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suzyq436's review against another edition
3.0
After Angie loses her boyfriend and her job, she has no choice but to back to her hometown and nurse her broken heart within the comfort of her childhood home whilst looking for a new job and new life. To keep herself busy Angie finds herself working at the mall that she worked at as a teenager helping Christmas shoppers with any last minute shopping woes they may have. It is here where she meets Nick who she is instantly attracted to but the secrets he chooses to keep may backfire on their relationship.
This book was cute and adorable. I enjoyed the Christmas spirit and loved that it took place in the mall for the majority of the book. Unfortunately, this book harboured two of the tropes that I dislike the most in romance novels: insta-love and fallout due to miscommunication.
Angie and Nick barely knew each other before falling so fast in love and then breaking up just as fast. The break up was depicted with such great anguish you would think these two characters had been together for five odd years. I could feel the spark between the two characters but it was not nearly fleshed out enough for me to believe the magnitude of their love for each other.
All the obstacles that occurred between these two was due to miscommunication. I truly despise this trope and wish it was banned from all romance novels. It portrayed the characters as juvenile and immature making for an eye-roll of story at some parts, which is disappointing because I truly enjoyed the minimal flirt and spark that these two had with each other.
This book was cute and adorable. I enjoyed the Christmas spirit and loved that it took place in the mall for the majority of the book. Unfortunately, this book harboured two of the tropes that I dislike the most in romance novels: insta-love and fallout due to miscommunication.
Angie and Nick barely knew each other before falling so fast in love and then breaking up just as fast. The break up was depicted with such great anguish you would think these two characters had been together for five odd years. I could feel the spark between the two characters but it was not nearly fleshed out enough for me to believe the magnitude of their love for each other.
All the obstacles that occurred between these two was due to miscommunication. I truly despise this trope and wish it was banned from all romance novels. It portrayed the characters as juvenile and immature making for an eye-roll of story at some parts, which is disappointing because I truly enjoyed the minimal flirt and spark that these two had with each other.
norwayellesea's review against another edition
4.0
There are still many many weeks until the festive season is upon us again and already I've read a few Christmas themed novels. Wrapped Up For Christmas is another fabulous book to get you into the mood for the holidays.
Angie Martinelli is heading back to the place she grew up with no job and no boyfriend after her cheating ex who is also her boss forces her to up sticks from her life in California and seek refuge in New England town she once called home. During a reunion with her friend, she has an embarrassing encounter with a guy who pays for her coffees when her card's declined highlighting her dire situation but giving her hope her circumstances are about to change for the better. With the sneaky 'help' of her friend, she lands a temporary job, but all isn't as it seems at the Westford Mall where she now works.
Sometimes, I felt the plot kept going in circles when one crisis led to another...I guess I'm more of a straight to the point reader and so this fact caught my attention more than others? Yet overall, I really enjoyed the narrative along with the protagonists, both of whom are relatable and likeable.
Learning to trust, not assuming things and been upfront are all issues faced by Angie and Nick Bower, however, when giving the benefit of the doubt and not presuming are better ways of dealing with situations. Of course, nothing is clear cut when interference throws everyone off guard, however, love finds its way and a happy ever after achieved.
The time-line is short and Angie and Nick's romance begins quickly but nothing feels forced as you feel these two people are destined to be together despite their pasts and recent hiccups. With the added inclusion of entertaining secondary characters, the overall effect is a heart-warming romance; a perfect book to read with a mug of cocoa or a glass of mulled wine.
This is my first novel by Ms Duncan and I'll definitely seek out for more of her contemporary romance books.
***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher HQ Digital via NetGalley***
Angie Martinelli is heading back to the place she grew up with no job and no boyfriend after her cheating ex who is also her boss forces her to up sticks from her life in California and seek refuge in New England town she once called home. During a reunion with her friend, she has an embarrassing encounter with a guy who pays for her coffees when her card's declined highlighting her dire situation but giving her hope her circumstances are about to change for the better. With the sneaky 'help' of her friend, she lands a temporary job, but all isn't as it seems at the Westford Mall where she now works.
Sometimes, I felt the plot kept going in circles when one crisis led to another...I guess I'm more of a straight to the point reader and so this fact caught my attention more than others? Yet overall, I really enjoyed the narrative along with the protagonists, both of whom are relatable and likeable.
Learning to trust, not assuming things and been upfront are all issues faced by Angie and Nick Bower, however, when giving the benefit of the doubt and not presuming are better ways of dealing with situations. Of course, nothing is clear cut when interference throws everyone off guard, however, love finds its way and a happy ever after achieved.
The time-line is short and Angie and Nick's romance begins quickly but nothing feels forced as you feel these two people are destined to be together despite their pasts and recent hiccups. With the added inclusion of entertaining secondary characters, the overall effect is a heart-warming romance; a perfect book to read with a mug of cocoa or a glass of mulled wine.
This is my first novel by Ms Duncan and I'll definitely seek out for more of her contemporary romance books.
***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher HQ Digital via NetGalley***
bookishlifeofbrie's review against another edition
2.0
If you love cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies, then you might love this book! And I do enjoy a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie, but I don’t love reading what feels like a script for a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie. Ha! This was just so unbelievable and I felt it was really reaching to keep the “love” story going. I’m all for “love at first sight”, but even this book pushed the limits. Also, this story could have really benefited from an epilogue chapter.
*editing needs some work - a lot of sentence grammar issues.
*editing needs some work - a lot of sentence grammar issues.
saucyknits's review against another edition
3.0
What everyone said who rated it highly, I agree with. However, it comes off pretty cheesy to me and the narrator sounded so flat in places….it was ok, but nothing I’ll reread.
stinamoore1971's review against another edition
2.0
Writing was not very good. Editing was deplorable. There were sentences that made no sense & were missing words. However, I really enjoyed the characters so that boosted it up a star.
meg728's review against another edition
4.0
Starting off the holiday season with a broken heart, no job and moving back across the country to live with your Mom does not bring seasons greetings to your heart and Angie Martinelli does not know where her life will go from this point. In comes Nick Bower, the ultimate workaholic for his Dads company and he is dealing with his own family drama. A spilt coffee at the local coffee shop and maybe they can find there way to some happy holidays along with an amazing charity project to help the local shelter which is what Christmas really is about, giving to others and celebrating with those you love!
This book was definitely filled with the spirit of Christmas and had a great feel good factor! Reading how Angie jumped right in to her new job and found a way to do something to help others was uplifting and brought the Christmas spirit up a level! Enjoyable and fun holiday read!
This book was definitely filled with the spirit of Christmas and had a great feel good factor! Reading how Angie jumped right in to her new job and found a way to do something to help others was uplifting and brought the Christmas spirit up a level! Enjoyable and fun holiday read!
hayleysnextpage's review against another edition
3.0
Wrapped Up for Christmas is a cute novel to read this Christmas. The main character is Angie, who returns home to the East Coast after breaking up with her boyfriend (and boss) in California. She then meets Nick and feels like her luck is about to change. This book definitely puts you in the festive mood, as they pick a Christmas tree, go to the local tree lighting ceremony and more. The only downside was that the writing style wasn't my cup of tea. I felt it could have been more show versus tell. However, if your ideal book reads like a Hallmark Christmas movie, Wrapped Up for Christmas is the novel for you.
I received an ARC through NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
I received an ARC through NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
dgrachel's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is a Hallmark Christmas movie in print format: saccharine and predictable, but oddly comforting nonetheless. I am not a fan of the author’s prose style as it felt choppy and repetitive, and she seems to have a strange obsession with making sure we know the hair color of every person, including the little blonde girls that appear in one paragraph and are never seen again. Also, the H smirks a lot. I almost started counting the number of times it happened because it started getting on my nerves.