One kiss under the mistletoe destroyed a friendship. Will another Christmas kiss remake it into something better?
Eli hasn't been home since he left at eighteen with a heart aching from his best friend's rejection and his father's intolerance. But when his father reaches out, Eli figures it's time to make peace with his family. He doesn't expect to come face-to-face with Turner too -- or to learn that the straight friend he'd foolishly loved is actually bisexual -- but once the shock wears off, he knows exactly what he wants for Christmas.
Turner's life isn't everything he'd once planned, but he's happy to be the shoulder his loved ones lean on. They keep him busy, which is just as well since none of his dates have really clicked. He hasn't been able to connect with anyone the way he did with his former best friend. When Eli shows up for the holidays after years away, Turner doesn't know what hit him. But he knows one thing: This time, he wants to give Eli a reason to stay.
All I Want Is You is a friends to lovers, second-chance romance with an HEA.
DJ Jamison writes a variety of queer men finding extraordinary love through M/M Romance! She is a lifelong reader and has always loved writing and editing, with a ten-year journalism career before she began publishing romance. She has books in ebook, print, and audio, as well as German, French, and Italian translations.
DJ lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.
Yeah, a new author to me : I’m always thrilled to try. And I was not disappointed by this sweet friends-to-lovers / second-chance / Holiday-season MM romance.
Eli and Jackson have been friends forever but coming out for Eli has not been easy, neither at school, neither with his father. And at 18, after realizing that Jackson won’t return his feelings, he leaves. Eight years later, he comes back home for the Christmas holidays : more than just a vacation, it’s about reconnecting with his father, healing from the wounds inflicted during his teenage years and wondering how to deal with his put-aside but nevertheless still vivid feelings for Jackson.
Two great characters, Eli standing up for himself even if it can bite him, Jackson caring for all the ones he cherishes, a sweet romance full of family, acceptance and forgiveness, with a good pace and a little bit of steam.
A nice read when in need of a warm and feel good Christmas romance.
An ARC of “All I want is you” was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the well-crafted characters! The pacing and plot were a bit rocky which interfered with the flow of the story, but all in all an enjoyable friends to lovers story.
This wasnt bad. It did lift me out of my sneezing and generally feeling shitty funk so I have that to be happy about. Although, said funk was still hovering so I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I would have were I in good health. So I’m really sorry to the author for not enjoying this more and being unable to rate this higher. It’s telling how unwell I’m feeling when sexy times don’t appeal to me at all. Yikes! 🙈
It sadly had to happen eventually. While Ms Jamison is one of my favorite authors I've finally read a book that at best I have to say was only an okay read for me.
Though I'm sure it's mostly a case of it's me that's the problem.
I have no problem with bisexual characters, however, when I'm reading a MM book I do not want to read about one of the main characters having sex with women. I especially do not want to see the MC flirting with, fantasizing about or ogling said female! Most especially, during their first sex scene they have to discuss the "lots of beautiful women" he's been with.
Ultimately, with the continual references to women, this just didn't seem like a romance to me.
This was a CUTE and QUICK Christmas M/M romance! It’s a friends-to-lovers romance, but I was a little disappointed in the homophobia being used repeatedly in this book. In the end, both Eli and Turner lived HEA! Would recommend if you want to read a fast-paced Christmas M/M novella!
**** Our men are both 30, and have grown up together as best friends. Eli, has lost his job at an LBGT Outreach Program, when the funds were cut, so, he's headed to his home town for the first time in a decade. Eli is slim, handsome, smart, and a bit uncoordinated, but so nice. He's older, stronger and standing up for himself. Turner, is a big, tall, hunk, who now teaches at their old high school. Turner rebuffed Eli back then, and Eli left for college and work. Now, Eli has shown up after all this time has passed, to see if his folks will accept his gayness, at last.
We see family, Eli's dad and mom, Turner's troubled mom, and others. We watch Eli stand up to his dad and other town bigots, as they all navigate the holidays, with conflicted thoughts and fears, plus anticipation of a second chance. (I've read that if it weren't for second chances, we'd all be alone) These guys friends to lovers, but it even more than that. I liked the slow progression, the deep emotions, the satisfying yet spectacular sexiness, too. So worth waiting for. We get a wonderful epilogue, and I highly recommend this lovely story. ENJOY !
I got everything on my Christmas Romance list in this book.
Friends to lovers Unrequited love Hurt/Comfort Running Dogs Running with dogs Family acceptance Fun side characters UST Fun Flirting Forgiveness Understanding Sexy times and one heck of an HEA.
Yup. This was a good one. I really enjoyed hanging out with Turner and Eli for an afternoon as they went through every emotion possible to earn their happily ever after. They are amazing as best friends but even better as lovers. This was exactly what I needed to reset my holiday romance reading.
The idea that one kiss between best friends can “clear the air” as to whether they have deeper feelings for each other works – except that in Eli’s case, when he puts everything on the line to find out if Turner returns his feelings, the result is a destroyed friendship. Eli leaves town since his father doesn’t support “all that gay stuff”, Turner stays, and it takes eight years and Eli’s father to come to his senses before they even see each other again. What follows is an emotional pre-Christmas time filled with revelations, attempts at better communication, and lots of family time that isn’t always stress-free.
When Eli was seventeen, he took a chance and kissed his best friend under the mistletoe. Turner turned right around and fell into the arms of the first girl he could find, and Eli lost everything. Coach Harp, his father, didn’t want a gay son, his best friend had rejected him, and life at school became a living hell. When he turned eighteen, Eli left Juniper, Oregon and headed to California to start a new life. Now, some ten years later — having lost his job, right before Christmas — Eli is returning home to visit his father and to try and make peace with those he left behind.
I love a good friends to lovers story. Eli and Turner were best friends most of their lives. That ended when Eli, who was openly gay, kissed Turner under the mistletoe when they were eighteen. Eli’s father, aka Coach, was hosting his annual Christmas party for the track team when Eli took a chance. He’s regretted it for eight years. Turner didn’t handle the kiss in the best way, and worse, he kissed a girl shortly after. Eli tried to stay friends with him but he pulled away, knowing it was the best way to guard his heart. Then when Coach, who was very much against having a gay son, made an ultimatum, Eli left home and never went back. He and Turner stayed friends for awhile on social media, but even that changed when Eli couldn’t handle watching Turner with this girl and that one.
It's eight years later and Eli has come back home for the holidays. Seeing Turner again brings back all kinds of emotions. It doesn't help that Turner seems to be feeling the same things.
Then Eli finds out that his former best friend is bi - something that Turner didn't trust Eli enough to share when they were eighteen. Worse, Turner's reaction to the kiss when they were younger has Eli convinced that he acted that way because he wasn't interested in Eli.
Of course, things move quickly in the here and now and they come together nicely.
This is one of those books I had to walk away from for a day before publishing my review. Everything was going perfectly. I was loving these guys together. The author didn't brush off Turner's bisexuality, making sure it was a big part of the story. That part was good. His reactions to specific circumstances (people) were not.
I enjoyed the book. I just thought certain things were disrespectful to Eli. I'm obviously in the minority here (if other ratings and reviews are to go by) so what bugged me might not bug others.
Full review (with some spoilers) can be found at -
I absolutely loved the synopsis. There was so much promise for forgiveness, changing perspectives, finding home, love, and acceptance. What we got was some steam, some sweetness, and a lot of awkward drama from multiple sources. Turner loved having everyone rely on him but when it came to asking for what he really wanted, opening his heart and laying it bare, he couldn't get it together. I couldn't find myself loving him. I kind of just tolerated him and kept hoping he would say the better things, not prolong the awkwardness, be completely honest, and be open with his decisions. Eli wasn't much better for me either. I do feel like he was justified in his attitude and defensiveness though, and was on his side more often than not. His stubbornness wasn't an endearing quality and neither was his refusal to see possibilities in front of him instead of pining for something he knows doesn't exist anywhere else. The ending was nice and the epilogue almost made up for all the unlikable stuff that came before because it was completely awesome. That alone made reading the story worth it.
Eli and Turner had been friends since they were kids. Eli had come out and Turner had supported him, been there for him, stuck up for him. Until Eli took a chance and kissed Turner. And was brutally rejected.
After high school Eli left and never looked back. He thought about Turner, but the hurt lingered. So, eight years later, he's found himself jobless and heading back home for Christmas. He finds that while so much has changed, his feelings for Turner haven't. And this time he feels like he's got a chance.
I liked the premise. Friends to lovers is a fun, exciting trope, not to mention when it's a straight friend. This honestly didn't seem super authentic to me. I felt like eight years came and went and nothing really changed. Eli and Turner just fell back into old routines and it just so happened that Turner had lied before and was all in? I just didn't buy it. I longed for the SPARK but it just never ignited for me.
The story ended on a happy note with an HEA that was sweet, but this one just didn't grab me like I'd hoped.
*Arc generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted on http://gaybook.reviews/ *
I enjoyed this one. I loved Turner and understood where he was coming from, he made a mistake when he was younger and was scared to be out and Eli left for good and took his friendship with him.
I liked Eli too but I did feel that he was a bit pushy and wanted people to react how he wanted on his time schedule. His dad knew he had made a mistake, a mistake that had Eli staying away from home for 8 years and he was trying to fix it, but he still struggled at times and Eli kept blaming him.
This is just not my author, I haven't liked anything I've read.
I think I went in with incorrect expectations but I quickly realized I wasn't getting what I hoped for. This was too long by half. Topics were revisited much more than they needed to be. The characters and writing, in general, read immaturely to me. The characters were also minimally developed and for a book this long that should not have been the case. I started skimming around seventy percent and I don't know why I didn't before then - or why I bothered finishing.
After re- reading this i'm lowering my rating to 3 stars because even though I still generally liked it, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did during my first read and things that I wasn't bothered by before really bothers me now ; Including the characters so yeah I still like it, it's just no longer a favorite. ___________________
Ohhhh bring on the holidays!! I love holiday stories and this one is absolutely phenomenal.
Eli and Turner were best friends for many years. But one fateful Christmas Eli made a choice to seek out his feelings and it ended up not going the way he had planned.
After being gone for almost a decade Eli is back in Juniper. He doesn’t feel like things have changed but his eyes aren’t open all the way.....yet.
Turner is surprised to see Eli back and in his home. He had become part of Eli’s family while Eli was in California. But as soon as Turner see’s Eli his feelings come to surface and he needs to tell Eli the truth.
We follow best friends who become more. Feelings are still there but have magnified since the break in their friendship. And since one has confirmed that he is a bisexual man.
This is a story of never giving up hope. A story of never changing yourself even though people make it hard to not. A story of following your heart no matter what happens. And a story of finding your forever love.
Highly recommended.
*I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
I love second chance romances it’s my favorite trope, but omg, I wanted to pull my hair out or knock Eli and Turner’s heads together. The attraction between them was palpable, but it took FOREVER for them to do anything about it and I was so frustrated with them! They talked around it and even once they knew they wanted each other it took them forever to get their acts together. *sigh*
This was a well-written story, but for me, it was a bit too overly detail-oriented and I found the story drug in places, but Eli and Turner had good chemistry and once they removed their heads from their butts, they worked well together. The epilogue was especially sweet. While not my favorite holiday read of the season so far, it was still enjoyable and recommendable.
*copy provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This is the sort of romance I love—ex best friends to lovers who have to bridge the gap of being apart for eight years, plus one of them is supposedly straight. Add in the friction of dealing with an unsupportive father, the appearance of a couple of ex’s to spark some jealousy, and the fact that Eli was only supposed to be visiting over the holidays before returning to California to leave the reader wondering what direction the story will take. It’s still a sweet, relatively low angst re-kindling of a friendship that you’re wanting to become more. There’s a delightful HEA epilogue. I would have loved more scenes with them as a couple, but that’s me being greedy.
Lovely narration from Wyatt Baker that matched the mood and tone of the story. Easy to listen to and follow, making it a very enjoyable listen.
I don't usuaIy write reviews, but this deserved one. DNF 50%. It was well written, but the plot was poorly conceived. I liked the Eli character but felt he deserved way better than this. I wasn't really impressed with the other characters especially Turner. Turner was Eli's best friend but he didn't really act like one. I don't usually mind bi characters, but Turner really got on my nerves. He rejected Eli when they were kids, and he stayed close to Eli's family even after they rejected Eli. When Eli does find out Turner was bi, he takes the attitude he'll take whatever he can get. That's not healthy in my book. I can't believe any gay man would act this way and be this forgiving when there wasn't really any kind of apology given.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
3.75 stars I actually liked how much Eli had resisted going home to OR since he had been so hurt by his father's rejection. Even though his mother said that they wanted him to come home and they missed him, I was a little proud of him for staying away from the intolerance he'd experienced in high school. On the other hand, it was nice to see many of the people in town learn how to not be asshats. And I liked that Eli and Turner didn't just fall into each other's arms and forgive the distance they had between them the second half of their senior year in high school. All the appreciation for a little realism in my romance fiction...but not too much. After all, I loved all the smooshy feels by the end of the book!
If Hallmark did Christmas movies featuring LGBTQ couples, All I Want Is You is how I'd imagine they'd go. This novella is a sweet, low angst story about best friends getting a chance to reconnect and find love after eight years apart. The characters were simple but cute, the drama a bit predictable, and the romance pretty speedy. However, the writing was solid and the story enjoyable. I did really enjoy the ending for this one, it added a bit more depth to Turner and Eli's relationship. If you're looking for a lighter Christmas story to read in between festivities, this would be a good choice.
One thing I can always be sure of is how I feel after reading one of DJ Jamison's books. I will have that warm fuzzy feeling and a big smile on my face. And with this one you Can bet I did. Friends to lovers is my favorite trope. Second chances tend to be a bit of miss with me but she nailed it here. The reason this one worked so well for me was because of the way the author puts you in the characters' mindset at the time of the conflict. I love how we can truly connect to her characters and celebrate their journey.
Charming, emotional, second chance romance that will warm your heart. I so enjoyed this delightful Christmas story. The MC's were well crafted and they were both really likable and authentic men. I enjoyed their journey to finding each other and was rooting for them to be real with their feelings.
Eli and Turner will entertain you and will charm their way into your heart.
3+ Jak to przy świątecznych - spokojnie, bez dramatów, choć może nie do końca jestem usatysfakcjonowana z końcówki i epilogu, pomimo iż oczywiście było klasyczne HEA, ale... jakiś taki niedosyt mi pozostał. Może też i postać ojca była zbyt niespójna, a w końcu miał swój duży udział w wydarzeniach, które się rozegrały w przeszłości, zatem nie był nieważny w tej opowieści. Ale generalnie całkiem przyzwoita, świąteczna historia 😉
Eli returns home after being away for 7 years. He left after kissing his childhood nest friend, Turner, who rejected him and became of his father's treatment. I really liked how this one progressed and how they rebuilt their friendship first, but it didn't take long for the sparks to ignite. I just couldn't get enough of them because they were just so sweet together.
I really liked that Eli didn't just forgive his father straight away, especially after how he treated him after he came out as gay. He needed to earn another chance, and I'm glad with the way it was handled.
The side characters were amazing, especially Eli's mum, and I really need a story for Cam.
3,5* First book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Low angst, quite witty and humourous, with lovable characters. I'd like to know a bit more about them though. Some more background on Eli's life after he left home and Turner's life after his decision to return. Still, it was a quick, enjoyable read, not just for the holiday season.