Author: Morgan Elizabeth

First Published: 04 April 2024

“You’ve got all my love, little star. Always have, always will.”

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank so much Morgan and the team over at Valentine PR for sending a copy my way!

Riggins has been in love with Stella for as long as he can remember. As kids, they’d sneak out and spend long nights under the stars writing songs together, sharing their deepest confessions, and dreaming about getting out of their small town. When his band gets a record deal and a headlining tour, he convinces her to come see the world with him, and she agrees.

It doesn’t take long before he gets too far into the rockstar lifestyle, everything starts to fall apart—including their relationship. When she leaves without a word and never looks back, it leaves him shattered, spiraling, and confused.

Until he finds out why…

Nine years ago, Stella went on tour with her childhood love. When things fell apart, it broke her, and she’s spent every moment since putting herself back together, crafting a facade that will please everyone around her while forcing herself to survive. It’s going well until one day, Riggins shows up at her house in their small town of Ashford, New Jersey, and blows her safe little world apart. Now they’re stuck piecing together their versions of the past together and seeing if they can move forward together.

All My Love is a beautiful small-town second-chance romance. I wish it were angstier than it was. Like I wanted it to make me hurt so bad I was left distraught and sobbing. Ultimately, I adored the way Morgan Elizabeth explored some heavy topics and gave these two the romance they always deserved.

Stella tried to chase her dreams of being a songwriter with the love of her life, Riggins, but she got burnt. Hurting and broken, she fled the tour and returned home. It’s been nine years, and she’s still in her hometown, working in the diner her mum owns, getting to listen to the endless I-told-you-so while she slowly tries to piece herself together. Stella hides her broken pieces behind a mask that will please those around her, particularly her mother, while giving her the chance to survive. Riggins shows up, fracturing the safe little world Stella has pieced together for herself. He’s here to prove he’s changed and is no longer sucked into his rockstar lifestyle. The pair muddle together their past as they learn about the other’s perspective and see if there is a way to heal and move forward in their relationship.

I adored that this story is told in a dual timeline. It means that Stella and Riggins don’t have to tell us what’s happened; when it’s relevant to their present interaction, we will flash back and see that situation unfold. I think it was a great way to show how dreamy and in love they were, and it helps to give creditability to their second chance romance, as we can see how good they were together.

This romance is really romantic. And we get to see flashbacks of when they were kids falling in love for the first time and when they got their second chance. I swooned as their pair finally let down their walls and allowed themselves to be vulnerable with one another. Stella has a lot of hurt and pain over what Riggins did and how he kept lying to her. He can only prove to her that he has changed by showing up and sticking to his word, which he does. I wasn’t surprised when we discovered who was responsible for keeping them apart. I did love how they pieced it all together, the miscommunication that kept them apart.

We discussed several heavy topics here, which were handled beautifully and respectfully. Stella is suffering from depression. You can feel the heaviness of this and how it makes each day a struggle. The way Riggins comes over to take care of her during a nasty depressive episode is so beautiful. There was no judgment or comments; he just helped her eat and get dressed, which was so sweet.

Riggins is a recovering alcoholic. In the flashback tour scenes, we see just how quickly Riggins is taken by the rockstar lifestyle and is drinking all the time. In the present day, Riggins has gone through rehab and cleaned up his act. He is determined to stay away from Stella, thinking it’s what she wants, but when he finds out they are married, and she never did anything to dissolve it, Riggins is determined to show her that he’s changed and is someone she deserves.

I wish we got a little more music in this, given that he’s a rockstar and she’s a songwriter. But I do understand that the focus is on them trying to heal, Riggins is on a break, and Stella is not really writing anymore. I just love it when music is included in books, so I am selfish and always want more.

I enjoyed reading about Stella and Riggins’s story. I adored Morgan Elizabeth’s writing and want to read more of her work. I highly recommend.