All She Wants

by Larkin Rose

Tessa Dalton’s mission: be crowned the new wedding planner for one of the most prestigious resorts in Colorado by winning an event contest. All she has to do is get seven events safely under wraps in eight weeks and the crown is hers. She’ll stop at nothing to win, even if planning weddings for frequent flyer bridezillas has put a bitter taste in her mouth where love and commitment are concerned.
Marci Jones is not a people person. The last thing she wants is to be the liaison for the contest crew leaders, but when her best friend needs a favor, she can’t say no. If not for Wendy, she’d be in jail…or worse. Maybe the disruption will help her get over her cheating ex and she’ll be able to put her life back together.
Marci can’t believe her luck at a one-night-stand with a beautiful woman who refuses to give her name. That is until the mystery goddess shows up as one of the contestants…

Cover Artist: Tammy Seidick
Genres: Erotica / Romance

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Erotica

242 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

Larkin Rose lives in a “blink and you’ve missed it” town in the beautiful state of South Carolina with her partner, Rose (hence the pen name). Her writing career began some years ago when the voices in her head wouldn’t stop their constant chatter. After ruling out multiple personalities, and hitting the keyboard, a writer was born. The voices continue. The clatter of keys continues. The birth of erotic creations carries on.

Reviews

[Joc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m usually a fan of Rose’s novels but this one had quite a few things in it that jarred for me. Marci left Colorado, her home and place she loves, because her wife hated the cold. An 11 year marriage ended with Marci being cheated on and now, about six months later, she is back in Colorado working at a prestigious resort with her best friend Wendy. Wendy has set up a competition to find the best event planner to become a part of her resort. Tessa Dalton wants to win and be the event planner and at the same time, get out from under the shadow of her sister. Marci and Tessa have an instant physical attraction but miscommunicate just as quickly.

I think what bothered me most is that Marci and Tessa’s chemistry is phenomenal but it isn’t followed up with a well-developed emotional connection. They’re both really prickly characters whose edges don’t really soften as the story unfolds. Tessa’s sister could also have done with a little more depth.

The sex scenes are hot and filled with desire but it’s not enough to hold the story together for me. That said, it’s a quick read and I would have enjoyed it more if I’d liked the characters more.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I expect when I selected this book? A book with a detailed account of a contest to be crowned the best wedding planner - and a lot of sex. A win-win for me.

What I got. Not as much sex as I expected, not by a long shot, and a sermon on who is in the wrong when a married woman cheats. The latter was not expected and verged on being preachy. From the get-go, we are told it's always the married person's fault, never the other person. The heroine's father cheated, but hey, it wasn't the other woman's fault, so she and her mother embraced the woman.

Her sister is a skank, shags anything with a pulse, married or not, with no regard for who might get hurt. This is a huge part of the plot and so transparent, the storyline is flimsy at best.

I didn't buy into the ending, sure the sex between the leads was steamy, but I didn't feel any emotional connection and I guess that is where the story fell down for me.

Also, while we're on the righteous cheat - not cheat - bandwagon, as this story hashes it to death. (Did I already say that?) If a woman knows another woman is married, and willingly sleeps with her, in her house, in her marital bed, then she is just as horrid as the married woman or, at the very least, guilty by association.

Honestly, this felt like the author had a point to make and it wasn't one I wanted to hear. The wedding event, which I thought would be prevalent, is background noise until just before the curtain falls.

The epilogue is all tell, and if the lead (forgot her name already) can really not only forgive the person who wronged her, but also have her as a part of her life...all power to her.

I'm giving this 3 stars for being well-written, besides a few jarring head-hops.

Copy provided by the publishers, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I’m just having a shitty reading month and I still have pretty much all October to go.

I really wanted to like this book but it was so soulless. I felt absolutely nothing for these characters. They were just there and it felt like reading a script for very long porn movie and the sex scenes weren’t even that good.

I understood what the author was trying to say but it was plain, boring and downright bad. I had to force myself to finish the book. I still don’t know much about the character even after being done with the story.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read a book written by Larkin Rose, there are a few things I am certain I will find. I know there will be steamy sex scenes, and I know there will be a good many of them. Also, the characters, especially the main characters, will be strong-willed and kick-ass types who will clash at first, but will have great chemistry. All She Wants has all of those elements and more.

Tessa Dalton has entered a contest she means to win. She wants to be the new wedding planner for a very popular resort in Colorado, and winning this contest will make that dream come true. Her plan may be threatened by a one night stand filled with mind blowing sex with a beautiful stranger. Things become problematical when she finds out the next day that the stranger is Marci Jones, the liaison for the contest crew leaders. Tessa is a crew leader. Thus begins a pretty complex and complicated plot.
I enjoyed this book. I connected with the characters and could easily see the chemistry between the two. That is a must for me to enjoy this type of tale. There is some angst through the story, and sometimes I didn’t agree with some of the main characters’ actions, but that happens in real life too so I can’t complain. I can tell you that this is a good steamy love story that was fun to read. If you like your romances steamy with strong, brash characters, then this might be the book for you.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

[Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a read about letting go and moving on after a failed marriage. As the story unfolds, the reader is pulled down with Marci Jones and up with Wendy, her best friend. Then there is Tessa Dalton, with a single focus, going after what she wants or thinks she wants. This read has drama, sex, more drama, and more sex. The plot to some extent was interesting with a focus on finding self, determining what success is, forgiveness, letting go, and moving on. Good read if you are in the mood for steamy "you like me best on my knees". What a line...

ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 Stars. This book was just okay. It is about Tessa Dalton, a wedding planner who is competing in a contest to win the job for an exclusive resort in Colorado. She just has eight weeks to prove herself as the best crew leader and the job is hers. The night before the contest starts, Tessa decides to sleep with a sexy woman at the bar. This woman turns out to be Marci Jones, the liaison for all the crew leaders. Marci and Tessa do not know who each other is when they sleep together in a night neither one of them want to forget. Marci has issues with trust, since 6 months ago she walked in on her wife sleeping with a younger woman in her own bed. She packed up her life in Arizona and moved back to Colorado to be near her best friend, Wendy, who is running the contest.

This book was okay, the plot was thin and not great. This book had a lot of descriptive sex in the beginning but only the beginning. This book was a big disappointment. It was not well written or the story line was not very flushed out or developed very well. The character of Marci just frustrated me the entire novel as she was stubborn and did not make a lot of sense. Every time there was drama with Marci, it seemed very dump and petty and was not well developed. I did not understand it or did not want to read about it. I just wanted to scream at the book and tell it not to happen. I do not recommend this novel at all.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Past haunts the present

Tessa wins a position in a competition that could change her life. Be the last one standing and the job is hers. Upon arriving she goes to a bar to find a woman to blow off some steam prior to beginning the competition. The woman she chooses has some benefits and consequences.
Everyone has their own paths to healing a broken heart. Marci hasn't found her path of healing. One night stands seem to work just fine until she runs into Tessa. A connection she doesn't really seem to understand allows her to make different decisions around Tessa. A past that isn't at rest seems to come back and insert itself in the present. Both women are blind to what's happening right in front of them. Can they get it together before it's too late?
I really liked Tessa. She's a strong-willed character that speaks her mind and doesn't take anything from anybody. I was empathetic to Marci for most of the book. I think at some point I got really annoyed with her. I mean don't get me wrong it could totally happen, but I didn't like it lol.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

All She Wants as just okay for me. I have only read a couple other Rose romances and one was a hit and the other a miss. I grabbed this one because I tend like reading erotica and this one was in that category. So let me touch on the erotica aspect of this one first. As erotica, I think this one was more of a miss than a hit. There is plenty of sex in All She Wants, but I can't say it was a great sex. I don't expect all of the sex to be shown, but the ones I do read, I want them to be creative and from both sides. I didn't really get that reading this. They weren't bad, they just weren't that good. In terms of the romance side, I just didn't feel like the two MCs connected enough to want to be together. I also wasn't a fan of Tessa getting on her sister Monty for having one night stands, but she has one. I didn't get that at all. Overall, I liked both MC (Tessa and Marci), but I just needed more to see a true connection between them (other than sex).

I will rate this one 2.5 stars.

This ARC was provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

[Alu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I genuinely really liked this book. The story remained interesting the whole way through, though a little bit predictable. This being an erotica novel, I expect there to be a lot of sex and little plot, but this one delivered on both fronts. The sex scenes were tasteful and the attraction between the two main characters felt believable. I liked that a couple of sex scenes were alluded too instead of described in detail. It helped the story flow more smoothly.

One small detail did feel a little off though. The fact that the party planning contest was a reality tv competition wasn't a factor at all in the book until the very end. This didn't really hurt the story in any way, just something that I feel could have been made more apparent in the earlier parts of the book.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and well written.

[MEC]

I've read and enjoyed a couple of Rose's previous books - they were angsty and steamy fun - and was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, this is a miss for me.

The two main characters were rather unlikable and also rather inconsistent in their actions and reactions. Lots of hot and sweaty sex, but ... meh, I couldn't care less about the characters and found myself skimming a lot of the book. Things were laid out a little too obviously and kind of clumsily and the plot just didn't make a lot of sense to me. Lots of judgement, lots of bitterness, lots of flying off the handle and stomping off. I'm really disappointed.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tessa Dalton, wedding event planner has been in partnership with her sister and now wants to make it on her own. She enters a wedding planner competition and winning this competition will almost guarantee her a successful business.  Marci Jones has been burnt in love, she found her wife of ten years in their bed with a much younger woman and a year on she's still bitter and has not dealt with the fallout. As a favour to her best friend who is running the wedding planner competition Marci steps in and acts as liaison for the competition crew and thus she crosses paths with Tessa.
Larkin's books are known for their eroticism but this book falls short if that's what this book is aiming for, the MCs have plenty of sex, we know that because we're told that but apart from one or two descriptive scenes early on, that is as much as we get, there's no detail in the sex scenes so we miss the emotion that draws you into the characters and the book and the whole point of reading an erotica book. 
The whole wedding event competition just didn't make a lot of sense to me, I couldn't understand the premise and why it was so important, it was only much later in the story we were became aware it was actually for a reality TV show.  If only we given this information from the start I think I would have enjoyed the storyline so much more.
My other issue was the way the characters spoke and dealt with each other during their supposedly smouldering yet heated conversations which I felt were disrespectful and I also felt like I was witnessing a catfight between a couple of teenagers, case in point, "Tessa courtseyed, shot her a bird". Seriously! They have an argument and Tessa finishes it off by giving Marci the finger, not exactly the maturity levels I'd expect for a couple of adults.
This book was not for me but I can see how some people would certainly rate it much higher. I've read other books by Larkin and have enjoyed them more.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of two women who clearly do not want a relationship. There is Tessa who has a goal of being a success in her career as an event planner and at this point in her life she can see the end step insight and does not want any distraction to take away from her achieving her goal. The other woman is Marci who is working through a heartbreak of having an end to her marriage that she very much wanted. But when she found her wife in bed with someone else she had nothing to do but leave and make sure that no woman ever got close enough to her again break her heart. Marci feels that she is damaged goods and is only interested in one night anonymous sex. She finds herself at a bar and ends up picking up a woman and taking her home for fantastic sex. There was somewhat of a connection between these two women, but both knew it was a one night stand and nothing else. Imagine both of their surprise when they realize the next day that they will be working together on a project that could get Tessa her goal as a successful events planner.
Even though these two know that nothing could ever become a stable relationship for them they can’t stay away from one another. However Marci continues to blame everyone including herself for the break up of her marriage and the pain that is still with her. Tessa does everything in her power to try to talk Marci out of her fear of being in a relationship. Is that even possible? Who should you be angry with when someone that you’re in love with has an affair with someone else?

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be average when I wanted it to be so much more. I liked the characters, Tessa and Marci, in the way they showed strong women accomplishing things. But, it also showed these women as irrational and unable to communicate with each other to resolve an issue. I get that when you have had your heart broken, that you want to hide yourself off from the world and you become bitter and angry. But Marci's character is an extreme of this. The trust issues that existed between Tessa and Marci threw up red flags for me for that relationship. Even if the sex was earth-shattering (which I wish had been described in more erotic detail), the trust issues signaled doom to that relationship throughout.

From a couple that was so sex hungry, it seemed like their sex was pretty repetitive and not that outside of the box. I would have expected more adventurous sex between them with toys and other accessories. Instead, the sex was pretty much isolated to tongues, fingers, and a glossing over of what happened during their times together. I wanted much more in this category.

Overall, the story is ok, but it could have been so much more.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

[🌈⭐️RoseOfRainbows⭐️🌈💕 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the kicking ass and taking names vibe of this whole book. It lights a strong fire under you and gives you the courage to go find your own true love. It's spunky, energetic., and often times laugh out loud funny. I loved each and every character and the feelings they all portrayed. I love that everyone found their happy ending and match. It made my heart all warm and fuzzy and it's a feeling I will want to come back to again and again. This is an easy read and is sure to please even the toughest woman . It gives you the feeling of seriously wanting to fight for each character and their chance at finding true love and when they do find it, you want to get up and cheer cause it's more than just the contest that they've won. They've won at life. At love. The passion and flair of it all, the ending. It made me want to do a happy dance both in my heart and soul. Serious winner in my book. 5/5 stars

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Tessa is on a mission to win a contest to become new wedding planner resorts in Colorado.

Wendy is the planner of this contest but when one of her workers can't make it her friend Marci decide to help her out.

Tessa and Marci meet at a bar Tessa decide to take a page out of her sister Monty book and to have a one night stand Marci is trying to ease pain from what her wife did.

They had a night that either one of them can't forget and when they meet again it shock them both that they are going to be seeing each other as Marci is the liaison for the contest crew leaders.

It was a good read for what it was the sex scenes was hot. I like Tessa because she doesn't sugar-coated her words. Marci just frustrate me and love Wendy as she badger Marci.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a great read, I personally love Larkin Rose so I went into this book with high expectations. I was so happy that Rose met these expectations and didn't leave me disappointed. The only issue I had with this book was that there wasn't just one miscommunication but three or four. After the second one, I was getting annoyed with both characters not listening to the other, making assumptions and running their mouths. Other than this small issue I was consumed by this book, the idea of a wedding planner competition was massively original and like all of Rose's books, the chemistry between the two characters were off the chart. At the end, I did want to know more about Tessa's sister and a book about her next would make this exceptional!

[Domi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sex with a plot. Can't think of another way to describe it...Tessa enters a competition for wedding planners, Marci works at the resort where the competition is being held. Before they know of eachothers roles they share a wild and sexy one night stand, but Marci's trust issues drive a wedge between them rather quickly after seeing eachother again during the introduction of the competition. Sexual tension keeps flaring up though and they let it out a lot.

I actually liked the dialogue and characters in the book, just don't expect a sweet romance but more lustfilled, explicit thoughts about sex and having sex and...well, you get the drift I think.

[Ban · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, I called it the moment I finished the first chapter. The second it was said that Monty didn’t care whether the women were married and then the reveal that Marci had been cheated on, it was fairly easy to put one and one together. Now, having said that, I still can’t say that I’ve disliked this book. I still enjoyed all the back and forth and their love hate relationship with the entire topic of Monty and Ashley. Also, Wendy is an outstanding friend in my book. Tessa never afraid to tell the cold hard truth and Marci just... being Marci. I don’t know how else to describe it. I loved the ending though.

[H M · Rating 2 out of 5]

hmm, thought all the book i was thinking "would I be the only one reading this and hate Merci," I disliked her so much. One more thing the book speaks mostly about sex. they want it they think it they do it they go back to it over and over again. I did not see any character development Kinda disappointed.

If your looking for that kind of books I recommend it but if your looking for story with character development. I dont

it's well written though

[Cathy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

'All She Wants' is put out there as erotica.

Tessa and Marci get together more than a number of times but it lacks the steamy scenes, I personally don't think it hits the mark and the author missed a good opportunity as she actually has a good story here.

Would I recommend, yes if you want a pleasant story

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

All she wants was an amazing read! I loved the chemistry between the main characters. I honestly don’t know how i feel about Monty. I want to hate her cause she’s a typical player. But i don't hate her.
Tessa’s take charge is so fascinating and low-key a turn on. There’s just something about the way are actions are described that makes me smile.
Marci was a bit exasperating at first but eventually i was hooked.
I would definitely re-read this. Especially the sex scenes ☺️
Thanks to NetGalley for an honest review

[Sam Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an OK read, but it didn't really catch my attention. For me, All She Wants is not really up to Larkin Rose's normal standards. The story idea is OK but not developed very realistically. The characters are good though although the supposedly steamy moments were not really that steamy. I finished the book, and it was moderately enjoyable, but it should and could have been better.

[CR · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly this one just didn't work out for me at all. The entire thing felt very empty and tossed together. I felt like the characters were just there to have sex and that those senses weren't even that good. I have read better erotica from debut authors as well as indie authors. This one for me needs a lot of work to be anything that I would ever try again.

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this book and really struggled with reading it and ended up skimming a good portion of it. The characters were hard to like and relate to.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marci and Tessa are the leads in this romance with the theme of wedding planning. There's some drama and sex thrown in but the character Marci never really clicked for me. With only a few "steamy" bits, I laboured somewhat to get to the end. A trifle disappointed that I can only rate this one from Ms. Rose at 2 stars.
I rec'd an ARC through NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

[Best Lesfic Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book is a sexy, entertaining read without spending too much time on unnecessary drawn-out angst.

Read the full review @ https://bestlesficreviews.blogspot.co...