All She Ever Wanted [Paperback]

Barbara Freethy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2004

Hailed for creating a "fabulous, page-turning combination of romance and intrigue" (Kristin Hannah), bestselling author Barbara Freethy presents a suspenseful, emotional new story of sisterhood, secrets, and lies-a story of women who must unravel the truth about a long-ago tragedy, and in the process discover the truth about themselves.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

During a college party gone awry, vibrant but physically fragile Emily Parish, ringleader and emotional pivot of a group of female friends self-christened the Fabulous Four, falls to her death from their sorority house roof. Traumatized, the remaining three go their separate ways and lead outwardly successful yet personally problematic lives. Then 10 years later, a mysterious, pseudonymous author publishes a bestselling novel packed with intimate details about the thinly disguised Fab Four—and accusing one of them, Dr. Natalie Bishop, whose own memories of the tragic night are a blank, of murdering Emily. As Natalie delves into the past to save her reputation and career, she not only rediscovers her old gang (including Emily's brother Cole, an ex-boyfriend who'd always blamed Natalie for his sister's death) but, gradually, disquietingly, realizes that all had motives for murder. Unfortunately, the real killer's character gets short shrift, making the book less than compelling as a mystery. Still, Rita Award–winner Freethy (Summer Secrets, etc.) succeeds in developing a suitably eerie atmosphere that doesn't eclipse the story's main focus on the renewal of fabulous friendships and romances.
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From the Author

ALL SHE EVER WANTED offers what I hope is the perfect blend of romance, family and suspense. I love books that make me laugh, make me cry, and make me think, and these are the ingredients I always try to mix together when I’m writing. I set the story in San Francisco because it’s such a city of contrasts, steep hills, winding streets, blue water, tall skyscrapers and Victorian houses. What better place to find a lot of surprising twists and turns and unexpected intrigue?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Signet (December 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451213653
• ISBN-13: 978-0451213655
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #412,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put this one down!, December 11, 2004

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: All She Ever Wanted (Paperback)

ALL SHE EVER WANTED by Barbara Freethy
December 11, 2004

Courtesy of WWW.LOVEROMANCES.COM

Three women are reunited, after the publication of a murder novel informs the world about a past they had tried to forget, in ALL SHE EVER WANTED by Barbara Freethy.

Natalie Bishop is currently a resident at San Francisco's St Timothy's Hospital, achieving the goal she had worked for so hard while a student at Santa Cruz University ten years ago. Back in college, she was one of four young women who called themselves the Fabulous Four - Natalie, Laura, Madison, and a fourth girl, Emily. They were part of the same sorority and had banded together as four special friends who were different as night and day, yet they shared a great friendship. Natalie was the studious one, the one that had promised to take care of Emily. Laura was the all-American girl next door. Madison was the ultra-sophisticated girl, who was experienced in more ways than one. And finally, Emily was the glue that held the group together. She was full of life and adventure, but had a number of secrets that she had taken with her when she died. They were as close as sisters, and no one would have guessed that one night their lives would be changed forever, the night when Emily fell to her death from the roof of their building during a party. According to the novel that is penned by a new author named Garrett Malone, Natalie was the one that supposedly pushed Emily to her death.

Natalie learns about the book by accident while on a break at the hospital. The names had been changed, and she panics when she realizes the book is about her, the Fabulous Four, and Emily's accidental death. While Malone may have thought he had disguised the characters in the book, most people recognize who these girls really were. Natalie's career is now on hold, due to the damage the book is doing to the hospital's reputation. And her ex-boyfriend Cole, who was Emily's brother and is now working for the family newspaper, the San Francisco Tribune, finds himself in a situation where he tries to defend Natalie's innocence, which angers his parents who believe that Natalie did indeed kill Emily. His loyalties are torn, and he also realizes that he has never gotten over Natalie, the girl that broke his heart.

Laura and Natalie reunite to solve the mystery of the book, to find out who Garrett Malone really is, and to discover what really happened that fateful night. Madison does her own investigative work, trying to find out if there is any truth to the novel that is making front-page news. It's been years since they have all been together, but the novel that should never have been written is uncovering skeletons from their past and forcing them together again. Although they had missed the camaraderie of their college years, each of them secretly suspects the other in pushing Emily off the roof that night. With the help of Cole and a few others from their past, they solve the mystery of Garrett Malone, as well as uncover the story of Emily's death.

Freethy had this reviewer guessing until the very end as to who killed Emily, and at one point it almost seemed obvious as to whom the murderer was. Freethy did a good job with adding plot twists here and there to confuse the reader, keeping one in suspense until the very end. This reviewer feels that the author was quite successful with this romantic suspense novel, using Natalie and Cole as the star-crossed lovers who try to convince themselves that they no longer love each other. The romance was not too overwhelming to detract from the mystery that needed to be solved, and the characters all felt believable and logically written. A surprise ending, at least for this reviewer, may catch other readers off guard as well, and kudos to Freethy for achieving that shocking finish. The book was fast paced and judging by how fast this reviewer read the book, it was definitely one that was hard to put down. ALL SHE EVER WANTED was a well-done romantic suspense novel, and it is not always that an author can get it "just right". This novel is highly recommended.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put the book down!, March 11, 2005

By 

Elisabeth M. Saada "Insatiable reader" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All She Ever Wanted (Paperback)

This is the first book I have read from Barbara Freethy and I am hooked! I couldn't put All She Ever Wanted down! In this mystery romance novel, Barbara Freethy keeps you in suspense until the very end. Ten years after the fact, three sorority sisters find themselves involved in figuring out how and why their sorority sister, Emily, fell to her death. Was it an accident or a murder? Did one of the sorority sisters commit murder? It is a story of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages! The romantic aspects are handled very well and never get syrupy. Romance, suspense, believable characters, and enough plot twists to keep you guessing make for an interesting and entertaining story. I highly recommend this book.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Maintains suspense right until the end, June 2, 2005

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All She Ever Wanted (Paperback)

An unknown novelist describes an event from the past that four sorority sisters from Santa Clara University. Each of the three surviving sisters has moved on to another chapter in their lives and would rather forget the events that led to the tragic death of golden girl, Emily.

Her former roommate and best friend, Natalie bears the brunt of accusations, as the story takes both fact and fiction and concludes that she is a murderer. A chance meeting with her former flame, Cole (who also happens to be Emily's brother), has the two reluctantly joining forces to get to the bottom of the mystery and meet the elusive writer, which only opens even deeper wounds, and causes them to examine their still smoldering feelings for each other.

Freethy does a great job of maintaining the suspense and tossing around several red herrings until the actual circumstances of Emily's death are revealed.