[Pat's Review]: "All For You"

All For You by Marquita Valentine

Publication Date: November 1st, 2013
Series: Boys of the South, 2.5

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

*All For You is proud to be a part of The 12 NA's of Christmas*
12 New Adult Novellas. 12 Best Selling Authors. November 2013.

Bully. Tormentor. Lover.
West Diaz has been all of these things to me. 
After being gone for two years, he's back, begging for my forgiveness. And not just my forgiveness... He wants more.
He wants... Me. 

Where to Buy*:

 Kindle | NOOK 

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on GoodReads! 

Our Reviews for the Rest of this Series:

Live For You (#1) -- TBQ
Only For You (#2) -- TBQ + Pat



Pat's Review:


McKenzie Walsh is a beautiful young woman, working with her Dad in his lawn care business, hoping to take over when he  decides to retire.  She loves the work, and has great ideas for the company.  She has a best friend, Julie, and a pretty non-existent social life. There is a reason for that. When she was fifteen, starting a new school she became the target of merciless bullying. It began when she was helping her dad at the home of a well to do family with a son she went to school with West Diaz. She actually had a bit of a crush on him. West was a jock superstar soccer player, and seeing her mowing the lawn started calling her "lawn girl" at school to get her to pay attention to him. The teasing went very wrong. His "crew" was always calling out insults, and actually throwing grass and clumps of dirt at her.  The worst was when his girlfriend confronted her in the ladies room, had other girls hold her down and cut off a chunk of her hair.  McKenzie was saved by the arrival of a teacher.  She was frightened, humiliated, and close to despair.

"One of the worst parts of being bullied is feeling ashamed, like it was your fault, like you'd done something to make another person do this to you."

Two years have gone by and West Diaz is home for Christmas, and has one goal. It's to try and make McKenzie forgive him for making her life a living hell in high school. He is going to Georgetown University,  where  a bullying incident ended in tragedy, and he can't live with the pain and guilt he feels for what he had done to Mckenzie.



This is an up close and personal look at the heartless act of bullying.  McKenzie is a very strong girl/woman who is determined to survive, never even telling her Dad of her misery.  West Diaz is a privileged athlete, with a wealthy family, who takes teasing to another level, and watches it get completely out of hand, ultimately giving her the worst betrayal of all.



I enjoyed this novel very much.  It was hard to read at times, but I felt so much pride for McKenzie and her fight to put this dark part of her life behind her.  I was not sympathetic to West, and I wanted to give him a good shake a few times.  Ms. Valentine's characters are always very intriguing, and stir up lots of emotions.


I recommend this book, it's a very enjoyable read, and gave me a new look at the tragedy that can effect our children.  It has to be stopped.

   5 STARS!

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Pat received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for her honest opinion.

*Note: The quote used belongs to Marquita Valentine; Pat and TBQ's Book Palace do not claim it.

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Meet Pat:

Hi I'm Pat Fordyce. I am a retired pediatric nurse living in coastal North Carolina. Being retired I get to do one of my favorite things .....READ..... I love to read and talk about books, and my reviews are my voice. I also volunteer at our Public Library a few days a week. So glad to be joining The Book Queen's group of guest reviewers.

Pat's GoodReads

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Thanks for the review, Pat! :) You know I'm a big fan of Marquita Valentine as well, so I cannot wait to start this one. Thanks for providing this wonderful review!

Have you read Valentine's previous novels? Do you have a favorite? How do you feel about romances that cover very real, very intense issues or emotions?

Enjoy! 

Until Next Time,

 

*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!