My rating: 3.5/5 stars
Well, I didn’t expect this to happen, but it did.. Maybe I was not in the right mood when reading this book, but it didn’t knocked me off my feat.. at all:( Mia Sheridan in my favorite author.. I love her for her writing and sweet personality. She was amazing to me all the time and I am very grateful because she always had time to chat and answer my silly questions:) “Most of All You” was very awaited by me and the minute it was released, it landed on my Kindle.
“Most of All You” is not your average love story, it has something very deep and it focuses mainly on second chances and the healing power love has upon a person. It sounds amazing and really, it was.. The emotional roller coaster was something unique, but something was missing and unfortunately, it wasn’t the most intense read for me.. I think I was the issues here, but let me explain a little.
Gabriel and Ellie are from different worlds, that will soon collide. Gabriel was kidnapped when he was a kid and was kept in a basement for 6 years, when he finally managed to escape, by killing his kidnapper. He was considered a freak, an unstable person and the whole community felt guarded when referring to him. He was left with only his brother, because his parents died an year before he escaped.
Ellie was abandoned by her sick mother on her father’s doorsteps and was raised in an abusive way. After graduating high-school she escaped, but only having to make hard decisions, using her body to earn money in order to survive. Bad decisions after another led her to a strip club, where “Crystal” was born. In that place she met Gabriel and was socked by his presence because he didn’t belonged there. Why was Gabriel there? He wanted Ellie’s services, wanted her to help him be touched again by a woman and we was willing to pay for it. He didn’t want any sexual favors, no, he only wanted to be close to somebody again, to be comfortable in intimacy with a woman.
Ellie was very reluctant, but eventually agreed because she needed the money. The intensity of her emotions were overwhelming, something she never felt before, therefore she declined to be involved more in this idea. Only that life has other plans and Ellie will get to spend a lot of time with Gabriel, being taken care off and eventually fall in love with him.
The book was not complicated in plot, because this was very simple and flowed naturally.. The complicated part were the characters and the serious issues they had. Gabriel was extremely shy and uncomfortable with being close to somebody because of his traumas. Besides this, he didn’t communicate much with others, because everybody was kind of afraid of him. All his feelings and emotions were expressed by his art, he crafts in marble, and all his designs were amazing. When he saw Ellie, he knew they belonged together and did everything he could to get her out of the strip club. He believed in her and was very resilient in his idea, constantly telling her she could do better, be someone better. He was very kind, almost didn’t felt real:)
The complicated character was definitely Ellie, because her issues go way back. Abandoned by her mother, not being loved by her father, she was constantly looking for love in all the wrong places and when realizing there was no hope for her, she put on an impenetrable mask. Gabriel, with his gentleness, patience and love, cracked that masked slowly, making Ellie fall in love hard, changing her perspectives and making her whole again. This “mission” will take a lot of time, because Ellie didn’t let Gabriel in, make her feel again, and she will struggle a lot with keeping her distance and feelings at bay.
Why only 3.5 stars? It didn’t have that original touch that I wanted from Mia. I resembled it to much to “Archer’s Voice”… Really.. I believe there were a lot of common ideas there and just couldn’t see it as an individual story. Besides that, the plot was not very consistent and focuses toooo much on the character’s feelings and emotions. I know.. maybe I am not sensitive and just couldn’t connect, but the story dragged too long this subject, that was kind of….. boring (shy face)??? Not to mention the ending was rushed and the last 10% left me in a daze, like “When did that happened?”. I am really sorry that “Most of All You” didn’t impact me as I should have wanted and I am extremely curious to see if others felt this way, or no:)
Ramonisme 