Very riveting read, with some real intense moments. But oh how I loved reading all the teenage stuff and that went back to Nina’s teenage years to.
Bonnie was my favorite secondary character, she was so wise and kind.
Great characters, great dialogue, sensitive subjects that keep me flipping the pages.

This was such an amazing, thought-provoking story! I couldn't stop reading this story and I loved how it was split into three different points of view.

"I longed to go back. Do things differently."

This statement is something that really hit home for me. I think we all have regrets, especially when it comes to raising our children. I really adored Nina and how she stood up for Lyla simply because it was the right thing to do.

"Money makes you more of what you already are?"

Again, something that rings true, at least to me. And that is just one of the many things I enjoyed about this story. It was relatable. It was real. It was raw. It made you think. It was complex and kept me on the edge of my seating, having to go onto the next chapter right away. I highly recommend this book! (5 stars)

This was an absolutely fabulous read. You are always rooting for Nina Browning. This is a great story of how you change in life and sometimes your decisions at one point on life don’t fit your life later in in life. The characters are extremely interesting and have many facets to them. There were many twists and turns in this book and love how everything ends. I highly recommend this read. Emily Griffin did not disappoint with this story.

This was a reviteing story from page one. Emily is so good at making her characters come alive. I’m sure many people are having the same teenager problems that were stated in this story. I really enjoyed it!

Lyla is a teenager dealing with typical issues of being a teenager in a world of cell phones and social media. She is photographed passed out at a party by Finch a wealthy boy she goes to school with. He convinces Lyla that he was not the one who to the image, but he was covering for his ex girlfriend Polly who was having emotional issues handling their breakup.

Nina, Finch's mother, Is battling between sticking up for her son and knowing what he did was completely out of line and damaging. She wants him punished for his actions but is battling her husband who is condescending and trying to buy off everyone to bury this situation.

Will Lyla choose to believe Finch or will everyone figure out what really happened that evening.

I love an Emily Giffin book. They are sweet romantic comedies that always make me feel happy after I read them. This is a huge departure from those and I have to say, this is my very favorite. So let me wipe my tears and tell you why.

The story is told in three voices. Nina, her husband and son live in a wealthy enclave in Nashville. Their son Finch has just been accepted into Princeton and life seems to be going as it usually does. Nina seems to be feeling something off though. Her husband is gone more and she is almost embarrassed by their lifestyle. She finds out from a town gossip about a picture that her son supposedly sent to friends of a young girl, lying passed out on a bed, her breast exposed. There is also a rather racist comment. Lyla, the young girl in said picture, is on a scholarship to the private school that Finch also attends. She likes Finch and would rather it all went away but her dad Tom, won’t let it go. Tom and Nina get together and work on a solution but there is so much more to the story. Can Nina face whatever the truth might be?

This story is so timely. Emily Giffin perfectly writes each characters feelings and I felt like I was almost eavesdropping on them in their homes. You will feel angry. You will feel sad. I loved how the characters developed and found out more about themselves. I was in tears at the ending and the epilogue. It was such a perfect ending. It was really a perfect read. Don’t expect something light and breezy but expect to be very happy that you picked this book up.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this lovely read.

I really enjoyed this story up until the very end. The story was relatable to me, especially having young daughters myself. It gives good insight as to the he said she said of high school and the inner workings of an elite private school and it's families. I related to Nina and Lyla's characters and the emotions that they went through. I feel that there could have been more to the resolution of this story, more justice in the end and that more depth could have been given to the end of the story as was given in the beginning.

This is my first Emily Giffin book I've read. I enjoyed the writing style and the story line even though it was a bit disturbing. It was a predictable story, especially the ending. Thank you Netgalley, Publisher and author for a copy of this e-ARC.

This book definitely captures what is going on with some young people in our time. A wealthy community, a good school, young people with bright futures. Until a picture appears on the internet of one naked girl. Finch, who has taken responsibility for the picture thinks it is no big deal. Lyla, the subject of the photo is of the same mindset. The parents involved have different ideas. Nina, who thinks she has the perfect son is horrified. This does not work with the image her family has in the community. Tom, Lila’s father is beyond furious. He has always been concerned about his daughter attending this school as a scholarship student. Ms. Giffen has written some complex characters that is really a comment on date rape, social media and current times. I found this to be a thought provoking novel of the climate we currently live in.

We chose this selection as for Modern Mrs Darcy's annual Summer Reading Guide. https://modernmrsdarcy.com/srg

It's been a while since I've read a book by Emily Giffen, but I had the opportunity to read the first two chapters and was immediately dying to read more. Dealing with the timely topic of the impact of social media and how it can impact multiple lives, this book provided me with some serious food for thought. So much so that I would say that I suffered from a book hangover for several days after finishing it, as I couldn't stop thinking about it. Despite my children being far younger than the characters in the book, I couldn't help but feel some kinship with Nina and Tom, as parents. In addition to the topic of the potential negative impact of social media, Giffen tackles the tough subjects of class, race and privilege.

The book is told from the multiple, first-person POVs of Nina, Tom and Layla (Tom's daughter). For readers who aren't used to reading alternating POVs, this can sometimes take some getting used to, but I think it better helps put the reader in the mind of the characters. Although this isn't an easy "beach read" by any stretch of the imagination, I've already recommended All We Ever Wanted to several friends as a "must read" for the summer!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

All We Ever Wanted is the story of two families trying to navigate a scandal involving their two children. Nina Browning seemingly has everything, a rich handsome husband, a son headed for Princeton, and more money than she could possibly need. Then, suddenly when Nina's son, Finch is implicated in a incident which could have him expelled from school and maybe even get his college acceptance revoked, Nina finds herself reliving a scarring event from her past and realizing that maybe the life she has isn't necessarily the one she really wants. Tom has been raising his teenage daughter alone since her mother abandoned them when Lyla was a young child. When Lyla suddenly becomes the focus of scandal, Tom is determined to do everything he can to protect his daughter and her reputation whether she wants him to to or not. This is a very timely book that will really make you think. It presents a very realistic view of how hard it is to be a good parent and do what is best for your child and still do what is right especially in the oversharing world of today. This book will get into your psyche and stay with you long after you've read it especially if you are parent.

Nina and her family have moved from the merely well-to-do to stinking rich after the sale of her husband's tech company. Now a part of Nashville's one=percent, the couple and their son Finch—a high school senior heading to Princeton—have taken to buying whatever they see and want. But when Finch posts a photo with a racist caption of younger female classmate--passed out and exposed at a party--the post goes viral. As Finch faces expulsion from school and possible of loss of his place at Princeton, his parents disagree about how to handle the incident. Nina wants Finch to face the consequences and learn from his mistake; her husband tries to buy the other family's silence in to protect Finch's future. Griffin's latest raises questions of morality, privacy and privilege, and asks: how do you support a child in the face of behavior that hurts another. A beach read with some (moral) heft.

This is the best book I have read this year. It's heartbreaking and yet still somehow hopeful. I was devastated for Nina and Tom and angry for and angry at both of their children as this story unfolded. I on the edge of my seat from the last line of chapter one and I couldn't put it down until I was finished.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. I was so excited that it was set in Nashville and mentioned many of my favorite spots. I fell in love with the characters and could not wait to read more. This is a book I will read again. Many great subjects were touched through the book. Not often do I rate books a 5. Hands down one of my favorites.

I absolutely loved Something Borrowed and Something Blue by Emily Griffin, so when I had the chance to read All We Ever Wanted, I jumped at the chance! A story told with multiple point-of-views about choices made and their impacts to those around you.

Nina went from a middle-class life to one of the wealthiest families in Nashville, But not all is what it seems in her life. Her son was just accepted to Princeton. They should be celebrating. But when her son is part of an act that harms another, she finds herself in the middle of that mess.

Tom is a single father doing all he can to provide the best life possible for his daughter. When she receives a scholarship to the elite Windsor Academy, he could not be prouder. But now Lyla, Tom’s daughter, finds herself among spoiled and entitled kids. Can she ever fit in?

All Lyla wants is to be accepted and be a part of the crowd. Instead she finds a photo that has gone viral and her life is now upside down. Tom wants justice for his daughter and Nina wants her son to take responsibility. In a world of wealth and power, will either get what they are looking for?

All We Ever Wanted deals with issues of faced by many in the age of social media and wrong choices. We see how this event affected each character and how they dealt with it. A touching and emotional story that stays with you.

Happy reading!

I’ve always been a fan of Emily Giffin. I thought I knew what to expect when I started this book but I definitely didn’t. All We Ever Wanted has 3 different point of views and touches on relationships, race, privacy, privilege...it’s a book of substance and is timely for our world today. It’s one I didn’t want to put down!
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Marriage, divorce, cyberbullying, lies, deceit - this book has all that and more. It would seem there are too many topics for one book to cover, but this beautifully written book manages to tie everything together smoothly. The characters are believable as are the situations in which they find themselves. The story is told well and I was glad to see a satisfactory finale but that the author avoided a cliched ending.

I read this book in less than 24 hours.

If you've ever read an Emily Giffin book, you know she doesn't mess around and gets right into the action from the beginning.

If you've never read one of her books, start with this one.

Living very close to Nashville, I especially appreciated the back drop of this story -putting me right in the heart of Belle Meade - a very elite part of the city.

As I've admired the beautiful homes in and around the Nashville area, I've wondered what's happening inside. Who lives there? Are they happy? Is life everything they hoped?

For Nina, Tom, and Lyla, their life changes in one night. Something as simple as a picture taken on a smartphone holds the power to take everything away. For these families, money and zip code mean nothing.

This is a timely novel and will stay will me a long time. I can't think of any reader that would not enjoy this novel.

I enjoyed the story. Watching the happenings through the eyes of those involved gave more depth to the story. I however felt like the end was rushed. I would've liked to see more into how things went down.