“I’ve been lonely all my life… It’s a comfortable place for me to be.”
But it’s no longer a place Devon GianFranco wants to occupy. Not since he met the brilliant music journalist and editor of Screaming Beats Magazine, Michaela O’Flaherty. He’s been hailed as the greatest guitarist of his generation—a rock god among legends. For more than a decade, he’s traveled the world and lived for sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. Michaela’s had a front row seat to all the goings-on in the music scene for a long time. She’s seen it all—the good, bad, and ugly. She knows Devon’s past like the back of her hand and isn’t impressed. They both know the key to surviving in this industry is to keep what matters close to the soul, hidden from the spotlight. All he wants is to be the man to unlock Michaela’s secret heart. There’s just one problem. She absolutely loathes him.
Born and raised in Miami, Kelli Jean traded the tropical heat for the arctic. Now she deals with twenty-four hour daylight in the summer, zero sunlight in the winter, and believes the Northern Lights make up for the mind-boggling amount of ice and snow she has to put up with for seven months out of the year. She’s surrounded by mountains and ocean and sheep, and claims her bizarre sense of humor is what keeps her sane. The insane don’t know they’re insane. Kelli uses her imagination to create worlds she can escape to from the mundane tasks of everyday life, such as washing the damn dishes and vacuuming up Legos off the floor—and don’t get her started on the mad amount of cat hair on the end of the couch. She gave up on that a long time ago. When the household goes to sleep at night, she writes down everything that happened in her head while doing such tedious chores. But she enjoys living in her own head, so that’s pretty cool.
"I've loved you long before I set eyes on you, Mo gra. Long before we came into these bodies. I've loved you before the world formed. Before time existed. And I will love you long after forever is but a memory."
Oh, Devon, how I love you. Those of us that have fallen in love with the NOLA's Own series, have been waiting with bated breath for Devon's story. He's a rock god, a musical genius, a gorgeous male specimen that has every women fascinated and entranced. So, who would win his heart?
Michaela AKA Mike is a strong woman. She's ambitious, talented, independent and a survivor. She's been around rock stars and their egos. Impressing her isn't going to be so easy.
That's what I love about this book. The sexual tension is OFF THE CHARTS!!! Not to mention, Kelli Jean's amazing talent for writing and her impeccable knack for portraying emotion. There's a specific moment in this book when Mike relives a tragedy that we all witnessed in real life and it CONSUMED me. I felt like I was there experiencing it first hand and seeing it from a new perspective. Just a testament to Kelli's talent. Her words hijack your emotions and don't release them until you're reading The End.
Devon and Michaela will have you swooning, crying, fanning yourself and begging for more!
This quote resonates with me and why I love this story so much.
"I don't even know how to describe it. Being with you... It's never felt this with anyone else. It's natural, like gravity or magnetism". Devon didn't know what love was except in ways of being a dad. He knew how to have a good time, but he was missing his soul connection with love.
If you have read the other four books in NOLA's Own you will know that Devon is deep rooted in Phil, Flipper, Jason and X's life. We know that he had to struggle to get back with the people he most resonates with in the music industry and he considers them part of his family. Now he is on tour and sees the love everyone has for each other and wondering if he would get that.
Michaela or Mike~ Oh I want to be her when I grow up. She is strong, determined and so very caring to her family. She is still heartbroken over the loss of her husband. Yet she keeps her personal life so private as she runs one of the most amazing magazine in the music industry. Mike has been asked to write the NOLA biography and she is determine to enjoy her time with people she considers family also. She just wasn't prepared for being kissed by Devon in her first meeting with him. She felt things she hasn't felt in a long time and things she wasn't prepared to feel. Each time this couple interacted I felt my pulse racing and my heart stopping for the moment they just ignite.
I loved every page in this book, I loved that they were honest with their feelings. The have to fight the fight to keep what they have, Mike is so worried that she has feelings she has never had before. This man that loves her loves her wholeheartedly. He was always meant for her, even though she was once married and lost him, they are bound to each. This whole series is beautiful and Kelli Jean really knows how to write love, angst and lust all within the same chapter. Devon and Mike have this bonded love and they truly fall in love for all the right reasons.
See more on release day on my A Day With Ethel channel.
Is breá liom an leabhar seo an oiread sin - I have been reading this series from book 1 and all throughout Kelli Jean had a unique voice that I totally appreciated. NOLA's own was different but so engaging and each member or their significant other were written with depth and heart and even pain. Devon GianFranco was a character that was on the fringe within the books - someone I wanted to know more about than what was just on the surface,that he was a hot gorgeous trouble making rock star. Kelli Jean delivered a fascinating tale of two people destined to be together. Michaela (Mike) lived through a heartbreak that was so devastating , as I cried reading the prologue and then again learning her story. That is the beauty of this book - The characters take time to learn about each other and you are along for the ride. The love scenes are just that, hot and sometimes a little kinky and then beautiful. To say this was the perfect book to read over Valentine's Day would be an understatement and I look forward to more from NOLA's own. Devon, I proudly add you to my short list of book boyfriends.
I have been waiting for Devon's story for a long time. I can now say it has been worth the wait. There's nothing like being in the world of NOLA's Own. This series is one of the best I've ever read. I throughly enjoyed getting to revisit some of my most favorite characters ever created, Phil and his Baby Girl, Kenna. I delighted getting to know Devon on a deeper level, meeting Michaela, and getting the backstory on the Cannibals. Kelli Jean brought the whole series together beautifully with this book. I always get so excited to start a new book from this author. I love all of her work especially the NOLA's Own series. I highly recommend this book, this series, and this author.
These characters have to be real...it’s just not fathomable they aren’t! The series was amazing although, I must admit, this final book was a killer and by far my favorite. I am so glad Devon got his own story. Michaela was perfect for him. But, omg, the start of her story, aka the prologue, had me crying my eyes out. Then I had uncontrollable tears from laughter when Michaela experiences Jason’s morning ablutions!!
Good writing is a huge factor when reading a book especially one that gets the strong reactions I had. I loved reading this one immensely! Highly recommend it.
I didn't realize how much I missed our boys until I started this book. When I read one of these books from this series, it takes over my life. Everything. Stops. I just fall into their lives. I feel like I'm part of their family. Devon was such a big part of Phil's story, but such a mystery at the same time. This book gives us all the answers we needed and wanted. Devon was so beautiful. Inside and out! He was such a beautiful soul. If anyone deserved love, Devon did. Michaela's past was heartbreaking. Devon was just what she needed. They were meant to be together...kismet *sigh* I love Kelli Jean's stories of karma and fate. I'm a hopeless romantic and I can not get enough of these epic love stories. I can not get enough of our boys. This is one of my favorite series of all time. Too f*ckin' right!
5 Stars! I didn’t think this book could give me the same emotions as Since I’ve Been Loving You, but man was I wrong! Devon and Michaela were perfect for each other. They took their sweet ass time to get there and when they did - HOTTEST SEX EVER!! That’s a huge accomplishment coming from this YA/ skips the sex scenes reader.
As with the other books N the series, I’d recommend starting from book 1 since the continuation of the storyline will make it hard to catch all the minor details that makes up this incredibly emotional journey. I loved it!
*** I received an advanced copy and chose to review it *** ** 100% spoiler free review ** * All the freaking stars in the world *
OH. MY. GOD.......There are no words powerful enough to express my love for this book! It is an epic journey that burrowed deep into my soul and every word resonated in unexpected ways. In a word, it is Perfection. Let me first start by saying that All My Love is not a standalone. Could it be? Perhaps but truthfully, in order to truly understand the story and all of the past/present time hops, you really need to have read the first 4 NOLA's Own books which trust me are worth every single second! So before proceeding with this masterpiece, please read the other NOLA's books IN ORDER!!!
All My Love is told from a dual POV with time hops from past to present for both main characters. Devon GianFranco is front and center and dare I say that Kelli Jean has done the impossible for me with this book....This stunning, deeply emotional and beautiful man has edged out Phil F*cking Devereux and taken top spot in my book boyfriend list---and that's pretty much the feat of the century in my world! Devon is a multi-dimensional character that amazed me and as the author peeled back each of his layers, I was blown away by how much depth was truly present. He's tough but tender, intense but simple and holy mother of G-d is this man romantic and out of this world swoon-worthy! He loves deeply and is fiercely loyal to his friends and family. He holds his secrets close and boy does he have some big ones! His backstory is unexpectedly tragic and heartbreaking yet he has persevered and come out stronger than possible. When he meets Michaela "Mike" O'Flaherty, the immediate spark between them sets them on a course neither ever expected. She's a kick-ass female character and her strength in the face of adversity truly moved me. Michaela has lived through her own horrific heartbreak and it altered her life forever. Her tragedy and how the author portrayed it captivated and consumed me as I recalled my own experiences with this situation. As a reporter chronicling the biography of NOLA's Own as they tour across the United States, Michaela sits down with Devon to hear his life story and what follows is a connection so deep and intensely beautiful that readers will fall head over heels along with them. Their romance is revealed slowly, building and building at the perfect pace. There's no rushing perfection and Kelli Jean takes her time intensifying their plotline to an epic finale that will keep readers hanging on until the very last page.
For fans of the NOLA's Own series, there's plenty of Phil and Kenna and the rest of the gang to revel in. You'll get the backstory of how Devon came to be a part of the Cornered Cannibals and what really happened behind the scenes with some of the past's biggest events. Kelli Jean gives readers everything they could possibly want and then some when it comes to Devon and Michaela's story. It's tragic, heartbreaking, beautiful, spiritual, funny and incredibly sexy. It's a journey that spans decades and takes you on the ride of your life. It is a story that is not to be missed!
I adored this book. I always felt a little something for Devon from the other NOLA books, but this one finally gave me more insight into his character, his life and his musicality. And reading about Michaela brought a lot of memories back from September 11th. I won't say anymore on that topic, just reading it was enough. When these two meet, it is lust/love at first sight (well in Devon's case at least). Michaela has no love for Devon after following his former group and think he's just like them. After interviewing him for a biography she is doing on NOLA's Own, she gets to know him better and really sees him in a different light. These two have explosive chemistry and I loved seeing how it plays out with them on tour. There is some angst and a brief separation, but the love they have for one another is all consuming. This was an emotional, sweet, hot and sexy book. I loved it! Thank you Kelli Jean for bringing these characters to life. *I received an ARC of this book from the author*.
I loved this book! It’s my favorite right after Book 1!! I wasn’t sure what to expect with this. I was seriously disappointed with the previous book and Devon wasn’t one of my favorite characters.. but OH MY GOD HE IS NOW. The story of Micheala and Devon was sweet, so so sexy and out of all the couples, one of the more relatable relationships. They both have had their hearts broken, have had horrific things happen to them in their past which we learn about through flashbacks. I loved how their story was a lot of them just sitting together and talking. Their drama and angst was between them and not some random outside circumstances like in previous books. I 100% believed in their feelings. I love this series and was seriously bummed that Conner X and Alys’ book missed the mark.. but holy shit this new book is great! If you love this serious esp the beginning books.. you will absolutely love this one!
I get so dang sad to wrap up a series, and that is definitely the case here wrapping up the last book in the NOLA series after spending 20 glorious days with NOLA’s Junk/NOLA’s own. And what a conclusion! Big bad, yet beautiful Devon from horrible Cornered Cannibal isn’t as awful as one thought, and in fact is a softy when it comes to Michaela (Mike). Devon is the bada$$ guitarist that all woman will in fact fall head over heals for, as Mike and I did!
While Devon and Mike navigate their relationship in Book 5 in the series, we continue to get snipits into what’s going on with the other band members including Phil/Kenna, Jason/Sherri, and a little bit of the others.
While this is a great conclusion to the NOLA series, a novella follow up with the biography that Mike was writing would be a welcomed addition to the series!
Devon...I just love you! Finally, we get his story. If you are familiar with the NOLA's Own series you know Devon. The beautiful rock genius that all the women want. Did I say he was beautiful? Meet Michaela...or Mike. A strong, independent woman who has seen her share of heartache. But Mike is not an easy woman to know and making her see beyond Devon's musical persona is going to be a challenge. This story will consume you! Kelli Jean makes you feel all the emotion that these people feel. How does she do that!!?? And the sexy times....WOW!! Devon and Mike's story will stay with me just as all the other NOLA's Own stories have. "Right now, mo gra, you have all of it. All my love. In this very moment, it's all yours."
I've loved NOLA'S Own since they were NOLA'S Junk. This family of friends, these characters, speak to my heart. I absolutely loved Devon and Michaela's story. Two people who suffered and gone through so much, yet still have their whole hearts to give to each other is beautiful and touching. I love how each character in the series has such depth, and how all of their stories, their histories, weave together like a symphony of life. Damn, I enjoyed this story of love and redemption.
I adore every character in the Nola’s Own series, but oh my gawd, Devon has my complete desires right now. Kelli writes with such absolute assuredness and the music referenced in every book is spot on. They are my favorite rock gods and their strong wise women are their salvation. Home run Kelli, can’t wait for the next story.
I was wondering how Devon’s story would be and this was better then I ever thought. The strength and personal growth he showed during his life’s journey was so memorable. Add in all Michaela went through and their journey to love made this story one I will remember. I sure hope to read a story about Sean someday.
This entire series is just amazing and this newest book is just epic . I love how it made me feel and was completely hooked on every word. Devon is in a league of his own and his story is ready and waiting to be devoured .
I love when a series is all full of everyone. I cried and I laughed and cried some more. I fell in love with them all. My heart broke for each and everyone of them.
This is the book that's has me falling in love with reading once more. I have loved everyone of these books so far and the story of Devon is by far the greatest. Devon is part of the NOLA band but he has his own demons that he has fought and won along the way. When Michaela is offered to tour with the boys she has a welcoming she never expected to receive. This story is so full of emotions that you won't want to put it down. A full 5* review.