Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

This was the third Christmas book I read in July as part of my Christmas in July readathon! It wasn’t one of my planned picks, but I got approved for this book via Netgalley that month and just went for it!

Fans of reality TV shows like The Voice will love this book and if you love the city of Nashville- yep, you’ll be a fan!

What I Liked:

The cover is so dreamy. Heart eyes.

As I said in my review on Goodreads- I need more #Saxie! Now truthfully, sometimes Saxie frustrated the hell outta me, but when they were on, they were on and I was here for ALL that.

Fake romances can be hit and miss for me in books, but this one- and I think a lot of it was because it was Christmas in a cup- really worked for me.

Bottom line: I predict you’ll be a #Saxie fan and a Maggie Knox fan by end of the book!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Thank you to Netgally and Viking Publishing for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Maybe it was a mood thing, I normally love Maggie Knox so I am sure I will pick this one up again in the future!

“You can love someone who isn't perfect and be deeply loved despite your own imperfections.”

So I adored the Holiday Swap by these authors, and was hoping for something sort of similar in terms of the sort of feel good holiday romance vibes, but I was really had to discover that I did not feel the same way about this book. I am someone who can tolerate a little bit of miscommunication, but I think that there was so much in this book that the plot was lost. I also just really started to dislike Sadie because some of the stuff that she lied about I just was like... how are you going to recover? I dont know I think this was definitely just a case of this not being the right story for me. It had elements I liked but overall I really was hoping for more.

This was very good and I would read anything from this Author. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters very much.

Rayna and Deacon, that you? Ahhhh gave me allll of the 'Nashville' (TV show) vibes and I LOVED it! Wasn't crazy christmassy but a cozy winter read for sure.

I thought I had this book figured out several times, and there were definitely parts that were predictable. However, Maggie Knox took my predictions and gave them twists I didn't see coming, which I really appreciated.
I definitely wanted to shake each character a couple times during the book, but even their annoying traits were handled believably, which I don't always see in romance novels. I hate when toxic traits are swept under the rug because: "love." This book made the characters address the issues that caused them to act (or react) in unhealthy ways, and it made the book much stronger overall.
Overall, this book was so cute! It is the perfect holiday read if you are looking for a sweet romance with fairly low stakes drama and some mild spice!

Cute Christmas read. Would recommend for anyone looking for a cute Christmas romance! If you love a Fake Relationship or Enemies to Lovers trope, give this a shot. I also enjoyed the musical aspect as they are both artists competing a show that reminded me of American Idol or something like that.

I love a good holiday romance book and this totally hit the spot!

The main characters Sadie and Max are paired together to do a duet during a reality singing show competition. Their chemistry is great on stage so the producers want them to pretend to be dating to help both of their careers. I love fake dating so I was enjoying that aspect. Normally I don't love miscommunication/reality shows in books but I ended up really liking it in this book.

Overall this was a quick and enjoyable read for me and is a perfect read for the holiday season or even honestly any time during the year!

I could not finish enough of this book to be able to leave a comprehensive review, but I hope it finds its audience and I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Sadie and Max are competing on a reality singing show. When they get paired for duets week, everyone can see their chemistry is off the charts. The producers ask them to remain a duo and continue their relationship for ratings or they’ll be kicked off. They can’t stand each other but they agree to continue the relationship.

This one hooked me from the beginning and I wanted Max and Sadie to find a way to make it work. I thought the singing competition added a fun layer to the story. Their miscommunication had me wanting to scream at them and was frustrating at times. Overall I thought this was cute and enjoyed it.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

When Sadie and Max meet on the set of reality singing competion show, Starmaker, the two could never imagine they’d wind up as a duo on-stage and off.

I enjoyed this holiday romance! It felt like a Hallmark Christmas movie in the best ways - faking dating, enemies-to-lovers, reality television, country music. It’ll put you in the Christmas spirit!

So yeah it's May and this is a holiday-themed book, oh well I felt like a Christmas-themed story in my life and this one was on my tbr list :)
Main Characters:
Sadie- a newcomer in country music
Max- son of a famous country music star
Both are ready for their "big" breaks and on a TV singing competition (Starmaker). They def hit heads and can't agree on much. The fans love their "chemistry", and the show demands for them to stay a couple (aka fake relationship) on and off of the camera. Can these two pull it off and make themselves look real even though they can't stand each other?
Adorable holiday romance
Trope- fake relationship/enemies to lover and even we have sunshine meets grump
These two def have communication issues and it gets annoying. You just make to yell at them but instead, all you can do is keep reading because you need to know what happens next in this messy love story.
An emotional read and really good

I am so glad I was able to get this ARC and read it. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity. The review/opinions above are my own, honest and voluntary.

Sending my apologies for not being able to provide a review. I am unable to offer a review for this book - I had sent it to my kindle to read and the file did not download properly. Unfortunately the book has been archived and I'm unable to re-send it.

Loved Miss Knox’s first book, so I wanted to give this one a go! But the main male character was just so whiny. He also ran from his problems rather than faced them like a grown man should, which is a mega turn off for me as a reader. I wanted to root for Sadie and Max, and I loved Sadie, but Max could go ahead and go somewhere else. Love Maggie Knox’s writing style, but the story just lacked. Thanks for the opportunity!

All I want for Christmas by Maggie Knox is a lovely holiday read. I really enjoyed this story about two up-and-coming Nashville stars who are destined for each other despite initial interactions. I think this book has a little bit of everything that will make it a well-liked book, especially for those of us who enjoy Christmas romances. I could easily picture this becoming the next Netflix holiday flick. I highly encourage others to read and would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

I couldn’t really get into this book. Sometimes contemporary romances are a hit or miss with me and unfortunately, I think this one was a miss. .

This was a rough read for me. I enjoyed the singing competition storyline as well as the Nashville music scene vibes - but the time jumps & duel pov switch ups felt as if I was reading two separate books and I kept having to check if I was missing pages. The miss communication troupe was also way overplayed here for me because it happened so often. All in all a cute and quick read with a few flaws. 3/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another amazing Christmas read by Maggie Knox. I absolutely love her books! Cannot wait to read more!

This was a cute holiday book!

This contemporary romance is based in the Nashville country music industry. Sadie and Max are contestants in a reality singing show, and when paired for the duet competition, their onstage chemistry is off the charts. Which is unfortunate because in reality, they don't like each other.

This made for an easy enemies to lovers/fake dating read with subtle holiday aspects. One of the things I enjoyed most about The Holiday Swap was the strong chemistry/no steam element of the romances. I really wanted to like this book- it honestly had so much potential. But the parts I liked best- the Starmaker competition, fake dating, and Max's snowy retreat in Canada- were such small parts of the story.

If you like American Idol, winter, and Christmas, then add this book to your TBR

Quick Summary: An American Idol meets Nashville Star rom-com with a twist

My Review: All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox was a light snark & spark romance between two aspiring singers.

About the Book: When two would-be country performers meet on a reality show, an immediate pride and prejudice-esque vibe takes place. As the show goes on, they are put together in a situation that gets tongues wagging and social media in a frenzy. Ups, downs, truths, hurts, and misunderstandings happen, while at the same time, feelings are discovered. The classic will they/won't they scenario rears its head, and readers are led to wonder what happens when Saxie - Sadie and Max - get real.

My Final Say: This was a very sweet and enjoyable read. Readers who like more than meets the eye rom-coms will appreciate this story.

Other: I adored Sadie's grandmother. When she first meets Max and gets to spend time with the couple...💓. Her presence and influence were felt throughout.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Status/ Level: 🍬

Thanks to the author, to the publisher (PENGUIN GROUP Putnam), and to NetGalley, who provided access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own thoughts and opinions.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.