I am a big fan of Maggie Knox, having read and loved their individual author projects (Lucky, Recipe for a Perfect Wife). Last year I read The Holiday Swap and it was the perfect rom-com for Christmas. I was excited to see Maggie Knox return with another cute holiday read. This book has all of the tropes of a great romance: fake dating, enemies to lovers, and alternating point-of-views. It's an easy read and light-hearted and pleasant throughout. If you prefer to read your Hallmark movies, this book is for you.

Thank you for my copy for my review.

This story was a fun read of fake dating, enemies to lovers and dual POVSs which I loved. The aspiring artists storyline was one I have not read before and really enjoyed it. I do recommend this book.

DNF at 50% - I wanted to love this book because the premise sounded good, but I just couldn't get on board with the pacing and the way the characters spoke to one another.

Okay, this book was the perfect Christmas rom-com! It had the cuteness, it had some issues that had to be worked through, two imperfect characters, and a fun premise of a music competition show! I really loved Maggie Knox’s first Christmas book from last year, so I had really high expectations for this one - lucky for me, they were totally met!

Sadie was a wonderful character to walk alongside in this story. The girl chasing her dream of singing professionally in Nashville. She went through a lot in this book and I really enjoyed watching her character development play out on the page. There were some things she did where I was literally yelling at her about red flags.

Max was an understood character who didn’t want to only be known famously due to his father’s shine and glow. He also had some character growth, however, the boy needs to learn how to trust people. Some of the things he did were a little wishy-washy in the sense of trusting Sadie and that irritated me a lot. Otherwise, he was a great character to follow along with.

I would definitely recommend this if you want a cute Christmas book that gives off some Hallmark vibes as we head into this holiday season.

⚠️TW: sexual harassment, death, sexual assault, grief

Thank you @putnambooks and @netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review! All of the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This story follows two musicians from very different backgrounds competing in a Christmas star search competition i order to get their careers off the ground before its too late.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book very much. I did like some aspects of their fake-dating relationship that had a hint of chemistry they did have together and some of the drama that came with trying to make it Nashville. But I found both main characters to be extremely annoying and the constant miscommunication between the two was a little over the top.

I would pass on this unless you enjoy the miscommunication trope, one dimensional characters with no back bone and sleazy music producers.

Thank you to penguin random house canada and netgalley for copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Sadie and Max are coerced into a fake relationship to boost the ratings of a tv competition, it sets the stage for a perfect romcom however their constant miscommunications create a dynamic I simply struggled to love.

With that being said, the holiday tie, the country music and Banff have my heart! Make yourself a Hot Toddy, cozy up with a blanket and enjoy this read.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved these authors first book, The Holiday Swap, and I was so excited when I saw they were coming out with a new one but sadly, this didn't live up to my expectations. I love anything set in a world surrounding fame but this didn't have the spark I needed it to have to fully dive into it and the main characters only started to really grow on my in the second half. Definitely loved the holiday vibes but sadly, it's not my favorite. Definitely still looking forward to other books by this duo.

DNF at 54%

Oh boy, I REALLY wanted to love this since I was such a fan of her previous book, The Holiday Swap. But, it just didn't click for me. The premise and the characters just fell a bit flat and I found I wasn't connecting with the story enough to want to finish the book. I'm disappointed, but I will still be checking out future books that Knox writes!

I have ambivalent thoughts about All I Want For Christmas by Canadian writing duo Maggie Knox. It published October 4th and it packs a lot into one pretty present - maybe a bit too ambitious for all the tropes included.

I liked it, but it also fell flat in parts. I couldn't put it down, but I probably won't remember it next week. Overall, it hit many of the right notes for a warm Christmas rom-com - and I appreciated the nod to Canadian geography - but it was also very angst-ridden for a Christmas feel-good. And while I love the forced proximity and fake dating situation, it also relied heavily on miscommunication and that makes me want to scream at the protagonists to either grow up, just be done with each other, or sit them down in chairs that they can't leave until they have a real conversation. I'm not saying don't read it - because again, I did like it - I'm just saying sometimes less is more?!

Maggie know does it again! The Christmas queen delivers yet another holiday favourite you can’t put down!

I received an e-galley of All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever watched a TV show and loved the chemistry of two characters so much that you wished that they really would date in real life? I definitely have - and I would like to think that Maggie Knox probably has as well in order to manifest the story of All I Want for Christmas. It's definitely giving everything that one loves about the fake dating trope and just the fan perspective of seeing the celebrities you love ending up together. I enjoyed reading this romance with its holiday vibes, ready for the upcoming winter season.

I did enjoy both Sadie and Max, they had a really great back story and a lot of things that have happened to them that I think made their relationship stronger. I just wish we would have been able to see more of Sadie and Max getting to know each other and seeing their love come together. I think there was just too much miscommunication and just lack of wanting to communicate that I was left feeling a little frustrated throughout the book. I also didn't believe in their relationship as much because it felt a little insta love since there weren't enough scenes with their build up and connection at the beginning.

I am providing an honest review in exchange for a #netgalley ARC of Maggie Knox's "All I Want For Christmas is You."

I wanted to love this book. The cover is cute and the concept had so much potential (an up-and-coming female country singer joins the cast of a talent-search-esque reality show alongside a male legacy country singer): Forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, miscommunication - lots of tropes happening.

Unfortunately, the timeline threw me for a loop (I don't think the story really needed to open at one Christmas, because then the reader is forced to lose almost an entire year to bring us to the next Christmas, with details of that time being given to us piecemeal in the past tense instead of experiencing it). Also, in terms of the writing, there were some continuity issues with names, personal histories, and timelines that took away from the story a bit. I found the story too drawn out, and there were too many "miscommunication" scenes for me.

If you are in the mood for a cozy Christmas read, All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox will definitely require a nice cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket as you dig in. This is the second novel by writing duo Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley and I can honestly say I’ve been looking forward to reading this follow-up to last year’s The Holiday Swap.

Set in Nashville around the holidays, this book features Max and Sadie who are competitors on the singing reality show Starmaker. They both want, no NEED this to be their big break. Sadie has been waiting for her chance to make it big, while Max is aiming to prove he is more than just the son of a country superstar, and has talent all his own. When the show’s producers get the idea to have Sadie and Max compete as a duo, they encourage a fake relationship to go with it to boost the show’s ratings. Everyone loves #Saxie, well, except they just aren’t fans of each other. That certainly complicates things.

As the couple make their way through the competition, they are forced to spend more time with each other and learn all of the good and bad that comes with their rising fame as well as each other. On their last night on the show, a publicity stunt doesn’t go as planned and Sadie and Max are both left pondering what has happened. I love that the authors use the beautiful Canadian Rockies as part of the story, and it gives off major cozy winter vibes that is really essential to this story.

What will happen to Sadie and Max? Will they make it in Nashville, will their fake romance be found out or will they become more than frenemies? You;ll have to grab that hot chocolate and blanket and curl up with this book to find out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie Hunter and Max Brody are both contestants on a reality TV singing competition. During duets week they were paired up and the chemistry they had on stage was out of this world so their managers come up with an idea to help them secure the win – play up their fake relationship and during the finale Max will propose to ensure #Saxie will stay top of everyones minds. The only problem with this plan – Max and Sadie cannot stand each other.

Sadie has had a dream of making it big since her gran taught her to sing. She made a run at it once before but didn’t succeed. The Starmaker contest is her last shot and she is willing to do just about anything to win.

Max Brody is already Nashville royalty as he is the son of legendary Holden Brody but he wants to make it on his own terms and not because of his famous father. However, he has been struggling to overcome his stage fright and anxiety.

I had really high hopes for this book having heard amazing things about The Holiday Swap also written by Maggie Knox aka writing duo Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley. I loved the premise of the book, an American Idol type reality show with two young people vying for their chance to make it big joining forces to improve their odds. Top it off with a Christmas setting and it should be right up my alley, unfortunately it felt a bit flat. I really didn’t connect with the characters, I felt some parts of the book was really rushed or took a turn very abruptly. The book describes their chemistry on stage, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between them offstage and honestly was a bit confused as to how feelings developed, would have loved to see more of this dialog.

In my opinion Sadie seems rather immature considering the big leap she has taken, moving away from her family and starting to put down roots in Nashville. She seems determined to make this dream work but I don’t get the feeling she is as in control of her personal life. Max is more of the same, trying to carve out his own path but ducks out as soon as there are signs on adversity. The miscommunication trope is a tough one but I felt like these two just plain lacked communication rather than miscommunication. It felt really off that Sadie at one point confided in a very questionable character (bordering sexual predator) but not in Max whom she supposed to had feeling for.

This book had all the makings of a cute Christmas romcom and lots so life lessons courtesy of Sadies gran who was one of my favourite characters. Naturally as a knitting myself I was delighted Max knit as a way to cope with the pressures he was facing and while this particular book didn’t quite hit the mark for me I look forward to reading The Holiday Swap also written by Maggie Knox this holiday season.

I received this book for free from NetGallery in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.80 stars only because this is not the book I would have picked up if it were not for the authors. I do not follow reality shows. I did however see this as a Christmas movie instead of a book. One thing I like about Maggie Knox is how different their books are. I will await their next one, of course.

This book was so sweet! I loved the premise of the story and the twists and turns it took. It was the perfect Christmas love story!!

Sadie and Max are selected for a reality singing show. After performing a duet together, the world sees their chemistry and demands more. Despite hating each other, they have to start fake dating...
I did not love this one as much as I loved The Holiday Swap. I couldn't feel the chemistry everyone seemed to feel in this fake dating, enemies to lovers Christmas romance, and the miscommunication trope (which is not my fave) was very heavy. I would've loved to see more character development, as I felt a lot of immaturity (which I find is often the case in the miscommunication trope). I loved the musical competition setting, and I am a fan of country music, so the author got me there.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wanted to love this book. It had some great elements. I enjoyed both the Nashville and Canadian settings. I liked the setup for the love story. However, I did feel that the whole first stage was abrupt at times. Some sections felt too brief and others over detailed. I think the ideas were there but the execution wasn’t, for me. I would try another book by this writing duo.

'Tis the season to start reading some holiday romances! Normally we try to wait until at least November to get into the holiday spirit but we've been lucky enough to receive this holiday ARC. So let the merriment begin! 🎄

When Sadie and Max are paired together on the reality singing show Starmaker, for duet week, their romantic onstage chemistry is undeniable. With fans going wild for the pair, the network demands that they keep performing together on and offstage, or they leave the competition. The only problem is…they can’t stand each other.

When we first meet Sadie and Max, they don’t like each other. She is competition and he made a bad first impression years ago. It was fun to read the behind the scenes of Starmaker and all the PR stunts they were put through. But the scenes in the snowy cabin and their staycation were our favourite parts. We really got to see them find their feelings for each other and we got a glimpse of them as a real couple. We wished there was a bit more of that.

It’s what you want from a holiday romance. Romantic, sweet, some (or a lot) of drama and just overall entertaining. Highly recommend listening to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Christmas album while reading (it will get you in the mood).

Many thanks to @penguinrandomca + @netgalley for the e-book ARC in exchange for our honest review. All I Want For Christmas comes out today, October 4th, 2022!

TW: Sexual harassment

What we liked:
▪️Dual POV
▪️Enemies to Lovers with Fake dating
▪️The reality show & all the background PR
▪️Sadie’s grandma
▪️Max’s anxiety coping method 🧶

What we didn’t like:
▪️Too many miscommunication moments (just talk to each other! UGH)