If you like your Christmas sugar coated this is the book for you, the characters are well written, grab a hot chocolate and enjoy

First of all I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Hodder for letting me read and review this title!

I initially really loved the plot of All I Want For Christmas, I usually really enjoy books that have a “reality tv show” trope, but unfortunately this one fell a tiny bit flat for me.
It was giving major x-factor vibes, which actually felt really nostalgic as I loved watching that in the build up to Christmas!

For me though, there seemed to be a lot of gaps in the plot, points that I wish were covered instead of just skimmed over. Like when Sadie’s grandma passed away, it just skipped to some time quite a few months later, and I really would have liked to see how the characters coped in the aftermath!

Overall I did like the book, it was a cute cosy read to get me excited for the festive period! I would definitely recommend it to a friend!

One thing I didn’t get on with was the amount of typos that were in the book. I found it so difficult to read as the words didn’t flow, there was so many hyphens, at least 5 on every page, where there didn’t need to be at all!

This one didn't do it for me unfortunately - I didnt care for the characters or the plot line it was very boring and confusing and i gave up reading at 30% as i couldnt get into it

This was an easy read, but honestly the constant lack of communication or miscommunication between the two leads really annoyed me. They just ended up being really unlikeable towards the end.

This wasn't what I expected to read. I hoped for a cute holiday fake dating romance but that wasn't what I got.

The couple had no chemistry whatsoever, the plot was very confusing and the fake datign was there but not really. I know this doesn't makes sense but the same can be said for the book.

The plot has some jumps and it goes from one plot to the other making it difficult to keep up and understand.

The biggest disappointment were the characters, none was likeable, Sadie acts very immature and without much reason behind her actions. Max is trying but he was just as lacking, I espesially didn't like how he handled one situation in particular, not that i liked any other but still..

*I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

I am really loving Maggie Knox's writing. They have once again produced a completely irresistible Christmas story that I couldn't get enough of.

There is something about a Nashville setting, plus music that makes me go weak at the knees, especially when you have good looking men involved. Add in a clear chemistry between Sadie and Max even if it is allegedly fake at first as they can't stand each other and so many ups and downs between them, set to a backdrop of a TV talent show and this was 100% my sort of book.

There is a whole will they, won't they get together for real sort of vibe, after #Saxie becomes an online sensation with the public, as their chemistry when performing is off the charts.

They are also both dealing with things in their private lives which effects how they react to each other, and I enjoyed getting to know both Sadie and Max really well.

There is a great cast of characters to support them, along with a sleazy music producer who made my blood boil. But on the whole I loved the rest of characters and thoroughly enjoyed my time spend in the pages of this book.

It's just pure romantic escapism at its very best, with a festive feel, but overly Christmassy, but it does add an atmospheric time of year setting for the story. Just a all around easy, quick read which was right up my street.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I feel like this book was missing some depth, there were a lot of topics introduced but without follow through, explanation or action - for example, the producer and his handsy approach, nothing said by the MC, if she had such a bad experience during her first attempt at making it big in Nashville I expected her to be closed off to any influential person but that didn't seem to come across.
The romance seemed to grow by the flick of a switch, one moment they can't stand each other to developing romantic feelings in the next sentence.

There is such a good story here but more detail needed.

I loved the music reality show on Knoxville
setting and Max's knitting skills.
There were some very sweet moments and I think Sadie's grandmother stole the show.

I didn't like the constant Miscommunications - Or complete lack of communication, it got a bit repetitive.
I didn't really connect to any of the main characters because of it.

The cozy cabin scenes and snow scenes redeemed the story a bit and their song to each other was a sweet, enduring moment.

All in all a likeable , quick, holiday fluff read.

Thank you netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the arc copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

I absolutely love Christmas books that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside and this one is one of the best I’ve read, even though I’m 34 and I felt it catered for the younger audience and made me feel old haha!

I’d recommend this book to all my friends who want to curl up on the sofa with Christmas lights on and read a good Christmas book!

Thanks
For
The ARC

Sadie and Max are competing in a TV singing contest, coming from Nashville. Both are determined to win for different reasons - Max to prove he's not just his famous father's son, and Sadie to prove she actually CAN make it big. When the producers pair them up for a week during the competition, Saxie as they become known becomes big. Can they get over their problems with each other and win the contest as Saxie, or are their issues too large to overcome?

A quick festive read. A bit predictable, but it was an easy read with a very cute dog character!

Ok I will start off by saying that I did really enjoy this book, there was fake dating and some enemies to lovers elements (not of which I love) and I really liked the setting, the music competition storyline and the characters a lot but oh my god there was so much miscommunication. It was staring to get annoying towards the end because literally every chapter there was a new drama that could have been easily solved with a conversation but instead one of them kept getting into a strop and storming out! Despite that I did really love Sadie and max as a pairing and was rooting for them from the beginning!

It was a really cute christmas read though, and I really liked the ending!

DNF 60%
Where do I start with this one.

There is no depth to this story. Where is the character growth, where is the conversation, the vulnerability?

All we get is superficial level dialogue in between so much telling and minimal showing.
I had enough of this characters not talking to each other. Because they don't talk, when a significant action does happen it seems so out of place because there is no meaningful dialogue to warrant it.

This was in my opinion a heartwarming Christmas tale that I actually enjoyed reading--a perfect read for Holiday Romance in the form of American Idol meets Country Singers.

Meet Sadie and Max--who are contestants on a reality TV show called Starmaker. They are the final contestants and are paired up together for a duet. The fans are dying hard for their ongoing chemistry. Faking a romance would gain public popularity but there's one problem--Sadie and Max are not really getting along with each other.

At first, I actually enjoyed this tale of romance--kind of like a Hallmark Christmas movie. But by the middle of the book, the romance story kind of turned into a serious issue--abandonment issues, emotional turmoil, assaults so it didn't necessarily become a typical romance novel you would normall expect. Nevertheless, towards the ending, it was a predictable and happy ending. I do like the chemistry between Sadie and Max and I enjoyed reading about the two. Overall, if you enjoy reading about cozy holiday romance novels, this book is better--worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Another adorable Christmas story by Maggie Knox! This book pairs up a male and female country singer and lets the whole country think they are a couple in hopes they will win the contest. Well of course, you know what the ending will be! but what a cute story.

All I Want For Christmas is better communication! I already spent enough time on this book, so I'm not going to leave an extensive review. Instead, see some bullet points:

- There were too many topics (bereavement, grief, sexual harassment, the dark side of fame, and so on), but none were developed sufficiently to be of any significance;
- Characters have way too much going on but feel shallow. They're so immature that I had to remind myself that they're in their late twenties and this isn't a YA novel.
- If you're here for the competitive side of things, forget about it. Max and Sadie have allegedly spent an eternity together while on the show, but it felt like only a couple of days. And boom, they won the whole thing, and they're now supposed to pretend they're in love, even though they haven't seen or spoken with each other for a whole year;
- Their "chemistry" is mentioned time and time again, but I felt none of it. By the time I finished the book, you would not be able to convince me that this couple is in love and will last longer than a year;
- The way Maggie Knox transitioned between scenes was not very good either. It just jumped from one place to another, sometimes without even a break between paragraphs;
- I didn't find either of the characters appealing or relatable: Max was not at all charming and was frequently bordering on being an asshole.Sadie was not much better, and the reason why she "hates" Max because of what he's done in the past is just ridiculous.
- LACK. OF. COMMUNICATION!!!

Lovely concept, it would've been a great Christmas novella if they removed all the unnecessary struggles (and there were A LOT of them). I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.

Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book, thought it was a cute winter read. I thought the times that Max and Sadie were together in person was really cute and I liked how they just seemed to 'click'

However, the whole lack of communication, when they were apart and not actually talking about the big important topics, when they were together did annoy me by the end

3.75 stars

3.5 stars
All I Want For Christmas—The second book by writing duo Maggie Knox is just as festive and hallmark worthy as the first, which sees country singers Sadie and Max—both contestants on reality singing show STARMAKER—fake an onscreen relationship in order to win hearts (and a coveted music contract) which will skyrocket both their careers.

I absolutely loved The Holiday Swap last year so was really excited to get accepted for an e-arc of Maggie Knox’s newest holiday romance, but unfortunately it didn’t quite meet my (admittedly, really high) expectations and though I did enjoy it, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t love it as much as their previous book.

It started off really strong with the love/hate, enemies to lovers-style rivalry between Sadie and Max which I absolutely loved. The character development we see— with Max and his upbringing as the son of a country music legend, and Sadie navigating fame whilst dealing with the grief of losing a loved one—was also really well done.

But the plot relies heavily on miscommunication which got really frustrating for me pretty quickly. There are a few really sweet moments between the pair but the arguments and misunderstandings just got in the way too often for me to really enjoy #saxie as a real couple for a good chunk of the book. It’s a shame because when they were together (and not arguing/self-sabotaging) their chemistry was off the charts good!

I absolutely loved Max’s dog Patsy (named after Patsy Cline) who was just fabulous in her adorable, hand knit (and very stylish) jumpers. And aside from the really slimy Cruz (who I massively disliked for reasons that become quickly apparent) I absolutely adored the cast of supporting characters that we meet.

I also really enjoyed how things wrapped up, with an ending that was genuinely heartfelt and incredibly satisfying.

Overall, a wonderfully festive Hallmark meets Nashville style contemporary romance. I did enjoy for the most part, but (as a mood reader) I don’t think I was in the right mood (or mindset) to fully enjoy this one right now. If you’re partial to a good miscommunication trope with then you’ll probably gonna LOVE this!

I really wanted to love this book because the setting and premise of the book sounded exactly like my favourite kinds of books, especially with Christmas thrown in the mix. However, the reliance on miscommunication throughout the book just infuriated me, I was being told these characters were in their late 20's but without this information I would have mistook them for teenagers based on how they act. The book tried to focus on other important topics such as grief and the ugliness of the entertainment industry but they fell flat because yet another relationship argument was taking place instead of developing these characters and the plot out.

This book had a lot of potential, but I felt that the execution fell flat. The story felt disjointed in its narration and the main characters' mood swings seemed to be too quick. In an enemies to lovers romance the progression from hate/annoyance to developing romantic feelings is the entire crux of the story and this one didn't do that well enough. A lot of times the characters came across as extremely childish for the adults they were. I just didn't like this book as much as I'd hoped to.

3 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This had the setup to be a really cute Christmas romance read. Sadly, the author was committed to relying on miscommunication to fuel prolonged conflict between Sadie and Max which carried well over 90% of the book. This, coupled with a lot of time jumps in the story, lowered the enjoyment value for me.

The pockets of time where the author allowed Sadie and Max to grow as characters were really well done. Sadie loses someone very special in her life during her time on Starmaker, the singing competition she and Max are coupled on, and Max has grown up under the shadows of his own father's successful music career and has a lot of hang-ups from the experience. Both characters struggle with their feelings and conveying them to themselves and others around them, but when they do actively consider them, there is good progress made. I liked both Max and Sadie enough to root for them, and whilst I wasn't sold entirely on the romance, it was cute at several parts of the story. I like fake dating as a trope in books, and there were some moments where I liked how it was utilised in this.

The pacing is really off in this read. A lot of the storyline is told, rather than shown, and it jumps from one moment to the next without stopping to address key elements. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the author had taken the time to make these jumps more organic, and allowed Sadie and Max to show more of their connection growing. There is little chance to see them go from #Saxie, their fake relationship persona, to something real, but we're often told they are experiencing deeper feelings because of their "explosive" chemistry on stage.

There is a lot of arguing between Sadie and Max that I felt was super unnecessary. Even they comment on it at times during the book, and I don't see the need for this endless conflict. Had the author removed some of the miscommunication or allowed the characters to have some vulnerability instead of being constantly defensive, I feel this would have elevated the read to something great. I grew tired of them going from arguing to being happy in each other's company without resolving the issues between them. It was borderline toxic.

I didn't feel the sub-plot with Cruz and Sadie was relevant. There was already plenty of conflict within the novel, and when it finally looked like both main characters had developed enough to move on from it, this was inserted in to create more mistrust. I also struggled towards the end with both Max and Sadie going, "I want to fix it, but how?!" and getting upset when they couldn't be reached by phone. They both knew where the other lived, and common sense would be to have the characters go to the other if they were that in love and committed to making amends. I feel this was just slopping shrugging by the characters that could have been powerful if one of them had attempted to reach out. Subsequently, the ending was hastily wrapped up after prolonged angst, and I had more trouble believing it would readily be solved like that (view spoiler).

I struggled with how to rate this book. There were some feel-good moments I enjoyed, and I liked that both characters took a focus on resolving their leftover trauma from the losses in their lives, but the glaring loopholes did let this read down.