All That It Takes by Nicole Deese shares the story of Val Locklier, a meticulous, cautious, planner that weighs every option before moving forward. If life went according to plan, hers would be perfect but then this book wouldn’t be interesting. Thankfully, life and this novel are full of interesting twists, turns, and unexpected plot twists.
Val and her ten-year-old son move across the country to begin a new life that includes a great job, a beautiful apartment, and a handsome landlord. Soon after arriving new opportunities pop up that align with her dream career in film. She also allows others to help, which is extremely hard for single mothers but allows her close-knit community to expand. All the while Pastor Miles McKenzie becomes fond of his new tenant and her son. He has recently returned from mission work and has been assigned a new local ministry position. Both Val and Miles struggle to stop hiding behind their expectations and often fight with their true feelings. Will Val stop hiding behind her responsibilities and allow love to be a part of her life? Will Miles stop intentionally distracting himself and receive what life offers outside of ministry? Eventually, all parties involved learned that authentic love pairs well with sacrifice.
I appreciated the inclusion of real-life issues like abortion, adoption, and single parenting. I also found that the storyline of the characters intertwined perfectly and left me excited about their future outside of the last page. This book is a spin-off of Nicole Deese’s previous book, All That Really Matters and I look forward to reading that too.
You can find All That It Takes by Nicole Deese in-store or online wherever books are sold. Thank you Bethany House Fiction for the opportunity to read this book.
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