Where do I begin…

What a fantastic read. I literally stayed up half the night to read. Forced myself to go to sleep with only 20% left. Finished this morning with my coffee.

I love how this author weaves a story. She literally reaches into your chest and grabs your heart. She then gives a bit of a twist until she puts it back with a little pat. As if to say…there, there. It’s all ok. See.

I really hope there’s a short story with Chris’s wedding because I need it bad. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these wonderful characters. They are the type to stay with you for a very long time.

Once again this author has proved that she is a QUEEN at writing a story that makes you laugh, cry, hold your breath and sigh!

Well done!!!

I'm a big fan of women's fiction and am loving Mariah Stewart's Wyndham Beach series which centers on three near 60 year old women who have been best friends from a very young age. All That We Are is the third book in the series and this story is focused on Emma, the widow of the town banker and mother of Chris Dean a world famous superstar singer.

Emma Dean needed something in her life to give her purpose. Her son travels headlining concerts. He now has a special someone in his life so he didn't visit Wyndham Beach as much as Emma would like. Emma found purpose by creating an arts center, showcasing undiscovered artists and giving them a chance to shine. She meets Owen Harrison, a member of one of the town's founding family and they make a connection. As the story unfolds drama happens between Emma and Owen as well as at the arts center.

All is resolved at the end of the book but the story leaves openings for more to be written about those we've come to know in previous books. YAY! I rate this book 4.5 stars out of a possible 5. I deducted half star because one character in earlier books was a level headed, competent woman who became rather whiney in this book.

I received an ARC of All That We Are by Mariah Stewart from NetGalley with the agreement that I would contribute a fair and honest review.

Always fun to return to Wyndham Beach and catch up with some of our favorite residents. This story not only gets us up to day with previous residents but continues with Emma's story. As always the characters are like the friends next door only this book has the reader holding their breath more than once to see what happens next and that's all I'm saying about that.

Its a great read and I for one would love to move to wyndham beach. It left me with the thought this might be the end of the series but I hope not. There are still loose ends to to tie up.

This is the 3rd book in the Wyndham Beach series but the story works as a stand alone and I didn’t feel I missed anything from having not read the first.

It’s a very well paced story with enough drama and twists to keep you reading. But it was all a little twee for me and I must confess to skim reading some parts of it.

I don’t know if there is to be more in the series but it didn’t necessarily feel like it had come to a final point. It’s left me in two minds, I enjoyed it but I’m not sure I’d read another by Mariah Stewart.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read anything by Mariah Stewart before, but did enjoy this story. I liked the way the pieces fit together, and the ending was happy! I will be looking for more books in this series!

Great summer/ beach read! Really enjoyed this book and the character development. I did not realize this book was part of a series. It was great as a stand alone book. Fans of Debbie Macomber, Virgin River series would enjoy this book. Great read! Thank you net galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I loved this story. There are so many pieces to it, but the surprise is how well they fit together. With all the friends and family, warm hearts and love everyone has a happy ending. Don't get me wrong, there are some tough spots but they are gotten thru with grace. Read this book.

Mariah Stewart does such a great job getting her readers involved in the story. With each new title that comes the main characters/residents of Wynham Beach continue to pull you in. From being surprised by an unexpected/possible granddaughter to planning not 1 but 2 weddings - the storyline keeps the characters and story moving right along. Can't wait to see what happens next.

I picked this book not realizing it was part of a series. So excited to go back and read the other books. Can definitely be read as a standalone book, but glad there are more books to learn about the characters in the story. Enjoyable read. Great job.

When eight year old Winnie shows up on Emma’s doorstep, claiming to be her granddaughter, her world is turned upside down. Her son, Chris and his girlfriend Nat embark on a journey to find out the truth and in turn, learn a lot about Winnie and themselves in the process. All That We Are is a heartwarming story about second chances and forgiveness.

All that We Are by prolific but new to me, author Mariah Stewart has a lot of threads in the plot. The heroine, widowed Emma discovers her husband wasn’t as upstanding as she’d believed. Then she finds a young child at her front door claiming to be her granddaughter. In the midst of this she’s attempting to get her program for artists running, among other things. Fortunately, she has some really good friends to vent to. The story flows well through the various threads. This reader was impressed by the writing quality. Ms. Stewart actually paid attention in English class and understands paragraph composition and sentence structure…what an unusual experience. So many modern writers think prepositional phrases are sentences and every thought is a one “sentence” paragraph. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

All That we Are is the third book in Whyndham Beach series by Mariah Stewart and follows Emma's journey discovering her husband's affair after his death.

I absolutely loved a few elements of the book - Emma's independence and her vigour towards life even at her age was marvellous. I liked that she was not shown as to be dependent on her son for anything and her girl clique with Maggie and Liddy are goals. The way she took care of Winnie despite being suddenly in charge of a kid melted my heart.

Even Chris' character was much likeable, I am glad that the author didn't resort to the typical rock star behaviour portrayal for him. Natalie irked me a bit at times but Grace was an absolute bomb. I just loved how she made Nat understand where she is wrong.

But something that I didn't like about this one is that it felt a bit dragged to me at times and I feel like this would have been better if it was shorter. The individual elements of the book had great potential especially the art centre and artists plot. At times, I felt like I was reading two different stories which shouldn't have been connected at all.

I did like the ending though, I am happy that Emma and Owen resolved their differences and got back together.

All That We Are by Mariah Stewart is just as amazing as her two previous reads.
I've fallen so in love with the Wyndham Beach series. And book three was delightful.

Stewarts' flawless storytelling sets the scene. It was an amazing feeling being able to truly imagine the scenes being told. And I could picture the characters and place perfectly.
The author creates characters that draw you into their everyday lives. Makes you feel for them, care for them and cheer for them. Truly realistic and very likable.
The story flows so well, and all the situations and storylines come together to make a remarkable story.
Another fabulous story from this author and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

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

Montlake,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Previously have read one book from this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it; safe to say this book did not disappoint. This was a heartfelt novel dealing with friendship, fate and heartbreak - essentially a great summer read. I would definitely say Mariah Stewart is an underrated author and deserves as much attention as authors such as Colleen Hoover.