While telling a very absorbing and real kind of story about family tensions and conflicts, Emily Griffin points out the need for instilling right values into children at a very young age.
This is the story of two families, each dealing with teenagers. One father uses his wealth and power to protect his son; the other, a middle class working man, makes his daughter face the truth and its consequences.
The writing is so clever you don't know who should be believed.
It reminds us of the need for communication and honesty in families, between husband and wife, children and parents.
This novel truly did make me think. It would be a wonderful read for anyone raising teens in this troubling time!

I absolutely loved this book! I am an avid reader but I can't seem to ever find interest in anything other than murder mystery. I have started to get really bored with the genre and am trying to find more books like this one. I was so drawn into the story and constantly found myself feeling emotions towards/for the characters. The author did an excellent job developing each character and giving just enough details about one side of the story before switching view points. This was definitely a page-turner...I read it in one day. I loved the ending as it left me at peace with where every character ended up. I would otally recommend this book to friends and family. I can already think of three people that would love it. It covers morals, love, and care for others. Just when you think you have life figured out! ;)

All We Ever Wanted was a fascinating read! The plot dealt with such realistic issues as rape, sexual abuse, racism, financial disparity, and a parent’s unconditional love. The story was told from the perspectives of Nina, Lyla, and Tom. Nina enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle with her snobbish money driven husband and her 18 year old son who enjoyed life too much, especially at the expense of others. For both father and son, unscrupulous actions were a part of their relationship. Nina sought to change that aspect of Finch’s persona. Tom, a carpenter, tried to raise Lyla the best way possible since her alcoholic mother was not really a part of their daughter’s life. Both Tom and Lyla clashed over appropriate wardrobe and curfew, but love was always present.
Then one night…an unchaperoned party, too much drinking, a sexually explicit picture and the aftermath of these events turned the characters’ lives into an emotional whirlwind that consisted of lies and deception but also truth and discovery. None of the characters remained unscathed in this engaging page turner.
This story was well written with intriguing characters. It will make you think, discuss, and debate the actions taken by each character as the story evolved. It will also make think what your actions might be if some aspects of this story became your reality.

Another fabulous novel from Emily Giffin . It’s rare to read a story and what’s its like to be a person trying to be a good, truthful person as well as trying to set the example to people you really love (family). I love that it teaches us no matter whom we love, we need to lead and be the one that stands out and in this story it’s Nina!
She was true to herself even we fighting for a love one. A feel good story of family and why...we need to take a STAND for not only ourselves but for others. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and devour another Emily Giffin novel.

I really enjoyed this book! Much more than the authors last one about the gym teacher. The characters were totally relatable and I enjoyed their unique voices. The story reflected a very realistic scenario in the age of technology/cell phones and “mean girls”. My only complaint would be that it wrapped up too quickly - I would have liked to see Kirk and Finch face consequences/karma in more detail and learn more about Nina and Tom’s relationship development after Finch’s trial.

This book was just okay for me. I'm not sure what I expected exactly. Maybe a little more depth to the characters, but I couldn't even find myself rooting for any of them. They were all pretty unlikeable to me. Tom was perhaps the only fairly redeeming character in the entire book. I wish I could say I would recommend this, but I suppose I would to those who enjoy fluffy chick-lit. I used to, but not so much anymore.

A thought-provoking, timely read, All We Ever Wanted is a bit of a slow burn. An incident happens at the top of the book that Nina, Tom and his daughter Lyla spend the rest of the book trying to decipher, while managing the fall out in their lives.

It's hard for a parent not to be invested in this book. It touches upon some of the core fears that keep us up at night. I think it also did an excellent job of bring issues of class into discussion. Like the book, Big Little Lies, it gives us a peek into a world of privilege in which the "rules" do not necessarily apply for all.

My only beef with the book was one of pacing. Because characters spend a lot of time processing ideas and diving into their backstory, at times the story felt a little slow. Nina's third act visit to her parents (and reconnection with a lost love) in particular felt like it dragged the story down a bit. At that point in the book, I was much more interested in the central drama at play and figuring out how it would be resolved. Have no fear though, the book DOES deliver on that promise, serving up a high-stakes and ultimately (for me) satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Griffin writes as if she is telling you about personal friends. The characters come alive and you immediately fall into their spell. She spins a tale like no other. Highly recommended.

All We Ever Wanted is pretty much all you've ever wanted in a book.

Nina Browning is a wealthy woman from Bristol. And while she lives in Nashville with her husband and son, she's never forgotten the person she was WITHOUT the money.

Nina has it all, wealth, looks, charity work, popularity and a son that just got into Princeton.

But a huge moment - related to her son and social media - shake up her world and she may not recover.

The issue is poignant, true to life and incredibly well written.

Told from multiple viewpoints you'll uncover a bit about everyone as the story unfolds while asking yourself if Nina truly failed as a mother and if she can still help her son Finch.

Truly excellent writing - you won't want to put this one down.

Love love this book. This is one you can not miss. Characters real, though some were unlikeable, but that makes this book. You've probably read this in the news, but that's what makes this book. Great job!
Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

A great book! Loved the characters and plot development. It was almost like reading a mystery- who is telling the truth? Very timely topic. This book made me think about how I was raising my daughters and how I want them to be treated. It also made laugh, cheer and cry.

NOTE: I received a free copy of the book through NetGalley. Below is my honest review.

I consider it a stroke of luck to have received a free copy of All We Ever Wanted the morning of a snow day. It was the perfect way to spend the day, and if not for needing to feed my kids, I might have finished it in one sitting.

The plot is set in motion as socialite Nina finds out that her son Finch, a senior at Windsor prep school on his way to Princeton, has shared an inappropriate photo of Lyla, a sophomore girl at Windsor on scholarship. Touching on issues of social media, class relations, racial relations, teenage sexuality, friendships (among both teenagers and adults), and marriage, All We Ever Wanted is a page-turner that grabs your attention immediately and keeps apace throughout. The story is told from three different points of view: Nina, Lyla, and Tom, Lyla’s working-class single father. We do not get the story from Finch’s perspective and while not a thriller, the book does have that thriller-like element of the reader’s trying to figure out whether or not to trust Finch, as he responds to the allegations against him to his parents, to the school principal and to Lyla herself.

As a mother of two boys myself, I can most relate to Nina and can imagine facing the nightmare of a son’s misbehavior, particularly in the age of social media. That said, I think she comes off as a bit too heavy-handed and almost one dimensional in her moral superiority, and though Giffin provides reasoning to Nina’s decisions in the backstory, I think there could be more fleshed out about relationships with her husband, her child and her friends that would have provided more complexity to the character.

I feel like I have grown along with Emily Giffin’s books, from dating to marriage to raising children as the subjects of her books have grown. In some ways, I miss the lighter typical “chick lit” I used to expect from her. But I think Giffin handles some topical, heavier issues in this book very well and delivers another strong, engaging page-turner of a book. Recommend.

I am a huge fan of Emily Giffin! I have read all of her books and I was super excited to start this book, All We Ever Wanted. I have to say I was a little put off at first by the subject manner at first but after reading on, I was hooked. Although I think this book could be also classified at a teen book rather than an adult one. It deals with alcohol, sex and social media. Emily hooks you in like she always does. You will fall for Nina and be rooting for her until the end. I do wish Emily wrote more about the ending and the honor council before wrapping it up in a pretty little bow. I would have liked to hear exactly how that "trial" played out. Overall, another hit for Giffin! I would definitely recommend this to others. Thanks for the advanced copy in exchange for my opinion, Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine Publishing Group!
#AllWeEverWanted #NetGalley

Excellent story with a timely topic. It veered a bit in a few different directions. But overall an interesting and engaging story in today’s times.

Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors. I've read every single book she's written and was super excited to receive an ARC from Netgalley of All We Ever Wanted.

In this book Giffin tackles the timely subjects of sexual harassment, class, and the use of social media/smartphones. Using alternating POVs Giffin tells the tale of two families living in Nashville and the fallout when the privileged white boy takes an embarrassing photo of a female classmate and it gets out to most of the school. Giffin does a great job of covering many controversial topics and how money can't buy happiness. It was a quick read that I couldn't put down. The only thing keeping me from giving it five stars was the abrupt ending. I felt cheated that it ended with everything neatly wrapped up. I also would have liked the POV of Finch, the boy who took the photo in the beginning. I love Giffin's writing and can't wait for her next book!

This book was absolutely incredible. I found myself riveted to the page, unable to put my kindle down. The characters that Emily Giffin created were very real and absorbing. You felt their daily events as if you were loving them yourself. Any person with children would understand both the sense of love and devastation that Nina possesses during this book. In highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys family dramas, women’s drama or general fiction.

This book, I felt, should have left me feeling more disturbed than it did and that disturbed me. There are lies, those that believe the lies and then lies on top of that and then it just...ends with everyone sort of getting along.

This was such an enjoyable, riveting read. So timely in its subject matter and theme with memorable characters leading the way. The ending was a little unsatisfactory for me though. I wanted to know more but that probably would have required another hundred pages. A must read!

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book before release.

This was one of Giffin's best books by far. I read this in less than 24 hours. Could not put it down. It had a few twists and came togethet quite nicely. Thank you again!

This might have just become my favorite Emily Giffin novel, and as a bonus I'm obsessed with the cover. The story grabbed me right from the start and Giffin faces a lot of real issues unflinchingly but without added commentary.