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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
* Reviewed for NetGalley*
Callie Grey knows what she wants, and his name is Mark. She completely understood when after a five week fling he confessed it was a bad time for a relationship and so spends the next year admiring him from her desk in his advertising company. When Mark announces his engagement to Muriel, the daughter of their biggest account, Callie is crushed.
Her best friends convince her that a new man will drive him wild with jealously and bring him back. Good thing there is a new single vet in town because internet dating sure isn't working out.
This is the first book I have read by Higgins and she has gained a new fan. All I Ever Wanted is labeled as a contemporary romance but I feel it is more than the romance between Callie and Ian with a cast of secondary characters that are as compelling as the blooming relationship.
Callie likely reminds you of someone you know (he is a dirtbag- let go already!)and therein lies her charm. Almost relentlessly optimistic and friendly, Callie is easy to relate to. You get a real sense of who she is and what she thinks given the first person narrative which is deftly handled by Higgins.
The development of the romantic relationship between the outgoing Callie and private Ian is satisfying because you want Callie to have that happy ending, and you just know they are going to be good for each other. The "fade to black" is a little disapointing but there is enough emotional intimacy to counteract that.
What I adored most is that All I Ever Wanted has a wicked sense of humor that made me snort in laughter more than a few times.
What makes this book special however is Callie's dysfunctional family, grumpy one legged grandpa Noah, man-bashing sister Hester struggling with her teen daughter's disdain and youngest's preoccupation with inappropriate pop songs, near genius but directionless younger brother and parents that continue to battle it out over a long past hurts. These characters are heartwarming, hilarious and play a huge part in my enjoyment of the story. Not to mention the creepy funeral home assistant, bitter work colleagues and appalling internet dates that add moments of humour and pathos.
All I Ever Wanted is a fabulously entertaining read and I'll be picking up a few more by Kristan Higgins as soon as I can.
Callie Grey knows what she wants, and his name is Mark. She completely understood when after a five week fling he confessed it was a bad time for a relationship and so spends the next year admiring him from her desk in his advertising company. When Mark announces his engagement to Muriel, the daughter of their biggest account, Callie is crushed.
Her best friends convince her that a new man will drive him wild with jealously and bring him back. Good thing there is a new single vet in town because internet dating sure isn't working out.
This is the first book I have read by Higgins and she has gained a new fan. All I Ever Wanted is labeled as a contemporary romance but I feel it is more than the romance between Callie and Ian with a cast of secondary characters that are as compelling as the blooming relationship.
Callie likely reminds you of someone you know (he is a dirtbag- let go already!)and therein lies her charm. Almost relentlessly optimistic and friendly, Callie is easy to relate to. You get a real sense of who she is and what she thinks given the first person narrative which is deftly handled by Higgins.
The development of the romantic relationship between the outgoing Callie and private Ian is satisfying because you want Callie to have that happy ending, and you just know they are going to be good for each other. The "fade to black" is a little disapointing but there is enough emotional intimacy to counteract that.
What I adored most is that All I Ever Wanted has a wicked sense of humor that made me snort in laughter more than a few times.
What makes this book special however is Callie's dysfunctional family, grumpy one legged grandpa Noah, man-bashing sister Hester struggling with her teen daughter's disdain and youngest's preoccupation with inappropriate pop songs, near genius but directionless younger brother and parents that continue to battle it out over a long past hurts. These characters are heartwarming, hilarious and play a huge part in my enjoyment of the story. Not to mention the creepy funeral home assistant, bitter work colleagues and appalling internet dates that add moments of humour and pathos.
All I Ever Wanted is a fabulously entertaining read and I'll be picking up a few more by Kristan Higgins as soon as I can.
3.5★ rounded to 4★
A cute chick lit romance with mild sex reference. I liked this book as a quick beach read. The characters are all quirky and likeable. There are lots of dog and and cat owners- Bowie and Angie being the most descriptive in the book as they're owned by the H / h. I would read this again if I was in the mood for something light. There was a predictable tear-jerker moment at the end. I saw it coming but I still shed a few tears to. I did like the end.
A cute chick lit romance with mild sex reference. I liked this book as a quick beach read. The characters are all quirky and likeable. There are lots of dog and and cat owners- Bowie and Angie being the most descriptive in the book as they're owned by the H / h. I would read this again if I was in the mood for something light. There was a predictable tear-jerker moment at the end. I saw it coming but I still shed a few tears to. I did like the end.
I fell in love with this book! I loved how Callie felt the need to try so hard for everyone to like her and how as the story progressed she came to realize that wasn't the case. She reminds me of myself sometimes. Ian's character at first was too introverted and grumpy for my taste, but as the story went along I totally warmed up to him! One of my favorites!
I loved the unique characters, though the main character had some very annoying moments for me. Overall when I read this book it made me smile and occasionally laugh.
Kristan Higgins is always an author I watch for on the library shelf (i used to buy them, but that's just not an option right now). I always find her books entertaining and this one was not a disappointment.
http://www.nyx-shadow.com/2014/09/lamour-et-tout-ce-qui-va-avec-kristan.html
....And she's back.
After a disappointing recent outing with [b:The Next Best Thing|8273304|The Next Best Thing|Kristan Higgins|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51M1VnmpSvL._SL75_.jpg|6965083] KH has come back with a book that is strongly reminiscent of her earlier and much better (much funnier) reads.
I knew when poor Callie's birthday party got relocated to the Serenity Room in her family's funeral home that I was in for a treat.
For people who really enjoy KH's voice, this book is a great showcase for the stuff that makes her so enjoyable. She writes great family dynamic and the Grey family is a total hit out the ballpark. I loved them all, from her lethal mother to her genius ne'er do well brother and her George Clooney/Cary Grant-esque father. Everybody had a personality that just leaps off the page, but unlike her last book where everyone was a tic or a quirk, this group seemed real.
Also in typical KH fashion the heroine is madly in love and obsesses over a man who is utterly wrong for her until she realizes that the hero is the man for her. In some of KH's books, that obsession with another guy can skirt the line of being overpowering almost to the detriment of the heroine's relationship with the hero. But I think she struck the right balance with this one. Callie gets a painful wake up call about the guy she's madly in love with and has to come to the slow realization that she has to move on. It isn't instantaneous and I think her move from Mark to the hero Ian is well done and felt very natural.
Ian, kinda like Maloner The Loner in [b:Catch of the Day|8579307|Catch of the Day|Kristan Higgins|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DqBDlMvzL._SL75_.jpg|934942] (my second favorite KH book) is extremely taciturn. But at least Ian is a bit more approachable than Malone was. Callie very slowly pulls him out of his shell. And it is a nice relationship to watch blossom.
I finished this in one and night and completely enjoyed it!
After a disappointing recent outing with [b:The Next Best Thing|8273304|The Next Best Thing|Kristan Higgins|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51M1VnmpSvL._SL75_.jpg|6965083] KH has come back with a book that is strongly reminiscent of her earlier and much better (much funnier) reads.
I knew when poor Callie's birthday party got relocated to the Serenity Room in her family's funeral home that I was in for a treat.
For people who really enjoy KH's voice, this book is a great showcase for the stuff that makes her so enjoyable. She writes great family dynamic and the Grey family is a total hit out the ballpark. I loved them all, from her lethal mother to her genius ne'er do well brother and her George Clooney/Cary Grant-esque father. Everybody had a personality that just leaps off the page, but unlike her last book where everyone was a tic or a quirk, this group seemed real.
Also in typical KH fashion the heroine is madly in love and obsesses over a man who is utterly wrong for her until she realizes that the hero is the man for her. In some of KH's books, that obsession with another guy can skirt the line of being overpowering almost to the detriment of the heroine's relationship with the hero. But I think she struck the right balance with this one. Callie gets a painful wake up call about the guy she's madly in love with and has to come to the slow realization that she has to move on. It isn't instantaneous and I think her move from Mark to the hero Ian is well done and felt very natural.
Ian, kinda like Maloner The Loner in [b:Catch of the Day|8579307|Catch of the Day|Kristan Higgins|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DqBDlMvzL._SL75_.jpg|934942] (my second favorite KH book) is extremely taciturn. But at least Ian is a bit more approachable than Malone was. Callie very slowly pulls him out of his shell. And it is a nice relationship to watch blossom.
I finished this in one and night and completely enjoyed it!
It's like eating a delicious cake and finding occasional mustard seeds inside. It has good plot and good writing, but I have problem with some of the heroine/author's attitude and the stereotypes, which is as usual of a Kristan Higgins' books for me. I have 2 more books of hers in my kindle. I'm beginning to wonder if I should read them.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
My first Kristan Higgins book, and what a first time it was too! I rarely laugh and cry (the good kind) through a book but I somehow managed it here. What's immediately striking is how snappy and engaging Callie's voice is, and while it is effective to varying degrees as the story goes on, it is definitely the highlight of the novel. The romance seems to play second fiddle in the broader picture, especially Ian's development, but Callie and Ian's relationship is far more compelling and believable than in a lot of other straight romances I've read recently.
(Also, this is possibly the first time I've seen realistic action in an advertising agency in a genre romance. It's all pretty accurate! Not that I've been in a relationship with my boss!)
(Also, this is possibly the first time I've seen realistic action in an advertising agency in a genre romance. It's all pretty accurate! Not that I've been in a relationship with my boss!)
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced