Book Review: All That It Takes by Nicole Deese

When the ever-cautious Val Locklier finally agrees to a cross-country move with her nine-year-old son to take a job with her best friend, Molly, everything she had planned for the future unravels within the first week. After pushing aside her anxieties about renting an apartment from Molly’s twin brother, whom she barely knows, she accepts an invitation for an elite filmmaker’s mentorship. Caught between her insecurities and new possibilities, she feels completely unprepared for the challenges ahead.

Pastor Miles McKenzie returns home from abroad to discover that not only does he have an intriguing new tenant living upstairs, he’s been banished to a ministry on life support. Disillusioned and restless, he pursues a relationship with Val without stopping to consider the timing or asking God to direct his steps.

As Val struggles to stop hiding behind the camera and Miles wrestles with shattered expectations, they’ll find that authentic love and sacrifice must go hand in hand.

My Thoughts:

Last year, Deese became my new favorite contemporary romance author with her novel, All That Really Matters. the follow-up book was just as amazing as the first. 

This one featured a women’s clinic, community center, and ministry. I LOVED the deep, soul-searching themes she brought to life here, as well as memorable characters and a soft and sweet romance.
I also really appreciated the fact that the characters from the first book reappeared in this one without overrunning the story. While All That It Takes can be understood as a standalone novel, I would recommend reading them in order.

Rating and Recommendations: I’m giving All That It Takes 5 stars. I recommend it to those looking for deep Christian Contemporary Romance.

~ I received a copy from Bethany House. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review or required to give a favorable one.