#netgalleyarc This was really cute, the perfect palate cleanser. It had enemies to lovers, small town romance, some sadness and a little bit of drama. The story was well written and the characters were relatable. This is the type of romance book that could have been extremely cheesy but the author found a way to write a cute story without a high cheese factor.

Supercomplicated plot: Sam, home to take care of her sister Laura, who is having her third child, ends up staying to care for her mother, who collapses at home while Laura is still recovering from her C-section. Photographer Sam, on deadline for holiday work, pitches in at the rental cabins her mother manages, and finds herself falling for old frenemy Garrett, her best friend Katie’s ex-fiance–the one who left her at the altar–who also happens to be Sam's ex-boyfriend Eli’s best friend. Brocode is that you don’t date your buddy’s ex-girlfriend, but the Army vet handyman and Sam go way back, having bonding in elementary school when both their less-than stellar dads were fodder for town gossip. Even though he’s labeled as ASSHOLE in her phone and they haven’t spoken in awhile, Eli asks Garrett to look after Sam and he is all too happy to do so… and she is happy to let him.

It was challenging to keep all the dynamics straight and I found the characters pretty one-dimensional and immature for their mid-twenties. While the various storylines are resolved, everyone is quick to accept apologies from toxic people and ready to move on. There is some fat shaming and Sam’s boss comes off as stereotypically Jewish and not very nice. While better than a lot of new adult titles I’ve breezed through, the setting doesn’t particularly stand out, the writing was highly dramatic but rather pedestrian, and I didn’t like or feel vested in any of the characters. I don’t tend to look too closely at publishers when selecting my NetGalley requests, and when I saw this was a self-published title, went, oh, makes sense; there was no editing.

I received a free advance reader's review copy of #AllThisTime from #NetGalley.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #AllThisTime from #NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this lovely book! This book was set in a small town which I loved. Sam left her small town for her career in the big city (NYC), still dating her on again, off again boyfriend. She ends up back in her small town to be with her family to celebrate the birth of her sister’s child - what starts as a sweet beginning suddenly turns traumatic as the Redding family is hit with some difficult news regarding their mother. Definitely worth the read!

Based on the cover I was expecting a dramatic, heartbreaking reunion story. This book wasn’t quite that but it had a lot of the right components. I do love a small town story and Garrett is a charming character. While not my favorite second chance story and I did find myself skipping through some slower parts, I enjoyed this quick read. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out later this month!

I chanced upon this book while browsing through NetGalley... I did notnknow who the author was but I read the blurb and immediately requested to read it. Inwas so excited when my request was granted... I read it overnight. It was a page turner. It was angsty, frustrating, funny and heartwarming.

The story reminded me of books written by Melanie Harlow and Corinne Michaels.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

This book wasn't the easiest of reads for me as it was kind of stressful. I kept booking the book down, but wanting to pick it back up which for me meant that I thought the story was captivating but just a tough read because of the content. I thought the characters were well written and the storyline was solid.

I loved this book.

I received it as an ARC and I was so looking forward to reading it, and it didn’t disappoint. As much as I loved the romance aspect of the book, my favourite part was the small town messiness of it all. Sam was messy, Garrett was messy, and their families were even messier. It made the story feel more realistic. No one was perfect which made the characters feel so relatable.

There were times where I felt things hadn’t been fleshed out enough between the characters but I was so hooked on this book that I didn’t care - I found myself picking it up at every spare minute until I’d finished it. It was a little cheesy at times but I expected that with it being a romance book so it wasn’t an issue. Plus, with the heavy topics that the book covers, the cheese factor was sometimes appreciated.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good small town/friends/enemies to lovers story.

All This Time by Annabelle McCormack is book one in the Brandywood Small Town Romance Series.

This story was absolutely amazing! I loved that with each chapter, I was drawn in more by the characters, the plot, and the overall feeling I got while reading. I couldn’t put this book down, and if I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it constantly!

"She dated his best friend. He left hers at the altar. But this holiday season, the sparks between these frenemies are heating up in this sexy and heartfelt romance about coming home and facing the past."

A stunning contemporary romance with characters I absolutely devoured and wanted to stay with forever.
I’ve never loved a book so much before! I didn’t want it to ever end.
All of the characters added warmth and humour to the world.
The charters are real, funny, raw and just everything I loved in a book!
I love that her characters are real people and flawed humans.
The two had a chemistry they just couldn't deny.
I absolutely love her writing style.
It’s an adorable and fun loving story that will leaving you wanting more.
You will fall in love with Sam & Garrett every step of their journey to love!
The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Sam & Garrett resulted in some amazing banter that felt like watching a live tennis match.
A steamy, tender read about facing the past and finding forgiveness.
Charming, authentic, and sweet. You'll love this story!

This was the first book that I’ve read by Annabelle McCormack, and I can say with absolute certainty that it will not be the last.
I can't wait for book two I'll Carry You coming this winter 2022!
Happy Reading!!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Victory Editing,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

This book was tough for me to get through, but there were things I did like.

The first is that it's set during the holiday season. I enjoyed the small town feel and the description of atmosphere and weather, the cabin rentals, and Garrett. He is charming and likable and funny and I rooted for him.

Some of the challenges I had with this story:
Full disclosure, I found myself getting more and more frustrated and decided to stop at 31%. I rarely DNF, especially when given the privileged access to read an early copy, but I hope sharing this point of view will be helpful. I just didn't feel engaged or invested and, were this not a Netgalley, I think I might have stopped reading earlier (like around 20%).

The way the news of Sam's mother's cancer is revealed is so blunt and sudden, which I understand may be to invoke the feeling of that experience in the reader. It didn't translate for me. The impact instead was just feeling a consistent sense of whiplash. New information was often revealed in a way that felt out of nowhere (like a new character being introduced, or a shift in setting). I also didn't buy Sam's reaction to this news. She doesn't seem to take any amount of time to process that her mother is dying, and the following pages read as though things are - at least on some level - copasetic. Logistically, her life is a disaster, but I didn't believe that she was struggling emotionally; it just didn't feel like the heartbreak was there or authentic.

I think we are building toward a certain version of Katie that will make us see her as a friend Sam has outgrown, but hearing her call Jen a "whore" was startling, to be honest. That kind of language is hard to read about a woman when it's completely out of left field, in a sweet romance novel. I just didn't see it coming and it shocked me.

I really had a hard time finding anything redeeming in Laura. She is critical of Sam moving to New York, guilts her for building a life for herself, and uses every opportunity to exploit some perceived failure. She lost me in the first scene when she holds her choice to pursue motherhood as superior to Sam’s path, which doesn’t presently include children.

I didn't get the sense of much representation outside of small town white America, which is valid in its own right; but I think it's of value in 2022 to give voice to other perspectives. Maybe that was coming, so I will acknowledge I may be speaking out of turn here.

The storyline had a lot of promise but the writing just felt disjointed to me. It seemed like the way things worked out was just too convenient, and the flow of language didn't feel natural but rather arranged.

Perhaps the intention here was to give a sense of Brandywood and why Sam wanted to leave it, but instead it felt somewhat stuck in a different time with a character who doesn't appear to be processing what is happening around her.

Thank you, Victory Editing, for the opportunity to read this ARC. I wish I could say I enjoyed it more as I respect the time and energies behind bringing something like this to life. I hope these reflections will be helpful as next month's pub date approaches.

Sam returns home and runs right back into the drama and gossip of her hometown. She also runs into Garrett, who dated her BFF and left her at the alter, not to mention is BFFs with her on-and-off- again boyfriend. Sam and Garrett form a friendship and more despite all that is going on with their exes, her family, and the town.

There was so much angst between Sam and Garrett. She was so back and forth that my head kept spinning. But, I LOVED these two together. They were like Joey and Pacey finally ending up together after Pacey makes his move but Dawson kept getting in the way.

This book tackled some heavy topics, such as cancer, alcoholism, and abuse. The effects of these on family and the community played a big part in the story and how the characters related and grew throughout the story. The author did a wonderful job handling all of this!

I keep adding favorite cinnamon roll male characters to my list and Garrett makes the cut!

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I was intrigued by this book mainly because of the setting - who doesn’t love a small town romance. I’m also a sucker for a cozy, winter vibe this time of year.

Some things that I loved were:
💕 The character development of our main character Sam. She endured a lot in this story - trauma, loss, stress. She came out better on the other side having more confidence in herself and peace with her past.
💗 Garrett. I really liked this character. He was flawed and angry but also lovable and sweet.
💖 The side characters were fun and I found myself caring just as much about them as the main characters in the book.

All this being said, I had a hard time getting into the book. The drama was real and it felt like a rollercoaster of a read but I still felt disengaged. The writing was simple and easy to follow along but didn’t hook me. Some dynamics between the characters and themes covered in the book felt lacking and oversimplified at times.

✨Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book is honestly silly and I couldn't get far into the book. Why get engaged to the friend of the girl you claim to have been in love with?

I was lucky to be chosen for this ARC!

Friends to lovers and Forbidden love.

Sam, originally from Brandywood, lives a new city life in New York but has to come back to her hometown because of some unforeseen circumstances. I got to see her grow, go through grief, learn to forgive, and love all at the same time.

Garrett, also originally from Brandywood, was In the military, then has been home for some time now. He has been in town helping with house and cabin maintenance. He is such an ideal lover. One that is supportive 100% and always there when you need them regardless of what obstacles stand in the way. But of course, he has some personal issues he needs to come to terms with as well.

Best Friend’s Ex with a brief love triangle.

Multi-POV

A cute little small town romance that blossoms, but not without some obstacles.

It was a long read, but I enjoyed it. I was rooting for them the whole time. I loved the small town feel especially when it came closer to the holidays. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie.

Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC. This book was delightful.

Sam was such a great, complex character and such a fighter. I loved the story of her and Garrett and the fight for their happiness. I loved the messiness of the families in this story and the complexities. It’s what real families go through and I could totally relate. I would’ve loved just a little more spice scenes from Garrett and Sam!

This book was exactly what I needed to get in the holiday spirit. I loved it! 4 stars!

As someone who grew up in a small town, I could completely empathize with the characters and the setting! So many familiar tropes. Sam must come back from the city to help out her family and care for her mom. Tension with her sister. Tension with the town. Family secrets revealed. As she deals with all this, she gets support from a former friend who left her best friend at the altar. Maybe Garrett isn’t as bad as she thought. While I didn’t always love some of the choices the characters made, this was a solid romance filled with assorted relationship tension (with family and friends, not just the love interest) which made it a satisfying read.

I loved this book. The cover is pretty and so are the characters. I felt the emotion on every page. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Loved this book and all the tropes! Well-written characters and development--emotional and real. Really enjoyed the read and would recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Annabelle McCormack!

Looooved this book! First of all, small town romance? check. Best friends girlfriend? wow... I really didn't expect to love this as much as I did, and I did go into it already expecting to love it! Will be recommending to my friends and family and will be purchasing a copy for my shelf. Cutest cover too!

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A delightful rom-com that many readers will enjoy.