All I Ask

Corinne Michaels — 2020

Timing is everything... As the head cheerleader at her small-town high school Teagan never expected to become best friends with Derek, the cute, shy son of the town veterinarian. Over the years, even though Tegan was dating the star of the football team, she couldn't hide her growing feelings for Derek. But just as Teagan is finally ready to confess her feelings for Derek, she finds out she is pregnant, and Derek has moved on. It was only after he married his college sweetheart that Derek realized that he was in love with his best friend Teagan. Determined to do what was best for his family, he cut Teagan out of his life. Thirteen years later, still harboring guilt for his failed marriage and his wife's death in a tragic accident, Derek finds himself back in his hometown with his daughter. When it seems that fate has given them a second chance, Derek and Teagan realize it might finally be their time. Just as Derek and Teagan's happily ever after comes into focus, Teagan is offered the chance of a lifetime-to start a new life with her daughter, something she's wanted for years. But now that Derek is back in her life, it's not so easy to pick up and leave. Just when she finally has something real, can she leave it for her own dreams?

Reviews

Jasmine@lovelyximperfect

Jan 21, 2023

4 Stars A book that starts with a wedding where the best woman is secretly pinning for her best friend, while pregnant with another man's child is the kind of messy tragic second chance romance I'm here for. I was hooked from the start but more importantly it held my interest and I was able to read it in one sitting. I just wish there were more flashbacks from their teenage years because all the little details made me want to see more. Beautiful, emotional, and very angsty second chance romance story. Derek and Teagan had a once in a lifetime connection and after years of being estranged from each other find their way back together both as single parents living in their childhood town. I really liked this one!!

Cat Nunez @catxbooks

Oct 8, 2021

This book is a little different to the other ones from Corinne, but I loved the story between Teagan and Derek, even though I started crying from chapter 1. It’s a story about friendship, heartbreak and love and I felt all of that since the beginning. I really loved Teagan and how strong she was despite being a single mom and living in a small town where everyone had an opinion of her and not knowing how amazing she was. I enjoyed her moments with her daughter too , she was really funny even though most people thought she was weird. Derek is an amazing character too, maybe I didn’t like his choices at the beginning but then he started growing on me, and I just wanted for them to be together and have their HEA at last. Corinne as always doesn’t disappoint and I always enjoyed reading a new book from her!

Lacey@laceybooklovers

Aug 26, 2021

2-2.5 stars I was so excited when I got an early copy of All I Ask. First, the cover is STUNNING. Second, two single parents! And third, it's the (ex) friends to lovers trope. Which means all the angst and all the feels. So I am a bit disappointed that I couldn't enjoy this book more. It's not a bad read, just a frustrating one. You can tell Corinne Michaels knows how to write, but the miscommunication in this romance got on my nerves. It's one of my biggest pet peeves when characters just don't TALK to each other. The reason why our hero and heroine became estranged for over a decade was because they couldn't express their feelings towards one another. This book is definitely a "it's me, not you" kind of read, but if you also don't enjoy reading about miscommunication, I would pass on it. While the book is told in alternate POVs (IMO, there weren't enough chapters from the hero), we also get two timelines: the past, when Teagan and Derek first meet in high school and fall in unrequited love, and the present, when they reunite for the first time in a decade as single parents. I have to say I wasn't a big fan of the past chapters – they were boring and didn't add all that much to the story because I could already tell how in love Teagan and Derek were through their present chapters. And, this is when they start keeping their feelings a secret and Derek uses his new fiancée to cope with the fact that he thinks Teagan doesn't love him back. Did I also mention Teagan is pregnant by her deadbeat ex and Derek gets his fiancée pregnant? I guess no one uses condoms anymore. It just annoyed me to no end that they could've saved over ten years worth of hurt and heartache with a simple conversation. The present day reunion is underwhelming. It starts off with some fantastic angst and I could just FEEL all the emotions and hurt from Teagan. Derek ghosted her, his best friend, like she didn't mean anything to him. He stopped all communication with her and dropped off the face of the planet. I really wanted her to make him work towards earning back her trust and heart, but after maybe two conversations they start dating already. So that whole thing was anticlimactic. The thing is, I truly don't believe Derek would've ever gone after Teagan, the woman he supposedly loved, if he didn't become a widower. I never understood why he was okay living married but separated with his wife, a woman he didn't love. So Teagan comes across as second best, his second choice, and that left a bad taste in my mouth. The good things I did enjoy? The writing, which is solid, and Teagan's daughter, who has such a personality. I'm sure I'm in the minority for this book, but I wanted more – more angst, more GROVELING, more chapters from the hero. And sadly, this just didn't work for me.