What a fantastic and compelling tale! All That It Takes is connected to the book, All That Really Matters, however, I have not read that one yet and did not have any trouble reading All That It Takes as a stand alone novel. In fact, I truly loved this story and the intense emotions that it pulled from me.
Both of the main characters, Miles and Val, went through tremendous emotional and spiritual growth throughout this book. Miles began the story as an outreach pastor who felt as if the ministry he had been called to all of his life was being ripped out from under him. He was carrying a lot of resentment and anger and trying to decide how to proceed from this point forward.
Val moved to the area for a fresh start, hoping to be able to stand on her own as a single mom. But she found herself needing to reevaluate her plans and decide what she was willing to try as her plans fell apart and new ones presented themselves. Would she be brave enough to take the steps needed and open herself up in a way she never had before?
I loved the way Miles and Val began to grow closer together and the way romance bloomed between them. I loved the way Miles saw Val as beautiful and capable and strong, regardless of her disability. This was something that made a big difference for Val. I loved the way Miles cared about Val’s son, Tucker, and the great kid that he was. And I especially loved the way the author revealed Val’s past and even the things that had impacted Miles’ life in his past, making these two the people that they were. And, finally, I loved that these two eventually had to let go of themselves and truly turn to God in order to understand what He was trying to do in their lives and in the lives of others, as well.
(5 stars)
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK
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.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicole Deese’s eight humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled novels include the 2017 Carol Award Winning A Season to Love. Her 2018 release, A New Shade of Summer, was a finalist in the RITA Awards, Carol Awards, and Inspy Awards. Both these books are from her best-selling Love in Lenox Series. Her latest book, All That It Takes, is her newest contemporary romance with Bethany House Publishers.
When she’s not sorting out characters and plots of her own, she can usually be found reading near a window overlooking the inspiring beauty of the Pacific Northwest (most often while sipping a sparkling water). She lives in small-town, Idaho with her happily-ever-after hubby, two towering-over-her pre-teen sons, and her princess daughter with the heart of a warrior.
Britt Reads Fiction 
Such a great book.