The Maggie Knox writing duo does it again!!! I can’t even get chores done with my partner, but they can create masterpieces and relatable characters?? Tell me how!!

I loved ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS & so did everyone in my book club🎄

A fake dating between two country singers. Told in dual timelines and dual POV. It was a little hard to follow at times but the setting of Nashville and Banff were nice to visit.

There was a lot of miscommunication in this one which I don’t mind as a trope.

The reality star singing show and industry stuff was interesting.

I just love that he crochets and makes people clothing items. Though there was constant miscommunication and doubting each other it was only because they were holding back from each other and couldn’t anticipate each other.

Eek. This fell so flat for me. Neither of the main characters were likeable and the romance didn’t feel believable at all as in the chemistry just wasn’t there. I felt like I was being told they liked Evan other but not shown it. The plot could’ve been good but in execution I was left wanting so much more - more real connection between the characters, more spice, etc.

I tried to read this one but ending up not finishing it. I can’t pinpoint what exactly was wrong with the story, but it just wasn’t grabbing me. The dialogue felt too forced and it was a bit cheesy for my taste. I really loved their first book so I was disappointed this didn’t work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

All I Want for Christmas is a fun, festive, musically -themed Christmas novel by the fabulous due known as Maggie Knox. Sadie has her chance at a big break in Nashville; as a contestant on an American Idol-like country reality contest she is paired with music royalty Max Brody. Max is determined to get out from his father's shadow and make a name for himself. Sadie and Max make magic when they sing together-but can't stand each other. However, producers and agents want to manufacture a relationship and soon #Saxie is trending. Sadie and Max are each navigating personal heartache and struggles and while the story features an enemies to lovers trope, the holiday backdrop and music prominently featured make it feel fresh. This is a delightful story to read any time of year but especially during the holiday season.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest feedback.

I have heard so many good things about this one that I needed to try it out for myself and I'm so glad I did because I absolutely loved it. its like a hallmark movie but better! highly recommend for this time of year.

⁉️Do you read holiday themed books?
I really try every year and usually fit a couple in, but they never hit the same as my favorite rom coms do. Why is that?! 🙈

BOOK REVIEW
All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox
October 4, 2022
352 pages
@vikingbooks

Two aspiring music artists meet and compete on a tv competition show like American idol, but make it country. There’s a lot, A LOT, of will they won’t they, but I mean, of course we know they will.

I’ve read my fair share of books with a reality television show plot. That doesn’t usually work out well for me, but sometimes it surprises me. This didn’t. First, the competition only even exists for the first third of the book maybe? And then we’re basically just following Sadie and Max while they get together, miscommunicate and break up over and over . . . And over and over.

If you want something minimally holiday themed and especially if you’re into 1. Competition shows and 2. the country music scene, I think you might really dig this little romance.

Unrelated, did I take this shot in @barnesandnoble, because I only had the kindle version? Uh, yes 😅🤣

Thanks to @netgalley and @vikingbooks for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#maggieknox #alliwantforchristmas #christmasbooks #holidayreads #christmasreads #holidaybooks #bookreview #netgalleyreads #netgalley #bookish #bookthings #netgalleyreview #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksta #instareaders #booksoninstagram #arcreview #christmasvibes #bookstore #barnesandnoble #bookshop

I enjoyed The Holiday Swap - it was a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form (and I LOVE those cheesy Christmas movies)! But this one went a step past that for me and was almost hard to read at times.

The ending really bothered me too. The sexual harassment felt glossed over - it was like this little anecdote was being shared to show solidarity with the female MC, but it was actually horrifying… the male MC’s sister was also harassed… at 12! And nothing was done about it! But how great that she had this story in her pocket to take the offender down all these years later and back up the female MC’s claims?

And ugh, the male MC’s use of “darlin’” and “sweetheart” just did not read/sound genuine at all.

Two country singers are coerced into fake dating to help boost the ratings of a singing contest. Both are at different stages in their singing careers and need to win their competition. I adored their chemistry when they were together however a good majority of the book they were at odds with each other due to miscommunication which got a little repetitive. Based on the title I was hoping for more Christmas elements.

Another holiday review for you!

Thank you so much @netgalley and @vikingbooks for allowing me to read All I Want For Christmas by Maggie Knox.

In this romance we are following Max and Sadie as they are about to compete on a singing competition reality show. They both have their reason why they need to be successful. However it appears that due to publicity they would do better on the show if they competed together. Better yet it would be even better if they were in a relationship. So a fake dating situation ensues. We all know how that turns out.

❤️Review❤️

I have to say for the most part I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters as individuals and their plot lines. I even loved the chemistry of them together. The fun nods to the holidays were also great. However, the two characters suffer greatly from miscommunication. I could have looked past it, but man it happened so often it made me want to scream. So if we could have cleaned that up a little more, I would have definitely given this a higher rating. I hope they continue to write holiday romances though because I’m already impatiently waiting for next years.

3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Bookstagram #Books #BooksBooksBooks #BookReview #NetGalley #2022Books #NewBookRelease #HolidayReads #WinterReads #Reading

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC of ‘All I Want For Christmas’ by Maggie Knox.

This book is a 4 star read (3.5, rounded up) for me. It was a pretty light, easy holiday read.

Her entire life all Sadie has ever wanted is to be a country music star. With the encouragement of her Grandma, she lands a spot on reality show ‘Starmaker’. She works hard, has grit and a beautiful voice, and thinks she might even have enough to win.

Max, son of a country legend, however.. is kind of just there. Or so it seems. But because of who he is and the ratings he brings to the show, he cannot be voted off.

It all comes to a head when they are forced together as a duo. Follow along as they try to work together on and off set.

Even though it’s based on a reality show, a lot of it seemed quiet unrealistic. Sadie was admirable in pushing for what she wanted and holding true to herself. Max drove me insane at his stubbornness, but it all came together nicely at the end.

If you want an easy, holiday read, this is for you!

Review will be posted on 12/15/22

Sadie Hunter has one more chance to make it in the country music business. She has a spot on the reality show, Starmaker, and she has to make this work. She has quit her job as a waitress and has her eye on that recording contract. It's go big or go home for Sadie, whereas Max, another contestant, has something to prove. His father is a famous country music star, so Max wants to show the world that he can make it without the help of his father or his father's name. On duet night, Sadie and Max get paired together and the chemistry is amazing. So much so that the producers of Starmaker want Sadie and Max to fake a relationship for ratings. There's one major problem here though. Sadie and Max hate each other. Can they really pull this off until the holiday special or will their dreams come crashing down around them? Maggie Knox's All I Want for Christmas is a cute holiday romance that's perfect for fans of country music.

I liked Knox's previous novel, The Holiday Swap, so I was excited to dive into this one. Sadie is a character that you can really root for, as she is the underdog, and Max is a complex character in his own right living under his father's shadow. If you like the enemies to lovers trope as well as country music, you will especially appreciate this romance. However, I feel like it lacked the holiday magic that her previous novel had, so I think this one can be enjoyed all winter and doesn't necessarily need to be saved for Christmas.

I really did not like this. Lots of showing and very little telling. Extremely disappointing as I loved The Holiday Swap!

I thought this was cute and I liked the concept!
I did find their relationship quite annoying at times. They had so many miscommunications- too many. I also thought this could’ve been longer. Or at least that some parts could’ve been delved into more.

I'm gonna be real, I really hated Maggie Knox's last Christmas book. It fell really flat for me. However, I am so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one! I really liked the characters, and the plot was more compelling than the previous book. Also, a large part of the book takes place in a really charming small town, which is a good way to win me over.

Thanks NetGalley!

I’m gonna keep it short, if you are looking for a fun holiday romance with good mmc and new adultish feelin relationship and you don’t mind miscommunication than check it out.
But i hate miscommunication. I love my characters when they talk and actually listen one another. Cover is pretty and for what it was it was okay. Author has potential.
2.5/5

REVIEW FOR ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

4 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Maggie Knox for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a joy to read, especially during the holiday season! I had the pleasure of reading Maggie Knox's story last year, The Holiday Swap, and I loved that one and this was no exception.

This story felt similar to Abby Jimenez' The Happily Ever After Playlist, but with a holiday zing, mixed with A Star is Born, but with a significantly less tragic ending. At first, I didn't really like Sadie- I thought the gigantic chip she had on her shoulder was really annoying, and she demonstrated lack of judgement early on in the story. But her chemistry with Max was beautiful, and I loved the relationship they developed with each other. On the other side, I thought Max's stubbornness and bullheaded personality was unnecessary. I'm not really sure it added anything other than conflict and setting up the scene to demonstrate that he and Sadie were very different. However, I think all it did was confirm that he and Sadie were exactly the same person.

One thing I think could have been a bit more developed was Max's relationship with his father. We know he has this name that has gotten him through a lot, and we know that his relationship with his Dad was complicated, but it seemed to gloss over that as opposed to diving into it more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book- it was the perfect holiday read!

I loved Christmas Swap so I was excited about this one. I enjoy anything Christmas related. I don’t think this book will be for everyone. If you don’t like miscommunication trope, this is definitely not for you. I, personally don’t mind it. It was a unique premise for a Christmas romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the eARC of this novel, but I DNF'd at 38%. The miscommunication trope is one of my least favorites and I found that the two main characters miscommunicated every four pages. Also, for characters who are supposed to be in their late 20's and early 30's, they didn't act like it. I wouldn't have batted an eye if I'd been told they were teenagers instead. I'm sure there are many people who enjoyed this American Idol-esque storyline, but it was not for me.

🎤Book Review🎤
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Summary: When Sadie and Max are selected as contestants on the famed reality singing show Starmaker, each thinks they’ve finally gotten their big Nashville break. But then they’re paired up for duet week and stun the world with their romantic onstage chemistry. With fans going wild for #Saxie the network demands that they remain a duo on and offstage, or exit the competition. Faking a relationship until their final performance in the Starmaker holiday special shouldn't be too hard, except for one small problem—Sadie and Max can’t stand each other.

But with their dreams just within reach, they agree to the ruse. Will their fake relationship be exposed before they can win? Or might their phony connection turn real by the Christmas finale?
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: I really wanted to love this one.. I did this as a buddy read with my gal pal @readwithmaryy and we both felt meh about it. The premise was really cool and unique, I loved the setting in Nashville and a story about singers trying to make it. But they drove me crazy how much issues they had due to lack of communication. It was impossible to even root for them by the end because they just kept breaking up and getting back together. By the end I just wanted them to break up and be done with it 😂 Sadie was great and Max was frustrating and there was really no mention of Christmas in this so I’m not sure where the title came from 🤷🏼‍♀️
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QOTD: what is a holiday romance book or move that you recommend ?!
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