Indie Book of the Week: All My Life by Rucy Ban

This weeks Indie Book of the Week is something a little different. Don't let the slightly risque cover throw you off, this book is actually very mild and not erotica I promise!

This weeks book goes to Rucy Ban her debut novel, All My Life.

Title: All My Life

Author: Rucy Ban

Series: Book One in the A First Things Series

Published: May 2, 2013

Source: Copy Provided by the Author (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Book Description:

Seventeen-year-old Kari meets Neil Mars. “Neil as in Armstrong and Mars…as in Bruno.” A boy who beats every vampire, werewolf, highlander fantasy Kari has ever had. But she knows she can’t get close to him. Not ever. Because that would mean telling him everything. Coming clean. And Kari can’t bear the idea of changing the way Neil looks at her. Like she’s the only girl in the world. His reverence is something too precious to lose. Perhaps even at the cost of losing him. 


But Kari doesn't know why Neil calls her his ‘Angel’ and when she finds out, she realizes what love is all about. Boundless joy, unending longing and a &^#$load of heartache.

*Amazon* 

About the Author:
Rucy Ban was born in 1978 and still continues to thrive. Ever since she first met Francine (the protagonist of her favorite novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), Rucy fell in love with the written word. Rucy has a B-school degree in Marketing which she now puts to good use teaching lovable rowdy rogues and negotiating with her equally belligerent adolescent. In her previous avatar, she handled corporate communications for companies. At present, Rucy lives in Sao Paulo, travels often, speaks decent, if not quite fluent, Portuguese and really hates talking about herself in third person.
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My Thoughts and Review:

I want to say that I loved Kari because I really wanted to. I wanted her to be the broken girl that got strong along the way and really grew, and while some of that is true, I just couldn't quite connect to her like I really wanted to. I did like her and I did like that she did get stronger over time with the help of her friends. 

The circumstances for her being broken, while horrific, weren't something that should have debilitated her as much as it did. It wasn't something that should have kept her from loving others, being cautious yes of course, but being so cold to the point of shutting every one else out? No and I think that is why I had such a hard time connecting with her. I couldn't understand how she could let someone ruin her so badly when she did nothing wrong. When she really shouldn't have let it devastate her as much as it did. 

I did like the storyline, although at times there was almost too much going on. With her school friends, her parents (which the thing with her dad was never resolved and I would have liked to have seen it be), her past experiences, her work, her boss and her relationship with Neil, it seemed like there was a little too much and not enough at the same time. So much was mentioned and hardly any of it felt completely resolved by the end and that made me a little sad. We did get a happily ever after though which was very much appreciated.

I loved the characters and the writing did flow well even if there were gaps in the story line and I really think the author will be someone to watch along the way because I like the chemistry between Kari and Neil and the dynamic with her friends, like I mentioned, there were some great characters, I think the storyline just needed a little more polishing to be truly great.

Saying all of that though, I do think this is worth the time and the read because it was a fun story and one I did enjoy. Would I read something by this author again in the future? Absolutely. 

*All opinions and thoughts are my own, I was in no way compensated for this review*