All Too Well by Corinne Michaels | Audiobook Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

All Too Well (Ember Falls 1) by Corinne Michaels

Narrated by Vanessa Edwin and Connor Crais

Contemporary Romance. First in a series of related standalones.

I picked up All Too Well by Corinne Michaels before seeing her in Montana because, honestly, those paperbacks with sprayed edges are just gorgeous and I needed them signed. Even though I haven’t read a ton of her books (why??? I have no idea), I’ve liked what I did read, so this small-town single dad romance felt like an easy choice.

“Lachlan West is that guy who I was never allowed to like but did anyway, and I am way too weak when it comes to him.”

Ainsley has been crushing on her brother’s best friend, Lachlan, for as long as she can remember. After one especially rough day, she finally acts on it and they kiss, only for him to tell her it was a mistake. Heartbroken and humiliated, she leaves their small town behind for New York City, determined to chase her dream of becoming a journalist. Lachlan’s life takes a very different turn. Once a first-round draft pick on the path to the NFL, everything changed when he found out he was a dad. He gave up football, moved to Ember Falls, and built a life as a firefighter so he could raise his daughter.

Years later, Ainsley’s trying to prove herself at work when her editor assigns her to write about a “hero firefighter” who once walked away from the NFL. She knows exactly who it is but keeps that to herself—and when she heads to Ember Falls to shadow Lachlan for the story, it’s clear time hasn’t dulled the connection between them.

“Ainsley has been that girl. The one that I knew would destroy my entire life and I wouldn’t even care.”

Lachlan refuses to cooperate at first, but Ainsley isn’t about to let her first big assignment fall apart. The longer she’s around him, the harder it gets to stay professional. Their chemistry never faded, and now that they’re both older and a little more broken in, it feels even stronger.

“Then I really have to find something to wow you.”
“Ainsley, you’ve been doing that your whole life.”

I loved the always-been-you vibe in this story. It’s clear from the start that these two are meant to be, no matter how much Lachlan tries to deny it. I went in expecting a heavy, emotional read, but I was pleasantly surprised by how warm and hopeful it felt. There’s plenty of heart, but it never weighed me down.

Likes:

It was just a beautiful, well-written story.
Lots of fun banter that I didn’t expect.
Lachlan was such a great dad.
I loved his fire friends and sports friends.
I loved their quiet bonding moments.
The guys playing ultimate frisbee cracked me up.
That her brother wasn’t an overprotective jerk.
I loved Ember Falls.
Love the nickname ‘Berry.’
Good intro to a new series.
They were a pretty mature couple who actually talked about their feelings.

Dislikes:

Not very memorable.
A bit too much telling instead of showing.
I love a single dad book, but I was hoping for so much more from Rosie.
Ainsley’s complete lack of knowledge about football made it hard to take her seriously as a journalist doing a story on a football player.

Narration:

Vanessa Edwin and Connor Crais were perfectly cast for these characters. They really brought the emotion and chemistry to life, and I’m glad I listened instead of reading.

The Down & Dirty:

Why haven’t I read Corinne Michaels more? I think I expected her books to be a little too emotional for me, and I hate crying a lot in books (though the ones that make me cry end up being favorites). All Too Well by Corinne Michaels turned out to be everything I love about reading! It made me laugh, cry a little, and I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read the next in the series, Here and Now.