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Monday, January 23, 2017

*Grabby Hands* Release & Review - To Have it All by B.N. Toler

Image and blurb from Goodreads
Title: To Have It All
Author: B.N. Toler
Publication date: January 18th, 2017
Category/Genre: Adult Romance/Paranormal
Rock bottom. 

Liam had set up shop there. 

After an accident left him injured and unable to work, it wasn’t long before he ended up on the street with his dreams in the gutter. 

This was it.

This was his life. 

Until the day he met Max Porter—a man who appeared to have it all. They didn’t meet so much as made eye contact as Max sneered at Liam, the bum occupying precious space on the sullied New York City street.

When Max stepped into oncoming traffic, a lesser man might’ve let him. But Liam risked his life to save Max only to be left to die without a second thought.

When Liam woke up days later, he wasn’t himself…at least he wasn’t in his body. 

He was in Max’s.

And with Liam’s body on life support, there was only one logical conclusion: Max was trapped in Liam’s comatose body. 

Somehow the twisted hands of fate had given Liam a second chance; a chance to have it all. But with all the perks of Max’s life also came his problems. Finding balance in his new identity was challenged more so once Liam fell for Waverly, Max’s beautiful ex. 

Could Liam live out his life as another man or would he pull the plug and let fate decide? 

Would he lose his chance at true love?

Would he lose the chance to have it all?
 



Buy LinksAmazon
4.5 “Fate isn't always a bitch” Stars


Oh, well, this book took me completely by surprise.

First, let me say something about where this book fits genre-wise. Goodreads and Amazon label it as “paranormal”, and yeah, I can see that, but part of me is asking if this wouldn’t be best described as “magical realism”. I’m the first to confess I don’t know MR all that well, but, from what I’ve heard about this genre, this book might be it. So if you’re iffy about paranormal because of you’re not into supernatural creatures (totally not my case, because I LOVE them), don’t worry. To Have it All isn’t that kind of paranormal.

MR or PNR, this book was exactly what I needed. Unique, sweet, heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Such a unique premise, unlike anything I’ve read in romance!

I believe the best way to start this book is the way I did: knowing just what the blurb told me and nothing else. So I’ll try my best to keep this review spoiler-free.

Instead of focusing on the plot, then, I’ll talk about the characters and how they made me feel so much I finished the book feeling dizzy.

I absolutely loved Liam, the bum who, after an accident, occupied the body of a rich man hated by almost everyone in his life. Liam was genuinely good. You know one of those people who, no matter how hard life got, didn’t let the circumstances turn him into someone he’d hate? In a world filled with scumbags, reading about a Liam is always heartwarming. It makes me think humanity isn’t lost, after all.

Liam’s goodness made watching him interact with people a pleasure. His relationship with all the major characters (aside from Max and Waverly’s brother) was just SO GOOD! You could feel the goodness inside him spreading and enveloping the people around him. His sister, Waverly, Prim…These three stood no chance against Liam’s love-hurricane. Neither did I.

Aside from the romance plot (expect slow burn, angst and beauty, so much beauty), the best part of the story for me was Liam’s relationship with Prim. I wish I could say more without spoilering the whole thing, but let me just say that they both made me smile, laugh and tear up countless times.

Another huge plus here was how the story also gave Max, the so-called villain, space to grow. I loved how Fate was actually focused on Max and not Liam, and how everything came full circle in the end.

That ending, by the way, was pure perfection.

I only had a tiny issue with the story when it came to Waverly and her brother, because of one thing she did toward the second half of the story. I thought it was a little inconsiderate of her to act the way she did, and it ended up making me like her a little less. That’d be okay, too, if I couldn’t see a way to keep the same storyline without making her look bad. There was an easy fix there and I don’t know why the author chose not to use it. But that was such a small detail in comparison to how original and beautiful this story truly is.


Again, I know this review isn’t giving you much to work with, but trust me when I say this is one of the most unique premises in romance books out there, and that the little spin on reality only makes it better. These characters and their journey have made me feel so much, I bet you’ll be touched, too. Go read it! 
*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.

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