful Disaster but this...this is sitting right next to Travis. I love a book that challenges my brain. I blocked out the entire world while I read and I really would love to get lost again.

I'm notoriously picky when it comes to contemporary YA novels and even pickier when contemporary blurs the line with romance. Maybe it's that I overdosed on too many cliched stories of young love when I was in high school, or maybe my attention span has shortened to the point where the only declarations of love I want to see are in pauses for breath on a battlefield. Whatever the reason, I tend to be skeptical of tales that revolve around the girl next door and small town flames, no matter how brightly they burn. It follows that a story like All the Little Lights should have had me dubious from the start. Yet, there was something so evocative about the description alone of Jamie McGuire's most recent novel that I couldn't help but want to take a chance on it ... and oh, I'm so glad I did.

It's clear from the start that All the Little Lights is Catherine Calhoun and Elliott Youngblood's love story, but it's more than just the unfolding of their relationship; it's a coming of age tale. They're both such strong characters with complex personalities that jump right out of the pages and make it impossible to not grow attached. I loved getting to know Catherine's inner resilience and Elliott's unwavering loyalty, through their own eyes and in how they see one another. I was impressed that McGuire had me rooting for their relationship from the start, and my faith in them only deepened as the story progressed.

McGuire has such a way with words. Everything about her writing tugged at my heartstrings the whole way through. All the Little Lights perfectly captures the claustrophobic nature of a small town and the sticky-sweet nostalgia of the summers of youth. The prevalent theme of found family brings together many of the characters in the novel, and it's a powerful reminder that some ties are deeper than blood. I was also pleasantly surprised to see the focus on Elliott's native heritage as well as the bigotry he faces.

There's definitely an element of mystery and intrigue to this novel, which is always another plus for me. Catherine's home life, the truth of which she strives so hard to keep secret from the outside world, grows m to keep under wraps, especially as Elliott begins to play a larger role in her life. Little contradictions seemed to crop up throughout the novel, which somewhat confused and irked me at the time, but the ending brought everything into focus, and I've got to applaud McGuire for pulling it off. My only lasting complaint is Tess's character, who seemed destined for becoming more of a plot point than she did, and I'm still scratching my head at her purpose.

Nevertheless, I truly enjoyed All the Little Lights despite any initial reservations I might have had over what appeared to be "just another teenage love story." Catherine and Elliott's tale is anything but cookie cutter—it's evocative and gorgeously written, with themes that run so much deeper than the innocence of first love. I'm always here for books reminding me I need to stop being so hasty to write off genres, and I'm so glad I gave All the Little Lights a shot. I definitely recommend this one!

Warm thanks to Montlake Romance for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

All the Little Lights is a young adult (YA) novel penned by bestselling author Jamie McGuire, and it isn't your usual YA romance read either. Unsurprisingly, McGuire has weaved a tale of two young people who find their way to each other only to be forced apart by circumstances beyond their control. When they're both seventeen, Elliott Youngblood forges the journey back to the tiny town of Oak Creek, Oklahoma to keep a promise he made to Catherine Calhoun. It's a promise she believed he broke two years prior, at a time when she needed the one person she believed she could lean on most. Elliott may very well convince Catherine to forgive him and give him another chance to get close to her, but while there are parts of them that have remained the same, there have been more that have changed over the span of a couple of years. As much as Elliott wants to get to know all the new things about Catherine, she knows that there is one particular secret that she needs to keep, because if the truth were ever to come out, he could very well leave her again--and this time, he'll do it willingly.



This book was way more than I was expecting it to be, and because I've read my fair share of Jamie McGuire's work in the past, I had quite lofty expectations to begin with. There is a love story that takes place, and it's one that's perfectly interspersed with the intriguing goings-on within the Juniper, the mansion that was once home to Catherine and her parents but was turned into a bed and breakfast by her mother after Catherine's father passed away. I was totally taken in by both aspects of this story because they never felt two separate elements. Catherine was at the very heart of everything that was going on, and Elliott made the very conscious choice to be by her side regardless of what was to come. This book also highlights the all too real issue of bullying and it isn't just up to those who are bullied to speak up but for adults to play a more active role in being aware of what these kids who are under their care are doing and doing something about the bullying. The same goes for what was suspected as neglect in terms of Catherine's well-being and care. Better to be proactive than reactive.



If you've read McGuire's books before, and you're hoping this is going to be something similar to her new adult (NA) stuff, I'm going to go ahead and tell you that this standalone is not like those. This book is very different, and in hindsight, I shouldn't even have been surprised. This is the same author who wrote a paranormal romance trilogy--which is what introduced me to her writing!--and a post-apocalyptic tale and those stories are on equal footing as far as I'm concerned with her NA romances. With this newest novel of hers, McGuire has offered up something extraordinary, and I for one enjoyed the heck out of this book. Catherine and Elliott's romance was easy enough for me to become fully invested in, but the same went for their individual stories. Just like stars shining brightest in darkness, these two teenagers may have gone through their share of challenges and adversities, but it was during those times when they realized just how capable they were of pushing beyond limits and moving ahead. All the Little Lights is a five-plus-starred must-read recommendation. ♥

Catherine meets Elliott when he comes to live with his aunt to escape from the terrible life at home. They become dependant on each other, coming closer. A tragedy strikes Catherine's life, but at the time when she needs him the most, Elliott is ripped away from her by his aunt. Two years later he's back to claim her, but by that time Catharine is far gone into her shell.
I had trouble connecting with the people, and some scenarios are weird. Just my opinion. Please go and read the book
3.5 stars

Being a die hard McGuire fan, I couldn't wait to get my hands on some new material! I absolutely love YA, and dark/mysterious is always a plus. I chose to go into this book rather blind and the element of surprise left me speechless. I can't really say what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't THIS! This book blew out my wildest expectations and then some.
In the beginning, I wasn't really sure what my thoughts were. It seemed a little slow, a little 'meh' and I just wasn't really sure where things were going. Over time, I became completely enamoured in this blossoming first love and trying to figure out the secrets that Catherine was keeping. I am usually really good at figuring things out and let me tell you, I NEVER saw this twist coming!
McGuire did a phenomenal job at capturing young love while hitting the nail on the head when it comes to cliques and bullying throughout high school. Not only was she not afraid to "go there" with these tough issues, she also drove head first into the tough topic of mental illness, respectfully and responsibly portraying several different types of illnesses and shedding light on these hidden worlds.
All The Little Lights is 5 plus stars and a must read!

3.5 Stars!

Jamie McGuire is an author at the top of my must buy list. She's the author who unknowingly pulled me out of a six-year book funk with her novel Beautiful Disaster. When I seen All The Little Lights I knew I needed to take a chance as I did a few years ago and request a copy and cross my fingers and hope like hell my request was approved. I was extremely excited when ATLL showed up on my Netgalley shelf!

If you're looking for a hot steamy novel with loads of sex and passion.....You definitely won't find that in this novel. But if you're looking for a novel with mystery, suspense, and a dark vibe, this would be the novel for you. 

Okay, Now is the difficult challenge of telling you about this novel without giving away spoilers. Let me first start off by saying, I'm not a huge fan of the YA genre when it comes to romance. I feel like the teenagers portrayed in these novels act older than their age... However, when it comes to ATLL I was all in and completely intrigued by these characters and the struggles and challenges they are faced with. I actually didn't mind the YA nature of this novel.

ATLL is told in two point of views and spans the time of three years.

Catherine Calhoun and Elliot Youngblood are both unique characters with two things in common. They both live in unstable households and they are both outcasts. One summer is all it takes for Elliot and Catherine to bond and share their lifelong details. The day before Elliot is supposed to go back home tragedy strikes Catherine's world. He's pulled away before he can see if she's okay. I really enjoyed the young Elliot and Catherine moments. From the start I sensed the protective nature Elliot held when it came to Catherine. I cheered when this young man put her biggest bullies in their places.

Two years later Elliot is back and he's about to face the biggest challenge of all, seeking Catherine's forgiveness. But he quickly realizes the Catherine he once knew is no longer the Catherine that stands in front of him. He'll do everything in his power to uncover her secrets and protect her from any threat. Some secrets though are to big to uncover without help.

And.... that is where I'm stopping the 'about the novel' portion of this review. Honestly it took me a few hours to write that small section and then rewrite it several times so it didn't contain little glimpses of spoilers..... Writing this review has been a nightmare for me!

There were two things I found compelling when it comes to ATLL. First is the Secret. This novel centers around a huge secret that nobody knows but everyone wants to find out. At 20% I had two theories in mind (theories that will not be added in this review due to spoilers). By 40% I had a feeling I knew how this novel would end and at 62% I knew exactly how ATLL would end. How did I know? well I have a way of picking out bits and pieces that are easily looked over. This is a curse for me when it comes to reading mysteries because I'm hardly ever surprised.... I almost always know the outcome! However, if you are unlike me and don't analytically try to prove your theories while reading, chances are this novel will honestly shock the hell out of you!

I loved the dark vibe that hovers over this world. The Juniper is a mansion in which Catherine has lived all her life, a mansion that has now been turned into a bed and breakfast in which Catherine and her mother still reside. The Juniper is a huge factor in this novel, this place is where all the mystery is held and because of this, Catherine has closed the door to all friendships refusing to let anyone in. To say The Juniper is creepy is a huge understatement.

I rated this a 3.5 star due to my ability to easily predict the ending. Certain moments felt like they were dragging on. I also had a hard time with the fact that Elliot was Cherokee but I didn't feel the Cherokee vibes. I wanted to feel more of that cultural vibe and experience it more through his eyes instead of just experiencing it through the bully's eyes and in a negative view.

Overall, I did enjoy this novel. I was sucked in from the very first page. I loved the young love between Elliot and Catherine. My heart was put through the wringer, I loved the swoon worthy moments Elliott brought to the book and the heartbreaking moments Catherine brought. I also loved the fact that Elliott is a fan of photography...and...he's a star quarterback! I could go on and on with all the little things I loved about this novel, but you all get the point. 

I really did enjoy reading All The Little Lights by Jamie McGuire!

Surprised.

That about sums up this book into one word. I was surprised by the story line and being so shocked at the end of the book. I was surprised by how different this felt from any other book Jamie has written. I was surprised that this was not what I expected at all. 

This was a roller coast of a book that had so many bumps along the way that I never knew what to expect. It was suspense the whole time yet it had an undercurrent of hope the whole way. It was very coming of age and yet had so many important topics being covered in it. 

While I really liked the story line and the mystery of it all, my rating comes down to never really connecting to the characters. For me, that took away some of the enjoyment for me personally. I still recommend this to anyone who likes these types of books. It's a good read either way.

I'll be honest, I was pretty excited to read a new Jamie McGuire book, and was also a little apprehensive to see what she did with a young adult novel. I'd read Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster ages ago and liked them a lot--and the blurb for this one sounded really intriguing. Family secrets, small towns, starcrossed/second chance romance. It was right up my alley. 

But while I liked the main characters a lot, and was pulled in initially by the family drama and will-they-or-won't-they romance of Catherine and Elliot (just kidding, it's always they will), I really felt like I was slogging through it even before the halfway mark. 

And, yes, there is suspense and "devastating secrets," and a huge twist at the end...but 1) it's at least a little problematic and 2) the rest of the book is still pretty dull. I ultimately couldn't connect to the characters, or their romance, and I felt pretty icky about how mental illness is handled in this book.

I just spent an entire afternoon reading this just so I could finish. What started off as a slow introduction to Elliot and Catherine's relationship turned into a powerful story about love, secrets, family and more. Catherinr and Elliot first meet the summer after their freshman year. Elliot is staying at his aunt's house for the summer and sees Catherine after her parents have a fight. He knows all about parents fighting because his fight a lot too. They spend the summer together until tragedy strikes Catherine. Fast forward two years and Elliot comes back to Oak Creek to live and finish his senior year there.

All the characters were great, even the ones we are supposed to dislike. Mrs. Mason and Elliot's Aunt Leigh were two of my favorites (along with Elliot of course!). While I didn't really like Catherine at the beginning, she grew on me as the book got further along.

The whole time I was reading I kept trying to figure out what Catherine's big secret was and boy did I get it wrong! If you like Jamie McGuire's other books and teen romances this book is definitely for you!

I enjoyed this book. I was happy to see Jamie had wrote a YA book. I love YA and this did not disappoint.
Elliot and Catherine were amazing and the plot...ohhh well read it and find out. I heart this book.
I think it's a must read!

This was different from the other books I have read from Jamie McGuire and whilst it took me longer then usual to get into, once I did get into it I was completely hooked.

I went into this book quite blind, not sure what to expect, just excited that it was a Jamie McGuire book and she did a great job keeping me on the edge of my seat in anticipation of what was going to happen next and in suspense of what was going on behind the closed doors.

I loved Elliott Youngblood and Catherine Calhoun together. They both seem so damaged and sad but together they seem to spark some life back into each other. The first time he sees Catherine he has never seen such a beautiful but sad sight. They are both outcasts dealing with families issues but they find an easy friendship with each other that is until the worse day of Catherine's life and Elliott is forced to leave town. When he finally comes back a few years later he finds a different girl who is more guarded. He will have to work hard to gain her trust again and break her walls down.

This book really dealt with some serious issues such as bullying, being judge based on your colour, nationality and culture, such emotive issues but so well written and dealt with, She also paired these with loyalty, protectiveness and friendship helping you overcome the obstacles in your way.

I am looking forward to seeing what Jamie brings us next

Jamie McGuire did it again! In this case it was with a YA book! I could not put it down an if I could give 10 stars I would..

Elliott and Catherine meet the summer of Freshman year...the year that Catherine gets throw for a loop. an he spends 2 years trying to get back to her. Finally Senior year he makes it back an works hard an getting her to forgive him for "leaving" through all this you know that Catherine is holding onto a secret but it isn't until the end that you truly find out what it is....Ms McGuire had me guessing until the very end and I was SHOCKED!! I truly loved this book an the added mystery behind Catherine's secret.

Can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeve!

Jamie McGuire always amazes with her books. Each time a new one comes out, I think to myself *this* is her best one yet! I absolutely loved All the Little Lights and will definitely be recommending it to others.

Well written romance that kept me invested. I have not read any of the author's other work, but will do so now because I loved this book.