All That it Takes

GIVEAWAY

DEESE, NICOLE

ALL THAT IT TAKES

When the ever cautious Val Locklier moves cross-country with her son for a secure job, everything she planned unraveled in 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 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:

Gobsmackingly good to the point of leaving me without words...almost. :-)

There's so much meat to this story in the real gritty day-to-day challenges kind of way. And I absolutely love the unique perspective of a pastor's struggles. And my oh my does Miles struggle! On the surface, it seems like he has reasons for his issues with church politics but it's actually more complex than that. So many rich layers to uncover as the story progresses. Incredible character growth.

In Val as well. I can't say too much without giving spoilers, but, again, a deeply layered character arc that pulled at my emotions and even made me tear up a bit. 

And when you pair these two together -- cue the shooting stars and warm fuzzies! Absolutely love the way Deese progresses the romance. This couple actually talk to each other and they work through issues as they crop up which doesn't mean it's all smooth sailing. We're still left with a few nail-biting moments as they work through some things. It was just so refreshing to have a a switch from the usual twists authors use to keep the hero and heroine apart. Miles and Val are a great example of how a healthy relationship between two flawed people can not only be achieved, but thrive.

So many inspirational threads woven throughout -- mainly centering on what being the hands and feet of Christ can look like and it's truly beautiful. Honestly, I have no words....except READ THIS BOOK!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Inc.

Goal update: #5 Diversify my reading

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of All That it Takes, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the Draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday May 14 2022. Offer open to