In All This Time by Annabelle McCormack, Samantha Redding has reluctantly returned to her 
hometown of Brandywood when her mother gets sick. Being back in town is the last thing she wants to do. Growing up, she felt like the whole the town judged her and her family. Now, she needs to rely on the same people to help her with a holiday photoshoot.
Upon her return home, Sam finds an unexpected ally in her ex’s best friend, who also happens to be the ex-fiancé of her own best friend, Garrett. Sam actually had given Garrett the courage to walk away from his own wedding. Now he has a chance to show her that the people of Brandywood are not her enemy and that he could be the man for her. But when secrets are revealed that turn Sam’s world upside down, will he be able to find a way to show her that everything will be ok before she runs away from Brandywood again?
My biggest issue with this story is that there are so many people who treat others, particularly Sam, badly, but there’s never really any apologies given. Instead, people just move on after a few olive branches. While I appreciate the gesture the town did for Sam, it really felt like some people should have actually said “I’m sorry” instead.
Sam deals with a lot in this book and you can’t help but feel for her. I thought Garrett was a great character. He had his own issues with the town, yet he was able to put that aside and make his own life there, and he wants Sam to be able to do the same.
All This Time is a story about family, secrets, heartbreak, healing, forgiveness, and love. This book would be for readers who enjoy small town romances set at Christmastime.
Book Info:
Publication: October 25, 2022 | Annabelle McCormack | Brandywood Small Town Romance #1
Samantha Redding swore off her hometown of Brandywood, Maryland when she left after high school. Sure, she misses her family, but growing up the victim of vicious gossip cured her of small-town living. Besides, the photography career she dreamed of couldn’t be found in the Appalachians.
But when Sam’s mom gets sick and needs her help, Sam’s faced with a long-term stay back home. As a tight deadline for her fast-paced job forces her to relocate a holiday photoshoot to Brandywood, Sam finds her old life converging with her new one. What’s more, she needs help from the townspeople she’s spent years disregarding. Overwhelmed, Sam finds an ally in a man who kept her at arm’s length all his life: brooding and sarcastic Garrett Doyle—her on-and-off again boyfriend’s best friend.
There’s a reason Garrett’s tried to keep his distance from Sam, though: being in love with your best friend’s girl sucks. But Sam needs help and he’s too much of a sucker to say no. Anyway, she’s leaving Brandywood soon enough, and then he can go back to trying to forget her.
. . . except, Sam’s about to discover that everything she thought she knew about home—and Garrett—was wrong.
