All The Little Things

Good Things Come #2

by Linda Shantz

"A perfect balance between a horse story, romance and everyday life." – Amazon reviewer."A perfect summer read - it can stand alone well and yet fits in with Good Things Come beautifully." – Amazon reviewer.Faye Taylor grew up in the world of Thoroughbred horse racing, though she’s afraid of the animals herself. She stays in the background, balancing the cost of feed against the horses’ earnings (or lack thereof) and couldn’t handicap a race to save her life. It’s provided her with a home, albeit not the most stable one, and a steady supply of non-relationships — just the kind she likes.

Now she’s trying to get over the jockey she made the mistake of falling for, she’s losing her biggest client, and possibly her best friend — and the Thoroughbred farm she and her brother inherited isn’t having a stellar year. The racing world that’s given her the life she’s come to know is looking even less stable than usual.

When the opportunity to take over a local café presents itself, Faye sees a chance to start something new. Then along comes Will Callaghan, a complete outsider to the racing game. He’s both too tall and too nice — but he’ll make a fine reset button for the disaster that is currently her life. While she clues him into her strange world, he starts breaking off pieces of the shield she’s created to protect herself from her past.

Faye is sure she can keep Will where she wants him. She’ll enjoy his part-time band, his part-time cat, and his baking skills might come in handy at the café. She’s not looking to get attached. But all the little things are starting to add up into something more.

♥ Bonus — includes recipes for Butter Tarts and Butter Tart Squares, because that kind of Canadian goodness needs to be shared. ♥

Read the whole series!

Bright, Broken Things (Good Things Come Prequel Book 0.5)Good Things Come (Good Things Come Book 1)All The Little Things (Good Things Come Book 2)All Good Things (Good Things Come Book 3)This Good Thing (Good Things Come Book 4)Merry Little Things (Good Things Come Book 5)All The Best Things (Good Things Come Book 6)Horse of the Year (Good Things Come Book 7)

Genres: Romance, Westerns, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Sports

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 15, 2021

About the author

After many years of working at the racetrack, Linda now manages a small herd of retired racehorses, who usually give her enough time off to paint and write. She lives on a small farm in Southern Ontario with the horses and her Border Collie and is best known for her art, which can be seen at www.lindashantz.com

Reviews

[Teresa Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book in a series set in the world of Thoroughbred racing. The main characters are the "non horse people" surrounded by the horse crazy, and All the Little Things the story of how they find their way to each other. Faye is a strong woman, determined not to let her heart lead her astray, but Will is a particularly persuasive leader. I love the subtlety the author uses when the characters are speaking and thinking about one another, using descriptive language without obsessing on details of the anatomy. It's more than just clean, it's classy and well-written. Readers of romance, and anyone who appreciates horses, even from a distance, will enjoy this book.

[Hannah Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Highlights:
⭐️ Linda Shantz has done such a good job making me care about these characters (both the human and the four legged variety!) I loved the way this book built on the community, world, and characters from the previous two.
⭐️ I was a little iffy on Faye at first, but by the end of the book she’d really grown in me. She goes through so much growth as a character over the course of the story.
⭐️ Will and Faye’s romance was nicely done and I’m really loving the steam level these books have. It felt like just the right amount for these characters and still brings plenty of sizzling chemistry.
⭐️ I also really enjoyed Faye’s relationship with Dean and the “girl posse” vibes she, Liv, and Emilie have going on.

Very much looking forward to the rest of this series and glad I have the next two books already purchased and downloaded!

[Michelle Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, the romance was extra!

Linda is such an excellent storyteller. She has a knack for getting you invested and delivering well-rounded characters. I, already, loved Liv and Faye, but I actually got to like them more if that’s even possible. Sure, at the beginning Faye was a bit much but it was totally understandable under the circumstances and made her so much relatable.

I enjoyed all the baking that underwent. I really want a Lucy’s Coffee Shop near me. Seeing the main characters of “Good Things Come” in other facets of their lives was quite refreshing.

Looking forward to the sequel!

[Beverley Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful parallel story that picked right up where Good Things Come left off. The characters are real and feel like friends that you can relate to. This a side story that takes a deeper look at some of the characters from the first book. I just found it hard to believe that any woman could be "not a horse girl".
Well worth the read from a very talented writer. Can't wait for All Good Things to be published.

[Sharon Simons-Passmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the first book (Good Things Come), I was not a fan of Faye Taylor, Liv Lachance's best friend. This book unlocks Faye's backstory as she enters a new phase of life in work and relationships. The ins and outs of horse racing continue only, this time, explained from Faye's point of view as a non-"horse girl". This story also left me thinking about the characters long after I finished the book. A special bonus was learning all about butter tarts, including the recipe!!!

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute part two to the series. Just like the first book, I love the legitimacy of all details pertaining to the horses and racing in this series. Is equestrians appreciate it! I loved that this book gave a spotlight to Faye, she deserved a story, too. And I hope to keep seeing her in the next two books! I love that she was able to break her norm and let a nice guy in, Will is perfect for her.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read , perfect getaway to escape all that is going on right now .
Love the characters and locations of this story , can't wait for All good things
Linda Shantz found herself a new talent , very imaginative !

[Chrissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

This was a perfect balance between a horse story, romance and everyday lif. Not too much of any just good mixture. There are lots of interests left for the next installment which I will look for now. Great characters.

[kathleen elaine jazdzewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very good book, but I don't like the ending and now I have to wait until May until the next book comes out. I am on the list to be notified.

[Liz Sauter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun and delightful book to read. Kept me reading something that was interesting and imagining the places as they were real to me.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES! Interesting continuation of the original storyline. Just enough intrigue to take me away from my own day-to-day to be absorbed in someone else's story for a while. I appreciate that there is some suspense, but the emotional involvement is tempered. I read to relax. I label this one a relaxing read. I am excited to get to the final race of the Canadian Triple Crown! I have already purchased the next book and anxiously await its release. I may have to give the Butter Tart recipe a try in the meantime. Thank you Linda Shantz.

[Lavender Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book last year, but forgot to post my review then. It is, however, one of the best books I have read in 2022. The story is amazing, full of warmth, friendship and love (and horses). I was kept spellbound right to the perfect ending.
Highly recommended!

[DENIS STANKOVSKI · Rating 5 out of 5]

it should now be Dean's turn, shouldn't it?

I left this book in the series for the last as I was hesitant to read something that did not promise to be mostly about horses and horse people. Well, I was mistaken, as Linda Shantz most definitely managed to include enough horsiness (is that even a word?) to satisfy that craving of mine.
Speaking of cravings - do not read this book on an empty stomach. The description of culinary creations is so vivid and true, reading about those buttery tarts is absolutely tantalizing.
Besides being about horses and horse people, what I appreciate the most in Linda Shantz' books is the precision of her language and a natural richness of it. I thoroughly enjoyed all her books and am impatient for more. We still have the reliable and responsibile Dean to be taken care of. He can't be left on his own - unless I am forgetting something. I would love a book with him being on the front lines.

[Ronit Evron Bahar · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

I couldn't survive beyond the first two or three pages. And that's it. Childish and annoying writing.
The consolation is that the writer has room to develop...

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love stories with horses. You learn a little bit of how horse handlers do their hard wore but also enjoyed the task and how each get a special connection with their horse.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faye is struggling to get to that stable world she needs. This is a real struggle and I felt like I could feel what Faye is and I was rooting for her. And then her life collides with Will who is so different. And different is good sometimes. I liked to read about their blossoming relationship. This was another great book and I am really enjoying this series.

[Sharli Kaltenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about the intricacies, ups and downs of raising and racing horses. It's also about love, death, forgiveness, friends and family. A very clean cut, down to earth story. I will be looking forward to more from Ms Shantz

[Dale Leatherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I disliked Faye, who grew up in a horse-racing family but just isn't into horses--and is too much into herself and her conquests. But she grows on you as you learn more about why she's so messed up. Fortunately there's enough about the horses and horse racing to balance Faye's blatant pursuit of jockeys. Oddly enough, Will, who is a non-horsey musician and pastry chef, is a welcome addition to the storyline and offsets some of the tense relationships at play. The author takes readers inside Canadian racing, which makes for an entertaining read. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

[David Goldstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read, and I highly recommend it. Anytime I get to read about horses and food, I look forward to it, and I was not disappointed with this book. Realistic characters, good storyline, well-defined characters, what's not to like? Thanks Ms Shantz

[Jaclyn]

DNF 28%

Not getting into this author's writing style at all. Not connecting with the characters and feeling meh about the story so far.

The FMC, Faye, is especially meh; I get she's horny for Will and not really into horses, but overall, I don't really get much sense of who she is as a character. I think she's a bit of a mess, coz she seems to be into getting drunk and having casual sex with newbie jockeys while I think also nursing some kind of deep-seated pain? I'm not against messy characters, nor do I think drinking and having casual sex makes someone messy. But Faye is just too muddled a character for me to get into, and seems to have a lot going on without anything in particular really gelling?

Will seems nice enough, a bit bland so far, but at least less confusing a POV than Faye.

And the other characters are also a bit confusing. I think Liv is Faye's sister who's now with her ex-boyfriend? (If so, that's shady AF, and I can't believe Faye let her back into her life.) Or possibly it's another friend who's now with Faye's ex-boyfriend, and Faye is leaning on Liv and her brother for emotional support? (Still shady AF, and still unclear why Faye is still letting them into her life.) Either way, the side characters are all getting kinda muddled together for me, and I don't really care enough to keep going.

Too bad, because I like the horse angle, and I like that this takes place in Toronto. But overall, I don't think the author's writing style is working for me, so I'm tapping out.

[Linda Shantz]

This book is like the unexpected child you never knew you wanted. I didn't plan to release a book between Good Things Come and the sequel, All Good Things, but this story had other ideas. For me as a writer, it provided much-needed therapy at a difficult time. 2020 was a hard year for many, and I thought I was fine but Life had other ideas. So how to cope? Write a novel that is a step outside of your usual wheelhouse!

Faye, lucky girl, is free of the horse-crazy gene. It doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate them – they have, after all, provided her with a roof over her head. She doesn't quite understand those obsessed with them – but those people are her friends, her family, and, up to this point her lovers.

If the reviews coming out are any indication, this novel accomplished what I'd hoped: enough horse racing content to keep those readers happy as Chique's story continues, some insight into that world from a different perspective, and characters that are now like old friends. Add in a goofy Golden Retriever and a recipe for a Canadian staple, butter tarts, and you've got a fun combination to take you to Chique's Canadian Triple Crown bid in All Good Thins.

[Rhea Morrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

All The Little Things (Good Things Come, #2) is a good read overall. It did take me a while to get into the characters, especially Faye. She loves to play games with guys' feelings, but that settled down a bit when Will kept showing up. The book was well written and portrayed the horse world well.

[Kathy Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Books For Horse Lovers

Loving this series by Linda Shantz. Horse people will love the accurate routines and details. I Highly recommend this series!

[Sydney Estabrooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book! A cute romance!

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.