River Santos lost everything in a fire—her dad, her home, and any sense of normal. A year later, she’s still stuck… until a mysterious $2 million donation and a flirty diner coworker shake things up. But just as things start to feel hopeful, new clues suggest the fire wasn’t an accident. With twists, tension, and real emotion, this story pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

In All We Lost was Everything River Santos lost her guitar, her songbook, and her clothes when her family's house burned down. But most importantly, her father died in the fire and her mother has disappeared. When River's friends create a "Go Fund Me" account to help with expenses, someone donates two million dollars, and she is mystified. Working at a diner, she finds herself wondering if everyone who enters might be her benefactor. Her coworker Logan Evans, who previously wouldn't give her the time of day, surprises her when he helps her save face in front of her ex, Noah Pierce, who inexplicably dumped her when she was expecting a proposal. Slowly, Logan and River's relationship warms up, and he helps her investigate secrets about her family, as well as his own. The fire may not have been an accident and her absentee mother is the prime suspect. The reasons for Noah's inexplicable defection also come to light. This story is not only a heart-pounding mystery, but also a complicated romance involving revelations about familial, as well as romantic love.

Sloan Harlow's ALL WE LOST WAS EVERYTHING was everything I look for in a story: well-paced, wonderfully told, believable characters. Joy plummets into doubts and trust is questionable -- who funded River Santos' ruined life so dramatically and to what end? I stayed up way too late reading this well-written story, wondering what I would do with the windfall and all the shifting ground beneath my feet. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

I maybe overdid it on YA the past few months as this was a slog to get through. Teen romance folks & lovers of a plot twist, this may be for you. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP & NetGalley for this e-arc.


The reader may lose sight of the fact that this is not only a romance but also a thriller as the plot twists and turns. The focus stays intact by the several surprising turns. I spent a big chunk of the second half of the book speculating on what I believed would happen, yet I was still startled at the end. I don't want to spoil things, so you'll have to see for yourself. Not everyone or everything is as it seems. This novel definitely caught me off guard, and I'm excited to read more of Harlow's work.

First, let's talk about the dedication of this book! "For the ones that fell off the summit, looked up from the bottom, and started climbing again anyway." This resonated so much with me... and reading it again after finishing reading the book, the author couldn't have chosen a better one.

I really enjoyed that book. Couldn't put it down. So many twists and turns, I was dizzy! Everything was so plausible, and then, and kind of wish some wouldn't be true, just to give a break to River...

But I do enjoy my HEAs and this one delivered.

TW for death of parents (fire, cancer), mental health struggles (depression), fires, parental abandonment, adoption, wrongful deaths, grief, alcoholism (and deaths caused by it)

Many thanks to PenguinTeen Canada for advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

River has endured more trauma in the past several months than most people do in a lifetime. Family, friendships, love... what endures and what do lies demolish?

A gripping YA thriller with a heavy emotional core. The desert setting feels almost like a pressure cooker, reflecting the tension and raw feelings of the characters. The romance added a nice layer, though some twists felt a bit predictable. Still, the emotional honesty and strong voice kept me invested. I’d recommend it to readers who like their thrillers with heart.
Rating: ★★★★☆

River Santos has lost both of her parents in the span of a year. Her mom left without a word and her dad was killed and now she’s not sure where to go from here. She’s stuck in a holding pattern until she gets the closure she needs. She’s trying to move o with her life, but when new information surfaces her life falls apart all over again. How does everything fit together and why did this happen?

I loved the cover of this book and was drawn in by it, but had no idea what the book was about when I started it. I was hooked from the beginning and enjoyed the many twists and turns this journey took the reader on. I liked River from the beginning and was invested in her story. This was a fast read that was easy to get through. The twisting plot and shocking discoveries kept me interested in this read and made it a good choice.

I really enjoyed this sexy, dark romantic thriller novel! Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
When eighteen-year-old River Santos’s house burned down, she lost everything. Her clothes. Her guitar. Her songbook.

Most importantly, she lost her father.

But when someone anonymously donates two million dollars to her GoFundMe, it’s like she’s won the worst sort of lottery. She’s a millionaire, but at what cost?

With every person who comes into the diner where she works, she wonders, "Was it you?" The only person she’s sure didn’t donate the money is her extremely hot—and extremely standoffish—coworker, Logan Evans. Ever since he started at the diner, he’s acted like he hates her. Which is why she’s shocked when he helps her save face in front of her ex…

Their attraction can’t be denied, but when River discovers a long-hidden family secret, she suddenly finds herself questioning everyone in her life. Her dad, who wasn’t as perfect as he seemed. Her chaotic mother, who left without so much as a goodbye at the beginning of her senior year. The anonymous donor, whose intentions may not have been altruistic after all. And most especially Logan, who has dark secrets of his own.

After the fire, River thought she had hit rock bottom. But as it turns out, there’s always more to lose…

Prepare to be drawn into a world where grief and sudden fortune intertwine with a simmering, undeniable attraction and a past shrouded in secrets. Sloan Harlow's "All We Lost Was Everything" is a dark, romantic thriller that promises a shocking twist, and from the moment you meet River Santos, you'll be consumed by the mystery that now defines her life.

River lost everything when her house burned down – her possessions, her music, and tragically, her father. But just as she hits rock bottom, an anonymous donation of two million dollars to her GoFundMe catapults her into a new reality, one where wealth feels like a cruel joke and every face she encounters in the diner where she works could belong to her mysterious benefactor. "Was it you?" becomes a silent, constant question, adding a layer of paranoia to her already fragile state.

Amidst this uncertainty, there's Logan Evans, her incredibly hot and equally standoffish coworker. He acts like he can't stand her, making his unexpected act of helping her save face in front of her ex all the more intriguing. Their chemistry is undeniable, a spark of heat in the cold aftermath of her loss, but Logan, too, seems to carry his own dark secrets.

As River grapples with her new normal, a long-hidden family secret surfaces, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew. Her father, the man she idolized, wasn't as perfect as he seemed. Her chaotic mother, who vanished at the start of her senior year, holds untold reasons for her departure. The anonymous donor's intentions, initially appearing altruistic, begin to feel more sinister. And then there's Logan, whose mysterious past intertwines with River's present in ways she can't yet comprehend.

Harlow expertly builds a sense of unease and suspicion, making you wonder about every character' and their potential connection to the fire, the money, and the hidden truths. The narrative is steeped in a captivating mystery, as River navigates a world where trust is a luxury she can't afford and the people closest to her might be hiding the most dangerous secrets. Just when River thought she had nothing left to lose, she discovers that the depths of mystery and potential heartbreak run far deeper. "All We Lost Was Everything" is a thrilling journey into the unknown, where every revelation unearths more questions and the ultimate twist will leave you breathless.

All We Lost Was Everything By Sloan Harlow

“A sexy, dark romantic thriller—with a shocking twist”

Thank you @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse @penguinteen for this Arc!!

This was an entertaining read with a twist that I did not expect. As most of you know, I go into books blind so I was expecting a sad contemporary romance about loss — what I didn’t expect was the thriller and suspense aspect of this. This was a great read for a road trip and kept me entertained.

One thing I love in a romance is the quiet broody mmc with secrets that ends up falling first and hard and that’s exactly what I got.

If you like:
💞New Adult Romance
🫆Mystery Suspense
🔪Thriller
🩶Light Dark Romance
💔Grief and Loss
🛤️Different Side of the Tracks
🙋🏻‍♂️He Falls First and Hard

This book does have triggers that should be considered before reading.

There was intrigue, suspense, a bit of romance. The lives of the characters woven in ways the reader doesn’t discover until the last chapters. Told in dual points-of-view of River, a young woman starting over after the death of her father and missing mother and Logan, her enigmatic love interest. Betrayal is forefront and trust is questioned as secrets are revealed. I was engaged throughout the story, and pleasantly surprised by the twists.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OMG poor River! The things Sloan Harlow puts River through in this book are just... cruel. But it makes for a fast, entertaining, twisty read for sure!

River is an 18 year old whose house burned down, losing everything she has, including her dad. And her mom has been missing for 9 months, so she lives in a tiny apartment with her "Aunt". She has a best friend, Tawny, a rich ex-boyfriend Noah, and a super crush on the dark and broody Logan. she works at a diner. She used to sing a lot but since the fire has stopped. And she also has someone donate $2M to a GoFundMe to help with recovering after the fire.

The first half of this book is a lot of set up/teenage antics/flirting/YA contemporary. The last half is where the twisty crazy times happen. The way these characters are enmeshed and the secrets they keep are juicy.

Overall I liked this a lot. The only things I didn't like were pretty steamy scenes between 18 year olds (not sure I needed to read more than make out), and that Logan at times seems obsessed/stalkerish and also sometimes manipulative to River, and it's Instalove for sure. Those are my only cons to this. If you want something fast and twisty for the summer, enjoy this one!

Sloan Harlow sure can write a book with TWISTS!!!!

River's house burned down with her dad inside. She is living with her aunt and working at a diner with her best friend and this hot guy named Logan. As River and Logan grow closer, secrets come to light and things start happening to make River realize things aren't as they seem.

I didn't love this one as much as her last book, but I still binged this in a couple days and the twists just kept coming. I did actually predict the ending and thought it was a bit hard to chew, but hey - it's fiction, right? Sometimes you have to suspend reality and just enjoy the story.

Definitely looking forward to the next book by Harlow!

3.5 stars rounded up.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. this books really fell flat for me. the characters weren’t interesting and they had no personality. the mystery wasn’t strong enough to carry this book on its own and you can hardly even call it a mystery. i guess pretty much everything from the beginning of the book and had nothing to look forward to. the romance was boring and there was no chemistry between the main characters. i honestly wouldn’t recommend this which is disappointing because the authors debut book was so much better. honestly a very disappointing read.

This book was a little slow moving and hard to get going but I liked how it ended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

3.5 stars! I enjoyed this book! Lots of unexpected twists. I only guessed one of them. Poor girl goes through soo much but nice ending. Encouraging to see how she endures. Cute romance between the 2 main characters.

This is my first book by the author and I enjoyed it. The writing felt very YA but there was too much spice for me to truly consider it YA. I prefer a bit more of abslow burn but ultimately thought it was a great romantic suspense. 4 stars!

This book had me feeling every emotion possible and I was hooked from the beginning. We are introduced to River, an 18 year-old who has lost everything… her mother, father, belongings. She shockingly receives an anonymous $2M donation in her GoFundMe account. Dealing with her grief, trying to find her mother, and navigating the complexity of new relationships and maintaining friendships, she proves herself to be a survivor over and over again. I felt for River as she navigated these experiences but was not ready for the plot twist in the last quarter of the book- my mouth completely dropped!. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the eARC.