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Verdict: A sixteen-years-in-the-making best-friends romance with real chemistry, a charismatic butch love interest and an unusually serious look at childhood trauma, held back by a heroine whose stalling wore out a large share of its readers.
Best for: Readers who want a slow-burn friends-to-lovers story with genuine emotional weight under the beach setting, and who can stay patient with a single-POV heroine who pushes away the person she wants most.
Heat level: ★★★★☆ (4/5 — romance.io’s “explicit open door”)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5/5 — a 3.74 Goodreads average across 830 ratings, well below its predecessor, with the same complaint about Kate repeated review after review)
Tropes: Friends-to-lovers, only one bed, forced proximity, slow burn, butch/femme, mutual pining, vacation romance, bisexual heroine, healing from trauma, series cast returns.
All the Reasons I Need by Jaime Clevenger is the second book in Bella Books’ Paradise Romance series, a contemporary lesbian romance published in August 2019 and set during a week at a resort in Mexico — and the collision at its centre is Kate Owens, recently out as bisexual and privately in love with her college roommate for sixteen years, and Mo Calloway, the confident butch best friend whose bungalow Kate ends up sharing after a booking mistake, one king-size bed and all.
It holds a 3.74 average across 830 Goodreads ratings, 3.65 on StoryGraph and 4.4 stars from 175 Amazon ratings. That is the context that matters: Three Reasons to Say Yes sits at 4.16, and this sequel lands more than four tenths lower. Why the drop happened, and whether it will bother you, is the thing worth understanding before you pack.
What Is All the Reasons I Need About?
All the Reasons I Need is a friends-to-lovers romance with the longest possible run-up: the two leads met on their first day of college and have circled each other ever since. The vacation strips away the routines both women hide behind, but the real subject is what Kate has never told anyone, and what it would cost her to say it.
Kate is the only point of view, in close third person. She is a successful charity fundraising director from a wealthy, dysfunctional Texas family, polished on the outside and convinced underneath that she is too damaged to be loved. Mo is everything Kate thinks she isn’t: funny, stunning, at ease in her body and never short of women. Readers note that Mo is Black and butch, and that she is written without fetishising either. Seeing her only through Kate’s eyes is the choice that shapes the whole reading experience — it gives Kate’s inner life real depth, and it keeps Mo at arm’s length for a lot of readers who wanted her side.
What Makes This Butch/Femme Friends-to-Lovers Romance Work
- The chemistry: Even readers who were frustrated by the pace concede the attraction is real. One five-star reviewer calls it out of this world, and the banter between the two leads is praised across the reviews.
- Mo: Readers who struggled with Kate still single out Mo as the reason to keep going — charismatic, patient and, in one reviewer’s words, the character the story brightens around.
- The trauma handling: The Lesbian Review praises how respectfully the book explores the lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse, alongside an eating disorder and depression, and several Goodreads readers say it is heavier than a typical beach read and value it for that.
- The friendship group: Julia, Reed and the twins from book one return in a proper supporting role, and readers enjoy the catch-up. Reed’s doctor friend Terri also makes an impression — enough that she became the lead of book three.
- The slow burn: For readers who like it, sixteen years of pining finally paying off in one crowded week is exactly the draw. Several reviews use “slow burn” as praise rather than complaint.
Book Synopsis
A year after Hawaii, the friends are travelling again. Julia and Reed have booked a family week at a resort in Mexico, and Kate — newly out, newly single after leaving her boyfriend, and still carrying a torch for Mo that she has never admitted — agrees to come along against her better judgement.
The trouble starts at check-in. Kate’s reservation has fallen through, and Mo, who never lets a problem sit, offers to share her bungalow. Only when Kate gets there does she find a single king-size bed. Five nights of sleeping beside the woman she has wanted since their first week of college would be hard for anyone; for Kate, who has spent years managing her feelings by never letting herself get close enough to test them, it is close to unbearable.
Then Mo starts behaving like someone who might feel the same way. And Kate faces a choice she has avoided since college: stay safe and silent, or tell Mo the truth — not just about how she feels, but about the past she has never shared with any of her friends, and the reasons she believes she doesn’t deserve the thing she wants most.
My Review
The premise is the book’s biggest strength, and it is a smarter one than the cover suggests. Friends-to-lovers with only one bed is one of the most familiar setups in the genre, but Clevenger uses it as pressure rather than as a joke. The shared bed doesn’t produce comic mishaps so much as it removes Kate’s last hiding place, and the question of the book is not whether these two want each other — everyone, including every other character, already knows they do — but whether Kate can survive being seen.
The second strength is the seriousness underneath. Kate’s history — childhood sexual abuse, a long-managed eating disorder, depression and years of therapy — is not a twist to be sprung and resolved in a chapter. The Lesbian Review’s reviewer says the abuse is handled with respect and that it gave the story a subtle edge, and more than one Goodreads reader notes that this is not the light summer read the title and cover imply.
Where it struggles is Kate herself, and this is the dominant complaint in the reviews rather than my own pet peeve. Readers describe wanting to shake her, throttle her or hit her with their Kindle; the words “frustrating” and “back and forth” come up across independent reviews at every star level. Several say it only won them over in the second half; one says it gels once honest communication finally arrives. Stacked on that are the structural costs of the single POV — a number of readers expected, and wanted, Mo’s perspective — and a sense among others that Kate’s issues are either resolved too easily at the end or used as a device to stretch the angst.
One expectation to reset: the title and the “only one bed” premise all promise a breezy vacation romance, and a good share of reviewers say outright that it isn’t one. StoryGraph readers file it as emotional and slow-paced before lighthearted. If a beach read is what drew you, calibrate; if you like romance that carries real weight, this is the heavier and more interesting book in the series.
My honest note: A three-and-a-half-star book with a four-star couple, held down by a heroine many readers found hard to spend 286 pages with. If a self-sabotaging lead ruins a romance for you, this will test you. If you can extend Kate the patience Mo does, the payoff is real.
| Element | In All the Reasons I Need |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Kate Owens & Mo Calloway — bisexual femme and confident butch, college best friends of sixteen years |
| Core tropes | Friends-to-lovers, only one bed, forced proximity, slow burn, mutual pining, vacation romance |
| Setting | A week at a resort in Mexico, with Julia, Reed and the twins from book one |
| Heat level | 4/5 — explicit open door, after a long slow burn |
| Series | Paradise Romance book 2 — Kate and Mo end together; book 3 follows Terri |
| Content notes | Past childhood sexual abuse, eating disorder, depression, drug addiction, dysfunctional and neglectful parents, explicit sexual content |
How Spicy Is All the Reasons I Need?
A 4/5. romance.io places it in its “explicit open door” band, the same band as book one — though that rating rests on only seven votes, so it is worth reading alongside what reviewers say. The Lesbian Review files it under average spice and medium heat, and one Goodreads reader warns that anyone expecting light and sexy should look elsewhere. Both are true: the scenes, when they come, are on the page, but they come after a long slow burn, and this is not a book where heat is the main draw the way it was in Three Reasons to Say Yes. One StoryGraph reviewer wished it had leaned into the butch/femme dynamic more, as the first book did.
The element worth knowing in advance is not sexual. Kate’s history of childhood sexual abuse sits underneath the romance throughout, and it is central to why she keeps Mo at a distance. No reviewer I found flags anything on the page beyond that. For butch/femme contemporary romance in the same heat band, Three Reasons to Say Yes and Spindrift sit at the same level, with more of the heat and less of the weight.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you love friends-to-lovers with years of history behind it, you want a charismatic butch love interest, you like romance that takes trauma and recovery seriously, and you have already read Three Reasons to Say Yes and want Mo and Kate’s story.
You may want to skip it if: a heroine who repeatedly retreats from her own happiness drives you up the wall, you need both leads’ points of view, you want the steady heat of book one, or you are looking for a genuinely light vacation read.
In short: a warmer, weightier sequel with a love interest everyone adores and a heroine many readers wanted to shake.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
There is no viral moment behind this book and nothing new driving it in 2026. It has found its readers through the series. Most Goodreads reviews mention Three Reasons to Say Yes, and many readers picked this up specifically for Mo and Kate. That is both its engine and its problem, because it is measured against a better-loved book. The ratings show it plainly: 62% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars, but 28% sit at three, against a predecessor that barely registers there. Audio has been a steady second route in. The audiobook is narrated by Abby Craden, who also reads book one, and runs 8 hours 20 minutes; every listener who mentions her praises her, and at least one reader who rated the book itself at three and a half says the narration earned five.
Prefer audio? Listen to All the Reasons I Need on Libro.fm — the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Mo, first and most consistently. Readers call her dynamic, funny, sexy and patient, and one says the story brightens every time she is on the page. Second, the chemistry and the banter, which even the three-star reviews concede. Third, the depth: readers repeatedly say this is not just a fluffy romance, and praise it for tackling eating disorders, abuse and family damage with care. The Lesbian Review is the strongest voice here, calling it a thoughtful summer romance full of emotion. Notably, at least one reader liked this one even more than book one.
What readers argue about and complain about: Kate, above everything. Her insecurity, indecision and self-loathing frustrated readers across every star rating, and the one- and two-star reviews are largely about her — one says the angst felt forced to keep the leads apart, another could not like her at all. The second theme is the single POV: readers wanted Mo’s side, and some felt Mo was left too passive, waiting for Kate to do all the work. Third, pacing and structure — the back-and-forth runs long, one StoryGraph reviewer wanted the middle trimmed, another didn’t care about the subplot with Kate’s father, and a Goodreads reader felt the book should have picked up straight after book one instead of a year later. The genuine split is how Kate’s trauma is resolved: some readers found it brave and moving, others felt it was raised and then too quickly blown over.
The series question worth asking first: Kate and Mo’s story is resolved here. They end together, and readers describe the conclusion as heartwarming and satisfying, although one felt it stopped just as the relationship was getting good. Reading Three Reasons to Say Yes first is not required — The Lesbian Review read this one cold and enjoyed it — but most Goodreads reviewers strongly recommend it, because Mo and Kate’s history is built there. Book one is also the better book, at 4.16 across 1,296 ratings. Just One Reason (book 3, 2020) follows Terri and recovers to 4.05 across 555, with Mo and Kate appearing in the background.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is All the Reasons I Need a butch/femme romance?
Yes. Mo is butch and Kate is femme, and readers tag it butch/femme on Goodreads. One reviewer notes it leans on that dynamic less than book one does.
Does All the Reasons I Need have a happy ending?
Yes. Kate and Mo end together, and reviewers describe the ending as heartwarming and satisfying. There is no cliffhanger, and book three moves on to a different couple.
How spicy is All the Reasons I Need?
A 4/5. romance.io rates it “explicit open door,” but the heat arrives only after a long slow burn, and The Lesbian Review files it as medium heat. It is less of a steamy read than book one.
Do I need to read Three Reasons to Say Yes first?
No, but most readers recommend it. The book recaps what you need, yet Mo and Kate’s history and the returning cast land better if you have read book one.
Is there an audiobook of All the Reasons I Need?
Yes. It is narrated by Abby Craden, who also narrates the rest of the series, and runs 8 hours 20 minutes. Listeners consistently praise her performance.
If You Loved All the Reasons I Need, Read These Next
Start with the book that sets it up: Three Reasons to Say Yes gives you Mo and Kate as a side plot, a butch doctor lead, the same heat level and a much lighter touch. For another butch/femme couple who move from sharing a home to sharing a life, The Roommate Arrangement is a character-driven slow burn with the same forced-proximity engine. And if the long-history friends-to-lovers angle is what hooked you, Count Your Lucky Stars brings back a first love at the same heat, with far more humour and dual POV.
For more in this register, browse our butch lesbian romance guide or the full Book Reviews collection.
The Bottom Line
All the Reasons I Need aims to be more than a beach romance, and in places it is. The chemistry is real, Mo is a butch love interest readers fall for, and the book treats Kate’s trauma with a seriousness the genre rarely attempts. It is also slower than it needs to be, locked inside a heroine many readers found exhausting, and never quite lets us know Mo from the inside. Whether that trade works depends on your patience with Kate — but if you loved book one, or you want friends-to-lovers with real weight behind it, it is worth the trip. Check All the Reasons I Need on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, All the Reasons I Need ranks as a weightier-than-it-looks butch/femme friends-to-lovers sequel — genuinely charged and emotionally serious, held back by a frustrating single-POV heroine, and best approached for Mo and the long-awaited payoff rather than for a light vacation read.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ 3.74 average across 830 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 3.65 on StoryGraph, 1% did not finish
- ✓ Recommended by The Lesbian Review
- ✓ Four tenths below book one’s 4.16
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Sixteen years of mutual pining
- ✓ Chemistry conceded even by critics
- ✓ Only-one-bed setup used as pressure
- ✓ Back-and-forth runs far too long
Characters ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Mo is the most-praised element
- ✓ Kate’s inner life drawn in depth
- ✓ Returning cast from book one enjoyed
- ✓ Kate the dominant complaint in reviews
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Banter and dialogue widely praised
- ✓ Close third person, Kate only
- ✓ Trauma written with respect
- ✓ Middle could have been trimmed
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Childhood abuse handled seriously
- ✓ Eating disorder and depression on page
- ✓ StoryGraph readers call it emotional
- ✓ Some felt the trauma resolved too easily
Heat Level ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ romance.io’s “explicit open door” band
- ✓ Same band as book one
- ✓ Arrives after a long slow burn
- ✓ Only seven romance.io votes; Lesbian Review says medium
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Kate and Mo end together
- ✓ Readers call it heartwarming and satisfying
- ✓ No cliffhanger; book three changes couple
- ✓ One reader felt it stopped too soon
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Abby Craden narrates the whole series
- ✓ Mo and Kate reappear in book three
- ✓ Series cast rewards a return
- ✓ Kate’s stalling discourages a second pass
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