All I Ask by Corinne Michaels is a second chance contemporary romance. It follows Teagan and Derek, former best friends who are now both single parents. Unbeknownst to each other, they both had feelings beyond friendship but, were afraid to move forward with these feelings and ruining their friendship. Shortly after Derek’s wedding, their friendship is abruptly ended. They have not had contact with each other in over 10 years. Now with Derek back in town, will they be able to fix what was broken?
I read All I Ask in an afternoon riding in the golf cart while Shane (my boyfriend) was golfing. It was easy to get pulled into the story. I felt so much emotion and heart from the characters. There were a couple of fantastic swoon worthy moments between Teagan and Derek as they come back together and re-learn who each other is. I also liked the dynamic that was formed between their two daughters, Chasity and Everly, who are dealing their own personal teenage drama while trying to adapt to the idea of their parents possibly dating. Their dynamic helped break down some of the tension between their parents.
Unfortunately, I found All I Ask to be filled with drama which is usually something that I avoid. It is told in a duel perspective alternating between Teagan and Derek in both the past and the present. There were constant references to the past relationships and past events which I understood at first because they were trying to reconnect but, after a bit it seemed repetitive. Alot of it could have just been resolved if they had just talked to each other – either in the past or in the present instead of making assumptions about the other person. It was a little frustrating. I still felt like I could root for Teagan and Derek and that there was a possibility of a future for them if they worked out all their past drama.
If you are a reader who enjoys books filled with drama and tension then you will likely enjoy All I Ask. Personally, I enjoy my books with a little less drama unless it is moving the story forward. I didn’t really feel like the drama here moved things and instead I often felt like I was standing still. That is why I enjoyed the dynamic of Chasity and Everly because it helped break this up. It was also nice to see how this blended family was going to connect with each other instead of ignoring any awkwardness that this situation could bring. This provided the ability for growth for the characters which is what kept me invested in their story.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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