A review by ghh2023
All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox

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!