Donna Hewlett

Jayne, a well-heeled Chicago suburban wife is handed a terminal diagnosis of cancer in the opening of Donna Hewlett's new novel 'Love is All'. What she does afterwards is a story that swept me up into the writer's hands until the last page. I had the privilege of working with Donna as a student while she was drafting the early pages of this book but the finished novel has blossomed into a masterpiece that has passion and vulnerability behind every page. What truly shines is the emotional depth of the character of Jayne---especially the way she grapples with her cancer diagnosis. Choice and heart in the choices she makes to live out her dreams in the time she has left takes her on an only-dreamed-about-before tour of Europe where she soaks up every detail and every experience (as does the reader given Hewlett's gift for detail) and meets---and is loved--then loves---I won't spoil it for you, but so many scenes made my heart pound, and have stayed with me long after I turned the last page. 'Love is All' is a brave and authentic and romantic story of a woman rising above the ashes that invites readers to explore many of the messy, authentic truths of life. I am excited to see where Donna Hewlett goes next, and I hope this book finds its way into many readers' hands. Target Reader Review