Thank you NetGalley, Falon Ballard, and Putnam Books/Penguin Group for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Premise: Jessica is a romance writer, but hasn’t made it big enough for it to be her full time job. Nick is a household name in the romance genre, known for his unhappy endings. Both work for the same publishing company, and are exes who broke up right when they got their first books published. Years later, Jess is asked to present an award to Nick, which she agrees to against her will. They get snowed in at the awards venue, which only has one room available between them both. They’re trying to write while trying to navigate their close proximity….will they get their second chance romance, like the characters in their stories?

Thoughts: oh my gosh, I LOVED this book! I devoured it in under 24 hours. It was sweet, funny, witty, heartwarming, and felt like Christmas. This will be a new comfort read for me

Tropes: close proximity, one bed, second chance romance, lovers to enemies to lovers, workplace romance (kind of)

I will be highly recommending this to others!

When Jess and Nick first met, she thought she’d found her own happily ever after. Until he broke her heart. Now, forced together for the first time since the end of their relationship, Jess discovers there may have been more to their breakup than she thought. As the spark between them is reignited by a joint writing project, Jess must ask herself whether she can believe in her own second-chance romance.

This book featured all the tropes, and I loved that. Second-chance love, holiday romance, stranded in a storm, only one bed…the list goes on. And they were all done well, truly an incredible feat, as often too many tropes can take away from the story—but not in this case. I loved the dynamic between Jess and Nick. Their witty banter had me laughing out loud, I enjoyed their constant efforts to one-up each other, and the tension between the two was palpable. The holiday element was prevalent without feeling trite, and I think it was so successful, in part, because it was more than just the setting; Jess’s love for Christmas was an essential part of her character, related closely to her preference for happily ever after endings. Falon Ballard did a beautiful job of writing a story that was entirely unique to her characters; Jess and Nick were so well-developed that it was clear this was their story, driven by their motivations, and no one else’s. Ballard clearly spent a lot of time in her characters’ heads, and it shows. The only thing keeping this from being a perfect read for me is Nick’s motivation for their breakup. I was expecting something bigger or more significant to have caused the end of the relationship. To me, the explanation didn’t match the magnitude of his feelings for Jess therefore didn’t ring true. However, this book has so much to offer and I would definitely recommend it as a cozy holiday read this winter. It may even be my favorite of Ballard’s yet!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for granting me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although this is a Christmas-themed romance, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'All I Want is You' in June! It is a tale of two romance writers finding their second-chance at love, overcoming a past break-up and doing it all through their write. The scene before the third act was spicy perfection. Thank you for the early copy!

4.5 ⭐️
This book was so cute 🥹 like a Christmas version of Beach Read by Emily Henry, yet it felt unique and the characters were really lovely.
Jess and Nick (hello New Girllll) are forced to spend some time together a few years after Nick breaks up with Jess.. on Christmas Day 🥲. Love the enemies-to-lovers second-chance romance + forced proximity but I mostly love characters that are writers so this was a fun one to read.

This will be a fun, short, and cute holiday read. Lots of peppermint mochas mentioned so now I can’t wait for all the Christmassy things 🎄 ☕️

Thank you Putnam Books for gifting me an ARC through NetGalley.

Falon Ballard has easily become one of my favorite authors. Another great Christmas classic that I’ll definitely read again! Thanks to NetGalkey for the advanced read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of All I Want is You.

I really loved the premise of this book. A second chance enemies to lovers with one bed. The holiday setting added to the allure

I recommend this book for a quick holiday read

I’ve enjoyed all of Falon’s book and this was one was no exception. Cute holiday stories about two authors who used to be in a relationship and are forced together during a winter storm.


It’s a cute and quick read that put me in the holiday spirt even though I read it on the beach!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I lived this book it was such a fun holiday rom com I can’t wait to read more by this author it was a great book.

If you’re a fan of Hallmark holiday movies but find yourself wishing there was a lot more tingle-inducing spice to them, this is for you.

Fallon Ballard makes deliciously readable books with love stories that pull the readers in and make us root like hell for the main characters, no matter their (relatable) mess.

This book is for romance lovers and optimists, fans of second-chance love and winter storms that cause the perfect amount of trouble.

Get your hands on this one as a gift to yourself and your word nerd friends this holiday season.

I read an ARC via NetGalley, and will absolutely buy it for my book club book swap once it publishes (9/24/24).

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an advance reader copy of this delightful book.

"All I Want is You" by Falon Ballard is a heartwarming and festive romance that will leave readers with a smile. Jessica, a small-time romance writer, is yearning for her own happily ever after while her ex-boyfriend Nick, now a successful writer of love stories with unhappy endings, is her biggest rival. Their worlds collide when professional obligations bring them to a remote inn just before Christmas, and a snowstorm forces them to share a room.

Ballard masterfully captures the tension and chemistry between Jessica and Nick, turning their friction into a charming and engaging story. The snowy setting and holiday spirit add a magical touch, making their journey from rivals to potential lovers all the more enjoyable.

"All I Want is You" is a delightful read that perfectly balances humor, romance, and the enchanting atmosphere of the holiday season. Falon Ballard delivers a story that reminds us of the magic of Christmas and the unexpected paths to love.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

All I Want is You is a spicy Hallmark movie script. By that, I mean there is very little plot development with an expected HEA - akin to a Hallmark movie - but lots of spice. In fact, spice is all this couple seems to have holding them together. There really isn’t any cast of characters beyond a couple of texts to give any additional depth or context for the MMCs. For me, Ballard’s newest book is a miss and doesn’t hold up to the talent exhibited in her previous work, Just My Type, which I enjoyed.

Ballard has delivered again. This is a well done romance about two writers who used to date and who are forced together during a snowstorm. It has a lot of romance novel tropes, and it is set at Christmas time so it will definitely be a good read for those looking for a nice holiday romance around, well, the holidays. I genuinely liked both of the main characters, and that was good, because there were not a lot of secondary characters who were given significant page time in this one. It was all Nick and Jess and their relationship. The alternating POVs with the flack backs worked, because without them, it would have felt very flat to have a book that really did stay bubbled around the two main characters.

Given that they were lovers before, the fact that they felt such attraction from the get go was believable because they had had a slow burn build up to their first time together.

There were not a lot of surprises in this book, but that was fine. The writing is good. The dialogue is fun. The story moves well. And you have some good romantic leads to cozy up to. If you liked Ballard's other writing, you won't be disappointed. I find that she is like Abby Jimenez if you are looking for a comparable writer.

I absolutely ADORE Falon Ballard (I've read all her books!) so I was super excited to get approved for this book. It did not disappoint. Short but sweet. I loved the fact that they were both romance authors and the snowed in aspect. My two issues with the book were that there was not a whole lot of character development so the main characters didn't seem to have a whole lot of chemistry, and I didn't think it was realistic that the MMC wrote romances without a happy ending. Is there even such a thing? Either way, I really enjoyed this one. Falon Ballard remains a must-read author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! Super Christmasy vibes and it made me go get a peppermint mocha in the middle of June. I didn't really feel a connection to the characters, but their story still had an impact if that makes any sense. I love love the pace + plot! I will definitely look out for more books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

This book is it! Falon Ballard- check! Christmas romance- check! ‘Enemies to lovers/second chance romance- check!

Jessica and Nick are ex’s and competition as authors. During a snowstorm they are forced to share a cabin together.

I really enjoyed it and will have to reread close to the holidays!

I have read Falon Ballards other books and they were sweet and entertaining. All I Want is You did not quite hit the mark. It was well written but the characters did not seem to have any chemistry and everything happend rather quick in my opinion. I honestly got bored 50 pages in and I had to give up eventually and 'dnf' it.

This was my first book by this author and it won't be my last. It was a great read and a perfect Christmas book. Nick and Jess are romance writers, exes and both work for the same publishing company. They broke up 5 years ago and were thrown back together at a book writers convention where Jess agreed to give Nick an award. Jess was still bitter from the breaking up and Nick was super excited to see Jess again. They ended up getting snowed in together and due to unforseen circumstances they ended up sharing a room together. They were forced to talk about what went wrong in the relationship. They also discovered how much they missed working together. They agreed to work on a book together and that's when the romance resumes. The book takes you through the last 5 years that they were apart and the reason for the break up. I can say, I truely loved the ending of this book. It was magical.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for giving me early access to such a wonderful book. I will recommend it to all my friends.

This book is delightful! I love a second chance romance, and this one did not disappoint. The spice level was perfect for me. Not gratuitous, but spicy and sweet.

Falon Ballard has won this reader’s heart (and devotion) with her latest holiday inspired, second-chance-at-love, enemies-to-lovers, tear-jerking romance, ALL I WANT IS YOU, which has all of the features of what could be the plot of an adorable yet whimsical Hallmark movie. The novel could have been a stereotypical, Nora Ephron-inspired romantic comedy, but it veers straight into steamy romance territory, announcing to Hallmark that their Christmas in July offerings could use a little more S-E-X, because it's not like it's a bad word. And the book is better for this alterarion as Ballard makes the concept her own.

Jess Carrington is an established yet struggling romance writer who has to supplement her income by working in a café: "People tend to be surprised when they find out I'm a published romance author. Not because I don't seem like the type -- I probably fit the stereotypical bill as far as appearance goes -- but because they assume authors make enough money to not have to work at coffee shops. Well, you know what they say about assumptions.”

Nick Matthews is Jess' ex and is one of the more successful romance authors. He is considered something of a unicorn in the industry, he is a straight male who writes romances, but he does not write books with Happily Ever After (HEA) endings, opting instead to subvert the genre. He attributes the lack of HEAs in his work due to his failed relationship with Jess, and the fact that Nick does not subscribe to this all-important feature of the genre has caused other romance writers to regard him with disdain.

Working at the café and counting on some decent tips from customers to help with paying the bills, Jess receives word from her agent that her publisher is holding its annual Holiday Ball, and it will be at this ball when Nick is presented with the award for Romance Writer of the Year. Who will be presenting the award to her ex? You guessed it.

Despite the fact that it has been five years since their break-up, Jess and Nick still harbor strong feelings for each other, though Jess regards Nick as her archnemesis. Does it count though, if he does not know this? Jess does not want to present her ex with an award; heck, she doesn’t even want to go to the Holiday Ball. She can’t afford to take time off from the café. But it is made clear to her that if she wants her publisher to take out an option on her next book, which she is struggling with writing, she needs to be a team player.

Cue the inevitable expensive trip to the resort where the ball is taking place, a wicked winter storm that will prevent our would-be lovers from leaving, and a mix up with room reservations. In other words, all of the elements for the romance are in place, expertly executed by the very brilliant Ballard. This novel has all the stereotypes, all the cliches. And that's okay. It's supposed to. Ballard knows what kind of book she is writing. What is so enchanting is how Ballard gets the reader from one scene to the next. And despite all of the foreshadowing, Ballard does manage to surprise. Readers will smile, laugh, tear up, and cheer.

What is particularly remarkable about this latest entry in Ballard’s oeuvre is this: Amid all of the subtle (and not-so-subtle) commentary about the romance genre and the publishing industry, Ballard is acknowledging that the romance novel CAN be something more while simultaneously acknowledging that it is important to uphold genre’s many traditions.

And I know what people would say: This is a romance, not the real world. But Ballard actually has moments of reality that seep into her romances that are over much too quick. I think that's why I like Ballard's stories and prose so much. I don't know the author personally, but I have the sense that Ballard KNOWS that the romance genre is a legitimate genre that is disrespected by many in the publishing world; Ballard KNOWS that the romance genre props up the publishing industry financially because it sells more books than all of the other genres combined, despite being disrespected by so many in the publishing world; Ballard KNOWS that there is an incredible history (and herstory) to the genre's evolution; finally, Ballard KNOWS that the romance genre can be, for lack of a better word, MORE. Do I want it to be more? I don't know. Part of me loves losing myself in a good, cozy, traditional romantic comedy. That is how I discovered this genre in the first place. On the other hand, after reading romances for close to a decade now, and I admit my knowledge of the genre is lacking, I kind of do want it to be just a little bit . . . more. And I think a writer of Ballard's caliber can steer the ship.

I applaud this new book from Ballard, which feels like a bit of a departure from her other books. She appears to be trying something new. It is more Tessa Bailey than Emily Henry. Fans of BEACH READ, THE HATING GAME, and MEET ME IN THE MARGINS will appreciate this new installment from Ballard.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the arc. I’ve really enjoyed Fallon Ballard’s books in the past, and I enjoyed this one as well!

All I Want Is You featured Nick and Jess (yes, like new girl), in a Christmas-themed, cozy second chance romance (featuring two writers also writing about a second chance romance). This was cozy and cute, and I think it would be a fun read around the holiday season if you want a quick, light read!