All For You (Pine Valley Book 8)

Lindsey Gerber is a lawyer hoping to become a partner in her firm, but she is receiving unwanted attention from a co-worker. This situation finally erupts, and she leaves her job abruptly to start over in Pine Valley. Tyler Nelson is a pro hockey player who is recovering from an injury in Pine Valley. His coach sent him there for a few weeks to work with a specific physical therapist in that town. Tyler and Lindsey have an inauspicious first meeting, but eventually overcome it to become friends. This is a sweet story of getting to the gist of what really matters in life, and not tolerating lesser alternatives. Both protagonists are forced to reevaluate what is important to them, leading to a denouement echoing one aspect of short story “The Gift of the Magi”, by O. Henry.

The motivations causing each character to behave the way that they do are clearly delineated. The pacing drags slightly toward the middle of the story, but picks up significantly toward the end at a particular part where the tension skyrockets. Lindsey is written very realistically and believably; however, Tyler seems just a little too perfect to be at the same level of believability. His character has a few minor flaws, and that’s all.

Xe Sands does an incredible job narrating this story. Her voice characterizations are each distinctly individual, and convey the emotion of each character appropriately. The sound quality is excellent, as is the production quality. There aren’t any unexpected noises or flubs in the recording. Overall, this is an enjoyable story with a wonderful narrator and a delightful ending.

Carey Sullivan