This book was good but not great. It was a cute holiday romance, but for me it lacked the humor and fun of Maggie Knox's first book. Would I still read this to get in the Christmas spirit? Absolutely. Are there better books? Of course.

I think what made this fall flat for me was the characters, especially Sadie. She felt immature (who holds a grudge when a man you've known for 2 minutes skips your performance??) and didn't really grow up throughout the novel. Max was slightly better, but still fell flat. At the end of the day, it was hard to root for a couple who couldn't stop having mundane arguments - they seem like they'll have a toxic future. If you're unable to take a story at face value, or try to imagine the future for your protagonists, this one won't be for you.

this book had so much potential but sadly fell flat to a lot of tropes that I wasn’t a fan of.

it had the makings of a great holiday romance - fake dating, a reality show competition, competitors who outwardly hate each other but secretly are pining for each other … but they all crashed and burned due to … MISCOMMUNICATION!!!

literally, the least popular and least loved trope of them all in romcoms. why can’t the characters ever just be honest and talk to each other? I just don’t understand why authors can’t write healthy relationships!!!

anyway I love maggie knox’s writing, and I love the open ended characterization of the side plots!! I was definitely yearning for more banter though - and I would definitely love to read more about these characters!!

thank you to netgalley and viking for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! can’t wait for more christmas reads!

rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: sonoma coast chardonnay

This book wasn't for me. I loved the idea behind it. I thought both MCs were good and strong at the start but as the story continued I didn't see growth in either of them. I also felt like the same thing kept happening in the plot and nothing was really resolved. I did love the music show vibes and wish there had been more of that.

A sweet fun and lovely Holiday read! A great backdrop of a talent show with musicians and a fun romance is the perfect holiday read. Strong characters and great writing make this book a must read,

I am so sad I have to even write this, but this one just didn’t work for me. The amount of miscommunication was just too much and I just didn’t really connect with the characters at all. I’m so bummed because I really loved the previous novel from this writing duo and was so excited for this book. Thank you netgalley for my free copy, unfortunately I won’t be recommending this one.

I made it to 40% and did not have the desire to finish. It started off really cute, especially since we’re all watching The Voice as a family. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. None of the characters were fleshed out, there were few details of the actual singing competition, and little actual interaction between the two MCs so I’m not sure how we’re supposed to believe they were trying feelings. I do have this author’s first novel on my shelf and I’m hoping it is better than this one.

I wanted to love this one sooo bad. Fake dating is my favorite romance dating trope, and Nashville musicians seemed to be something I would really love! However, the miscommunications between these two main characters drove me CRAZY. Soo many of their problems could have been solved if they just talked to each other. I am more than a little disappointed in this book. I just felt like Sadie as a main female character was dense and stubborn. Also, for a Christmas romance I could have used a bit more Christmas.

Thank you so much PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book! This book had me invested from the very beginning! I loved the chemistry and tension between Sadie and max! I love a good fake dating enemies-lovers trope and the fact it was mixed with the warm and fuzzy feelings you get at Christmas time just made it better! I loved this book had a great mix between lighter parts and parts that were emotionally deep. This book really got me in the Christmas spirit! The romance and the drama definitely makes it impossible to put this book down!

This is such an incredible Christmas read. Sadie and Max’s story was unexpected in the best ways while still keeping to tropes we love, like enemies-to-lovers and fake dating. Max has family history in the music industry, and Sadie’s going for her big break. But maybe their success can be better found together than apart… even as people around them try to tear them away from one another. Not only was this a powerful (and spicy!) romance, but this also displayed a world I’m unfamiliar with- the music industry in Nashville. It was so compelling, heartfelt, and passionate, both the love between our main characters and their love for music. This is a holiday reread for certain! I highly recommend.

Maggie Knox’s All I Want for Christmas is the story of Sadie and Max who both agree to appear on the reality singing show Starmaker. Paired up as a duet, the stars can’t stand each other but for the sake of the show, they must appear to be a couple. I voluntarily read this complimentary copy of this adorable book that will leave you feeling the warmth and happiness of Christmas time.

If you are looking for an enjoyable read this holiday season look no further than All I Want for Christmas. You’ll find the best of what you are looking for - Reality Show, Enemies to Lovers, and a HEA that will leave you very happy you’ve spent the time following Sadie and Max through their Starmaker journey.

Add in a beautiful story between Sadie and her grandmother - and you have another thoroughly enjoyable holiday read by the dynamic duo Maggie Knox. I cannot wait to see what they write next!

Happy Holidays!!

I liked this book! It was light and easy to read, but i felt like the story was all over the place. I also didn't find it stayed with me much after the last page. I loved last year's The Holiday Swap, and was hoping for the same with this one, but it just fell short.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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All I Want for Christmas started off SO strong and I had incredibly high hopes until about 40% of the way through where, to be honest, I’m not quite sure what happened. The book is about two country singers, one of “royal” birth (think like, the son of Tim McGraw), and one from Wisconsin just simply chasing a dream. They find themselves paired up with each other on a country music competition show, headed up by a sleazy music producer. Sadie and Max, from two pole opposite ends of the country music spectrum, have found themselves in a fake-dating/real-life love/hate affair for the betterment of their careers.
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Around 40%, both characters became increasingly unlikeable. They’re supposed to be in their late 20s but acted and communicated like teenagers, they both have tons of unresolved family trauma that, to be honest, they’re pretty childish about, and Sadie is so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed that she can’t notice red flags right in front of her face.
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This book just wasn’t for me, but it was an insanely quick and easy read!

I really liked this authors last book but this one is a little slow. I am about half way and need to DNF for right now. I do like the music troupe but it isn’t holding my attention.

I wanted so badly to love this book, but it just didn't do it for me, for a number of reasons.

First - the pacing. Max and Sadie meet on the set of a reality TV singing competition, and the early portion of their romance feels really rushed. One minute they're competitors, the next minute they're in a fake relationship and discussing a fake proposal to help further their careers. Even though it's supposed to feel like a whirlwind, it happened a bit too rapidly for me - I would have liked more time to get to know the characters better. From there, we jump ahead to a year later, where they need to come back together to appear as a couple on the live Christmas TV show, singing a song they wrote together - except they haven't spoken to each other or seen each other for a year.

I also really struggle with romances where the characters' issues could be solved through better communication, and that's the problem with this book. The characters don't communicate, they keep secrets, they don't give each other the chance to explain - and it just. keeps. happening. This is also partially a pacing issue, because after the too-quick first third of the book, the rest of the book felt like it dragged on. There's only so many times they can break up and get back together before I lose interest, and that's what happened here - by the book's resolution, I just didn't care anymore.

Finally, the heat just wasn't there for me. I am a big fan of show, don't tell. We're told the chemistry is sizzling between them, and other characters remark on how clearly they must love each other, but I just didn't feel it. The heat simply wasn't there for me.

Unfortunately this won't be making my list of holiday reads to recommend - it's a clever idea for a plot but the execution missed the mark.

I got this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.This book is about enemies to lovers and a fake relationship.This book would make a excellent Hallmark movie. It gave me all the feels.

I adored the first book by writing duo “Maggie Knox” and was so excited for this book. It was charming and filled with Christmasey themes. However, it felt a bit forced. I wasn’t super invested in the story. If you’re interested in a love story for a Nashville artist, I’d go for Sarah Adams’ When in Rome instead.

This was such a cute Christmas read. I loved the chemistry between Sadie and Max the development was great. The tropes in this book were amazing, some of my favorites
enemies to lovers ,
fake relationship
sunshine x grump
dual povs
The setting of the book really made me feel all warm and fuzzy so excited for Christmas!
Again I loved this book and both characters such a fun easy read for the holidays

In the nicest way possible, if these main characters could communicate, this book could have been 5 chapters. It was cute and christmassy but man these two characters were annoying. This one really drug for me because it was hard to see past the miscommunication trope that went on for too long. It had potential but it wasn’t executed great for me. I think there are better places to spend your precious holiday reading time.

This review has been added to Goodreads, Literal and Storygraph, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This will be posted to my instagram (@busywithmybooks_) within the week.

Thank you for allowing me to read this story!!

I really enjoy this author and their feel good christmas romances. This one did not disappoint!! I am not a huge Country music fan, but the story line still kept me engaged. I loved the character development and the friendships and relationships felt so life-like. I was rooting for Max and Sadie the entire time!!