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All I Ever Wanted cover art

All I Ever Wanted

By: Lucy Dillon
Narrated by: Lucy Price-Lewis
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Summary

From the best-selling author of A Hundred Pieces of Me and One Small Act of Kindness comes a heartwarming, bittersweet and uplifting story of missed chances and unexpected opportunities.

Caitlin's life is a mess. Her marriage to a man everyone else thinks is perfect has collapsed, along with her self-esteem, and breaking free seems the only option.

Nancy, her four-year-old daughter, used to talk all the time; in the car, at nursery, to her brother Joel. Then her parents split up. Her daddy moves out. And Nancy stops speaking.

Nancy's Auntie Eva, recently widowed and feeling alone, apart from the companionship of two bewildered pugs, is facing a future without her husband or the dreams she gave up for him.

But when Eva agrees to host her niece and nephew once a fortnight, Caitlin and Eva are made to face the different truths about their marriages - and about what they both really want....

©2016 Lucy Dillon (P)2016 Hodder & Stoughton

Critic reviews

"Lucy Dillon's books make the world a better place." ( Heat)
"Bittersweet, lovely and ultimately redemptitive; the kind of book that makes you want to live your own life better." (Jojo Moyes)
"So satisfying and clever and deeply moving." (Sophie Kinsella)

What listeners say about All I Ever Wanted

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  • Overall
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One of her best

This book deals with the difficult issues of separation, children stuck in the middle as well as surprising post bereavement discoveries in a sensitive and touching way. This is a heart warming story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I needed a NICE book

If you need a NICE book then this book is for you. My usual genre of books is as far from a NICE book as you can get. But sometimes one needs a change.

Boy was this ever a change. It’s the story of a Mummy and a Daddy and their two children. The Mummy and her Mummy. The Daddy and his Sister. The Sister and her late husband. The Mummy and the Daddy’s Sister. Although saying “their” 2 children isn’t strictly speaking true. It’s a book very much of relationships and sometimes perceptions that are looked at far too closely until the wrong answer springs into your head, or the characters head as the case may be. Having said all this it’s still a VERY NICE book.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

All I ever wanted

Good narrator
The author tried to cover too many themes
Touching descriptions on the bonds between dogs and people

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

author good at "seeing" things from different characters points of view

Narrator really good. Author has a aptitude for getting under the actions & behaviours of characters to show what thoughts & beliefs drive them. Main protagonist was in fact quite irresponsible & childish; but it came through how tired she was of being Mum 24/7. & I as a reader could feel sympathetic. However the various threads of the story never really got going for me. It was like ring a therapist & sitting through a LONG counselling session.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A touching read

Where does All I Ever Wanted rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very highly due to the quality of the plot and characterisation

What was one of the most memorable moments of All I Ever Wanted?

When Caitlin finally spoke again.

Have you listened to any of Lucy Price-Lewis’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Can't remember.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My interest was piqued by Caitlin's daughter losing her voice, and the twists that follow kept me captivated until the end. I can't say much about the prologue without giving spoilers but it really set up the story, and I was on tenderhooks throughout most of the book waiting for Caitlin to somehow figure out why Nancy stopped talking. She is such a sweet girl, very expressive even without a voice. She has a deep link with her brother Joel, who takes her not talking in his stride, somehow knowing what she wants and protecting her as much as he can from people misunderstanding her silence, which was heartwaarming.

I felt so sorry for Caitlin, because she's going through several major issues (child not talking, separation). Occasionally I was surprised she didn't take further action with Nancy's silence, but she was doing her best. Separation (and divorce) is far from simple, and with support from an unexpected ally Caitlin battles through it, almost always putting her children first. I hated when others criticized Caitlin because they weren't the ones in the situation (or if they were they were on the other side of the fence so had a skewed view of Caitlin from the onset).

Any additional comments?

Caitlin's not perfect but she's not a terrible mother either. She does struggle with seeing Eva who appears to be perfect, but having chapters with Eva's point of view helped me understand her further, and made me want to tell Caitlin to give Eva a chance. Eva ends up being the key to unlocking Nancy's voice again in a sweet way which made me tear up when it happened. Although Caitlin doesn't realise it Eva becomes a form of stability within her chaotic life which she sorely needs, and so do the children. I'm looking forward to relistening to this family centred read which gives a lot to think about.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Audible in exchange for an honest review on my blog Nayu's Reading Corner

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Never disappointed with Lucy Dillion!!

Another heartwarming and interesting story by Lucy. I loved hearing the story through the kids as I've just become a parent 😊

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good but not her best

I'm usually a massive Lucy Dillon fan and as much as I enjoyed her usual cleverly woven plot lines and the way she deftly brings in characters from previous books, namely Anna and a sly name drop of Buzz, the story line with the children made me cringe slightly. It was far too saccharine for me.
The performance by Lucy Price Lewis was great, her voice depicts the tone of Lucy Diamond's books perfectly and her accents are good.
Overall an enjoyable listen but would recommend her back catalogue over this one.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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enjoyable

first book I have read by this author. I will definitely purchase more. Very enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

sweet and easy

While not my favourite Lucy Dillon story, it was pleasant to listen to and I still wanted to hear the whole story. I found some of the plot and characters a bit annoying sometimes and a little repetitive. it was well read though.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Chick lit with substance

I really enjoyed this book it reminded me of a modern day take from the historical novels i have read with misunderstandings and people not being honest with their feelings to others and more importantly to themselves. I found it slightly predictable but that did not spoil it as I found the story easy to follow from the start. The story explores relationships, love and children and the affect our choices impact our lives.
Enjoyable to the end


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4 people found this helpful