REVIEW: All of Me by Kelly Moran

All of Me by Kelly Moran: Faith has lived a sheltered life with few opportunities to travel, make friends, or have much of a life beyond her immediate family. In a way, she’s thrilled to move to Wilmington and out of her parents’ house since they don’t seem to realize she’s even around. She’s looking forward to working with Ginny one-on-one and leave the stuck-up, snobby St. Ambrose behind.

Alec is a very successful author, except he’s experiencing a major case of writer’s block. He knows the next series he wants to write, but he’s been stuck for the last year. At his brother’s prodding, he decides to stay in Wilmington until after his brother’s wedding. When he first meets Faith, he’s intrigued by her. He’s not sure what to make of a woman so determined to be in the background.

“Amber,” he announced.
“What?”
“Your eyes. They’re amber. Not quite like a good whiskey, but more like organic honey. Around the edges they darken to a golden brown.” Stunned stupid, Faith opened and closed her mouth. “You had me in fits over that. You never quite look me in the eye and it was too dark last night to see. As someone whose vocation depends on details, madness loomed if I didn’t get an answer soon.”

Alec finds himself drawn to the unassuming Faith. She’s so different from all of the other women he’s known and she’s not in awe of his fame. Faith sparks his creativity again when she has him complete some rather odd tasks. Faith was immediately attracted to the sexy author, but believed he was out of her league. She’s very surprised and rather disbelieving when Alec actually asks her out.

“I still owe you that knock-you-off-your-feet kiss.”
“That wasn’t it?”
He grinned, and she had to lock her knees to stay upright. “You’re still standing, so no, that wasn’t it.” He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, brushing his nose to hers. Groaning, he pulled away. “Next time, Faith.”

The more time they spend together, the more they find that they can’t stop thinking about each other. Faith helps Alec to find his words again and Alec shows Faith that someone actually sees her. Alec is quite adept at reading people, and he sees through to the reasons why Faith can be socially awkward and disbelieving of his intentions. They have a strong connection, but their respective pasts make a possible future difficult to imagine.

All of Me is a fun, emotional, and at times heartbreaking ride into the lives Alec and Faith. All of Me can be read as a standalone book in the Covington Cove series. Kelly Moran brings together a great cast of interesting characters in a wonderful beach setting with just enough family angst. Ms. Moran taps into a difficult family situation as Faith’s background and provides a heartbreaking experience. Fans of Jessica Sorensen and Jennifer Probst will enjoy All of Me!
 

Book Info:

Publication: September 1st 2015 | Berkley | Covington Cove #2

A “fantastic”* new romance from the author of Return to Me and “one of the top 10 reads of 2013”

For ten months, bestselling novelist Alec Winston hasn’t been able to type a single word, and he’s coming dangerously close to breaching his publishing contract. An invitation from his brother to spend the summer in Wilmington Beach might be just the thing to blast through his writer’s block. Yet Alec discovers more than a spark of inspiration on the sunny sands. He meets an amber-eyed muse who makes him think about much more than books . . .

Faith Armstrong has finally gathered the courage to leave her past behind and accepted a job as a private tutor, hoping for a fresh start on the North Carolina coast. This is the home she’s always longed for—not just a place, but a state of mind. She’s felt invisible her whole life, so the host of new friends and the attention of a sexy author have her head spinning.

But Alec has a secret that could prove this isn’t the life Faith dreamed of after all . . .