Cute, sweet, festive fun! I love a romance about two romance authors. The chemistry between Nick and Jess is obvious -- especially when they *hate* each other. And their passion inspires their writing which helps break through writer's block and turns life into fiction and fiction into life as they come back together. Despite the clear chemistry, this is a bit of a slow burn but it's such a quick read I did not mind at all and the snowstorm/room mix-up that forces them to spend lots of time in close quarters really amps up the tension. I do wish we had more on the book they were writing together but overall it was the fluffy, romantic read I was hoping for and I really enjoyed it.

*forced proximity
*second chance
*rivals to lovers
*only one bed
*snowed in
*miscommunication

I love all of Falon's books honestly and this one is a perfect winter read, so get some cocoa, get cozy and get started!

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for the DRC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Second chance romance tropes are not my favorite but this book really changed my mind. The best aspect is that you see their relationship from both their POVs which helps the reader understand what ultimately broke them up. Sometimes in relationships you have to choose between love or your career which is also a hard concept to introduce in a romance but it was perfectly written. There was rivalry since they were both romance writers but there wasn’t competition. I think this second chance romance was a great Christmas romance.

Exes who have to get together for a work function and get stranded together because of snow? Yes please.
This is such a fun and cute wintery novel. It’s on the shorter side and quite steamy.

I’m a huge fan of Falon Ballard and this one was no exception. It reads super quick which is honestly perfect for a holiday romance. I loved that this was the second chance and you got to actually see the before and the why things fell apart. The grumpy sunshine author pairing was perfect and like her other books the banter was spot on. It takes a little bit for things to get hot, but I think it’s worth it. I’m really glad I squeezed this one in this holiday season.!!

Thank you Putnam and Netgalley for the review copy. This was a relatively shorter Christmas read, with all the animosity of former lovers and professional rivals, combined into a “snowed-in with one room at the inn” read. I felt lukewarm about this book until the last 15% or so, which then changed my whole perspective on the story. I like Falon’s writing and will read more by her, and I think people who enjoy books about writers/romance writers, second chance romance, angsty exes, and being snowed in together will have a great time with this one.

Synopsis: Jess and Nick are bitter exes who haven't seen each other in five years until Jess is asked to present a writing award at their company's holiday party. And when they get snowed in and Jess doesn't have a room, it's Nick who offers her the extra space, forcing them together to deal with the problems they had ignored.

My take: I loved everything about this second chance romance. I'm a huge fan of Falon Ballard's storytelling and writing, so this wasn't a surprise at all. Plus, this has so many tropes I love - second chance, one bed, forced proximity -- and the two characters are both romance writers. I loved their banter and the intense sexual tension between these two who were both still hot for each other and also in love with each other (even though they wouldn't acknowledge it). It was such a cozy Christmas read that made me laugh and swoon. Definitely pick this one up if you want one last holiday read for the year!

This was a sweet holiday romance! Since it was so short, the pacing wasn't perfect, and a few moments were a little cheesy for me, but I always love Falon Ballard's romances and she does steamy scenes so well.

A fun holiday read! I am a sucker for a forced proximity, there’s only one bed at the snowy inn moment. I always look forward to Ballard’s releases and they always deliver!

This was an okay read, nothing groundbreaking. I always love how Fallon does banter, but the two characters weren’t doing it for me. It’s a good story for holiday season.

Ok this was cute!! I loved this story and finished it in one day! I wanted more! I loved the second chance romance and how they still loved each other, it was a bit too spicy for me, especially considering the length but I loved it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
256 pages

“𝐈 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝, 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 — 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 — 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬.”

@falonballard is a wiz at spicy scenes & we are blessed with many in this book. thank you to her for doing the smut lords work while still making this christmassy ❤️

jess & nick (no affiliation to new girl but of course it’s funny and pointed out in the book) have so much sexy banter in this one. i thoroughly enjoyed jess’s character so much. i thought she was a relatable character and super funny!

read this one if you like:
▫️second chance romance
▫️enemies to lovers
▫️one bed
▫️forced proximity
▫️she loves christmas & he hates it

I really enjoyed this festive, spicy, second chance romance! Plus, I love when the main characters are writers! This is my first time reading this author and it won’t be my last!

I did enjoy this book for a light romantic Christmas read. I thought it was unnecessarily crass at times but I am not huge on spice so that’s probably my own fault. Overall a good book.

This was everything I wanted in a Christmas book and one of my favorite romance tropes. I enjoyed the evolution of the characters and the overall story. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend!

Jess and Nick are both romance writers for the same publisher, and although they used to date, they can’t stand each other (in theory 😉). He is very successful and she is not so much; he hates Christmas and she loves it. She is asked to present him with a publishing award at a small inn in the middle of nowhere in December (what could go wrong?), and when a snowstorm hits, they’re stuck together. Will sparks fly, or will this be the worst Christmas ever? This book was hilarious, and it’s a super quick read. If you love a second-chance romance with forced proximity, you’ll like this one! It made me laugh and even tear up at the end (I’m getting emotional in my old age lol). Another great read from Falon Ballard!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the opportunity to read before pub day! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ALL I WANT IS YOU is out now!

Let me first wipe the happy tears from my eyes 🥹

I am so in love with this story. It was cute, it was believable, it has Christmas magic, and the sweetest grand gesture. Enemies to lovers, second chance romance, only one bed, cozy Christmas vibes, fated mates… perfection 💯

Falon Ballard, I love Nick and Jessica so very much, thank you for bringing their story to life!

“Nick Matthews is the worst. I hate him. Truly, I do.”
“She arrives in a whirlwind, like she was trapped in a snow globe and only just managed to escape.”
“Why does the thought of Nick meeting the right person, a person who isn’t me, feel like I just found out there’s no Santa?”
“Nick Matthews is the love of my life, the man who owns my heart-my fated mate-and I cannot wait to see what the next chapter brings.”

bitter exes, professional rivals, just one bed — what could go wrong?!

read that blurb and was ALL IN. plus, it’s falon, and i looooove her romance. it’s fun, festive, full of tropes (but in a way that pokes at them a bit, because they are both romance writers after all).

the scenes where they were channeling all the tension and unspoken feelings into the books they were writing had me GIDDY!!! we love a romance about romance writers featuring a looooot of romance. 😏

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ + 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I thought this was a fun, holiday romance filled with second chances and flashbacks to Christmases past. If you’re looking for an easy beach read set in the snow, this is a great one to pick up.

And I triple dog dare you to say the title of this book not in your Mariah Carey singing voice…

I'm a mom of three kids under the age of five years old right now. I work full-time. I...am...tired. I'm exhausted. I can barely keep my eyes open for a full chapter before bed. BUT I DEVOURED THIS BOOK! I haven't read a book this fast since before I had kids. This book was witty, sarcastic, and steeeeeamyyyyy.

I'm a librarian so of course I love books about books. Jessica Carrington and Nick Matthews fell in love when they were writing partners. The broke up five years ago when they both signed their first contract with publishers. Jessica only writes happily ever after romances. Nick only writes romance books with sad endings. They both get snowed into a hotel after an award ceremony. This is a perfect second-chance romance and close proximity trope book. The tension was fire. The flash-backs of Christmases past were a perfect snap-shot of how they were (perfectly) together previously.

I really enjoyed a lot of the side characters. I would recommend Falon Ballard to continue with this storyline to give Jessica's best friends (Alyssa and Kennedy) their own story!

I think Starbucks or some coffee shop should endorse this book for how often peppermint mochas are mentioned. I definitely wanted to run to a coffee shop multiple times while reading this book.

Now if you don't like steamy, on the page sex, you will not like this book. If you do like that sort of thing, this book is for you.

I seriously cannot wait to pick up another book by Falon Ballard.

Some of the witty remarks that cracked me up / phrases that reminded me of things that either I or my friends have said...

"Ok, so she has one flaw. I would never admit it to her face, but even her love for the holidays is becoming a bit infectious. Like chicken pox or herpes."

"Hannah is so smart and cool and yet in this moment, all I want is to punch her in the face."

"Alyssa: Open your heart to love!
Kennedy: Close your legs to ex-boyfriends!"

**SPOILER BELOW**
My only critique was when Nick sent his revised books to Jessica's door with their happily ever afters. After reading all the books, Jessica finally calls Nick sometime after midnight. He answers. She says she wishes he was there. Nick rings the doorbell. He doesn't say how long he has been just sitting outside her apartment door? No neighbor called the cops on him? No explanation on what he was doing while he was waiting? I wanted some witty comment from him about waiting in the hallway.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced copy.

I enjoyed the witty writing found throughout this book! I struggled with this one throughout though due to the constant miscommunication. So much angst, when they could have just communicated? It annoyed me. Overall, a fun and festive read.