All That It Takes by Nicole Deese Book Review

All That It Takes by Nicole Deese:

From back cover:

When the ever-cautious Val Locklier moves cross-country with her son for a secure job, everything she'd planned unravels within the first week. After Val reluctantly agrees to rent an apartment from her best friend's brother, an unexpected chance at an elite filmmakers' mentorship ignites fresh hope for a dream career. But as Val's community begins to expand, so do her insecurities, especially those heightened by her growing attraction to a certain friendly landlord. 

Pastor Miles McKenzie returns home from a short-term mission trip to discover that not only does he have an intriguing new tenant living upstairs, he's also been reassigned to a local ministry on life support. Disillusioned and restless, he distracts himself by throwing his energy into a host of new projects--not the least of which is pursuing Val--without stopping to consider the future. 

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.

I really enjoyed this book! I included the first book, All That Really Matters, in my list of favorite reads from 2021, so I was really glad that I liked this book just as much as the first! Although I maybe liked this one slightly better only because I related to Val a little more. 

The characters in this story are so likable. They're relatable, flawed and well rounded; they just felt so real! Even the secondary and minor characters take on a life of their own and come across as very genuine. Miles is just so kind and I love his relationship with Tucker, Val is easy to relate to with her personality and insecurities, and Tucker (Val's son) is so fun and lovable. And the way Val and Miles re-meet really had me laughing. I won't ruin it but it's pretty hilarious and involves a lightsaber. 

Miles and Val both struggle when their life plans get disrupted and they're left trying to figure out what to do next. They're forced to stop and reevaluate who they are and what direction they want to go in. With the help of some wise and some unexpected characters throughout the story we see them on their journey to overcoming their struggles. 

There are some hard topics and lessons that are dealt with throughout the book that I thought were handled well. It's a good reminder that even when things are hard or a circumstance seems hopeless that God can redeem the situation.

I found the faith component to be very well done. It's SO rare to read a Christian book that doesn't come across as preachy. Especially with Miles being a pastor you would expect some preachiness, but it doesn't come across that way at all. Miles isn't perfect and still has struggles and issues relating to church and church politics.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really can't think of anything I didn't like about it! The characters, the scene/setting, the romance, faith aspect, the struggles, etc. were so honest, raw, and real that it made the story feel like a movie in your mind. I'm looking forward to whatever comes next from this author!

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.