A small town romance with a couple of friend-to-lover and a heartwarming plot.
I rooted for the MCs, liked the sense of community and the characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Another new-to-me author and to say I picked a winner is a true understatement. All This Time is full of the kind of angst that I didn't want to end. Annabelle McCormack has created a story that is heartfelt and wonderful as she guides us through the trials and tribulations of the love lives of Garrett Doyle and Samantha Redding. Both with every reason to leave their small town of Brandywood, yet find themselves back in each other's orbit in a whole new way.

The writing is easy and addictive and the way McCormack structured this entire book kept me captivated right from the start. There are several layers to both Garrett and Sam's worlds as they become more than friends, much to their amazement. Even though Sam is back for her sister's 3rd child's birth, life for her begins to spiral out of control a bit as her mother's news together with nonstop surprises in the form of her former boyfriend Eli and the way her hometown has seemed to view her provide, give her more than pause over and over again.

But it's the backstory to both Sam and Garrett's present lives that really did get me in the feels. How they have chosen to deal with their respective fathers and what went down all those years ago. How Sam handles the ultimate betrayal as news that is almost crippling to her comes to light just as she is starting to feel a bit more settled in Brandywood again. The blows dealt are almost too much to take, ripping my own heart out over and over again.

The unexpected connection between Sam and Garrett goes from zero to sixty, yet it felt real from the beginning. Then as more secrets are revealed wrt long-held feelings and thoughts, I could see the writing on the wall and hoped that Sam, in particular, could finally lay her demons to rest and find the happiness she most certainly deserved.

There are numerous heartbreaking facets to this book but McCormack writes it all seamlessly giving her characters the chance to one minute act a fool and then do something so touching, I continue to tear up at the thought even now. What Sam and Garrett go through in the short time they are together almost breaks them, but I was happy to see that they finally do realize that they should manage their struggles for themselves first before grabbing onto each other and chancing a hurt neither might ever come back from.

I love getting lost in a book like this one, enjoying every angst-filled moment the author creates. And there were plenty to satisfy me along with both tender and steamy ones to make this story complete. I look forward to exploring more from this talented author and can't wait for Jen's story, since she was such a standout character. In the meantime, I happily give All This Time a huge 5 stars!

When Samantha Redding left her hometown of Brandywood, Maryland, she planned never to return, having been victimised by vicious gossip. Yet when Sam’s mother gets sick, Sam is forced to return home. As a tight deadline for her fast-paced job forces her to relocate a holiday photo shoot to Brandywood, Sam finds her old life converging with her new one. Sam finds support from the one person who she never thought she would, Garrett Doyle, the best friend of her on-and-off again boyfriend. Garrett is determined to keep his distance from Sam but soon that becomes a challenge.

An easy read and it had me captivated from the start. The family issues and all the dynamics added another element to the story.

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

4.5⭐️
Are you from a small town? I feel like there’s so much to love about them. And yet it can feel like high school with the mean girls and bullies no one will do anything about.
So when I started this I didn’t have any illusions about it being magical because I know this authors writing and she will bring me real life feelings and situations that make me cling to her story. All I wanted to do was sit in my ultra comfortable reading spot with a warm pumpkin latte and get lost in it. And as a side note, this is a Christmas story. And I love Christmas.
This had broken relationships, secrets and a smexy romance. It checked all my boxes. I loved the romance of course and think AM has a special touch or at least she speaks my language. I highly recommend it if you like contemporary romance.
Thanks to Annabelle McCormack and the Publisher for this ARC.

3.75⭐️

the vibe of the book is perfect for this time of the year, and it’s a small town romance with dual POV of Sam and Garrett.

Sam is forced to come back to her small town that she left years ago due to her mother’s illness, where she’s met with Garrett who left her best friend Katie at the altar because he’s been in love with Sam since they were kids, her on and off boyfriend Eli, and her complicated relationship with her family and the town’s residents.
as Sam begins spending time with Garrett she discovers that he’s not the asshole she thought he was and things develop from there, however there’s obstacle of them being best friends with each others exes..

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of the book. Sam and Garrett characters were interesting on their own and together and I loved that the book didn’t only focus on romance but also childhood trauma, addictions, family issues etc.

my issue is that by around 85% of the book I felt like there was an unnecessary event that dragged the book for me.

This was a cozy winter read! I love small town romances and Brandywood, Maryland did not disappoint. There are old flames, friendships, family dynamics, and the power of healing that made this a quick read. I loved Garrett but had a harder time connecting to Sam. Her struggles are so relatable and really made me think about what I would do if I was her but I was also very frustrated by her. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

3.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @victorypublishingco for the early copy

I love small town romances and the cozy possibilities: the good characters, the gossipy residents, the cold weather, CHRISTMAS. There's almost always at least one or two citizens who have a grudge and are ready for revenge. ALL THIS TIME, by Annabelle McCormack, hit all of these notes.

This book is a romance enveloped with heavy topics: cancer, toxic relationships, child abuse, emotional abuse, alcoholism … there's a LOT. Yet, ALL THIS TIME tackled these topics while keeping it's focus on the path to romance for the main characters.

Sam believes Garrett is her enemy. Garrett has been in love with Sam since kindergarten. The man loves first trope was interesting. Garrett, himself, was interesting. Sam was not.

I certainly didn't hate Sam, but I didn't find her compelling. Her on again/off again with Eli (Garrett's best friend) was frustrating. She'd make decisions that didn't make a whole lot of sense.

However, the overall plot was interesting and I think this is a perfect read for winter in front of the fireplace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me an e-copy of ALL THIS TIME to review.

I rate ALL THIS TIME four out of five stars.

Thanks to Netgally for providing this advanced reader copy.

I truly enjoyed All This Time and found myself routing for Sam throughout the entirety of the book! Growing up in a small town myself, I empathized with and wondered what it would be like to move back, especially as a single woman with a successful career. Sam is a successful career woman who lives in NYC, who ends up back in town for the birth of her newest niece. From there, it all spirals apart and Sam finds herself back in Brandywood for quite some time.

This story has a lot of TW: abuse, alcoholism, cancer etc. but I felt like it tackled most of the issues head on and in an appropriate way. The reconciliation that occurred between a number of characters is one of my favorite parts of the book and I appreciated the author not shying away from hard topics.

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 by @annabellemccormack is a story about love and loss.

Samantha left the small town of Brandywood for New York years ago and only returns when she finds out that her mother needs help.

It’s been years since she has seen anyone from her old friends including her on and off boyfriend Eli’s best friend Garrett and her best friend Katie who was Garrett’s fiancée. Phew, that’s a lot of baggage right there. Long Story short – you gotta read the book!😜

Garrett left Brandywood for the military but also to get away from his childhood trauma. Now back in Brandywood, he’s been helping out Sam’s mother with their cabin rentals business. Both Sam and Garrett have a history with the town and not the best memories so when they cross paths after things take a turn, Garrett is Sam’s shoulder to lean on much to Eli’s and Katies dismay. They used to be close friends once and the story follows their newly rekindled friendship while other external factors come into play. Knowing that there was a messy dynamic in the friendship group, I really wanted to find out how this book ended and whether it was a happy ending or not.

The writing took a while to get into because of the way it was written but once I got used to it, I started to really enjoy it. Every time I put the book down, I would think about what was going to happen next.

The descriptions of the town and the Christmas Holiday settings are gorgeous and will get you in the mood for the holidays. 🎄

There was nothing predictable about this story and consider this a great book as I got invested hard!

If you love lots of tropes in one book:

🎄Christmas Nostalgia
🎄Small Town Romance
🎄Rekindling Friendships
🎄Family Secrets/Dynamic
🎄Friends to lovers/ Forbidden Romance
🎄Emotionally damaged H and H from childhood
🎄Character Growth
🎄DUAL POV
🎄Low on Smut - almost closed door.

Triggers-Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic Violence

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓𝐭𝐡.

Thank you to @netgalley , @victorypublishingco and @annabellemccormack for the opportunity to provide and honest and voluntary review on this ARC.

I thought this book was so good! There was SO MUCH going on, but in the best way possible. There is nothing I love more than a small town romance. And this had the right amount of angst, drama, and sweet, heartfelt moments.

I felt like the story of all the characters was so well developed. Every part of the story was so intertwined, that it had to be well put together. I think Annabelle did such a good job of that!

I think the healing and personal growth that both Sam and Garrett did was so good. They both ran away from their home because of the mistakes of their fathers. And then had their own issues that stemmed from that. They weren’t able to really face any of that until they came back, and then came together. They realized that they needed each other and needed that town, and that it wasn’t really what it had seemed like. Sure there were plenty of bad parts of the town itself, but when they needed them the most they were all there for each other. I was so scared that Garrett’s story was going to go one way, and for a while it was really looking that way, and I am so thankful it didn’t.

I was also skeptical of how things could possibly turn out good…the entire Sam/Eli/Garrett/Katie situation was so…chaotic?? But I was also so happy to see Katie get what she deserved, she was honestly terrible. And I was so glad Eli able to step back and see the errors in his ways, and how him and Sam have been for years was not healthy for either of them.

Of course I loved Sam and Garrett together. It was so messy which isn’t always a good thing, but the other parts of the equation made it easier for me to really love them together. I loved how much he loved her. They fell so easily into a friendship that was exactly what they each needed. And then their eventual relationship, despite the chaos of everything else, was so sweet.

The shady parts of this small town were again…chaotic? Everyone knew everyone’s secrets but they never openly talked about them which made for really toxic people, it’s how Katie and even Dan got to be the way they were. And that was different than some of the other small town romances I’ve read. Usually everything is so peaceful and idyllic, but the difference was done well in this book!

The epilogue was so sweet which always makes a book so much better! I was happy to see Sam and Garrett get everything they wanted!

I didn’t love the conflict at the end…yes it scared everyone into seeing what they had in front of them and no longer wanting to take anything for granted BUT it just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a delight to read. The only complaint I had was how frustrating Sam was as a character, but in the context of the story it made a lot of sense. And she did have some moments of growth!

The small town vibes in this one are really excellent, and all of the side characters add a lot of insight and depth to the plot. Garrett was an absolute doll, also.

who doesn’t love a cosy winter read! a story line set in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business! a romance that has all the family drama you would expect!

First 3/4 of the book dragged for me, and I found the main female character, really unlikeable. I wasn’t rooting for the couple the story centered around, unfortunately. The last 1/4 of the book took a sharp turn for the better, and I found the ending to be very satisfying, and was happy for Sam (and Garrett, and Dan and Jen, and Rachel…even Eli). Over all, I’m not sure I’d recommend this one to a friend, but I’m glad I finished it!

All This Time provided a real escape to follow Sam Reddings journey to find herself. I enjoyed how this story moved the main character from the busy city to a smaller hometown setting where she was originally from. It will strike a chord with many who struggle with the decision on whether to stay home in a familiar place or strike out somewhere new. The return can often be difficult which this book deals with. Sam and Garrett’s relationship and draw towards each other was enjoyable to read.

The premise sounded interesting but the relationships ended up being way to interconnected for it to be enjoyable. Despite the dual pov I was not really drawn in by either Sam or Garrett. Unfortunately ended up skimming most of the story. Not for me but others might be able to get into it more. (2 ⭐️)

This was such a cute story. Enemies to lovers with a hint of forbidden romance. Sam and Garrett are two people that logically should have no future, but love ends up finding a way. Also deals with coming to terms with losing a parent which hit me harder than expected. (spoiler) Sam having letters to read from her mother throughout her life was a beautiful touch.

I wasn't a big fan of the main character of the book. Which is always a bit of a problem. However for me I kept reading it simply because I enjoyed the secondary characters in this story. I also liked the setting and the storyline mostly. It's a Christmasy book, however it isn't overly festive so can easily be read at any time of the year.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I loved the cozy, small town setting. The cast of secondary characters was likeable and well-developed. It has a lovely Holiday feel without being something you'd only want to read at Christmas.

My biggest struggle was with Sam. I don't feel like her good qualities outweighed the bad. Even when main characters have characteristics you don't like, or understand, you should still be rooting for them. In the end, I just didn't understand why Garrett was in love with her.

Speaking of Garrett...for the most part he was much more likeable than Sam. But I never really felt like we got to know him very well. Even his main struggle (aside from Sam) only appeared at the end of the book and I felt like it could have been foreshadowed a bit better.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
- small town romance
- beautifully described scenery
- best friend/ex love story
- family dynamics

Sam left the small town she grew up in long ago … but she returns when her sister is having her 3rd baby. While she is visiting she discovers that her mother has the Big C… CANCER. She is then forced to seek comfort from the locals of the town who had been not so nice to her in the past. Enter Garrett… her on-again-off-again boyfriend’s best friend, who also happens to be Sam’s best friends ex 😬😬 They have known each other since they were children and have never felt anything for each other before… but now it’s getting a little different ….
I love the dual point of view the story is told by; escpecially in rom-coms, I love seeing both of the parties thoughts and feelings at the same time.
I found the characters very likeable and found myself rooting for both of their happiness (hopefully together 🤪🤞🏻)
This is a small-town romance book, but it also has a much larger message … personal growth/healing. We see throughout this book Sam’s journey to ultimate happiness .. and there are a few tears (and laughs!) along the way.
The writing in this was extremely simple and very easy to power through. I read this book straight through because I kind of got lost in reading it 🤣 A very enjoyable read!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Victory Editing for my ARC in exchange for an honest review 💕

This was so much fun. I knew I would love it because it's her boyfriend's best friend and he left her best friend at the altar because he's in love with her. It gives such a good level of angst and seeing Garrett's guilt was so entertaining.

I received an arc through netgalley.