All You Need Is Love by Melissa Baldwin

Heroine Learns about Herself, Love, and Forgiveness

I read the first book of this series, but I wasn’t totally wild about it. Rather, I thought that Stacy’s reaction to her divorce didn’t ring true, and it appeared to be more of a plot device than something that gave context to the story. I’m glad I read this second book of the series, however. While there were some annoying navel-gazing moments as is typical both of chick lit and first-person narrative, I found this book to be very emotionally engaging. The heroine, CJ, is a woman who has constructed walls around her heart because she has been disappointed multiple times by the ones who should love her unconditionally. While this book definitely has a romance at its core, it does explore more significant themes as most good chick lit does. Several of CJ’s relationships are fragile or broken, and in the course of this book, CJ comes to understand herself and others better, gains closure on several fronts, and develops stronger and deeper relationships with people who are important to her. Through the journey of the book, she comes to understand facets of love and forgiveness as her walls come down. If you enjoy chick lit that explores multiple personal issues and family drama while having a satisfying romance, you will most likely enjoy this book.