Review: All That It Takes by Nicole Deese

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

When the ever-cautious Val Locklier moves cross-country with her son for a secure job, everything she'd planned unravels within the first week. After Val reluctantly agrees to rent an apartment from her best friend's brother, an unexpected chance at an elite filmmakers' mentorship ignites fresh hope for a dream career. But as Val's community begins to expand, so do her insecurities, especially those heightened by her growing attraction to a certain friendly landlord.

Pastor Miles McKenzie returns home from a short-term mission trip to discover that not only does he have an intriguing new tenant living upstairs, he's also been reassigned to a local ministry on life support. Disillusioned and restless, he distracts himself by throwing his energy into a host of new projects--not the least of which is pursuing Val--without stopping to consider the future.

As Val struggles to stop hiding behind the camera and Miles wrestles with shattered expectations, they'll find that authentic love and sacrifice must go hand in hand.

My Review

Oh how this book spoke to me! As a mother who adopted, the issues of unexpected pregnancy, abortion, and adoption in All That It Takes are ones I feel passionately about, and I loved the way the author explored them with grace. I didn't get a complete read on Val's personality in the first book, so it was great to get to know the depth of her strengths and vulnerabilities in this story. Miles is a fun and all-around good guy who brings light and humor, but he is going through a rough transition with realistic fears and flaws. The attraction between them is there from the start, and I enjoyed their friendship's natural growth as it shifted to romance with a lovely sense of anticipation. Even with all the walls Val has had up, his genuine friendship and sincerity made it easier for them to come down, and I appreciated that she was low-drama in that regard. They support and encourage each other in their endeavors, yet it is the difficult self-realizations they must come to that create the conflict in the story. I felt connected to the characters and had tears a few different times while reading. Highly recommend!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the first book in the McKenzie Family Romance series . . .