Ruth Anne Newcomb and her sixteen-year-old sister Mara, traveled from Kansas City to the Arizona Territory in 1876. Ruth Anne’s late husband, Evan, had been killed almost two years prior to their trip. The family business was sewing military uniforms and the two ladies were taking the uniform order so they could get paid. On the last part of the trip, after she had hired a stage to transfer her to the military base, they were attacked. The driver was killed and, by God’s grace the girls were saved, yet injured. The way the two managed to escape from the bandit and heal was the gist of the plot of this great book.

Captain Bowen Shepherd was on maneuvers with Sergeant Ross MacEvoy and Private First Class Reggie Thompson when they encountered the wreckage. As they set out to find any survivors, they were faced with the injuries and emotional turmoil the ladies faced. He vowed to make sure that Ruth Anne did not suffer anymore. Unfortunately that was impossible to predict.

Ms. Ashley Ludwig has written a complicated tale about a young woman who struggled to make sense of her confusing life. Her main characters viewed life differently. The chemistry between them, however, was electric. The other characters were so well written the book was compelling. The underlying mystery man’s identity was unbelievably interjected throughout this storyline. The inspirational aspect of this book was remarkable. The truths of the Bible were presented in such a way that they made a tremendous impact without preaching.

This will definitely not be my last Ludwig book; I’m impressed with her writing style. She managed to keep the story moving quickly and still covered vast amounts of information so that I felt as if I was living the life of the characters. I was surprised at how well the subject matter was presented. I was tense up until the very end of the book worried about the ending. It was well worth the wait. I recommend this book to all who enjoy a romance with a bit of suspense.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Sweet

Source: Long & Short of it Reviews
Date: June 26, 2009

[All or Nothing, by Ashley Ludwig] is a well written tender love story along with a little suspense and intrigue mixed into the plot. The characters are marvelous and you can’t help but like all of them. They are all a part of the story interwoven together. If you are a fan of Historical Western Romance as I am then you will not be the least disappointed in this book. I read this book in one day and it will be one that I will pull out and read again. Ms. Ludwig is a most proficient author and the inspiration shows up in her writing. I will be reading more of her books.