Ugh. This is going to be an unpopular opinion.

I love last years book, The Holiday Swap, by Maggie Knox. It was a cute holiday romance. I was so looking forward to All I Want for Christmas. The premise sounded great- but unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I am not a fan of a miscommunication trope. Drives me crazy.

Overall, I suggest skipping this one and reading The Holiday Swap instead.

DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.

This one read like a Hallmark movie. I could see it playing out in my head. The characters were great, I easily switched between rooting for them and wanting to smack them, which is something I enjoy as a reader. Looking forward to seeing this in the Hallmark lineup one day!

Maggie Knox does it again with this hallmark like Christmas story. I fell in love with Sadie and Knox's banter as they get paired in as a duet in a holiday music competition, only problem is they can't stand each other. I love the history they unknowingly share, the dramatics of if they will win the competition and if their newly found friendship with each other can survive the rocky and competitive music industry.

Overall, a quick holiday read for anyone looking to get into the spirit. 3/5 stars.

Thank you Penguin for the ARC!

The premise for All I Want for Christmas is very cute! I loved that it is set on a Country music talent show, since that is my favorite music genre. Two contestants, Sadie and Max, must team up when their chemistry in a duet brings extra views to the dying tv show. Max has a slow southern charm and Sadie is persistent in achieving her dreams. I especially loved the additional side characters. Sadie’s grandmother is someone everyone needs in their life, giving sound advice and an excellent hype woman. Max’s mother, who wanted to make a loving home for her children, was also a beautiful soul. The depiction of grief and healing was well captured. I did wish that the romance had more time to thrive. It seemed like the characters were only happy together for a page and then went right into another misunderstanding. There were a few too many hectic problems that didn’t give me time to enjoy the romance.

I absolutely adored The Holiday Swap which was Maggie Knox’s release last year. When I heard she was coming out with a new one I was excited, but it was a flop, for me!

The whole book was overdone, in my opinion. A bit cliche with some of the characters, and the pacing was all over the place. Too fast in some parts, and then dragging in others. I just couldn’t get into it and struggled through the story.

Enemies to lovers romance set within the Nashville version of American Idol. Cute concept. The pacing was off: I feel like the authors skipped key scenes and just told us what happened. The protagonists seemed to go from hate/indifference to wanting to smooch in the course of a song. Also: The miscommunication! Just TALK TO EACH OTHER, my GOD. I can see why people might be frustrated with these characters because they were quite immature. Ultimately, though, I liked the romance, and it gave me all the snuggly feels. (I personally enjoyed this more than The Holiday Swap!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

this book was such a cute and quick read!

the chemistry between max and sadie was my favorite part of the book which made the reading experience so enjoyable. that also made it easy to fall in love with the characters and the story.

this is honestly such a feel good book that had me smiling so much and would recommend for anyone to read during the holiday season <3

2 stars!

I was intensely disappointed by this and unfortunately could barely finish. I was drawn in by the reality TV premise but overall extremely disappointing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting read that made the characters feel easy to connect with! Their chemistry was undeniable and the tension— phew don’t get me started on that. A very good read.. however, the third-act misunderstanding and resolution felt unresolved and a bit dull.

I had all intentions of reading this by its pub date and also before the holiday season but unfortunately was not able to! I have seen some mixed reviews on this so I’m not too upset with not fitting it in. It’s been placed on my 2023 holiday TBR! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I recently finished reading the romcom book All I Want For Christmas and I absolutely loved it! The story follows Sadie and Max, as they navigate the complexities of love, career, and friendship in their fast-paced music world of Nashville. The characters are incredibly relatable and the plot is full of unexpected twists and turns that kept me engaged until the very end. The writing is witty and engaging, and the dialogue between the characters is full of humor and heart. All in all, this was an enjoyable and satisfying read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a lighthearted and romantic story.

This was the perfect Christmas story to read over the holiday season. I absolutely loved Max and Sadie.

This book felt like it could be a real story. I felt what these characters were feeling. Every thought, every emotion, all the heartbreak and every miscommunication. I’m so glad it worked out for them in the end.

All I Want For Christmas is a new holiday romance written by writing duo Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley (Maggie Knox). This is their second book together but the first that I have read. In this story, there is enemies-to-lovers, sunshine-and-grump, and a fake relationship. I usually enjoy these troupes when they are written well. Unfortunately, in this case there were just so many bumps in the road it was hard to fully understand and root for the happy end game.

Sadie and Max are both competing to be the next Starmaker. Both are country singers but have completely different styles. They also have completely different backgrounds and personas. So of course, they are paired together for the duet week, and that goes so well the network wants them to move forward as a duo. There's only one small problem with this idea - they can't stand each other.

The producers get their wish. Heartfelt and exciting Sadie and brooding and handsome Max become a new duo. These two had me hooked from their first interaction. They had so much chemistry! Unfortunately they also had so much miscommunication! That is really what causes the book to drag on and on.

Every time it seemed like Sadie and Max were finally going to be on the same page, something else happens to cause more confusion and anger between the two of them. For two people who have been on the Earth for several years, they have the worse communication skills. They would rather jump to conclusions than actually address their problems and listen to each other. It was so frustrating and honestly took away some of the magic of the story.

All I Want For Christmas does have some super sweet moments but the push-pull dynamic is exhausting. The pacing also felt a little weird to me as well. I think some of this comes from the way that things go from being sweet and swoon worthy to being heavier and more emotional. Now there is nothing wrong with that type of read but, it really wasn't what I was expecting for this particular story. It took me out of story and it was hard to get full reinvested in the dynamic of Sadie and Max.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

This book had great potential but fell short for me. There was too much drama in this book. I did love the holiday and Nashville setting! If you’re a fan of country music and celebrity romances, you will love this one!

DNF- the story didn’t grab me. Not sure why, sometimes it’s just not a good match between book and reader.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for my honest review.

Cute but not my favorite holiday read of the year and not quite as charming to me as last years The Holiday Swap

Book Review 🎸🎄🤍

All I Want For Christmas by Maggie Knox

Think The Voice, with Nashville for a backdrop, and Christmas romance for this novel. Max is the son of a country star with something to prove and Sadie is from the Midwest that is trying for her chance in the music industry. They end up as a duo as #saxie and they become a hit. 🎙️🎶

There were some bright moments of this book, however I felt the leads were immature at times and the miscommunication frustrated me so much 🥴 The trope is a mix of fake dating and haters to lovers for sure which I typically love but some pieces didn't fit quite right.

I loved the concept and it being based in Nashville. I loved the detailed Christmas scenes that gave me Christmas vibes. This is the second Christmas novel by this author duo and I would read their next one! 📖

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the opportunity to review and read this. Christmas novel 🎄🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐



#bookreviews #holidayreads #netgalley #booksta #bookstagrammer #readmore

This was SUCH a fun read. I read the Christmas Swap last year and loved it, and I loved how this author continues to write about television shows and the behind the scenes nature of them.

I thought the celebrity & country music romance element was so sweet and fun. I also loved the bits that took place in Canada because it gave a small-town and also snowed-in feel.

This also tackles harassment in the workplace and I think this was handled with care.

Such a sweet read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Viking books for the ebook ARC!

Love, love, love a country music love story. I loved The Holiday Swap last year, and this one was just as fun and just as sweet!

There’s a sweet gran, a reality tv show, cowboy boots, and two different timelines (not alternating).

Absolutely adored.