All I Want is You | Falon Ballard

 "i would do a hundred things differently if i could go back and change the past, but not if it meant you ended up resenting me."

    This is a story of two romance writers. Five years ago, at Jess’s favorite holiday – Christmas, of course, Nick broke up with her for unknown reasons. His career then takes off, turning him into an NY Times Bestseller author who gives life to unhappy endings, while Jess is struggling.

    Jessica Carrington is working in a coffee shop to make ends meet and trying to move on with her life. When her agent forces her to give the Romance Author of the Year award to her ex, Nick, she thinks the universe must be pulling a joke on her. I mean, can his books even be categorized as romance if they all end with no happily-ever-after in sight? But, the SVP organization will cover her hotel room for the night and give her an opportunity for some exposure by showing how good of a team player she is. She has no desire to reunite with the man who broke her heart and deliver him this award that marks how his career has skyrocketed, while she is stuck in writer’s block, but sacrifices have to be made.

    Nick Matthews is a fan favorite romance writer, whose books always seem to have tragic endings. But, he is also struggling with writer’s block, resents his decision to let Jess get away and still has deep feelings for her. Interestingly, the moment he starts DMing her through social media regarding the awards ceremony, the idea of a second chance novel plot appears in his mind – the same thing happens to Jess who is inspired by their argumentative banter as well.

    But just when they think they’ve gotten that whole reunion thing out of the way, a freak snowstorm strands the whole hotel, and Jess, whose reservation has gone missing, has nowhere to stay as the hotel is fully booked. Thankfully, Nick has a room and he’s ready to share it with Jess. What harm can it do, even though there’s only one bed in the room? They will spend only one night together, then be on their separate ways. They can be civil: no need to fight or tear each other’s clothes off, right?

    While they might've believed that they'd moved on, the forced proximity and sharp moments of angst ratcheted up the tension, while their shared love of romance novels brought some tender moments. They find themselves in another career-related situation that pushes them to bury the hatchet and fix their problems from their shared heart-wrenching past. Now writing a shared novel, inspired by their personal situation, Jess and Nick trade quips and barbs and a Word document. The banter made this fun and playful, even in its heavier moments, and I found it exceedingly easy to binge. But will the peace lasts when the reason for Nick leaving all those years ago is revealed?

    I loved that Nick was clearly still in love with Jess, though I hated that they'd kept those feelings alive while moving on with other people. The reason for their breakup is not revealed to the reader until late in the story, so I was more accepting of their miscommunication than I probably would've been in a different situation. I felt bad for them both, and it was obvious how good they were together. We get a few flashbacks that showcase some of their best moments, and the contrast between past and present was very clear.