My Everything

Beaumont #1.5

by Heidi McLaughlin

When Nick Ashford lost his friend, Mason, he didn’t realize he was going to lose his family as well, but that’s exactly what happened. Alone and in a foreign country, Nick is working on rebuilding his life one patient at a time, that is, until a striking volunteer makes her presence known.

Can Nick finish his year in Africa without risking his heart being broken again, or is he willing to start a new chapter in his life before his return to Beaumont?

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Novella, Adult, Short Stories

61 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2013

About the author

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018.

To stay connected with Heidi visit www.facebook.com/authorheidimclaughlin or heidimclaughlin.com

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading ‘Forever My Girl’, I sympathized with Nick (Josie’s ex-fiance) but he wasn't my favorite. After reading his story, I liked him a lot more- and I was very happy he found his happy ever after!

After rock star Liam came back into town, Nick’s family was torn apart. He knew Josie still loved Liam, and the boy Nick had raised for six years, Noah, was getting to know his real dad for the first time. Nick had to get away. So he left. He went to Africa for a year to work as a doctor and get away from it all. His only regret was not saying goodbye to Noah.

While working in Africa, Nick meets Audrey. He is attracted to her right away, but she is younger than him, only 21, and he assumes she isn’t looking for something as serious as he is. He would be wrong. He and Audrey start seeing each other, and even though he loved Josie, he has never felt this way about anyone before.

Nick and Audrey return to Beaumont together, and Nick has to face all that he’s left behind. Not only does he have to come face to face with Josie and Liam for the first time since he has left a year ago, but he has figure out his place in Noah’s life, the son he left behind. Thats even if Josie and Liam will let him be a part of Noah’s life.

This was a nice, short, novella from Nick’s pov. I enjoyed the story, I just wish we could have seen a little more with he and Audrey. Regardless, I liked it and was very happy with the ending. If you are going to read this, I would recommend reading ‘Forever My Girl’ first!

[TinaNicole ☠ Le Book Nikita ☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/19/13
Ok so I'm going to start off by saying that I didn't have many feelings about in Nick in Forever My Girl except pity. I felt bad for him. So when I realized this novella was about him I was pleased he'd get his HEA.

Instead I continued to feel bad for him in this one as well. At least until the last 10%. The book starts out with Nick getting settled in Africa and the new woman he meets named Aubrey.

I think it was all the flashbacks to his and Josie's relationship that ruined it for me. We get a pretty good idea of their life together in Forever My Girl and the re-telling through Nick's eyes was really unnecessary. Maybe if it had been done in smaller doses it would've gotten across what she had wanted but for me it was a major fail. Instead of seeing him fall in love again and heal his broken heart, we were just forced to endure his heartbreak all over again.

It made it feel like he just settled for Aubrey because she actually *did* want to marry him and have his babies. It was unfair to both of them.

I did enjoy seeing him with Noah and that he was given the opportunity to fix that relationship. Their interactions were endearing and incredibly sweet.

Bottom line, I felt that Nick wasn't given his due and it was unfortunate. Still looking forward to the next in the Beaumont Series though.

[Rejane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand he had a long relationship with Josie from FOREVER MY GIRL and even raised her son with her. But there were too much flashbacks of his relationship with her in this “novella”. It is a short book for us to be reminded all the time how he loved Josie and how hurt he was. Amber was a very mature young woman and too “understanding “ for my like. But I really liked the little we see of her.
And also there was too much time spent with Noah (Josie’s kid). The last chapter was all dedicated to Nick getting reacquainted with him.
There should be more time developing his relationship with Amber specially when they got back married to his hometown. And the lack of an epilogue made their story incomplete. As I said the last chapter was focused in the kid. Not what I expected.

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You make all the ugly in this world seem just a bit better when I close my eyes at night…”

Just like the first book in the Beaumont series, a second chance at love is the key theme of this companion novella to Forever My Girl. Nick Ashford was the ‘collateral damage’ in Josie and Liam’s story, a man who wished nothing more than to have a family of his own, but ended up losing both the woman he loved as well as the boy he considered and raised as his own son. He walked out of their lives a broken man, heartbroken and betrayed, and in order to distance himself from the constant reminder of what could have been his but now would never be, he left Beaumont and went to Africa to work as a volunteer.

“I needed to volunteer. I needed to feel as if my life meant something.”

We find Nick in a small clinic in the middle of Africa, doing what he does best – helping people. His living conditions are very modest and his working conditions very basic, but this simplicity helps him put things into perspective and re-evaluate the life he left behind. Flashback memories of Josie, Noah and their time together haunt him, keep replaying in his mind and hurting him over and over again. He regrets not fighting for his family and giving up on them too easily, but while his love for Josie slowly fades away, his guilt over leaving Noah behind without so much as an explanation, the boy he raised with her for six years and loved as his own, never does. His conscience burns and gives him no relief.

“Memories. That is all I have from the last six years.”

This is where Nick meets Aubrey, a young volunteer working as a nurse in his clinic. Nick is immediately attracted to her, but cautious not to get involved with her due to the limited nature of his stay in Africa. However, life is full of surprises and Nick is not only given a chance to love again, but to experience the kind of love he’s never felt before.

“When I look at her, I know what true love feels like. It’s the butterflies you get every time that person walks into the room or you get a whiff of their perfume from another room.”

When Nick finally returns to Beaumont, he has to face the ghosts he’s left behind and finally accept that the life he’s been grieving might have never been his in the first place. But his biggest challenge is rebuilding a relationship with the one he hurt the most with his sudden departure – Noah. This is a beautiful and very emotional, albeit too short for this greedy book junkie, story of finding one’s true happiness in life, letting go of a past that holds us behind and moving forward without looking back.

My only objection is that the intimate scenes between Nick and Aubrey could and should have been less fade-to-black and more detailed, more personal. It would have added an extra layer to the special connection between these two characters and given us a further, more vivid example of the unique attachment being woven between them. It should also be noted that this story should not be read without first reading Forever My Girl as it is a continuation of those events and I do not feel that the reader would get to experience the full depth of emotions that this story brings without knowing the background storyline.

[4.5 STARS]

~ N ♥

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[Yvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no secret that I had a little bit of love for Nick in FOREVER MY GIRL and so when Heidi told me she had this little novella up her sleeve, I pretty much did a happy dance.

And having now read it, I was not disappointed. In Forever My Girl, my heart went out to Nick as he lost the girl he loved and left Beaumont with a broken heart. (And let me say this now, that doesn't mean that I am not a Liam fan because I most definitely am...)

Suffice to say, My Everything gave me everything I wanted and a whole lot more. For those who liked Nick in FMG, you are going to love him here. And for those who didn't like him because he 'wasn't Liam', I would say read this novella and give him a chance. You might be surprised at what you find.

My Everything is the perfect companion to Forever My Girl and ties in nicely to My Unexpected Forever, the second book in The Beaumont Series. And I promise you, you'll find that there is enough room for both Nick and Liam in your life. Trust me...

[Beatrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always wanted Nick to find someone who'll love him wholeheartedly. After he and Josie ended their six-year relationship, he went to Africa for a medical mission where he meets a fellow volunteer named Aubrey. She's carefree, young and sweet. I'm glad Nick found his match, though this is a novella, their relationship is an insta-love. Things escalated quickly and I wish this is a full length novel and make it a slow burn romance instead.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so happy that I finally found the novella so that I can continue with this series!

My Everything was a really cute and easy read. I believe it's the first novella in the Beaumont series.. but I'm not one hundred percent certain. However, it's the first one I found so that's why I'm saying that.

I was so happy to read more about Nick, who was Josie's ex-fiance. He wasn't my favorite person in the entire universe (or this series) but it was really nice to find out what he has been up to. I wanted to know how he dealt with his new life after Josie and her son Noah went with Liam. My heart felt a little something because Nick knew that she was still in love with the guy. I mean, who wouldn't still be in love with the baby daddy in that sort of situation.

Well, Nick went on a little adventure. HE WENT TO AFRICA PEOPLE! Now I've only going to Paris and Canada, outside of the US states and everything. I've never gone to Africa but that doesn't mean I wont try to go there. Back to Nick though, so he was there for a year working as a doctor. Then one day he meets Audrey.

I shipped the living shit out of these two. I loved Nick and Audrey and I was so happy that he was finding a new love. Of course when him and Audrey come back to Beaumont, they have to face some people like Liam and Josie. Meanwhile he needs to figure out how to be in Noah's life again.. or if he still could be.

Overall, I loved this novella. It was definitely short but it was jam packed with so much information and amazingness. I can't wait to dive into the second book now!

[Autumn Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Forever My Girl. That book was everything I look for in a Contemporary Romance. But, in that book I was so focused on Liam and Josie finding their happy ending, that I kind of overlooked Nick. In fact, he kind of made me mad and I didn't really see his side of the story until this novella. I did read his letter to Josie right after he left for Africa, but this novella really made me like Nick.

When Nick got to Africa, he was still hurting over his break-up with Josie. They had been together for so many years and were raising a child together. So, Nick also left behind Noah. Nick was essentially a father to Noah for most of his young life. In the time Nick was in Africa, he felt so much guilt about leaving Noah the way he did. Now that he's had time to heal from his relationship with Josie, he's open to finding love again and he would like to find a way to make amends with Noah.

I was really happy to see Nick begin to see his relationship with Josie in a new light. I do believe that they loved each other, but it just wasn't meant to be. So, seeing him in Africa and watching him come to these realizations was really great. I also loved Aubrey. She was so sweet and understanding of Nick's situation. Aubrey was so patient with Nick too. She believed that they were meant to be and she wasn't willing to give that up. I loved how she handled meeting Josie and Liam too. She was so gracious. Aubrey truly was a great support for Nick and it made me happy that she was excited to be a part of Noah's life too.

Overall, I really loved this novella. It was short, but covered so much. I felt like it presented Nick in a more positive light and I was thrilled to see that he will continue to be a part of Noah's life. We do get to see Josie and Liam in this novella and of course that made me happy. I really missed them and it's made me even more anxious for My Unexpected Forever! If you were a fan of Forever My Girl or if you like NA Contemporary Romances, you must read this series! It's definitely a favorite of mine.

Quotes:
~"The reason I'm telling you this is because sometimes I feel broken, like I've lost my path."-Loc339

~When I look at her, I know what true love feels like. It's the butterflies you get every time that person walks into the room or you get a whiff of their perfume from another room. Aubrey does that to me.-Loc 493

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet little novella featuring Nick – the 'other man' who got booted out of the picture in Forever My Girl.

I was a little torn about this novella, because as much as I liked Nick, he was a bit of a jerk towards the end of Forever My Girl. But I appreciated getting his perspective on things, and I liked that we got to see flashbacks of his time with Josie so we could understand more about their relationship, and my heart did break a little bit for him while reading it.

The book starts with Nick volunteering at a clinic in Africa, and we get to see him find his HEA with fellow volunteer Aubrey. Things between them progress really quickly, but both of them are no-nonsense, and extremely functional, so it works.

But the main focus of the book is Nick’s relationship with Noah. Nick is mourning him, and regretting the way he left things with Noah, and I liked that he recognised his douchey ways. His return to Beaumont in the second half of the book allows him to make amends, and I thought it was done really beautifully. I actually got a bit teary at their reunion!

There is nothing really ground breaking that happens, so it’s probably not a necessary part of the series, but it’s a nice little filler that provides more depth to the characters, and it made me smile. I’m really looking forward to the next book.

3 stars.

[~♡AB♡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this novella about what happened to Nick in the year after he left. A little bit rushed but it was a novella after all. Would have also liked an epilogue.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars...If this had been more on Liam I could have gone 4...but I was not a huge fan of Nick.

But this short novella is Nick's story. He is in Africa volunteering as a Doctor, after walking away from Josie who had never fallen out of love with Liam. Nick meets Aubrey, and although they don't know each other for long - there is a connection and before you know it they are moving at the speed of sound.

They end up back in the States and Nick knows that being with Aubrey is where he is meant to be...he is over Josie but his one regret was walking out on Noah.

Although Nick moves on, his flashbacks made me think he had not fully moved on. I didn't hate Nick after reading this and sort of felt sorry for him - after all he was a good guy. But I am also not signing up to be the President of the Nick Ashford Fan Club. This was more the story of Nick realizing that Noah was important to him and that no matter what came of him and Josie's relationship - Noah was his son in his heart.

It gives the story a bit of closure that was missing from the first book.

[Anne OK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful resolve for the heartbroken Nick. He's found his true love in Africa and they've returned to Beaumont as husband and wife. But Nick is still missing a piece of his heart. The boy he once thought of as his own has his real father in his life now. Will Nick be allowed to mend his own broken heart as well as make up the hurt he's caused Noah? Well, it's a certainty that Heidi McLaughlin did an excellent job mending all the broken pieces in a tender and loving manner.

I truly loved how this story came together. It was sweet, tender and a perfect happily ever after for Dr. Nick!

[AbiGirl: Romance-Read-Freak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick & Aubrey

Well....... atleast we know that Nick found his happy ending!

I am truly happy for him.
The sudden love between him and Aubrey.

This was a tweent bit of a story but it covered the basics which are as follows:

***Nick met another womanwho proposed to him and he married her... all before leaving Africa & any love making
***Nick felt terrible about how he left things with Noahhe ends up asking Josie if he can see Noah and their reunion touches my heart

[Svetlana Dorokhova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Милая, добрая история. Приятно знать, что у Ника все так замечательно сложилось - уж больно жалко его было после первой книги. Не заслужил он такого отношения. Но многовато размышлений (а я их люблю), воспоминаний - иногда они казались занудными. Любовная линия быстрая и скомканная, хотя в рамки рассказа особо много не вместишь. Тем не менее, героя можно понять и простить ему все огрехи. Остается приятное впечатление.

[Adricrisuruta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone to a greater or lesser degree hates Nick for his attitude towards Josie, but when they destroy you in heart, reason does not understand reasons and acts accordingly.
I like that you have got your happy forever.

[Marlena (lulamae_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-

[laszczaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh Heidi, you did both Nick and Josie dirty 🫠
Rating higher because poor Noah, this boy will be traumatized by his childhood.

[Kenni Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que la historia de Nick merecía más páginas. Una persona con un corazón roto, con tanto equipaje, y ademas, con tanto por sanar y dejar atras necesitaba al menos 300 páginas. Pero como no fue así, les dire;
#1 - Quería conocer más del Nick adolecente. Quería conocer su motivación para convertirse pediatra. Y quería que me narrarán ese primer encuentro entre Nick y Aubrey.
#2 - Falto conocer más a Aubery. Tenia un trasfondo interesante. Padres que llevaran una vida de misioneros y inculcándole la misma ideología a Aubery era algo que hubiese disfrutado leer.
#3 - Disfruté el hecho de que Nick le diera suma importancia a su relación con Noah. Aunque los flashbacks fueron de su tiempo con Josie, una vez sanado, su arrepentimiento va a como abandonó a Noah. Ese encuentro entre ambos, una vez Nick vuelve a Beamount, me tuvo a lágrima viva. Las reclamaciones del niño fueron justas y precisas. Al menos su vinculo no fue dañado.
#4 - Es increible como Heidi me hizo amar a Mason sin siquiera conocerlo. El flashback de Nick que se remonta a la escena del bar en la que aparece Mason, fue el momento mas importante del libro. Si yo fuera Liam, y leyera esa escena, mi corazón se romperia en mil pedazos justo cuando Mason niega su amistad diciendo; "Bueno, ya no lo es." Mi corazón se rompio. Y es triste que Mason haya muerto antes de poder reconciliarlos. Porque cuando Liam se fue, no solo abandonó a Josie, si no a sus amigos.
Repito, este libro merecia ser mas extenso. El romance entre Aubery y Nick fue lindo y tierno, aunque no se abundo en el. Ahora veré que me trae Heidi con la historia de Harrison y Katelyn.

[Lauren at Live Read and Breathe Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to this series because I absolutely loved Forever My Girl.

I also wanted to find out what happened with Nick. I was never a big fan of Nick in Forever My Girl I was always Team Liam and at times Nick was quite the Douche but he still deserved his HEA because he was in love with someone who didn't love him the same way.

In this book I loved the idea of him finding himself away from Beaumont and finding out that maybe he never really was in love but with the idea of being in love with his What if from highschool.

When he met Audrey I was like OK this can work but then that relationship took off at Rocket speeds and this made it harder for me to really feel the evolution of them to together.

I loved the character of Audrey and her strength especially when they came back to Beaumont but because of the quickness of their relationship I didn't quite "feel them" together.

It was a cute quick novella.


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[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really read novellas or inbewteen books, but everyone told me I needed to read My Everything before I move forward so I did.

Yes, you do have to read My Everything before you can move forward and overall it's an adorable read.

This is Nick's story (which I didn't know) but I went with it. I guess you could say this is where he redeems himself. It gives you better insight on his feelings when he left the family. Also, My Everything introduces his new leading lady Audrey, who is adorable.

It's a very short, sweet inbetween read to bridge into book 3.

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was Nick's story.
Nice to see he got his HEA.
He did get the short end of the stick in "Forvever My Girl"

I just didn't really feel much for this guy.
It seemed like his relationship with Aubrey went way too fast.
I didn't really think he was crazy in love with her.
It felt like he was still pining or Josey.

The story was just ok for me.
I'm glad Nick was able to reconnect with Noah.
That was the relationship I cared most about in this book,

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 3 out of 5]

story was lacking

Overall 3 out of 5 stars
Performance 3 out of 5 stars
Story 2 out of 5 stars

There just was not enough here to justify the addition of a new story. I felt this could have been intermingled with the other story or as an after thought. It was nice to know what happened to him but it was just not enough here to make a separate read.

Narration was cool, smooth, and gave vibes if the character.

[Grecia Robles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una historia bonita pero Nick nunca me agradó. Mejor te hubieras quedado en África

[Mitch Buenaventura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Nick’s story of love and finding happiness. I am glad he found it but still find it odd that Aubrey was so perfect. Too much and too good to be true.
I am deeply touched for Nick’s affection and love for Noah.

“She holds my hands, extending our arms out wide. “Have you ever done anything spontaneous?”

“Her grin is wicked with an evil little glint in her eyes.”

“Marry me?”

Excerpt From
My Everything
Heidi McLaughlin
This material may be protected by copyright.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda rushed and way too much flashing back, but I'm glad Nick got his happy ending. It never occurred to me that he would miss Noah so much and Liam was kind of a jerk about it - but it turned out great. It would have been nice to have focused WAY more on Nick's relationship with Aubrey and some real development of her character.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story.

**There were some words spelled wrong or used incorrectly and that bothered me a little.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad to get some closure for Nick. This story made him a bit more likeable than I found in the first book. I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the redemption Nick’s character needed. Sweet & endearing novella/short story.

[J.E. Benoit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit, I wasn’t Nick’s biggest fan in Forever My Girl. I was rooting for Josie and Liam to get back together and to me Nick was just in the way. I don’t doubt they loved each other but it was clearly not the same level of epic love that Liam and Josie shared. Plus, I thought the way Nick handled Liam coming back and the whole situation with Noah was pretty rotten. Especially with the ultimatum he gave Josie about moving and then just taking off without a word, I can get why he’d do that to Josie but to do that to Noah wasn’t cool. So I was wondering how I would feel getting his side of the story in this novella. Turns out that I actually like the guy now and ended up feeling bad for him when I saw the situation through his eyes. I could sort of understand his reactions better when I got to see the glimpses of his and Josie’s past, I mean, how many times can a guy get his marriage proposal turned down before he just gives up? It’s no wonder he acted like an insecure jerk when the “ghost” of the guy he’s been competing with all these years suddenly turns up.

I like that this little story wasn’t only about him moving on and finding love, which was sweet, albeit very quick (but since it’s a novella I sort of expected a whirlwind romance) but to me the story seemed more about him trying to make things right with Noah and I really loved that. I like that the story covered the time after his return to Beaumont and getting to see him deal with seeing everyone again and trying to earn Noah’s forgiveness. Personally I liked the scenes with him, Liam and Josie and then him and Noah even better than the scenes with him and Aubrey. I do hope that now that he’s back and they’re all working on coming up with their new normal that Nick and Aubrey will be welcomed back into the fold as we move on to the other books. Time will tell but I did enjoy this quick read and was glad to see the other side of the story!

[Tia Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final Rating: 3.5 Stars