Swept Away Again

After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren’s son…
The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan’s door every day to work off his crime.
With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can’t deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

I'm a big fan of the Kowalski Family series. I've read all the books to date in the series and really love the big family connections the story has. It reminds me a little of Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, which I totally adore.
All He Ever Desired is about Ryan and Lauren, who have a past together. Ryan was in love with Lauren when they were younger but she turned him down as she was with someone else. Since then they haven't had any contact but now Lauren's son brings them together. These type of stories don't really intrigue me but as I've enjoyed the rest of the series, I had to give it a go.
Ryan and Lauren are great character's, really well written. You feel for Lauren when she's dealing with Nick as a single mother with an ex who's more interested in his new life than helping her sort out their angry son.
There's a lot of build up for nearly the first quarter of the book between Lauren and Ryan which I think is really great because it's been years since they've really spoken so for them to just act as if the years between then hadn't happened would have ruined the book for me.
Then there's the middle of the story which was really great, they're getting to know each other all over again, both sets of families are involved. You see the whole family for Mitch and Paige's wedding (which was so sweet!) Ryan and Lauren really start to connect and bond and Nick and Ryan start to get to know one another too. The connections Ms Stacey writes with her characters are really inspiring and realistic. You soon become absorbed in the storyline and really root for the characters you're reading about.
My only problem with All He Ever Desired was towards the end when Lauren starts to over think things and makes things a little too complicated between her and Ryan. I understand she's a single Mother and she has her son to think about and also her son's Father (who is totally rubbish) but it seems like a simple conversation gets skipped just to add some drama or extra pages instead of continuing the the growth the two characters have made through the entire book.
Overall it was a good read, you don't have to read this series in order at all, which I think it great and each book will grab you differently and root for the entire family.