All For Anna by Nicole Deese

• Series: Letting Go
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (January 22, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1481239406
• ISBN-13: 978-1481239400

About the Book:

If guilt is a prison; Victoria Sales has given herself a life sentence. Held captive by regret, 23 year-old trauma RN, Tori Sales, has seen the reality of many nightmares. But there is one nightmare she will never wake from—her last memory of Anna. Her efforts to save the little girl were not enough; she was not enough. 

After a year of living alone, Tori is forced to return home—a place where heartache, loss, and broken relationships lurk around every corner. Isolation is her only solace; running is her only escape. But she cannot outrun the truth forever. When a handsome, compassionate stranger enters her world, Tori is inspired to deal with her past and focus on the future—one she never believed possible. 

But before her quest for closure is complete, a new revelation surfaces, tainting her world yet again. Will she accept the recovery she so desperately needs? Or will she choose the escape she knows best...

My Thoughts:

I've been an avid reader ever since i learned that those black squiggles on the white paper were letters, and together they made words, and words had power.  The power to learn, the power to express, and the power to change lives.

I say all of this to let you know, at my age and with my long, long list of books I've read and mostly loved, it takes something extra special to catch my attention.  It requires that intangible something that breathes life into imaginary people in imaginary situations, drawing the reader into the tale from the opening lines.

Nicole Deese is that kind of author.  And I'm so glad I found her, and her stories.  I joined a blog tour for a book that looked interesting (The Promise of Rayne) and I was riveted by the intense story and the rich characters, combined with a fascinating back story of the people who populated Deese's book.  A healthy and organic mix of faith and flaws intrigued me.

Needless to say, "The Promise of Rayne" received a very positive review.  But I wasn't satisfied.  I needed more.  So I went searching for Nicole Deese online, and I discovered a wealth of undiscovered literary treasures.

No offense to anyone, but the back cover copy on "All For Anna" doesn't do justice to the beauty found within the pages of the book.  When the reader encounters Victoria Sales, she is at a crossroads, facing a life altering change that would cripple anyone in a similar place.

The power of the prologue is just the tip of the emotional iceberg that comes at the reader out of nowhere.  You FEEL like you are walking in Tori's shoes.  You FEEL the powerful emotion of every. single. character.

Even the background characters will resonate in your heart.  And, yes, I'm referring to Briggs!  But I'm also talking about Anna, Mallory, and Johanna.  Dr. Crane, and Dr. Bradley.  Tori's parents.  And you are going to LOVE her sister Stacie and husband Jack.

But you'll recognize Jesus in Kai Alesana.  And that truly resonated in my soul, because I have my own real life 'Kai'...my husband, Dave.  He gave to me exactly what Kai ultimately gives to Tori, and yup.  I struggled with it pretty much like she struggles.

I don't want to spoil the story for new readers, so I'll stop there.  Let me just end with this: I am a life-long fan of Nicole Deese, and while I'm sorry it took me so long to discover her...I have a HUGE backlist of stories to keep me going until her new book releases!

"All For Anna" gets me 'Oh, The Feels!' and 'Packs a Punch' rating.  You can purchase a copy of "All For Anna" and Deese's other titles online (like I did) or from your local bookstores.  Just be sure you don't miss out on this talented and amazing author.  Until next time...

Mark Your Place, 

Deena