A country Christmas?! Say no more. This was a combination of so many favorite tropes and I ate it up. Perfect seasonal read with fantastic characters that I adored. Maggie Knox writes in a way that sucks you in and by the time you look up the book is finished. Highly recommend.

I wanted to love this book!
It was good but not as good as her last.
The characters didn’t feel like they fully developed and we didn’t get to see a lot of happiness between the two characters. Just a chapter in the middle and the ending.

I expected more

All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox is a contemporary romance that does carry over to the Christmas season. The story in All I Want for Christmas is a standalone romance that falls in the enemies to lovers trope along with fake dating. This one is one that is told by alternating the point of view in the book between the two main characters.

Sadie and Max are both musicians who have been waiting for their big break. When both are cast on the television reality show, Starmaker, they both think that this will be their big shot at stardom. Unfortunately for Sadie and Max what the audience wants the most is for the pair to team up and perform together so for the sake of their careers Sadie and Max agree to a fake relationship for the cameras that in turn becomes not so fake for the duo.

All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox certainly caught my interest as I love a good reality show, a fake dating trope and a cozy Christmas contemporary. I certainly was glad to take a chance on this one and quickly settled into the story as the unfriendly partnership slid into a more romantic relationship along the way. For the most part the story had a lighthearted nature but it does have some more emotional moments too and was a nice addition to my holiday reading.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Okay so... I am very mixed on this one. In the beginning, I was obsessed. The nostalgic country music, the festive Nashville setting, the competition aspect! I couldn't put it down. For me, it quickly turned a little too close to insta-love and the time jump and pacing in general felt strange. I think there was so much potential here. I loved the characters and the set up with their respective family histories and tragic moments. I liked that they had a past which added tension, but I wish it was resolved in a way that added more slow burn than insta-love. For a holiday romance it was fun but I wanted more.

I really really wanted to love this book. It had all the elements I usually love, fake dating and enemies to lovers, but the miscommunication kinda ruined it for me. I was having a hard time getting into the whole music reality show storyline too and the story just fell a bit flat. I think overall this one was just not for me but would be really enjoyable for someone else.

These holiday-esque #romcoms aren’t usually the first thing I pick up, but something about the holiday season just makes me weak for a happy ending 🎸🎄🎤

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Max is country music royalty - the only son of an iconic country music star (think Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, or Tim McGraw, etc . being your dad), though he still has a chip on his shoulder about what such a pedigree entails.

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Sadie is a Midwestern, blue collar girl with nothing but a hell of a voice and a big dream.

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When these two polar opposites find themselves competing in a reality TV competition in Nashville with their entire careers on the line, they end up way in over their heads, as they battle their inner demons, the struggles of fame and the music industry, and their own deeply complicated feelings for one another.

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Bonus Points for Max’s dog being named Patsy Canine 🐶

Competing on a Nashville Star-Esque tv show, Sadie and Max go from competitors to teammates, but is there chemistry only on-stage?

If miscommunication is your trope, this book is the book for you!

The first thing I said when looking into this book was "yikes" because of the 3.25 rating...but I wanted to give it a fair shot because I have enjoyed other books by the same author. I really struggled with one of the main characters. Max had a few redeeming moments, but even those couldn't out do what a dope he was most of the time. Plus, miscommunication is pretty much standard in a rom-com, but this one took it too far for me. I like to think that the characters in a book like this end up together and happy, but I think these two would end up in divorce court, if they even made it that far. There were some really cute moments, and I loved the premise of the story, but I had trouble getting past the rest.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

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.