Haven’s Bay was the place I went when I needed to get away, although I hadn’t been here in almost four years. It was home in a way that nowhere else was.
All I Want is a 2017 release from author JH Croix. It is also the first book in the Haven's Bay Holiday series. The tropes in this book include best friend's sibling, age gap (10 years), second chance romance, and it is set in a small town. I went into this book expecting it to be similar pacing, and writing, to that of the various series set in Alaska. That isn't the case. Yes, the setting intrigued me. Something about Haven's Bay called to me, and I looked forward to exploring that little village.
Dallas and Audrey also grabbed my attention as this book features one of my favorite tropes (best friend's sibling). I was waiting to see how that would affect the storyline. When would Thea's friendship with Audrey come into play? Having read many of JH Croix's books that are set in Alaska, I thought I knew what to expect. After all JH has a way with those Alaska stories that just appeal to me.
All I Want had so much potential. SO MUCH! I mean we have an FBI Agent, we have his sister's best friend who just caught her fiancee in bed with another, it's holiday time, and we're in a small town. What could go wrong? It has all the makings of a Hallmark movie or even a Lifetime movie! That being said, All I Want was extremely slow. Not slow burn slow, just slow. There was almost too much detail and a lot of that detail wasn't necessarily pertinent to the storyline. Or at least not from my perspective. Even the time that Audrey and Dallas spent together wasn't anything that memorable. Honestly, the majority of their time together seemed to be of the intimate variety.
With the recent break-ins in the Haven's Bay community, I thought that Dallas would be involved in the manhunt. Why? No clue, it's just where my brain went. I wasn't expecting a workaholic who couldn't even enjoy a vacation. My heart broke for Audrey and the situation she found herself in with her ex. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Yet she didn't seem as heartbroken about it, and it was almost more of a relief. In my mind I had expected that she and Dallas would get out and get reacquainted with this community that they grew up in. Especially since it was supposedly Christmas time.
When it's all said and done, All I Want left me a bit disappointed.
Am I still going to read All I Need, All We Have, and All We Are? Oh absolutely. I'm not letting this one slow paced book deter me. I'm curious about Dallas's siblings, and what brings them back to Haven's Bay.
Have you read All I Want? What were your thoughts on it? Did I just go in with too high of expectations?
Laura
DallasOne kiss that burned so hot, I never forgot. Five years later. Audrey… so beautiful she takes my breath away and my sister’s best friend. I was half in love with her for years.
I moved on, and so did she. The universe rolled the dice. A dark, snowy night—no joke—I find her walking through the darkness. Christmas is right around the corner.
She’s so tempting, I can hardly think. Maybe rules are meant to be broken. Maybe second chances are real.
Audrey
I’ve fantasized about Dallas for years. One wild kiss. Five years ago. I’ve never forgotten it.
He’s tall, dark and dangerous…for real. FBI Agent, broody, handsome and distant. He couldn’t be bothered with me. Maybe because he thought I was too young. I’m not anymore.
*A full-length standalone romance.
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