Member Reviews

Sadie and Max are begrudgingly a team on a nationally televised singing competition. Think American Idol but set in Nashville. Once they win, (spoiler alert, of course they win) in order to keep their lucrative contracts and record deals, they are forced to pretend to be engaged for at least a year. Cue the enemies to lovers, fake relationship trope with a holiday backdrop.

Sadly, this one just didn't work for me... at all.

I LOVED The Holiday Swap. It felt like a warm hug and gave me all the feels. So All I Want For Christmas was a hugely anticipated read for me, but no matter how hard I tried it didn't resonate. The pacing felt off. There was huge time jumps. Side characters came and went so quickly that it was hard to keep them straight.

I really sympathized with Sadie and was cheering her. She kept me coming back for more.

I do genuinely enjoy this writing duo and would gladly read whatever they put out next!

Was this review helpful?

Cute book about trying to make it in the music scene but the romance was super aggravating to me. The couple was always jumping to conclusions and keeping secrets. It felt like there was an issue every chapter and I wish we had a longer period of them getting along so we could connect with the couple and see more chemistry.

Was this review helpful?

Country music is my jam (more specifically Texas Country). All I Want for Christmas is a reality TV music filled holiday romance set in Nashville. I thought it was a super fun, easy holiday romance read. It had enough going on with the story to hold my attention from start to finish. I started reading it and then got the audio from my library, and really enjoyed the narrators and audio version as well. I would have loved a bit more romance and a bit less of the American Idol drama. I also found myself wanting more chapters from Max. But overall it was a fun read for me this season!

Tropes:
- Forced Proximity
- Grumpy/Sunshine maybe?
- Enemies to Lovers
- Fake Dating
- Holiday

Swipe for the synopsis - thank you @putnambooks for the free copy (all opinions are my own)

Was this review helpful?

This was a little too cheesy and over the top for me. 2.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

Sadie and Max are both competing on a Nashville reality TV singing show. The chemistry between the two is visible to everyone despite how much they claim to hate each other. To keep them both in the competition, they are paired up during duet week and instructed to fake a relationship for ratings. They have to keep up with this image until the holiday show if they both want to see success from the show.

I love books that encompass music and song writing, and I love the Nashville music scene. While the book reads like a hallmark movie and the chemistry is palpable, the characters themselves seemed immature in how they communicated and handled the stress of the show. The story was still cute and I found myself rooting for the couple.

3.5 stars – rounding to 4 stars for Goodreads

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #putnambooks #goodreads #prhaudio #ltbreaderteam #allIwantforchristmas

Was this review helpful?

Maggie Knox is now two for two with charming and adorable Christmas rom-com novels. Her latest, All I Want for Christmas, will warm your winter with all its coziness!

I wish there was a soundtrack to go along with this book, as I'd love to hear Max and Sadie perform together, and even separately. I loved the combination of country music and Christmas in one story. I have been to Nashville, so it was easy to picture settings. They were still described really well so that someone who has never been to Nashville could also easily visualize it in their head. Characters were also easily to visualize, like they were right in front of me. Banff seemed really cozy and romantic, and sounded like it would be a lot of fun to visit, as well.

The constant fighting and making up was causing my head to spin and it was easy to get frustrated with Max for not just listening to Sadie instead of always jumping to conclusions. Sadie was also quick to judge Max sometimes though, so he was not the only one in the wrong.

This is just a sweet story that you will definitely want to add to your holiday TBR list! I hope Maggie Knox will publish a new holiday novel every year.

Movie casting suggestions:
Sadie: Hailee Steinfeld
Max: David Corenswet
Lynn: Lea Thompson
Gram: Ruta Lee
Cruz: Johnny Knoxville (I was watching Reboot while reading this and I couldn't stop picturing him as Cruz.)
Tasha: Hayden Panettiere (a nod to her role on Nashville)
Holden: Dylan McDermott

Was this review helpful?

The book had a good premise, but the main characters were very immature. This read like a romance between 17 year olds.

The scenes where they fight were really awkward where it seemed like they were just talking normally and then all the sudden one of them was storming out. I legitimately never had any idea what they were even fighting about.

in the end, this book was pretty predictable and very frustrating to read.

Was this review helpful?

Holiday romance meets country musics’ American Idol (with a Christmas twist). Mac and Sadie meet as contestants in a music reality show and start fake dating their way through the show. It has a last Christmas and this Christmas section.

Overall, this was a fine read. Had little spice and I found the characters to be extremely stubborn and was frustrated with their choices. There was many added characters and plot lines towards the end that I could’ve done without.

Thank you to Net Galley and Putnam for an advanced copy!

Was this review helpful?

Mixed response... rounded up to 3 stars.

On the plus side, there were main characters with real chemistry and a setting, within the world of singing competitions and country music not to mention Banff, that I enjoyed and the Christmas holiday made for a nice background to the story. Well done take on the enemies to lovers and fake relationship tropes.

On the down side, the first half of the book just didn't grab me and I'm a fan of televised singing competitions! Something was off for me... a bit cliche?. Then there was the repetition, most notably the miscommunication/storm off cycle and the dangling details (why were there fresh strawberries in a store with dusty boxes of strawberries? who sent the letter? made the phone call...???

I both finished and enjoyed <i>All I want For Christmas</i> as a pre-holiday read but with a bit more editing (?) it could have been even better.

FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

All I Want for Christmas is fun for fans of country music, Nashville and American Idol type singing competitions. Sadie and Max are cute and frustrating, if they would just talk to each other then things would be so much easier for everyone. The bright spot is definitely Sadie’s grandma and her love for music and her granddaughter

Was this review helpful?

I adored Maggie Knox's last book The Holiday Swap and was really looking forward to another Christmas time book! Honestly though this was a little disappointing for me. It started off really strong with the reality show, work place rivals being forced to work together. The "past" was a little slow and did take up 40% of the book, but honestly I was still really excited because it felt like it was more world building and really setting up for things to happen in the present timeline. Unfortunately I don't feel like much happened. I loved when Sadie went to Max in Banff and that was really great. After though they just seemed to constantly having misunderstanding and miscommunication right after another and it was honestly just a little much. I then just couldn't wrap my mind around why they even liked each other, or why I even liked them as characters. The ending seemed to wrap up too quickly as well and too happy for all the stuff they dealt with. I wish this one hadn't been so angsty because I think when the characters where acting right they were so sweet together and I did enjoy them in those moments a whole lot.

Was this review helpful?

I had to kick off December with my most anticipated holiday romance! It did not disappoint! If you enjoy watching The Voice or Nashville you’d love this book.

Sadie and Max are competitors on a reality tv singing show that is set in Nashville. The two had undeniable chemistry when paired together for a duet that the viewers went wild over. To keep them both in the competition Sadie and Max start fake dating despite hating each other. Will they make it to the show’s holiday special and see their dreams come true or will they end their careers??

I loved the Nashville setting and how the book included classic country music references. Despite the book being filled with miscommunication problems and dragging at times, I still found myself invested in Sadie and Max. I sympathized with the two navigating their careers, love, and grief all at the same time.

Thank you @netgalley and @putnambooks for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I was very excited to read this book because I liked this author's last holiday romance novel, The Holiday Swap, however, I tried to get through this book, and I was just not drawn into this story. I found the transitions from scene to scene were too choppy. I also did not find a connection with the characters, so I found myself not really caring what happened to them in the end.

#AllIWantforChristmas #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

Overall I really enjoyed the concept of this story. What I didn’t like was that the main characters seemed to get into so many fights over simple miscommunications. I just wasn’t convinced that they’d actually be happy together in the end, based on how many arguments they had over the short course of this book. I think it could have been much better if there were less fights and showed more of their love for one another.

Was this review helpful?

Sadie and Max's fates cross when they end up on a singing reality show that is set to end around the holidays. Max is concerned that Sadie is his main competition and Sadie is upset at having to cross paths with Max who had previously brushed her off when she was starting her career. The pair are forced to unite to win the competition and are pushed to pretend that they are a couple. As the trope goes, the fake dating turns real and as usual leads to misunderstandings. This book reads as your typical Hallmark Christmas movie so if that's the holiday pick me up you're looking for, this is definitely the read for you.

Was this review helpful?

Christmas books are rated on a much different scale than the rest of the books I review. They can get away with over the top cheesy characters because that's what I've come to expect (and adore) from them.

However, I cannot get behind this dude. Big no. How can I root for a couple, when he can't get his life together enough to follow through with his contractual obligations and commitment...Even if it means screwing over the person he's supposedly in love with.

With that said, I LOVED the John Denver references. John Denver Rocky Mountain Christmas is without a doubt the BEST Christmas album ever. 🤍

Was this review helpful?

Ok first, this cover is adorable. Second, so is the story! I love the fact that Maggie Knox is releasing Christmas content right on schedule every year, already looking forward to next years!

Was this review helpful?

Sadie and Max are contestants on a reality singing show . While there might have been an initial spark, they quickly get on each other's bad sides. Max comes from country singing royalty and Sadie is about ready to through in the towel on her singing dreams. Despite their animosity, the show asks them to combine forces and compete as a duet. As they get to know each other , their feelings become complicated. However, their relationship seems to take one step forward and two steps backwards as their own insecurities get in the way of honest communication.

While their lack of communication and poor interpretation of each others' actions might be somewhat realistic, I struggled with it. I just wanted them to go to therapy and learn how to talk to each other!

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

A classic enemies to lovers/fake relationshipromance with a Christmas twist. Sadie Hunter and a max Brody are competitors on the country music Starmaker TV show. One thing leads to another and the pair are told by their managers and producers to fake a relationship in order to win the show. Problem is, they can’t stand each other. Of course, shenanigans ensue over the remainder of the competition and into the future.

A cute story and I found myself rooting for their relationship, even though there were things that both characters got worked up over that drove me mildly crazy. But would it even be a rom com without such things?

Was this review helpful?

Maybe it's because it's almost December and i'm a hopeless romantic who loves the city of Nashville, but I REALLY enjoyed this love story. Sadie and Max are two young country music hopefulls shooting their shots on a popular singing competition. Eventually, they're paired together because the chemistry is UNDENIABLE and that's business baby. As you can expect there is a sketchy force in the music industry that finds it's way in between Sadie and Max, starting with that they are each others competition - later we meet some not so great industry people who do their best to ensure that #Saxie never happens.

Semi enemy to lovers/fake dating trope leads to the expected ups and downs but comes together in the end for a beautiful romace. I'm a big fan of both of these tropes because I love a good slow build. Give me all of the tension, it makes me so giddy! I loved the christmas back drop and I especially loved having some time in romantic colorado rocky mountains.

My only real complaint is that some of the spacing was weird, a little bit of hurry up and wait type vibe. And towards the end I was so over Max being incredibly dumb and flying to conclusions immediately (but I think that was intentional). I could have used a little more spice, but not mad at the level it is at now. I would feel very comfortable with my teenager reading this book with no problem.

Was this review helpful?