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All I Ever Wanted
All I Ever Wanted
All I Ever Wanted
Audiobook10 hours

All I Ever Wanted

Written by Kristan Higgins

Narrated by Xe Sands

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

TURNING THIRTY HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS. For Callie Grey, coming to grips with her age means facing the fact that her boyfriend-slash-boss is way overdue with a marriage proposal. And that she's way off track, because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company's new Miss Perfect. If that isn't bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a Big Three-Oh birthday bash.in the family funeral home. Bad goes to worse when Callie stirs up a relationship with the town's single-yet not so warm and fuzzy-veterinarian, in order to flag Mark's attention. So what if Ian McFarland is more comfortable with animals? So what if he's formal, orderly and just a bit tense? Friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it's time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But, dang-if he doesn't shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Georgebury, Vermont's unlikeliest eligible bachelor..
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 24, 2016
ISBN9781490696713
All I Ever Wanted
Author

Kristan Higgins

Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA TODAY bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than twenty languages. She has received dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, The New York Journal of Books and Kirkus. Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband, two atypically affectionate children, a neurotic rescue mutt and an occasionally friendly cat.

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Reviews for All I Ever Wanted

Rating: 3.9756756345945945 out of 5 stars
4/5

185 ratings15 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Towards the end, I cried like a baby.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    All I Ever Wanted is Kristan Higgins' sixth book, and it does not disappoint! Few authors can make me laugh, cringe, giggle--and yes, this time I even cried--like she does. Her characters always seem so very real, and yet, they're all so very different. Callie (short for Calliope--this book has quite a few fun names for the bibliophile, including Bronte and Hester) might at first seem like the typical middle child of a divorced family--she's always eager to please, to make people happy, to make people like her--but at the same time she has wonderful (or not so wonderful, depending on the company and the situtation she finds herself in) quirks that make her a completely unique person. At the beginning of the story, Callie has just turned thirty. She is working very successfully at a job she loves, and has been secretly--well, okay, perhaps it's actually the worst kept secret in the office--in love with her boss since he gave her her first kiss in a closet at a party when she was fourteen. They even shared five (magical! Callie is sure they were magical, blissful, treasured moments, all!) weeks of coupledom until he broke it off, claiming the timing was wrong. Now, on her thirtieth birthday, Mark tells her he's seeing someone else. And it's serious. And she'll be starting at their office in a few days. Understandably upset, Callie decides to seek refuge at the DMV, where she spends her lunch hour waiting in line to get her picture taken. There, she horrifies the man behind her in line with what he calls her "emotional diarrhea"--though he does end up offering her his handkerchief. Which he thoughtfully insists she keeps. And the rest...well, after three hundred more pages, plenty of laughs, tears, drama, and several months...is contemporary romance history. Loved it!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I had a hard time cracking the spine on "All I Ever Wanted", I was just not in the mood for an "unrequited love, doesn't realize what she has" plot line. With that resistance in mind, I thought I'd at least read the first chapter before bed last night, just to get it started. Massive mistake. At 2 am, a mere 4 hours from the time I would have to drag myself out of bed for work, I finished the last page and wanted more.

    Callie Grey was a stellar heroine, capable and charming and a joy to read along with. Her flaws were both believable and minor, and her interactions with Ian McFarland were funny and awkward and tender all at once. I loved the believable evolution of their affection, amidst a number of background plot lines, some more memorable than others.

    While “All I Ever Wanted” did have a familiar contemporary romance plot line, I thought it was a well done rendition of this enjoyable genre.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I picked this book from a list of books in a 'Random Book List Challenge' at RRRC group. I did not expect to like it, I am usually not a big fa n of a chic-lit novels. But this book was fun. It made me laugh out loud a lot of times. So, although it maybe deserves just 3 stars for the content, I gave it 4 stars for the fun factor. :)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Kristan Higgins is always an author I watch for on the library shelf (i used to buy them, but that's just not an option right now). I always find her books entertaining and this one was not a disappointment.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Love Higgins as much as Crusie. Fun fun book!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Why I read it: I picked it up at NetGalley and I've enjoyed all but the last one of Kristan Higgins' books (the previous release - the Next Best Thing- I didn't read - it sounded too similar to some of her previous books and the relationship was between the heroine and her dead husband's brother which squicked me out a little so I gave it a pass). However, this relationship is between two people who have not previously related to one another and I do so enjoy Ms. Higgins' sense of humour so I was happy to read it. I'm glad I did. It rocked.What it's about: (Here's the blurb from the author's website) "One happily-ever-after rocking chair…And no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol’ Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track, because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company’s new Miss Perfect. If that isn’t bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a 3-0 birthday bash in the family funeral home.Bad goes to worse when she stirs up a relationship with the town’s most eligible — yet not so warm and fuzzy — veterinarian, Ian McFarland, in order to flag Mark’s attention. So Ian’s more comfortable with animals… So he’s formal, orderly and just a bit tense. The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it’s time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But, dang — if he doesn’t shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont’s unlikeliest eligible bachelor…"What worked for me: Quite a bit actually. This book was funny and smart and had quite a few laugh out loud moments. There was even a part where I cried ( - but I'm not saying anything more about it - no spoilers here!)I laughed at the description of Fleur who "due to three weeks spent in England during college" spoke with a varying British accent. I like the way that Ms. Higgins can draw a sharp picture of a secondary character with such quirks. I enjoyed the Vermont setting and other secondary characters too, especially Noah, Callie's grandfather. Plus, there's a dog, Bowie. (And, Bowie's still with us at the end of the book - in fact, it looks like he got a little 'romance' himself with the vet's sexy bitch - and by bitch I am of course referring to a female dog).I liked Callie quite a bit. She's the sort of lady I'd like to know. Funny, kind and enthusiastic. I was amused by Callie's inner voices - instead of an angel and a demon on her shoulder she had a vapid Betty Boop and her inner Michelle Obama who gave her good advice and told her to kick Mark to the kerb.Mark was a piece of work - a real user - but Callie knew it most of the time and worked hard on getting over him. I was a bit worried near the end that she would cave and I don't think I would have let him get as close as she did (I disapproved a tad) but she saw through him (lucky for her - grrr).Ian however, was lovely. While I would have liked more of him (see below) he was a perfect foil for Callie who had to be in everyone's business and try and fix everyone's problems - he "saw" her and understood her quite quickly even though he was very different to her. He's much more reserved and shy/quiet. He doesn't want her to fix everything in his life and it was interesting to watch Callie struggle with that. She did bring him out of his shell a little but he was always himself. The character growth is really all Callie's.It's been a little while since I read the book, but I think the blurb is wrong. Callie didn't go out with Ian to get Mark's attention or make Mark jealous. She did start off with the idea of going out with Ian to help her get over Mark (but that's not using) and after a while, she realised that she wanted to be with Ian and bugger Mark (yay!). What didn't work for me: My "beef" with Ms. Higgins' books probably stems from the fact that they are all written in first person POV and the typical Higgins' hero is the "strong silent type". Ian was more communicative than previous heroes but I would still have liked more of him. There are other first person books I've read where I've felt I knew the hero well enough and this has usually been done in dialogue where the hero speaks for himself. (eg, Outlander - I felt like I knew Jamie Fraser pretty well by the end of the book, notwithstanding that the story was told (in bk1 at least) wholly in the Claire's POV. Not that I had enough of him mind - is that even possible? - but just that I felt I had a handle on what makes him tick.) I kind of had to fill in the blanks myself with Ian - I had to imagine some of his motivations and thoughts because I just didn't get enough of him. (Having said that, the hero in Catch of the Day (Malone) was almost completely a cipher so Ian was a vast improvement.) I do love Ms. Higgins' writing style and her humour and she always sucks me in to the emotion of the story but I want more of the hero!! This was better but still not quite enough. I'm greedy I guess! I'm not sure the "happily-ever-after chair" added much to the story, for my money. It was kind of important at the beginning but that part of the story fizzled a bit at the end IMO.Also, I could easily have taken a bit more of Alejandro (Ian's brother - oh my! *fans self*).What else? Another plus with this book is that the love scenes didn't entirely stop at the bedroom door this time - it was by no means explicit but I did enjoy the extra. I'd felt it was lacking in earlier books. Kind of like icing, you know?Also (and totally unrelated to the above) the turkey scene was hilarious. I can totally see this book working as rom/com movie.Grade: B A really fun contemporary romance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    30 year-old Calliope is outgoing to a fault, smart, creative, good looking, so why is she still in love with her boss who after a brief fling on a business trip, is not interested. Of course the plot is secondary in this funny, light romance populated with quirky characters set in the "northeast kingdom" of Vermont. I'll look for more by Kristin Higgins.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Callie Gray knows that she should’ve gotten over first kiss, boss one-time fling, and love of her life Mark years ago. Yet when Mark gets engaged to a woman who is everything she’s not, Callie finally decides to attempt to move on. Unfortunately, in their sleepy Vermont town, there aren’t that many candidates. The most eligible bachelor, the new vet, Dr. Ian McFarland, is antisocial and seems to have a stick up his bum. And yet Ian is precisely who Callie keeps on running into. As their paths continue to cross, Callie begins to wonder if she may actually be able to love Ian after all…The problem with reading my first two Kristan Higgins novels back to back is that, the second time around, the formula becomes glaringly, embarrassingly obvious. In one breath, here are the characteristics that, after reading just two of her books, I suspect hold throughout all her novels: a theoretically smart female MC (often a middle child with an unusual interest or hobby) with a bad history in men and who turns into idiots around men, a quirky family, a cantankerous grandparent, an over-hyper and disobedient canine pet who gets talked to in frighteningly embarrassing babytalk, eCommitment and horrible blind online dates, a gay best friend… I guess I’ll stop here for now (although I’ll just say: seriously, a requisite gay best friend? Isn’t that so 1990s?).Furthermore, the plot progresses at pretty much the same “ratio”: for example, the requisite lovers’ misunderstanding occurs at around 85% of the way through the novel. GAH. I don’t know whether I should laugh at the unapologetic adherence to a formula, or cry a little.Now, I understand that this is romance and that bestselling romance often follows a formula that everyone knows yet still loves. And yep, that’s pretty much the case here. This is classic Higgins (if one who has only read two of her books is allowed to reach such a conclusion after having just dissected her formula in a disconcertingly easy way). Callie is likable (and has the requisite quirky hobby!), and her awkwardness/stupidity around men is still infuriating yet relatable. Zany humor abounds in conversations. The dog is still annoying.But Ian. Oh, Ian. He totally makes this book. Think a blond, Slavic version of Mr. Darcy, with a reticence slightly reminiscent of Asperger’s but with puppy-like loyalty that is hard to earn but oh so worth it. Shy guys! Stories these days are overflowing with guys who know they’re good-looking and know how to say just the right thing to get what they want. Ian, however, has NO CLUE what he’s doing most of the time, as far as relationships go, which makes his rare right actions all the more genuine and truly endearing. We need more Ians in stories, that’s for sure.It’s probably going to be hard for me to pick a favorite Higgins romance, because they all follow pretty much the same formula, and yet are all so much fun to read. Hopefully this review will push you in the right direction and encourage you to pick up a book by Kristin Higgins! And if you already have, well, let’s just giggle and gaggle and gossip together over which Higgins man we’d like to have for ourselves…
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kristan Higgins never fails to amaze me. She is so great at capturing both humor and emotion. Some parts of the book are laugh-out-loud funny, and others make you feel like crying. In fact, I did cry once. I read the book in one sitting, and between all the laughing and crying, anyone that heard me probably thought I was completely insane. Her books aren't just romance. They explore other relationships: whether they involve family, pets or the community. Callie and Ian are such great characters: they are complete opposites of each other. At first, that fact causes them to clash. Eventually, they come to realize that they actually balance each other out. Anybody that appreciates a nice romance/chick lit story should definitely pick this up! I read this book via NetGalley, but I will definitely be buying a copy for my shelves when it is released. Kristan Higgins is definitely on my auto-buy list - her books are always spectacular!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The first –and only- Higgins’s book I read was Too Good to Be True, and to be honest I didn’t think it was that good. It did keep my interest, and it had some fun parts, but I didn’t see what the big deal was, so even though I did enjoy it, I didn’t feel the need to go and read Higgins’s other books.Yesterday I was in the mood for some romantic comedy and decided to give Higgins a second chance, so I went and bought All I Ever Wanted. At first glance this one was pretty much the same as Too Good to Be True, a quirky heroine, a brooding hero, a dysfunctional family and a dog… But oh boy did I like this one! After a couple pages I found myself laughing out loud (which is pretty uncommon for me), identifying with the heroine (two words: food baby, being there, done that), wanting to know what was going on with the hero, and loving the grandpa, loving the dog, loving the sister, the mother, everything!Let me tell you a bit about the book, Callie, our heroine, has been in love (or more like obsessed) with her boss since they were teenagers. While on a business travel a few months back, they have a one night stand and she thinks he’s finally realized she’s the one, but he tells her he’s not ready for a relationship, thus she just goes and waits for him to be. Fast forward to the present, it’s Callie’s birthday and she learns that Mark (that’s the boss and love of her life) has been dating someone else and it’s quite serious about her. What comes next is pure unadulterated fun while Callie tries to find a guy to make Mark jealous, cope with the fact that the new girlfriend is also the new girl at work who’s making her life there miserable, dealing with crazy parents, an even crazier sister, and having public meltdowns at the DMV.Ian, our hero, is the new veterinary in town, taciturn and straight-laced is the complete opposite to Callie. At first they clash, but then a friendship ensures when she helps him with his public image because as a result of his bluntness and unfriendliness he’s been losing patients, or patient’s owners I should say. And this is our love story within the story, because I wouldn’t catalogue this book as a full on romance, I think it’s more about Callie’s journey. Their romance is one of the big storylines, but there are lots of other things going on, and even the romance part I think works more as an enabler for Callie’s growth than as a main focus of the story.There were some things that didn’t work for me, and they were all in the romance department. First of all, Callie can’t have sex without thinking of marriage and babies and happily ever after, perhaps this is a more realistic response to sex from a woman like her, but it was a bit annoying, mostly because it took her about a month to get over Mark. Then she immediately fell for Ian, and that wouldn’t bother me as much if she hadn’t come to the realization that she loved him just after having sex with him for the first time.The other thing that didn’t keep me completely satisfied was the hero. It’s tricky having a romance narrated by just one character because you might end up having one character completely fleshed out, but the other not so much, especially if they don’t have a lot of interaction with each other. I think that’s the case here, I do believe that having Ian remain a little inscrutable was the point in order to make us feel how Callie was feeling -she even points out that she can’t tell what’s going on trough his head-, but I would have loved a little more of –as Ian would say- emotional diarrhea from him, at least at the end (although probably, had that been the case, I would be complaining how out of character that was).Overall it was a good book. If you are in the mood for some great comedy, if you are feeling blue and want to feel better, if you like “opposites attract” stories, if you like dysfunctional families, or if you are looking for a good and engaging book, then this is the perfect book for you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    All I Ever Wanted was the first romance novel that I have ever read, and I loved it. More chick lit than steamy, All I Ever Wanted follows Callie as she tries to find her place in her own small town. Kristan Higgins did a wonderful job creating the entire town and its cast of characters. Each one felt likable, and when tragedy strikes I felt genuinely sad.Like most chick lit, All I Ever Wanted was just pure fun, and its quick read format made it even more enjoyable. Kristan Higgins seems pretty enjoyable too…check out my interview with her. And maybe give some romance a try…who couldn’t use more romance?!?!?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Callie Grey turn 30 , she has long secret crush on her boss Mark, who announced his engagemtn w/ another women. Land callie DMV-license. Meets Ian McFarland in the line as she crys outloud. Ian is silent, formal. Her family owns a funeral home. She lives w her grouchy grandfather to take care of him. He builds boats and lost his leg in an accident. Cute, funny and very entertaining story.Her mom and dad are divorced and trying to reconsile during the story. Her granddad dies at the end but helps tie the ending of the story. Really enjoyed book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I totally adored this contemporary romance! Really!Kristan Higgins' writing is very smooth and fluid. She does a wonderful job of building up a story and keeping your interest.Now while I do enjoy a good "love" scene it was surprisingly refreshing to not read any explicit details. It really was a book that was all about the story.It was also interesting to take in these characters. No "super alpha dudes" taking over...only a shy guy who's not sure if he wants to love again.Definitely a sweet contemporary romance that leaves you with a happy *sigh.*
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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.