Giving It All

Dale #2

by Arianna Hart

Home is where his heart can heal. Former Navy SEAL Grant Anderson failed to see the IED that took his lower leg and couldn't fix the cracks that ended his marriage. Embarrassment kept him from returning home to Dale, Georgia, after his discharge. But with his father ill, his family needs him. One of the first friendly faces he encounters is Ellie Hall. The gawky little girl next door now has curves that shouldn't make his mouth water. She deserves a hero, not a broken man. Ellie can't remember a time when she didn't have a crush on Grant. Now if she could only get it through Grant's thick skull that she doesn't need to fear him. As they work together to straighten out his family business, holiday fireworks aren't the only thing making Grant sweat. But by the time they uncover why the figures aren't adding up, Grant must rely on pure instinct to keep Ellie safe from danger-and pray that this time, he won't fail. Warning: Contains a wounded warrior who's his own worst critic, and a determined heroine who'll take the whole package as is. While not a series, this story takes place in the same fictional world as Son of a Preacher Man.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Military Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense

266 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

Arianna Hart enjoys spending time with her family, reading anything she can get her hands on, and of course writing! She’d love to spend her days on a beach with a drink in one hand and a book in the other, but until she wins the lottery she’ll just have to settle for chasing her girls around the pool.

Reviews

[SB*needs low angst books* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant Anderson is heading home. He has come back from war and readjusting to life as a amputee with a new leg. He will also be helping his parents business as his father had a debilitating stroke and his slowly recovering. What he doesn't know is that an old neighbor that he went to school with is renting a space from his parents and helping them as well.

Ellie Hall is staying at the Anderson home renting a space attached to the home. He also helps them out in anyway they need as they were there for her and her grandmother. She always had a crush on Grant as did many others but back in the day she was shy and more invisible then.

As the two meet again Grant definitely sees Ellie and Ellie sees the adult Grant. But things at his father's business aren't good and suspicions arise for both as they invest what is really going on. As they do they also have to deal with the unexpected relationship and feelings they feel.

This was a freebie and I really enjoyed it. I need something with not a lot of angst as well as something more laid back with how I have been feeling so extra star just because it was a nice read. I like the hero and the heroine. They both had some issues that they had to work out for themselves. So I just enjoyed it going in blind and not expecting much.

[The_Book_Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 3 1/2 and 4 Stars.

I really liked Giving It All, but I wasn't blown away by it. It was sexy as hell at times, which I loved. Grant was a wonderful hero, and I could relate to Ellie. And the cover? Well, the cover is just pure yummy. All in all, it was a quick read for me, and I'd like to try another book by Hart in the future.

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in the Dale series by Arianna Hart.
Grant Anderson left Dale, Georgia for the U.S. Navy and gets accepted into the buds/SEAL program. But after ten years he returns. An IED ended his service. Now it's time to come home and help his parents after his dad's stroke. Ellie Hall was their neighbor until her grandmother died. Then she moved into the Anderson's garage apartment. Grant didn't remember her but Ellie had always been basically invisible to everyone back then. It didn't mean she didn't crush on him then. But now she's grown and Grant definitely sees her now.
Ok, Grant is freakishly tall at 6'8". Ellie is tall at 5'10". Not that it matters. Hometown hero doesn't think he is a hero and suffers ptsd. There is a mystery of what's going on at his dad's auto parts store. Ellie was a sweetheart but lacking confidence at first. It was a fun read with a small shot of suspense.

[Kame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grant comes home to his small hometown to help take care of his father recover from a stroke. Ellie is the invisible girl from High School who lived next door and loved him from afar. Now she helps his parents and half the town all while running her accountant business. Grant may not have noticed Ellie before but he sure is now.

I enjoy books with wounded warriors. Grant was injured as a SEAL and is now medically discharged. His High School sweetheart and the darling of their small town could not deal with his injuries, so not only did he lose a career he loved, but he lost his marriage too. He tries hard to put that behind him and be the support his family needs. He never waivered as trying to be the best he could for his parents. He was a reluctant hero, and one that needed to work through aspects of his new life he didn't want to accept. I adored how Ellie was supportive of Grant and didn't seem to be phased by his injury. You could tell she had truly cared for him for a long time. I am not sure you could call this a second chance romance as they never were together before, just next door neighbors - but the familiarity they had with each other and their common concern for Grant's father fostered a bond that allowed their feelings to progress probably faster then if they were strangers.

The plot was easy to follow but I didn't really have it all figured out until the end. There was a little suspense mingled in also.

This is a second book in a series. I have not read book 1, but I enjoyed this one so much I am going back to purchase it. I will definitely put this author and series on my list to watch out for.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

**more at melenasreviews.wordpress.com**

I have to say it has been ages since I have read a book by Arianna Hart and yet she is still so talented and imaginated I just loved Giving It All. Grant is like all soldiers coming home fighting for the brave and crippled feeling well helpless. His whole life has always been about saving and rescuing people. Now because of an IED he is back to the town he swore never to come back. I loved that Arianna was able to create a female version of him so to speak. You see Ellie is just like him always helping others and rescuing people even though they say they don`t need help. The attraction between these two is instantaneous it is hard to see them separate. I loved that we see a vulnerable side of Grant not just his macho brave side and Ellie well I`m a sucker for the young girl crush making it happen. If you love the shy, geeky girl getting all her dreams and the young boy finally seeing love right in front of his face then Arianna Hart is your author. Loved it and highly recommend it.

[Ruthie Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads~~

This is a really good read. It has a good mix of romance, a dash of mystery, and some lovely touches of humour. The sexy bits are definitely on the hot scale. Although Grant has issues from his time in the SEALs, he is a well rounded character who has learned the hard way what is important in life. Ellie I liked a lot - after all she is a maths nerd and accountant like me, so what's not to like? - but she is one of the good people, who for a change gets a break - and yet remembers her past insignificance too. Some of the vignettes of small town life were absolutely delightful.

Thank you Ms Hart for another lovely read.

[Paige Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites of 2015!

The premise drew me in and the author delivered one read but then I'm a sucker for a Alpha male, military hero who helps his parents.

The characters were well written and likeable. Both Ellie and Grant survived different hardships but we're able to be be there for each other. The built each other up and supported one another.

Kellie and Grant had great chemistry together. The sex scenes weren't over the top or frivolous. They were about 2 people who found connection.

I also thought it held the right amount of drama and suspense to keep the reader entertained.

I was given an ARC for a honest review

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received for review

Great story. Smoking hot former SEAL coming home and the girl next door. Great chemistry between them. Yeah, there was a little angst with him realizing that she loved him even though he wasn't whole. Oh, and a bad guy to catch. Loved her friend Peter. There's previous book that sound like it's really good. I need to go find it.

[♡ Jeri's Book Attic ♡ Jeri the Romance Bibiliophile ♡]

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I keep chasing the high that was Rebecca Yarros in her Military series. I picked up this book, because romance and military hero. Unfortunately this just did not scratch that itch for me. Maybe the bar is to high, but I just wasn't having that same emotional connection.

the issue for me was that the story felt largely propelled by plot events instead of emotional development, and this is not what I look for in my romance novels. I could have cared less about the family drama, and the store, and his cousin. I cared more about them making a connection and being around each other, but it was like the author didn't know how to make that happen without the other things driving the story.

I also got the feeling this book was part of a larger series, and even with the amazing covers, I won't be picking up the rest. i want an emotionally driven books, not a plot driven book for my romance. so there is that.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there is a bit of suspense in this story, it doesn't directly involve the main characters, so I'm classifying this as contemporary romance. Wounded former Navy SEAL with a prosthetic leg comes back to his small town home to live, and meets a girl he never noticed when they were in high school together.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and sexy

I really enjoyed this book, it was very sweet and romantic. It also had a little bit of suspense and thrill to it. Very heartfelt and cute romance.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really wonderful story!!!:)

[Book Gannet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ellie. I can’t help it, I ended up a total fangirl for her throughout this book. She starts off as a gangly, too-smart teenager who no one ever sees, raised by her grandmother and working as many jobs as she can fit in. As an adult she’s a little less gangly, but she’s still super smart and does anything she can to help other people out. She’s great, basically, and I really liked her.

Luckily, I really liked Grant too. He has definitely been through a lot and does have a tendency to brood occasionally, but I liked how quick he was to see the good Ellie had done and to recognise the nice side of living in a small town like Dale. He also really admires Ellie, so I couldn’t help but like him. Besides, the chemistry between the pair of them is scorching. Sure, he had plenty of hangups about his leg and scars, but Ellie’s so awesome he can’t hide for long.

I loved their romance. It flows and develops really well, with each of them getting their chance to shine in their own ways. They have very different strengths, and it’s hard to know what interests they have in common, but they fit so perfectly into each other’s lives that I really enjoyed reading about them. There’s plenty of heat too, which helps.

However, as much as I loved that side of the book, the whole plot strand concerning cousin Greg and the family business felt flimsy to me. As great as it was to see Ellie wow Grant with the power of her maths brain, there were moments in this book where I wondered if that side of things would ever get resolved. It sort of fades away unfinished at one point, then appears right, right, right at the end, meaning things are dealt with very swiftly.

Which is a shame, because the rest of this book was 4.5/5 stars for me, I enjoyed Ellie and Grant’s romance that much. It’s fun and sexy as well as sweet, with Grant’s injury and service history forming an integral part of who he is and not ever coming across as a cliché plot device. So if you like reading about ex-SEALs this will definitely tick the right boxes. If you like reading about smart heroines living in the real world, this will also work. Or if you’re just looking for a good small town romance with a decent amount of heat and really enjoyable characters, then you should probably try this. It might have been my first Arianna Hart read, but it definitely won’t be my last. I especially look forward to any more tales set in Dale.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Romantic Reads and Such · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this story. It seemed pretty straightforward – a mixture of tropes that I like (PTSD, returning hero son, childhood crush, popular boy/unpopular girl, a mystery) – but Hart brought great emotion and depth to the story. Some people might get a little tired of Grant’s hot and cold attitude, but it definitely makes sense and works well with the man and the relationship. I have a pretty low threshold for that kind of thing but I think it worked well here.

I really liked Ellie. She’s so caring and smart and out of her element with the oh-so-sexy Grant. When she lets herself go for it though … perfecto! The fact that she’s had a crush on him for years just adds that bit of extra umph to her issues. Grant is great too. He’s dealing with a lot – the loss of his leg and his marriage, not being a SEAL and moving home again. It’s a lot to take but when he discovers a sexy, smart, somewhat complicated woman living in his parents’ garage … things just got more interesting. The two of them together are a riot! I also loved Grant’s parents and their friends. They aren’t overly quirky like you sometimes get in small town Southern towns but there is a great mix of personalities that make you just want to move to Dale so you can call them friends.

There’s also some intrigue about what is going on at the family store, which adds a little extra drama to the story and helps Grant find a sense of purpose he needs in coming home. It also gives him a reason to hang out more with Ellie, which he takes full advantage of – he’s no dummy!

I will say that even though I don’t think it is a requirement to have read Son of a Preacher Man there are enough references to the characters and events from it that I think it might help give readers some additional depth to the story. If you are like me and joining here, you’ll be fine but you’ll probably be like me and add the other book to your TBR pile :)

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

[Becky Condit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unrequited love, a wounded warrior, an altruistic young woman, and a failing business all add up to having to give it all.
Grant is a former Navy SEAL who lost part of his leg to an IED while deployed in a war zone. He was fortunate enough to be able to purchase an artificial leg that takes advantage of the latest technology, but doesn’t realize what that may have cost his parents. Grant returns home to help his mother care for his father who has suffered a stroke and requires therapy. Next door is Ellie, an accountant who has been helping to care for Grant’s father as well as taking care of the books for his father’s auto parts business. Grant’s marriage began to fall apart before he lost his leg but that was the nail in the coffin of his marriage to an insincere woman who was more interested in looks and status than she was in the true character of a man.
Grant is afraid to show his true self to Ellie. After all, he just lost one woman to, he believes, his disability and scars, so he doesn’t want to set himself up for another rejection. Ellie is nothing like Grant’s wife and is only interested in Grant’s wounds from a technical standpoint, but she’s willing to give him space to discover for himself what kind of woman she is.
Something doesn’t add up in the books for Grant’s father’s business and it falls to Ellie to figure it out. Grant is a true protector and doesn’t like the danger Ellie is putting herself in. The ending of the book is very satisfying to the reader and is an HEA with a resolution to the mystery they’ve been trying to trace. Very enjoyable read and highly recommended.

[Mariel Hoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Wounded Warrior comes home to girl next door. Both Ellie and Grant were well-developed characters, well-rounded with plenty of backstory, flaws, redeeming qualities. Human. Relatable. Likable. This was a great read for me in the sense that even before the romance part...I was rooting for both of them individually.

They both have had issues in the past, Grant more than Ellie for sure but are still trying to make a go of it for themselves and for their family and friends. Throw in the scorching chemistry between the pair, a romance that flows and enough instances that show their strength of character and it's a one-sitting read for me.

The only wrinkle in it for me was that weird sub-plot with the cousin but a minor annoyance.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. Kind of a second-chance romance, the hero and heroine are great people - I’d love Grant to be my boyfriend and Ellie my BFF. Ok, I’d settle for being friends with both of them. The supporting cast are all interesting and good people too. The story showcases all the great things about living in a small town, the support, the caring, as well as the downsides - rampant gossip, nosy neighbours, etc. There is a lot of time spent in Grant and Elli’s heads, and it works, helping us see that they are dealing with insecurities and issues, and being smart. Their chemistry was smoking hot too. I am definitely going to backtrack and read the first book in this series, and look for anything else Ms. Hart has written.

Bought from kobo

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I really enjoyed Giving It All.

This was a very heartfelt and emotional read, I enjoyed the storyline and the characters were both likable and very relatable.

I highly recommend this book, looking forward to reading more from Arianna Hart in the near future.

Thank you Samhain Publishing via Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Full review to come on Fiction Vixen!

[Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice woman and a nice man. It's sounds so simple yet seems to be rare in romantic fiction, but Giving It All gets that simple combination just right. Read this - it's good.