REVIEW: All That We Are by Mariah Stewart

All That We Are by Mariah Stewart: As a door in Emma’s world simultaneously opens and closes wounds in her past, she leans on her best friends Maggie and Lydia to make sense of her past marriage and the affair she realises her husband had been having ten years after his death. As the 3rd book in the Wyndham series, Emma is also about to host an artist retreat, giving 6 lucky individuals the chance to stay at her newly renovated beach cabins for the 3 months over summer, providing those with unused talent to focus on themselves and leave their worlds behind.

To throw things further into the mix, an unexpected visitor arrives, and in frantically calling her only son Chris home, who is a global music sensation, Emma’s life and the lives of her family an friends, is about to change forever.

Initially, this started a little slow and wooden, however, 3 chapters in, Emma’s gentle spirit, kind nature and the bond she shared with her best friends was a pillar of strength, evident as she faced one challenge after another. Written in a very clean middle class tone, the complex drama’s she faced were buoyed by her generous spirit and kindness towards others. Thus, at no juncture was this novel anything other than decent despite some sticky topics covered – child abandonment, insecurity, infidelity and the complexity of family when multiple marriages are thrown into the fray.

With a backdrop of wonderful characters, all with a similar softness and decency to Emma, it was clear that love and friendship are the two key ingredients required to overcome any obstacle – and indeed, by sticking together and supporting each other, even apologies can be accepted and poor behaviour tolerated. For the most part though, I enjoyed the overarching easiness of this read, and whilst the family dramas were seriously complex, everything was tackled with a calm and maturity that made everything seem quite light, even the shadier sides.

On the whole, this generational family novel is one that sits as a lovely reminder to tell your friends how much you love and value them and for paying it forward for those whose circumstances are less fortunate than our own.

Book Info:

Publication: 13th December 2022 | Montlake | Wyndham Series #3

In the decade since Emma Dean’s husband died, she’s maintained a peaceful and organized life in her hometown of Wyndham Beach—until she finds evidence of her husband’s longtime affair. How, Emma wonders, can a man who’s been gone for ten years still break her heart?

Still reeling from the betrayal, Emma must focus on the group of artists she’s invited to take up residence at the art center she founded, one of whom is secretly seeking refuge from her abusive ex. Toss in a charming businessman who’s returned to town with eyes for only Emma, and it’s becoming a most interesting summer.

And the biggest surprise of all is about to ring Emma’s doorbell and turn her life completely upside down yet again.

As Emma struggles between what was and what is, she discovers that the life she really wants—however unexpected—is just within reach, if she’s willing to fight for it.