All You Need Is Love

Whitsborough Bay #4

by Jessica Redland

When you’ve loved and lost, how do you find the strength to let love in again?

Jemma thinks she’s found the love of her life. Scott is everything she ever dreamed of and she can’t wait to begin the next stage of their life together. But just as she is heading for her happy ever after, a shock revelation shatters Jemma’s life as she knows it. Left to pick up the pieces, Jemma's friends and family rally round to help her find the courage to move on.

Sam thinks he has his future all worked out. A thriving career, lovely home and an amazing fiancée. But when tragedy strikes, he finds himself alone, far from everyone he cares about. Did he do the right thing by running away and trying to rebuild the tatters of his life alone?

This is the story of Jemma and Sam. Two lost souls, desperately trying to find closure and happiness. When a chance meeting brings them together a friendship is formed, but the guards are up.

Will it finally be their turn for a happy ever after? Or will the secrets from their pasts prevent them from moving on?

Escape to Whitsborough Bay for an emotional, uplifting story of love and friendship from top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland.

This book was previously published as Bear with Me.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, British Literature

392 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2017

About the author

I was born in Teesside but now live in Scarborough on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast. My home inspired the creation of the fictional seaside town of Whitsborough Bay where I set many of my books although the Hedgehog Hollow series takes readers to a gorgeous new countryside setting in the Yorkshire Wolds.

I live with my husband, our teenage daughter and sprocker spaniel, Ella. I'm a self-confessed stationery addict with a ridiculously large collection of notepads who loves chocolate (although it doesn't love me), hedgehogs, 80s music, collectible teddy bears and lighthouses.

Other than a career detour into retail to set up and run my own teddy bear shop (the inspiration for novel Bear With Me), I've always worked in HR, specialising in resourcing, coaching and L&D. Writing always had to take a back seat to the day job until June 2020 when I left the world of HR to become a full-time author. I'm so very grateful to anyone who has bought or borrowed my books in whatever format, helping me fulfil a long-held dream of writing full-time. I still can't believe I get to spend every day chatting to my fictional friends and making stuff up.

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first visit to Whitsborough Bay, but I was already a big fan of Jessica Redland's Hedgehog Hollow series and this one was just as entertaining and uplifting!

To be honest, I don't know how much I can tell you about the plot without giving the story away. There are plenty of twists and turns, which are a part of the book's charm. Jessica Redland does plenty of foreshadowing, so you do know or rather feel in your heart what is going to happen. And when it does, you are still swept away by all the emotions the ineviatble drama creates.

28-year-old Jemma is a museum curator, taking care of the children's section, which is pretty much a dream job who grew up helping her mum with her business of designing and making teddy bears. She is the sweetest person imaginable and has wonderful flatmates/flatmates, plus her childhood bestie Karen. Karen isa girl after my heart- she will tell you the truth when you are making a mistake, but will stand by you, while you are letting your broken heart heal.

Sam Jones is also trying to recover from a personal tragedy. The cover of this book isn't just gorgeous, it is also incredibly meaningful, but you will have to discover its significance and the significance of the title (actually both titles, the old and the new one are perfect) by reading. Suffice it to say that yes, Jemma and Sam both need love and maybe they can find it with each other, if they allow themselves to hope again.

Did I say how much I liked the characters, primary and secondary? There's a very special thread in the book and although I know it's a spoiler, I have to mention it. One of the characters has a neurological disorder and it is clear that the author did a huge amount of research to describe what it's like to live with it both for the person affected and their family. My grandfather had it and I cannot thank Jessica enough for raising awareness of this disease.

Jessica's trademark sense of humour makes the reader empathise with the narrative even more. Some moments and experiences will make you tear up, but bear with the book as there is a happy ending (onceagain my intention to write a spoiler-free review goes out of the window, but I just can't help myself).

I'm really glad to have discovered the wonderful world of arctophilia and I totally agree that hugging teddy bears (as well as giving them and getting them as a present) has numerous therapeutic properties and makes countless people happier every day.

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a Jessica Redland book before, not have I heard of her Whitsborough Bay series. But now that I've read this book, I think she'll be one author whose work I'll keep in mind for whenever I'm in the mood for a light-hearted and yet captivating read.

All You Need Is Love sounds like a typical cheesy love story. But it is not. The book covers a whole gamut of emotions through its story and though it is almost 400 pages long, the writing is such that you can maintain your pace easily.

The story is told to us from two perspectives: those of Jemma and Sam. A greater proportion of the book is from Jemma's pov. Having recently discovered that her fiancé Scott was not exactly what he claimed to be, she has lost her trust in love. Adding to the heartbreak is her mom's recent diagnosis of Parkinson's. Jemma's luck lies in the abundance of good friends she has around her. From her work colleagues to her roommates, every character is so nicely depicted that it makes you value the good friends in your life even more.

Sam's story is similar. He has his life planned out: family, career, fiancée... One fine day, everything goes for a toss and he finds himself struggling to deal with the pain and uncertain future. Sam's character is written in a way that will make you feel for him. Unlike the typical macho man portrayal of women's fiction, Sam isn't afraid to grieve, shows his emotions honestly, and doesn't manipulate his partner emotionally. Add the fact that he is said to look like Chris Hemsworth and that's the icing on the cake. New fictional character crush alert!

The story is a little confusing initially with the plethora of characters in both Jemma's and Sam's lives but very soon, you get into the groove and figure out all the who's who. Every character is portrayed in a way that you can understand why they behave the way they do. The relationships, both platonic and romantic, are as real as can be.

Much, much recommended if you are in the mood for an emotional romance that focuses more on cerebral rather than physical connections between people.

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the Advanced Review Copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

//Read and reviewed in April 2021. Ended up deleting my review by mistake and hence had to post it again. *smacks forehead*//


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Connect with me through:
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[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

Dad hated bears, Mum hated golf, and I was pretty certain they hated each other.

Kirsty begged me to take her back... It was a different technique each time from tears to seduction to pleading temporary insanity because she loved me so much and couldn’t bear being away from me. I never understood that logic. If you miss someone, you send them a text, you look at a photo, you sniff their clothes. You don’t play a game of hide the sausage dressed as a canine.

My Review:

I devoured this engaging and captivating tale, it was full of interesting and heart squeezing storylines that while tragic and angsty, were so well written and expertly tempered with levity and quirkiness that I didn't seem to mind at all. I adored the main characters although there was a period where I wanted to give Jemma a few hard pinches and a much-needed kick to her posterior to dislodge her cranium. The path of this couple's relationship was a zigzag route of false starts and bad timing, and I wanted to groan with frustration for them with each near miss. The writing was easy to follow, informative, well-paced, and held my complete attention throughout. I adored the gradual melding of Flash Gordon/Thor/Indiana Jones and the Deputy Head Bear-Keeper. And I scored two fun new additions to my Brit word list with tiddly which is slightly drunk, and nithered which is used in northern UK and Scotland to describe the effects of extreme cold such as intense shivering.

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ A Poignant and Heartwarming Read

Bear With Me is a poignant and Heartwarming read. The blurb intrigued me a story filled with teddy bears what's not to love. But it was so much more than just teddy bears.

It took me a little while to fully immerse into the story, but once I got to know the characters I was hooked.

Jemma and Sam are the two main characters. Each character is having a really tough time, Sam a heart breaking past and Jemma family problems. The pair meet by chance and the connection between them was wonderful to watch as they build up a support friendship.
But can they both turn friendship into love?

I really liked Both Sam and Jemma, they were both flawed characters but very warm and likeable. Their stories are what captivated me.Jessica has done a fantastic job at making their characters relatable.

This book is so much more than just it's blurb, which I assumed was going to be light hearted. It's a poignant, deep, and at times emotional read. Jessica has written about some sensitive subjects such as divorce, illness, grief, loneliness, tragedy, betrayal, secrets, family drama but she has written them with the right amount of sensitivity to still make an impact.

The pace is a little slower but builds as you delve into the characters lives.
If you enjoy Contemporary Romance, that have real depth, emotion, teddy bears, a sprinkle of humour, drama, and brilliant characters then you will adore Bear With Me.

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another lovely book from Jessica Redland. Once you start this book you lose yourself in its pages and forget the goings on in the world for awhile. Like her other books this was an easy, sweet book to read and the pages flowed quickly. I will certainly be looking for other books by this author in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit, every time I saw the book’s title, I burst into a (tuneless) rendition of the Beatles song. I could not help myself! However, as much as this brought me joy and happiness, I can’t say that this book from Redland was the same. After falling in love with the charming Hedgehog Hollow series, I was anticipating something along the same vein. Yet, instead I thought this book was too bleak and saddening for my liking.

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy this story. Set in Whitsborough Bay, a familiar location to Redland’s writing, I loved the seaside setting – especially the beach and surfing references. Furthermore, the teddy bear shop – Bear with Me – was a great addition and this provided the backdrop to this emotional story. Not only are readers presented with Jemma’s mother suffering from early Parkinson’s, but she also fears her mother is showing signs of dementia. It is a traumatic time for both mother and daughter; there is a struggle to receive a thorough diagnosis from the local doctor and this does nothing but exacerbate the emotional stress that both find themselves under.

The narrative switches between Jemma and neurological doctor, Sam. His story is equally emotional. Having lost his nearly-wife to an aneurysm, Sam is naturally struggling to cope with the grief. Escaping Whitsborough Bay seemed like the ideal solution but Sam remains desperately unhappy and lonely in London. Jemma and Sam’s paths eventually cross and for me, it was not a moment too soon! The pages are full of emotion and I found the story too close for comfort. Furthermore, Redland continues to add to the sadness and tragedy that appears in the novel, meaning that I could never recover from feeling uncomfortable and reminded of personal memories.

Personally, I think this book was partly poor timing, partly an example of reading too many tragic books in succession. I could not escape the doldrums of despair when reading the story and sighed with feeling overwhelmed by emotion; there were several times where I felt I could cry it out alongside the characters! Therefore, if you have had a run of negative news, or have experienced such traumatic illnesses and loss within your own life, this might be a book you need to save for a happier, stronger time.

Despite this, there are some really lovely, romantic moments in the story. I liked how Redland switches between the two characters because there are times when the narrative continues immediately – just switched to the alternative viewpoint. I think this reinforced the connection between Sam and Jemma, making them feel even more closer as a result. Sam’s campervan – nicknamed Thor – was a great addition to the story as well. After all, how can you have a surfing-seaside story without the presence of a campervan?! Indeed, I think this was also a tie in to the title of the novel… Beatles… the sixties… campervans… Or maybe I’m reading too much into it?!

I do like reading novels by Redland but this was a bit bleaker than I was expecting. Gone are the romantic scenes to be replaced by sadness and worry. I truly felt for the characters and felt transported into their circumstances – an example of Redland’s fantastic writing. However, I think the connections to my own personal experiences meant that, this time, I could not fully engage with this story.

With thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

Dad hated bears, Mum hated golf, and I was pretty certain they hated each other.

Kirsty begged me to take her back... It was a different technique each time from tears to seduction to pleading temporary insanity because she loved me so much and couldn’t bear being away from me. I never understood that logic. If you miss someone, you send them a text, you look at a photo, you sniff their clothes. You don’t play a game of hide the sausage dressed as a canine.

My Review:

I devoured this engaging and captivating tale, it was full of interesting and heart-squeezing storylines that while tragic and angsty, were so well written and expertly tempered with levity and quirkiness that I didn't seem to mind at all. I adored the main characters although there was a period where I wanted to give Jemma a few hard pinches and a much-needed kick to her posterior to dislodge her cranium. The path of this couple's relationship was a zigzag route of false starts and bad timing, and I wanted to groan with frustration for them with each near miss. The writing was easy to follow, informative, well-paced, and held my complete attention throughout. I adored the gradual melding of Flash Gordon/Thor/Indiana Jones and the Deputy Head Bear-Keeper. And I scored two fun new additions to my Brit word list with tiddly which is slightly drunk, and nithered which is used in northern UK and Scotland to describe the effects of extreme cold such as intense shivering.

[Finitha Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always wanted to read a Jessica Redland book and as expected this was a heart-wrenching read making me whimper and smile. Jemma and Sam's lives are strangely connected by fate both of them experiencing the loss of their love at a similar time. The story follows both of their lives in Whitsborough Bay and later in London while they each follow their unmerging lives in different directions. Then just like all other romance stories, there comes that strange twist of fate that brings them together. Finding a common ground through her mother's illness, will both of them find the courage to love again?
Well, in this vein this novel is utterly predictable or so you will think. There are predictable parts for sure, but Redland has cleverly concealed a touching surprise in the storyline too. Sorry, I can't ramble on it too much since I may give away the plot. Suffice to say that this is a story that touches your emotional chords and comfort you like the teddy bear that it's been named after. We are endowed with yet another story which proves that we could never guess what fate has in store for us unless we live our lives to the full.

[Faerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet slow burn romance.
The storyline felt authentic, centered around the healing of two likable characters facing relatable obstacles.
This book covered delicate issues with sensitivity, promoting hope amid tragedy.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I rather naively got suckered into this book by the bears, come on who doesn’t have a soft spot for that one or maybe more teddy bear from childhood. I know I do! I can still be lured by a bear to this day!

So I rightly or wrongly assumed Bear With Me would concentrate highly on our fluffy friends. However there is a whole lot more to this book than that. Be prepared for some tricky subjects as the reader follows the story of Jemma and Sam. They have both had their fair share of heartache so it was lovely to see the flickering of affections as well as some friendships building.

I have also commented on how much a cover can influence my choice of read .. so one peek at the V-Dub Camper told me I should give this book a go.

Jemma was a great character and really deserved some happiness of her own, while her and Sam had a real mixed bag of worries and problems to endure there is also an underlying connection between them.

It’s well written, cleverly and sentimentally smart enough to keep the reader involved. This author has written other books and I’m sure I have a couple from a trilogy on my kindle so I really must search those out based on my enjoyment of Bear With Me. A brilliant book which is well worth a read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Rachel at Random Resources. I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. Jemma and Sam have both been through a traumatic time, just when they thought their lives were perfect. It explores when you may feel ready to move on, and what could stop you or make you feel guilty for allowing the past to settle.
Added to that Jemma is worried about her mum, who runs a wonderful sounding bear shop. She makes special bears, and values other collections. Is she trying to cope with too much?
It deals sensitively with traumatic events, relationships, family and friends and dealing with serious health concerns and the arrow of love trying to find it's target.

[Spandana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So intense, lengthy and heart warming!

The book is told in both Sam’s and Jemma’s perspective. Both are from North Yorkshire seaside village. They both moves to South-London but comes back to Whitsborough Bay as that’s where their heart lies in. Bear with me(Bears shop) for Jemma, Hospital job and Sea for surfing for Sam.

Jemma loves bears (as her mom) and it was so cute reading it. It starts with Jemma , when she was 18 and had lost his dad to an accident which was by a drunk driver. His dad wasn’t part of her life since her mom had conceived her younger brother, Logan, 7 years old. Jemma’s bestie is Karen whose mother, Rachel is Jemma’s mom bestie. And Logan is friends with Karen’s sister.

Currently, Jemma is at London for the past 7 years with awesome roommates (Drew, Leah and Tiff) and as a museum curator, job that she loves. Jemma is in a relation with Scott for 18 months, who was very busy with work and travels all over the country as part of his job, doesn’t have any social accounts and no stable home as he’ll on road most of the time. On Jemma’s 28th birthday, Scott proposes marriage and had to travel immediately as there were some issues at work as Scott’s colleague, Adam, whose wife who had gone into early labour. After this day, Jemma got a single message saying Scott has reached and Adam’s wife had delivered twins and their condition is critical. The next thing she knows, Jemma was ghosted by Scott. She couldn’t reach him on phone and all the mails are bouncing back.
At the same time, she was informed that her mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. She needs Scott to support her mentally. So, with help of Drew, she contacts many companies asking to be spoken to Scott but couldn’t , with some luck, she found one company website which displayed Scotts photo with a colleague, when tried to reach him on company phone, she understood that the person is Adam and Scott is non existent. She founds all Adam’s social networking sites and understands that he has been married for 4 years and had given birth to twins and on paternal leave. Jemma contacts him on company mail and gets a reply from him once he is back from leave. Adam comes back and profess his love for Jemma and asks for one more chance. He wants to divorce his wife and marry Jemma and be in the lives of twins. Jemma accepts it (albeit reluctantly as she is still in love with him but guilty that twins will not be living with their father due to her). But he stood up Jemma again and was not in touch with her.

Sam had went on blind date with Nikki on the same day as Jemma’s father passed away and had met the love of his life. He had come out of relationship with Kristy(who had been cheating on him) recently, and wasn’t interested much to meet Nikki, but John, elder brother of Sam had set it up. Nikki was vivacious , lively and full of dreams for the life. They both planned to get married on the same day that she turns 30, but due to Aneurism , she dies on spot suddenly. She was pregnant by then and Sam couldn’t come out of grief easily. He moves to London and meets Jemma (Teff’s roommate) to answer questions about her mom’s Parkinson’s and falls hard for her.

Once they both moves back to their village, Sam takes time to come out of the grief and during the same time Jemma learns that Scott/Adam didn’t stand her up , the second time when he was given chance by Jemma but died due to sudden heart attack. As both Sam and Jemma comes to terms with their loss and how they found love in each other is the remaining of plot. The first date plan and the Christmas gifts they share with each other are so thoughtful and lovable.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what I was expecting from Bear With Me, other than a lot of teddy bears. Now there is a bear bias, with beary honey jokes, but there is also a whole lot more to this book than may first meet the eye.

The book focuses on two main characters and for a fair amount of the story, I couldn't work out how their stories would connect, until I suddenly started to make the basic connections. Both Jemma and Sam have things in common, have both encountered recent heart ache, and in Jemma's case has a whole of of other things going on in her life.

The story covers grief, horrible disease diagnosis, mental health worries, secrets and lies, new friendships, family and the promise of a brighter future. Every now and then a revelation would appear in the story that left me reeling.

Neither Sam nor Jemma have an easy time of it in this book, both have been very unlucky in love for various reasons. Yet there are some light hearted moments too for balance, its just a really good book.

If you have read any of Jessica Redlands Whitsborough Bay series, then you will recognise a couple of faces that put in an appearance in this book., but its not necessary to have read them, as this works as a standalone. Was lovely to be able to return to the North Yorkshire seaside.

The story is a bit of a rollercoaster, in a good way. I found myself wishing that Sam and Jemma's lives were slightly less fraught with problems, but there is an ease and tenderness in the dialogue between the pair that I loved to read.

Overall a really well written story that touches on some difficult subjects in a sensitive way.

Thank you to Jessica Redland for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every book I’ve read from Jessica Redland, but I really loved this one. You might just be expecting a lot of teddy bears – and I really liked the whole idea of Julie’s shop in Whitsborough Bay, the workshops, the bears specially made with details reflecting the details of people’s lives. And yes, there are plenty of bears – and bear-related running jokes and references – but this book had a depth that I really never expected.

There’s a warmth and overall lightness about the writing, but such immense sadness behind the story, really sensitively handled. I really liked the way the book was constructed – the separate lives of Julie and Sam slowly converging and overlapping, the tragedy in Sam’s past, Jemma’s many problems with her current relationship and the issues tearing her family apart. All the story lines are wonderfully handled – this was a book I found difficult to put down, I was so caught up in the issues – but I did particularly like the telling of mother Julie’s story, that had a particular authenticity to the detail, and frequently brought a tear to my eye.

There are many tears in this lovely book, but plenty of moments that bring a smile too, and well-judged moments of gentle humour. And I particularly liked its sense of place, Whitsborough Bay vividly described and lovingly portrayed as a place where hope and healing can be found. Every character is beautifully drawn, fully rounded however small their part in the story, their feelings and emotions always entirely real: and the writing is excellent, every crisis, every new revelation or twist in the plot, drawing you in and making you really feel for the characters. Yes, I think this book might be my favourite (so far)...

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Redland has quickly become an author whose books I know will transport me into one of her magical worlds. As soon as I read the blurb I couldn't wait to pick this up and what a treat it was.

Jemma is a character that you would love having in your friendship group as she is so kind hearted and you know she would have your back. This was one of those books where once I started reading real life just kept getting in the way as I was so keen to keep reading.

The story highlighted some real life issues and immersed you in a wonderful group of people who were all wonderful friends to Jemma when she needed them most.

A superb story that made me laugh and left me with eyes damp around the edges as you navigate love and loss. One of my favourite stories by this wonderful author so far and I have loved having the opportunity to read and share my review.

[mrsljgibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would just like to say a very big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources and Netgalley for very kindly forwarding me a copy of this book, for my Kindle, in return for an honest review.
This book was previously released as Bear With Me and has recently had a title revamp.
I have read another of this authors books and loved it and this one was also wonderful and I loved it too.
I really enjoyed this story, it was so interesting and quite a few parts kept giving my heart a little tug.
As soon as I started to read it I became lost in the wonderful story with lovely characters and got swept along with the gorgeous storyline, right to the very end.
I will definitely be reading more from Jessica, I love her books.

[Harriet Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page Turner! Hooked at page 20! A book about heartache, friendship and love. Such an incredible read- highly recommend!

[Jo Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really hopeful story about love after loss. The setting of the story was lovely, a place I’d love to be right now. I’ve never read any of the other books in the series but I actually didn’t realise there were others until I came to review it, so it works well as a standalone.

Jemma is completely lost after discovering that her fiancé is actually married and Sam bereft after the death of his fiancée. When they meet, surely they can find a way to get together and mend their hearts?! Added to the mix a large distance what will fate have in store for the pair.

I really enjoyed the separate narrators, it added a lovely depth to the stories of both Jemma and Sam’s characters and relayed their feelings well.

[Sally Coles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by one of my favourite authors. As always full of love and warmth that draws you in from the first pages, great characters, friendships and community are always a big part and sensitively dealing with difficult matters. Highly recommended as are all of her books

[Tracey Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Jessica’s work for a little while now. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘All You Need Is Love’ and it certainly sounded like another amazing read from Jessica. So without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for an afternoon’s reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘All You Need Is Love’ but more about that in a bit.
The gorgeous colours of the book’s front cover were enough to grab my attention and draw me in. As soon as I started to read, I just knew that I wouldn’t be able to put the book down and that is exactly what happened. My Kindle wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it went everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of this adorable story. Part of my enjoyment of the book was down to the main characters. Both have suffered in one way or another, both are hurting emotionally and both deserve that ‘happy ever after’ ending. I simply had to keep reading to discover how things worked out for them. I managed to finish reading ‘All You Need Is Love’ in a single afternoon which is pretty rare for me as I have trouble concentrating for long periods of time and I am easily distracted. I found ‘All You Need Is Love’ to be an adorable read, with adorable characters. I was gripped by the story throughout.
‘All You Need Is Love’ is superbly written but then to be fair all of Jessica’s books are superbly written. I don’t know how Jessica does it but somehow in each book of hers that I read, there is always something or some detail that is relevant to me and sends a little shiver down my spine. One of her books featured bullying and as I was bullied throughout school, I could certainly identify with that characters. In ‘All You Need Is Love’ we learn that Jemma’s Grandma has passed away after she kept quiet for too long about the symptoms she was suffering and by the time all is revealed, it’s too late. Well I could certainly empathise with Jemma and the whole wealth of emotions she goes through and how protective she is of her mother. Not to go into too much detail but that’s the same as the situation we found ourselves in when my Dad was diagnosed with leukaemia literally on his death bed. He had covered up the symptoms he was experiencing for far too long and by the time he was diagnosed it was too late. Anyway that’s enough of my personal burblings.
I love the way in which Jessica grabs your attention and draws you into the story. She makes the characters seem so realistic that they seem just as real as you and I and I begin to think of them as friends. Jessica tackles some difficult subjects but she does it in a knid and compassionate way. I kept wanting to leap inside the pages of the book to give various characters a hug. In fact I felt as though I was part of the story and that’s thanks to Jessica’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘All You Need Is Love’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will most definitely be reading more of Jessica’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jemma works with Teddy Bears, her whole life has been surrounded by them and is a passion she shares with her mum. Jemma has a boyfriend Scott, they have been together several months, after their engagement he suddenly stops calling her. While Jemma goes through the upset of being abandoned and not knowing why, her Mum starts acting out of character. Then there is Sam, lonely, avoiding the past and trying to ignore the pain of past memories.

This story is told from the perspective of the main characters. I like this view as it gives me an added insight into the way a character works and also feels. The emotions run high with Jemma and Sam as they both try to deal with the emotional wrecking ball that is [art of their lives. They are strangers and as their stories are told you get an idea of what they are going through, the pressure of past and current problems that they are trying to avoid or deal with.

This story has several themes running through it, I am not going to say anything much about these as that would spoil it for other readers. I found that the author worked these in and around very well as she incorporated them into the story.

I read this book in one sitting and didn’t notice the time ticking away. I found myself caught up in an emotional story, but one that was told with sympathy. While I did have a lump in my throat on a few occasions I did manage to hold the tears at bay. This is a story that is more about dealing with emotions to begin the chance of moving forward.

As Jemma and Sam are initially strangers I did wonder how the story would be developed and how things would link together and along the way several things caught me by surprise (in a good way) and then started to come together. I should also mention that tis book is not all sad and emotional, it has some great fun moments and a few bear puns along the way.

This is a really good read that had me wondering and musing as I read. Would things work…and if so how? It is a read that would be ideal for those who like light romance and women’s fiction. This is a new to me author and one I look forward to reading more of. Bear With Me is one that I would recommend.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott is everything to Jemma... until one day he isn't. As Jemma tries to take stock of her life with the support of her family and friends she hopes she has the courage to move on. Sam has it all, his amazing fiancée, a great career and a gorgeous home. But then tragedy strikes... When Sam and Jemma meet by chance will they be able to find happiness again?

Packed with interesting and vivid characters, this was a beautifully written story of love, friendship, dreams, trust, sadness and hope with snippets of humour. Jemma and Sam have had very happy relationships but for very different reasons are both now single and devastated. The story unfolds from both of their points of view. Jemma’s mother owns a teddy bear shop called 'Bear With Me' and was a catalyst that directed her career as a museum curator working in London. Sam Jones is a doctor in a London hospital and both are originally from Whitsborough Bay, Northern England. I have read a couple of Jessica Redland's other novels set in Whitsborough Bay. As Jemma and Sam become friends it was lovely to be a fly on the wall and watch their relationship form and develop through the author's lovely writing. In Jessica's compelling tale complicated and painful family relationships played a large part and were realistically portrayed and there were dramatic moments as well as touching scenes. One of the highlights of All You Need Is Love was its fabulous ending. All in all, this is an uplifting, heartwarming and emotional novel that I have no hesitation in recommending. I look forward to reading more from Jessica Redland.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Federica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good you have to read it to understand how much!
It's an emotional story of two people who have found love in their life and have endured loss, will they be ready to embrace life again? Does the lighting strike the same place twice?
This was my first Jessica Redland 's even though I have a couple of them on my TBR pile, and now I can't wait to start them! This book is beautifully written, you'll love not only the main characters, but all of them, because they all have a depth and insight that will stuck with you.
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#allyouneedislove #netgalley

Merged review:

This book is so good you have to read it to understand how much!
It's an emotional story of two people who have found love in their life and have endured loss, will they be ready to embrace life again? Does the lighting strike the same place twice?
This was my first Jessica Redland's even though I have a couple of them on my TBR pile, and now I can't wait to start them! This book is beautifully written, you'll love not only the main characters, but all of them, because they all have a depth and insight that will stuck with you.
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Highly recommended!

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I have really enjoyed reading Jessica's previous novels, this has to be my favourite by far. It is about two people drawn together through heartache. It is emotional but explores real life issues that has been written in a sensitive manner. Two extremely loving people called Jemma and Sam who are always doing stuff for others and put everyone before themselves experience utter heartbreak, I loved how the story develops, there are lots of turns that I never saw coming, I just didn't want the story to end. I couldn't and wouldn't put this book down. Jemma is a tough and strong woman, her mum is incredibly brave to accept what she is going through, the parts where her doctor doesn't seem to care reminded me of my own similar experiences that I have had, Sam seems a wonderful man who has really taken it hard what has happened to him, he has been through a lot and holding on to alot of things isn't helping him. This is a story that is relatable and will stay with me for a long time. It is sad and I did cry quite a bit, it made me feel really emotional finishing it which I have never had with a book before. It makes me want to hug my loved ones tighter as you never know what is around the corner.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear With Me
By Jessica Redland
4 stars
Reviewed on behalf of 3 Degrees of Fiction Book Blog

I really loved this book! The blurb had me captivated straight away and it really was a beautifully written. I will admit that it took me a little while to get into the story and the way it was written but once I got into it I thought that it was perfectly written. I did honestly think that this was going to be about Teddy Bears but it really was so much more, there was so much covered in the story and I thought the author did a great job. I loved Jemma, I thought she was a really nice person and she deserved to find herself somebody who would treat her right. The interactions between Jemma and Sam were so lovely, they both had so much going on their lives, lots of emotional times but they seemed to have this connection. There were some great moments between them.
I haven’t read anything by this author before but I absolutely would love to read more from her in the future. Her writing was great, the storyline strong and I loved her descriptive language.
I would definitely recommend this book to other readers!

[Susanne Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing read, so moving and beautiful.

As I started this book with seemingly two different sets of main characters I had no idea how it would all tie together. I shared every emotion that Jemma and Sam went through, from the shock at her ghosting to discovering Sam’s true identity and then the sudden appearance of his wife and her bombshell news. And with Sam my heart broke for him after loosing Nikki, their life together when seem through his eyes was beautiful and perfect, and just as they were about to get everything they wanted it’s gone in the blink of an eye. Watching him come to terms with that and trying to rebuild his life had be wondering a lot of ‘ will they? Won’t they?’ Sometimes a strong solid friendship is just what you need to heal, so as he discovered his feelings for Jem were so strong and real I was just as shocked as he was.

I loved how caring and loving these two are to each other and others, it was a joy to read. The family bond with Jem and her mum and brother was beautiful, and her mums illness was very realistically and sensitively done.

[Pam Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed returning to Whitsborough Bay.The new characters who are introduced have complicated pasts and both of the main characters, Jemma and Sam, are trying to deal with grief and disappointed dreams. They have both lost important people in their past and are struggling to move on.

There is also a varied and colourful cast of secondary characters. It is not easy to work out whether all of them can be trusted but in the main, they are caring and offer friendship and a sense of family. There are issues of bereavement for both Jemma and Sam to work through. It is striking how much they both have in common. There are some complicated sub-plots to unravel and some light-hearted moments to set against some much more serious themes. At its heart, is a romance but there is certainly more to it than that, as Sam and Jemma come to terms with what they want for the future and appreciate what is important to them.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

In short: Another delightful trip to Whitsborough Bay.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

We return to Whitsborough Bay, the setting of some many of this author’s previous books.  This is a lovely heart-warming story of Jemma and Sam, both of who have suffered heartache recently and use this to create a friendship between them.  There are some side stories featuring difficult issues, but all handling so sensitively.

The story is told from the perspectives of both Jemma and Sam and the story line flows so well that it can’t help but draw you in right from the beginning.  It does sound like it’s a story of sadness but it’s so much more than that with lots of love and laughter running right through it that it can’t help but bring a smile on your face!  The characters are wonderful, and there are also some familiar faces popping in from some of the author’s other books.

A heart-breaking and heart-lifting story, which will have you in tears but wiping them away with a smile!  An easy to read book which I would definitely recommend.

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, the only book I have reviewed by Jessica Redland is Finding love at Hedgehog Hollow and I also did a blog post about the Whitsborough Bay books.

All You Need is Love is a book about trying to find forgiveness, moving on from lost love and the quest to find love again.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and found Jemma and Sam's story heart wrenching romantic and sad as they had both had to come to terms with difficult pasts. The writing flows well and Jessica Redland has a very relaxing writing style which I like.

As the book blurb says, it certainly was emotional and uplifting.

I have more of her novels on my list.


Thanks to Jessica Redland, Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4.5 stars.