All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin

Review by Sue All We Ever Wanted is the first book I've read by Emily Giffin. It did NOT disappoint! It is told in multiple POV. That of Lyla, the one who is taken advantage of. Tom, Lyla’s father, and Nina, Finch’s mom. Finch being the one accused of taking the photo. Although I have not read many books told in multiple POV I believe this author pulled it off brilliantly. It gives the book a depth that it would have otherwise lacked if only told in singular or dual POV. Nina’s character was weak willed and she drove me crazy most of the book. She was unwilling to stand up for herself either with her husband Kirk or even her son, Finch. I loved Lyla’s dad. He is protective and strong. He goes to bat for his daughter and does not let her down. Lyla is strong but I wondered sometimes if she realized the severity of what she was going through. She seemed a little nonchalant which bothered me to no end. “When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves” This quote sums up the book quite well. It is the story of a woman who is taken advantage of while intoxicated, the repercussions or lack thereof, and the reverberations it has throughout the community. This is so not how I thought this book was going to go, it had some twists and turns I did not see coming. The pace for me was a little slow but I was completely invested. This author is new to me and although I wondered where this story was headed a few times, I realized at the end that it was all a build up to the ending or dare I say new beginning? The ending also left some loose ends that I would like the author to follow up on. There is also a small who done it that had me vacillating back and forth between who I believed was the culprit. It was very well written and captured my attention thoroughly. Definitely worth the read. **ARC provided by author for honest review**