People call me callous. Arrogant. Ruthless. I call myself tenacious. One of the most powerful attorneys in Charleston, I don’t let anyone or anything stand in my way.Until a chance encounter changes everything.One glance.One touch.One night.It only leaves me wanting more.But Grace is off limits. Most people would even say forbidden. Everyone knows an attorney can’t sleep with his client. Too bad … knows an attorney can’t sleep with his client.
Too bad I already did.
And even with the threat of losing everything, I don’t know if I can stop myself from having her again…
more
All Of Me is the second book in the Confessions of the Heart Series. This could be read as a stand-alone but I feel it is better read after reading More Of You- Ian’s big brother Jace and Faith’s story. Well I have to say is AL just keeps getting better and better, I seriously have not ever been disappointed in a story she has written. I would give this book a 4 stars and highly recommend to others!
Ian almost has everything he wants…its within his reach… then enters Grace, she was supposed to be a short distraction but he finds himself wanting more than the one night she gave him,, but is he ready for what curve ball she is about to throw his direction?
Grace has alot of baggage and finds herself getting lost in the lust of Ian for one night.. but when she finds she needs him for more than that what will happen??
Get to one clicking to see what happens… and just wait Mack’s story is up next in Pieces Of Us and I can not wait!
“With you . . . for once in my life . . . I wish that I could be someone else. Someone better. That I could be worth it.”
All of Me is intense, gripping, emotional and passionate. Your soul with be torn asunder and your heart remade anew.
“. . . I can feel you etched on my skin. Written on my heart. Marked on me forever. You are my gift. The hero I never expected.”
Ian and Grace’s story is sinful and sweet, filled with despair and hope, heartbreak and love, isolation and family, haunted pasts and new beginnings. It’s a story so beautifully mastered with Jackson’s unique brand of lyrical writing that it will be etched on your heart and stay with you long after the pages end. It will leave you wanting more because It. Is. Just. That. Good.
“Stay with me. Forever. Let’s live again.”
“Forever and ever . . . You have all of me.”
Ian and Grace, this is a love story that does not come easy. You see, Ian does not love….He loves his brother and his family, but he does not fall in love.
Circumstances put him in the path of Grace, beautiful and yet so, so desperate to save the three little ones that are most important to her. Newly divorced, she is facing a custody battle with someone who is ruthless and uncaring….and even maybe a little dangerous.
When Ian and Grace meet, sparks fly and he’s all in for a good old fashioned night of fun, but then he witnesses something that bothers him….and he finds himself actually chasing a girl. He does not chase girls…..yet this one is calling to him.
The story will wind down many different paths and the connection that they share ends up to be something more that physical….their lives are linked in a way that is unexpected and frankly terrifying. I love that this story has a bit of mystery to it. I love that Amy has a great affinity to writing stories about women with children. I love her little children, they are always adorable and so, so loveable.
Please get your one click ready because this one is one you will not want to put down and will be sad to leave behind.
Ian Jacobs might be more damaged than his older brother, Jace(More of You). He survived a traumatic childhood and events that left him scarred and emotionally vacant only allowing a few people in. He cares most about wealth, power, and proving to everyone that he is the best lawyer. He is close to attaining it, although he has done things he is not proud of.
One meeting between Ian and Grace caused sparks and a pull that Ian has never felt. It leads him on the pursuit even as she goes running. They are both tempted by some crazy chemistry, but they both have secrets. Grace is in desperate need of help. And anything they have done could be held against them if he chooses to help her in her battle. And Ian has never had any interest in relationships or commitment. He is too busy fighting his past demons and keeping the trouble in his life at bay. He is a man who feels unworthy of anything good due to past and current mistakes. Feelings scare him. He does not like feeling protective and is afraid he will fail again like he always does.
But Grace sees deep into him and swears she can see good in him. She is sweet, loving, and protective. She wants him to fight along side her and trusts him. She cannot afford to lose or else she loses everything important to her.
But as they find themselves in a situation that seems to get more dangerous and complicated by the minute, Ian continues to struggle with what he should do. Grace needs a hero and he is sure that he can never be one due to his shady past. Is he really helping or doing more harm? But if he does not stand with her, who will?
This book seems to be a fight from the beginning: fighting the past, each other, feelings, enemies, and fears. It is angsty, emotional, passionate, suspenseful, and full of surprises. Ian was rough around the edges and it took a bit for me to really get a feel for him. He was so damaged and had up so many walls. But seeing some of those chip away was just so significant. He really grew on me. And by the end of it, I adored him and them together. It is a story about sacrifice and what is really important in life and the healing power of hope and love.
I loved getting more with Jace, Faith, Bailey, Mack, and the new side characters introduced in this one. I am really excited that Mack is getting a book next.
PERFECTION! AL Jackson has done it again! Every time I read one of her books I am just blown away by how wonderful the story is and how great the characters are and I think to myself that there is no way she can top it. And dang if she hasn’t done it again with All Of Me!
This story is a beautiful soul consuming piece of art. The words are masterfully woven into a tale that grabs you from the beginning and even when you have finished the story you can’t get them out of your mind.
The way she describes the scene and their feelings, you feel like you are standing right there with them. I don’t like to give away any spoilers and there is no need for me to recap the story because the blurb tells you what you need to know.
But what you do need to know from me is that All of Me is a must read story. There are a lot of books out there that are entertaining, All Of Me is storytelling at its best. You will laugh at times, swoon at times, cry at time and your heart will even race a few times.
I highly recommend it.
All of Me is the second novel in the Confessions of the Heart series by one of my favorite authors, A.L Jackson. It can be read as a standalone but I do recommend reading More of You since it’s brilliant, sexy, and sweet. It is also where you are first introduced to Ian, Jace’s cocky brother. Well, now it’s his turn to fall to his knees.
Ian is one of the most powerful attorneys in Charleston. He did whatever he needed to do to climb the ladder. To make it all the way to the very top. To run the firm. To be in control. He was ruthless in the courtroom and more so on the outside of one. Nothing got in his way. He vowed to himself when he was seventeen that no one would hold him back or push him down. He was only loyal to very few. His brother and his family, and to his best friend Mack. Nobody else mattered. Clients were just clients. Women were just for pleasure. He knew he was selfish and arrogant. Especially, when he wanted something. And right now, it was this woman. She had legs for days and he wanted them wrapped around his waist. Only she had other plans, like running away.
Grace was in this room for only one reason. This man was not it. He was just like all the other men in the room. An arrogant prick who only wanted one thing. Well, he can want all he wants but she isn’t giving in. She didn’t get what she wanted from this night so she was gone. What she didn’t expect was that she would see Ian again and he was exactly what she needed. An attorney she somehow came to trust. One that wasn’t afraid to go toe to toe with the devil himself. Because he thought he was the devil himself.
Ian and Grace’s relationship is off-limits. He can not sleep with a client. The problem? He already did. And he wanted another taste. Something he never wanted. One taste was usually enough. He never even craved that one taste with others, it was just a means to an end. But, with her? It was everything. She was changing him. But, they had to keep it professional. Even though, the sexual tension was felt by everyone around them. This was the biggest case of his career. It could bring him to the top. He couldn’t let her get in the way.
I loved this book! So fucking hard. I can’t get into all the hows and whys without ruining the story but I will say it gave me all the feels. It has it all. Suspense. Heat. Love. Anger. Hope. Loss. Humor. I will even go as far as saying that it’s my favorite A.L book! It
Overall…read the book! You will not regret it. It’s full of everything I look for in a book.
Quotes:
“I’ll just keep enjoying the hunt.”
“You goin’ huntin’, Uncle Ian? My daddy told my mama you nofin’ but a dog.”
“You make me feel like I’m standing at the edge of something brilliant. Something significant,” I confessed in a twined rasp of words.
His beauty so intense it was almost a tragedy.
I was waiting anxiously for Ian’s book, after getting little snippets of his life in book one of the series More of You, but I also knew to protect my heart, that this story could possibly break it!!
Ian Jacobs, one of Charleston’s up and coming attorneys, is as ruthless as they come. The focus in his life is making partner at the prestigious law firm he works at, and to live his life as a single man. He’s not looking to settle down, believing the tortuous past he left behind has left his heart tainted. Death and darkness that helped to dim the bright light of his heart. The darkness leading him to make decisions that could leave the career he loves so much hanging in the balance!! But one night, one look across a crowded ball room, into the eyes of one of the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen will turn his life inside out like never before.
Grace Dearborne is on a mission. Protecting and keeping her 3 beautiful children safe and out of harms way from her estranged husband is at the forefront of her life. She loathes their father Reed, and will stop at nothing to win custody of them. But Reed fights dirty, and because his family is like royalty in Charleston, no one will take he case. After crashing the local law firms gala, and realizing the top attorney won’t help her, she’s left feeling rejected and hopeless, when suddenly while sitting at the bar she looks up at the most powerful and gorgeous man she’s ever seen. Grace has no idea from this moment on, her life will will never be the same!
Ian and Grace’s story is an emotional and powerful story, packed with lots of drama and angst. These two lovers need each other intensely, but know that their love is forbidden. They both have to navigate thru so may ups and down, and obstacles that are constantly thrown in their path, your constantly on the edge of your seat wondering how much this couple can endure. But Ian is determined to help Grace and her children no matter the cost!!! I loved the rich, and layered history we get in this story. Ian’s past history with his mother, and the bombshell that he discovers about his past was sheer torture to see him experience. I never wanted to hug someone so bad in my life. I adored Grace’s feisty Gramma, and fell in love with Grace’s children. The scenes with Ian over the course of the story had me in tears, and Sophie and Mal Pal and especially Thomas we’re so special, it showed Al at her best and brightest. I loved the dual pov’s, and getting a glimpse of Jace and his family and Mack!!! I can’t wait to read Macks’ book next!!
Wow, Ian and Grace’s story turned me inside out and upside down. Talk about feeling every emotion you can think of while reading!! Amy poured everything into this book, and man did it leave me wrung out by the end!
I knew from meeting Ian in More of You, that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Here was this confident, cocky lawyer who lived to give his big brother Jace nothing but grief. A guy whose single focus was becoming partner at the law firm he worked for. Never wanting a relationship, always going for the one night stand, the only thing he had time for.
Getting to know him in All of Me, he is so much more than I could have ever imagined. Getting to see bits and pieces of Ian’s past made my heart hurt for what he had to do to survive as a young kid and into his teen years. We saw some of that past in Jace’s book, More of You, but now we get to see all the ugly parts that no child should have ever had to live through.
Grace is the epitome of a mother who would do anything for her children. Going through the worst kind of nightmare a mother could ever go through, she is desperate to find someone willing to help her. A knight in shining armor. All she wants and needs is a second chance to give her kids the kind of life they deserve.
Amy does an incredible job of bringing together two people who are both dealing with the consequences of choices they made in the past that continue to haunt them. I think Fate was working overtime to bring these two people together. No two people deserve to find happiness more than these two. Only Ian doesn’t believe he deserves it. He’s done too many bad things in his life, going down a path he knew was wrong, but one that helped him become the prominent lawyer he is today. Too bad his biggest client is the scumbag crook that took Ian under his wing when his mother died. And now he thinks he has Ian under his thumb.
I swear my heart was in my throat and my stomach in knots for half of this book, feeling like there was no way Grace was going to get out from under the impossible situation she was facing. I wanted so badly to just skip all those parts because my blood was boiling at times, infuriated with some specific characters that were just detestable. Ugh…that’s all I’m saying about that.
Amongst everything that is going on, Amy gives us an amazing story of two people finding comfort in each other, and the sexy times were oh so hot!! Ian is just…whoa! I have to admit that the cover of this book is probably one of my most favorites of Amy’s because that face…I can’t stop staring at it. So it wasn’t hard to picture Ian in all his naked glory and think damn! Grace is a lucky, lucky girl.
The second half of this book definitely was heart pounding. There was so much going on! Secrets are revealed, revelations come forth. Missing pieces of the puzzle that Ian has been trying to solve ever since his mother died are coming together for him. And he isn’t liking what he’s finding out. And through it all, Grace remained the devoted Mama bear who would do anything she had to to protect her precious children. Those three babies just stole my heart. As did her Gramma who was a source of strength and guidance for her.
It was so great to see Jace and Faith and Bailey Ray from More of You, as well as Mack. If you haven’t read book 1 yet, I guarantee you will want to after you finish reading All of Me. And later we’ll be getting book for Mack as well. I am so excited to get his story too!
Once again, Amy has twisted my heart all up and stretched it to almost breaking. But then she manages to mold it back into shape and place it back in my chest, fuller than it was before. I can’t wait for everyone to meet Ian and Grace.
All of Me turned my heart inside out. A.L. Jackson has upped her game once more with this gut-wrenching love story that caused me to continually try to catch my breath while reading it. It’s the kind of book that is almost begging you to look away, yet you simply can’t. And it’s all because Jackson continues to create such spectacular characters that you simply must know that there is a good chance that everything will turn out all right.
I just knew Ian Jacobs would have tough story to tell. Getting even just a few of the bits of his tortured life as a boy in his brother’s book, More of You, had me desperate to find out more. And we get so much more in terms of his past and what makes him the man he is today. The one who will not love. Who will not succumb to any woman. Who will rule the world as full partner at his law firm, not wanting his seedier side to infiltrate that dream. Ian is a man on a mission and no one was happier to see that steely facade begin to crumble that I was, when a certain distraught mom of 3 catches his eye and turns his world upside down over and over again.
Holy smokes. The forbidden romance between Ian and Grace Dearborne was akin to watching a man walk across a tightrope. Their immediate attraction held a delicate balance from the start as they saw each other across a crowded ballroom. What transpires between them as they try hard to resist the other and then proceed to become attorney and client when Grace has no one else to turn to or to trust, is all kinds of heartbreaking. Talk about push and pull. OMGoodness. These two were made for each other yet have to keep their distance, which is next to impossible, as Grace’s powerful ex-husband battles her for custody of their children.
The tormented soul that is Ian had me in tears more than once. His battle to keep his heart under wraps when he is more than deserving of a great woman by his side and a family to truly love, broke me. I just wanted to reach in my Kindle and hug Ian and tell him to stop punishing himself for his past transgressions and to never let Grace go. But I understood his reluctance and decisions he made for himself so many years ago. But that didn’t mean I didn’t suffer right along with him, because I did.
The book is a tough journey to swallow at times. There is a lifetime of angst from both Ian and Grace. But thankfully, Jackson provides the desperately needed levity in the form of Ian’s niece, Bailey and Grace’s daughters, Mallory and Sophie. These 3 give everyone involved a chance to laugh, to sing and even shake their booty while preparing breakfast. In addition, I loved Grace’s grandmother, a woman who always found the silver lining to any dark cloud that Grace had to endure.
As worlds collide more times than seemed possible in this story, I honestly wasn’t sure how Ian and Grace would survive all that is thrown at them. With long-held secrets revealed and lives seemingly obliterated, their road to happiness is truly littered with the worst kind of detours. But I still held hope that love could conquer all. After all, doesn’t every woman deserve a hero who can and will save the day? Grace certainly does and Ian clearly seems to be the right fit for that cape.
A.L. Jackson certainly gave her all with this latest gem of hers and I’m in awe of this truly moving story. All of Me is intense and beautiful and full of a rare kind of love that took my breath away. It was most definitely worth all the glorious angst I felt along the way and I happily give All of Me a huge 5 stars!
How do you write a review for a book that has left you with no words? Hopefully I can do this book some justice. All of Me is yet another masterpiece by A.L. Jackson. It is full of raw emotion that at times left me breathless, in tears and literally laughing out loud. Oh, and fanning myself, because there are some steamy sexy times. This is the story of Ian Jacobs, an attorney who is living his life long dream. He’s a bit broken by his childhood and doesn’t much believe in love and family or himself. Until Grace, strong and beautiful going thru her own life struggles thanks to her ex husband, knocks his whole life off kilter. Watching their story evolve was just amazing!! The only thing I didn’t like about this book? It came to an end. It’s the most perfect HEA but I didn’t want this book to end.
There’s something about the way this author writes that has me diving deep into the hearts of every character she writes. I could feel with every ounce of my being the love that Grace had for her children, and the intense connection between her and Ian. She’d do anything for her babies, and I wanted to jump into the story and stand right there next to her, protecting her children and becoming her best friend.
Ian was everything I hoped for and more. My heart broke for him; for his past, for his present, for the way he felt about himself and the world. He was the protector Grace and her babies needed, and he overcame his self-imposed limitations to be the man they needed him to be.
I loved the ending. How he broke, how he gave in, how he stepped up to be the man he was meant to be. I loved the peek at Jace and Faith, how his brother gave him all the love and understanding any big brother should have – especially one who has walked in his shoes.
I have my favorites from this author – stories that live inside me even after I put the book down months and months ago. And there is no doubt that Ian and Grace will be right there with them for a very, very long tome.
She was a broken angel.
A shattered Cinderella.
He was the devil in disguise.
And her unexpected hero.
Her life was complicated.
His was all mapped out.
Together, they didn’t make sense.
Yet, nothing ever felt more right.
HOLY FREAK’N WOW! There are just no other words. Because simply put, I have unequivocally fallen. I am completely, utterly, head-over-heels in love with Ian and Grace’s story!! In this second installment to her Confessions of the Heart series, AL Jackson really heats up the pages with her latest heart-wrenching story, “All of Me.” So buckle up ladies and hold on tight. Because Ian (“the dog”) Jacobs is about to totally rock your world.
While some might call him cocky and brash, even callous and ruthless, Ian sees himself more as a warrior; a survivor. Someone who clawed his way to success, despite a tortured past. Yet in spite of all that he has accomplished, all that he has achieved, Ian is continually haunted by memories that refuse to be buried. Memories that have placed him on a professionally destructive path and that regularly overshadow any grasp at happiness. Always charismatic, yet cool and aloof, Ian lives in the moment, losing himself in frequent dalliances. Until the night that Grace stepped into Ian’s orbit. And all it took was one look… one dance… one taste… for Ian’s world to spin way off course.
Grace wasn’t looking for a lover, a relationship, or even her very own prince charming. And she most definitely wasn’t looking for a one-night-stand. Because no matter how tempting, Grace couldn’t risk losing all that she holds dear by succumbing to one wild night of passion. Especially with a seductive, enigmatic stranger that could offer her little more. Which was exactly what Ian Jacobs was offering. But Grace WAS desperate for a champion; a hero. Someone to believe in her cause and to help her fight an insurmountable battle. Yet, as fate would ultimately dictate, Ian Jacobs would turn out to be everything that Grace was looking for and everything that she wasn’t.
From the moment Ian and Grace first locked eyes, the air blazed with the scorch of their searing chemistry. And with each new encounter, their desire only grew more intense. In some of the sexiest scenes I’ve read to date, behind closed doors, Ian and Grace’s relationship is passionate, unbridled and explicitly raw. But it’s their burgeoning relationship outside the bedroom walls that truly captured my heart and has yet to let it go.
Delving between the pages of Ian’s story, my expectations were undoubtedly high. But once again, AL Jackson has risen to the occasion and far surpassed my desired expectations. A masterful blend of sex, romance and heart, “All of Me” is a unique and compelling stand-alone, served up with a generous side of intrigue and suspense. Boasting endearing new characters that made me smile, along with a storyline that touched my soul, this book has everything I look for in a romance novel and so much more!
You’re up next, Mack, so bring it on! But be forewarned… you’ll be hard-pressed to steal my heart away from Ian!!
Ian Jacobs all the magical stars……..
This book was all consuming. It will have you on the edge of your seat, filled with angst, will have you laughing out loud, shedding tears, angry, and it’s filled willed with so much passion. And so much LOVE!!!!!
When I first started reading I thought Ian was and a@@hole . But then I realized he was just a lost soul. With a vey dark past. And then when Grace walks into his life all that changes. He becomes someone totally different. The connection between Ian and Grace was off the charts. And then AL Jackson took out the big guns. She always throws in a little one when she wants to wrangle in one of her more defiant male characters. LOL!! But this time she threw in three of them to bring Ian to his knees. (which I didn’t think was fair) Poor guy didn’t stand a chance. LOL!!!!
There were so many twists and turns in this book. Things I didn’t see coming. It seemed different then what Jackson normally writes. But it still had the Jackson feel. I loved this book so hard.
All of Me is book two in the Confessions of the Heart series and can be read as a standalone.
For the first time ever, I am completely and utterly speechless! I think this is quite possibly the shortest review I’ve ever written…as this book thoroughly and wholeheartedly blew me away!
There aren’t enough words that can express my absolute, undying love for this author’s books. Each story just gets better and better, captivating readers with its emotions, its intense passion, and unbelievably complex character development.
Ian and Grace….*sigh*….what could I possible say about these two and their incredible journey that would do this story justice?! There isn’t. Words fail me still. Just know that All of Me eclipses anything I’ve read before from the author (and ranks right up there with Show Me the Way as favorite).
Just read it. That’s all I can really say at this point. JUST READ IT!!! Let yourself be swept up in the drama, the intrigue, and the masterful writing that is once again uniquely diverse and beyond comparison.
5 unforgettable stars!
Once upon a time Grace thought she was about to embark on journey that would give her everything she could ever want out of life… but that little fairy tale fizzled soon after it got underway. The man she thought was her soul mate turned out to be a world class jerk, soon after their first child arrived he began to show his true colors, and she didn’t like what she saw. But with his unkind encouragement, and sheer fear for her safety, she stayed and weathered the storm, in hopes things may change. But after two more babies, many more hurts, and many of his transgressions, she decided it was time to leave, no matter the cost. She put on a brave face, gathered her children, and walked out the door, full well knowing she was in for the fight of her life, knowing she would be doing it all on her own. But then by mere chance a hero wandered onto her path, and he changed everything, and gave her the one thing she needed… hope!
All of Me is a gut-wrenching tale that will seep into the recesses of your heart, and leave it forever changed. Each word of it riddled with palpable emotion, that at times will crush you, but every now and then a sliver of hope will appear, and pick you back up again and give you the strength you need to keep turning the pages. I had barely made it through the first chapter when I felt the words take over, and my emotions start to shift, and I just knew it was going to break every last piece of my heart, and it did. But little, by little, there were touching moments that began to mend it, and before long my poor battered heart was in full repair, and left permanently touched! There is so much more I could say about this beautifully crafted tale, but I am not so sure that my words will do it justice, all I can do is encourage you to read it, within it’s pages lies the BEST story I have read this year! This is my first read from this author, and after finishing I am left wondering why in the heck I waited so long to read one of her stories, this book was freaking amazing!!! This book has had me on pins and needles for the last forty-eight hours, constantly wondering about the livelihood of these characters. Every time I had to put it down I could hear it calling my name, and every time I picked it back up, it sucked me right back in, and completely monopolized every ounce of my attention! This is a MUST read story, I give it my highest recommendation!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
He wasn’t a good man, well not in the way that mattered. She was something he didn’t deserve or want but she owned him with one look. They play a dangerous cat and mouse game as she struggles with her ex-husband over their kids and Ian struggles with guilt from his past and his dealings at work. This is an amazing story of loss and forgiveness. Learning what you are willing to give up for love. Finding happiness when you least expect it. They are more than a quick one night and done. They have so much coming against them, so many enemies in plain site. This author brings it all out and it’s the kind of book that the more you read it the more you love it. Ian shows hes more than what he has aspired to be. Grace finds out what is means to really love someone and to have them truly love you in return. Plenty of action and emotional moments keep you turning the pages as fast as you can manage.
All of Me is the second sexy-as-sin installment to the Confessions of the Heart series, and you don’t want to miss this tender, steamy and compelling must-read that is written in Jackson’s unique blend of lyrical elegance and powerful, haunting emotion.
Recommendation appeared @ USA Today’s Happy Ever After on November 30, 2018
ARC provided, but this review was voluntarily and honestly written.