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Jillian Samuels doesn’t believe in love
or happily-ever-after. The only things she believes in are
her job and her friends. With her best friends all married
with families, Jillian is completely set adrift when she
loses her mentor and her job in quick succession. An
inherited lakefront cottage seems to be her best chance to
start a new life, until she finds the place already
occupied!
Tucker Manning is living in his late
wife’s father’s lake house, still mourning her death. He
gave up his career to take care of her when she got sick,
and he’s never reclaimed it. Instead he works as a
carpenter. He’s furious when Jillian arrives, claiming to
own his house.
Will sharing the cottage bring two
lonely, damaged people together, or destroy them both?
All of Me is the final installment of the
Wedding Veil Wishes series, and it’s a fitting end.
Outwardly tough but inwardly lonely and hurting, Jillian was
easy to sympathize with. I felt the same way about Tuck,
who couldn’t seem to heal from the loss of his wife. There
were several times when I wondered if they would ever be
able to get past the sorrows they’d endured and move on to a
happy future together. While there isn’t a lot of external
conflict, Jillian and Tuck’s struggles with their own inner
demons almost moved me to tears at a couple of points.
There are a few mystical touches (the wedding veil and the
inclusion of an interesting Native American ritual) that add
a touch of magic to their relationship. As always, Lori
Wilde did a stellar job of portraying the small-town
atmosphere and creating wonderful secondary characters.
Tuck’s sister and her husband are especially well done, and
their subplot is sweet. All of Me might not
have a lot of action or even a lot of sex, but it’s an
emotional and fulfilling romance. |
