Take a photo of a barcode or cover
a_thurkettle's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
3.25
sammyclem's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
aliciafaithreads's review against another edition
2.0
1 star for the Nashville setting
1 star for Patsy Canine, may your adorable sweaters keep you warm because this review is cold ;)
All I Want for Christmas is the second book by Maggie Knox, the pen name for writing duo Marissa Stapley and Karma Brown. On this book, we follow our main characters, Sadie and Max, as they make their way through a country singing competition. When sparks fly during a duet between them, their agents decide that they should fake a relationship in order to get further in the competition.
After reading and enjoying The Holiday Swap by this author duo last year, I was excited to see what they would come out with next and I am so disappointed. This book was such a letdown. This book primarily takes place in Nashville so, being someone who lives relatively close to the city, I was excited about it. And this book does feel like a love letter to Nashville, but not Christmas at all. I think this book could have taken place at anytime during the year and it wouldn’t have changed the story at all. Nashville is beautiful at Christmas and the characters literally visit a hotel in December that is known for going all out with its Christmas decorations but that is never mentioned. I read this to have those warm and cozy feelings I experience around the holiday season but this book failed to deliver. I think the book this author duo put out last year just worked better because it took place in a small, quaint town that just felt like a hallmark destination.
And then just the book itself was not enjoyable for me. The characters didn’t have a lot of depth and a lot of the personality traits they had were given to them just for the sake of having drama to work though. The miscommunication trope is something that is very common in romance books and though I do get annoyed by it, I can usually look past it. This book took the miscommunication trope and dialed it to 11. Every single issue in this book was caused because the main characters didn’t talk to each other. The relationship was super unbelievable. This book tries to deal with grief but it is in a way that is so absurd, I couldn’t even feel bad for the characters.
I could probably write a much longer review but I don’t want to spoil the book for those who are interested. This just wasn’t for me at all.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own
1 star for Patsy Canine, may your adorable sweaters keep you warm because this review is cold ;)
All I Want for Christmas is the second book by Maggie Knox, the pen name for writing duo Marissa Stapley and Karma Brown. On this book, we follow our main characters, Sadie and Max, as they make their way through a country singing competition. When sparks fly during a duet between them, their agents decide that they should fake a relationship in order to get further in the competition.
After reading and enjoying The Holiday Swap by this author duo last year, I was excited to see what they would come out with next and I am so disappointed. This book was such a letdown. This book primarily takes place in Nashville so, being someone who lives relatively close to the city, I was excited about it. And this book does feel like a love letter to Nashville, but not Christmas at all. I think this book could have taken place at anytime during the year and it wouldn’t have changed the story at all. Nashville is beautiful at Christmas and the characters literally visit a hotel in December that is known for going all out with its Christmas decorations but that is never mentioned. I read this to have those warm and cozy feelings I experience around the holiday season but this book failed to deliver. I think the book this author duo put out last year just worked better because it took place in a small, quaint town that just felt like a hallmark destination.
And then just the book itself was not enjoyable for me. The characters didn’t have a lot of depth and a lot of the personality traits they had were given to them just for the sake of having drama to work though. The miscommunication trope is something that is very common in romance books and though I do get annoyed by it, I can usually look past it. This book took the miscommunication trope and dialed it to 11. Every single issue in this book was caused because the main characters didn’t talk to each other. The relationship was super unbelievable. This book tries to deal with grief but it is in a way that is so absurd, I couldn’t even feel bad for the characters.
I could probably write a much longer review but I don’t want to spoil the book for those who are interested. This just wasn’t for me at all.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of its release. All thoughts and opinions are my own
marianabarros's review against another edition
Não acredito que resultariam enquanto casal. Não conversam, o que significa que todo o livro é um conflito causado por miscommunication, e quando tentam falar a FMC irrita-se e amua e o MMC manda bocas e diz “nevermind”. E querem que acredite que têm uma química incrível… Divorce babes, divorce
emilymcavoy's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ghh2023's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
All I Want for Christmas is the perfect book to get any reader into the Christmas spirit. I rarely read a book in one sitting but I managed to do that with this lovely holiday book. It has a blend of many elements that I enjoy: country music, a strong independent woman, and Christmas. This was my first book by this writing duo and I know that it will not be my last. Did I feel like Max and Sadie had one too many mishaps before they finally got together? Yes. And, it got to the point that I wondered if they would ever get together. The miscommunication trope usually bothers me but I feel like it was written better in this book than many others. I loved the descriptions of Nashville at Christmas because it made me feel like I was actually there. Christmas in the mountains and in Nashville has to be really beautiful and I know it is something that most people want to experience at least once in their lives. The authors did a great job using the setting to their advantage and infusing the entire book with music that goes right along with the spirit of Christmas. I really enjoyed Gran's character and the mentioning of how hard a business like this has to be on your mental health. I could not imagine someone watching me day in and day out hoping I make a mistake that they can cash in on. Celebrities are tough cookies but I think we need to do more as a society to separate them from their creative work and give them some privacy. And, I like how the authors handled the creepy record deal guy and showed how hard it is for women to decide between comfort level and success sometimes. Fake dating and enemies to lovers is a silly trope from the get go. I don't feel like anyone was fooled that they were in a fake relationship because it seemed so genuine the whole time. The only people who were fooled were Max and Sadie themselves. I will be looking out for more work by these authors and more Christmas romance books. This one was a delight and it says a lot that I managed to finish it all in one sitting!
pandabrennan's review against another edition
I just couldn’t vibe with the story or the characters
gabgenuario's review against another edition
1.5
The book had potential I think if it was longer to fit in all the subplots/timelines happening.
First, I did not buy their love at all. They sang one song together and fell in love and knew eachother better than anyone. Yeah not buying it
Second, the number of miscommunication fights was alarming. The lying the storming off was very high school and got old after the second time.
Third, I feel as though they made Max so incredibly boring. Man is attractive and famous and knits and that’s it.
I really like the duet authors other book. But this fell wayyyyyyy short
First, I did not buy their love at all. They sang one song together and fell in love and knew eachother better than anyone. Yeah not buying it
Second, the number of miscommunication fights was alarming. The lying the storming off was very high school and got old after the second time.
Third, I feel as though they made Max so incredibly boring. Man is attractive and famous and knits and that’s it.
I really like the duet authors other book. But this fell wayyyyyyy short
abigail_gandy's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
sejw's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5