Nothing But It All by Adriana Locke

 I don’t think anyone does second chance romance better than Adriana Locke. Nothing But It All is an emotionally gripping story that will make you laugh, cry, and swoon. The story centers around Jack and Lauren, a married couple that's been together for over 20 years. When the book begins, their marriage is failing, and it seems they've both become rather apathetic to one another. They can't even manage to go on their annual family trip to their cottage with their kids, Michael and Maddie, and Jack's father, Harvey. One thing leads to another, though, and thanks to a bit of strategic planning by their kids and Harvey, the whole brood winds up at the cottage anyway. Will Jack and Lauren be able to find their way to each other again, or is their marriage doomed?

I'm beyond in love with this book. It's emotional and well written and there's nothing I'd want different about it. Literally from the plotline to the characters to the pacing, it all works. I love that it's about a couple that's been together for a long time. I love that there's no horrible, devious something that happens. I love that there's something so normal about this story. It's so real, and it's that realness that creates a narrative that's believable and feels authentic to what actual marriage is like. Jack and Lauren lost their way. They forgot to really be there for each other and be one other's friend, and that's caused a serious, nearly impossible to get over rift. The road back to each other is hard, and Locke does an amazing job at navigating their conflict and resolution.

And the characters are absolutely genuine. Jack is the husband that's a bit out of touch and thinks things are mostly fine in his marriage...unless you're counting that he and Lauren are barely even talking anymore. Then there's Lauren who's like many women and has put her family first for so long that she lost herself but is now working on getting herself back. They might be at quite the impasse when the story begins, but there's still love under there somewhere and a whole lot of chemistry between them.

Plus, I've never loved a trio of meddling characters as much as I did Michael, Maddie, and Harvey. Even Snaps, the dog Jack "rescued," helps Jack and Lauren along in his own way. We get some Parent Trap vibes in this book, and these secondary characters not only propel the storyline but also contribute humor to it. The kids are cute and lovable without being saccharine, and Harvey's got a charming feistiness to him. They're great additions to the story and absolutely necessary without taking away from Jack and Lauren.

Also, I had the opportunity to listen to this book, and Ryan Duncan as Jack and Amy Hall as Lauren really brought it to life. Their voices matched the characters perfectly, and the dual narration worked great to show Jack and Lauren's perspectives separately. Listening to the book provided a sort of immersive quality, and once I started the audio book I didn't want to stop. I got completely lost in this book, and I'd recommend listening to it as much as I would reading it.

Nothing But It All is a moving tale of what happens when two people that love each other let life and themselves get in the way of being happy together. It traverses love on all the levels and is a definite must read/listen. It's a beautifully done contemporary romance, and you're not going to want to put it down.