What do you think?
Rate this book
Kowalski Family #5
All He Ever Desired
A second shot at first love?
After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he's forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren's son….
The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan's door every day to work off his crime.
With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can't deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?
After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he's forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren's son….
The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan's door every day to work off his crime.
With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can't deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 17, 2013
317 people are currently reading
2707 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Stacey
145 books2,639 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her favorite activities are writing romance and really random tweets when she’s not riding her ATV. She loves mud, books, football & watching way too much TV.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
November 19, 2012
All He Ever Desired is the fifth book in the Kowalski Family series and another enjoyable story. I can tell you, without hesitation, that Shannon Stacey is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, and this series is must read for me. The stories are sweet, passionate, humorous, and often focus on valuable lessons, reminding us of what is most important in life; Love, family and integrity.
A second shot at first love…There are so many things to love about this story! Revisiting the Kowalski clan as they come together for Paige and Mitch’s wedding made for some fun times. Watching Rose and Andy grow closer – Rose’s snarky (for Rose) comments and Andy’s obvious affection for her. Meeting Lauren’s troubled teen age son, Nick, and getting a glimpse into the man he’ll become. And most especially, Ryan and Lauren, the stars of this story.
After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he's forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren's son…
The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan's door every day to work off his crime.
With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can't deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?
Ironically, my favorite part of this story is also my least favorite. Like the cover blurb tells us, a lot of years have passed since Ryan made Lauren an offer she was obviously able to refuse, and both moved on with their lives, though neither ever forgot the other. Circumstances have brought them together again, so with all those years behind them and nothing to stop them, they’re finally ready to take a chance on each other and see what the future might hold.
And this is why it's my favorite part: I loved how real it felt. How we watched their struggle - Ryan's to approach Lauren again after having already been shot down once. It might have been 16 years ago, but the wound she inflicted to his pride, and his heart, is still fresh. And Lauren's struggle to take a chance and allow someone into her life again, especially a man like Ryan Kowalski who makes her feel things no one, not even her ex husband, had ever made her feel.
And this is why it's my least favorite part: It's heartwarming, at times poignant and inspirational, but by the very nature of this story, it also causes some lag in the flow and pacing. Not to the point of distraction, mind you, but for me it was there and that's the only thing keeping this from being a 5 star read.
So now I'm very much looking forward to Josh's story and finding out if he can make his own dreams come true. He's been the one person holding everything together while everyone else was off following their own dreams and now it's his time to shine. And then there's Liz's story, too. That girl's had it rough and it's time that she have a chance at love, whether she realizes she wants it or not.
The bottom line: Like all the books in this series, All He Ever Desired is a romantic, steamy, funny, feel good story. The devotion to family and community gives these books that small town feel that I adore, and the characters - their lives and loves - are what keeping me coming back for more.
My thanks to netgalley.com and Carina Press for providing me with a copy of this book for review. As always, it was a pleasure.
January 22, 2013
Rules for Contemporary Romance
1. The hero should be 6' plus, have a six pack, a full head of hair, be well endowed, be the best lover the heroine has ever had (regardless of how many previous lovers she has had) and be independently wealthy.
2. The heroine should be a girl next door, have curves, struggle with money and possibly have a son from a previous marriage to a loser. It is OK for the heroine to be a virgin so long as she has a very good reason, such as looking after her sick mother or she was betrayed by her first boyfriend.
3. Sex should last all night, the hero should be there in the morning, he should wear a condom and have the largest penis the heroine has ever seen.
4. There should be a reason why the relationship can't work, but there must always be a Happily Ever After.
5. The heroine should have a friend who hasn't found her HEA yet. She can find it with a friend or brother of the hero. This will be the next book in the series.
All he Ever Desired
I know what I'm going to get when I buy a Contemporary Romance...they have to follow the rules and the rules tell me where things are going and how they'll end. It's exactly what I want from books in this genre. When authors start messing with the rules, I start to get grumpy.
All He Ever Desired follows the rules to the letter and it works on every level. I hesitate (but only briefly) to compare Shannon Stacey to authors like Jill Shalvis and Robyn Carr. Her writing is polished, her stories entertaining, her characters likeable.
The only weakness in this book is the title. I don't know what she was thinking there.
1. The hero should be 6' plus, have a six pack, a full head of hair, be well endowed, be the best lover the heroine has ever had (regardless of how many previous lovers she has had) and be independently wealthy.
2. The heroine should be a girl next door, have curves, struggle with money and possibly have a son from a previous marriage to a loser. It is OK for the heroine to be a virgin so long as she has a very good reason, such as looking after her sick mother or she was betrayed by her first boyfriend.
3. Sex should last all night, the hero should be there in the morning, he should wear a condom and have the largest penis the heroine has ever seen.
4. There should be a reason why the relationship can't work, but there must always be a Happily Ever After.
5. The heroine should have a friend who hasn't found her HEA yet. She can find it with a friend or brother of the hero. This will be the next book in the series.
All he Ever Desired
I know what I'm going to get when I buy a Contemporary Romance...they have to follow the rules and the rules tell me where things are going and how they'll end. It's exactly what I want from books in this genre. When authors start messing with the rules, I start to get grumpy.
All He Ever Desired follows the rules to the letter and it works on every level. I hesitate (but only briefly) to compare Shannon Stacey to authors like Jill Shalvis and Robyn Carr. Her writing is polished, her stories entertaining, her characters likeable.
The only weakness in this book is the title. I don't know what she was thinking there.
April 21, 2015
4.5 stars
A great contemporary romance!
Lauren Carpentner is satisfied with her life. She's free of her husband (not that he was all bad, bu the constant cheating wasn't nice), she has her loyal friends, her son (although he does let his hormones rule him a bit too much)... True, there's no man around, but who actually needs them? Right?
And then Ryan Kowalski walk back to town. Ryan, well he is a successful business owner who really doesn't want to come back to Whitford. You see, he has an unfortunate history with Lauren, and everything in town reminds him of it. But fate throws them together. And all of those old feelings rush back.
I really like both Ryan and Lauren. They are good people whom life didn't always treat right, but they manage to find happiness. Their relationship isn't perfect, but it's real and I buy that they will make it.
That doesn't mean that they are perfect - it seemed like Lauren was simply waiting for him to mess up to break up with him. Ryan has the sometimes annoying flaw of not wanting to face the difficulties in their relationship, but simply turns it into a joke - all that charm isn't always a good thing.
I like the other citizens of Whitford, even with all that gossip going round. :D
But my favorite part is the Kowalski family. They are amazing, especially when they are all in the same place - so entertaining. :P
ARC provided by Carina Press via NetGalley
A great contemporary romance!
Lauren Carpentner is satisfied with her life. She's free of her husband (not that he was all bad, bu the constant cheating wasn't nice), she has her loyal friends, her son (although he does let his hormones rule him a bit too much)... True, there's no man around, but who actually needs them? Right?
And then Ryan Kowalski walk back to town. Ryan, well he is a successful business owner who really doesn't want to come back to Whitford. You see, he has an unfortunate history with Lauren, and everything in town reminds him of it. But fate throws them together. And all of those old feelings rush back.
I really like both Ryan and Lauren. They are good people whom life didn't always treat right, but they manage to find happiness. Their relationship isn't perfect, but it's real and I buy that they will make it.
That doesn't mean that they are perfect - it seemed like Lauren was simply waiting for him to mess up to break up with him. Ryan has the sometimes annoying flaw of not wanting to face the difficulties in their relationship, but simply turns it into a joke - all that charm isn't always a good thing.
I like the other citizens of Whitford, even with all that gossip going round. :D
But my favorite part is the Kowalski family. They are amazing, especially when they are all in the same place - so entertaining. :P
ARC provided by Carina Press via NetGalley
November 16, 2012
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: B+
As she sat down, Lauren tried to shake off the nerves that being so close to him [Ryan] seemed to have set to quivering, only to find herself pinned by Paige’s all-too-observant stare. She should have made the time to pack a lunch this morning.
“Coffee?”
“They have that effect on women.”
“Coffees?”
“Kowalskis.”
Ryan owns a successful building company out of state, but has returned home for a short time to help rebuild his family’s lodge. Whether they keep it or sell it once all is said and done is still up in the air, but Ryan is back in town where the first love of his life turned him down years ago and he’s shocked when he finds her sixteen year old son, Nick, vandalizing their property. He lets Nick work off the debt he owes and this puts Ryan right in Lauren’s path daily now and the spark is still there between them.
Lauren is a single mom, having divorced Nick’s dad Dean (who is also former best friends with Ryan) years ago after he cheated on her. She has a pretty thankless job, but it pays the bills and gives her flexible hours to be home for Nick. She still remembers the day years ago when Ryan showed up and wanted to take her and then infant Nick away with him and away from Dean, who never really treated her right. She said no and has spent all the years since fantasizing about what it would have been like had she said yes and just fantasizing about Ryan, period.
The first half of the story really builds up each character individually. There’s some subtle foreplay between Ryan and Lauren but their romance doesn’t take off until the midway point, during Ryan’s brother’s wedding. I liked the slow build up for these two. It gives us time to get to know a bit more about each of their lives, especially in Lauren’s case as she juggles her job, Nick, and dealing with an ex who can’t stand having his son working for Ryan. For as full and crazy as her life is, she’s still missing something, and she wants someone to share this life with. When she gets the chance to be a little bold and ask Ryan to dance at his brother’s wedding, she does it, he accepts and after an awkward moment or two, they get comfortable together fast and their romance takes off.
I thought their romance was incredibly sweet and it’s easy to believe that Lauren would be imagining Ryan in her dreams, because he’s pretty sigh-worthy. What stands out most about their relationship was how real it felt. These two are dealing with families, work, friends and the biggest obstacle they have is living in different states. Ryan is here for now, but the lodge gets rebuilt quickly and then they have a big decision to make. I really enjoyed how their romance developed. It’s sexy at times, serious when it needs to be and seeing them fall in love and try to make it work is a satisfying journey for them and for readers.
The heart of this series remains the Kowalski’s and there’s a big family get-together centered around Mitch and Paige’s wedding (All He Ever Needed). We get much more of Liz Kowalski on page, the sister who lives across the country had me surprised at who she hooks up with at the wedding. I love the family banter, the siblings that love to bicker and fight followed up quickly by wanting to take a sibling picture together because it reminds them of a picture their mom took years ago before her death. It’s the little moments with this family that I love seeing play out. Now, I’m excited to learn more about Liz and of course the last single Kowalski brother, Josh – his heroine is right in front of his face. I can’t wait to see that man finally wake up and take notice.
The Kowalski’s and their friends continue to be charming and fun to get to know with each book. I enjoyed the romance between Lauren and Ryan. They have moments that are steamy, at times sweet and seeing them become not only a couple, but a family with her son Nick was nice progression. This is a charming series and All He Ever Desired fits right in, a read I’d definitely recommend.
Blog rating: B+
As she sat down, Lauren tried to shake off the nerves that being so close to him [Ryan] seemed to have set to quivering, only to find herself pinned by Paige’s all-too-observant stare. She should have made the time to pack a lunch this morning.
“Coffee?”
“They have that effect on women.”
“Coffees?”
“Kowalskis.”
Ryan owns a successful building company out of state, but has returned home for a short time to help rebuild his family’s lodge. Whether they keep it or sell it once all is said and done is still up in the air, but Ryan is back in town where the first love of his life turned him down years ago and he’s shocked when he finds her sixteen year old son, Nick, vandalizing their property. He lets Nick work off the debt he owes and this puts Ryan right in Lauren’s path daily now and the spark is still there between them.
Lauren is a single mom, having divorced Nick’s dad Dean (who is also former best friends with Ryan) years ago after he cheated on her. She has a pretty thankless job, but it pays the bills and gives her flexible hours to be home for Nick. She still remembers the day years ago when Ryan showed up and wanted to take her and then infant Nick away with him and away from Dean, who never really treated her right. She said no and has spent all the years since fantasizing about what it would have been like had she said yes and just fantasizing about Ryan, period.
The first half of the story really builds up each character individually. There’s some subtle foreplay between Ryan and Lauren but their romance doesn’t take off until the midway point, during Ryan’s brother’s wedding. I liked the slow build up for these two. It gives us time to get to know a bit more about each of their lives, especially in Lauren’s case as she juggles her job, Nick, and dealing with an ex who can’t stand having his son working for Ryan. For as full and crazy as her life is, she’s still missing something, and she wants someone to share this life with. When she gets the chance to be a little bold and ask Ryan to dance at his brother’s wedding, she does it, he accepts and after an awkward moment or two, they get comfortable together fast and their romance takes off.
I thought their romance was incredibly sweet and it’s easy to believe that Lauren would be imagining Ryan in her dreams, because he’s pretty sigh-worthy. What stands out most about their relationship was how real it felt. These two are dealing with families, work, friends and the biggest obstacle they have is living in different states. Ryan is here for now, but the lodge gets rebuilt quickly and then they have a big decision to make. I really enjoyed how their romance developed. It’s sexy at times, serious when it needs to be and seeing them fall in love and try to make it work is a satisfying journey for them and for readers.
The heart of this series remains the Kowalski’s and there’s a big family get-together centered around Mitch and Paige’s wedding (All He Ever Needed). We get much more of Liz Kowalski on page, the sister who lives across the country had me surprised at who she hooks up with at the wedding. I love the family banter, the siblings that love to bicker and fight followed up quickly by wanting to take a sibling picture together because it reminds them of a picture their mom took years ago before her death. It’s the little moments with this family that I love seeing play out. Now, I’m excited to learn more about Liz and of course the last single Kowalski brother, Josh – his heroine is right in front of his face. I can’t wait to see that man finally wake up and take notice.
The Kowalski’s and their friends continue to be charming and fun to get to know with each book. I enjoyed the romance between Lauren and Ryan. They have moments that are steamy, at times sweet and seeing them become not only a couple, but a family with her son Nick was nice progression. This is a charming series and All He Ever Desired fits right in, a read I’d definitely recommend.
January 17, 2023
☆☆☆☆☆
Dar viena Kovalskių šeimos detalė į bendrą jų istoriją. Lygiai taip pat kaip ir kitos dalys absoliučiai mano skonio knygos. Su šypsena, su grauduliuku, šeimos ir jausmų dramos, meilės istorija ir graži laiminga pabaiga. Patinka, kad nėra vien jaunuolių istorija, o brandžių žmonių. Lorena, išsiskyrusi, paauglį sūnų Niką auginanti vieniša moteris. Ir grįžęs į miestelį jaunystės simpatija Rajanas, vienas iš Kovalskių, kuris antrą kartą nepaleidžia savo meilės taip lengvai. Tik ar tikrai taip paprasta, kai Lorena laisva, jis laisvas, imti ir sukurti savo šeimą?
Dar viena Kovalskių šeimos detalė į bendrą jų istoriją. Lygiai taip pat kaip ir kitos dalys absoliučiai mano skonio knygos. Su šypsena, su grauduliuku, šeimos ir jausmų dramos, meilės istorija ir graži laiminga pabaiga. Patinka, kad nėra vien jaunuolių istorija, o brandžių žmonių. Lorena, išsiskyrusi, paauglį sūnų Niką auginanti vieniša moteris. Ir grįžęs į miestelį jaunystės simpatija Rajanas, vienas iš Kovalskių, kuris antrą kartą nepaleidžia savo meilės taip lengvai. Tik ar tikrai taip paprasta, kai Lorena laisva, jis laisvas, imti ir sukurti savo šeimą?
January 7, 2016
★★★½
All He Ever Desired is the fifth installment in Shannon Stacey's adult contemporary romance series titled Kowalski Family. Ms. Stacey is such a fun romance author and I'm having a great time following this series. This particular installment presents some complexity within the main characters' relationship. Ryan and Lauren have some history together and when they parted ways in their younger years they did so a bit awkwardly. Now, years later, their paths have crossed once again and as the book synopsis suggests, they have a second chance at first love.
I really enjoyed the circumstance that caused Ryan and Lauren to reunite. It was a pretty creative addition to a contemporary romance. But unfortunately, I didn't sense a strong, long-term connection between Ryan and Lauren, , but this may have been intentional based on a few issues that were spelled out later on in the novel. Regardless, this issue made the ending feel a bit dramatic and rushed in my opinion. The bits of humor, the sexy moments, and the stressors that were integrated into the story were pretty palpable though, and I enjoyed the characters and their lives in general.
As always, it's so good to catch up with the Kowalski family as a whole. Each book in the series features a different couple within the family and no epilogue is ever needed because Ms. Stacey generously incorporates updates for each couple in the installments that follow. If you are unfamiliar with the Kowalski Family series then it's time to check it out!
My favorite quote:
"A woman should never have to choose between sex and cake."
The Kowalski Family series includes the following installments as of January 2016. The ratings are my opinion only.
#1-Exclusively Yours ★★★★★
#2-Undeniably Yours ★★★★☆
#3-Yours to Keep ★★★★★
#4-All He Ever Needed★★★½☆
#5-All He Ever Desired★★★½☆
#6-All He Ever Dreamed
#6.5-Alone with You
#7-Love a Little Sideways
#8-Taken with You
#9-Falling for Max
All He Ever Desired is the fifth installment in Shannon Stacey's adult contemporary romance series titled Kowalski Family. Ms. Stacey is such a fun romance author and I'm having a great time following this series. This particular installment presents some complexity within the main characters' relationship. Ryan and Lauren have some history together and when they parted ways in their younger years they did so a bit awkwardly. Now, years later, their paths have crossed once again and as the book synopsis suggests, they have a second chance at first love.
I really enjoyed the circumstance that caused Ryan and Lauren to reunite. It was a pretty creative addition to a contemporary romance. But unfortunately, I didn't sense a strong, long-term connection between Ryan and Lauren, , but this may have been intentional based on a few issues that were spelled out later on in the novel. Regardless, this issue made the ending feel a bit dramatic and rushed in my opinion. The bits of humor, the sexy moments, and the stressors that were integrated into the story were pretty palpable though, and I enjoyed the characters and their lives in general.
As always, it's so good to catch up with the Kowalski family as a whole. Each book in the series features a different couple within the family and no epilogue is ever needed because Ms. Stacey generously incorporates updates for each couple in the installments that follow. If you are unfamiliar with the Kowalski Family series then it's time to check it out!
My favorite quote:
"A woman should never have to choose between sex and cake."
The Kowalski Family series includes the following installments as of January 2016. The ratings are my opinion only.
#1-Exclusively Yours ★★★★★
#2-Undeniably Yours ★★★★☆
#3-Yours to Keep ★★★★★
#4-All He Ever Needed★★★½☆
#5-All He Ever Desired★★★½☆
#6-All He Ever Dreamed
#6.5-Alone with You
#7-Love a Little Sideways
#8-Taken with You
#9-Falling for Max
November 21, 2012
Favorite Quote: “Coffee?”
Lauren pressed a hand to her stomach, cursing the butterflies. “I think I’ll have decaf.”
“They have that effect on women.”
“Coffees?”
“Kowalskis.”
Why does Shannon Stacey write such adorable books? Her Kowalski series has quickly gone to one of my most anticipated series. In this book we get a hero who was so desperately in love with the heroine when they were younger that he asked her to leave her husband to be with him. Although Laura married young and had to care for her son by herself most of the time while her husband partied with his friends, she still loved him, so she declines Ryan’s advances. Ryan leaves, eventually building a successful contracting business in Massachusetts. But now he is back in the small town of Whitford to help his brother Josh repair the snowmobile inn his family owns. And since it’s a small town, he can’t avoid Laura for long.
Laura eventually divorced her husband and now works for a small insurance company. Her son is 16 and for years now when life gets too stressful, she daydreams about what life would have been like with Ryan. When Ryan catches her son vandalizing the inn (he is a good kid and this is rare for him) Ryan asks that Nick work off the payment, meaning Laura and Ryan are going to be seeing a lot of each other.
First of all, while this is a lovely romance between Laura and Ryan, this book is so full of all the Kowalski’s and small town residents. Mitch and Paige (previous couple) decide to get married at the inn, meaning all the Kowalski’s invade in this book. I love their interactions, especially Josh who is always looking to give his brothers a hard time. I can’t wait for him to get his own book.
For the first 25-30% of this book, Laura and Ryan don’t have much page time together. I was antsy to get moving with their relationship, but the build up ended up working so well for me. When they finally get to it, it was worth the wait. Ryan is such a good guy and understanding that while he is building a future with Laura, her son and ex-husband have to be considered too. While Laura is a little cautious with Ryan around her son, he is 16 and she makes him realize adults do things and need things that maybe he doesn’t understand. I like how all of that played out. Plus Shannon Stacey writes really sexy books with great sexual tension and romance scenes.
My favorite thing in this book is how things are resolved at the end. I don’t want to spoil but I think things are handled so realistically that it surprised me. Which is sad that it stood out so much. I wish other romance books would tone down the glitter and rainbows at the end of the book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely, solid HEA. But when you have kids and live in different towns, decisions have to be made. Sometimes decisions that are hard. And the author doesn’t shy away from giving us a realistic glimpse into combining two separate lives. Well done.
I can’t wait for more. More, more, more.
PS – they can all be read as stand alones so jump in.
Rating: B
Lauren pressed a hand to her stomach, cursing the butterflies. “I think I’ll have decaf.”
“They have that effect on women.”
“Coffees?”
“Kowalskis.”
Why does Shannon Stacey write such adorable books? Her Kowalski series has quickly gone to one of my most anticipated series. In this book we get a hero who was so desperately in love with the heroine when they were younger that he asked her to leave her husband to be with him. Although Laura married young and had to care for her son by herself most of the time while her husband partied with his friends, she still loved him, so she declines Ryan’s advances. Ryan leaves, eventually building a successful contracting business in Massachusetts. But now he is back in the small town of Whitford to help his brother Josh repair the snowmobile inn his family owns. And since it’s a small town, he can’t avoid Laura for long.
Laura eventually divorced her husband and now works for a small insurance company. Her son is 16 and for years now when life gets too stressful, she daydreams about what life would have been like with Ryan. When Ryan catches her son vandalizing the inn (he is a good kid and this is rare for him) Ryan asks that Nick work off the payment, meaning Laura and Ryan are going to be seeing a lot of each other.
First of all, while this is a lovely romance between Laura and Ryan, this book is so full of all the Kowalski’s and small town residents. Mitch and Paige (previous couple) decide to get married at the inn, meaning all the Kowalski’s invade in this book. I love their interactions, especially Josh who is always looking to give his brothers a hard time. I can’t wait for him to get his own book.
For the first 25-30% of this book, Laura and Ryan don’t have much page time together. I was antsy to get moving with their relationship, but the build up ended up working so well for me. When they finally get to it, it was worth the wait. Ryan is such a good guy and understanding that while he is building a future with Laura, her son and ex-husband have to be considered too. While Laura is a little cautious with Ryan around her son, he is 16 and she makes him realize adults do things and need things that maybe he doesn’t understand. I like how all of that played out. Plus Shannon Stacey writes really sexy books with great sexual tension and romance scenes.
My favorite thing in this book is how things are resolved at the end. I don’t want to spoil but I think things are handled so realistically that it surprised me. Which is sad that it stood out so much. I wish other romance books would tone down the glitter and rainbows at the end of the book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely, solid HEA. But when you have kids and live in different towns, decisions have to be made. Sometimes decisions that are hard. And the author doesn’t shy away from giving us a realistic glimpse into combining two separate lives. Well done.
I can’t wait for more. More, more, more.
PS – they can all be read as stand alones so jump in.
Rating: B
November 3, 2012
The Kowalskis are at it again. Shannon Stacey's Kowalski men are some of my favorite Alpha men. Ryan Kowalski is no disappointment. He is honrable, honest, kind, hard-working and a driven man who has always loved Lauren Carpenter.
As teenagers, Ryan asked Laurent to leave her husband, move with him and he'd raise Nick as his own son. But, Lauren was too young to make that decision. Ryan left town without turning back and made a multimillion dollar life for himself. Now back in town to help his family, he can't take his eyes off Lauren, a grown sexy woman. Divorced now, she also can't help but wonder "What If" anytime she sees handsome Ryan. Their friendship turns into a lasting love that has me smiling from ear-to-ear. How sweet is this line? "If somebody wants you to pin a label on my place in your life, just tell them I'm yours."
My favorite parts of All He Ever Desired are: 1) Kowalski clan. Stacy has a unique way of combining a feisty family, each with their own personality, into the storyline. Characters from other Kowalski books show up and new characters are just waiting for their own story to be told. Ryan's brother Mitch's story was in the previous book. I'm wondering when Josh will get his own, since he made me laugh. The brothers have their typcial male relationships, joking when things get serious, but they take care of each other in their own way.
2) Complex characters. only does Stacey handle the Kowalskis, but there are other intense characters such as Dean, the ex-husband, and Hailey and Paige, Lauren's best friends. Each has a developed history and background that makes me think I really know them.
3) The sensual scenes are crazy-mad hot! love how Stacey can still keep it sexy, but at the same time crack a joke in between kisses. One of my favorite lines from a sex xcene is: "A woman should never have to choose between sexx and cake." It's true, isn't it?
Overall, the story is real, relatable and sexy. A must read for Stacey fans and Kowalski lovers. Ryan and Lauren's story reaches you deep in the heart and stays there for days after finishing the book. Can't wait to read more Kowalski tales.
As teenagers, Ryan asked Laurent to leave her husband, move with him and he'd raise Nick as his own son. But, Lauren was too young to make that decision. Ryan left town without turning back and made a multimillion dollar life for himself. Now back in town to help his family, he can't take his eyes off Lauren, a grown sexy woman. Divorced now, she also can't help but wonder "What If" anytime she sees handsome Ryan. Their friendship turns into a lasting love that has me smiling from ear-to-ear. How sweet is this line? "If somebody wants you to pin a label on my place in your life, just tell them I'm yours."
My favorite parts of All He Ever Desired are: 1) Kowalski clan. Stacy has a unique way of combining a feisty family, each with their own personality, into the storyline. Characters from other Kowalski books show up and new characters are just waiting for their own story to be told. Ryan's brother Mitch's story was in the previous book. I'm wondering when Josh will get his own, since he made me laugh. The brothers have their typcial male relationships, joking when things get serious, but they take care of each other in their own way.
2) Complex characters. only does Stacey handle the Kowalskis, but there are other intense characters such as Dean, the ex-husband, and Hailey and Paige, Lauren's best friends. Each has a developed history and background that makes me think I really know them.
3) The sensual scenes are crazy-mad hot! love how Stacey can still keep it sexy, but at the same time crack a joke in between kisses. One of my favorite lines from a sex xcene is: "A woman should never have to choose between sexx and cake." It's true, isn't it?
Overall, the story is real, relatable and sexy. A must read for Stacey fans and Kowalski lovers. Ryan and Lauren's story reaches you deep in the heart and stays there for days after finishing the book. Can't wait to read more Kowalski tales.
December 27, 2015
Why I Read this Book: I’m hooked on the series. I will read every single book in the Kowalski Family series.
What I Liked: I like a little cat and mouse in my romance. I like the dance between a hero and heroine where the attraction and chemistry is obviously there but there’s some hesitation from one party (or both). I love watching it play out; the tension, the banter, the sexual innuendos – all of it.
I thought I was going to be annoyed by Lauren’s teenaged son, Nick, but he wasn’t that bad. And he’s presence wasn’t just merely a plot device. He fit right in with the rest of the characters and held his place just fine.
I am really happy with the way things turned out for Lauren and Ryan, though I was a little miffed at Ryan for talking to Lauren’s ex-husband before speaking with her. But I can overlook that. I don’t want to give too much away but I will say that it made sense where Lauren and Ryan end up. And it worked out for all parties involved.
What I Didn’t Like: I would have liked to have gotten a more inside look at Lauren and her ex-husband’s relationship when they first got together. I wanted to know how Ryan was so in love with his best friend’s girl but we didn’t get to see any of that. All the reader knows is that Ryan had once asked Lauren to leave her husband and take her son and be with Ryan. It lacked substance and kept me wondering.
Uh oh, what’s going on with Rose? I have a bad feeling….
One thing I didn’t get is why Lauren kept her married name all this time when it’s been 8 years since her divorce. The cause for the divorce was bad enough, why would you want to keep the bastard’s name?
Memorable Moment:
Overall Impression: I can always count on Shannon Stacey for a good romantic comedy. Her stories provide great laughs, a great love, and a great time. Her books make for a fun, light reading experience that I can’t get enough of.
What I Liked: I like a little cat and mouse in my romance. I like the dance between a hero and heroine where the attraction and chemistry is obviously there but there’s some hesitation from one party (or both). I love watching it play out; the tension, the banter, the sexual innuendos – all of it.
I thought I was going to be annoyed by Lauren’s teenaged son, Nick, but he wasn’t that bad. And he’s presence wasn’t just merely a plot device. He fit right in with the rest of the characters and held his place just fine.
I am really happy with the way things turned out for Lauren and Ryan, though I was a little miffed at Ryan for talking to Lauren’s ex-husband before speaking with her. But I can overlook that. I don’t want to give too much away but I will say that it made sense where Lauren and Ryan end up. And it worked out for all parties involved.
What I Didn’t Like: I would have liked to have gotten a more inside look at Lauren and her ex-husband’s relationship when they first got together. I wanted to know how Ryan was so in love with his best friend’s girl but we didn’t get to see any of that. All the reader knows is that Ryan had once asked Lauren to leave her husband and take her son and be with Ryan. It lacked substance and kept me wondering.
Uh oh, what’s going on with Rose? I have a bad feeling….
One thing I didn’t get is why Lauren kept her married name all this time when it’s been 8 years since her divorce. The cause for the divorce was bad enough, why would you want to keep the bastard’s name?
Memorable Moment:
“Plan A is a race to your bed, stripping on the way, and the first one there naked gets to be the choreographer.”
Overall Impression: I can always count on Shannon Stacey for a good romantic comedy. Her stories provide great laughs, a great love, and a great time. Her books make for a fun, light reading experience that I can’t get enough of.
February 13, 2015
Hotness Rating 3 out of 5
I love Shannon Stacey. It's been far too long since I've read her and the Kowalski Family series. When I opened All He Ever Desired (book #5 of the Kowalski Family) it was like coming home. With that being said, as much as I liked the first 4 books of the series it's nothing compared to how much I liked this book.
Ryan Kowalski took a leap of faith as a young man and asked the pregnant wife of his best friend to run away with him. He cared for her, but more importantly he knew his friend wasn't a good husband and probably never would be to Lauren, so he asked and was shot down. He left his small town after that and returned as little as possible. He owned his own business and was pretty successful, so that kept him busy and away, but if he's being honest he couldn't face her on regular basis. All has changed. It's been well over a decade and he's needed back at the lodge owned by he and his siblings. Northern Star Lodge has some renovations that need done and that's Ryan's niche. He just has to get things done as quickly as possible and get out of there.
Lauren Carpenter's life hasn't turned out quite as she hoped. Her marriage failed and her son is in his moody teenage phase. He's a good kid for the most part, but lately he's been acting out more and more. When he does the unthinkable and vandalizes the Northern Star Lodge she's appalled and devastated. Not only is it going to be a huge hit to her budget, a budget that's already way too stretched, but of all things he had to get caught by none other than Ryan Kowalski. The same Ryan Kowalski that she hasn't been able to get out of her mind after all these years.
I love Ryan and what a stand-up guy he is. He felt bad for what he did to his friend, but he was trying to do the right thing for Lauren and her son. But, when confronted by Lauren's ex-husband he owned up to what he did. And I loved how he treated Lauren's son. He made him responsible for the things he did without belittling him. Lauren is all kinds of great! She's a good mom and a hard worker doing what she could to get through life and raise her son well. I can't imagine a better fit for either of these characters other than each other.
You can find this review and others at www.riverinaromantics.com
I love Shannon Stacey. It's been far too long since I've read her and the Kowalski Family series. When I opened All He Ever Desired (book #5 of the Kowalski Family) it was like coming home. With that being said, as much as I liked the first 4 books of the series it's nothing compared to how much I liked this book.
Ryan Kowalski took a leap of faith as a young man and asked the pregnant wife of his best friend to run away with him. He cared for her, but more importantly he knew his friend wasn't a good husband and probably never would be to Lauren, so he asked and was shot down. He left his small town after that and returned as little as possible. He owned his own business and was pretty successful, so that kept him busy and away, but if he's being honest he couldn't face her on regular basis. All has changed. It's been well over a decade and he's needed back at the lodge owned by he and his siblings. Northern Star Lodge has some renovations that need done and that's Ryan's niche. He just has to get things done as quickly as possible and get out of there.
Lauren Carpenter's life hasn't turned out quite as she hoped. Her marriage failed and her son is in his moody teenage phase. He's a good kid for the most part, but lately he's been acting out more and more. When he does the unthinkable and vandalizes the Northern Star Lodge she's appalled and devastated. Not only is it going to be a huge hit to her budget, a budget that's already way too stretched, but of all things he had to get caught by none other than Ryan Kowalski. The same Ryan Kowalski that she hasn't been able to get out of her mind after all these years.
I love Ryan and what a stand-up guy he is. He felt bad for what he did to his friend, but he was trying to do the right thing for Lauren and her son. But, when confronted by Lauren's ex-husband he owned up to what he did. And I loved how he treated Lauren's son. He made him responsible for the things he did without belittling him. Lauren is all kinds of great! She's a good mom and a hard worker doing what she could to get through life and raise her son well. I can't imagine a better fit for either of these characters other than each other.
You can find this review and others at www.riverinaromantics.com
October 31, 2012
Ryan Kowalski is back in town, and trying his best to stop running into the one woman that he always wanted and never had, Lauren Carpenter. Lauren can't forget that "what-if" moment in her life with Ryan years ago, but now she may have a second chance with him and she plans to take full advantage. But for two people who's lives are so far apart, can a romance work between them, or will they just crash and burn?
The fifth book in the Kowalski Series was so much fun! Not only did we have a steamy, sexy romance brewing between Ryan and Lauren, but we got to see all our old Kowalski relatives. And what I still want to know is, "What is going to happen between a certain couple that disappeared during a certain event at the lodge?" I hope Shannon doesn't keep me waiting too long to find out!!
These Kowalski brothers just can't get it together...and I can only imagine what a trip baby-brother, Josh will be in the next installment, All He Ever Dreamed. I really enjoyed the romance between Ryan and Lauren and all the "real-issues" they had to face, with ex-husbands and sixteen year-old sons, that might have been my favorite part. I really liked Nick, and I thought Shannon did an excellent job with portraying a sixteen year-old, and the trouble that they can get into when dealing with their issues.
This was another fun, sexy, romantic read and I hope with all hope that Shannon continues to write more of the Kowalski Family, cause I sure do love them!!
Make sure this Upcoming Release is on your Pre-Order list!!
The fifth book in the Kowalski Series was so much fun! Not only did we have a steamy, sexy romance brewing between Ryan and Lauren, but we got to see all our old Kowalski relatives. And what I still want to know is, "What is going to happen between a certain couple that disappeared during a certain event at the lodge?" I hope Shannon doesn't keep me waiting too long to find out!!
These Kowalski brothers just can't get it together...and I can only imagine what a trip baby-brother, Josh will be in the next installment, All He Ever Dreamed. I really enjoyed the romance between Ryan and Lauren and all the "real-issues" they had to face, with ex-husbands and sixteen year-old sons, that might have been my favorite part. I really liked Nick, and I thought Shannon did an excellent job with portraying a sixteen year-old, and the trouble that they can get into when dealing with their issues.
This was another fun, sexy, romantic read and I hope with all hope that Shannon continues to write more of the Kowalski Family, cause I sure do love them!!
Make sure this Upcoming Release is on your Pre-Order list!!
October 22, 2014
This was good and on its way to a 4-star rating, but then the end happened and nope.
I feel like I should've liked this series more than I actually did. With the exception of Mitch and Paige's book, there was nothing that really grabbed me or featured any of the things I look for in a contemporary romance book. I liked all of the other books fine, I just didn't love them. A combination of the writing not totally working for me and all the instant-proposals, I would guess.
In any case, I am VERY into the idea of Josh and Katie, and I was going to say "to hell with it" and read their book anyway, but then I went and read all you guys' reviews of it and I've changed my mind. So I'm calling it quits after this one after all. I'll just pretend Josh and Katie's story is everything I want it to be in my head.
I feel like I should've liked this series more than I actually did. With the exception of Mitch and Paige's book, there was nothing that really grabbed me or featured any of the things I look for in a contemporary romance book. I liked all of the other books fine, I just didn't love them. A combination of the writing not totally working for me and all the instant-proposals, I would guess.
In any case, I am VERY into the idea of Josh and Katie, and I was going to say "to hell with it" and read their book anyway, but then I went and read all you guys' reviews of it and I've changed my mind. So I'm calling it quits after this one after all. I'll just pretend Josh and Katie's story is everything I want it to be in my head.
October 19, 2014
★★★★½ I probably shouldn't give this so many stars, but it has been so long since I visited with the Kowalskis, and I was just in the mood for some of their family fun.
The funniest part? When everyone was telling Ryan their secrets. LOL! I would have liked to read more of that.
Plus, I gobbled it down in one day.
This author made something work that I didn't think would, and for all the right reasons, too.
The funniest part? When everyone was telling Ryan their secrets. LOL! I would have liked to read more of that.
Plus, I gobbled it down in one day.
This author made something work that I didn't think would, and for all the right reasons, too.
April 18, 2019
Lauren and Ryan’s second chance was a charming story! I loved the chemistry between the two and the added dynamic Lauren’s son, Nick brought to their relationship. The Kowalski family in general sounds as crazy as my paternal side. I loved how the Kowalski’s did the nosy bits in a supportive, caring manner, but weren’t afraid to go for broke and tell it like it is when necessary.
Overall, I loved the characters, friendships, and the romance. This was a sweet read with a touch of heat, and the family dynamics kept me smiling.
Overall, I loved the characters, friendships, and the romance. This was a sweet read with a touch of heat, and the family dynamics kept me smiling.
April 23, 2014
I love second chance stories and this one was fantastic. Ryan is back in Whitford to help his family repair the family lodge. He's left his successful construction business back in Massachusetts for the month he figures it's going to take. On his brief visits before he's managed to avoid Lauren, remembering the way she shot him down when he asked her to leave with him. When he catches Lauren's sixteen year old son vandalizing the lodge he offers to let the boy work off the damages, which also gives him a reason to see her frequently.
Lauren remembers when Ryan offered to take her and Nick with him, but she'd been married at the time, even if the marriage wasn't the greatest. Since her divorce she's spent a fair amount of time thinking about "what if". But she has enough on her plate dealing with Nick's issues, her ex's bitterness, and trying to make ends meet. She really doesn't need the complications that Ryan will bring to her life.
One of the things I love about the Kowalski books is that the people seems so completely real. They deal with the same kind of issues that the rest of us have. Ryan feels guilty about the way he neglected the family business and is trying to make up for it. He and his siblings are close, but they each have their own lives. I really enjoyed the way that they give each other a hard time, but they also provide support when it's needed.
The beginning of the books spends a lot of time showing us who Ryan and Lauren are. Ryan is furious at the vandal, but when he learns who the boy is he finds a solution that will work for everyone. I liked his matter of fact way of dealing with Nick, not letting him get away with anything but also not being too hard on him. He spends a lot of time teaching Nick and being a good role model for him. He also takes the time to talk to Lauren and settle their past so that they can move on to the present. He also discovers that his attraction to Lauren is as strong as ever, but doing anything about it is probably not a good idea. As for Lauren, she is a single mother working to support her son in a small town without a lot going for it. Her marriage ended when she caught her husband cheating, but she still shares custody of their son with him. Knowing that Ryan is back in town adds another layer of stress to her life that only increases when she finds out about the vandalism. I loved the fact that she was on board with Nick having to work off his debt to Ryan. Her biggest problem with it is that it throws her and Ryan together more often than she really wants, especially with the attraction she feels for him.
The heat between them continues to build until the day of Ryan's brother's wedding. With Nick at his father's for the weekend, the chemistry between Ryan and Lauren finally hits its flashpoint and they have an awesome night together. Things get awkward when Nick arrives home early and finds them together. Overall, they dealt with it quite well, with realistic attitude from Nick and some honest conversation from Ryan. This begins a relationship between Ryan and Lauren that neither is quite sure has a future. Ryan has his business and home four plus hours away, and trying to run his business and have a relationship with Lauren is physically and mentally exhausting. Lauren knows Ryan has to go back to Massachusetts, but her life and job are in Maine, as is Nick and his life.
Ryan has a tendency to avoid serious conversations by wanting to just see how things go and let them work out on their own. When he finally realizes that isn't going to work he goes and has the first serious conversation with the wrong person, setting up a big argument with Lauren because she feels disrespected. All Lauren can think about is how much she loves Ryan, but the thought of moving away and starting a new life scares her to death. Ryan's errors just give her an excuse to break things off and try to protect herself. The pain they caused each other had me going through several tissues. I loved the realism of the argument that was then followed by the family and friend support, which then leads to the couple seeing where they made their mistakes and finding a way to fix them.
There are some great scenes with various members of the family poking their noses into Ryan's business. They do it with love, but there is also a fair amount chain jerking going on at the same time. The Kowalski's surrogate mother Rose also plays a large part in keeping everything running smoothly by dispensing food and advice whenever needed. I love this line of hers: "I don’t harass you kids. I persistently guide you in the right direction."
Lauren remembers when Ryan offered to take her and Nick with him, but she'd been married at the time, even if the marriage wasn't the greatest. Since her divorce she's spent a fair amount of time thinking about "what if". But she has enough on her plate dealing with Nick's issues, her ex's bitterness, and trying to make ends meet. She really doesn't need the complications that Ryan will bring to her life.
One of the things I love about the Kowalski books is that the people seems so completely real. They deal with the same kind of issues that the rest of us have. Ryan feels guilty about the way he neglected the family business and is trying to make up for it. He and his siblings are close, but they each have their own lives. I really enjoyed the way that they give each other a hard time, but they also provide support when it's needed.
The beginning of the books spends a lot of time showing us who Ryan and Lauren are. Ryan is furious at the vandal, but when he learns who the boy is he finds a solution that will work for everyone. I liked his matter of fact way of dealing with Nick, not letting him get away with anything but also not being too hard on him. He spends a lot of time teaching Nick and being a good role model for him. He also takes the time to talk to Lauren and settle their past so that they can move on to the present. He also discovers that his attraction to Lauren is as strong as ever, but doing anything about it is probably not a good idea. As for Lauren, she is a single mother working to support her son in a small town without a lot going for it. Her marriage ended when she caught her husband cheating, but she still shares custody of their son with him. Knowing that Ryan is back in town adds another layer of stress to her life that only increases when she finds out about the vandalism. I loved the fact that she was on board with Nick having to work off his debt to Ryan. Her biggest problem with it is that it throws her and Ryan together more often than she really wants, especially with the attraction she feels for him.
The heat between them continues to build until the day of Ryan's brother's wedding. With Nick at his father's for the weekend, the chemistry between Ryan and Lauren finally hits its flashpoint and they have an awesome night together. Things get awkward when Nick arrives home early and finds them together. Overall, they dealt with it quite well, with realistic attitude from Nick and some honest conversation from Ryan. This begins a relationship between Ryan and Lauren that neither is quite sure has a future. Ryan has his business and home four plus hours away, and trying to run his business and have a relationship with Lauren is physically and mentally exhausting. Lauren knows Ryan has to go back to Massachusetts, but her life and job are in Maine, as is Nick and his life.
Ryan has a tendency to avoid serious conversations by wanting to just see how things go and let them work out on their own. When he finally realizes that isn't going to work he goes and has the first serious conversation with the wrong person, setting up a big argument with Lauren because she feels disrespected. All Lauren can think about is how much she loves Ryan, but the thought of moving away and starting a new life scares her to death. Ryan's errors just give her an excuse to break things off and try to protect herself. The pain they caused each other had me going through several tissues. I loved the realism of the argument that was then followed by the family and friend support, which then leads to the couple seeing where they made their mistakes and finding a way to fix them.
There are some great scenes with various members of the family poking their noses into Ryan's business. They do it with love, but there is also a fair amount chain jerking going on at the same time. The Kowalski's surrogate mother Rose also plays a large part in keeping everything running smoothly by dispensing food and advice whenever needed. I love this line of hers: "I don’t harass you kids. I persistently guide you in the right direction."
November 15, 2012
Full review at http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot....
I love this series; it makes me so happy! This is the book of Ryan Kowalski, the serious constructor introduced to us in Mitch’s book. In that book, he was so serious and work driven that I wondered how this book. We had been tantalised with the rumour that “something” had happened between him and the mysterious Lauren that had kept him away from home. In this book, we find out that he had thought himself madly in love with her and asked her, and her baby, to move away with him... and she.said.no. That’d be enough to keep any man away as dented pride is something that is difficult to heal. I knew he wanted to stay away from her, I understood the decision, but knew it was inevitable that it wouldn’t happen. When he catches Lauren's son vandalising his property, they had to come into contact with each other again and I loved the way he came up with a punishment that both suited his needs and Lauren's. He was such a damn nice guy that there was no way that I could dislike him,
Ryan as a character was fantastic. He was charming, considerate and sexy as hell. The only thing that I could see was his flaw was his work ethic; he saw as work as the conduit to him having a happy life so he let it consume his life. He was always working and that was the ultimate barrier to their relationship; he had no intention of giving up his business or relocating to be with her....in effect he chose the business over her as he couldn’t see how she would be happy without all the things his money provided. He knew that he wanted her, was completely unafraid at breaking down all her barriers (the scenes with him trying to build a relationship with her son are amazing...swoon worthy!) but was completely unable to look at his own. Typical man!
Lauren was a hard-working single mom, struggling to survive financially and juggle her own needs with that of her family. I wanted her to get together with Ryan just so she could start seeing herself as something other than a mom. She was a woman who I could get onboard with; she was strong enough to fight for what she wanted but had enough self preservation to step back when she was fighting a losing battle. Her reactions to Ryan were all fantastic to read about and completely believable.
The scenes with the two of them were full of a sweet heat that was both satisfying and entertaining to read. I loved every single scene between them and couldn’t think of an outcome to this book where they weren’t together. There is a reason I read romance and this book is one of them; I read this book with a smile on my face for over 75% of it and wouldn’t have liked an ending other than the one I got. The only thing that I couldn’t see was HOW the resolution was going to come about, what kind of relationship they would have and if I would be happy with it. I was and that’s all you’re going to get out of me.
Overall, this is a great addition to a fantastic series. If you want a sweet, satisfying read that you can get lost in, anyone of the books in this series are perfect. With a strong Hero who is great with kids, drives a motorcycle and really is quite dreamy, this is a book that I would recommend to anyone :)
I love this series; it makes me so happy! This is the book of Ryan Kowalski, the serious constructor introduced to us in Mitch’s book. In that book, he was so serious and work driven that I wondered how this book. We had been tantalised with the rumour that “something” had happened between him and the mysterious Lauren that had kept him away from home. In this book, we find out that he had thought himself madly in love with her and asked her, and her baby, to move away with him... and she.said.no. That’d be enough to keep any man away as dented pride is something that is difficult to heal. I knew he wanted to stay away from her, I understood the decision, but knew it was inevitable that it wouldn’t happen. When he catches Lauren's son vandalising his property, they had to come into contact with each other again and I loved the way he came up with a punishment that both suited his needs and Lauren's. He was such a damn nice guy that there was no way that I could dislike him,
Ryan as a character was fantastic. He was charming, considerate and sexy as hell. The only thing that I could see was his flaw was his work ethic; he saw as work as the conduit to him having a happy life so he let it consume his life. He was always working and that was the ultimate barrier to their relationship; he had no intention of giving up his business or relocating to be with her....in effect he chose the business over her as he couldn’t see how she would be happy without all the things his money provided. He knew that he wanted her, was completely unafraid at breaking down all her barriers (the scenes with him trying to build a relationship with her son are amazing...swoon worthy!) but was completely unable to look at his own. Typical man!
Lauren was a hard-working single mom, struggling to survive financially and juggle her own needs with that of her family. I wanted her to get together with Ryan just so she could start seeing herself as something other than a mom. She was a woman who I could get onboard with; she was strong enough to fight for what she wanted but had enough self preservation to step back when she was fighting a losing battle. Her reactions to Ryan were all fantastic to read about and completely believable.
The scenes with the two of them were full of a sweet heat that was both satisfying and entertaining to read. I loved every single scene between them and couldn’t think of an outcome to this book where they weren’t together. There is a reason I read romance and this book is one of them; I read this book with a smile on my face for over 75% of it and wouldn’t have liked an ending other than the one I got. The only thing that I couldn’t see was HOW the resolution was going to come about, what kind of relationship they would have and if I would be happy with it. I was and that’s all you’re going to get out of me.
Overall, this is a great addition to a fantastic series. If you want a sweet, satisfying read that you can get lost in, anyone of the books in this series are perfect. With a strong Hero who is great with kids, drives a motorcycle and really is quite dreamy, this is a book that I would recommend to anyone :)
November 11, 2012
My Review:
The one thing I can say about absolutely every book of Shannon's from this series is that I am constantly laughing. I love the Kowalski family and the camaraderie that Shannon has created among them. This is a family that loves each other dearly and show it by giving each other a hard time and snarky comments. I love that!
This book follows Ryan. We met him in the last book and knew that there was something up with his history with Lauren, but WHOA...I had no idea. They do have some history....and it was that history that gave me pause with this book so that I didn't completely fall in love with everything about it. It just started me out with a bad taste in my mouth about Ryan...that he would do that sort of thing. I understand why and I understand his motivation and that he was young and stupid, but it just left me unsettled feeling about him and the whole basis of when they knew each other before.
But beyond that bit of history, the book was good. Obviously Lauren and Ryan have this history. He's always been her "what-if" guy that she used for fantasy scenarios, so when he comes back to town, it throws her for a loop. Neither one of them has any desire to revisit their past so they get pretty good at avoiding each other. That works until Lauren's teenage son does something that throws them together on a daily basis. Then there is no denying that the feelings between them are still strong.
Like all the Kowalski books, there's a lot going on here. Lauren's teenage son is dealing with some things which show the difficulties between her and her ex, Dean. Ryan is working on the Lodge and brought two of his young workers with him. His issues with their cell phones and texting kept me giggling throughout the entire book. Mitch and Paige (H/h from bk #4) have their wedding in this book so there were some great scenes with the ENTIRE Kowalski clan. There are also the normal small town gossips and twists & turns happening here.
Another good installment to this series. It wasn't quite up to my love of the other books, but it still rates pretty high in my list of contemporary books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The one thing I can say about absolutely every book of Shannon's from this series is that I am constantly laughing. I love the Kowalski family and the camaraderie that Shannon has created among them. This is a family that loves each other dearly and show it by giving each other a hard time and snarky comments. I love that!
This book follows Ryan. We met him in the last book and knew that there was something up with his history with Lauren, but WHOA...I had no idea. They do have some history....and it was that history that gave me pause with this book so that I didn't completely fall in love with everything about it. It just started me out with a bad taste in my mouth about Ryan...that he would do that sort of thing. I understand why and I understand his motivation and that he was young and stupid, but it just left me unsettled feeling about him and the whole basis of when they knew each other before.
But beyond that bit of history, the book was good. Obviously Lauren and Ryan have this history. He's always been her "what-if" guy that she used for fantasy scenarios, so when he comes back to town, it throws her for a loop. Neither one of them has any desire to revisit their past so they get pretty good at avoiding each other. That works until Lauren's teenage son does something that throws them together on a daily basis. Then there is no denying that the feelings between them are still strong.
Like all the Kowalski books, there's a lot going on here. Lauren's teenage son is dealing with some things which show the difficulties between her and her ex, Dean. Ryan is working on the Lodge and brought two of his young workers with him. His issues with their cell phones and texting kept me giggling throughout the entire book. Mitch and Paige (H/h from bk #4) have their wedding in this book so there were some great scenes with the ENTIRE Kowalski clan. There are also the normal small town gossips and twists & turns happening here.
Another good installment to this series. It wasn't quite up to my love of the other books, but it still rates pretty high in my list of contemporary books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
December 9, 2012
Ryan Kowalski (36) has never forgotten Lauren Carpenter (34) after almost 14 years and the passion of his past has certainly tempered. She's only improved over time and he has a whole new set of feelings to contend with. Lauren has played the "what if" game with herself since her divorce eight years ago, imagining what her life might have been like if she'd taken Ryan up on his offer to run away with him. She's got a chance to play things out in the present but wonders if he still has any feelings for her.
Ryan and Lauren's relationship is truly a contemporary romance. As a single mother of a 16-year old teenaged boy, she's constantly juggling the demands of a job, strained finances and being a mom while trying to have a social life. Ryan is part of a big extended family (four hot brothers, a sister, and four equally attractive first cousins) and he's only in Whitford, Maine to help his brothers restore the family lodge as he has his own multi-million dollar company to run in Brookline, Massachusetts. He and Lauren not only have their own past baggage to deal with as they consider a long-distance relationship but all of these pulls from their current circumstances. There weren't easy solutions and it made this story more engaging, even in the midst of a pretty hot romance.
What made this story even more enjoyable were the many funny moments arising from being a part of a large family. Ryan has great relationships with his brothers but everyone is in each others' business. It helped balance out the tough aspects of the romance, it all seeming so normal while still providing a nice escape. And, you have the whole town involved in seeing these two make it.
Ryan and Lauren are two interesting personalities and have one hot romance in spite of their obstacles. I really liked how their story was presented with all of its ups and downs, challenges and triumphs, as well as the many siblings who provide more flavor. It ended a bit briefly but every book in this series includes updates for every member of this family so we haven't heard the last about them.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
Ryan and Lauren's relationship is truly a contemporary romance. As a single mother of a 16-year old teenaged boy, she's constantly juggling the demands of a job, strained finances and being a mom while trying to have a social life. Ryan is part of a big extended family (four hot brothers, a sister, and four equally attractive first cousins) and he's only in Whitford, Maine to help his brothers restore the family lodge as he has his own multi-million dollar company to run in Brookline, Massachusetts. He and Lauren not only have their own past baggage to deal with as they consider a long-distance relationship but all of these pulls from their current circumstances. There weren't easy solutions and it made this story more engaging, even in the midst of a pretty hot romance.
What made this story even more enjoyable were the many funny moments arising from being a part of a large family. Ryan has great relationships with his brothers but everyone is in each others' business. It helped balance out the tough aspects of the romance, it all seeming so normal while still providing a nice escape. And, you have the whole town involved in seeing these two make it.
Ryan and Lauren are two interesting personalities and have one hot romance in spite of their obstacles. I really liked how their story was presented with all of its ups and downs, challenges and triumphs, as well as the many siblings who provide more flavor. It ended a bit briefly but every book in this series includes updates for every member of this family so we haven't heard the last about them.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
November 3, 2012
All He Ever Desired by Shannon Stacey
The Kowalski Series Book 5
Ryan Kowalski has come back to Northern Star Lodge in Whitford, Maine to help his brothers get it fixed up to sell. He’s been home over the past few years and each time he tries to ignore the beautiful Lauren. This time is different. Not only does he run into her in town, he catches her son vandalizing their property and makes Nick work it off. Leaving Lauren to come by the lodge to pick her son up and maybe giving Ryan a second chance.
Lauren Carpenter had been in love with Dean. Little did she realize before it was too late that Dean didn’t exactly return her feelings. She did not regret having her son, Nick. Even when he fell into the criminal category and had to work off his crimes with Ryan, a man she had an unusual past with. A man too handsome for any women to resist. Even her. Too bad he lives almost five hours away and will be returning there after repairing the lodge.
Once again Shannon takes us into the world of the lovable Kowalski family. Two of the brothers have found their forever loves, Sean and Emma’s story is in book 3: Yours To Keep and Mitch and Paige’s story is in Book 4: All He Ever Needed. As always we see hints of other love interests within the story as well to keep the reader looking forward to the next book. Which will be Josh’s story in All He Ever Dreamed. A really enjoyable series from the beginning. Book 1 is Exclusively Yours and book 2 is Undeniably Yours.
**Sexual situations and language
**Received through NetGalley for review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
The Kowalski Series Book 5
Ryan Kowalski has come back to Northern Star Lodge in Whitford, Maine to help his brothers get it fixed up to sell. He’s been home over the past few years and each time he tries to ignore the beautiful Lauren. This time is different. Not only does he run into her in town, he catches her son vandalizing their property and makes Nick work it off. Leaving Lauren to come by the lodge to pick her son up and maybe giving Ryan a second chance.
Lauren Carpenter had been in love with Dean. Little did she realize before it was too late that Dean didn’t exactly return her feelings. She did not regret having her son, Nick. Even when he fell into the criminal category and had to work off his crimes with Ryan, a man she had an unusual past with. A man too handsome for any women to resist. Even her. Too bad he lives almost five hours away and will be returning there after repairing the lodge.
Once again Shannon takes us into the world of the lovable Kowalski family. Two of the brothers have found their forever loves, Sean and Emma’s story is in book 3: Yours To Keep and Mitch and Paige’s story is in Book 4: All He Ever Needed. As always we see hints of other love interests within the story as well to keep the reader looking forward to the next book. Which will be Josh’s story in All He Ever Dreamed. A really enjoyable series from the beginning. Book 1 is Exclusively Yours and book 2 is Undeniably Yours.
**Sexual situations and language
**Received through NetGalley for review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
November 19, 2012
Posted on Under the Covers
Lauren Carpenter once had a beautiful family. Now she and her husband are divorced and their son is an emotional teenager. Keeping her head up is a hard task when all she wants to do is simply catch a break. But when Ryan Kowalski returns to Whitford to help his family restore the Northern Star Lodge, Lauren finds that her heart has never really let Ryan go.
Ryan and Lauren have an interesting past. All is revealed as you read the book, but I have to say that Shannon Stacey really impressed me with this story. Not only was the writing free-flowing and well-written, but there seemed to be a lot of heart in it as well. Ryan and Lauren are up against their past, yet Stacey builds on that past in a way that further solidifies how well they work together. She simply doesn’t make a backstory for them and hope that readers accept that they belong together. She works hard to show readers that this is the case. I have to admire that.
Nick, Lauren’s son is a great addition to this book. I loved that he was both loving and crazy. I think it also brought out a lot of Lauren and Ryan’s character as well. It displayed their parenting techniques, their core beliefs and also how well they fit with each other.
ALL HE EVER DESIRED is definitely one of my favorites of this series, but I have a feeling that the next book might just steal my heart!
*ARC provided by Netgalley
February 5, 2014
Ryan Kowalski has come back to his hometown in Whitford, Maine to help his family refurbish the Northern Star Lodge that has been in his family for generations. At this point in the trilogy, they are not sure if they are getting ready to sell it or hire someone to run it so the youngest Kowalski can go off and do who knows what. There are 6 children in the family and each, except for Joshua has moved out of state.
While Ryan is there he reconnects with a girl that he carried a torch for 14 years ago. At the time, Ryan asked Lauren, his love interest, to take her son and elope and marry him. The sticking point was she already married to his best friend and had a son. Granted her husband wasn't treating her very well, but....
Now Lauren is divorced and her son is 16.
I liked the book until the end. Because he has a company in Massachusetts he wants her to leave everything a move there. Nick, her son virtually says, "Ok let's go."
I don't know any kid that would be willing to up and leave everyone he knows. Lauren also informs Ryan that she absolutely does not want kids. This is a sticking point for me. No discussion, no compromise. Why doesn't she want any kids? There is no reason given and Ryan like a trained puppy says ok. " We can love my nieces and nephews."
I did like the little town atmosphere, but since they are moving to a big city, the town and the friends are moot. They will have to go off and make new friends.
While Ryan is there he reconnects with a girl that he carried a torch for 14 years ago. At the time, Ryan asked Lauren, his love interest, to take her son and elope and marry him. The sticking point was she already married to his best friend and had a son. Granted her husband wasn't treating her very well, but....
Now Lauren is divorced and her son is 16.
I liked the book until the end. Because he has a company in Massachusetts he wants her to leave everything a move there. Nick, her son virtually says, "Ok let's go."
I don't know any kid that would be willing to up and leave everyone he knows. Lauren also informs Ryan that she absolutely does not want kids. This is a sticking point for me. No discussion, no compromise. Why doesn't she want any kids? There is no reason given and Ryan like a trained puppy says ok. " We can love my nieces and nephews."
I did like the little town atmosphere, but since they are moving to a big city, the town and the friends are moot. They will have to go off and make new friends.
November 12, 2012
Ah, The Kowalski's. All He Ever Desired brings us Ryan Kowalski's story. Ryan owns and operates a successful construction company, and he returns to his roots in Maine in order to put his skills to use in restoring the family's lodge. He's hesitant to come back, mostly because he still has a knee-jerk reaction to seeing the woman he once loved, Lauren. Lauren is divorced and has an angsty teenage son, and she's having her own unwelcome reactions to Ryan's return. After her son is caught vandalizing the lodge, Ryan puts him to work to make up for the damage he's done, bringing Lauren into his path more often than not.
These two revolve around each other like reluctant planets to a sun. Ryan is sweet and very much the gentleman, and Lauren is a normal, easy to relate to woman struggling to keep her head above water dealing with the men in her life. There's quite a bit of "I really want to but I shouldn't" for the better half of this book, and when things finally, FINALLY get crackin' there's some serious sizzle. I was honestly kind of surprised by how hot the sex scenes were. Nothing kinky, mind you, but Ryan, my dear readers, has a mouth on him that had me cracking up and cocking an eyebrow.
This was a sweet, romantic, and surprisingly steamy read. Yet another Kowalski bites the bachelor du
These two revolve around each other like reluctant planets to a sun. Ryan is sweet and very much the gentleman, and Lauren is a normal, easy to relate to woman struggling to keep her head above water dealing with the men in her life. There's quite a bit of "I really want to but I shouldn't" for the better half of this book, and when things finally, FINALLY get crackin' there's some serious sizzle. I was honestly kind of surprised by how hot the sex scenes were. Nothing kinky, mind you, but Ryan, my dear readers, has a mouth on him that had me cracking up and cocking an eyebrow.
This was a sweet, romantic, and surprisingly steamy read. Yet another Kowalski bites the bachelor du
November 14, 2012
After reading All he ever needed, which was a disappointment to me, I hestitated before I requested this one on Netgalley. Since it was an Arc, I figured all I would lose if I didn't like it was time. I am happy to say that I did like it.
Just like all the Kowalski novels, this book was a small town romance with down to earth characters. I loved how both the good sides and bad sides of living in a small town were included in the novel.
If this novel had a theme, it was second chances. Lauren and Ryan got a second chance at love. It was touching to follow their relationship. From the first awkward moment when they met each other again, to their HEA.
Nick got a second chance to make amends for his stupidity. I'll confess that I liked how Lauren dealt with Nick. It was interesting to watch how Nick and Ryan interacted.
The biggest problem I had with this book was that it felt a bit too long. After page 150 it felt like the book was dragging just to reach a higher wordcount.
Just like all the Kowalski novels, this book was a small town romance with down to earth characters. I loved how both the good sides and bad sides of living in a small town were included in the novel.
If this novel had a theme, it was second chances. Lauren and Ryan got a second chance at love. It was touching to follow their relationship. From the first awkward moment when they met each other again, to their HEA.
Nick got a second chance to make amends for his stupidity. I'll confess that I liked how Lauren dealt with Nick. It was interesting to watch how Nick and Ryan interacted.
The biggest problem I had with this book was that it felt a bit too long. After page 150 it felt like the book was dragging just to reach a higher wordcount.
September 20, 2013
Another great romance!
This and other reviews can also be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.
All He Ever Desired is about a second chance in love. Is it even possible? Ryan Kowalski sure doesn’t think so, and when he comes back to Withford after a long absence, he does the best he can to avoid Lauren, the woman he has loved since high-school. They meet on his first day back, however, as their paths cross in his soon-to-be sister-in-law’s diner. Ryan has no idea what to say to her, and ends up feeling like a dork, so much so that he doesn’t even notice how flushed their encounter leaves Lauren.
This and other reviews can also be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.
All He Ever Desired is about a second chance in love. Is it even possible? Ryan Kowalski sure doesn’t think so, and when he comes back to Withford after a long absence, he does the best he can to avoid Lauren, the woman he has loved since high-school. They meet on his first day back, however, as their paths cross in his soon-to-be sister-in-law’s diner. Ryan has no idea what to say to her, and ends up feeling like a dork, so much so that he doesn’t even notice how flushed their encounter leaves Lauren.
December 11, 2013
"I like being your 'you know, whatever'..."
You know, this book was recommended to me forever and a half ago and I didn't think I would like it... But it was great!
Sweet and comical!
Mature love that grew with time, but at the same time had all of the intensity that you want! It was great! I devoured it!
**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
You know, this book was recommended to me forever and a half ago and I didn't think I would like it... But it was great!
Sweet and comical!
Mature love that grew with time, but at the same time had all of the intensity that you want! It was great! I devoured it!
**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
March 25, 2013
woooohoooo I love Netgalley :D I've already bought the next in the series , hoping I'd get approved by Netgalley for this one and I just got approved !
************
It wasn't what I expected it to be not better or worse just different.The blurb is all wrong for it!
I really liked this one , I've read the whole series in order so far and this one was one of the good ones.
I have already started on the next one.
************
It wasn't what I expected it to be not better or worse just different.The blurb is all wrong for it!
I really liked this one , I've read the whole series in order so far and this one was one of the good ones.
I have already started on the next one.
November 12, 2012
3.5 stars
{This review as originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}
There aren’t a lot of Big R Romance writers whose books I’ll buy without a second thought.
For a long time, it was just Julie James, and then I found Shannon Stacey, whose Kowalski books published by Carina Press absolutely charmed me with their warmth and width. More recently, I discovered Molly O’Keefe and Ruthie Knox who both have distinctive (and quite different) styles. So whenever one of these writers releases a new book, I usually snatch them up ASAP.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the fourth book one of my go-to author’s, Shannon Stacey, Kowalski series about a boisterous New England family, which shifted the setting of the series from New Hampshire to Maine. I was worried that the magic of the first three books couldn’t be rekindled. Fortunately, I gave this series another shot and very much enjoyed All He Ever Desired, the fifth Kowalski novel.
Ryan Kowalski left his hometown of Whitford, Maine after confessing his love to his best friend’s wife and being rejected. He has since married and divorced and built a successful career for himself in Massachusetts, but returns to Whitford to help his brothers refurbish the family inn. Lauren, the woman he begged to come with him years before is now divorced with a teenage son.
Ryan discovers Lauren’s son Nick vandalizing the inn and rather than force Lauren to pay for the damage, he makes Nick work at the construction site. And, it provides him a convenient reason to see a more of Lauren, the one that got away.
All He Ever Desired centers around the theme of “what if.” What if Lauren had left with Ryan? What if he’d raised Nick rather than Dean, Lauren’s bitter ex? What if they can make things work? What if they can’t?
I was surprised by the depth of these questions, considering that this series is what I consider “light.” When I read a Shannon Stacey novel, I know what I’m getting: a fun, fast read with memorable secondary characters and a lot of warmth. This pondering of the “what ifs” surprised me. In order to make things work, they have to overcome both geographic obstacles and challenges related to what they want out of life moving forward.
Lauren didn’t know what to say to that. In fact, the entire conversation seemed a little surreal. During all the years she’d harmlessly imagined what life would have been like if she’d said yes to Ryan that day, she’d never once imagined they’d have a telephone conversation about it. These challenges were resolved to a achieve a different—though equally satisfying—happily ever after than in previous Kowalski novels.
Early in All He Ever Desired, there’s a huge Kowalski family gathering for Mitch and Paige’s wedding (they’re the main characters in All He Ever Needed, which I did not finish). While I was reading, I made a note in my ereader that was something along the lines of, “Good grief, all these couples have the same end game.”
That is, they all got together and immediately started populating New England with lots of little Kowalskis. That’s not to say that a happily ever after with the white picket fence in a small town and loads of kiddos running around is a bad thing, but in a family this large, you’d think that there would be some outliers who maybe live in a city and enjoy time together before (or maybe even not at all) filling up their house with children. Contemporary families take many forms and I’d love to see that reflected more in all genres.
This is why I’m so happy with the resolution to All He Ever Desired. I don’t want to be spoilerific, but one of the main conflicts between Lauren and Ryan is that she absolutely does not want to have any other children. She spent her twenties and much of her thirties raising Nick on her own and hasn’t had an opportunity to live her life. She works hard to take care of her son, but she also longs for more. Ryan always expected to have a family of his own, just like his brothers and cousins.
The life that Lauren wants doesn’t mesh with the Kowalski family paradign of what a family is. But, in this book the couple figures out a way to make it work and it was extremely satisfying. There are no sudden changes of heart due to OMIGOD True Love in All He Ever Desired. Both Lauren and Ryan are established adults who have a clear idea of what they want in their respective futures, so it’s refreshing that Shannon Stacey respected her characters enough to let them be true to themselves while also being happy together.
On a related note, one of my favorite aspects of All He Ever Desired was the growing relationship between Ryan and Lauren’s son. Ryan never tries to be a dad to Nick, but instead reaches out to him as a friend, a role model and as a guy who’s been a 16-year old boy. The scenes with the two are some of the most “real” feeling and add so much to the novel—as do the conversations between the Kowalski brothers and their sister, Liz. Shannon Stacey’s writing really shines in the dialogue.
Finally, this is really apropos of nothing, but I cannot stand the was the second grouping of Kowalski books are titled. The first three have charming titles: Exclusively Yours, Yours to Keep and Undeniably Yours. However, the following three installments all follow the “All He Ever…” naming convention and there’s something that doesn’t sit with me, possibly because the titles shift the focus to the male main character. It sounds old fashioned and not fresh and contemporary—and more than anything, aren’t accurate, since both characters get what is essentially equal page time.
I don’t recommend starting the Kowalski books with All He Desired, though it is ostensibly a stand-alone, but if you’ve read one or two of the earlier novels, you could jump ahead to All He Ever Desired without losing any of the story. If you’re looking for an entertaining one-sitting read with a whole lot of heart, you can’t go wrong with a visit to the world of Shannon Stacey’s Kowalskis.
Disclosure: Received for review from the publisher.
Initial thoughts:
Far better than the previous Kowalski book. Ryan was very likable and realistically awkward. Early on in the novel, I made a note in my ereader that my biggest annoyance with this series is that it seems like the end game for all these characters seems to be producing many children (which, in fairness makes sense in the context of the big, crazy family). Laura, the main character, already has a teenage and has no desire for any more. Instead of this being an obstacle (I guessed this would be the Big Conflict in the romance formula) to her and Ryan's happiness--I was pleasantly surprised it was not (the obstacle is actually the weakest part of the story, but I'm totally okay with that in exchange for it not being the kids thing), it's addressed in a mature, grown-up manner. Hell-freaking-yeah. Both read like real people, and not just like real people but real people in their 30s (it seems like in a lot of romance, characters of this age read as way young). Recommended for a light, fun read with a good dash of humor.
{This review as originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}
“You are going to dance with Ryan before this party ends. I don’t care if I have to stand on a chair and announce to everybody that he has to dance with you.”
“If you do that, I’ll go to the library on Tuesday and check out every Nicholas Sparks book you have and not bring them back so you’ll have to tell everybody you don’t have any of his books. Forever.”
“You wouldn’t.”
Lauren smiled over the rim of her champagne glass. “Oh, I would.”
There aren’t a lot of Big R Romance writers whose books I’ll buy without a second thought.
For a long time, it was just Julie James, and then I found Shannon Stacey, whose Kowalski books published by Carina Press absolutely charmed me with their warmth and width. More recently, I discovered Molly O’Keefe and Ruthie Knox who both have distinctive (and quite different) styles. So whenever one of these writers releases a new book, I usually snatch them up ASAP.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the fourth book one of my go-to author’s, Shannon Stacey, Kowalski series about a boisterous New England family, which shifted the setting of the series from New Hampshire to Maine. I was worried that the magic of the first three books couldn’t be rekindled. Fortunately, I gave this series another shot and very much enjoyed All He Ever Desired, the fifth Kowalski novel.
Ryan Kowalski left his hometown of Whitford, Maine after confessing his love to his best friend’s wife and being rejected. He has since married and divorced and built a successful career for himself in Massachusetts, but returns to Whitford to help his brothers refurbish the family inn. Lauren, the woman he begged to come with him years before is now divorced with a teenage son.
Ryan discovers Lauren’s son Nick vandalizing the inn and rather than force Lauren to pay for the damage, he makes Nick work at the construction site. And, it provides him a convenient reason to see a more of Lauren, the one that got away.
All He Ever Desired centers around the theme of “what if.” What if Lauren had left with Ryan? What if he’d raised Nick rather than Dean, Lauren’s bitter ex? What if they can make things work? What if they can’t?
I was surprised by the depth of these questions, considering that this series is what I consider “light.” When I read a Shannon Stacey novel, I know what I’m getting: a fun, fast read with memorable secondary characters and a lot of warmth. This pondering of the “what ifs” surprised me. In order to make things work, they have to overcome both geographic obstacles and challenges related to what they want out of life moving forward.
Lauren didn’t know what to say to that. In fact, the entire conversation seemed a little surreal. During all the years she’d harmlessly imagined what life would have been like if she’d said yes to Ryan that day, she’d never once imagined they’d have a telephone conversation about it. These challenges were resolved to a achieve a different—though equally satisfying—happily ever after than in previous Kowalski novels.
Early in All He Ever Desired, there’s a huge Kowalski family gathering for Mitch and Paige’s wedding (they’re the main characters in All He Ever Needed, which I did not finish). While I was reading, I made a note in my ereader that was something along the lines of, “Good grief, all these couples have the same end game.”
That is, they all got together and immediately started populating New England with lots of little Kowalskis. That’s not to say that a happily ever after with the white picket fence in a small town and loads of kiddos running around is a bad thing, but in a family this large, you’d think that there would be some outliers who maybe live in a city and enjoy time together before (or maybe even not at all) filling up their house with children. Contemporary families take many forms and I’d love to see that reflected more in all genres.
This is why I’m so happy with the resolution to All He Ever Desired. I don’t want to be spoilerific, but one of the main conflicts between Lauren and Ryan is that she absolutely does not want to have any other children. She spent her twenties and much of her thirties raising Nick on her own and hasn’t had an opportunity to live her life. She works hard to take care of her son, but she also longs for more. Ryan always expected to have a family of his own, just like his brothers and cousins.
The life that Lauren wants doesn’t mesh with the Kowalski family paradign of what a family is. But, in this book the couple figures out a way to make it work and it was extremely satisfying. There are no sudden changes of heart due to OMIGOD True Love in All He Ever Desired. Both Lauren and Ryan are established adults who have a clear idea of what they want in their respective futures, so it’s refreshing that Shannon Stacey respected her characters enough to let them be true to themselves while also being happy together.
On a related note, one of my favorite aspects of All He Ever Desired was the growing relationship between Ryan and Lauren’s son. Ryan never tries to be a dad to Nick, but instead reaches out to him as a friend, a role model and as a guy who’s been a 16-year old boy. The scenes with the two are some of the most “real” feeling and add so much to the novel—as do the conversations between the Kowalski brothers and their sister, Liz. Shannon Stacey’s writing really shines in the dialogue.
“We haven’t changed the brackets on the gutters yet,” Ryan pointed out. “If he tries to shimmy down that pipe, he’ll spend his honeymoon in traction.”
Sean laughed. “With all those pulleys to elevate body parts, maybe he can keep it up more than two minutes.”
“I’m not shimmying anywhere,” Mitch said. “I don’t shimmy. And my feet aren’t cold and I don’t need pulleys to keep anything up, thank you very much. Stop deflecting your dysfunction onto other people.”
“Hey, Emma doesn’t complain.”
Liz gave him a sweet smile. “Not to you, anyway.” They all laughed, except Sean, whose expression just made them laugh harder.
Finally, this is really apropos of nothing, but I cannot stand the was the second grouping of Kowalski books are titled. The first three have charming titles: Exclusively Yours, Yours to Keep and Undeniably Yours. However, the following three installments all follow the “All He Ever…” naming convention and there’s something that doesn’t sit with me, possibly because the titles shift the focus to the male main character. It sounds old fashioned and not fresh and contemporary—and more than anything, aren’t accurate, since both characters get what is essentially equal page time.
I don’t recommend starting the Kowalski books with All He Desired, though it is ostensibly a stand-alone, but if you’ve read one or two of the earlier novels, you could jump ahead to All He Ever Desired without losing any of the story. If you’re looking for an entertaining one-sitting read with a whole lot of heart, you can’t go wrong with a visit to the world of Shannon Stacey’s Kowalskis.
Disclosure: Received for review from the publisher.
Initial thoughts:
Far better than the previous Kowalski book. Ryan was very likable and realistically awkward. Early on in the novel, I made a note in my ereader that my biggest annoyance with this series is that it seems like the end game for all these characters seems to be producing many children (which, in fairness makes sense in the context of the big, crazy family). Laura, the main character, already has a teenage and has no desire for any more. Instead of this being an obstacle (I guessed this would be the Big Conflict in the romance formula) to her and Ryan's happiness--I was pleasantly surprised it was not (the obstacle is actually the weakest part of the story, but I'm totally okay with that in exchange for it not being the kids thing), it's addressed in a mature, grown-up manner. Hell-freaking-yeah. Both read like real people, and not just like real people but real people in their 30s (it seems like in a lot of romance, characters of this age read as way young). Recommended for a light, fun read with a good dash of humor.
April 16, 2017
All He Ever Desired was not my favorite Kowalski book but still better than the first book of the series. It was a sweet love story but I thought the ending events were rushed through. I thought the last blow up/obstacle was played out a bit too dramatically and then the resolution a little too sappy without much depth that portrayed the growth of the relationship.
But that could have just been me. Still, a good story and really enjoyed the inclusion of Lauren's son.
But that could have just been me. Still, a good story and really enjoyed the inclusion of Lauren's son.
August 13, 2018
le doy 1.75 estrellas
Porque si bien Ryan me gustó bastante, Lauren me pareció insoportable...me cayó muy mal esa mujer!! Y de paso lo que hace casi al final terminó que ya no me gustara el libro....
Porque si bien Ryan me gustó bastante, Lauren me pareció insoportable...me cayó muy mal esa mujer!! Y de paso lo que hace casi al final terminó que ya no me gustara el libro....
October 25, 2022
Well, now I'm invested in the whole town.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews