I really wanted to love this one because I love celebrity romances and I enjoyed The Holiday Swap but it just didn’t work for me.. Right off the bat, I felt like I was starting a book in the middle and I hadn’t read the beginning. It started off so fast that it left me a little confused. Miscommunication is also not my thing so I didn’t love this one unfortunately.

cw: abuse, loss of a loved one, sexual harassment/assault

Starmaker is a chance for both Sadie and Max to get their big break in Nashville. They are determined to make it. When they are paired up for duet week, the world falls in love with them and the chemistry they displayed. With a hashtag for them going viral, the network demands that they remain a duo, on and offstage, or leave the competition. As they are both determined to get their break, they agree, thinking it couldn't be too hard to fake their relationship even if they can't stand each other.

I was so excited to start this one. There are a number of tropes in here that I love. Enemies to lovers and fake relationship? Sign me up! Unfortunately, this fell really flat for me and simply didn't work.

All I Want For Christmas jumps the reader right into the plot. We dive right into what is going on and seeing how the characters interact. While this is a great way to be hooked to be drawn in and eager to keep reading. Unfortunately, this aspect of it didn't work for me. It started off so fast and then never felt like it really slowed down to develop the characters individually and together. It felt like everything was made into a list and they were following that list without really adding to it and giving it that depth.

Sadie and Max together were truly a disaster if I have ever seen one. Between the two of them, they had so many issues that I felt like were never really dealt with. They may have had one conversation about it and then they moved on. Usually with a story, I feel like one conversation is good, but these two could not communicate to save their lives. Every time they talked, one of them ended up mad because they misunderstood each other and didn't let the other one clarify or sit and talk about how why that upset them. They misunderstood each other in every conversation. One miscommunication is fine, but that trope was beat into the ground throughout this story.

Even with the holiday vibes and the music aspect, this wasn't a story I could get into. I was disappointed and ready to scream at them through every scene. Unfortunately, this one simply did not work for me.

A delightful holiday read, "All I Want for Christmas" by Maggie Knox is a fun and festive romance that is sure to warm your heart this winter season.

Sadie and Max are two Nashville country singers selected as contestants on the famous reality singing show Starmaker. However, the network demands they continue to perform as a duo both on and offstage, and with their professional careers on the line, they agree to fake a relationship until their final performance in the holiday special. But as they spend more time together, their fake relationship begins to turn real, leading them to question their true feelings for each other.

With their hearts and dreams on the line, Sadie and Max navigate their newfound emotions while trying to win the competition and make beautiful music together. Knox's charming writing style and charming characters are sure to captivate readers, making "All I Want for Christmas" a perfect holiday escape. Whether you're a fan of the fake dating trope or the enemies-to-lovers trope, this book is sure to deliver all the feels, making it a must-read for any romance fan.

All I Want for Christmas was not my favorite Christmas novel. I liked the parts where the leads were in the Canadian wilderness but I hated all the sections where they were in Nashville. Overall, I didn't hate it, but it definitely is not a favorite.

5 stars for a cute holiday romance with a fun trope~

MINI spoilers***

This was such a cute, feel-good holiday romance featuring a fun trope [fake-dating to real relationship*] that made for a great read to cure my holiday blues.

Our main characters are competing in a singing competition and are directed to "fake it" as a couple for the media and press to help bump up their numbers. It goes well... until it doesn't. The two stars end up getting into some major trouble and drama and "Saxie" turns into a disaster! But maybe their fake relationship has a little bit more to it than meets the eye~

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing a digital ARC for review! :)

Thank you to Maggie Knox, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for my advanced readers copy of All I want for Christmas. My thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

I wanted a cute and light holiday read, and that is exactly what All I Want for Christmas is. If you pick this one up, you'll get a fake dating romantic comedy that turns into a friend to lover's story. Honestly, this one started slow but then I was so involved and invested in #Saxie AKA Sadie and Max that I was 100% rooting for them. This one could be enjoyed all year long and not just at Christmas because it isn't super Christmas heavy. I would be so okay with a second book about #Saxie. But don't let me make up your mind, go grab a copy and see for yourself!

This book was just what I needed in a holiday read . We learn about the lives of two rockstars who have more in common with each other than you think . I really enjoyed this rom com and would recommend it !

True love wasn't on their holiday wish list.

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.

I loved this one. When I had 50% left of the book I could not put it down and stayed up way too late to finish it. I just had to see how Sadie and Max were going to make this work. I loved the reality competition of the story, but I so loved Sadie and Max and the rest of the people in their lives that made them who they are.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and my opinion is my own.

A struggle read. The reason why I took so long to review is because I really struggled to finish this book. I really wanted to like it but the story but I struggled connecting with the characters.

I was so excited for the Christmas country show vibes!

I grew up in Tennessee so I was all for the premise of this one, and while I did experience some insta love and telling it was ultimately enjoyable.

I recommend for those who want Christmas time on the show Nashville!

I struggled with this book. I feel like it could have been a great book and characters was spoiled for me by the amount of miscommunication that went on.

DNF at 22%. Just could not get into the main characters, which is a disappointment considering how much I enjoyed Maggie Knox's previous book. Thank you Viking and NetGalley for the ARC.

A country Christmas?! Say no more. This was a combination of so many favorite tropes and I ate it up. Perfect seasonal read with fantastic characters that I adored. Maggie Knox writes in a way that sucks you in and by the time you look up the book is finished. Highly recommend.

I wanted to love this book!
It was good but not as good as her last.
The characters didn’t feel like they fully developed and we didn’t get to see a lot of happiness between the two characters. Just a chapter in the middle and the ending.

I expected more

All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox is a contemporary romance that does carry over to the Christmas season. The story in All I Want for Christmas is a standalone romance that falls in the enemies to lovers trope along with fake dating. This one is one that is told by alternating the point of view in the book between the two main characters.

Sadie and Max are both musicians who have been waiting for their big break. When both are cast on the television reality show, Starmaker, they both think that this will be their big shot at stardom. Unfortunately for Sadie and Max what the audience wants the most is for the pair to team up and perform together so for the sake of their careers Sadie and Max agree to a fake relationship for the cameras that in turn becomes not so fake for the duo.

All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox certainly caught my interest as I love a good reality show, a fake dating trope and a cozy Christmas contemporary. I certainly was glad to take a chance on this one and quickly settled into the story as the unfriendly partnership slid into a more romantic relationship along the way. For the most part the story had a lighthearted nature but it does have some more emotional moments too and was a nice addition to my holiday reading.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Okay so... I am very mixed on this one. In the beginning, I was obsessed. The nostalgic country music, the festive Nashville setting, the competition aspect! I couldn't put it down. For me, it quickly turned a little too close to insta-love and the time jump and pacing in general felt strange. I think there was so much potential here. I loved the characters and the set up with their respective family histories and tragic moments. I liked that they had a past which added tension, but I wish it was resolved in a way that added more slow burn than insta-love. For a holiday romance it was fun but I wanted more.

I really really wanted to love this book. It had all the elements I usually love, fake dating and enemies to lovers, but the miscommunication kinda ruined it for me. I was having a hard time getting into the whole music reality show storyline too and the story just fell a bit flat. I think overall this one was just not for me but would be really enjoyable for someone else.

These holiday-esque #romcoms aren’t usually the first thing I pick up, but something about the holiday season just makes me weak for a happy ending 🎸🎄🎤

•

Max is country music royalty - the only son of an iconic country music star (think Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, or Tim McGraw, etc . being your dad), though he still has a chip on his shoulder about what such a pedigree entails.

•

Sadie is a Midwestern, blue collar girl with nothing but a hell of a voice and a big dream.

•

When these two polar opposites find themselves competing in a reality TV competition in Nashville with their entire careers on the line, they end up way in over their heads, as they battle their inner demons, the struggles of fame and the music industry, and their own deeply complicated feelings for one another.

•

Bonus Points for Max’s dog being named Patsy Canine 🐶

Competing on a Nashville Star-Esque tv show, Sadie and Max go from competitors to teammates, but is there chemistry only on-stage?

If miscommunication is your trope, this book is the book for you!

The first thing I said when looking into this book was "yikes" because of the 3.25 rating...but I wanted to give it a fair shot because I have enjoyed other books by the same author. I really struggled with one of the main characters. Max had a few redeeming moments, but even those couldn't out do what a dope he was most of the time. Plus, miscommunication is pretty much standard in a rom-com, but this one took it too far for me. I like to think that the characters in a book like this end up together and happy, but I think these two would end up in divorce court, if they even made it that far. There were some really cute moments, and I loved the premise of the story, but I had trouble getting past the rest.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.