All In (The Blackstone Affair #2) by Raine Miller

All In by Raine Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All In picks up right where Naked leaves off. Brynne has run away from Ethan after finding out he was hired by her father to protect her. We get this book primarily from Ethan's perspective, which was great. I really felt more connected to him as a character after experiencing things from his perspective for a while. I was really glad to see them work their way back to each other and communicate openly about what they both needed.

We get to learn about Brynne's horrific past, and the way Ethan listens to her and then gives her what she needs in response is great. I really enjoyed how both Ethan and Brynne are aware that the other person has some insecurities, and works to alleviate those when possible. They have both been through some trauma, and I like that they deal with their issues in healthy ways. In Brynne's case, she has been through a lot of counseling, and has the support of her father. It sounds like Ethan has mostly relied on the support of a very select other few who have served in the military during war time, and can understand his situation. He does have a thought that some therapy probably wouldn't hurt him, and I hope he chooses that path at some point in the next book. A lot of books in this genre have the hot sex fixing any and all problems that the characters have. While the relationship between Brynne and Ethan definitely makes them both better and provides them with some happiness and support where there wasn't a lot before for either of them- it isn't magic, and that feels real. I adore Ethan's dirty mouth (as does Brynne), and the sex just keeps getting hotter between them.

Some of Brynne's threats become less possible or theoretical and more real as this installment comes to an end. I'm both scared and excited to see how these threats are dealt with as the story continues. I'm also pretty sure I know something else, but I'll wait until the next book to find out for sure before spilling any possible spoiler beans. Another thing I really liked about this is that it pokes fun at other books in the genre in a hilarious way. Kudos to the author for that unexpected laugh! I can't wait to read the next in the series, and would recommend that anyone who enjoyed Naked read this one.

A digital review copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

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