I just wrapped up "The Trouble with Tinsel", and while it was a charming holiday read, it didn’t quite deliver the sparkle I was hoping for. The story is filled with festive cheer and quirky characters, which I loved, but the plot felt a bit predictable at times. The small-town setting and holiday antics are enjoyable, but the romance lacked the depth and development that could have made it more engaging.

That said, if you’re looking for a light, easy read to get into the Christmas spirit, this book is a decent pick. It’s fun, festive, and doesn’t take itself too seriously—perfect for a cozy afternoon by the fire.

Unfortunately this one really missed the mark for me. I really did not enjoy it and I’m only writing a review for my NetGalley ratio. (You guys should really consider not making DNF books count against our ratio). I really really wanted to like it.

I think the third person pov got in the way with this one…. There is no solid voice to follow and it moves very slowly. I think it would have read better with a first person perspective and lots more dialogue and less story telling. It’s an interesting concept, but the follow through just didn’t do it for me.

The writing style of this really got in the way of my enjoyment of this story. Definitely one that may be better read through audio if there are multiple narrators.

I respect the effort! And I loved the concept. Unfortunately these voices did not resonate with me. It could have used a bit more TLC on dialogue to flow and be more realistic.

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

This was a fun and light holiday rom com. If you’re looking for something to read while cozied up with some hot chocolate this holiday season, this is the comfort equivalent of a Hallmark Christmas movie.

When their Hollywood script is finally greenlit for production in LA just before Christmas, Kerri and John, ex-writing partners with a rocky romantic pastm must put aside their grievances—and enter into a fake engagement—to save their movie and their dreams.

This book was not good. For the record, I’m pretty sure I fell asleep for part of it so maybe I missed something _ BUT I had zero desire to go back and try it again.

Whether you're sipping cocoa by the fireplace or lounging on a beach, this book will wrap you in its warmth. The Trouble with Tinsel by Juliet Giglio & Keith Giglio is a magical Hollywood Christmas story set in the world of ex-screenwriting partners.

Meet Kerri Williams and Jon Romano. A few years after their professional and personal breakup, fate throws them back together when an old script gets green-lit. Now, for the month of December, Kerri must leave her life as a teacher in Brooklyn and return to sunny Hollywood to work with the man she used to love.

But there's a twist: the star of their movie believes Kerri and Jon are engaged. To keep the star happy, they pretend to be in love. Will they risk rekindling old feelings that they've tried hard to forget? Will they be able to navigate this awkward reunion? And will this Christmas be the one where they finally get their own happy ending?

The Giglio duo weaves a delightful second-chance romance against the backdrop of twinkling lights, red carpets, and Hollywood glamour. Their multi-POV storytelling adds depth to the characters, making them relatable and endearing. This is more than a cheerful Christmas comfort read. It's a heartwarming tale of love, forgiveness, and the magic of the holiday season.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The plot was 4 stars for me, but I dropped my original rating to 2 due to the writing. Simple, repetitive sentences and random jumps inside the heads of minor side characters often pulled me out of the story.

A charming holiday romance and a light read.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a big nope. I felt like I was going dizzy reading this in the third person PoV, and it switched mid-page to to a new PoV. It could have worked, but the writing was just not engaging or very good. It's sad because the plot sounded really cute. Good idea, but poor execution.

This was a very enjoyable Christmas read. Super cozy and filled with witty banter. I would definitely recommend for fans of classic Hallmark movies.

I loved this Christmas second chance romance. The story was so fun. I loved the banter between Kerri and Jon. I am also a fan of fake dating tropes. I adore this author duo. I cannot wait to read more by them. Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

One of my biggest downfalls as an ARC reader (in my opinion) is that I continue on with books even when I just do not vibe with the content. It is something that I need to work on but this was not the case with The Trouble with Tinsel. I did try to give it my all but in the end, I couldn't.

I was often confused with who was telling the story. I know it is written in third person but sometimes it switched between characters and it just didn't make sense to me at all. Fake Dating is one of my favorite tropes but it just didn't work for me in this book. Mix in cheating (which is my least favorite trope ever) and it quickly went to DNF.

Seriously, Christmas romance novels aren't supposed to have cheating. It just takes all of the cheer out of the season. This was just too much for me.

Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebook Casablanca for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ohhh how I hate to give up on a good book but damn I just couldn't get in to it at all. I don't know why but last 3 books have been so hard foe me to get in to and this is one of them. Not for me but I wish it was.

⭐️⭐️

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨?

📍 Read if you like:
• Holiday Romcoms
• Fake Dating
• Hollywood
• Movies

I honestly don’t even know what to say about this book. Normally I could see myself recommending every book I’ve read to specific readers - even those books I didn’t enjoy - however, I don’t think that’s the case for this book.

I think the premise sounded so interesting so I decided to pick it up on NetGalley. Unfortunately, I struggled so much with this book for various reasons.

The writing style was not for me at all. The book is written in a sloppy way and the dialogue was not good in my opinion. Also, the characters were so one-sided and lacked so much depth. They were written in such a choppy way.

The story also tended to focus on irrelevant things that added so much confusion. These characters were truly awful and there was a trope in this I absolutely hate.

In my opinion, I don’t think this is a holiday story that’s worth the read. Normally I try to think about the positives, but unfortunately, I struggled so much with this book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Infidelity, Sexual Content, Bullying

I liked it. Their story was so interesting and heartwarming to read. Such a great book to pick up during the holidays.

The book The Trouble with Tinsel was an enjoyable read. I would recommend any book written by Juliet Giglio and Keith Giglio. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

Exes getting back together to finalise the script that drove them apart, and a movie star who thinks they're engaged... What could possibly go wrong, right?
While the set up of this story actually made it one of my most anticipated reads for this season, I found myself not as enchanted as I'd hoped by the story itself.
Feeling at times rushed, at times like it could do with a bit of speeding up... While I did enjoy the conclusion, I guess I'd just hoped for something a bit more... Tinsel-y from this book!

Two stars only because I liked the idea of the plot, but the execution was not great. The writing style was so simplistic - it came across like reading “see Spot run” over and over. At a point, I actually imagined the characters as dolls with a little kid speaking the dialogue. It was omnipresent narration and hearing the inner thoughts of every character (even side characters) made it hard to follow and choppy. I’d skip this one.