Customer Reviews

All I Ever Wanted (Hqn)

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a huge Kristan Higgins fan and have read almost all of her books. This book was enjoyable, but it was not quite the same as some of her other books. I would have given it a 3.5 stars, but I like Ms. Higgins so I gave her 4! The book revolves around Callie, a 30 year old woman who works for an advertising agency with Mark, her boss, the crush of her childhood and recently ex-boyfriend. When Callie learns Mark is seeing someone else, she tries to get Mark back by finding someone to make him jealous. And so the story goes....

The book eventually has a happy ending, but I wasn't completely satisfied. There were a few parts of the book I was laughing out loud, but there were other parts I could have gone without. I felt like 80% of the book focused on Callie's relationship with her family, co-workers, Mark and friends and not enough on her relationship with Ian. I would have like to see that relationship developed further so I could really feel the connection between them.

Overall, it was a fun and entertaining read and will probably read more Kristan Higgins books. Perhaps I should stop comparing it with Just One of The Guys, my favorite Higgins book to date!

At the beginning of the book, I wasn't sure I was going to like ALL I EVER WANTED. I found Callie's unrequited love for Mark to be painful. But from Callie's trip to DMV to renew her driver's license for her 30th Birthday, I laughed so loud and so long and so often, my husband finally asked me to finish reading the book while he was at work because it was frustrating not knowing what I was laughing at. (That didn't help, because later I would remember favorite parts and start laughing again!) I thought the book was delightful!

Calliope Grey just wants everyone to be happy. And to like her - because why wouldn't everyone like her? Ever since her parents' messy divorce when she was only eight years old Callie has tried to make everything and everyone ok. Where has that gotten her? It's her 30th birthday and probably the most unhappy day of her life. She finds herself without a boyfriend, living with her grandfather, trying to keep the peace with her crazy family, and wondering if she'll ever find her happily-ever-after.

As usual, Kristan Higgins had me laughing out loud through much of the novel. There was also a scene that had me reaching for a tissue. Her main character has a big heart and only wants to share it with someone who'll love her back as much.

Callie's quirky co-workers add a comedic tone as well as some drama to the story. There's a rocking chair on the cover for a reason. It symbolizes what true happiness could mean in her life. The enjoyment of this book is finding out if and how Callie finds what she's looking for.

This was my first time reading a book by Kristan Higgins. I have to say honestly I did not care much for this story. Briefly summarizing, the main character Callie, has a crush on her boss, but he breaks it to Callie that he is seeing someone else, and also he hired this other woman he is seeing to come and work at their company. Her friends rally her to move on from him, and she tries earnestly to meet new men. There are a few dissapointing dates from an online dating site that provide humor, and she also starts spending time with the new single Vet in town, Ian.

What I did not like about this book: 1) I don't care for the wacky funny girl-buddy type heroine that makes jokes and one-liners and acts nervously innapropriate, it reminds me of characters from a sitcom like Friends. I know this is a contemporary, and I love contemporaries a lot, but she was a little to much for even a contemporary. Too much Rachel Green happening. 2) The heroine was the one doing all the pursuing. Again I know we are in a contemprary setting, but SHE calls him, SHE goes to his house, SHE gives him a big gift as a grand gesture of her affection. He did literally zero to pursue her, he did not have to win her over at all. I am not even sure what made her like him besides he was attractive. 3) The hero was kind of lame. He was not alpha enough for me, he was not even beta, he was just totally passive. Part of the plot is that he is hurt from a past relationship, OK, but even so, he seemed way to timid. He never really said much, maybe it was me but I never got how he felt, the passion did not come through.

I don't like doing negative reviews, but this book seems to be missing the core things I look for in a romance. At the very least it should be a hero that wants to be with and pursues the woman, and a heroine that gets swept off her feet in love by him. These things were totally missing.

Things I DID like were the family part, loved the parents, the brother and sister and of course the grandpa. The characters were great, the coworkers too. I felt like I really knew everyone. Some people said this book was political, I don't think it was. It references things in today's culture, that's all. I loved the symbol of the chair but then then I didn't like what happened with that at the end either. Maybe I will try another by this author.

It was so nice to read a good romance book! Ms. Higgins has been a consistent pleasure for me. The storyline was charming with (as always) interesting characters. I was rewarded with two dogs this time although I really think that the Husky should have had some cover space too . ~smile~

I like the way that Higgins allows her heroines to develop over time - she doesn't tend to go in for single life-changing events to push that development. Of course, Callie needed remedial work in this area as she had fixated on a love-interest at a very early age and held onto that fantasy until she turned 30. That is either an indicator of true fidelity or OCD. Callie had to figure out which. I loved the "voices" she chose for her mental arguments with herself.

I like that the hero, Ian, wasn't a knight-in-shining-armor. He had his own issues to manage and, boy, were they doozies! I also like Higgins' ability to not make "bad guys" out of characters. She makes them human. However, I did succumb to a "she deserved it!" as Callie got one of them back at the end. Won't say which one because that would be a true spoiler.

That being said, Higgins is far more willing to forgive marital infidelity than am I. I don't forgive the breaking of vows. Ever. Higgins hasn't yet (that I remember anyway) had one of her heroines forgive the infidelity of her own spouse/lover but she always has the father/brother/friend/etc forgiven by the woman to whom he was unfaithful. It isn't just "forgiveness," it mean resuming the relationship. I won't do that and I wish that Higgins wouldn't always do it but would give at least one story where those bridges stayed burned.

2009 and 2010 have been awful years for new Romance offerings, IMO. Higgins has been the only author who I haven't panned in those years. Hope she keeps up the good work!

I discovered Kristan Higgins last year with THE NEXT BEST THING and, after reading it, ordered all her previous novels and loved them all. This is not my favorite (that's CATCH OF THE DAY) but when not comparing it to other Higgins books but rather to other contemporary romances by other authors, it is in the top tier of CRs.

Before buying this, I read a few reviews and comments here critical of Higgins inserting politics into the book. So I buy and read this with some expectation of characters running for political offices and with some bashing of one political party or another and...come up with zilch! Yes, we have Michelle Obama as the heroine's voice of reason, with Betty Boop as her voice of neediness. So what? Michelle Obama is a voice of reason for the heroine, not the voice of the Democratic Party. She's known to all of us because she is the First Lady, she's a well-educated woman, independent in her own right, and most of us would agree that with or without her husband in her life, Michelle Obama would still be the person she is. That's what Higgins is going for here. Callie, the heroine, uses her to remind herself that she does not need Mark in her life to be a valuable, authentic person. Michelle Obama does not once tell Callie to vote Democratic. There is one reference to political parties on p. 111. A mention that few Republicans live in Vermont. No Republican bashing goes on at all on that page, unless you are super-sensitive and see something that I missed.

Back to the romance. I certainly need not write about the plot since about 40 people have written reviews before me, so I'll just say that I found the reading of this to be very enjoyable. Callie was a bit too needy, Mark was a jerk, Ian a bit too withdrawn, but isn't that true of people in real life? I just sat back and enjoyed watching the story develop. In addition, Higgins' secondary characters are always such great fun and she does family relationships beautifully.

Oh I enjoyed this book, and laughed out loud in many places. Kristan Higgins books are about real people and real situations, filled with hope and optimism. And very funny. I also want to point out I enjoyed the main character having a political bent, as she was from "old Vermont" that made her very real to me. Regardless of how you look at politics, this was an honest well rounded character. My grandpa was from the "old northeast" and this book made me remember so many things about him. Bravo Ms. Higgins, for reminding your dear readers that red or blue, people share the same issues! If you're looking for a light hearted, warm, honest story, about a person with great taste in shoes, and a thinking brain, this book is for you. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll finish with a happy face.

I was so thrilled to see a new Kristan Higgins' book out. I've fallen in love with her writing. It's great to see true humor in a romance novel these days, and humor that is done so skillfully. Then Kristan goes and adds a dash of tears. Anytime Callie goes near that rocking chair is magic. The characters in this book work their way into your heart from the start. Callie is such fun and you root for her the whole way. Ian grows on you, just the way he does for Callie. As usual there are great support characters to love, too, especially Callie's grandfather.

Bought this book for my Kindle last night. I could not put this book down. Needless to say I recieved no sleep last night. This book is a great Romance story. I laughed, cryed and laughed somemore. Must read...

Oooh this book, this book made me burst out laughing on a regular occasion and also had me tearing up at one point. It was everything. You couldn't ask for a funnier narrator than Callie, days later I'm still thinking about some of the things she said, what a voice!

While this book is classified as Romance it falls right into Chick Lit category for me. People tell me the difference between Chick Lit and Romance is that in Romance, the relationship between the main character and the potential love interest takes center stage and I agree with that, except for that's not what All I Ever Wanted is like. It's so well rounded, yes, the relationship is there but there is also a great multiple family and friends storylines, job storyline (yay advertising agency- i loved those passages) and a whole bunch of other things. That well rounded-ness is something that was missing for me in other contemporary romances, but this one hit it right on the head for me, a perfect balance.

I felt like this book was written for me, it's not everyday a book takes place in an ad agency and involves a sad and hilarious scene with a turkey. Yes, I have a turkey obsession, live turkeys that is. And the relationship between Callie and Ian is so great, at first glance they hate each other and slowly they begin to tolerate each other, become friends, lean on each other and you can see where it goes from there.

Overall this is my favorite contemporary romance of the handful I've read and I cannot wait to read more of Higgins'a work! I hear Catch of the Day is a great second stop!