Most of All You

by Mia Sheridan

[Lynn]

3.5 stars

In a practical sense, a Mia Sheridan novel means having your 'emotional reading care pack' ready and waiting to deal with any heartbreaking symptoms occurring whilst indulging in one of her books.

Gabriel Dalton needs help to mend the final part of his previously broken life to be whole again. He has a plan, knowing the path leads him along the one he's meant to follow. However, the subject prompting his actions changes as he meets a young woman who, he always knows will touch his heart.

Crystal's surprised when a handsome young man asks for her help. His request is unconventional, but she agrees all the same. However, she soon realises Gabriel is wrong to assume she can assist him to overcome a personal problem, when, she's the one that needs saving.

The pace is slow in this emotional narrative, but in this instance, it didn't work for me...or so I thought. The narrative peaks and troughs with enticing passages that draw me in, captivating me then, follows with passages that make me skim because my attention is lost. However, the overall impact of Gabriel and Ellie's (Crystal) story didn't hit me until the end. I'm now left thinking...pondering after engaging with the poignant words and metaphors. Bravo Ms Sheridan.

The chemistry between the protagonists is intense and palpable but the romance is slow to develop. It takes a while for them to be on the same page and even when they are, the time still isn't right for them to be together until unresolved issues and conditioning behaviour from the past are dealt with.

If you've read Archer's Voice, you'll adore Gabriel and his intuitive observations. You can't help but love him, as this broken young man begins a final step to become a whole person again. Then, there's Ellie, whose life has been all about acceptance until she realises she has to break the mould that has shaped her past, to start living a life she deserves.

Due to my personal reading preferences, a plot thread that runs intermittently through the duration of the book made me uncomfortable and antsy. The conclusion is satisfying for me, although I'm not sure the sub-plot is necessary. The narrative covers distressing issues with heartfelt compassion with defined character development, even if it's a little uneven and sometimes unrealistic. Yet, that's the beauty of fiction, where characters don't always act and behave as we think they should.

In some respects, this has been a difficult novel for me to read yet, somehow I've come out the other end appreciating the slow journey.

***arc generously received courtesy of Forever via NetGalley***