Jemma and Sam are two people who had been in very happy relationships but for very different reasons are both now single and devastated. The story unfolds from both their points of view. Jem’s mother owns a teddy bear shop called Bear With Me and she passed the love of the cuddly toys onto Jemma, which led to her career working in London as a museum curator. Sam Jones is a doctor in a London hospital and yes he’s heard all the Indiana Jones jokes. Both are originally from Whitsborough Bay. I do love the setting of Whitsborough Bay and have read most of Jessica’s books set there now. I very much enjoyed spotting characters from the other books as they occasionally appeared in this book.

Circumstances throw Jemma and Sam together and they soon become firm friends, understanding and caring for each other and both so supportive. I loved watching as they began to take tentative steps towards a relationship. I so wanted this to happen as they both deserved a loving relationship. But every time it seemed they were close to taking their friendship to another level, life kept throwing obstacles in their way. It was also lovely to see how important the support of their other friends were to them, as both Jem and Scott had so much to cope with. Friendship is often a theme in Jessica Redland’s books and it is very apparent here just how important good friends are, whether to offer a shoulder to cry on or sometimes to offer hard truths.

I have to say, one thing Jessica Redland does so well is a beautiful ending. In every single one of her books, the ending has been exactly what I hoped for and has left me with a big smile on my face and a happy glow inside. If you love feel-good, uplifting fiction and haven’t discovered Jessica’s lovely writing yet, what are you waiting for? I’ll finish with a line from near the end of the book, a line I think speaks to many of us in today’s present circumstances.

“When things seem bleak, all you need is love; someone to shine some light through the darkness”

I really enjoyed the return to Whitsborough Bay and Castle Street, even though half of the book was set in London. The main characters, Jemma and Sam, narrates alternate chapters giving the reader an understanding of their feelings and emotions. The storyline gives these characters some major hurdles to overcome and the reader is exposed to some tragic events.
However, this is ultimately an uplifting story, well written with great characters and with deft touches of humour. If you have not discovered Jessica Redland yet, then this book is a great one to start with.
Who can resist a comic book hero, teddy bears and the stunning Yorkshire Coast - not me!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

“Absolutely Fabulous”

This was “an emotional, lump in throat/crying” read.
You definitely need a box of tissues handy.

There was a few quotes I loved - one being - Dad hated bears, Mum hated golf, and I was pretty certain they hated each other.

I read this book in a day, unable to put down. The storyline was so captivating that I had to finish the book..

I absolutely loved all the characters, Jemma and Sam’s path was like they were on a route to find happiness only to reach heartache. Ever time I thought they were finally getting it right, but didn’t, I was frustrated for them.

.I felt the story easily followed, and held my attention.

The references to Flash Gordon/Thor/Indiana Jones and the Deputy Head Bear-Keeper were adorable. .

Absolutely Fabulous.

Oh my! What a beautiful emotional love story. I love Jessica Redland’s stories but this one has completely blown me away. I’ve laughed and ugly cried along with these brilliant characters and loved how Sam and Jemma’s friends and families are so much of their stories. I thought that Jemma’s mum’s health problems were handled so sensitively and as such were an integral part of the whole book. Such a wonderfully written story of love, grief, friendship and family.

Originally brought out as Bear with me, this bo9k is one of Jessica’s back catalogue re edited and branded .
I absolutely adored this book. Jessica is a favourite author of mine, coming across her a couple of years ago. Each book is well researched, beautifully written and the reader is drawn into the story completely.
This book is exceptional, the two main characters Jemma and Sam , are introduced by chance in London before returning to Whitsborough Bay . This location feels like a real place due to Jessica’s incredible descriptions and the introduction of main characters from previous books as peripheral characters in this one . Both Jemma and Sam are broken characters, both having experienced loss and heartache in their lives. They become friends, a friendship which grows as they share their past histories, and start to be there for each other .
Jessica is never afraid to approach difficult subjects. In this book, sudden death, loss, Parkinson’s and Dementia , lies and deceit all appear. Jessica’s approach is to give the reader an insight into these subjects in a caring and sensitive way without bogging down the main storyline.
The book has many different twists and turns and it is not a predictable read. It is extremely addictive reading, the reader becoming part of the story and real life being put on hold ! The characters are strong , likeable,and believable, all set in a beautiful setting. I would highly recommend this book
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Jessica, for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another brilliant book from Jessica.

When Scott proposes to Jemma she thinks has her life sorted until Scott starts ghosting her. She finds out the Scott is in fact Adam and is married with twins. Meanwhile Sam escapes to London following the death of his fiancée Nikki. When they meet each other by chance and realise they are both originally from Whitsborough Bay they help each other deal with their loses.

A gorgeous story of two people who have loved but had their hearts shattered and must overcome a lot of pain to move on.
A brilliant and captivating story written by a firm favourite of mine, Jessica Redland who never fails to create great characters, emotional issues, and lovely settings. The ups and downs in this story will have your emotions on a real rollercoaster. Moments of tragedy mixed with heart-warming scenes of hope and positivity.
Whilst the two main characters, Jemma and Sam, meet and forge a great friendship, both realise that what they need to do is take care of their own pain and past experiences. With many false starts, Jemma and Sam do start to help each other, heal themselves and move forward – with everything in life the timing is important and throughout this book it isn’t always quite right.
There were times I could’ve just had seriously stern words with Jemma – she really didn’t make the right choices at times! Sam, I could empathise with completely, but I wanted to pull him out of his own head and get him back in the real world.
You will love both characters, you will want to take them and make them feel better because they both deserve to for different reasons. With some brilliant additional characters who will make you laugh, and keep you on your toes, this book is a smasher.
I couldn’t put this one down, perfect to cosy up and get stuck into. Highly recommended.

I read the first two pages of this book & realised I had read it before. A book about loss & how we move forward. Based in Whitsborough Bay, Jemma's life turns upside down, when her new fiance doesn't return her calls & there are so many unanswered questions.
Sam's future looked good. He had a promising career and he'd found the woman of his dreams. Now he's in a strange city, far from everyone he loves, and his life is changed so much.
Follow the story of these two people meeting & read how they help each other heal.
I do enjoy eading Jessica Redland's books. Enjoy!

This is the second story that I’ve had the pleasure of reading by Jessica Redland, and it was just as gorgeous, or perhaps even more so, than the first. There is something contagiously cosy, welcoming and heartwarming about Redland’s writing. It’s the sort that makes you want to slip into fluffy socks and sip creamy hot chocolate. The sort to entice you into wrapping yourself up in a thick blanket and holding it tight around yourself, feeling comforted in the same way the words comfort the reader. It’s exactly the sort of storytelling I admire and am so very fond of. It washes away the stresses of the day and allows the reader to escape to an entirely different place, a place where the characters feel like friends and the places feel like home.

In All You Need is Love by Jessica Redland, readers are introduced to Jemma and Sam. Although leading very separate lives as the story begins, it isn’t long before these characters intertwine, purely by chance. Although knowing that this chance meeting was bound to happen, it doesn’t take away any of the satisfaction when the meeting takes place. It is a pinnacle moment for both Jemma and Sam, and changes the course of their lives without them knowing so. From there on out, Jemma and Sam’s separate lives begin to come together, more as one than two. It’s a beautiful thing, watching their worlds collide, as well as watching each of them grow more courageous and feel brave enough to share their own histories, heartbreaks and secrets with each other as time goes on. Redland captures that period of change between friendship and lovers so perfectly, it absolutely took hold of my heart and refused to let go. It didn’t take me long at all to become emotionally invested in these characters and the creation of something magical between them.

Although this is a very sweet-natured and uplifting story, Redland writes of Parkinson’s, sudden death, infidelity, lies and regret. Although all of these things certainly hold the ability to make this a heavy novel in terms of emotion, I feel that Redland’s tender take on the topics allows the reader to explore the subjects in a more accepting and welcoming way. After all, fiction may be fiction, but fiction is real, too. I found the scenes involving Jemma’s mother to be distressing and very sad. I found it impossible to imagine how I would feel if I were to be in Jemma’s shoes and the tidal-wave of emotion was almost overwhelming. Redland explores Parkinson’s in a way that is both honest and informative, and allows the reader a glimpse into what living with Parkinson’s may look like for some. The actions in which Jemma takes in regards to her mother really opens up her character to the reader, and it made me have nothing but total respect for the woman. Not only this, but Jemma’s decisions show her bravery and determination to take care of her loved ones when needed.

Sam’s story absolutely broke my heart. Losing his fiancee Nikki, Sam keeps his emotions close to his heart and does the thing he feels is easiest in his situation. Flees his home town and throws himself into his career in London, far away from Whitsborough Bay and his memories of Nikki. And he’s certain that he’s doing a good job of it, until he crosses paths with Jemma. I loved Sam’s character. He was so wholesome and honest, and a man who deserved nothing but love and to be accepted for who he was. I also felt that he was an entirely relatable character for many readers. I, for one, can hold my hand up and say that there has been many a time I’ve chosen to sidetrack myself rather than face something head-on. I feel it takes a lot of courage to do so, and this story perfectly depicts the journey towards feeling brave enough to look something in the face and accept it, rather than turn away.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading All You Need is Love by Jessica Redland. It whisked me away and I loved every moment spent in the gorgeous setting of Whitsborough Bay, beside the sea and the crashing waves, watching a beautiful love story unravel. It was rich with emotion and chemistry, and so very difficult to put down. I was engulfed in Jemma and Sam’s separate lives, then became obsessed once they came together. Redland writes with heart, kindness and in a way that ensures her characters remain with the reader for a long time afterwards. My heart sang when I turned the final page, and I’m not ashamed to admit my vision swam on more than one occasion. A true delight, from top to toe. I already can’t wait to read more from Jessica Redland, who is quickly becoming a much-enjoyed author of mine, and one I feel I could return to, knowing I’ll be left with a smile on my face, and my heart a little lighter.

With thanks to Boldwood Books for the review copy of this book, that of which has no reflection on me providing a fair and honest review.

First of all I was attracted by the beautiful cover to this book. Secondly, I realised that this was written by Jessica Redlands - an author whose books I’ve always loved. Finally, I read the book and it was wonderful. It’s a lovely mix of romance and angst. Both main characters are likeable and perfect together. Yes there are many obstacles along the way but their journey is heartfelt and ultimately satisfying. It was a great return to whitsborough bay but a completely self- contained novel. Just perfect .

This is a rebranding of an earlier book from Jessica Redland, originally published under the title ‘Bear with Me’. As I only discovered Whitsborough Bay, at the end of last year, this was a brand-new title to me and it certainly didn’t spoil anything by being read out of publication order.
I couldn’t get enough of this beautiful story. Jemma and Sam each carried a burden of grief that should, or rather could, have crushed them. Jessica Redland managed to create a story which accurately reflects the title. After reading, I genuinely believe that love could be all you need.
There are several elements to this story: the potential of finding romance for Jemma and Sam, the cruel spectre of poor health for Jemma’s mum, the wonderful ensemble of Jemma’s housemates in London and the enchanting ‘Bear with Me’ teddy bear shop in Whitsborough Bay.
The scene is set in the opening chapters as Jemma finds happiness after a proposal from her boyfriend Scott and Sam falls for his blind date, Nikki. I found it hard not to feel the depth of despair that followed them all, but I won’t offer any spoilers as to how things turn out.
For me, my favourite character was Jemma’s mum. She had endured so much and conquered the obstacles placed in her way. The early scenes, where we discover a hint of her health problems, set the stage for the theme of the book. Having supported Jemma, throughout her life, it swiftly becomes clear that a role reversal is required.
I do hope that you’ll enjoy this gorgeous book and enjoy escaping to the Yorkshire Coast.

This was my first Jessica Redland book and it won’t be my last! I enjoyed this book so much: it was sweet and such an easy read. I felt myself fully immersed in this book I couldn’t put it down! A book about love, loss, and how to live again and I truly felt all of the emotions. What a great read!

What an amazing read, so moving and beautiful.

As I started this book with seemingly two different sets of main characters I had no idea how it would all tie together. I shared every emotion that Jemma and Sam went through, from the shock at her ghosting to discovering Sam’s true identity and then the sudden appearance of his wife and her bombshell news. And with Sam my heart broke for him after loosing Nikki, their life together when seem through his eyes was beautiful and perfect, and just as they were about to get everything they wanted it’s gone in the blink of an eye. Watching him come to terms with that and trying to rebuild his life had be wondering a lot of ‘ will they? Won’t they?’ Sometimes a strong solid friendship is just what you need to heal, so as he discovered his feelings for Jem were so strong and real I was just as shocked as he was.

I loved how caring and loving these two are to each other and others, it was a joy to read. The family bond with Jem and her mum and brother was beautiful, and her mums illness was very realistically and sensitively done.

I’ve been gradually working my way through Jessica Redland’s books and have come to consider myself a fan of her writing style and how she showcases her characters. This is another excellent book from her and I’m very excited to see what comes next.

Whitsborough Bay you will always have my heart.

I loved this book so much. Jemma and Sam are so relatable and have both suffered unimaginable loss.

It was so lovely hearing of Castle Street again and some of the favourite shops I've read about in Jessica's previous books.

It was an easy read tinged with sadness but a beautiful story of loss, love, family and friendship. Simply stunning.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

TW: Cheating, loss of multiple loved ones (car crash, heart attack & aneurysm), social anxiety and panic attacks, mentions of divorce, loss of a child, mentions of physical abuse and mention of abortion.
CW: Parkinson's disease and medical therapy

After falling in love with Jessica's series based at Hedgehog Hollow I could not wait to read this one and it was great. It just had everything in I like in my romance books. The writing was great and easy to understand which was a bonus.

Our main characters, Jemma and Sam were great together, had a lot of chemistry and just really cute overall. They had a lot of development and the scenes they went through together were also a bonus because they bounced of one another a lot. What brings our two characters together is devastating but the way they became friends and worked through a lot of issues together as friends and then realized they had chemistry to act on it.

But from giving it that five star rating is due to fact the book was quite slow to get into in the first place, the first 30% was quite boring with story as not much happened and then everything was done at once. Then when you got to know Jemma's fiancé 'Scott' was doing it was just abit of a cheap way to bring the characters together but still is devastating. Then towards the end it also got a bit repetitive with the back and forth of will they, wont they.

An easy to read, touching story. This book initially felt a bit like a YA book, but I quickly realized the deeper subjects discussed, as well as the characters, are for a more mature audience. The characters experience tragic loss, but find love and overcome their grief. Jemma's experience with her mom's Parkinson's' diagnosis felt particularly real, and I appreciated that author's ability to bring awareness to the difficulties surrounding this debilitating disease. I love that Jemma's and her mom both found hope and comfort in their support for one another - it felt genuine and I wish I could know these characters in real life.

The writing was well-paced, although I felt that the events unfolded quite quickly in the end (I guess that the point that there is no timeline to grief!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

We are back in Whitsborough Bay for this book, it is classed as a standalone and I've not noticed many previous characters from previous books although Jemma's mum owns Bear With Me, a handmade bear shop on Castle Street. Now some of you may be having a familiar moment there as this is the very same street that is home to Carly's Cupcake shop and Tara's Chocolate Pot Cafe. In these Bear with Me is mentioned a few times in passing but these are the only links I spotted.

I absolutely loved Jemma and Sam, as individuals they are both such lovely characters that have definitely been dealt their fare share of pain and misery. I think family is the key motivator for them both despite coincidentally both moving away to London when times got hard.

This book had me laughing, smiling, hoping and crying as it really is an emotional story and you get drawn into it hook, line and sinker. As with Jessica's other books things definitely aren't plain sailing and Jemma's mum gets a diagnosis that I think we would all find rather scary (I won't say what it is but if you want to know in case of trigger warnings etc just ask) but Jessica handles this with such care and affection that makes it so moving. It is clear that a lot of time and research went into this book and I definitely felt it tug on my heart strings.

Another lovely book from Jessica Redland. It is one of those books that as soon as you start reading you are interested and it’s like that all the way through to the end. Like her other books it is a very sweet, easy read and the pages just fly past. For awhile you can settle down and forget the goings on around you. I will be looking for more books from this author in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Wow what a story full of twists and turns, not sure fully like Jemma character but lovely story and couldn't put it down.