All I Want by J. Daniels Series: Alabama Summer #2
Published by Self-Published on April 24th 2014
Pages: 293
Genres: Romantic Comedy
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From New York Times bestselling author, J. Daniels.
Luke Evans is a heartbreaker.
I didn’t want to give mine to him. Not when he kept me out. He gave me enough, just enough to make me fall in love with him. I say this to convince myself. But I know the truth. I would’ve fallen in love with him at a distance. Handing my heart over to Luke was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I was naive when I wished for more, when I hoped he wanted the same things I did. I try to hate him. I try to forget him. But it’s not that easy. Love is a ruthless bitch, and I’m her latest victim.Tessa Kelly is a man-eater.
When she sets her sights on you, she doesn’t just consume your heart, she goes for your soul. What we had was perfect, real, and all I would ever want. But she destroyed it. She destroyed us. I try to hate her. I try to forget her. But it’s not that easy. Love is for people who have hope, and I have none.Warning: this book contains adult themes. 18+. All I Want is a standalone novel, but to fully appreciate the f****ed-up mess that is Luke & Tessa, pick up Where I Belong first.
All I Want is the second book in the Alabama Summer series and my favorite so far. The story picks up a year after Tessa broke up with Luke at the end of Where I Belong. Luke still hasn’t forgiven Tessa for breaking his heart and keeping an important secret from him. Rather than admit he still has feelings for Tessa, he tries to erase her from his memory by turning into a manwhore and flaunting his sexcapades in Tessa’s face.
Tessa still hasn’t gotten over Luke, but she refuses to settle for a man who doesn’t want marriage or kids and who won’t open himself up emotionally. Unlike Luke, she’s spent the past year being celibate. Finally ready to move on, it’s Tessa’s venture into the world of online dating that forces Luke to confront his feelings. And when the two come together their chemistry is explosive.
Luke and Tessa bring love-hate to a whole new level! There’s a scene where they have angry sex that manages to be steamy and tender at the same time, in the midst of which they finally discuss their feelings about their breakup. It sounds odd but somehow it works for these two.
I absolutely adored Tessa. She’s brash, no-nonsense, confident, and witty. I love a strong woman who’s unafraid to speak her mind and quick to put someone in their place. Tessa’s got some hilarious comebacks. In one of my favorite scenes she’s confronted by one of Luke’s hook-ups.
” Whore,” she finally says after being shocked into silence for a good minute.
I shrug. “I prefer lady of the evening, but I understand if your vocabulary is a bit limited. That high school diploma is a bitch to get.”
Despite her bravado, Tessa makes herself extremely vulnerable to Luke and he breaks her heart more than once. There’s an edge to Luke, a hardness born of his own emotional scarring. The interactions with his dad are sometimes painful. Emotions run high in this book and I liked it.
Nobody blends a saucy romance with fun like J. Daniels and All I Want is signature J. Daniels on steroids: provocative and humorous, intense and fun, passionate and raw, sweet and dirty.
Why not five stars? I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. View Spoiler » Suddenly, strong-willed Tessa becomes someone who compromises her self-worth? It was like The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In the end I was left wondering if Luke would ever be able to fully give Tessa what she needs and deserves.
About J. Daniels
J. Daniels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Alabama Summer, Dirty Deeds and Sweet Addiction series.
Best known for her sexy, small-town romances, her debut novel, Sweet Addiction, was first published in 2014 and went on to become an international bestseller. Since then, she has published more than ten novels, including the Dirty Deeds series with Forever Romance.
Daniels grew up in Baltimore and currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids. A former full-time Radiologic Technologist, she began writing romance after college and quickly discovered a passion for it. You’ll still catch her in scrubs every now and then, but most of her time is spent writing these days—a career she is eternally grateful for.
Always an avid reader, Daniels enjoys books of all kinds, but favors Romance (of course) and Fantasy. She loves hiking, traveling, going to the mountains for the weekend, and spending time with her family.
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