📚: Fa La La by Michelle Cornish (@michellejcornish)
⭐️: 2/5

Meet Robin. She and her friends work together at the Nottingham Hotel - and have questionably (read: illegally) skimming cash from their employer in hopes to pay down medical bills for Robin’s niece. Noticing the cash flow dip, the Nottingham hires accountants Jake & Ty to investigate what’s going on, and, of course, sparks fly. (Because nothing says Christmas love like embezzlement?)

I don’t read many novellas, but even at just 170 pages, this felt longer than a quick read with its slow pacing and an undeveloped plot that feels thrown together. The ending literally made me go, “what?” - and not in a good way.

This book had so much potential that just didn’t happen. The authors note in the beginning mentioned that they weren’t planning to write a Christmas book this year but “had to” after seeing the cover art. The story and plot feels forced in the same way that maybe the cover art forced the story (when it should have been the other way around?).

Just released this past Friday for the holiday season, thank you to SolVin Creative via @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. #gifted

I wasn't a huge fan. It felt rushed, especially in the ending. The ending was a little too convenient. Also I was confused for half the book as to whether the guys were brothers or friends because the wording used was strange.

This book was not as holiday-ish as I was expecting. It was a quick read and cute overall, but fell short of the mark for me. So much didnt seem realistic.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

DNF at 55%

If you’re really dedicated this book should only take a few hours to read. I could not bring myself to pick it up after several days, so decided to DNF.

This book was given as an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

It took me a few chapters to realize it was a Robin Hood retelling, her name is Robin! Should have caught that sooner lol. Robin and her friends are stealing from their employer to help pay for Robin’s niece medical expenses, unbeknownst to them an audit has been scheduled to figure out where the missing finances are coming from. Jake, is in charge of this audit, in the hopes of proving himself to his mother who owns the company to promote him as a partner. It’s supposed to be an enemies to lovers, which I don’t think is fair since they’ve known each other for less than 48 hours.

There was a lot of flip flopping in this book. At the beginning of one chapter Robin decides they are done stealing from the hotel and will find out a different way to get money, not even four pages later she’s completely changed her mind and wants to steal even more money? Why? There wasn’t anything plot wise that requires this. Also unnecessary details added. Like creating the craft project for the photo booth? Obviously it matches the cover, but could have been completely left out of the story.

I did skim to the end and everything was wrapped up nicely with a bow.

Robin is slaving over the holiday events at The Nottingham, while also making some morally questionable decisions. Jake is auditing to find why the hotel is bleeding money, while also trying to understand why his life is feeling less than. Little do they know they’ll be sharing a space together, will this lead to a love story as old as time? Or will the hidden secrets drive a knife in their newfound friendship?

Fa La La is a quick, easy read that would be good following a heavy read. The author has built likable and relatable characters in both Robin, Jake and their friends. They are what made me stay. While there are some heavy topics, Cornish does a good job of providing just enough details to provide awareness without bringing the holiday cheer down. Where this helped in the difficult topics, it seemed to have held back the rest of the book.

I wanted, no I needed, more detail when it came to describing events throughout the book. Without that level of detail, it felt like I was being told a second hand story, rather than being fully immersed into the storyline. Additional details would have created a better connection to the characters and helped the dialogue, and book as a whole, flow.

This was a cute version of Robin Hood!
I appreciated the humor in it but it fell flat in respect to a Christmas romance.
This could have taken place at a different part of the year and been better I think.

Robin and her friends have been stealing from the place they work to help her niece in a wheelchair. Eventually there’s, inevitably, some problems with the hotel and an audit occurs. Robin falls for the guy doing the audit, naturally.

It all felt so unnatural. Robin was surprised that there was a chance an audit would happen. And it lacked a lot of the Christmas charm I look for in a Christmas book.

I unfortunately found this book wasn’t for me and I ended up DNF it. Be sure to check out other reviews on it.

1.5/5

Robin and her merry group of girlfriends started stealing from The Nottingham Hotel last holiday season when Robin’s niece had medical bills piling up thicker than the snow in Buffalo last week.

Robin hopes to erase those bills for good, but there is just one little problem,…

Her boss hires an accounting firm to find out why the hotel has suffered such a loss of income recently

Jake Marian is sent to The Nottingham and is hellbent on finding these fugitives and securing his place as partner

When Jake is forced to share an office with Robin, they both learn there is more to each other than meets the eye….

_____

No, just no on this holiday “rom com”

Firstly, there was absolutely nothing funny about it…while I can commend the author for trying her hand at a more unconventional storyline, the whole book was just plain stupid. There are FAR better ways to raise money in a legal way that does not include stealing from your employer

This was most definitely an instance where I judged the book by its cover, and made a pretty bad choice.

Also, where was the romance? Robin and Jake ended up “falling in love” but they had NEVER spent any time together outside of work. While they did share an office during Jake’s time at the hotel. the author never included conversations they had to even elude to “sparks flying” - I couldn’t even make a a playlist for this one since it lacked SO MUCH romantic content

This book was also SUPER repetitive and so much of Jake’s inner monologue was so beyond unnecessary

The ending was the cringiest endings in the history of cringe

I read this dumpster fire, so you don’t have to…in the words of Maui from Moana “you’re welcome”

Thank you to @netgalley and SolVin Creative for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Tis the season to be jolly—even to your enemy!
🎄
Robin works for Nottingham hotel and has been stealing from them to pay for her niece’s medical bills. When the company hires an auditor to figure out where the missing money is going, Robin must work with Jake who has his own reasons for uncovering the thief. Soon Jake realizes there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Robin.
🎄
Ummmm nope. Another swing and a miss for me and holiday books This gender-swapping Robin Hood tale just felt all sorts of wrong. Stealing from your company? Even if it’s for a good cause was something I struggled to stomach, especially with everything happening in the world right now. If anything this makes me livid at our healthcare system and how people can’t afford good medical services, but I digress. There was little romance or holiday vibes in this book, despite the cover.

CW: theft

Unique spin on a modern Robin Hood retelling! It was fun and quick Christmas read, definitely a great addition to your Christmas TBR list! I think this was the perfect length and having a morally gray character be the female was refreshing and I really enjoyed that aspect.

I feel like the romance could have been a bit more developed BUT I really liked the chemistry between Robin and Jake. I loved the friendships between Robin and her band of merry women and Jake with his friends. LOVE reading books that have strong support circles. Jake was also sooo cute with Robin's niece and the way he was drawn to Robin was pretty adorable too.

Over all I really enjoyed the authors style of writing it was easy to read and when I tell you im OBSESSED with retellings this was a neat take on that subgenre. Definitely recommend.

Thank you to SolVin Creative and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a short story that is a twist on Robin Hood.

Robin and her friends work at the hotel Nottingham and have been secretly skimming cash for the last year. They give the money to Robin's brother, who has lots of medical debt.

Jake is an auditor hired by the owner of the hotel to look into some financial discrepancies. He begins to narrow down his suspect list. What can Robin do?

Fa La La by Michelle Cornish

|Rating| ⭐️⭐️⭐️
|Genre| Romance - Christmas

|Synopsis|
With the help of her friends, Robin has been pocketing money from The Nottingham Hotel, where she works. This in an attempt to assist her brother and niece with their medical bills after an accident the previous year. Her plans are put into question when the Hotel hires Jake to investigate; however, whilst sharing an office, it may reveal more than they expect.

|Thoughts|
In this modern retelling of the classic Robin Hood, I found it a light and passable read. However, my enjoyment was limited as I really struggled to like Robin. As much as I sympathise and understand her reasoning, it just never sat well with me. Overall, I did enjoy it as a fast paced, clean romance, reminiscent of Hallmark Christmas movies.

Wasn’t really sure how the conflict would be resolved, but I think the author found a nice balance in the end. Robin truly has some loyal friends, and I enjoyed the dynamic between her and Jake. Although it can be difficult to really build a strong relationship in such a short story, the scenes they did share were the highlight for me. Also appreciated how the title was incorporated into the story.

Christmas Magic
Takes place from around thanksgiving to Christmas, with a variety of festive events thrown in there. Would have liked to have seen more on Christmas Day itself. But there were enough Christmas themed drinks, Christmas parties and sleigh rides to make up for that.
3/5 Christmas Tree's
(I rate Christmas magic on a scale of 1 to 5 Christmas trees - higher the rating, the more Christmas magic there is).

Read this if you enjoy
- stories about Christmas
- workplace romance
- clean romance
- short, fast paced story

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for this honest review.

|Read| November 2022

This story made no sense. Why is the reader supposed to be ok with the lead characters stealing money from their employer? Why is an accountant ok with that? Why would he still want to date the thief? I also found the Nottingham, Sherwood, and other Robin Hood connections weird given that this book takes place in the USA.

Nothing here worked for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
- Robin Hood
- forced proximity
- dual POV
- quick reads

After discovering that his bar is mysteriously losing a lot of money, St. Nottingham’s owner Charles hires Jake, an accountant, to figure out where the money is going. Things become a little tricky when he investigates Robin and her friends, who are simply shaving a little bit of money off the top of their workplace. They can definitely afford it! And it’s for a good cause! Jake and Robin are forced to share an office for the time being, and things get rather blurry rather quickly!
I love a dual POV! I love being able to see multiple sides of the same story at the same time.
I liked that this was a super quick read! It was perfect to break up my longer commitment books, and there wasn’t a ton of unnecessary details that most longer books are so guilty of doing. I just started reading and before I knew it my day was over 🤪
I enjoyed that this wasn’t just a typical rom com that all follow the exact same format … there was also a little bit of mystery and problem solving thrown in here. Very engaging!
The main character was very likeable (how could you not??!) and I was rooting alongside her to get her HEA 🥰
This was supposed to be a Christmas book, but I just didn’t get that Christmas feel reading it. I would have loved some more Christmas activities or descriptive snowy scenery, or something like that.
Overall a very enjoyable forced proximity rom com, with a little more of a story to it! Well done!

Fa La La is a super quick read and a twist on the original Robin Hood story, with a Christmas theme. It doesn't feel super christmasy though, just like a few holiday things were thrown together. There was a lot of missed potential, but the plot and the characters were underwhelming. This felt like a younger audience theme and like something was generally missing.

Have to admit I enjoyed this slight Christmas Carol retelling more than I thought I would. Robin and Jake kind of hate each other at first. However that doesn't keep the sparks from flying.

This book was bad. There was a lack of romance between the main characters. The over all story ws pretty stupid. I did not get the Christmas vibes I wanted in a Christmas book. I would not sugges this. I am happy I got it as an ARC and did not pay for it. Don't wasit your time reading this.

This book was such a nice change from your normal Christmas themed romance. At the core it's about friendship, family and love. It was quick enjoyable read. Robin was willing to go to such lengths for her family and while it may not have been right he heart was always in the right place.

A cute, quick and easy read for Christmas (or as I call the season of cheesy movies and books - Trashmas).

A modern retelling of Robin Hood, but with the gender rolls flipped, Robin and her “band of merry women” decide to “steal from the rich and give to the poor”… The poor being her niece’s medical bills funds after her brother and his family were in an accident and he lost his wife. This is the second and supposedly last year the group decided to do this, but then Jake Marian arrives on scene at the hotel they work at as an outside accountant to investigate the obvious and noticed discrepancies. In true Trashmas spirit, Jake and Robin develop a thing for each other and the investigation becomes more than either bargained for.

Reading it for what it is, I enjoyed this book. However, I do wish their relationship had been more developed. And obviously less crime in what is supposed to be a rom com would be nice. What really dropped the rating for me was the ending and associated “consequences”.

What a great story about family and friendships!! I love the female friendships in this book. It shows a true bond. And what lengths friends will go to help one another!! If you want a quick read, I highly recommend this book,!