a beautiful Christmas and a peaceful new year

Date: 2nd January 2023, Posted by mollie

Hello my lovely,

I hope you had a beautiful Christmas and a peaceful new year. I felt so blessed to have my daughter and her partner with me. We spent a really fun New Year’s Eve together and a wonderful New Year’s Day. Then on the second of January, they left to return to their home in Wellington. I felt so sad. But happy that we had a wonderful time together too. It was the first time my daughter’s boyfriend had stayed with us and visited the Bay of Islands where I have set so many of my love stories. Including by Christmas-themed romance Love all of Me.

This story was inspired by the tragic events of December 2019 when the volcano on Whakaari, commonly known as White Island, in New Zealand erupted. At the time of writing, the eruption took the lives of 22 people and injured many others, most critically with life-threatening burns.

Last night I watched the Netflix documentary, The Volcano, which was released this year about the disaster. I was so powerfully reminded that Christmas can be a very painful time of year for so many. The Volcano is a minute-by-minute account of tourists caught in the volcanic eruption while sightseeing on a remote island off the coast of New Zealand. The documentary, which Leonardo DiCaprio co-produced, honours those who lost their lives and celebrates the survivors, as well as the everyday people who courageously came to their rescue. Watching what all these people had gone through was unbelievable, they literally walked through fire. It was heartwrenching to listen to Jesse’s story, the young man who lost his whole family. Like many of the survivors, he was so determined not to let the disaster claim his life.

When I first read about Jesse (aged only nineteen) who not only was severely burned but awoke from his induced coma to learn that his entire family had died, I wondered, what it would be like to be a survivor. How would Christmas feel? What if you felt you had no right to live, let alone love again? What if you were wracked with survivor’s guilt? What if your scars weren’t just on the outside but buried deep within? What and who would it take to heal such traumatic scars?

As with all my love stories, there is a happily ever after.

Despite the background tragedy, it’s a quick, fun and joyful read, set in the dual locations of The Bay of Islands, New Zealand and the volcanic island of Stromboli, off the coast of Sicily. Perfect for a much-needed escape.

I hope you love it. It’s a reminder of the power of love to heal our lives.

Exclusive to Amazon in audio, ebook and paperback.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NMTYMV4

READER REVIEWS

Romance along with sorrow and angst

Love All of Me was a quick-paced read with a lot of angst and sorrow leading up to the happily ever after. The characters of Kate and Gianni meet and sparks seem to fly. When they are thrown together again unexpectedly – he’s Santa and she’s his elf to give out gifts to poor children – things really ratchet up a notch. The story has a lot of depth to it due to their pasts.

The story had a lot of threads woven together to add layers to the story. There were vivid descriptions of the land, his home, the volcanoes which play a major role in the story, and the bees. I loved the imagery of the bees and Gianni’s thoughts on them were interesting. There were family and friends along with Kate’s dog, romance, loving and love. The story is set in New Zealand and Italy. There is nice closure with a happily ever after. I wished the story had gone on a little longer. I love the details on the cover and how the title was voiced throughout.

Ms. Mathews is an author whose books are filled with love, some heat and great locations. I look forward to reading more of her books.

Captivating Romance!!

I absolutely loved this romance book set in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands. Gianni has fled to New Zealand to flee from his family and Kate is in New Zealand running her global Manuka honey empire. Kate and Gianni are realistic, strong, independent, sexy, and confident. Kate is irate when Gianni demands she sell her business to him. Kate and Gianni are struggling with personal issues and just want to escape their lives. They end up having sparks that are hotter than an inferno. Their journey with each other is sensuous and in one of the most tranquil places in the world, their happily ever after came when they were at their most vulnerable. I recommend reading this phenomenal romance that will set you on fire, this author is extraordinary and knows how to captivate her reader’s hearts and attention with passion and hot, steamy romance.

A light Romantic Read

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2021Love All of Me is a heartwarming story of two of people who both have issues and is hiding behind them.

Kate Miller and her family went on a cruise to tour of Whakaari in the Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand which a volcano erupted and she became the sole survivor of her family. To keep her father’s memory alive, she rebuilt her father’s beekeeping business for Manuka honey. As a favor for a friend, she agrees to be Santa’s helper where she runs into a reclusive Italian-New Zealander named Gianni Romano. There is instant heat, but Kate fears it and tries to run from it but Gianni isn’t giving up.
Take a trip to the Bays of Islands in New Zealand through the eyes of Mollie Mathews to see how these two found love and happiness.

Love Conquers All… Even volcanoes! Romantic and good read.

Love All Of Me is a great read. It has its share of angst and joy. Kate and Gianni have a lot of familial events that play into this story. Well-layered and the interaction, even when it comes to their need for a therapist, is really cool. Disaster and betrayal are balanced out with the realization that they have both dealt with the volcanic activity which leads to love. A quick and balanced read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Can they get beyond their pasts to a loving future?

I love this story from Mollie Matthews which gives another view into living by the Bay of Islands in New Zealand. Kate Miller is the sole survivor from her family of the volcanic eruption on Whakaari in the Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand. She has rebuilt her father’s beekeeping business for Manuka honey. She really runs into a reclusive Italian-New Zealander Gianni Romano. It seems there is instant heat, but the heat is more of distrust by Kate. Really, they both have issues they have been hiding that prevent moving forward. I hope you will enjoy this story of how the bees bring these two together despite serious missteps. Enjoy a break in a warmer setting!

Another heart wrenching yet heart-healing story from this gifted author…

I won’t detail the story which has essentially been covered in the blurb & prior reviews. What I must mention though is the push & pull between the main protagonists. They both had horrific experiences & whilst she had physical scars & grieved the loss of her family with a heavy dose of self-blame, his were buried much deeper & yet he revealed everything. Loved her almost human mutt & the detailed well-written story that had a lot of angst but underpinning all the drama, the harsh words. they were so sexually connected that they could have put the stars to shame. Highly recommended.

A nice light read.

Kate lost all of her family when there was a volcanic eruption on Whakaari Island. She is left suffering from Survivor Guilt and her only reason to stay alive is growing her father’s honey business. Then she meets Gianni who grew up on the island of Stromboli which has a live volcano. Can Gianni help Kate get over her loss?

Excellent, you won’t put it down!

A fast heartwarming read. You will find yourself longing for Kate and Gianni to heal and love, and heal together. I enjoyed their story and then enjoyed it, even more, when I learned that the idea derived from an actual natural disaster. I refuse to give spoilers so you’ll have to read it to find out! You won’t set it down…you’ll read straight through to the end!

Very Emotional

A wonderful story about loss and healing. Both Kate and Gianni have sorrows from the past that prevents them from loving someone. Their emotions are brought to life in their journey towards healing and love and makes a wonderful read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Really good

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2021

Gianni And Kate’s romance ran very hot and they had so much chemistry and passion flying between them that even their animosity towards one another told me of their feelings. The question to me really became can they possibly reach a compromise that can enable Kate to keep what’s holding her together?