Coming in late September. ALL I WANT IS YOU. A second chance romance for two romance writers Can misunderstandings from five years ago , be forgiven to reunite love

[Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam / G. P. Putnam’s Sons for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.]

This is a cute story that's ideal for the holiday season. The majority of the book takes place at a quaint hotel that's perfectly decorated for Christmas. All of the guests end up trapped thanks to a snowstorm. Due to a reservation error, Jess finds herself without a room... but Nick (Jess's ex-boyfriend) saves the day and offers to share his room with Jess.

This book is a quick read. Partly because it's only 265 pages but I also read it in a day because I really wanted to know what Nick's reasoning was. The flashbacks made it seem like Jess and Nick had a perfect relationship so I couldn't figure why Nick would ever break up with Jess. Honestly, Nick's reasoning for calling things off was incredibly weak and I rolled my eyes a little bit when his reasoning was revealed. Maybe if the story were longer and more details were given on their relationship before the breakup, Nick's decision would have been more convincing.

Ballard is very good at writing witty banter and ultimately, I really was rooting for Jess and Nick to figure things out. I definitely recommend reading this book with whoever your preferred holiday beverage is!

I really enjoyed this story!

Jessica is trying to come up with a new book idea and balancing her barista job at the coffee shop when she receives an email from her agent inviting her to present this years Romance author award to her rival (and ex) Nick Mathews at the upcoming Holiday gala. Jessica hasn’t seen Nick since he broke up with her 5 years ago and broke her heart. She wants to refuse to do it, but her agent says it’s a great opportunity for her career and not doing it isn’t an option.

Jessica barely makes it to the awards gala on time to present the award as she has to weather the beginning of a snow storm on her way. After the gala there’s a reservation mix up at the Inn where everyone is staying and snow storm gets worse, forcing Jessica and Nick to interact for the first time since their break-up.

What you’ll find:
Forced proximity
Dual POV
A charming Inn
Being snowed in
One bed
A love of coffee
Past secrets
A drinking/honesty game
Second chance at love
Great banter!
Holiday traditions

I love a good dual POV and getting Nick and Jessica’s stories endeared me to both of them! The story pulled me in immediately and I was unable to put it down!

Romance content: A couple open door scenes and language

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam for my ARC!

This book was amazing and I devoured this book in just a few sittings! I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

Aaaah this book was really cute and cozy. It was a fast paced read that quickly caught my interest from the very beginning. I loved both of the main characters, and found their dynamic charming and at times even funny.

It's been five years since Jessica and Nick broke up and they have not seen each other since. Now, their publishing company has brought them together at an awards show - what can go wrong? Ballard has combined the best romance tropes, enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance, forced proximity, miscommunication, and more, together into this one holiday novel what a guaranteed HEA.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advanced copy!

This holiday romantic comedy is an absolute delight! Jess is a struggling romance author who loves all things Christmas. Nick is a highly successful romance author who hates Christmas. Even more complicated? She hates him after he broke her heart five years ago.

When these two are forced to share an inn (and a room 🤭) old feelings surface quickly. But as these two romance authors face the miscommunication trope in real life, they realize maybe there’s a reason their characters always have such a hard time.

This book delivered on every ounce of Falon Ballard charm I’ve come to know and love. It was hilarious, it was emotional, and it had some great spice!

Short and sweet, this holiday rom com is just as cute as Fallon’s other stories. On the shorter side, the book is a quick read. The scenario is little reminiscent of Right on Cue, but quickly develops into its own unique storyline. There’s a really cute story within a story (not going to share spoilers) that adds a unique twist as well. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

This book is my first Christmas read of the year and I loved it.

🩷 Second Chance
🩷 Forced Proximity
🩷 One Bed

This was such a sweet charming read, one that would be perfect to read while having a delicious hot chocolate in front of a cosy fire. It’s quite a short read at 256 pages so you could definitely read it in one sitting. The perfect easy read to escape in.

I really enjoyed the main characters in this book, I loved the banter between them and thought the book was lots of fun. I also loved that they were both authors as who doesn’t love reading books about books.

I really enjoyed the Christmas touches throughout and loved imagining myself walking around Manhattan on her Christmas Eve stroll.

Great Christmas story 🎄

First I’d like to say I really enjoyed this book. I felt like both characters were well written and the story plot was great. Nick and Jess ( not the tv show couple 😛) both find themselves forced together by destiny again. Jess finds herself in a situation when her publishers “ask” her to present an award to the man who broke her heart 5 years ago. An offer she can’t refuse …literally…. lol .Thanks to a bad storm a mix up with the reservation she is forced to share a room with said man. What’s the worse that can happen? Can they both find a way to move on from the past? Will they finally have an HEA? I guess only time will tell. 😉.
I did have some concerns, the book felt at times rushed. Sometimes the story would be flawless and beautiful. Flowing effortlessly into each sentence. Then at other times the story would be jumbled and pushed together . Almost being rushed so that another part can start . This wasn’t very often to be upset but it was still disappointing. I think with very minor editing however this can be saved and the story could be a bestseller ❤️
Once again this is only my opinion and I repeat I really liked this book.
That being said I recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute holiday romance ❤️

Thank you NetGalley , and Falon Ballard for this wonderful opportunity to read an ARC of your book❤️

This was a cute, Christmassy, second chance/forced proximity romance between two romance authors, Nick and Jessica.

The two of them dated five years prior to the start of the book, but Nick ended the relationship back then and Jess is still bitter. To make matters worse, she has been selected to present Nick with an award for writer of the year. A storm hits, and they are forced together for several days, and due to a mixup with Jess’s reservation, they have to share a hotel room.

Doesn’t that premise sound adorable? This book was really cute. I liked all of Jess and Nick’s snarky DMs to each other and I liked the only one bed trope. However, this was less Christmassy than I would have liked. It’s very much a romance book first; a Christmas book second. There were few Christmas elements here and there, but I would have liked more, especially since Jess loves Christmas.

A lot of the secondary characters were quite flat and there was a little bit of family issues with Nick’s family that felt kind of thrown in there. However, overall this was a very quick and enjoyable read that fans of second chance romance will definitely enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC!

Wow, I sped through this book all in one sitting. Falon Ballard is an author that has been at the top of my TBR, so I was excited to receive this ARC, a Christmas enemies-to-lovers publishing story. A lot of books (and certainly romance books) have characters who are writers/involved in the publishing industry - which makes sense, given authors write what authors know. Falon did a uniquely good job of capturing the politics behind the publishing industry and capturing a new bent of it, without getting into the weeds. Nick and Jess broke up 5 years ago -- since then, Nick has made it big as a romance author who only writes non-HEAs, while Jess is still working part-time at a cafe to make ends meet. We don't find out the circumstances of their breakup until the end of the novel, but we know Nick instigated it and certainly feels guilt and regret over their breakup, and is fully ready and accepting that Jess was his one true life partner and if given the chance, would love to win her back. Of course, we get a little bit meta, as both of our authors are stranded in a one-bed winter Christmas scenario and are then tasked with w riting and enemies-to-lovers romance that seems to closely reflect their own circumstances. This reminded me a lot of a recent book I read by Katie Holt, Not in My Book - a similar plot with a different slant.

I think what Falon has done a particularly goot job of, however, is capturing that second chance romance and making it feel like a real reason to breakup. There wasn't enough groveling to give me that kick-my-feet-up, nor enough angst to give me the tears that Happy Place by Emily Henry did. The core reason of their breakup at first scared me. I was ready to throw this book at a wall if Nick was going to play the "it was for your own good" card. But that's not where our author went, and I'm so grateful. Their breakup felt realistic, but their reunion also felt...real? Even if all the ends weren't tied up, in some ways. I was left feeling slightly unsatisfied that Nick hadn't groveled enough, but then on further thought, it also felt satisfying that Nick made the decisions that made sense to his character and his career, and now greatly regrets that - but also can't exactly say that he would go back and change everything. As someone currently in the midst of making decisions around my career and relationships, and having them be at odds, this ultimately pulled me to the 3.75 stars.

My one last gripe: they were broken up for 5 years in the book, but that number didn't quite feel right for the couple. They felt like they were still very acquainted/fell right into step with one another, which makes sense for a second chance romance, but 5 years of yearning worth and separate growth wasn't quite captured enough for me. I'm not quite certain that either of the characters changed all that much to warrant this get-together; and Nick's family background, while realistic, also fell sort of meh to me, particularly his reconciliation with his mother. Ultimately, that's what lost this book the couple of extra points and made it less memorable for me.

Screw the beach read and read this snowy cozy read! (SnoCoz read– is that a thing? Can we make it a thing?) This was just the perfect little holiday romance I didn't know I needed.

Nick is a very successful romance writer who is known to not give his books a HEA. Jess on the other hand, while still published, can't live on her book sales alone and supplements her income being a barista at a local coffee shop. She gets an email from her agent with the opportunity to present an award at a big publishing event that will get her exposure, the only problem is the recipient of the award is her Nick, her ex who dumped her 5 years ago right before they both signed their publishing deals.

When Jess gets to the event and sees Nick for the first time in 5 years she is annoyed how attractive he still is and how she still feels this pull towards him. Throw in the fact that a huge snow storm blows in and strands everyone at the resort and the hotel loses Jess’ reservation and she and Nick are forced to share a room and a bed!
Bonus, they realize they are currently writing a similar book (second chance romance set at Christmastime) and the publisher thinks it would be great if they co-write it together.

Jess had every right to be bitter at Nick and she didn't let her guard down but was also not stubborn about it. You could see her struggles because she clearly still was very attracted to Nick and debated whether or not to let the past go and focus on what's in front of her. Nick on the other hand regretted breaking up with Jess immediately and has been in love with her the whole time. His honesty and forwardness really did add to the build up and I got the anticipation tingles! The grabbing of the pinky fingers during the couples massage— ahhh!

I also loved the flashbacks on their previous Christmases together. This story made me want to drink hot cocoa by a fire and curl up with an oversized blanket on a chair and just read.

Filled with angst, second chances, flashbacks, regrets from him and all the tropes you could want in a holiday romance, this short story delivered. Add Falon Ballard’s signature writing style and a Christmas setting, you have the next holiday hit!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

Notes:
I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Falon Ballard- Love her!
Genre: Romance, Holiday Romance
Troupe: Forced Proximity, Second Chance Romance, One bed/hotel room mix up, trapped in snowstorm

#FalonBallard #AllIWantIsYou #HolidayRomance #NetGalley

3.5 stars // This is a short and sweet second chance holiday romance and I had so much fun w it. I’m a big fan of Falon’s work, and this was no exception. Very quick read and anyone who’s enjoyed her work before will also like this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

All I Want is You by Falon Ballard
hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

This was a very cute, though very meta, second chance romance! (Meta because our main characters are romance authors who end up co-writing a second chance romance together while experiencing their own!) I loved the flashbacks. The forced proximity was a nice touch. The chemistry and banter were spot on! I was glad for the New Girl self-reference in the book because it was the first thing I thought of when I learned the main characters' names and it honestly took me out of the book for a moment. All in all a very cute, cozy Christmas read. Plus, I really enjoy reading Falon Ballard's writing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

5 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. What a gem of a holiday romance! I really enjoy books about writers that dive into the writing process so this was an absolute delight. I’m reading this in May and love the vibes so I can’t imagine how fun they’d be during the holidays! I love Falon’s podcast and was really looking forward to this book given the premise and it did not disappoint! Such a fun read. Would definitely recommend!

This was a quick, sweet Christmas romance! Given that it is about romance writers, I liked the light teasing about all the romance tropes that happen. Overall, it was fun to read, without the angsty anxiety of some stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book. This was my first book by this author, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While I didn't necessarily get much of a Christmas-y vibe from it (although Christmas and snow storms are part of it) I still really enjoyed it. I think this could be enjoyed in any season.

Nick and Jess are exes who are also both romance authors. They broke up years ago when Nick left Jess with very little explanation. Now, their publisher is having a holiday party and Jess has been asked to present Nick with an award. When she shows up to present the award, it's clear that they both still have feelings for each other. With the common mix ups that are of course going to happen in a romance novel, the hotel has an issue with their bookings and they end up having to share a room - and a bed. They then get snowed in and are stuck together for days. Of course, naturally, they end up sharing that they still have feelings for each other and eventually they get to the bottom of why Nick left Jess all those years ago if he still has feelings for her. I really enjoyed the end of this book. I loved their HEA and how it all played out. I think I wish the book had been a bit longer so I could've been a little bit more invested in their love story, and understood their past a bit more, but overall it was a fun, cute read. 4 stars to Falon Ballard.

This feels like a mashup of a Hallmark Christmas movie and <u>Beach Read</u> by Emily Henry.

We have two romance authors, Nick and Jess, who are signed to the same publisher. The two initially did creative critiques on their work...and then fell in love. Jess, who is a romantic at heart - for love and all things Christmas. And Nick, someone who hated Christmas but put up with it because of Jess. They wrote together, acted out spicy scenes together to see if they were realistic. For three years they were inseparable. Until one Christmas after Nick gets a great deal and up and dumps Jess.

Nick, of course, takes the romance world by storm. Even though by definition, <b>is not</b> a romance author. There are no happy endings in his stories. And Jess is still writing, but supplementing her job with a barista position at the local coffee shop. In order for Jess to gain more notice, the publishing house ask her to present an award at their end of the year banquet to the romance author of the year.

Cue a cute little upstate resort, sprinkle in a snow storm, and add a dash of 'no vacancy'.

The marketing team sees something between the two. Jess's reservation vanishes into thin air. And Nick's desire to smooth things over from five years ago. Add to that, two people who finally felt inspiration to write - and two people who inadvertently wrote all the parts of the story the other had not? Seems like a great chance to co-write.

✔️ One bed
✔️ Forced proximity
✔️ Rivals to lovers
✔️ Second chance

I loved this cozy little holiday novel. I only wish I had the chance to read it during the actual holiday season so I could cuddle up by the fire and drink peppermint mochas as well.

I enjoyed reading All I Want is You by Falon Ballard. I loved Jess and Nick’s banter in this laugh-out-loud, super cute, and steamy holiday rom-com. It was a quick read with all of my favorite tropes: one bed, enemies-to-lovers, and second-chance all wrapped up in a pretty Christmas present just for us.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, NetGalley, and Falon Ballard for the complimentary ARC. All opinions expressed above are my own.