All That We Are - A Book Review

 All That We Are is the third book in the Wyndham Beach Series. With this book, author Mariah Stewart concludes this trilogy of lighthearted tales of love and reinvention.

Readers of books one and two in this trilogy have met the three older heroines whose lives have intersected since grade school in the charming small town of Wyndham Beach, Massachusetts. Now in their fifties, married, then divorced or widowed, they have become mothers, and now grandmothers.

Book One featured Maggie Lloyd in An Invincible Summer

Book Two featured Liddy Bryant in Goodbye Again

Now in Book Three, All That We Are, the star of the story is Emma Dean.

Synopsis

Emma Dean is the widow of Harry who died a decade ago and mother of Chris, a charming young man who pursued his dream, followed his music and today is a famous rock star.  

At this stage in her life, Emma has found fulfillment in running the Art Center in town and has been busy finalizing plans for the artist colony the Art Center will host this summer. She enjoys her peaceful and organized life in her hometown and the friendship of the two women she grew up with. Plus, she has recently been seeing a charming businessman. 

Then two surprises interrupt her life. First she accidentally finds evidence in some old papers of her husband's longtime affair she knew nothing about.

And the biggest surprise of all turns her life completely upside down when she opens her front door to discover a small, thin, 8-year-old girl with pig tails standing there. The little girl ~ Winnie ~ states that her granny in Georgia sent her on the bus to Emma “cause she said it's 'bout time you took your turn.”

The letter Winnie hands Emma states that her son, Chris Dean, is listed as the father on the child's birth certificate. Could Emma, unknown to her (and apparently to her son, Chris), be this child's grandmother? 

As Emma struggles between what was and what is, she discovers that the life she really wants may be unexpected, but is hers if she is willing to fight for it. 

Summary

Image Source: Pixabay

The story is filled with a wealth of subplots, including the artists in residence at the art center, the charming businessman who has eyes only for Emma, a beach wedding, Chris Dean's relationship with Maggie's daughter and now the possibility that Chris has a daughter he knew nothing about. 

A story of friendships, forgetting and moving forward. An enjoyable read about love, loss, and second chances. 

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*All That We Are was reviewed by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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