Overall, I was impressed with Ms. Giffin's newest novel. The story was one of the utmost importance, especially in today's world. I was pleased to see that it aligned well and supported the current "Me Too" movement. All We Ever Wanted is an important story. I would even go as far to recommend it to (older) teenage girls as well as college aged girls. Essentially - all women AND men need to hear this story in some sort of capacity. The character development was exceptional, and the supporting characters were very much so necessary. I do, however, feel that if the epilogue had not been written that I would have been grasping at straws for an ending. For me, it tied the story together - not necessarily in a happy ending, but in one that left me satisfied with this particular story.

As in all of Giffin’s previous novels, she expertly inserts the audience into a morally gray situation. At first what is right and wrong seem clear, but as Giffin brings you deeper and deeper into the Belle Meade world, where the children of the influential are protected at all costs. Written with heart and sincerity, All We Ever Wanted is an eye-opening look into what women are expected to tolerate in our social media steeped world, and what it looks like truly take steps to preserve the value and dignity of those women. My new favorite book.

I received a free copy of the book through NetGalley.

I love Emily Giffin. Per most of her books, this book was easy to read and I got through it in just a few hours. Most of the characters were fleshed out fairly well, although not all of them as there is an overarching mystery throughout.

I wanted to love this book. After thinking about it for a few hours, though, I was left with too many questions and just didn't feel good about where the story ended.

Here's my main issue (spoiler alert): What's revealed to have really happened at the end of the book is a crime. Lyla was sexually assaulted. Yet, everyone just kind of goes on with their lives. The perpetrator, from the information we are given, is a repeat sexual predator. Ultimately, this is what I can't get over. The events that take place in this book are not OK, but in search of a tidy ending, I suppose, it ends quickly and everyone goes on with their lives.

Perhaps the moral of the story is that money trumps everything else, but in light of the #metoo movement, the ending of this story fell flat for me.

Wow.

Emily Giffin has a unique voice and style in the women’s fiction genre. If I had just one word, I would describe her as fearless. If I had three: fearless, heartfelt, and funny. She is unafraid to explore timely topics — in this case, the main thrust of the story revolves around the sexual transgression of a high school student. It could have been pulled from the headlines. It went deeper to explore the parents reaction, how it changed them, how it exposed the fault lines in their marriage and themselves.

It was really just beautifully written. Giffin has a gift for heartbreak, for mistakes, for making sympathetic characters. She is everything: writer, artist, and psychologist.

I loved it, and so will you.

Although written in a similar vein to other Emily Griffin novels, this one was more multi-faceted and addressed matters that were beyond mere fluff. I enjoyed reading the evolution of the main characters, of their internal conflict and the struggle and attempted solutions.

This was an ARC provided ny NetGalley for my honest review.
I can honestly say that I really did enjoy this book. The book involved a situation where there was an inappropriate picture taken and shared with the use of cellphones. More then that the story showed that it's hard to really know someone, whether it's someone you consider a friend or your own child!
The book alternates the narrator chapter by chapter between Nina-the mother of the boy accused of taking the photo, Tom-the father of the girl in the picture, and Lyla-the girl in the nning picture. It's very interesting to see things from each of their points of view. I also have to say it addressed this "hot topic" of social media, cell phones and situations considered to be a form of sexual harassment, pretty well. It showed how each person might feel in these situations. All in all I really did enjoy this book.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read an advance copy of"All We Ever Wanted" in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was one of those books I couldn't put down, and one I'm still thinking about several weeks after finishing. There are so many layers of plot, and the characters are well developed and relatable.

Nina Browning learns something that causes her to reflect on her life and her relationships. In doing so she realizes she's not happy with who she has become. I think we can all look at a relationship we have or had and see how it's changed us - sometimes in a good way, sometimes not so good. I love that she was a strong enough person to take action and alter her course.

All We Ever Wanted was a richly developed, very relavent story. Lyla is biracial high schooler who attends a very affluent school in Nashville, TN. She is raised by her father Tom who is a carpenter by day and drives Uber at night to pay the bills. Lyla ends up at a party where some not so nice photos are taken whilst passed out, by the guy she has a crush on, Finch, but is that the whole story? This book was absolutely fantastic! I flew through it in less than a day and I was in tears by the end. I can’t wait to read more by Emily!

Like with most of Emily's books lately, this one I didn't have high hopes. It talks about the typical poor people, the typical rich person, meanwhile them mocking each other while they are the stereotype. It makes no sense. It was not an enjoyable book.

Another winner from Emily Giffin. I read a lot of women's fiction and sometimes I'm disappointed in the writing even if the characterization is good. With Emily Giffin I always know I'm going to get the best of both worlds. Her latest, ALL WE EVER WANTED, is no exception. In fact, I enjoyed this novel more than some of her recent ones. I was drawn in immediately and mesmerized as I watched these people grapple with moral decisions and bad behavior and the long-reaching implications. Some readers may be turned off by Nina's extreme wealth. However, I would urge them to stick with her. Also, there are a ton of names tossed around in the opening pages. But as the story progresses, it gets easier to keep track of everyone.

This book is my new favorite from author Emily Giffin. It covers a difficult topic with a natural ease. The themes are timely and necessary in this social media focused society.

The book is told through multiple perspectives: Nina - a woman who marries into a wealthy family, and whose son, Finch, spreads an illicit picture of a classmate; Lyla - the teenage victim; and Tom - Lyla's father who pushes for justice. Nina struggles to accept her son's behavior and throughout the book questions both her and her husband's role. Lyla also struggles to understand her father's persistence in pushing for repercussions.

This book looks at what a parent goes through as they discover their child is growing up. It looks at how a parent must grapple with their role in their child's behavior, both good and bad. This book also touches on the role that wealth and status have in situations like these. Giffin is able to wonderfully articulate both the parents' and child's perspectives in this book. Although the ending is not quite what you want to see; it is unfortunately what happens too often.

This book will leave readers thinking and will hopefully illicit some discussions between parents and their children about social media and positive behavior.

I am voluntarily submitting my honest review after receiving an ARC of this ebook via NetGalley..

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit to being a long-time fan of Emily Giffin's novels. I began this book with really high expectations and while I thoroughly enjoyed this book (staying up way too late so I could binge read since I couldn't put it down), I must admit to having mixed feelings about it. The book revolves around the aftermath that results when student Finch Browning takes a photo of a drunken, passed out Lyla Volpe at a party and then distributes it with a racist caption. When her husband fails to take the incident as seriously as she feels it warrants, Finch's mother Nina realizes her husband isn't the man she thought he was and that he is turning her son into an entitled, spoiled, amoral brat while she has just stood by passively and allowed it to happen. In the meantime, Lyla's father Tom struggles to parent Lyla alone through this difficult time SPOILER ALERT!!!

SPOILER ALERT!!! What left me so conflicted about this book was Lyla's ability to continue on through the aftermath of the photo's release. Being the parent of a 15-year-old myself, I find it hard to believe she would be able to show her face in the same school after an incident like that, particularly if she was already an outside. Kids are extremely cruel, and they would have made it impossible for her to return after an incident like that. And for her to trust Finch again so soon after that to go to a concert with him? That is just too hard to believe. I was also very unsettled by the fact that Finch didn't face any real consequences for his actions. I suppose that is the way of the world--the rich can always buy their way out of anything and life is not full of justice and HEAs--but it left me furious all the same! In any case, this book is still as well-written and enjoyable as the rest of Emily Giffin's works. Even though it isn't my favorite of her novels, I still recommend it as a good read.

I love Emily Griffin's books. She is a "must read author". I thought this book was very timely and at first I was "this is just another social media gone wrong story" but I loved it. I loved Nina and hated Kirk. Another great read from Emily :-)

This book is one of the best and most intense books I have read. And I can truly say it was amazing.
I have read and loved all of Emily's books. But as a mother and someone that was bullied this book truly hits home.
I dont want to give any spoilers, but let me just say money doesn't buy you happiness. As matter of fact, money can only by you things. Things can be replaced. But respect can never be replaced.
She may only be 16 but I truly respected the character of Lyla Volpe. She is someone I would be proud to call my child. She's strong and really brave young lady. I cant imagine what she went through the night that everything changed in her life. But she made it to the other side, Standing tall. And that is something t be proud of

This was my first Emily Griffin novel but it won't be my last! I loved the storyline as it is so relevant to today and what happens in high school with teens and their obsession with social media--and the inherent dangers of which they are often unaware! So we have Kirk, an arrogant husband, Finch, an entitled teen boy who has been spoiled rotten and pampered by his parents, and Nina, the wife who actually has some sense of morality and ethical values. Throw in Lyla, a sweet young girl with a crush on Finch, some alcohol, an unchaperoned party, and a cell phone and you may see where this is going.
Not only does this novel deal with the realities of high school and rampant texting, but it also addresses the great divide between the privileged and the middle class--with all its complexities and underpinnings of society's mores that suggest there is little equality where money can literally buy anything. I found this book to be honest and real with some characters I loved and others I abhorred. But that's what makes a novel truly fascinating to me --when I can experience both sides of a dilemma and feel emotions so strongly that I often struggle with the outcome. This is a very raw look at misguided judgment, young love and obsession, parenting struggles, and entitled adults who believe money is the root of all things good in the world. I loved it!

Great read, very well written! I have almost every single book written by Emily Giffin and yet I've never opened one and I'm so sorry I haven't read her work sooner.
I will say the beginning of the book, I was worried the story would be predictable. Privileged, rich family with spoiled rotten kid, Finch, who takes an inappropriate photo with a racist caption of Lyla. Finch's parents are split on how to handle the situation as their son just got accepted to Princeton. Tom, Lyla's single hardworking father, is determined not to let Finch get away with this. On the surface, that story line seems kind "eh", but the story evolved into so much more, really hit current issues, and was thought provoking along the way. The manipulation, drama, and sadness that some of the characters went through all tied together by the end. From the halfway point of this book, I couldn't put it down. I will definitely be reading my other Emily Giffin novels ASAP.

**Special thanks to NetGalley, Emily Giffin, and Ballantine Books for providing an advanced read copy in exchange for an honest opinion.**

What a wonderful book! I love Emily Giffin and her books normally, so I had high expectations. I think she did an outstanding job in character development, and this book quickly became my favorite of all of her books. I would definitely recommend this book!

All we ever wanted is a beautiful story of how we want so much to believe in those we love. With all the twists of the story we see each character wanting to believe that the other is a good person.

This book was very difficult to put down, because I was so engrossed with the plot line and the characters Emily brought to life in this book. I was surprised at where some of the story ended up going, because it was not what I expected!

This was definitely a different type of novel that I’m used to reading from Emily Giffin. Definitely topical, timely, and controversial , but I think she tried a little bit too hard to be all of those things. The story felt scattered, told from too many perspectives, without sufficient resolution. With that being said, it’s a story that should be told, I just think it could have been done a little better.

This is my 3rd Emily Giffin book and she is quickly becoming a favorite author. Her stories are real, and in All We Ever Wanted, it covers a story of teenagers and how social media, and texting can lead to bullying and humiliation.

Nina lived a life of luxury and on the outside looking in it seemed that everything was perfect. What happens when the perfect life you’ve created for your son backfires? What happens when the life of privilege your son has had failed to instill in him humility and compassion? Nina struggles with the fact that spoiling her son has left him lying to her and in the middle of a scandal that could jeopardize his future at Princeton. The story is told from multiple perspectives and Nina struggles with protecting her son and doing the right thing.