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All of Me #2
All of You
Brilliant geneticist Kat Ciaramitaro is, and always has been, a bit of a nerd. She’s also the only level-headed member of a big Italian family where crazy reigns supreme. A life-altering medical diagnosis seven years ago changed a lot of things, but most days, Kat handles the emotional and physical baggage just fine. Because that’s what strong women do, right? They stand and they deal. Or, if they can’t stand, they sit and they deal.
Cleveland Police Officer Danny MacDonough is broken. Eighteen years of being passed from foster home to foster home left him feeling unwanted and totally unlovable, but Danny’s spent every moment since his eighteenth birthday making up for lost time, grabbing happiness wherever he can, with whomever he can, however he can…all while making sure no one gets close enough to see all the cracks in his well-honed façade.
When Kat’s sister married Danny’s best friend, their lives became forever intertwined. Despite their different backgrounds and polar opposite personalities, Danny and Kat formed a visceral connection the moment they met. They fought it with all they had, but one fateful night changes everything – thrusting them into an all-consuming, passionate relationship that threatens to tear down the walls they’ve so carefully constructed around their hearts.
But Kat is ill and Danny is wounded. And nothing about what’s developed between them is easy or neat. Their love is messy and chaotic and its intensity ultimately forces them into one final showdown where Danny and Kat must decide once and for all what will win–
His past, her future or their love?
Cleveland Police Officer Danny MacDonough is broken. Eighteen years of being passed from foster home to foster home left him feeling unwanted and totally unlovable, but Danny’s spent every moment since his eighteenth birthday making up for lost time, grabbing happiness wherever he can, with whomever he can, however he can…all while making sure no one gets close enough to see all the cracks in his well-honed façade.
When Kat’s sister married Danny’s best friend, their lives became forever intertwined. Despite their different backgrounds and polar opposite personalities, Danny and Kat formed a visceral connection the moment they met. They fought it with all they had, but one fateful night changes everything – thrusting them into an all-consuming, passionate relationship that threatens to tear down the walls they’ve so carefully constructed around their hearts.
But Kat is ill and Danny is wounded. And nothing about what’s developed between them is easy or neat. Their love is messy and chaotic and its intensity ultimately forces them into one final showdown where Danny and Kat must decide once and for all what will win–
His past, her future or their love?
750 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2014
37 people are currently reading
689 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 16, 2014
This could have been a four star, even a bit higher. Started off great but then it just dragged on and on and on and on…..I ended up skimming to the end. And did we really need ALL that sex?
I really did like Kat and Danny but I really think the author could have finished the book without all the drawn out drama. I will definitely read more from this author. I would love a story about Ben and Fi.
July 29, 2014
This book had great characters, a great (but predictable) story line. But it dragged on FOOOOOOOREVER. This would have been a five star read for me, if it were HALF as long.
At about 65% I caught myself skimming along, instead of being engrossed in the story. More than once, I completely skipped the internal dialogue of the characters. And I often rolled my eyes at the drawn out situation of a female lead character who is supposed to be so smart but couldn't open her mouth to COMMUNICATE. All of this happening with 35% of over the top crying, left me rolling my eyes... a lot. Had this book been shorter with less internal dialogue, more communication, and a tad less drama, I would want to reread it over and over and over. The way it is now, not so much.
At about 65% I caught myself skimming along, instead of being engrossed in the story. More than once, I completely skipped the internal dialogue of the characters. And I often rolled my eyes at the drawn out situation of a female lead character who is supposed to be so smart but couldn't open her mouth to COMMUNICATE. All of this happening with 35% of over the top crying, left me rolling my eyes... a lot. Had this book been shorter with less internal dialogue, more communication, and a tad less drama, I would want to reread it over and over and over. The way it is now, not so much.
October 4, 2014
“You aren’t lost anymore, Danny, because your home is with me.”
“It was always with you, Kat. Even before I met you.”
4.0+ RATING- All of You is hearbreaking, heartwarming, and sexy. The characters are damaged, dysfunctional, and at times akward and yet, just like in All of Me, I love them all! While this could be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the first book of the series (All of Me) first. Both characters in this book are introduced in the first book, as well as several other colorful family members. The story is told from dual POV's of the main characters, Kat and Danny.
I was on the fence about jumping right in and reading All of You when I noticed how lengthy it was, 600-700 pages depending on which page count is believed. I'll go ahead and say, the book is lengthy. I honestly think that 20% of the book could have been cut and the bulk of the story would have still survived. Having said that, the extra length gave me a chance to spend more time with a family I've come to love and characters that are so well developed, I feel like I know them. While I loved Nathan in All of Me, I was glad to see him settled and happy and I love him even more after reading this book. There's another author I know and love that has a tendency to write books that probably could be shortened but in the end, the extra pages paint the best picture...Kristen Ashley. While there's not anything about Gina Sorelle's writing style that reminds me of Kristen Ashley, the ability to draw the reader into a set of characters seems familiar.
Overall, reading this book was a committment due to the length but I enjoyed it. The writing was solid, the steamy bits sexy...I'm excited to see what's next from Gina Sorelle. Definitely a MUST READ author for me going forward!
“It was always with you, Kat. Even before I met you.”
4.0+ RATING- All of You is hearbreaking, heartwarming, and sexy. The characters are damaged, dysfunctional, and at times akward and yet, just like in All of Me, I love them all! While this could be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading the first book of the series (All of Me) first. Both characters in this book are introduced in the first book, as well as several other colorful family members. The story is told from dual POV's of the main characters, Kat and Danny.
I was on the fence about jumping right in and reading All of You when I noticed how lengthy it was, 600-700 pages depending on which page count is believed. I'll go ahead and say, the book is lengthy. I honestly think that 20% of the book could have been cut and the bulk of the story would have still survived. Having said that, the extra length gave me a chance to spend more time with a family I've come to love and characters that are so well developed, I feel like I know them. While I loved Nathan in All of Me, I was glad to see him settled and happy and I love him even more after reading this book. There's another author I know and love that has a tendency to write books that probably could be shortened but in the end, the extra pages paint the best picture...Kristen Ashley. While there's not anything about Gina Sorelle's writing style that reminds me of Kristen Ashley, the ability to draw the reader into a set of characters seems familiar.
Overall, reading this book was a committment due to the length but I enjoyed it. The writing was solid, the steamy bits sexy...I'm excited to see what's next from Gina Sorelle. Definitely a MUST READ author for me going forward!
September 5, 2019
This was...wow. Really a disturbing experience. I have no words at present.
R & RTC
~update 3 Sept 2019~
I read the first book, All Of Me, and it was all right. I didn't hate it, which is high praise from me at present.
In fact, there were things I really liked about it. There were also a few odd things that were a little jarring but forgivable for a debut.
So I moved onto the second book, expecting something, if not a little better, at least equal quality.
At first, it was fine.
And then the wheels came off.
In the first book, I actually liked Stella. She was a little emotional at times, but she was a strong heroine who knew what she wanted and went for it, even if 'it' was a gorgeous, but profoundly damaged and emotionally closed off man.
And the other 3 Ciaramitaro sisters were tolerable because they stayed in the background.
This was Kat's book, the second-youngest sister. And in THIS book, the remaining sisters had collectively become a proper nightmare - with Stella the worst of the lot.
I'm not sure why it's 'a thing' that sisters - blood or otherwise - feel it's their right to interfere in the lives of others. Why it's treated as acceptable for people to corral someone in a room and overwhelm them with THEIR opinions and advice when the person hasn't asked for it - and why they take it as an insult that the person in question prefers her privacy and for people to stay out of her business.
But then, the person in question was Kat, and Kat...well, Kat was an idiot.
Highly intelligent people are prone to a comparative deficit in common sense, and that's a fact. Kat was no exception here. However, her sisters needed to stay out of it and she needed to stand up and tell them to all f*ck right off.
Which she did at one point, and I cheered - even though I'd wanted to throat-punch her for a while by then.
The thing was, I totally understood WHY she felt like she did and agreed with her rationale. I just thought the way she handled it all was selfish and shitty and stupid. Her actions were her choice and she was 100% at fault. There was no 'it takes two' argument here and I hated the way Danny was villified.
Here's where I started feeling the DNF itch.
There was no common ground between the MC's outside the bedroom. All they did was shag. I can't imagine what they would have talked about. Kat was a genius type, and Danny was a cop who claimed - wrongly, I might add - he wasn't 'smart.' There was no chemistry and even if some might argue that they were hot in bed, I didn't see it. The sex was boring. Even the reverse bondage scene that I was so excited to read was just meh.
And then Kat dumped Danny in the cruelest of ways and I wanted to throttle her.
But then, the crying started. All. the. crying.
Please, spare me.
Instead of sucking it up and owning being a cold-hearted bitch-ass cow to a guy who worshipped her, she fell to bloody pieces! She cried all the time, stayed in bed, stopped eating and lost weight. It was all so manipulative to make her as piteous and weak as possible.
And what, we readers are supposed to feel sorry for her pathetic, malingering ass? Yeah, she has a disease. So what?! She used it like a weapon and that's not on. That's not something I respect.
I don't give two shites WHAT she had, it sickened me how she wielded it and how everyone molly coddled her.
But all the crying. Did I mention the crying? Somewhere along the line, the writer abandoned any attempt at a cohesive, well-executed love story and gave into pure self-indulgence. This book became interminable. Like, 600 bloody pages of cloying, into-the-stratosphere melodrama the likes of which I hope I never see again. And the book just wouldn't end! It was like the writer said, 'F*ck it,' and pulled out all the stops.
Jesus, what a trainwreck. And then it ended.
But, nope! Psych!
Extended epilogue!
Dear Lord. It just kept going...and going...and going...
And if Kat wasn't crying, one of (or more) of her sisters was crying.
Or Danny was crying.
And then Kat and Danny were crying TOGETHER. It was all so nauseating. I seriously threw up in my mouth a half-dozen times.
This book was bad. Beyond bad. I don't know what happened to the writer's talent between book one and two, but it's now 5 years later and it is rather telling - to me anyway - that the proposed book 3 never materialised.
She seemed to have a fascination with illness and pain - breast cancer (Stella, Stella's late mother), depression/attempted suicide (Stella's dad), Type I diabetes (Nathan), eating disorder (Nathan), PTS (Nathan), self harm (Nathan), gunshot wound (Stella), MS (Kat).
Very off-putting.
I can't recommend this book, but I know there are some readers who love melodrama.
And I want to clarify that I'm not talking about angst. I mean implausible, over-the-top, self-indulgent, shlocky-emo mel.o.dra.ma.
It's dangerous in high doses and this book shouldn't be attempted without extreme caution.
1.5 stars, because Danny was kinda adorable.
R & RTC
~update 3 Sept 2019~
I read the first book, All Of Me, and it was all right. I didn't hate it, which is high praise from me at present.
In fact, there were things I really liked about it. There were also a few odd things that were a little jarring but forgivable for a debut.
So I moved onto the second book, expecting something, if not a little better, at least equal quality.
At first, it was fine.
And then the wheels came off.
In the first book, I actually liked Stella. She was a little emotional at times, but she was a strong heroine who knew what she wanted and went for it, even if 'it' was a gorgeous, but profoundly damaged and emotionally closed off man.
And the other 3 Ciaramitaro sisters were tolerable because they stayed in the background.
This was Kat's book, the second-youngest sister. And in THIS book, the remaining sisters had collectively become a proper nightmare - with Stella the worst of the lot.
I'm not sure why it's 'a thing' that sisters - blood or otherwise - feel it's their right to interfere in the lives of others. Why it's treated as acceptable for people to corral someone in a room and overwhelm them with THEIR opinions and advice when the person hasn't asked for it - and why they take it as an insult that the person in question prefers her privacy and for people to stay out of her business.
But then, the person in question was Kat, and Kat...well, Kat was an idiot.
Highly intelligent people are prone to a comparative deficit in common sense, and that's a fact. Kat was no exception here. However, her sisters needed to stay out of it and she needed to stand up and tell them to all f*ck right off.
Which she did at one point, and I cheered - even though I'd wanted to throat-punch her for a while by then.
The thing was, I totally understood WHY she felt like she did and agreed with her rationale. I just thought the way she handled it all was selfish and shitty and stupid. Her actions were her choice and she was 100% at fault. There was no 'it takes two' argument here and I hated the way Danny was villified.
Here's where I started feeling the DNF itch.
There was no common ground between the MC's outside the bedroom. All they did was shag. I can't imagine what they would have talked about. Kat was a genius type, and Danny was a cop who claimed - wrongly, I might add - he wasn't 'smart.' There was no chemistry and even if some might argue that they were hot in bed, I didn't see it. The sex was boring. Even the reverse bondage scene that I was so excited to read was just meh.
And then Kat dumped Danny in the cruelest of ways and I wanted to throttle her.
But then, the crying started. All. the. crying.
Please, spare me.
Instead of sucking it up and owning being a cold-hearted bitch-ass cow to a guy who worshipped her, she fell to bloody pieces! She cried all the time, stayed in bed, stopped eating and lost weight. It was all so manipulative to make her as piteous and weak as possible.
And what, we readers are supposed to feel sorry for her pathetic, malingering ass? Yeah, she has a disease. So what?! She used it like a weapon and that's not on. That's not something I respect.
I don't give two shites WHAT she had, it sickened me how she wielded it and how everyone molly coddled her.
But all the crying. Did I mention the crying? Somewhere along the line, the writer abandoned any attempt at a cohesive, well-executed love story and gave into pure self-indulgence. This book became interminable. Like, 600 bloody pages of cloying, into-the-stratosphere melodrama the likes of which I hope I never see again. And the book just wouldn't end! It was like the writer said, 'F*ck it,' and pulled out all the stops.
Jesus, what a trainwreck. And then it ended.
But, nope! Psych!
Extended epilogue!
Dear Lord. It just kept going...and going...and going...
And if Kat wasn't crying, one of (or more) of her sisters was crying.
Or Danny was crying.
And then Kat and Danny were crying TOGETHER. It was all so nauseating. I seriously threw up in my mouth a half-dozen times.
This book was bad. Beyond bad. I don't know what happened to the writer's talent between book one and two, but it's now 5 years later and it is rather telling - to me anyway - that the proposed book 3 never materialised.
She seemed to have a fascination with illness and pain - breast cancer (Stella, Stella's late mother), depression/attempted suicide (Stella's dad), Type I diabetes (Nathan), eating disorder (Nathan), PTS (Nathan), self harm (Nathan), gunshot wound (Stella), MS (Kat).
Very off-putting.
I can't recommend this book, but I know there are some readers who love melodrama.
And I want to clarify that I'm not talking about angst. I mean implausible, over-the-top, self-indulgent, shlocky-emo mel.o.dra.ma.
It's dangerous in high doses and this book shouldn't be attempted without extreme caution.
1.5 stars, because Danny was kinda adorable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2014
3 Stars
Ok so I really wanted to love this. In the beginning I did but then the predictable riff in the relationship happens then I'm like "Oh for the love of God get over yourself". I mean I get it I do. Kat has MS and she loves Danny more than anything so she tells him she doesn't love him so she can save him from her MS. Danny had his issues too. Him not feeling like he was good enough for her. It was too much. Both of them with the self loatheing and the woe is me. I found myself skimming alot. I also felt this book could have been way shorter if we didn't have to deal with thier crap. I don't know if I'll read the next book because I will say that I loved Danny a hell of a lot more than Kat. Oh well.
Ok so I really wanted to love this. In the beginning I did but then the predictable riff in the relationship happens then I'm like "Oh for the love of God get over yourself". I mean I get it I do. Kat has MS and she loves Danny more than anything so she tells him she doesn't love him so she can save him from her MS. Danny had his issues too. Him not feeling like he was good enough for her. It was too much. Both of them with the self loatheing and the woe is me. I found myself skimming alot. I also felt this book could have been way shorter if we didn't have to deal with thier crap. I don't know if I'll read the next book because I will say that I loved Danny a hell of a lot more than Kat. Oh well.
July 30, 2014
Many reviews have basically recapped this book so I'll keep my review short.
While really enjoying the first half of Danny and Kat's story the second half took a complete nose dive and I found myself skimming A LOT. Mainly because it was just the same monologue by Kat again and again. I felt it was overkill and left me not caring as much about the story. It felt like she became two totally different people.
I adored Danny. He had so much baggage yet put himself out there for Kat. Again and again my heart broke for him as more of his story growing up in foster homes, etc. was revealed.
Once again Stella saved a lot of the book for me. She seriously cracks me up. Nathan in his usual gruff manner really stepped up and I was happy to see him redeem himself from some of his behavior in his book. His love for Gia was adorable.
Was I happy with the ending? Sure. Did it make up for being annoyed for 30% of the book? Unfortunately not really.
While really enjoying the first half of Danny and Kat's story the second half took a complete nose dive and I found myself skimming A LOT. Mainly because it was just the same monologue by Kat again and again. I felt it was overkill and left me not caring as much about the story. It felt like she became two totally different people.
I adored Danny. He had so much baggage yet put himself out there for Kat. Again and again my heart broke for him as more of his story growing up in foster homes, etc. was revealed.
Once again Stella saved a lot of the book for me. She seriously cracks me up. Nathan in his usual gruff manner really stepped up and I was happy to see him redeem himself from some of his behavior in his book. His love for Gia was adorable.
Was I happy with the ending? Sure. Did it make up for being annoyed for 30% of the book? Unfortunately not really.
March 8, 2016
I really loved Kat and Danny. It is so refreshing to read a book with a character who isn't perfect and who suffers from a chronic disease. Kat had some realistic concerns about her condition and how it would work in a relationship. She was also very concerned about Danny and his man-whore past. I would have those very same concerns.
But then the drama happened. It was just so heartbreaking and angsty and full of internal dialogue. It just went on and on and on. I couldn't take any more. Especially when we all know how this is going to end so I kept thinking, "just get on with it already!" I finally started skipping pages and pages of internal dialogue and insecurities. I think if that part had been resolved much sooner that I would have enjoyed the book more. It was just too much.
I did love the ending, and always love the sisters and their close family bond. I really hope this author continues to write. She has a great voice.
But then the drama happened. It was just so heartbreaking and angsty and full of internal dialogue. It just went on and on and on. I couldn't take any more. Especially when we all know how this is going to end so I kept thinking, "just get on with it already!" I finally started skipping pages and pages of internal dialogue and insecurities. I think if that part had been resolved much sooner that I would have enjoyed the book more. It was just too much.
I did love the ending, and always love the sisters and their close family bond. I really hope this author continues to write. She has a great voice.
July 31, 2016
AMAZING!!! I hope we get to see the third book !!!
July 28, 2014
In the interest of full disclosure, I must tell y’all that this book was publicized, prettified, edited and beta read by various members of the Nerd Herd. As always, my opinion was not swayed in any way by our behind-the-pages involvement.
I suspect Danny MacDonough will be a popular fella. Those who read All of Me will recall that he was Stella’s rock during a particularly tough time and was instrumental in the removal of Nathan’s head from his ass (calm down, Gina—no more potshots at your guy, pinky promise). A total beta guy with some definite alpha tendencies, Danny is kind and generous to a fault, loves his goddaughter to distraction and he truly values and appreciates the handful of people he allows to see past his Mr. Good-Time persona. He’s gorgeous in a brings-to-mind-the-beauty-that-was-Paul-Walker kinda way and he has that sexy-in-a-uniform thing working for him, too. Danny is deeply scarred from the trauma of his past and he’s spent his entire life looking for a place to belong—and someone to belong to. There will be moments when his gut-wrenching vulnerability will make y’all wanna pull this man to your ample bosom and try to love him enough to make up for the pain he’s endured. . . .
And I’m gonna let y’all have at it.
Don’t get me wrong, ladies. Danny knotted up my heartstrings plenty, but I fell hard and fast for Kat Ciaramitaro.
If you listen to our podcasts, you’ve heard me lament the cookie-cutter heroine. Y’all know what I’m talking about here–chicks who are all cast from the same aw-shucks-ain’t-she-sassy mold. I refer to these types of characters as the interchangeable heroine because, really, you tweak one or two details and every one of them is EXACTLY. THE. SAME. I can certainly understand and even appreciate the comfort of the familiar, but, frankly, I’ve had my fill of adequate. There’s even a handful of authors whose female leads have become virtually indistinguishable from one another. I can promise many things about All of You, chief amongst them that y’all won’t be confusing Katarina Ciaramitaro with anyone else.
This isn’t one of those books about a woman who’s ditzy and flighty and struggling to find herself and her place in the world. At twenty-eight, Kat is completely comfortable in her own skin and remarkably self-aware. She’s a card-carrying member of the Society of Uber Nerds—and she has the PhD, lab coat and centrifuge to prove it. She doesn’t use hair serums or have regular mani/pedis and she doesn’t make a single trip to the salon during the course of this book’s fifty chapters. Kat doesn’t even own a LBD, can’t figure out the fuss over the supremely uncomfortable red-bottomed shoes, is incapable of being artfully coy and would rather read a book than be forced to mingle, even if it means whipping out the ole IPad in the middle of the bar.
Where many a heroine will talk, it seems, just to hear her own damn voice, Kat only speaks when she has something important to say. She loves deeply, but she’s more of a show it than tell it kinda gal. In a family chock full of characters, Kat is perfectly content being the stagehand. There are times when I’d even tell you she’s a female Nathan—but Kat’s far more introspective than even Sergeant Stickler. Kat’s a thinker, so very deep in her own head sometimes that her inner dialogue almost plays an independent role. She is completely unlike any heroine I’ve ever encountered and the complexity of her character drew me in within the first chapter.
Kat’s story is very different than Danny’s. She grew up warm and safe in the arms of her loving family, but her life hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. For those of you who loved Stella’s spunk and fire and stick-to-it-ness in All of Me, let me caution you that Kat is NOT her sister. She’s gonna try your patience at times. You’re gonna shake your head at her more than once. Her internal struggle will gut you, but she is going to make you angry as often as she makes you cry. For a woman whose needs are so simple and who prides herself on being straight-forward, she’s a complicated creature. Bear with her, folks. She’s remarkably easy to love once you get past all that prickly. . . .
See more at: http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.c...
I suspect Danny MacDonough will be a popular fella. Those who read All of Me will recall that he was Stella’s rock during a particularly tough time and was instrumental in the removal of Nathan’s head from his ass (calm down, Gina—no more potshots at your guy, pinky promise). A total beta guy with some definite alpha tendencies, Danny is kind and generous to a fault, loves his goddaughter to distraction and he truly values and appreciates the handful of people he allows to see past his Mr. Good-Time persona. He’s gorgeous in a brings-to-mind-the-beauty-that-was-Paul-Walker kinda way and he has that sexy-in-a-uniform thing working for him, too. Danny is deeply scarred from the trauma of his past and he’s spent his entire life looking for a place to belong—and someone to belong to. There will be moments when his gut-wrenching vulnerability will make y’all wanna pull this man to your ample bosom and try to love him enough to make up for the pain he’s endured. . . .
And I’m gonna let y’all have at it.
Don’t get me wrong, ladies. Danny knotted up my heartstrings plenty, but I fell hard and fast for Kat Ciaramitaro.
If you listen to our podcasts, you’ve heard me lament the cookie-cutter heroine. Y’all know what I’m talking about here–chicks who are all cast from the same aw-shucks-ain’t-she-sassy mold. I refer to these types of characters as the interchangeable heroine because, really, you tweak one or two details and every one of them is EXACTLY. THE. SAME. I can certainly understand and even appreciate the comfort of the familiar, but, frankly, I’ve had my fill of adequate. There’s even a handful of authors whose female leads have become virtually indistinguishable from one another. I can promise many things about All of You, chief amongst them that y’all won’t be confusing Katarina Ciaramitaro with anyone else.
This isn’t one of those books about a woman who’s ditzy and flighty and struggling to find herself and her place in the world. At twenty-eight, Kat is completely comfortable in her own skin and remarkably self-aware. She’s a card-carrying member of the Society of Uber Nerds—and she has the PhD, lab coat and centrifuge to prove it. She doesn’t use hair serums or have regular mani/pedis and she doesn’t make a single trip to the salon during the course of this book’s fifty chapters. Kat doesn’t even own a LBD, can’t figure out the fuss over the supremely uncomfortable red-bottomed shoes, is incapable of being artfully coy and would rather read a book than be forced to mingle, even if it means whipping out the ole IPad in the middle of the bar.
Where many a heroine will talk, it seems, just to hear her own damn voice, Kat only speaks when she has something important to say. She loves deeply, but she’s more of a show it than tell it kinda gal. In a family chock full of characters, Kat is perfectly content being the stagehand. There are times when I’d even tell you she’s a female Nathan—but Kat’s far more introspective than even Sergeant Stickler. Kat’s a thinker, so very deep in her own head sometimes that her inner dialogue almost plays an independent role. She is completely unlike any heroine I’ve ever encountered and the complexity of her character drew me in within the first chapter.
Kat’s story is very different than Danny’s. She grew up warm and safe in the arms of her loving family, but her life hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. For those of you who loved Stella’s spunk and fire and stick-to-it-ness in All of Me, let me caution you that Kat is NOT her sister. She’s gonna try your patience at times. You’re gonna shake your head at her more than once. Her internal struggle will gut you, but she is going to make you angry as often as she makes you cry. For a woman whose needs are so simple and who prides herself on being straight-forward, she’s a complicated creature. Bear with her, folks. She’s remarkably easy to love once you get past all that prickly. . . .
See more at: http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.c...
July 25, 2014
My rating: 5 of 5 ⭐️..... I would give more if I had them to give.... On my favorites list for the year!!
http://ripeforreader.blogspot.com/201... (Live on July 28th)
*****
Absolutely phenomenal!!
I had been anticipating this book for a long time, ever since I had finished reading ALL OF ME, the first book in this series, and the amazing Gina Sorelle did not disappoint! Even while reading the first story of Stella and Nathan, the chemistry between Kat and Danny was palpable, and the complexities of a possible relationship were hinted at.
Danny is Nathan's best friend and partner on the police force, and from the time he meets Kat, Stella's sister, he feels a strong pull toward her. But he doesn't like entanglements, heck, he doesn't like anything with strings attached. They usually mean pain and heartbreak in his experience. So he does what he does best, he lives up to his well-earned reputation of manwhore and tries hard not to be envious of the safe haven his friend Nathan has found in his marriage with Stella. And he also tries avoiding Kat, whose dislike for him is obvious, which is probably for the best, since he could never be good enough for her anyway. But what he wouldn't give to call that amazing woman his.
Kat is over the moon for her sister Stella, who managed to beat a life threatening disease, found herself a good man and now they had a gorgeous little girl. She also realized that those things were not in the cards for her. Her work as a geneticist gave her enough satisfaction. Good at what she did, she hopefully could have a positive impact on some lives through her research. Her diagnosis with MS seven years ago had put a stop to dreams like love and a family of her own. It would be unfair to tie herself to anyone, when her future was so unsure. From day to day her situation changes and it was difficult enough on her, no need to drag someone else into it. The last thing she needed would be to fall for Danny, but it was so hard to stay away when he was so embroiled in her life.
Two "damaged" people - each not thinking themselves worthy of the other, in some way, yet forcefully drawn together. Two major stumbing blocks, one an indelible imprint from the past, that cannot simply be erased and the other a frightening certainty for the future without a timeline. It is almost too much to contend with, but with the love, support and meddling of the big and boisterous Ciaramitaro family, Danny and Kat take on the challenge.
I don't think I've ever cried so much for so many reasons while reading a book..... Not that it was sad - not at all. But I was so engaged in this story, so understanding of Kat's plight in particular, that it was almost cathartic to read. So many inner thoughts, fears and feelings I recognized were right there..... in writing. So yes, I cried, because I was there - am there - along with many others who deal with chronic disabling disease, in this book.
I thanked Gina Sorelle after I read ALL OF ME. I have to thank her even harder after ALL OF YOU. Her writing way above par, her insight and understanding gives me goosebumps, her stories are a perfect mix of emotion, humor and yes .... thank God .... hot sweaty sex!
Her writings have been a great motivator to me personally to reach for more, to dare to step outside the box to which I thought I was assigned.
✨Tore me up and put me back together - better than I was.....✨
**Copy provided in return for an honest review**
November 21, 2014
This is a spoiler-filled review. Consider yourself warned.
I have to say I didn't like this book as much as the first one. The main character Kat Ciaramitaro, pissed me so much I couldn't see straight. I am not even kidding, I literally wanted to throttle this woman -- I even came close to throwing my Kindle at one point in the book. Kat, well, I guess she did have some good qualities, she's loyal, kind, and intelligent - though I questioned even that as the story progressed. First of all, I hated how she handled her problems. If she would just set things clear from the beginning, she could spare everyone the hurt and the pain and the super long drama. But of course, she was too busy drowning herself in self-pity. Tsk. Tsk. I can even say that she's a coward and selfish. She wanted to spare Danny the pain,sure. I mean. yeah I get that. You would think that's a selfless act - I even believed that, but then she said shit like:
"A deep, dark secret suddenly burst out of its place and into the forefront of her consciousness:
There was some small part of you that thought you’d eventually let Danny wear you down…that maybe after you felt like you’d put up a good enough fight, you’d finally relent and let yourself have him…let him have you…because you knew the two of you couldn’t be around each other for very long without it turning into more…always more… But now he’s leaving and the possibility of that is leaving with him…"
WHAT THE FUCK KAT? I can't even. That's so childish. How old are you woman?
And thank god for Stella, she's most sensible one out of all the sisters. She maybe be a little bit smothering but hey, she's at least sensible!
--
“You are just so, what, Kat?” He latched onto her eyes, not giving a damn that his were still wet. “Beautiful? Brilliant? Sexy? Funny? Kind? Loyal? Honest?” Danny continued staring down into her widened eyes. “You are all of those things, Kat, and a million more. I never want to hear you referring to yourself as just anything ever again – not to me and not to anyone else. Because you are anything but just. You got me?”
Well Danny, she maybe be beautiful, sexy, kind, loyal, funny (really?), and brilliant. But, HONEST? No sir. I think you're sorely mistaken.
Speaking of Danny, I truly loved the fact that he made an effort to put himself out there (not once but lots of time) despite his huge insecurities. He tried. He at least tried. I think that's very admirable. I have nothing else to comment about Danny besides the fact that he's loyal, strong, patient and so so kind.
The writing's okay. But there are parts that truly annoyed me, especially the repetitive style of thought process??? :
"Cannot process any more.
Need quiet.
Need to be alone.
Cannot think about this right now."
"She doesn’t want me.
She doesn’t love me.
She never did.
She never will."
"[....] With no one to look after him.
No one to take care of him.
No one to love him."
SO ANNOYING I CAN't EVEN
3.0-3.5 stars.
July 29, 2014
Can't wait for the next book which I am assuming will be Fi and Ben. This is my new favorite series!
May 14, 2015
Oh, Danny MacDonough. I swoon for you.
I loved Danny. SO much. He was a very broken man, having grown up with a terrible secret and being shuffled from foster home to foster home. Kat is Stella from book 1's sister, and not nearly as likable as Stella.
Kat has a disease. A disease many people have and can live with for a long time. She has decided at the ripe old age of 28 that she is going to spend her life alone, because she doesn't want her disease to be a burden for anyone else. That PISSED me off. One of friends has the disease Kat had, and has lead a perfectly normal life. It made Kat really unlikable.
Danny, on the other hand, feels he will be alone due to the fact that he uses booze and sex as a coping mechanism. He is instantly attracted to Kat, and she to him, but Kat acts like a bitch and has him pegged - at least in her judgy mind. Sadly, she has him pegged all wrong. When she finally opens up to Danny, she realizes what a great guy he is.
The romance in this book moves at lightning speed - dropping the L word after barely any time at all. Made the story less believable. Kat also was tough to swallow. Her constant self pity and negative attitude were a turn off. This book also had an obscene amount of "deep thoughts by Kat and Danny." Pages upon pages. I'm not even exagerrating. It was annoying.
Luckily, Danny was likable enough to get me through this. I would recommend reading just because of Danny - and maybe you'll like Kat, she just did not appeal to me. I hope the next book is about Fi and Dr. Ben:)
I loved Danny. SO much. He was a very broken man, having grown up with a terrible secret and being shuffled from foster home to foster home. Kat is Stella from book 1's sister, and not nearly as likable as Stella.
Kat has a disease. A disease many people have and can live with for a long time. She has decided at the ripe old age of 28 that she is going to spend her life alone, because she doesn't want her disease to be a burden for anyone else. That PISSED me off. One of friends has the disease Kat had, and has lead a perfectly normal life. It made Kat really unlikable.
Danny, on the other hand, feels he will be alone due to the fact that he uses booze and sex as a coping mechanism. He is instantly attracted to Kat, and she to him, but Kat acts like a bitch and has him pegged - at least in her judgy mind. Sadly, she has him pegged all wrong. When she finally opens up to Danny, she realizes what a great guy he is.
The romance in this book moves at lightning speed - dropping the L word after barely any time at all. Made the story less believable. Kat also was tough to swallow. Her constant self pity and negative attitude were a turn off. This book also had an obscene amount of "deep thoughts by Kat and Danny." Pages upon pages. I'm not even exagerrating. It was annoying.
Luckily, Danny was likable enough to get me through this. I would recommend reading just because of Danny - and maybe you'll like Kat, she just did not appeal to me. I hope the next book is about Fi and Dr. Ben:)
July 30, 2014
4 stars! All Of Me was in my top ten books I read last year. I was soooo excited for this one to come out. Danny is damaged from his childhood. Kat doesn't know how to process her future living with ms. They overcome their disdain for each other and each fall hard. My favorite thing about this series is the message of family. The sisters are so endearing and hysterical. Nathan, well I just love his cranky sweet self. This one has great dialogue, developed characters, a touch of angst, and a beautiful romance. Why didn't I rate this a five? There was a lot of internal dialogue in italics. I found myself skipping a lot of that, because it was very repetitive after a while. I so hope this author continues with Fi and Ben's story.
August 3, 2014
This book was a wonderful, loving, gut wrenching roller coaster ride.I love Danny, I just wanted to fix him up too. Tissues are needed so be warned. I loved how we got so much of the 1st book in this series too, the characters from this book were not forgotten as often happens.MORE MORE MORE!!!
August 1, 2014
OMG .. what a long story, i skimmed through so many parts.. I am exhausted.. i mean .. this book could be cut in half.. and get to the point.. way too much.. i mean it was good. but painfully long.
August 11, 2014
I give this one 3¾ stars. It was four stars until I got closer to the end. Then lead heroine's "self sacrifice" became a little played out and annoying.
August 13, 2014
I love this author!! She is so good about making you love the characters! I laughed, cried, screamed and cried and laughed and damn but I was on a Emo roller coaster! Bravo Gina!!
January 11, 2015
Wish there was more of this series.
May 24, 2015
Re-read: Dec, 2014
5 - Own all of you - Stars
“Don’t you know by now that you own me, Kat?”
“I own you?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, you sure as fuck do. Every twisted, filthy, insecure, broken, pain-in-the-ass piece of me is yours.”
Have you ever felt like your heart might burst because you are feeling so much but at the same time your head doesn’t know how to form any words to describe what your heart is feeling? There wasn’t any doubt that I absolutley loved the first book in the All of Me serie, but the way I’m feeling for this one is hard to describe. While Nathan and Stella’s story in first book, All of Me, was heartbreaking and beautiful and those categories apply to this one, it’s just not the same. In a way my heart broke even more for the couple in this one because they were not just broken, they kept breaking and that was just hurting my heart real bad.
Danny is Nathan’s partner and best friend from the first book and they have known each other since they were kids and at one time shared a foster home. They are the complete opposite from each other, while Nathan is silent, prefer stability and doesn’t do anything over the top, Danny is talkative, wild and everything with him is over the top. I appreciated the difference between these two characters very much. It showed that even if they grew up diffrent, they also lived most of their childhood in similair foster homes and came out with very different personalities but deals with the same destructive pain. Even if Nathan used to hurt himself, Danny’s self-destruction is not the same. Danny likes to party until he is drunk enough to not feel anything when he is losing himself in any willig women’s body. He does this as much as he can and until his body can’t handle it and can black out the reality. In a way he lives in this bubble where he can be someone he is not while numbing the pain.
“It was ridiculous.
He was ridiculous.
But that was Danny’s place in the world.”
Kat is different from Danny is so many way. She is more like Nathan while Danny is more energetic as Stella, Kat’s older sister (Nathan’s love interest in All of Me). She is a very brilliant and successful doctor. She is also the one person in her italian family who is the quite and calm one. Just as Nathan she prefers control and logic. Kat is a very strong woman, but her body is not. She is dealing with an life-altering disease that can at any moment evolve and make her limbs stop functioning. But there isn’t much she can do with her condition so she goes on with her life. She has accepted that with her disease there are things she wont be able to have, like finding a guy that will want to live life knowing the woman he loves could some day wake up without any control over her limbs, that she wont be able to be intimate with him and that he will have to carry her to be able to move her. She doesn’t want to ruin someone’s life just so she could be happy for a while an leaving that guy hurt and broken. Though dreaming is something even reality and logic can’t stop her from doing.
“But that didn’t mean she hadn’t spent a lifetime wishing someone would occasionally hold her...comfort her...listen to her...promise her everything would be okay...”
That is until Danny walks into her familys life and changes everything she has ever been sure about. Danny and Kat has this love and hate relationship. They can’t stand each other because the are so different from one another. Though that is not the only problem, what makes them hate each other more is that they can’t seem to stop lusting for one another.
“Her wavy, should-lenght, dark-brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, she had no make-up on, and her glasses were folded up and hanging from the V-neck of her shirt. And Danny wanted to fuck her in the worst way.”
Their lust is slowly progressing and after one call from Danny one night changes how Kat sees him. The things he was saying to her, God my heart was hurting for him. Danny is the sweetest most wonderful hero I’ve ever read about. He got this big heart of gold, that I don’t think anyone would be able to have going through everything he has been through. I wanted to hug him a thousand times but most of all I really never wanted to let him go. He looks down on himself because that is all anyone has ever done. He thinks he is disgusting and damaged beyond repair, but he can’t seem to stop wanting to live, wanting to find someone to deeply care about him. What hurt the most was that he didn’t even expect anyone to love him, all he wanted was to love someone and that one to just be able to care about him.
“You smell and taste like home to me, Kat,”
“You sound and feel like it, too. When I’m with you, it’s like everything missing from me has been found. Like a huge empty space I’ve always felt has been finally been filled. And that’s something I’d never thought was possible...it was something I’d given up ever finding a long, long time ago.”
What Kat was expecting even less was that Danny would be the wanting all of her and more. They are both lost trying find someone to call home. They represent what love should be about - loving someone despite the odds that are against them. There is a heartache like no other in this book and I was crying like a baby most of the time. Not just because my heart was breaking in a million ways but because it was unbelievably beautiful my heart wanted to jump out of my chest and do a big fat happy dance. The love Danny had for Kat was mighty, I mean it was golden. I wish every girl could have their own Danny. He deserved someone exactly like Kat. She is the strongest unselfish character ever. What she did and what she had to go through just because she loved Danny too much to ever make him go through hell again was the bravest thing I’ve ever read about. It was so unbelievably selfless that I just wanted to hug the crap out of her. Bravest heroine ever!
“I’ve been drowning.
I’ve been starving.
I’ve been gasping for air.
I’ve been slowly disintegrating, until I’ve hardly felt lika a person at all.
I’ve been dying.
Without you Danny.”
This book will forever be one of my favorites and it will stay with me forever. It’s was so damn beautiful my heart is still breaking and smiling at the same time. How can you ever pass such a book?
I’m looking forward for the next book in the series. I really hope it will be Fi and Ben’s book. I can’t get enough of these heartfelt stories about characters that think they are broken until they find that special someone who tresure every part of them. So type real fast Gina Sorelle, I can’t wait!!!
October 11, 2017
Good....but not as good as All of Me.
I really enjoyed her first book I the series with Nathan and Stella. This one...not so much. It was good to start off but became a little drawn out with the unnecessary separation due to not communicating (one thing I can't stand in books). I skimmed through quite a bit. I did love Danny. He was a great suffering hero. Kat was a bit much. I also enjoyed seeing Nathan and Stella again and wouldn't mind reading a sequel about their life together. All in all an OK sequel to All of You just not the same caliber of the first book.
I really enjoyed her first book I the series with Nathan and Stella. This one...not so much. It was good to start off but became a little drawn out with the unnecessary separation due to not communicating (one thing I can't stand in books). I skimmed through quite a bit. I did love Danny. He was a great suffering hero. Kat was a bit much. I also enjoyed seeing Nathan and Stella again and wouldn't mind reading a sequel about their life together. All in all an OK sequel to All of You just not the same caliber of the first book.
November 8, 2020
Words can’t even describe
I have never been as emotional as Danny made me feel. I have cried so many tears this book was a journey! I feel like I just lived an entire life! Wow just wow
I have never been as emotional as Danny made me feel. I have cried so many tears this book was a journey! I feel like I just lived an entire life! Wow just wow
November 18, 2024
Had all the feels with this second novel in the series. Both characters fight against their demons. The plot is well thought. Liked the insight to other characters in the family. Cannot wait for the third novel.
July 4, 2020
Brilliant
Oh my gosh! This is one of my most favourite books ever. I adored Kat and Danny. Together. Separately. Any way. Great great story
Oh my gosh! This is one of my most favourite books ever. I adored Kat and Danny. Together. Separately. Any way. Great great story
December 15, 2020
A great read. MC book.
July 5, 2023
4'5/5⭐
October 7, 2016
Finally a book I couldn't put down!
Great read - loved Danny!
Kat has MS and Danny is a cop with a past.
Kat is afraid to let Danny be a part of her life because of her disease meanwhile Danny never even thought about her disease as an issue.
Very sweet.
The only complaint I had about this book is that there was to much inner dialogue.
Great read - loved Danny!
Kat has MS and Danny is a cop with a past.
Kat is afraid to let Danny be a part of her life because of her disease meanwhile Danny never even thought about her disease as an issue.
Very sweet.
The only complaint I had about this book is that there was to much inner dialogue.
August 8, 2014
“I will never be at anyone’s mercy again. Not physically. Not financially. And not emotionally. Not ever again.”
What can I say but WOW! AMAZING! and WHEN CAN I GET MORE! All Of You by Gina Sorelle is the second book in All Of Me Series and as much as I loved the first book I absolutely loved the second one. I am in love with Kat and Danny and I am actually a bit sad their story is over. As long as it was I only want more and more. Gina hooked me from the beginning with Danny’s man-whore ways and Kat’s absolute hatred for him! You just know with strong feeling like that that this is going to be intense and intense it was!
“He would have a dimple , wouldn’t he? Being the perfect physical specimen on manhood, and all. And it goes so well with that subtle little cleft in his chin.”
If you have read book one than you already know Nathan and Stella. Danny is Nathan’s best friend and partner and Kat is Stella’s sister. If this isn’t asking for drama and trouble I don’t know what is. These two together are force to be reckoned with. Both coming with their on insecurities and trust issues, you would think that this would be doomed from the start. What I wasn’t expecting was to absolutely fall in love with Danny. He is so kind, gentle, and loving with Kat it made me yearn for a man like that. When they couldn’t stand each other their feelings were strong but when they couldn’t stay away from each other their feelings and emotions were out of this world strong.
“That kiss – their mouths together, her body leaning into him, his hands buried in her hair – had been so powerful, so surreal, that Danny felt changed by it somehow. Different.”
Now, all this being said you would think that this would be an easy love story but sadly that is not the case. If you have read Gina before then you know she is going to make you work for it and damn if she does. Kat is sick and in all honesty she is not going to get better. MS is a disease that she will have for the rest of her life and she knows that any person she commits herself to will have to deal with her body’s gradual deterioration and she isn’t willing to put anyone through that. She is determined to live a life without a relationship and focus on her family and work. That would be enough to drive any reader to tears but Danny’s personal struggle of being left alone and having no one will have you bawling like a baby in the corner. But damn if the ugly cry isn’t worth it!
“I knew it would be big . . . but that thing is ridiculous.”
I knew going in that this would be an emotional tear jerker, anyone who read the blurb could see that. What surprised me the most was how funny it was. I found myself constantly laughing which was a great change of pace after crying my eyes out. On top of the well placed bits of humor Gina has a way of taking the most serious thing you can think of and still making it all come off so sexy and erotic. In her books very serious diseases and afflictions are tackled but they always seem like a background story never really overshadowing or overpowering the true intention of the book which is an intense love story. I can honestly say that I highly recommend this book and that I hope that she does not take too long to release the next one.
“I’ve been waiting for you my entire life. I just didn’t know it till I met you”
~miranda
What can I say but WOW! AMAZING! and WHEN CAN I GET MORE! All Of You by Gina Sorelle is the second book in All Of Me Series and as much as I loved the first book I absolutely loved the second one. I am in love with Kat and Danny and I am actually a bit sad their story is over. As long as it was I only want more and more. Gina hooked me from the beginning with Danny’s man-whore ways and Kat’s absolute hatred for him! You just know with strong feeling like that that this is going to be intense and intense it was!
“He would have a dimple , wouldn’t he? Being the perfect physical specimen on manhood, and all. And it goes so well with that subtle little cleft in his chin.”
If you have read book one than you already know Nathan and Stella. Danny is Nathan’s best friend and partner and Kat is Stella’s sister. If this isn’t asking for drama and trouble I don’t know what is. These two together are force to be reckoned with. Both coming with their on insecurities and trust issues, you would think that this would be doomed from the start. What I wasn’t expecting was to absolutely fall in love with Danny. He is so kind, gentle, and loving with Kat it made me yearn for a man like that. When they couldn’t stand each other their feelings were strong but when they couldn’t stay away from each other their feelings and emotions were out of this world strong.
“That kiss – their mouths together, her body leaning into him, his hands buried in her hair – had been so powerful, so surreal, that Danny felt changed by it somehow. Different.”
Now, all this being said you would think that this would be an easy love story but sadly that is not the case. If you have read Gina before then you know she is going to make you work for it and damn if she does. Kat is sick and in all honesty she is not going to get better. MS is a disease that she will have for the rest of her life and she knows that any person she commits herself to will have to deal with her body’s gradual deterioration and she isn’t willing to put anyone through that. She is determined to live a life without a relationship and focus on her family and work. That would be enough to drive any reader to tears but Danny’s personal struggle of being left alone and having no one will have you bawling like a baby in the corner. But damn if the ugly cry isn’t worth it!
“I knew it would be big . . . but that thing is ridiculous.”
I knew going in that this would be an emotional tear jerker, anyone who read the blurb could see that. What surprised me the most was how funny it was. I found myself constantly laughing which was a great change of pace after crying my eyes out. On top of the well placed bits of humor Gina has a way of taking the most serious thing you can think of and still making it all come off so sexy and erotic. In her books very serious diseases and afflictions are tackled but they always seem like a background story never really overshadowing or overpowering the true intention of the book which is an intense love story. I can honestly say that I highly recommend this book and that I hope that she does not take too long to release the next one.
“I’ve been waiting for you my entire life. I just didn’t know it till I met you”
~miranda
May 1, 2015
I was enthralled by Gina Sorelle’s debut novel ‘All of Me’ and had been wanting to read ‘All of Me’ ever since it was published last year. And I’ve finally read it!!! Though All of Me was primarily Stella and Nathan’s love story, Gina also gave us a grand peak into the Ciaramitaro family. All of You is Kat and Danny’s equally beautiful tale. While All of Me beautifully spoke about confronting physical scars in a relationship, All of Me takes a look at wounds that run a little more deeper.
Nathan’s partner and brother Danny is hot headed, impulsive and has way too many casual hook-ups owing to a shattered childhood of broken foster homes and abusive relationships. Stella’s independent, strong and beautiful sister Kat is a smart scientist who suffers from benign multiple sclerosis. Her resolute determination to deal with her illness by herself sometimes comes off as her having a stoic disposition. At the beginning Kat and Danny do not have any great opinion about each other, but as their interactions grow, they find themselves slowly falling for each other.
And thus begins their love story. After giving into their mutual initial sparks, both Danny and Kat have to deal with the implications of committing wholly to each other. But when old insecurities re-surface, Danny and Kat struggle to let go of old beliefs and hold on to the possibility of finding solace in each other. Danny and Kat have a lot to learn. While Danny has to learn to let go of his past and open his heart to the possibility of love, Kat has to grapple with the idea that she can be vulnerable and let herself be taken care of. Woven into the pages are well-intended family interventions, drunken moments of despair, sincere declarations of love, quiet moments of reflection and unbridled moments of passion.
I am the kind of person who weeps with joy over a literary love stories but don’t give a s**t about love in reality. I’ve been resolute in my view that true love stories only exist within the covers of a novel or the film spools of a movie. Reading ‘All of You’ shook me up as Kat and Danny’s love was a little too real. It has left me wondering if maybe, just maybe, love in reality may not be so sordid after all. Any author who can make me re-evaluate my belief system will stay with me forever. Thank you so much Gina (I really hope that you get to read my review). I eagerly await Fi and Ben’s story.
Nathan’s partner and brother Danny is hot headed, impulsive and has way too many casual hook-ups owing to a shattered childhood of broken foster homes and abusive relationships. Stella’s independent, strong and beautiful sister Kat is a smart scientist who suffers from benign multiple sclerosis. Her resolute determination to deal with her illness by herself sometimes comes off as her having a stoic disposition. At the beginning Kat and Danny do not have any great opinion about each other, but as their interactions grow, they find themselves slowly falling for each other.
And thus begins their love story. After giving into their mutual initial sparks, both Danny and Kat have to deal with the implications of committing wholly to each other. But when old insecurities re-surface, Danny and Kat struggle to let go of old beliefs and hold on to the possibility of finding solace in each other. Danny and Kat have a lot to learn. While Danny has to learn to let go of his past and open his heart to the possibility of love, Kat has to grapple with the idea that she can be vulnerable and let herself be taken care of. Woven into the pages are well-intended family interventions, drunken moments of despair, sincere declarations of love, quiet moments of reflection and unbridled moments of passion.
I am the kind of person who weeps with joy over a literary love stories but don’t give a s**t about love in reality. I’ve been resolute in my view that true love stories only exist within the covers of a novel or the film spools of a movie. Reading ‘All of You’ shook me up as Kat and Danny’s love was a little too real. It has left me wondering if maybe, just maybe, love in reality may not be so sordid after all. Any author who can make me re-evaluate my belief system will stay with me forever. Thank you so much Gina (I really hope that you get to read my review). I eagerly await Fi and Ben’s story.
August 17, 2014
First, I will say I really loved this story. I thought it was a well told, beautiful and emotional love story. Both H and h are broken in very different ways, and together they make a perfect fit. It is a stand alone book, but it helps to have read the first one (which I loved even more than this one) to get a more thorough introduction of characters--especially secondary--but I don't feel it's totally necessary.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kat's character. She's portrayed as a beautiful, strong-willed, and highly intelligent woman who is dealing with ms. It was emotional watching her try to hide her symptoms from her family and Danny, and trying to make impossible decisions--not all with the best outcome. My favorite part of her was probably the mixture of her innocence and her intelligence--seeing the act of lovemaking for the first time through the eyes of a scientific mind was very entertaining, and pretty funny at times.
Danny was a hit or miss for me at times. Mostly, I loved his alpha male qualities, but sometimes I felt he went from hot to cold so extremely, it got confusing. He seemed to jump from being crass and rude, to tender and teary where he seems to good to be true within a paragraph. There was also a point at the end where he told Kat he would never lie to her, but I remember him saying hurtful things to her that were not true just to get back at her because he was hurting. I thought the author did a good job describing his hard-life backstory, which went a long way explaining his behavior, but I still found it pretty contradictory.
For the most part, I liked the author's writing style. I loved the banter between the characters, and I felt the read as a whole was emotional, but pretty smart and funny in parts. It was very angsty, where a lot of tension could have been cleared up with actual communication, but this is the type of story I lean towards. I did find myself skimming some of the internal dialogue (there was A LOT), but I enjoyed seeing the story from both sides. I hope the series continues--I would love to read about Fi and Ben!
I thoroughly enjoyed Kat's character. She's portrayed as a beautiful, strong-willed, and highly intelligent woman who is dealing with ms. It was emotional watching her try to hide her symptoms from her family and Danny, and trying to make impossible decisions--not all with the best outcome. My favorite part of her was probably the mixture of her innocence and her intelligence--seeing the act of lovemaking for the first time through the eyes of a scientific mind was very entertaining, and pretty funny at times.
Danny was a hit or miss for me at times. Mostly, I loved his alpha male qualities, but sometimes I felt he went from hot to cold so extremely, it got confusing. He seemed to jump from being crass and rude, to tender and teary where he seems to good to be true within a paragraph. There was also a point at the end where he told Kat he would never lie to her, but I remember him saying hurtful things to her that were not true just to get back at her because he was hurting. I thought the author did a good job describing his hard-life backstory, which went a long way explaining his behavior, but I still found it pretty contradictory.
For the most part, I liked the author's writing style. I loved the banter between the characters, and I felt the read as a whole was emotional, but pretty smart and funny in parts. It was very angsty, where a lot of tension could have been cleared up with actual communication, but this is the type of story I lean towards. I did find myself skimming some of the internal dialogue (there was A LOT), but I enjoyed seeing the story from both sides. I hope the series continues--I would love to read about Fi and Ben!
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