Book Review
All They Need To Know by Eileen Goudge
Book 1: Gold Creek Series
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Format: Paperback - 335 pages
Kindle - 4.3 MB / 332 pages
Audiobook - 12 Hours 12 Minutes
ISBN (PB): 978-1662518126
ASIN (Kindle): 978-1662518119
ASIN (Audiobook): B0CS6Y9C1S
Genre: Women's Fiction
Buy The Book:
Amazon - Kindle - Also on Kindle Unlimited
Buy The Series: Gold Creek Series
Book 1: All They Need To Know
Book 2: The House On Mountain Laurel Lane
Disclaimer: I received an ARC (PB/Kindle) from the author, publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Book Description:
A woman escaping a violent past finds new friendships, romance, and tenuous sanctuary in an emotionally gripping novel by New York Times bestselling author Eileen Goudge.
On the run from her abusive husband, Kyra Smith hits the road. Destination unknown. With a neglected dog she rescued in tow, she lands in the peaceful California town of Gold Creek and is immediately befriended by an openhearted group of women called the Tattooed Ladies Club. They’re there for Kyra—and for each other.
The maternal Frannie is a tattoo artist struggling with a troubled daughter. Suzy is a self-described fashionista grandma bearing a painful estrangement from her son. Then there’s Jo, whose enviable marriage is coming undone. And bookstore owner Marisol. She longs for the kind of romance she only reads about. For them, and for Kyra, fortunes can change.
Just as Kyra parlays her artistic talents into a new career and finally meets a man she can trust in and love, her ex tracks her down. He has a twisted plan to upend everything she now holds dear. Marshaling her renewed power and wisdom, Kyra will stop at nothing to put the past behind her. Once and for all. Whatever it takes.
My Book Review:
Would you have the courage to leave an abusive marriage, and restart your life even if your narcissistic husband is determined to find you?
With a new identity, Kyra Smith (real name Krystal Stanhope) is on the run from her abusive husband Rory Stanhope, a powerful Monroe County District Attorney. She leaves Rochester, NY heading west for an unknown destination where he won't find her. Along the way, Kyra rescues a mixed breed German Shepherd and Samoyed dog at a Nebraska gas station, and names him Ranger. Wanting to live off the beaten path, they arrive in the town of Gold Creek, California, and finally feels some peace.
With one step towards her future, and the other watching out for any sign of Rory, Kyra embraces the town and makes friends with four ladies who call themselves the Tattooed Ladies Club. With the help of this loving community of friends, Kyra is offered a place to live and employment opportunities. This special community of friends each have their own personal baggage and have become an emotional support system to each other through genuine love and friendship. In Gold Creek, Kyra learns to find herself again, and is determined to put her past behind her, no matter what it takes.
All They Need To Know is an amazing story that will keep you turning the pages. The storyline is so well written and is incredibly powerful and compelling. You can't help being pulled into Kyra's emotional story, it takes the reader on a roller coaster ride where they will feel the full gamut of emotions, especially when there is suspense thrown into the mix. With the loving help of her community of friends, the Tattooed Ladies Club, they provide an emotional support network that helps Kyra heal from her abusive past and encourages her to restart her life.
The characters are realistic and engaging, their complexities and interactions with each other make the story that much more captivating. The attention to detail throughout the story is outstanding, it has an intriguing mixture of palpable emotions and suspense, you can't help but be pulled into Kyra's story, and root her on as she stands up to her narcissistic husband and puts the past behind her.
All They Need To Know is book one in the Gold Creek series. Make sure to check out book two, The House On Mountain Laurel Lane, where the community of friends' story continues.
All They Need To Know is a wonderful story of friendship, love, letting go of the past, managing fear and learning to embrace the future.
RATING: 5 Stars 
About The Author
Her works have been translated into multiple languages and have earned critical acclaim for their emotional depth and authentic portrayal of family dynamics, love, and the human spirit’s resilience.
