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…
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3.5 stars. The first half was just 3 stars for me due to the insta-lust but the second half was a solid 4 stars. The writing was poetic as is the author’s style and there was amazing character growth. The book had several tropes that I always enjoy reading and the suspense in the second half was well done.
*4.5 Stars*
After meeting Ian in his brother Jace’s book, More of You, I couldn’t wait for his own story! He’s a broody, lawyer with a brutal upbringing. He doesn’t do relationships, or love, so his world is turned upside down when he can’t resist a certain damsel in distress by the name of Grace.
I was not ready for this story! I was swept up in the drama, attraction, the family, and those cute as heck kids. The emotions in this story had my heart breaking in a million pieces. I was sad, mad, and was even plotting the demise of certain characters if I had it my way.
Ian and Grace’s relationship is anything but easy. I loved watching them overcome their pasts so they could have a future together. Their story has some major Cinderella vibes and I loved that!
I’m so happy that we got glimpses of Jace and Faith in this book too! I loved their story and so glad we were able to get a little bit more of them.
Note: You can read this book as a stand-alone and enjoy it but I highly recommend you go back and read the first book before diving into this one!
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
I’m going to rip the band-aid off quickly…I found the start of All of Me a hair slow and repetitive. But that didn’t last long. At all. And to be totally honest, I wasn’t sure that Ian could do this to me. But that is the power of A.L. Jackson. She made me root for the not so good guy.
It’s true. Ian is not just a little bit of a jerk. He’s a massive one. Concerned with only himself and how he can get ahead. Sure, he had a soft spot for his brother, Jace and this family, but that was about it. Until one night, a chance glance, a dance and a mad dash changes things.
Grace. She embodied her name and was such a fighter. Willing to do whatever it took to protect the thing most important to her. And when Ian got involved in her crusade, it was a tangled web of deception, lust, danger and feelings. Neither knew what to do with what they were feeling. While Grace embraced it, Ian tried to hide from it. But he was already in too deep. Deeper than he ever had been.
My heart ached for both of them. For Ian’s terrible past. The impossible choices he was forced to make as an adult. For Grace’s battle. For their needless suffering. But my heart also rejoiced at the solace and peace and freedom and love that they found with each other. It was far from easy. In fact, it was hard and ugly and full of sacrifice and death defying. But their journey, their love was so worth it; forever and ever.
Intense, heart pounding, insta-insta kind of story.
What are you willing to do for someone?
Mega lawyer Ian works hard and plays harder.
What he’s willing to risk because of his insta connection makes for an emotional, intriguing and explosive story.
While the insta attraction between the 2 main characters felt somewhat over the top, once you understand the characters, it fits their style and made perfect sense.
Everything they did was intense, explosive, seductive and emotional.
Fighting for what you want and the road to get there makes for one hell of an emotional roller coaster ride.
A breathtaking forbidden romance in it’s purest form.
If you are looking for a breathtaking forbidden romance then you don’t need to look any further. This book has everything you could want and more! All of Me, although the second book in the Confessions of the Heart series, can stand completely on it’s own.
Ah. I can’t even begin to describe what a breath of fresh air this book is. I love romance and I have quite a few authors that I automatically read no matter what the blurb says. Now A.L. Jackson is one of those authors for me. This book made me feel every little thing that went down in the story. Everything. I felt the frustration, the up’s, the down’s, the love, and everything in between. If an author can make you feel these emotions and more then you know they are good at their job. That is THIS book and THIS author.
Sigh. I loved Ian and Grace. I loved their forbidden love story and wanted to reach into the book and fix everything for them. What a truly gorgeous couple. If you are wondering what type of forbidden book, it’s between a client and lawyer.
Anyway, without going into the plot (I cannot do it justice) I will just go ahead and recommend this one to all the romance fans out there. Just read the book. You will NOT be disappointed.
This is everything you’d expect from a AL Jackson book! It has all the feels, the little surprises you didn’t see coming. It was heartfelt and amazing. I love her books! This story was “out of the park” amazing!!!
Overall I never quite felt a love connection between Jace and Grace, I felt the lust for sure and at times I felt like that was overdone. I very much enjoyed the kids in this book, Thomas especially. I liked the suspense in the second half, I did figure out some of what was going to happen and I am looking forward to hearing more in Mack’s book
4.5 STARS
This is a book that’s full of drama. There’s a lot going on in Grace’s life and she’s having a tough time. She needs someone to take a chance and help her at a time of great need. She’s got the most gorgeous family and I have to say kids really are my kryptonite when it comes to romance books. Single parent story’s are my absolute fav!
Ian really is a lost soul, he’s all alpha male, tough and strong but ultimately broken inside. He’s had such a terrible childhood his heart has been closed off for a long time. Ian and Grace’s attraction is instant, their chemistry combustible. It’s an emotional connection which felt stronger than the physical connection.
I loved all the scenes with Grace’s family. The love in that family was beautiful to read. Thomas was a superstar for me, such a old head on young shoulders. Was great to catch up with Jace and Faith too.
The story has lots of twists and turns that kept me hooked and I loved the resolution at the end.
I’ve taken half a star off as the story seems to move quite slowly at the start. There’s a lot of internal dialogue from both characters and it did drag on the start for me. I kinda wanted to get to the faster paced parts of the story. Once I really got into it I couldn’t put it down.
Wow, Wow, Wow!!! A.L Jackson has done it again!!! This was more then your typical love story with a happily ever after. This books is about a man becoming a man, the trails and tribulations that occur in making him the man that he is today. Then we meet a women, who like most would do anything for her family. When a women willing to do anything and a man working on become a man meet its electric. Great romance that leaves you wanting the good guys to win, and for love to concur all. A. L have a way of truly expressing how there characters are feeling and what they are going through, you feel like you are living right there with them. Ian is an alpha male that truly is a Man. I will never look at a salon the say way!!! Great job Amy cant wait to read more in this series.
WOW absolutely amazing fantastic the best A L Jackson has ever written, and that is saying A LOT. This story is filled with so much emotion. You feel as though you are part of them. Ian looks at himself as the devil. The things he has done to survive and get him where he is today. There is no room for love. Kisses are only for those you love. He has built a wall around his heart and he may even feel he has no heart. He is not good enough for anyone. He will only ruin their life if he gets involved. From the minute he saw Grace at the gala he knew she was different. He chased her but always knew that he could never have her. Getting involved with her would destroy everything he has worked his whole life for.
Grace was looking for her “super-hero” Someone who would take on her ex and finally help her get her children all to herself and away from the monster she used to be married to. Only thing was no one would take her case. Her ex being is a high profile politician and comes from a very influential family. But when Ian heard the entire story he knew he had to take this case, his career be damned. Deep down he knew Grace and her children were worth everything. And her children, OMG they will melt your heart. Mal Pal and her singing and dancing, Sophie, the little firecracker, and Thomas, the 9-yr son who was way beyond his years and feeling the responsibility to protect his mom and sisters.
All of Me is filled with such emotion so get your tissues ready. A L Jackson is a superb and amazing author and she has outdone herself with this story. I always crave her stories and she gives everything in every one. To say this is her best yet is the highest praise there is.
Grace is fighting to keep her life together; Ian is fighting against living. This book was so good, full of unexpected twists and adorable children. The ending on this seemed a little sudden and jumpy, but I think it could have been because I wanted more. I can’t believe I read the entire thing in an afternoon! Yikes!
A.L. Jackson…THE QUEEN OF ANGST has done it again! Not only has she done it again, she blew this one into outer space!
She absolutely gutted me in the most beautifully heartbreaking way possible. I’m bursting at the seems with ALL THE FEELS!
This super forbidden couple is cracking with electricity!
Ian. He’s had a rough life. Rough isn’t even an appropriate word for his childhood. However he persevered and clawed his way through unimaginable odds to get what he wanted! He’s so close to his end goal he can taste it. Nothing and no one will get in his way. He may be considered arrogant. Selfish. An all around jerk, but he’s fundamentally good. Fiercely loyal. He just doesn’t think he deserves love. A life with a family.
Grace. She’s different and it hits Ian like a freight train. No matter how hard he fights to stay away he can’t ignore the undeniable need to go to her. Help her. Protect her. Grace has baggage and secrets Ian can’t even begin to imagine.
Fireworks go off anytime these two are together and soon they will learn what’s at stake and what’s worth fighting for.
Their story was both heart wrenching and beautiful and I loved every second of it! Run and one click!!!
After reading and loving the first book in the Confessions of the Heart series, I was anxious to discover what tale she would weave for Ian, Jace Jacobs’s enigmatic brother.
I loved Ian, his entire journey was fascinating. A broken, damaged boy, an arrogant, ruthless hot shot lawyer and finally a family man. Because, ultimately, this is a story of redemption and healing.
Ian is on top of the world when he meets Grace and we’re taken on a whirlwind romantic journey. It was so beautiful to watch Grace and Ian dance around each other and ultimately fall in love. They have this epic attraction they can’t control from the beginning. Grace knows that Ian is wrong for her. He is such a riddle, dangerous, cruel and kind at the same time, attracting and repelling her.
But she desperately needs his help with her custody battle, she is terrified of her manipulative and powerful ex-husband. She is willing to do whatever it takes for her three children’s safety, to make up for the bad choices she made in her life.
For the first time in his successful career, Ian is willing to do something that doesn’t benefit him. Unfortunately, Ian’s world is much darker and more dangerous than Grace ever imagined. It’s a very emotional journey for the reader as Ian fights for Grace and her children. He is willing to give up anything if it means he can set them free. And somehow, Grace and her children become his lifeline.
This story is romantic, sexy and intriguing, the writing is beautifully descriptive with lots of emotion. I loved this book and did not expect to be so caught up in the story, but I was. The characters of Ian and Grace really drew me in. And the supporting characters were awesome!
Beautiful story, beautiful characters, and beautiful ending!
Another story of the Confessions of the Heart series. We loved the story of Jace Jacobs in More of You. Those Jacob boys are definitely swoon-worthy heartthrobs even though they would never admit it.
When Ian comes across Grace in a Cinderella type moment, little did he realize the change that she would bring to his life. He had not lived the ideal childhood or adulthood, so far. In fact, he knew what he was and it was too good for someone like Grace and her children.
But Grace saw through his tough image and fell in love for the hero underneath. It’s the dream every little girl has and Grace deserves her hero after the awful beginning she survived. But can she convince Ian to let her in? Can she hold on through the storm and get them both through the other side?
Another incredible story from AL Jackson and I just can’t wait for Mack’s story
Oh wow, what an explosive read All of Me turned out to be! And I was definitely not prepared for it at all. If you saw my instagram stories, I talked about how this book will literally cut your heart into itty bitty pieces. But it was exactly what I expected from an A.L. Jackson story.
I’ve been eager about Ian’s story since I finished More of You which has one of my favorite heroes, Jace aka older brother of Ian. There was something so unbelievably intense and unforgettable about Ian, and I wanted to know everything about him. Ian is a broken man harboring so much pain and darkness from his past. He carries himself in a manner that has put all of that behind him, but it’s there just waiting to seep up to the surface and take over. Everything that he has faced molded him into the man that he is today; dark, intense, arrogant, fierce and loyal to a fault.
He wasn’t a man ready to fall and never found himself deserving of that kind of life. And that’s when Grace stumbles into his life, the broken angel. A woman who can easily become the light to his dark, if only he’d let her. Everything between these two since their first meeting was absolutely intense and just rolling off the pages. And Ian would have nothing in his way to go after something he wants. But Grace knows she shouldn’t get involved with anyone especially during what she’s currently fighting for. The game of push and pull becomes tough to resist and eventually gives in. And my goodness, I was not prepared for that either! *fanning myself*
The more we got to know these two, you couldn’t help but root for them and hope that they get their happy ever after. It would be a long and suspenseful battle before they’d get there, but you know it would all be worth it in the end.
I admired Grace so darn much! A woman who was constantly knocked down by the person who should have always been on her side, an equal, her partner; her now ex-husband. A cruel, manipulative man and powerful man, someone who doesn’t care about anything else except himself. It would be crazy for anyone to go against him, but Ian shoulders it all and does it anyway. He can’t easily say it himself, but he’d give everything up for Grace.
I think I could have done without the forbidden aspect of the story, I felt like it was a little bit unnecessary because there was no way these two would be able to keep their hands off each other. I like how they constantly said that they couldn’t do anything together, but kept giving in. As I said, everything between these two is intense and palpable.
What a read! My heart broke for these two repeatedly and some tears were shed. It’s nearly impossible to not love a man who would be willing to give up EVERYTHING that he has worked his entire life, for someone. Major respect for that.
Truly enjoyed this read and am definitely looking forward to Mack’s story!
Major thanks to A.L. Jackson for the advance reader’s copy, I voluntarily reviewed.
**TRIGGER WARNING** IT WAS STOPPED BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENED, BUT THAT MOMENT FELT SO RAW AND FEAR IS UNBELIEVABLY REAL. AND HEROINE TALKS ABOUT HER PAST WITH HER EX-HUSBAND.**
A.L. Jackson
Steamy. Emotional. Breathtaking. Intense.
The usual emotional gamut you are expected to go through when reading anything by Jackson.
I love AL Jackson’s books and look forward to each one, however this one left me a little…underwhelmed? Even with the intense emotions and chemistry. I am used to her short, melodramatic monologue but I felt it was a little overused with Ian and Grace in this one, and seemed to make the book really long and repetitive. I know it is supposed to make you feel more but it was a little distracting in this one. The story was great and unfolded wonderfully. There were some surprises and twists along the way too that were great.
Even though my feelings are mixed on this one, it is still a great story, as AL Jackson is amazingly good at emotional build up and intensity, and overall a beautiful story that should not be missed.
3.5 stars
Amy is one of my most read authors, and I always look forward to her books. She has a very poetic way of telling a story that appeals to me. Even though All of Me isn’t my favorite by her, I still enjoyed it. I liked the characters and I was interested to see how the story would develop. I wanted to see how Ian and Grace would finally be together. It definitely wasn’t easy and there were many obstacles that prevented them to be happy. I have to admit that I liked the second half of the story more than I did the first. In my opinion that is when the story really picked up and it got more intriguing. I also loved the hint of suspense that was added to the story. Amy creates great villains, and I secretly hope that Amy one day will write a full-on romantic suspense series.
I did have a couple of issues with how the story started. I would’ve shuffled some things around in the story, for example I was expecting Ian to be Grace’s attorney earlier on in the story. So that the forbidden aspect was present from the start. The insta-lust was a bit too much, I personally am not a big fan of it. I also wanted more of a build-up to Ian and Grace having sex. Ian isn’t open to be in a committed relationship because of the things that happened in his past, and are still happening in his current life. However, when he meets Grace he feels a very strong attraction/connection to her. Which shows that when you meet the one, you can’t really resist what your heart wants. My heart broke for Ian, he really did have a very bad childhood. The flashbacks showing this were absolutely heartbreaking. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I loved seeing Jace and Faith (from the previous book) make appearances in All of Me. I am looking forward to Mack’s story, I can’t wait to see who he ends up with.
A.L.Jackson took my heart and soul away in a blink after reading “All of Me”. The story was devastating and inspiring at the same time. My spirit soared high sometimes. And sometimes it plummeted to deep darkness. The story had me so lost in it that I had no idea what was going on around me in real world. I felt one with Ian and Grace’s life. As if I am going through the epic tragic yet fulfilling story myself. The poetry in this book’s narration left me spellbound. The author wrote about the ups and downs with passion, emotion and extremely fine skills. She created a virtual window for us readers to see right inside souls of the characters. They never ever felt fictional. The story was so real that I had dreams and nightmares about it.
Ian carries the burden of the scarred early life and the questionable things he has to do to survive life. He is now ambitious, driven and arrogant. All he cares about is reaching the top. But it changes when he meets Grace. Grace is an amazing strong woman who is fighting some big monsters from her past to save her children. She turns Ian’s world upside down and forces him to acknowledge the feelings Ian absolutely doesn’t want. The slow dance begins with push and pull between them. The beat picks up and up to the crashing point when Ian comes to know about Grace’s past and it becomes all about choices. And Ian chooses to protect Grace but not before breaking their hearts first and later putting the pieces together again. The story goes unpredictable with surprises at every turn. I was reading and holding my breath throughout it. I am amazed with all the sacrifices Ian made for love. But we do get a beautiful ending after all the suffering. My poor heart wouldn’t survive otherwise!
Ian is one of my most favorite men this year! This flawed, complex and vulnerable man with a heart of gold have captured me completely. My heart literally aches for him. For all his tears, all his pain and all his passion. He is not the selfish bad guy he wants everyone to believe. His self loathing is so deep he doesn’t see the good in himself. He doesn’t see the love and compassion until Graces forces him. And Grace matches him perfectly. The struggle of finding self was just brilliantly written. A.L.Jackson gifted us a beautiful twisted couple who will haunt me for a long time. It is sensual, emotional and captivating. A perfect saga of two so called imperfect souls. This book had all of me.
I have been a HUGE A.L. Jackson fan for a while now and when the opportunity arose to receive and advanced copy of All of Me I jumped on it and was fortunate to receive it.
From page 1, I was hooked! Well, I admit I have been waiting for Ian’s story since finishing More of You (which I devoured!!!!). I could not put this down! I was drawn to Grace’s character and that of her children. My heart would race and then be calm and BAM! It went on that race again! Ian was a man you loved to hate and then loved again. He had so many side to him and we were given a little more insight into his and Jace’s childhood and what they had to endure.
Ms. Jackson has such a way with telling a story that I am always enthralled with her books. Now, I will be awaiting book 3…..anxiously!!!
Reviewed by: Dana D.
Grace and Ian have an…interesting…first meeting. The kind you can’t forget, even if you want to. Both were attracted to the other, but with Ian’s lack of willingness to be involved with anyone, and with Grace’s fear of being a part of a couple due to her past, things aren’t looking good for them to be together.
Ian, however, is a determined man and one who is used to getting what he wants. And, in this case, he wants Grace…and, Grace wants him, so that works out ok.
Until…complications. Ex-husbands are never easy. When your abusive ex is also a well known politician capable of burying the news of your divorce, finding a lawyer to assist you in making sure you don’t lose custody of your kids is, well, a bit of a problem. Especially if you slept with him (and it was amazing) before you knew he was a lawyer.
There is a lot going on in this title. Ian has…demons. Grace has a past. Working this out, and getting them together was not an easy thing. And, I have to admit, I was getting a little worried that this wasn’t going to be able to be worked out…that there was possibly too much against them to work this out. But, they do. And, I must say, I enjoyed the ride of getting them there…although it is a little hard to be specific as there are a lot of twists in this, and not all of them you see coming.
So, I am going to say that this is a great forbidden romance about 2 people who maybe shouldn’t be together for all the reasons…but, you are sure glad that they work it out.
I enjoyed this, and I recommend it.