A forced proximity romance, two ex's sharing a room. He wants a chance to explain and a second chance, but will he get it? A great read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
Falon Ballard has done it again. All I Want is You is funny, swoony, and packed with chemistry. The banter is sharp, the emotional beats hit just right, and the romance is everything you’d want from a modern love story. One of my favourites this year—pure serotonin.

This was an absolutely delightful second-chance, Christmas romance that brought me right out of a two-month-long reading slump. I always love romances featuring books whether that be booksellers or, like this one, authors - sometimes I find that books ignore the book theme after a couple of chapters but the fact these two were writers felt really intertwined with the plot. A great wee read for any time of the year with lovable characters and a warm atmosphere.

I read this in the lead-up to Christmas and just fell in love with it! I love a bookish setting, and Christmas love stories always get me. This one was no different, I just adored it. Jess and Nick were so sweet, and I’d definitely be interested in reading more from this author!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc. 🫶🏻

3.75 stars
I've been a big fan of Falon's books in the past, but sadly this one didn't work as well for me.
The first 75% of the book was what I tend to expect from these types of books, but the last 25% kind of ruined that.
I don't think it needed to go in the direction that it did at this point. And Nick really wasn't my favourite either.
It was a nice, easy holiday/festive read though. And it hasn't put me off reading more from Falon in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked it, for a holiday book it was nice. Definitely felt like reading a hallmark movie. Im grateful it was a short and sweet story because it wasn’t the greatest read for me. The smut wasn’t super well written nor was the story which is why I gave it a three. If your looking for a chill Christmas read that is more smut than anything else this one is a good one.

I really enjoyed this book. Probably one of my favourite holiday romances. The dynamic between the characters, them being snowed in and stuck together...so good!

Such a beautiful second chance romance with amazing tension!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-arc!

This heartwarming holiday romance is a festive delight, perfect for fans of second-chance love stories with a touch of forced proximity and a sprinkle of enemies-to-lovers charm. Set against the cozy backdrop of Christmas, Jess, an eternally optimistic romance writer, and Nick, her grumpy ex who writes heartbreaking non-HEAs, are thrown back together after years of avoiding each other. When Jess is forced to present an award to Nick at a publishing event, and a snowstorm traps them into sharing a hotel room, unresolved feelings and witty banter ignite in the most unexpected ways.

Jess and Nick’s dynamic is a blend of nostalgia, tension, and undeniable chemistry. Their shared past, marked by a painful breakup at Christmastime, lingers as they navigate their mutual writer’s block and personal insecurities. Both characters are endearing in their own right—Jess with her sunshiney resilience and Nick with his begrudging charm and hidden vulnerability. Their journey from bitterness to rekindled romance is as satisfying as it is predictable, evoking the warmth of a Hallmark movie with a touch more spice.

While the premise and execution aren’t groundbreaking, this quick, feel-good read is undeniably charming. The snowy setting, playful tropes (hello, one-bed scenario!), and authentic emotional beats make it an enjoyable escape. Despite a slightly eye-roll-worthy reason for their original split, their second-chance romance ultimately delivers on its promise of holiday cheer and swoony moments. Perfect for cozying up with a peppermint mocha during the festive season!

I am becoming such a Falon Ballard fan! She writes chemistry and tension so well, and I do enjoy a second-chance romance too.

This book is a JOURNEY!

First, the things I enjoyed. I liked the set up of this book a lot. I know it is a cliché, but snowed in at Christmas is a trope I love. I also really liked the tension between the characters. It had an edge of rivals to lovers as well as second chance romance, and those two tropes together make for a good time.

This book was a solid 4 star for me until the break up reason came out. At this point, the main man gave me such an ick I almost didn't finish because I didn't think it was possible for the author to pull it back. But that romantic ass gesture? Spectacular. He is still garbage, but at least he is romantic garbage who mas maybe grown as a person?

Overall, this book is a fun festive time, but maybe not as swoony as desired.

Thanks to NetGalley, Falon Ballard and Headline for the free e-arc. All opinions are my own etc.

I can see what the author was trying to do with this book; a kind of Inception of romance - which is a great premise but unfortunately the characters let the story down for me.
Jessica and Nick used to be together, but had a brutal breakup. They're both romance authors and he got successful whilst her modest sales don't nearly match his. When Jessica is asked to present an award to Nick at her publisher's big Xmas gala she reluctantly accepts so she doesn't get in their bad books. They get snowed in at the inn, there's only one room with only one bed... and for some unhinged reason these two idiots decide even though they basically barely speak to each other any more, they're going to start writing a romance book together.
As their story unfolds for the reader Jessica and Nick are also conducting an audit of their own broken relationship in their book draft. It's all pretty meta and honestly the amount of tired tropes crammed into this book on top of that plus the flashbacks made the whole thing a tad tedious.
Eventually we find out why they broke up - spoiler, it's all Nick's fault. Here is where I came unstuck because I had been feeling pretty beige about the whole story thus far, but honestly dear reader, I would not have forgiven him. Ballard doesn't give us much to actually like about either character - Jessica is simply a broken, sad girl after losing the love of her life and Nick is a selfish wanker. This was a second-change romance where I don't think they should have given it another whirl.

Well if this wasnt one of the cutest fluffiest christmas rom coms.

Here we have a book about 2 ex lover writers stuck together accidentally both writing a second chance romance.

And obviously this book is also a second chance romance. So we knew where this book was going.
I find Fallons books so cheesy and predictable. But I don't care as I love reading them. They are just a hug in a book. And an honest delight.

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧…
🎄 holiday romance
🖋️ second chance
🎄 forced proximity
🖋️ rival authors

𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨…
When novelist Jess is asked to present a best-romance-author award to the man who broke her heart five years previously, Nick, a snowstorm means that she can’t avoid him like she had planned.

𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨…
This one was a cute & easy Hallmark style festive novella! It’s around 250 pages, so bordering on short-novel length - which for me is perfect for a Christmas read 🎄

This is a second chance with forced proximity, which I absolutely LOVE 🫶🏼 As it’s on the shorter side though it’s on the lighter & fluffier side, and doesn’t have the same level of angst you usually associate with these tropes - which for a holiday romance is probably a good thing?!

I really liked Jess as a character - she is fun & sassy, and pulls up her big girl panties & puts on a killer dress to see her ex for the first time in five years 👠

This book was tracking a 3.5/4★ read for me… until I found out Nick’s reasoning for the original break up five years previously! This is kept under wraps through the whole book so I was expecting something heartbreaking to be honest… but actually it’s just bad 😂 (no cheating though fyi.) Buut I definitely think Jess brushed it off far too easily and we needed more grovelling 🫠 (would I have given him another chance at all after that?! I’m really not sure 😂)

This book is definitely a cute read - it’s just a little cheesey & cliche, and I think quite forgettable! (Aside from Nick 👀 I think I’ll probably dislike him for a while 😅)

This was very cute, very Christmassy! I've really enjoyed Falon Ballard's works in the past, and while this isn't my favourite of hers, I am so happy she's done a Christmas romance. These characters were cute, and I loved the snowed-in setting and how cosy everything felt. I think I would possibly have enjoyed this even more if I had read it in one sitting, because it's fun and festive and a bit tongue-in-cheek when discussing tropes like one bed, or HEA. Jess was a bit of an annoying main character at times, but then again I did still like her a lot. I just didn't love the explanation for why he broke up with her five years previously; it was just stupid and I can't lie, I wouldn't have forgiven him for that. But overall, cute, cosy, Christmassy - and I can't wait to read Falon Ballard's next book!

4.5 stars

This was such a great read!

If youre looking for a second chance, forced proximity (with only one bed) short Christmas read this is the book for you

I love that both of them are writers and start the book in a slump and them reconnecting gets them out of the slump, it was so cute

The angst and tension that the forced proximity, only one bed, having to be civil in front of their colleagues and having to work together was so good and made me fall in love with these characters

- second chance
- both romance writers
- forced proximity - snowed in a hotel together
- only one bed
- christmas romance

Thank you to Headline Eternal and NetGalley for the eARC - all opinions are my own

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