Review: All We Lost was Everything by Sloan Harlow

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.

All We Lost was Everything

by Sloan Harlow

May 6, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

A sexy, dark romantic thriller—with a shocking twist—by the author of Everything We Never Said.

River Santos is stuck—in her job at the diner, in her dead-end town, in her grief. Her father died in a house fire just a few months ago, her mother has been MIA for nearly a year, and the only people she can count on are the aunt she lives with and her best friend Tawny.

Things feel like they’re turning around when Logan—the hot guy at the diner who’s always ignored her—seems interested. It’s complicated by her ex-boyfriend Noah, who she really needs closure with, and the fact that Tawny doesn’t think either of them is good enough for River… but the tension between River and Logan can’t be denied.

But love takes a backseat when new information surfaces about the fire. After all these months trying to move forward, River is forced to rethink everything… including the idea that maybe it wasn’t an accident after all. But who would commit this deadly act? And why?

River isn’t sure who to trust or who to turn to, but she needs to figure it out, fast. Because someone has more than love on their mind. They want revenge.

Review

All We Lost was Everything did not disappoint with its vibes. I enjoyed the mystery a lot- more than the romance which was too much at times.

All We Lost was Everything was a whirl of mysteries. I was hooked trying to decipher all the clues. The story was easy to process as we got small bits of information at a time. Each piece added to my puzzlement until the shocking final picture came together. My heart ached for all the characters.

Though the simmering tension between River and Logan induced butterflies, the romance was too fast for my complete liking. Yes, feelings have been simmering for a while but they felt too big for two teenagers that just got together (to take such big steps). Especially when River’s ex was still kind of in the picture. Also, Logan’s strong feelings felt a little creepy considering the secrets he held. Their romance would’ve been better if he’d come clean to River early on.

I really enjoyed all the unexpected turns All We Lost was Everything took. Despite my dissatisfaction with the romance and the immense sadness I felt, the story came together well at the end. Atmospheric and intense, it’s definitely a thriller worth checking out!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.