REVIEW: "All the Ways You Saved Me" by Jamie Howard (Contemporary Romance)

All the Ways You Saved Me by Jamie Howard
	Publisher: Swerve Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance Publication Date: November 1, 2016 Series: Love Unplugged, #1 Standalone: Yes
Other Books by Jamie Howard
My Review
Description from Publisher:
Bianca Easton is the perfect senator’s daughter. Law school? Check. Camera-ready smile? Check. A dull and boring existence? Double check. But that was before. Before she lost her best and only friend in a tragic accident. Before she found that friend's unfinished bucket list. Definitely before she turned her life upside-down by deciding to stay in New York for six months to finish it. It's while she's checking off her first item on the list--buy coffee for a stranger--that she meets Ian Mathis. Between the tattoo sleeve curling up his right arm, his guitar-roughened fingertips, and the secrets shadowing his past, he's a complication Bianca doesn't need but desperately wants. With every item they cross off the list together, Bianca uncovers a piece of herself that she's buried under what's expected, all the while breaking her own rules by falling hard for Ian. But when her six months run out, Bianca has to decide if she's willing to risk her empty but picture-perfect life for a chance at real, messy love.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
My Musings:
Gah! Seriously, the feels!! <3 This is a great and realistic romance (something that Jamie Howard does very well!) that will definitely pull at your heartstrings. Bianca finds herself on her own, determined to finish her best friend's bucket list and heavily consider the advice she received during the last conversation she had with her. She is a strong character, which I really, really liked, but not without some healthy vulnerability thrown in there. The way she handles the difficult things that are thrown at her, like the way her parents treat her, made me feel proud of her! The bucket list items are also not over-the-top "Climb Everest" or "Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower", which is a nice change for "bucket list" stories, and I really appreciated how each one was a way to understand both Bianca and Ian that much better. Ian is a bit of an enigma for awhile, but I still really felt for him, even before I got to know more of his story. He's awkward at first, but in a way that you can't help but find a bit endearing. I admit that, for the first half of this, I was perplexed as to just why we were given so much detail about his past, though I did guess at its crescendo. There are also some really fantastic bestie sidekicks in this, and I especially loved Rachel and Harper. All of the characters just come to life, rich and warm and, at times, a bit broody. ;) This story is so much more than just Girl Meets Boy, weaving not just one love story together, but two that are intertwined. It's sweet and sexy and funny and hopeful. Definitely not one to miss!!
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and my 100% own.

About the Author: Jamie Howard
Jamie Howard is a legal and compliance specialist by day, author by night, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art. When she’s not tapping away at the keyboard or capturing the world through her trusty Canon, you can find her binge-watching TV shows, devouring books, and perfecting her gaming skills. She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs in New Jersey, and is almost always awake early enough to see the sun rise, even on the weekends.