This was a fantastic, short and sweet holiday read. I finished this over two days and I just didn't want it to end. I loved the festive setting, the characters were enjoyable and I enjoyed the concept of them writing a book together and I don't want to give anything away. I see this being a holiday romance favourite for many people.

"All I Want is You" is a charming rivals-to-lovers, second-chance romance that perfectly captures the magic of the holiday season. Jessica Carrington, a small-time romance writer, finds herself snowed in with her ex-boyfriend Nick Matthews, now her professional rival. Forced to share a room, their initial tension quickly evolves into something more as they confront their past and rekindle old sparks. Falon Ballard masterfully blends humor and heart, making the characters’ journey both relatable and engaging. With witty banter and cozy holiday vibes, this book is a delightful reminder that sometimes, the best stories come from unexpected situations. Perfect for cozy winter reading!

Falon ballard writes Christmas, I mean what more would you want. A fun enjoyable festive read. You will love it as much as I did

This was very short and easy to read. I absolutely loved Falon’s first 2 books but this one really lacked the depth they had and just didn’t flow very well

Holiday enemies-to-lovers romance with dual POVs, all the feels, and a nice amount of spice! Jess and Nick are both published romance authors and exes who haven’t gotten over each other. They’re thrown together in various fun forced proximity situations, including one of my favorites, the one bed at the inn!

The dual POVs in this one are an extra treat that enhances the storyline of the two writers even more. I enjoyed seeing each of their perspectives as they navigated their mixed-up feelings and miscommunications while having flashbacks to past Christmases.

I did get a bit frustrated with Nick at times, especially as the reason for the original breakup became so drawn out - I just wanted to know what happened already! - but I also liked reading how he viewed Jess, and ultimately, I found him to be really likable. He definitely made up ground with that ending! The grand gesture was everything I could have hoped for and more with two bookish lovers, and it left me feeling so satisfied and dreaming of my own fantasy HEA.

This one is perfect for anyone looking to snuggle up with a sweet, spicy contemporary holiday romance! It’s not an over-the-top holiday cheese fest, but there are fun montages of Christmas activities in NYC and lots of cozy holiday vibes tossed in throughout that keep it festive.

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publishing for sending this DRC for review consideration.

This was such a cute and Christmassy book and I love a second chance romance! Two rivals are stuck together, and they also happen to be ex'es. This was such a easy fun read and I know I now need to find more of Ballards books!

Such a good book to read when the holiday is approaching. Jess and Nick are exes, and she hates his guts because he broke up without giving an explanation five years ago. They are both romance writers (although he only writes books without an HEA and it annoys her so much).

He is getting an award from the publishing house they both are a part of, and she happens to be the one having to present it to him. Nick is thrilled by the thought of seeing Jess again since he never really got over her. She cannot say the same.

They are trapped in the hotel because of a snowstorm lasting days, and are forced to crash at his room since the bookings were not done for her. And things slowly heats up!

Quick read that dragged me in quite quickly. I love books that have dual POV and are written in first person, so this checked all my markers. Lovely reading it!

Tropes:
# Dual POV
# Second-chance romance
# Forced proximity
# One bed

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this book. All opinions are my own.

All I Want Is You is a very cute and swoony Christmas romance that mixes second chances, professional rivalry, and forced proximity. The festive setting and the snowstorm trap make for a cozy, romantic backdrop that pulls you into the holiday spirit. Jessica and Nick, two romance writers with very different views on love, are brought together in the most awkward way, and it’s fun to see how their history and frustrations play out.

I’m not usually a fan of the second chance trope, but it was really well done here. The slow burn between the characters keeps you on edge, but since it’s a quick read, you don’t have to wait too long for them to come together, which I appreciated. The forced proximity with the snowstorm adds a lot of excitement to the story, making it even more satisfying when they finally get together.

The characters were mostly well developed, though I found Nick to be a bit frustrating at times. He can come across as an idiot in some moments, mostly when he breaks up with Jessica in the beginning, but it fits with the tension between him and Jessica. In general, this book was a charming holiday romance with just the right amount of drama and festive warmth. A perfect read for anyone who loves Christmas and a heartwarming love story.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance and this one is very high on my list of favourites, Jessica is a romance writers who always loves writing a happy ending and Nick is her ex who is also a writer only he likes to stay away from happy endings!
They have now been split for 5 years and Jessica is asked to present an award to Nick, she isn't best pleased at this but to make matters worse when she arrives the hotel had a mix up with her reservation and she ends up having to share a room with Nick (tee hee!)

This is such a cute slow burn that left me feeling so festive, can i just mention that i adore the cover? so cute!

In this fun holiday rom-com, romance writer Jessica Carrington is stuck with her ex, Nick Matthews—her biggest rival—after they get snowed in at a remote inn before Christmas. While Jess writes happy endings, Nick’s made a career out of stories without them. Forced to share a room, their unresolved tension turns into inspiration for their writing. As old sparks reignite, Jess wonders if Nick might be exactly what she wants for Christmas after all. With sharp banter and festive charm, this enemies-to-lovers tale is a perfect holiday read!

A cosy, Christmassy second-chance, forced proximity, slow burn perfect for winter reading. The book is easy to read through and has you looking forward to winter. While I do love a slow-burn, this may have been slightly too slow for me at points but that’s not to say others will feel the same! I’d definitely recommend giving it a go

Thank you NetGalley and Headline Eternal for the ARC!

I've only read one book by Falon Ballard and it wasn't my favourite. But when I saw that she had another book set on Christmas romance with a second chance and a one-bed trope (where it actually makes sense!), I was excited. I really loved the banter between the characters. The chemistry was OOF!

'All I Want is You' is a cute and short cozy Christmas romance with likeable characters and funny moments.

Nick is a romance writer, very successful even though he doesn’t write happy endings. Jessica is a romance writer, less successful but making it work. Their publisher sets them up and here we go - snowed in - only one bed - holiday season - what’s going to happen?

I love Fallon’s other books, especially Just My Type, and this is great fun - a quick easy festive steamy read, but it didn’t completely work for me, much as I liked Jessica. I couldn’t get past how weak Nick’s reasoning was and how it took him five years - five years! - to reconnect with Jessica. And even then, it wasn't his initiative 🤯

That said, everything else is just fabulous. Enjoy the setting, Christmas cheer, plenty of banter, wonderful friends, spicy steam, delicious meta-ness about romance writing and yes, an HEA.

Thank you Falon Ballard, NetGalley, and Headline Eternal for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I can’t believe I’ve just read a Christmas romance in September but it sounded so good and it managed to exceed my expectations so I'm really glad I did. This was so much fun!!

I’m a sucker for a second chance romance. Add in forced proximity and great chemistry, and you’ve got this incredible book! Jess and Nick were so cute together and it was very clear from the beginning that they were meant to be together. I really liked the Nick was very clear about this from the start as well - he was so in love with Jess he was desperate to get her back.

I enjoyed seeing them open up to each other and communicate about what happened when they broke up. It was also nice to see Nick fight for her and eventually win her back. I really loved them together.

Another thing I really liked were Jess’s friends. I loved the way all of these characters were romance writers and lovers and her dynamic with her friends was so much fun!

Overall, this was an adorable short Christmas read and I couldn’t recommend it more, especially to lovers of second chance romances and the forced proximity trope!

A huge thank you to Headline Eternal and Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review 💛

‘All I Want Is You’ by Falon Ballard is a wonderful festive romance featuring so many of my favourite tropes - second-chance-romance, stranded by the snow with only one bed and a publishing industry setting! Told in dual POV by rival authors Jessica and Nick, reunited at an awards ceremony five years after Nick broke up with Jessica just after their third Christmas together, this novel is as sweet and spicy as nutmeg cookies.

I adored:
- The alternating narrators which made me love both characters and relate to some of their feelings
- The supporting characters which included Jessica’s fellow romance authors and members of her publisher’s marketing team
- The way that flashbacks allowed a good sprinkling of spicy scenes across the book while maintaining the slow burn tension between the couple in the present
- The super meta book-within-a-book concept which allowed the leads to explore the reasons for their break-up
- The perfect grand gesture!

This was an absolute five star read for me - I love Christmassy books and getting into the heads of relatable, flawed, interesting characters and this novel was a perfect example!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Headline via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Jess and Nick are both romance authors... who used to be in love. ever since Nick broke her heart, Jess has been writing happily ever afters for her small group of dedicated fans. Nick, on the other hand, has made a fortune by writing bestselling romance books that all have one thing in common: unhappy endings. When an event for their shared publishers lands on the same week as an intense snow storm, they find themsleves face to face for the first time in five years AND forced to share a hotel room. What’s even more surprising is just how inspiring being trapped with your ex can really be when you’re in a writing slump. Can Nick and Jess work through their past or will it be a blue christmas for both of them?

I loved this!!! You can tell that this book was written by an author who loves and reads a lot of romance themselves. It was a quick, fast-paced, highly enjoyable read that I truly couldn't put down. The list of tropes in this book speaks for itself: second chance, one bed, forced proximity, enemies to lovers. And, they way these tropes were utilised in the first person, dual POV narrative was masterful. One particular element that stands out is how the characters used writing as a form of communication — such a fresh take on romance. Falon Ballard just became an autobuy author for me. The perfect festive read. five stars! Also, major points for the New Girl reference!!!

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy which publishes on the 24th September, 2024!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling in All I Want Is You and relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

Thank you so much for the arc, I was so excited to read this book even though it’s on September 🙈 the Christmas vibes were immaculate and I loved Jess and nick as characters. It’s clear from the start that they are meant to be together and although you could call the book predictable it’s exactly what I needed it to be 🥰. This book was so heartwarming and cozy which is what you want for a Christmas themed book, it actually had me fully tearing up. I think this just might be my favourite Christmas book. I can’t wait to see other people’s thoughts on this one because it was amazing!

This book is short and sweet. Falon Ballard never misses, and I love the Christmas vibe of it, it’s just the perfect amount of holiday cheer.

The story is about Jess and Nick (love the New Girl shoutout) two writers who used to date and then one Christmas they break up. After spending years apart, he’s grown into a huge success for romance novels with no happy endings, and her career is still kind of stuck, even though she has published, she still couldn’t do it full time. They reconnect because she is expected to hand him an award and then they have to unravel and go through their relationship after being apart for so long.

It’s a second chance romance, with all the perfect tropes in it - not a fan of miscommunication trope but it works for this story, since it’s not totally in the way and it makes sense.

Anyway, loved the book, and if I could, I’d give a 4.5 star. Cutesy and funny. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Great and fun holiday romance!

I liked this book! I am a big lover of second chance romance, and if there is closed proximity and only one bed added to the mix... sign me up! All I Want is You was easy to read, with a quick pace and fun story, and I finished it in two sittings. I would give it 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the first 70% of the book, I connected to the characters (I was so happy it was dual POV!) and the pace of the story was good, although I am a bit sceptical of the fact a book was written within 2/3 days, but I guess it could be possible... I also enjoyed the friendship and support between Jess and the other authors!

Unfortunately, the ending felt a bit rushed and weak for me. Throughout the book, I was expecting a bit explanation for why Jess and Nick broke up in the first place, and there was so much mystery about it that I expected a good reason or something very dramatic, but I found it to be a bit weak and I felt slightly disappointed. I get that they are still in love, but they were broken up for five years, and then got back together within a week of reconnecting... I would have liked for it to have dragged on for longer, it would have made sense to need more time to think through everything. I did love the "grand gesture", it fit so well with the characters story and perfectly romantic.

This was my first book by Falon Ballard and I really enjoyed her writing and voice, so I will definitely check out some of her other books too!

Overall, All I Want is You is a fun and fast-paced holiday romance, and I recommend you add it to your Christmas TBR!

Thanks to NetGalley, Headline, and Falon Ballard for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.