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

I wasn't a huge fan. It felt rushed, especially in the ending. The ending was a little too convenient. Also I was confused for half the book as to whether the guys were brothers or friends because the wording used was strange.

This book was not as holiday-ish as I was expecting. It was a quick read and cute overall, but fell short of the mark for me. So much didnt seem realistic.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

DNF at 55% 

If you’re really dedicated this book should only take a few hours to read. I could not bring myself to pick it up after several days, so decided to DNF. 

This book was given as an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review. 

It took me a few chapters to realize it was a Robin Hood retelling, her name is Robin! Should have caught that sooner lol. Robin and her friends are stealing from their employer to help pay for Robin’s niece medical expenses, unbeknownst to them an audit has been scheduled to figure out where the missing finances are coming from. Jake, is in charge of this audit, in the hopes of proving himself to his mother who owns the company to promote him as a partner. It’s supposed to be an enemies to lovers, which I don’t think is fair since they’ve known each other for less than 48 hours. 

There was a lot of flip flopping in this book. At the beginning of one chapter Robin decides they are done stealing from the hotel and will find out a different way to get money, not even four pages later she’s completely changed her mind and wants to steal even more money? Why? There wasn’t anything plot wise that requires this. Also unnecessary details added. Like creating the craft project for the photo booth? Obviously it matches the cover, but could have been completely left out of the story. 

I did skim to the end and everything was wrapped up nicely with a bow.

Robin is slaving over the holiday events at The Nottingham, while also making some morally questionable decisions. Jake is auditing to find why the hotel is bleeding money, while also trying to understand why his life is feeling less than. Little do they know they’ll be sharing a space together, will this lead to a love story as old as time? Or will the hidden secrets drive a knife in their newfound friendship?

Fa La La is a quick, easy read that would be good following a heavy read. The author has built likable and relatable characters in both Robin, Jake and their friends. They are what made me stay. While there are some heavy topics, Cornish does a good job of providing just enough details to provide awareness without bringing the holiday cheer down. Where this helped in the difficult topics, it seemed to have held back the rest of the book. 

I wanted, no I needed, more detail when it came to describing events throughout the book. Without that level of detail, it felt like I was being told a second hand story, rather than being fully immersed into the storyline. Additional details would have created a better connection to the characters and helped the dialogue, and book as a whole, flow.

This was a cute version of Robin Hood! 
I appreciated the humor in it but it fell flat in respect to a Christmas romance. 
This could have taken place at a different part of the year and been better I think. 

Robin and her friends have been stealing from the place they work to help her niece in a wheelchair. Eventually there’s, inevitably, some problems with the hotel and an audit occurs. Robin falls for the guy doing the audit, naturally. 

It all felt so unnatural. Robin was surprised that there was a chance an audit would happen. And it lacked a lot of the Christmas charm I look for in a Christmas book.