Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - All I've Wanted All I've Needed

5/5 stars
2/5 spice

I loved this story so much! The way these two just clicked together and grew as friends was just so perfect.

Tropes:
Strangers to friends to lovers
Tattoo artist MMC
Photographer FMC
Close proximity
He takes care of her
Banter
Dual POV

Iloved how easily Harlow and Acyn were able to banter back and forth... even when he was being annoying lol. But the way they feel into an easy friendship was just so natural. It was great seeing her get what she deserved and finally being treated like a queen. I accidentally read this series out of order but it didn't spoil this book at all. The narrators did amazing bringing these characters to life. I can't wait to read/listen to the other books.

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ravenk28's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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karly_rose_reads's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

(4.25/5) Heart warming. Inspiring. Cozy. All I've Wanted All I've Needed is a feel-good, contemporary romance that follows Harlow's journey of self discovery. It is told in 1st person, dual POV, and I'd say it has a medium pace, overall.

If you're like me and shop for romances by tropes:
🌻 Friends to lovers
🌻 Slow burn
🌻 Grumpy x sunshine
🌻 Rom com

Overall I really enjoyed this book and A.E. Valdez's writing style (warning: if you don't like casual curse word usage, you may not love it). What else did I like?
🌼 Inspirational moments that made me stop and reflect on my own life
🌼 Harlow's relatable journey
🌼 Witty banter and moments that had me giggling
🌼 Dynamic between FMC and MMC
🌼 The beautiful portrayal of a healthy, soft love

Why did I not give this a full 5⭐?
👉 This was a very, very SLOW slow burn
👉 The pacing was a bit off for me—a lot was packed into the first few chapters, then it slowed down and then sped up again at the end
👉 Timeline gets a bit jumpy at times

I recommend picking up this book when you're in the mood for a cozy read—it's also available on Kindle Unlimited, if you subscribe.

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merakianvibes's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this slow burn! Super cute and spicy read. I loved Harlow. Such a sweet down to earth girl. Her relationship with Hendrix was so toxic and he kept trying. Im like bruh, let it go EVERYTIME he kept trying to come back. He didnt realize what he had until she was gone! He deserved what he got… which was NOTHING 😭

Acyn was definitely one of my fav male MC in any book i’ve read before. I felt very connected to him and Harlow while reading. I love how the author had them develop a friendship first before just having them fall for each other. It felt very realistic. This is my second book by this author and she doesnt disappoint. My fav book by her is still Colliding with Fate 🥹

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angievansprang's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I’m not really a romance girl, but I liked this one. Definitely a fast, lighthearted, and fun read. I appreciate that these characters actually had dimension because I’ve found many romance novels I dislike tend to have quite vapid characters that are hard for me to connect with. I love the themes of hope and the depictions of healthy relationships in this book. I’m also usually not a fan of smut, but I actually thought it was pretty good in this one! I’ll be reading the next book in this series so I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for your next romance.

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ladylaurenexplorer's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Although I found the book OK in the end, it was just so long and slow burn but not good. Everything felt so mundane and a little choppy with its pacing.

Although I did love the head messiness with Hendrix, because I love some good drama. Can we say psycho much and not in a good way!

It’s just the pacing feels off and it made me stop and start a couple of times because I just wasn’t into the plot as I want it to be.

The spice was good, but waiting till the last 4th of the book was a little much!

If the book kept making me want to DNF it in the first 30%, then I don’t think it’s a re-readable book.

I also hate third act break ups, so when it was building up to it, I almost just didn’t want to finish the book.

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