I have to say that I was not expecting much from this book. I expected a sweet little romance novel. One that I could read quickly with little effort and forget as quickly as I read it. I found that this was for the most part true except that All of Me will not be easily forgotten.

My favorite type of romance novels are the ones where the lead couple has a contentious relationship that eventually develops into something romantic (guess where that comes from). I call it the Lizzy/Darcy complex. Tuck and Jillian from All of Me are the perfect example of that type of romantic plot. The tension between them is palpable and I love that you can tell that behind every fight or disagreement is an intense attraction to each other.

It is very unusual for me to like all of the characters in a book. Especially in a romance novel. Usually one of the main characters make me want to pull my hair out in annoyance. I found that this is mostly not true. On a few occasions both Jillian and Tuck have episodes of misery wallowing that got my hackles up but for the most part I really liked both of them. I also really liked the secondary couple of Evie, Tuck's sister, and Ridley, her husband. They were so sweet and definitely made up for the times I was annoyed with Jillian and Tuck.

Another major attraction to the book is the small town feel that permeates the novel. You feel as if you are a part of the town just watching the events go by.

I read this book in one afternoon. It is a quick and fun read. It is perfect for the summer. I want to read the rest of the Wedding Veils series once my huge pile of To Reads shrinks a little. I would recommend All of Me to any reader looking for a quick read with a lot of romantic tension and interesting characters. ( )

"All of Me" is Lori Wilde's fourth and last book in her 'Wedding Veil Wishes' series. Like the other books in this series, Wilde mixes humor and sadness, joy and despair, and always, disbelief vs love. This last book had me smiling, laughing, sniffling, and crying. Both characters had their hearts badly scarred by love, but both did get their happy ending and I enjoyed reading about their journey.

Jillian is the realist. She doesn't believe in fairy-tale love. She believes in the fight and the law and enjoys the high winning a tough case brings. But one day the joy disappears, so she heads directly for her mentor, her father figure, her boss. Only to find he dropped dead that morning of an incurable tumor that he never told her about. Feeling deserted (yet again), hurt, and angry, Jillian quits her job. Then she discovers her mentor left her a lakeside cabin in Salvation, Colorado. It must be fate.

Tuck used to be the 'Magic Man'. His architectural skills won him fame and fortune and his beloved wife. But when she was diagnosed with cancer, he spent his fortune trying to find a cure...only to discover none. Her last wish was to die at her estranged father's lakeside cabin in Salvation and so she did. After her death, his father-in-law deeded the cabin to Tuck and he's never left it. It's his last link to his dead wife. It's the place where they had planned to raise a family. It's also the same cabin Jillian has 'inherited'.

There's so much more to this story and these characters than the brief description above. They are both carrying so much pain and loss around, at times I wondered how they could move with such a weight on their hearts. Yet, slowly, slowly they each begin to change. They are both strong characters and fighters and neither is willing to back down so they do clash at first, and second, and third! But somewhere in those clashes, they find a friendship that leads to caring that leads to love.

I enjoyed reading about Jillian and Tuck. From their initial banter as they trade quips and insults through their growing camaraderie and understanding of each others 'sore spots' and faults. All four of Lori Wilde's books in this series featured a different 'type' of heroine and hero. It wasn't the same story written four times with different names or locations. This tale was about risking hurt, taking chances, and second beginnings. There are bumps aplenty and hurts too. But in the end, the happiness outweighs the sorrow and I ended "All of Me" with a big smile on my face. ( )