All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox is a fun holiday read. This book features the Nashville music scene and two up and coming singers. I love the way their fake relationship blossoms into something more. Readers of holiday romance will love this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I was seeking out Christmas books as they are very popular in our library for the month of December, but unfortunately this one didn't blow me away. I'm personally not a romance/holiday reader, but I don't think this would be a winner with our readership.

1.5/5 ⭐️

I was so excited for this book. I was ready to relive American Idol S1 with Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson, but I could not disrespect them like that by comparing them to Sadie and Max.

Sadie and Max are the fictional embodiment of toxic. It was just back and forth between them having a moment then either A) Max seeing something, overreacting, then running away or B) Sadie having baggage, pushing people away, then being sad that she’s alone.

Usually with books that have toxic main characters, I can overlook their toxicity as a couple if their characters individually have redeeming traits. I could not do that because Sadie and Max weren’t developed outside of their relationship. It was difficult to like them when all they did was chase or run away from each other.

Two quotes that I wish I could unread:
“You really aren’t a stiletto gal, are you?”
“Baby you’re hot chocolate running through my veins”

That being said, I really liked the author’s writing style. I usually don’t read stories in third person, but the writing was very easy to read. Nothing was overly descriptive and I wasn’t bored reading it.

I did like the storylines with Gran and Lynn. They supported Sadie completely in following her dreams, even though their way of showing it was a bit unorthodox. My fav character from the book was Patsy the dog.

This will be a book I will add to my list of couples that don’t stay together past the epilogue.

This arc was provided to me by NetGalley and Putnam Books in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I loved the premise and the insights into the good (and ugly) side of the music business, especially in a competitive town like Nashville.

A few things that stuck out: The side characters were a little confusing to keep up with. It felt like Max’s dad didn’t have an arc - he started out one way and towards the late middle, his character suddenly seemed like a different person. I also felt like there was a lot of melodrama around the thing Sadie didn’t tell Max.

Overall though a fun festive read - a good balance of romance and Christmas without too much of one over the other. (Also a PG romance.)

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for the ARC!

I had wanted to read The Holiday Swap last year, and never got around to it. Needless to say, I read All I Want for Christmas in one sitting, and loved it so much that I went and got Swap! This was so seriously fun, funny, and perfect for the reality TV world we live in, I couldn't have imagined anything better. I enjoyed every moment of this festive novel, and I really hope to seem more from this duo!

DNF’d at 17%.
When you’re trying to rush to what should be the 30% mark of your plot by the 15% mark—when next to no chemistry exists between Sadie and Max (insert Regina George: stop trying to make #saxie happen), that’s not good. A brief skim confirmed the timeline’s a mess, jumping ahead a week at a time before jumping back to tick day by day. Looking at other reviews at this point, Sadie and Max seem to have the temperament to match—breaking up then getting back together multiple times. There’s not much to the characters, and not enough time to build a connection to what little we get to work with. Disappointing.

First of all I would totally watch his reality show. Second of all I loved this. Sadie and Max are contestants on a reality singing show that had been losing ratings, until this year. Looking to shake up things on the show they have a duet week which of course, Sadie and Max are paired together and their chemistry could set the stage on fire and sets the ratings through the roof. A fake relationship has been proposed to them to continue hiking up those ratings. They go along with the plan, but neither are happy about it. They can;'t stomach each other, but in no shock to anyone with that intense chemistry a real relationship forms. This was a fun one and would love to have heard these duets performed!

Thank you #Penguin and #NetGalley for and advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

First I want to thank Putnam Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a sucker for holiday reads and when I saw this book with country music and Christmas, I couldn’t help myself.

This is the story of Sadie and Max, up and coming country music artists who meet on a reality show. While competing they become singing partners and fake being a real life couple to help their careers. This story covers many holiday seasons and shenanigans ensues.

What I Loved:
- Gran, Sadie’s grandmother makes a big impact and she is just amazing
- Patsy, who doesn’t like a dog in any story but being Max’s companion just made him even more attractive
- Knitting, this makes a big impact in the story and as someone who loves to knit/crochet I was so happy to see it in the story
- Country music, I LOVE country music and having it being such a feature in a story was fun to read and experience

The reason why this book wasn’t a solid 5 star read was the amount of miscommunication throughout the entire book. I am like most romance readers where I can understand some of it but when there is to much it kind of hurts the overall story and that is what I got from this book.

Overall this was a sweet holiday romance that had a lot of good stuff but just be aware that if you are not a fan of the miscommunication trope this might not be the best read for you.

Such a cute feel good holiday romance, This one and just so cute. Thank you to Putnam for the advanced copy

This was such a cute book! Saxie is the absolute best - and as the music lover that I am, I loved how the actual entertainment industry in Nashville played such a role in this. This is such a great Christmas / holiday read!

Sadie and Max are competitors on a musical competition to find the next star - the two hit it off on the wrong foot from the start, but when they are paired together for a duet, it's hard to ignore their musical chemistry. Fans across the world love them singing together so much, that they have to start fake dating....and then, as expected, fake feelings lead to real feelings.

This book has enemies to lovers AND fake dating trope, and it's everything.

Thank you so much for the early look at this book!

This book was perfection! I loved the musical setting & the romance!
I feel like this book was made for me to enjoy!
4 wonderful starts from me!

This was a cute country rom com. It was my favorite tripe, fake dating, but also had some second chance in there as well with the multiple years it covers. I really enjoyed this sweet Christmas story.

I just don’t feel invested in their relationship. There’s no enough heat or mystery to keep me going.

I really liked the author's Christmas book last year, The Holiday Swap, so I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me and I just couldn't push through to the finish line.

The characters never really grew on me and the flow of the story felt off. Also, I can't stand miscommunication tropes and this one is FULL of lack of communication between the main, *cough* childish, characters.

While I do know a few that did enjoy this one, I can't say that I'm one of them and would steer you to The Holiday Swap instead.

I saved this October release to enjoy reading during my Christmas Eve flights from Boston to Savannah. It was an enjoyable way to spend my first flight, but then when my one hour layover turned into a four hour delay, I lost my reading momentum. I picked it back up and finished it while lying in bed after a lovely Christmas day with my family.
Sadie and Max are contestants on the next country music reality show - Stargazer. When they have to sing a duet, the public assumes they are seeing sparks fly between the two, impressed by both their singing and their chemistry, and dubs them #Saxie. The show organizers ask them to consider continuing in the competition as a duo, both to help with ratings and to keep both alive in the competition as long as possible. And, to add to what the public expected, the organizers pressure them to fake date throughout. But miscommunications happen as soon as the competition ends, and Max runs away to his hideaway in Banff while Sadie heads home to Michigan to help with a family situation. Over the course of a year, the two stay separate while the world contemplates what’s happening with their favorite couple. As the year comes to an end and the duo need to perform a one-year anniversary song on Stargazer, Sadie and Max try to figure out how they can make it work out.
If you like reality TV music shows and country music, I think this may be up your alley. While some of the events happen during Christmastime, this book doesn’t have too much Christmas content - I don’t think it’s only a holiday season read. The miscommunication and immaturity bothered me after a while, but I really enjoyed the first half of the book. Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A fun look at what it’s like having to “fake” a relationship, during the holidays, while competing on the big stage for a recording contract and a step into the world of music. #Saxie, aka Sadie and Max, fight their feelings for each other, while trying to navigate around the sharks in the vast ocean of the music world. Is their love strong enough to overcome those who don’t believe in #Saxie, who think their relationship is fake for votes and views? I enjoyed this story, however, there were some plot holes that I wish were resolved in the end. A cute holiday story for your reading enjoyment.

From the author(s) of The Holiday Swap, All I Want for Christmas is the story of Sadie and Max, two aspiring country singers competing for a recording contract on a hit reality TV show. When their chemistry explodes during an on-screen duet, a fake dating publicity stunt ensues and ends up leading to some (gasp!) very real feelings.

If you’re looking for a cozy holiday romcom to close out the year, this will be just your cup of hot cocoa. I really enjoyed The Holiday Swap last year and had high hopes for this one, but it ended up being a bit lackluster for me. Kind of like the literary equivalent of that predictable Christmas movie you turn on in the background while making cookies, but it never really grabs your attention and consequently you can’t remember much about it. This would make a good “palate cleanser” after reading something heavy or dark. And country music fans might have fun with the references to country songs and stars of years past.

CW: The story touches on sexual harassment, coercion, and assault in the entertainment industry.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the complimentary copy of this work!

#Saxie

What happens when a want to be country music star and the son of a famous singer get paired together on a Christmas themed singing contest? This novel has it all- holiday romance, a slow burn, forced proximity, and enemy to lovers- all set in Nashville over Christmas.

I really thought that I would love this one but it fell flat for me. The relationship didn't make any sense and there was no real chemistry for me. The MC's fought for no reason most of the time. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I know holiday romances can be hallmark like and that is fine with me usually. But this just seemed way too dramatic.

What I liked: the characters were enjoyable. I liked it was broken up into the past, present and future sections. Overall the author writes a good story.

What didn't work for me: I enjoyed the story, but it was missing connection and depth. It had all the elements for potential, but it could have been so much more. While it is meant to happen around Christmas time the story wasn't heavy on Christmas. This story could have happened at anytime of the year. I didn't get the love connection with the main characters. To me the two were just really great friends.

If you want a light and fluffy romance this is a good option. I just wanted more from the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.