Review: Impossible to put down
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 3, 2012
I started and finished this book in less than a day.  It was impossible to put down.  This book isn't a fairytale romance, with a prince or even a necessarily "happily-ever-after"(although, the ending was great); this book is about real-life romance, one in which people get hurt, deeply hurt, and need to decide whether that person is still the one for them.Swann had a way of pulling me from the start.  I was curious why a woman would stay with a husband she suspected of cheating on her.  What kind of person does this?  I wanted to know this woman's story.The entire book is told through the point of view of Liz, the main character, and let me assure you the narrative never gets boring.  Liz takes many trips down memory lane, but it never comes across as layered or boring back story--far from it actually.  Swann tempts you with a recollection sometimes, and then leaves you hanging there to return to the present.  You can't wait to get back and finish off Liz's memory.  Also, as a note here, I was never once lost or confused by a transition in timeline.  Swann did an excellent job of that.ALL FOR LOVE is a story that deals with grief, the living with it, and the moving beyond it.  As is the saying goes, "It's at the end of one's life" that one looks inward to reflect on their life course to up until that point.  In this case, it's the end of a loved one's life that has Liz thinking back over her life with a man who stole her heart and broke it many times.At points in her life, Liz realizes she needs to learn how to "just BE", but this mindset (as in real life) is quickly lost amongst changing times and circumstance.  There are morals in the story that could apply to any of us, which is probably another reason I enjoyed it so much.  It was realistic and believable.There were times I celebrated with Liz and times I wanted to yell at her for the things she was doing.  That, again, is another demonstration of a skilled author--she created visceral reactions.Swann's writing is poetic at times, and draws beautiful word pictures, such as: "The moonlight was seductive.  It lay across the water like a transparent veil across a woman's hair."With an ending that more than satisfied, I would recommend ALL FOR LOVE to any who want a modern-day love story.