Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC of All I Want Is You! All opinions are my own.

This holiday book by Falon Ballard was cute cute cute! Perfect feel good holiday romance with enough depth to bring you along the emotional journey. If you liked Right on Cue you will love this.

What I really loved was the plot being about two romance writers and the “real life” tropes that they encountered along the way. As a die hard romance reader it made it so much fun. ❤️ this one also had the right amount of spice but not too much to take away from the cuteness of the holiday theme. Absolutely add this to your holiday TBR!
1/3 🌶️

Second chance romance
Forced proximity
One bed
Enemies to lovers

This was everything I wanted in a second chance holiday romance and it was fun and sweet and had a HEA. Maybe slightly predictable but made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

I loved this! Falon Ballard books have become a must read for me and this was no exception. This is perfect for someone who thinks Hallmark movies would be better with more spice.

Falon Ballard's holiday romance novel delivers a delightful second-chance love story with all the charm of a Hallmark movie, but with a spicy twist. Five years after their breakup, romance authors Nick and Jess are forced to reunite, and sparks fly as they find themselves sharing a room during a snowstorm. The forced proximity and lingering feelings make for a compelling read, though the story could have benefited from more detailed character development and setting descriptions. Despite some minor shortcomings, this book is a heartwarming treat for fans of festive romances. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

💗Second chance
💗Holiday romance
💗Forced proximity
💗It's always been you

I am completely obsessed with second chance romances, and if it's written by Falon Ballard, it's a given that I will read it.

The story begins five years after the end of Nick and Jess's relationship. Both are authors with the same publisher and are forced to reunite when Jess must present the Romance Author of the Year award to Nick.

Jess is not thrilled about handing an award to the man who broke her heart, but Nick is eager to see Jess again. When the two finally meet, it's undeniable that there's still a spark between them.

In a twist of fate, they find themselves sharing a room during a snowstorm, with only one bed available. But they're adults who can handle sharing a room, right? Well...

As the story progresses, it's clear that Nick still loves Jess, which made me very curious to learn why he ended the relationship in the first place.

This novel beautifully captures the tension and emotional complexity of rekindling an old flame. Falon’s writing makes you root for Nick and Jess as they navigate their unresolved feelings and past misunderstandings. The setting of the snowstorm and the forced proximity trope adds to the charm and excitement, making this a delightful read for fans of second chance romance.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, for sending me this ARC.

If there is one thing to know about me, it’s this: I’m a sucker for a romance set at Christmas time. (What can I say! I’ve been converted by the Hallmark Channel. And that is exactly what this novel felt like: a Hallmark Christmas movie (but a spicy one at that!)). This novel, it follows Jess and Nick, two exes who are also romance novelists. To have two of my favorite writing setups in one book made me request this ARC immediately. And that’s all without mentioning the tropes: forced proximity, just one bed, and second-chance romance. With that setup, this book was guaranteed to be a fun read. Which it was! However, much like with Ballard’s third novel, I did find this story to be missing something.

This novel is Falon Ballard’s shortest one yet and, unfortunately, that was painfully obvious. Honestly, if this book was one hundred pages longer, this reader certainly wouldn’t complain about it! And I say that because I wish more pages had been given to the development of our point-of-view characters and the general writing style.

Early in the ARC, I noted that the writing was missing something—but I haven’t put my finger on what that “something” is. Does the writing style carry Ballard’s usual charm and banter? Absolutely. But I struggled to fully give myself over to the story no matter what percentage I was at. That struggle was due to a few things. First, I struggled with imagery and setting details. There weren’t many on the page—or, at least, not enough in the middle and end to reinforce imagery—so the characters were often subjected to white room syndrome. Second, there were heavy uses of both introspective and summary modes. I understand the use of those modes—this book was written short and sweet—but it also kept the reader at arm’s length from the happenings on the page. There were a handful of summary paragraphs where I would have loved to see the actual conversations play out. With the writing modes being so off balance, it was hard to fully give myself over to it.

I do want to commend Ballard for taking on the challenge of writing Nick and Jess. It is not an easy feat to write characters that are such innate foils to each other, nor is it easy to write such distinct perspectives on one situation. That was something done incredibly well in this story and was fascinating to read about (even if the “will he explain the past before the third act?” tension was a little repetitive). However, there were moments where it was difficult to discern the differences between Nick and Jess’s voices. While their perspectives were distinct about certain situations, when in the thick of reading, sometimes their voices blurred together because they sounded so similar. I wished for more tonality differences between the two main characters to help spice up the narration.

The final fun thing I wanted to note was the subtle commentary on romance tropes sprinkled throughout the novel. It was beyond fun to be reading from the perspective of not one, but two romance novelists. But what I appreciated the most was the commentary on how aware Jess, in particular, was about avoiding literal tropes in her own life and/or hearing her thoughts on how unrealistic they are. Those moments made it feel like I was in conversation with a romance novelist and listening to their takes on tropes they utilize in their writing.

Overall, this was a fun holiday read. The setup and tropes used made me smile, and I adored the romance novelist angle for both main characters. I just wish there were more details to strengthen the narrative and clarify the narrative voices.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This was a quick and easy Christmas read. Nothing groundbreaking, very Hallmark-esque storyline, but there’s nothing wrong with that. The story is told in dual POV, which I always enjoy, and follows two writers, who broke up five years prior, as they reconnect while writing a second chance romance book together.

It pulls in lots of classic romance tropes, so the narrators sort of break the fourth wall at times, since they’re writing a second chance romance and living one as well. If you want a light, predictable holiday romance, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I have loved everything I have read by Falon Ballard and this one was no different! She writes such sweet and relatable love stories, where the characters are both likeable and real. I really loved this one and it such a fun little holiday jaunt in the summer for me!

Jess and Nick, both romance authors with the same publisher, fell in love before their careers took off. They stayed in love up until Nick got a six figure publishing offer and he became a bestseller. Meanwhile, Jess was published too but hasn't given up her day job. When Jess's agent tells her she has to present a romance author of the year award to Nick at the holiday banquet, she is not thrilled but doesn't have much of a choice. When they see each other again, both sparks and loathing fly. As they spend time together, they end up discussing why their relationship ended in the first place. It's a an absolutely delightful second chance romance with a holiday twist and I just loved it!

Christmas and Falon Ballard? Sign me up! Wow I loved this book & finished it within a few hours. It is currently 1:30 AM right now and I couldn’t sleep until I finished this.

I truly loved Nick and Jess. Their chemistry was amazing and was rooting for them the entire book. This might possibly be my favorite Falon Ballard book thus far!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

All I Want is You was the sweetest holiday book to read even if for me we are entering summer. Jessica and Nick undoubtedly have chemistry but I especially enjoyed that what inspired them are their basic little fights with each other at first, more so than their re-blossoming relationship. This story takes place in a charming inn with forced proximity and while it was simple it was also highly enjoyable in settings and our main character exploration. I would not pick this up expecting it to irrevocably shake up the genre but if you’re drawn to simple but sweet romances, you’ll enjoy this one.

Reminded me of Beach Read by Emily Henry! Nick and Jess are exes (Nick seemingly carelessly and suddenly dumped Jess) and romance writers who are suddenly brought back together 5 years after their breakup when Jess is forced to present Nick with an award. Jess is adamant on keeping her distance, while Nick realizes that he might have made a mistake 5 years ago.

Tropes:
Rivals-to-Lovers
One Bed
Second Chance Romance
The One that Got Away
Dual POVs

This was a short and sweet read! Second chance romance is definitely my favorite trope. Jess and Nick had a lot of chemistry and this was a slow burn with so much pining/yearning (which I like to see!). There was a lot of tension, heat, steamy scenes. Although this book was short, I felt like Falon Ballard still did a good job of exploring the main characters' relationship and I didn't feel like the reconciliation was rushed at all.

There was also a nod to one of my favorite comfort shows New Girl, which showcases another Nick and Jess (iykyk) that I fangirled over.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Falon Ballard and the publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.5 stars

The arc was shorter than the finished copy. So it went by quicker than I would have liked. But I really enjoyed their story. I loved the fact that their break up was over something real that could happen. It made their story even more compelling. The vibes of them being stuck at an inn during a snow storm was perfect for a Christmas romance story.

I would highly recommend it!!

This is a delightful Christmas story! Two romance authors who happen to be ex's get stuck together in a cozy romantic Christmasy setting. Enemies to lovers, plus single bed, plus second chance love equals a perfect romance novel. The dedication page scene in the epilogue had me swooning. Love this story and am excited so to read more by Fallon.

Christmas, romance writers, snowed in at a cozy inn with one bed? Sign. Me. Up! This is one of my favorite stories from Fallon yet; the perfect holiday romance with the perfect second chance, somewhat enemies to lovers vibes and hilarious banter from two dueling romance authors.
Jess & Nick were perfectly paired with one another, the christmas lover and the scrooge- who let’s be honest loves Christmas just for her. The alternating timelines of each Christmas’ before their split woven in was great for showing their individual growth since the split and connection that is there years later helped develop who they were in the present. This is a perfect book for all romance lovers, with a HEA that is perfectly balanced of both characters stories coming together in the end.

5 ⭐️

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for my ARC!

I absolutely loved this short and sweet second chance Christmas romance! I’m a big fan of Falon Ballard and was so exited to get a chance to read her newest book early. And if anyone can put me in the Christmas mood on a gorgeous May day, it’s Ms. Ballard! This book was swoony and spicy (🌶️!!) and so very cute and Christmassy. I loved Nick and Jess (not to be confused with the New Girl couple), their second chance romance and the super fun romance tropes woven throughout this story of two romance writers.

Add this to your holiday TBR pile without question.

I this was such a cute Christmas romance. I think for me the only thing that would have made it better was less spice- it didn’t seem to fit for me and it mostly took me out of the story. However, the rest of the story was spot on & I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for another wonderful book by Falon Ballard! I always love her books, and this one was no exception. It has multiple fun romance tropes, including second-chance love, forced proximity, only one bed, and of course a holiday romance.
The book centers on ex's Jessica and Nick, who are both romance writers and are stranded at a hotel a week before Christmas. The two are each having individual struggles writing their next books, but as they are forced to spend more time together, they both find inspiration for writing and start to feel sparks and potential to rekindle their romance.
It had a great blend of light heartwarming moments and moving depth. There was humor and sadness throughout. I loved the ending! It was sweet, romantic, and realistic.
Once again, Falon Ballard delivered a wonderful romance, and I can't wait to read more by her!

This was such a cute read! Nothing like Christmas feels in May. Like the FMC Christmas is my favorite holiday!

I loved the tropes within this book! It had so many. When the single bed showed up…. Oh no! It was so good. I think this has to be my favorite trope. I liked that you could almost see Nick feeling like she was the one he let get away. I like it when guys fall harder or first.

I loved the banter and ex enemies to lovers and second chance romance this story this had. Falon Ballard does it again with an amazing book.

If I only had to read this book everyday for the rest of my life, I would actually be ok. This story has just about everything I could ever want in a book, and I loved it so much. Nick and Jess are romance writers, rivals and exes. They are going to a ball put on by their publisher and Jessica has to give Nick and award, against her better judgement she lets her agent talk her into this, for exposure and all.
Nick is so excited yet scared to see Jessica again. He's never fallen out of love with her, compares everyone to her, desparately wants a second chance, but knows it's not in the cards for them. She despises him, rightly so.
That is, until they get snowed in, she has no room for the night and there is only ONE BED. Yes. You read that all correctly. Hallelujah the romance gods brought everything. No better way for them to talk about what went wrong than co-writing it in a second chance love story.
There was fire, tension, heat and lots of love their story and I was here for every single bit of it.
Thanks to Penguin, Netgalley and Falon Ballard for an early copy.

An adorable (and very meta) second chance holiday romance.

I’ve loved all three of the author’s previous works and greatly enjoy her writing style and characters. All I Want Is You has great banter and a delightful premise, and Jess and Nick have undeniable chemistry. I am not a fan of miscommunication which is present here though I appreciated how the miscommunication (or perhaps lack of communication) was acknowledged.

Overall, this is a fun, quick read that features many tropes including forced proximity, one bed, and “enemies”-to-lovers.

Thank you very much to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.