If you’re looking for a quick holiday themed read to get you in the spirit, this will do.

But… it was not great.

Nothing in this book felt completely fleshed out? From the plot to the characters. The pacing was so rushed that you couldn’t really sink into the characters’ personalities or motivations OR the conflict of the plot. All the bullet points were there; but that’s what it felt like to read.

I wanted so much more than I got. The writer acknowledgements mention that she wrote it in 3 weeks, and you can tell. I think it has potential, but it needs more finesse. The romantic bits were too sudden; the events in the story didn't explain the apparent depth of feelings between the characters.

If this were to be redone with more time spent developing the characters, I would be interested in revisiting it. But as is, it's only ok.

*I received a digital ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review

If you’re looking for an insta-love, with no spice, but they’re almost immediately head over heels and ready to risk everything for one another… this is for you. Like, she’s committing fraud while stealing cash from the hotel she works at and he’s the accountant that is catching her, and he’s ready to risk it all and just… why? I mean, I get it. Family struggles, medical bills, the whole shebang. Trust me, I get it. But I wouldn’t steal cash from my job (and risk my livelihood especially when I'm supporting my brother and disabled niece) and have my friends risking their jobs too to try and help. Especially with her brother not even knowing about the cash.

I get that it’s the holiday season so people like a feel good story, and people love a good Robin Hood retelling. But morals and ethics are still a thing. I couldn’t get over the FMC getting upset with the MMC for doing his job as an accountant doing an audit because she literally stole tens of thousands of dollars cash from her job. I just… no. I almost DNF’d it, but couldn’t bring myself to not finish it.

This was a quick, fun Christmasy themed read. Christmas was definitely not the main aspect of this book, but there was mentions of Christmas.

Unpopular opinion: I enjoyed this book! It was definitely predictable, but it was still fun and i felt the retelling was a bit different than the normally selected stories to retell.

Robin & her friends are stealing from their employer to help Robin’s niece and brother with their stacks of hospital bills. A account is brought in to try to find out where the money is going and they fall in love.

It’s giving: Enemies to Lovers, Robin Hood Retelling aspects, No smut.

It was giving minimal good girls vibes to me / one mom needed money for medical bills and her friends suited up to help her.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for supplying an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Christmas romance book to read this season. I loved the characters and the storyline was different than most Christmas books!

If you’re in the mood for the holidays book this is it! This was such a cute book and perfect for the holidays! I highly recommend checking this book out!

A Christmas romance with sweetness and snow! It was cute and nice to read although pretty short. It was also really meaningful and there was an actual plot to the story so it made me appreciate the book more. The way they come together and come apart and come back was so nice too and the way that everything just panned out for the Christmas spirit to endure made me smile.

This was a quick, easy read for the holiday season. There were some points where you really needed to suspend your disbelief. The writing was fine and the romance was satisfying. I think if you go into this not expecting your next favorite book, it's a solid Christmas read.

I received this boom as an ARC via NetGalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

This is a modern day, gender bent robin hood retelling. I liked the premise, especially since holiday themed romances are usually enjoyable. However, I just could not get into this despite how short it was. I had trouble liking the characters and while I had sympathy for them I just didn't think their motivations/needs justified their actions and the ending didn't work for me.

This was such a sweet enemies to lovers romance.
The tension between the 2 MCs was obvious but didn’t take away from the plot.
I loved Tina so much! I found her super cute!

Christmas romance novels are such a big request this time of year and this title will be a great addition to my recommendations!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

Perfect book for the holidays! This sweet little love story really got me in the fa la La spirit! I definitely recommend adding to you winter reading list.

The book sounded promising, but it just didn’t deliver. There were so many unlikable characters and no humor. Just a lot of theft. It made me cringy to be reading about people stealing from their employer. Yes I get that it’s a Robin Hood story. But there was no sense of urgency that would necessitate theft on a grand scale. Sorry, but this book had too many plot holes.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited st this premise but it wasn't executed in a way that felt fun and realistic enough.

I was skeptical about the premise of theft in a Christmas romance. While there were interesting and likable characters, I couldn’t get past the fact that they were taking part in a felony, which was quickly forgiven. The unlikable characters who did nothing wrong were the ones who got their comeuppance, while the ones committing a crime were rewarded in spades.

A great festive read, a modern take on robin hood. Will this Robin be caught when her bosses bring in the auditors? A festive romance too.

I love a classic retelling, so I was drawn to this modern day, gender bending, Robin Hood-inspired holiday romance. The execution unfortunately felt more first draft than finished story. I needed the characters more fleshed out, and it was difficult to root for them. It was a quick read, and did have some enjoyable moments.

This is just an odd story for a holiday romance. No humor; theft; boring characters; no sizzle. The modern day Robin Hood attempt was interesting but doesn’t deliver.

FA LA LA

Pub. Date: Nov. 25, 2022 (Out now!)

CW: spouse death, fatal car accident

FORMAT: 📱

THE GOOD: I usually find Christmas books far too cheesy for my liking, but I devoured this in under 24 hours and it was the perfect choice to get me in the Christmas spirit! Now to see if it got me out of my reading slump. 🙃 It was not cheesy at all. I loved Robin and her friend group and I think I liked the story so much because, even though they went about things the wrong way, their intentions were still good and it wasn't like Robin was a horrible person who did bad things without remorse. The themes of family and friendship were very strong throughout the book, which I loved. I also appreciated that the disabled character was written well and that the other characters didn't feel sorry for her. If you're looking for a holiday book to get you in the spirit, I definitely recommend picking this up! Thank you to NetGalley and SolVin Creative for the e-ARC in exchange for my review!

THE BAD: There were so many references to Scarlet's red hair, which was just annoying and unnecessary.

Favourite quote: Brad gives me a hug. "I'm sure we'll both find jobs in no time. And if we don't, we'll figure things out." He smiles then adds, "Something less criminal." 😂

📚: 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