All He Ever Desired by Shannon Stacey

Title: All He Ever Desired

Series: Kowalski Family book 5

Author: Shannon Stacey

Genre: Contemporary

A second shot at first love

After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren’s son…

The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan’s door every day to work off his crime.

With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can’t deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

Shannon Stacey is one author who will forever remain on my keeper shelf and be one of those authors whose books I have in print and e-book.

With each book that comes out in the Kowalski Family Shannon gets better and better.

Ryan has remained one of those characters that we have seen and heard about but not really gotten to know. In All He Ever Needed we got to know a him a little, enough to wet our appetites. I have to say that by the end of the first chapter I was completely in love with him so much so that if he was a real person he’d be on my list. Yes THAT list.

Lauren however was a hard sell for me. Half the time I didn’t know whether to reach in and slap her or shake her. She seemed rather wish washy, at least until she finally decided to go for it with Ryan.

I do have to say that I wasn’t sure how it was going to work with these two considering their back story, and I like how it was resolved in the beginning. Once they were together though I loved how Ryan made sure to be a part of both their lives.  I actually cringed when he proposed to Lauren he fumbles it so bad, and no that wasn’t a spoiler, as Shannon has most of her h/h’s engaged at the end of the book.

One of the things I like about this series is the secondary story lines that are going on and setting up for the next book in the series. After this book there is only 1 more book scheduled, but I really hope there is one more after that and I’m not going to say who it is I want it to be, I’ll let you discover that on your own. Just know it’s going to be good.

There was one thing that never was answered completely and that was why Lauren’s son was acting out and vandalized the lodge, however it was a small enough thing it didn’t bother me to much and didn’t take me out of the story at all. It was more of an after thought when I was done reading the book.

If you are a fan of great contemporary romances with lots of loud, nosy families and friends then you want to pick this book up.

Grade A