Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you can get past the staggering number of human resources nightmares in this book, it's actually a decent cozy holiday read.
Mackenzie finds herself pitted against her longtime office crush, Jeremy, for a shot at an end-of-the-year promotion that would mean relief from her mom's risng care bills.The problem: their boss has historically promoted the person who has shown the most Christmas spirit and she doesn't know how much she has in her. Little does she know that Jeremy has his own reasons for being super invested in winning the Christmas spirit battle and plans to give her a run for her money.
Faith and mental health are two surprising through lines in this. Mackenzie struggles with anxiety and self-esteem throughout, and looks to God for support. While it may not be perfect in it's delivery, this touched on something by reminding readers that the importance that checking in with yourself--and a mental health professional can also be part of God's plan. Mackenzie's BFF Keri is a true voice of reason and support in helping her friend realize this, and it's good to see.
Problems: I'd like to think we've reached a point where having a.known office lech you tolerate is not a thing that we turn a blind eye to anymore. I hate to see that normalized and even though that was a coworker not integral to the main plot it just so didn't need to be in there at all that it took me out of it a bit. I also have a lot of thoughts about office-wide religious celebrations of course, but you know what you're getting when you go into this one
Personally, this had a little more sugar than spice to it for me. I would have liked to see more of a true rivalry at the very least This was a very gentle read all-around but there is a very real niche for this kind of wholesome holiday romance, and if you're in that mindset this will go down very easy for you.
Mackenzie finds herself pitted against her longtime office crush, Jeremy, for a shot at an end-of-the-year promotion that would mean relief from her mom's risng care bills.The problem: their boss has historically promoted the person who has shown the most Christmas spirit and she doesn't know how much she has in her. Little does she know that Jeremy has his own reasons for being super invested in winning the Christmas spirit battle and plans to give her a run for her money.
Faith and mental health are two surprising through lines in this. Mackenzie struggles with anxiety and self-esteem throughout, and looks to God for support. While it may not be perfect in it's delivery, this touched on something by reminding readers that the importance that checking in with yourself--and a mental health professional can also be part of God's plan. Mackenzie's BFF Keri is a true voice of reason and support in helping her friend realize this, and it's good to see.
Problems: I'd like to think we've reached a point where having a.known office lech you tolerate is not a thing that we turn a blind eye to anymore. I hate to see that normalized and even though that was a coworker not integral to the main plot it just so didn't need to be in there at all that it took me out of it a bit. I also have a lot of thoughts about office-wide religious celebrations of course, but you know what you're getting when you go into this one
Personally, this had a little more sugar than spice to it for me. I would have liked to see more of a true rivalry at the very least This was a very gentle read all-around but there is a very real niche for this kind of wholesome holiday romance, and if you're in that mindset this will go down very easy for you.
4.5⭐️ from me. I give 5-star reviews very sparingly! But this is a super cute Christmas book with a faith message too.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The authors voice in first person present tense threw me. And then got annoying, like 3 pages in.
Fun but extremely cheesy. I actually enjoyed the level of cheese up until the end, which was a bit too far, even for me. But hey, a Christmas rom-com being cheesy is sort of the point.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This cover is so darling! You definitely get the fun Christmas vibes from it, and that there’s romance involved.
What it doesn’t convey is the heart and depth that is in this story—the things that made this such a standout read for me.
Along with a lot of fun holiday spirit and humor, and a festive competition between Mackenzie and Jeremy for a workplace promotion, the storyline also includes dealing with social anxiety, a parent with early onset Alzheimer’s, and raising your sibling’s children.
One of the characters states, “I just think the stigma of mental health needs to end.” I couldn’t agree more, and I LOVE books that try to do that, while portraying mental illnesses in a sensitive and empathetic way. Sarah does this so beautifully, and with firsthand experience.
She also accurately conveys the heartache and weightiness of having a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Even with these heavy and tender topics, All’s Fair in Love and Christmas is an upbeat story that is funny, tender, and sweetly romantic. It’s heartwarming and full of so much hope, faith, and joy. I loved it!
Many thanks to the author and Bethany House Fiction for the gifted copy!
What it doesn’t convey is the heart and depth that is in this story—the things that made this such a standout read for me.
Along with a lot of fun holiday spirit and humor, and a festive competition between Mackenzie and Jeremy for a workplace promotion, the storyline also includes dealing with social anxiety, a parent with early onset Alzheimer’s, and raising your sibling’s children.
One of the characters states, “I just think the stigma of mental health needs to end.” I couldn’t agree more, and I LOVE books that try to do that, while portraying mental illnesses in a sensitive and empathetic way. Sarah does this so beautifully, and with firsthand experience.
She also accurately conveys the heartache and weightiness of having a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Even with these heavy and tender topics, All’s Fair in Love and Christmas is an upbeat story that is funny, tender, and sweetly romantic. It’s heartwarming and full of so much hope, faith, and joy. I loved it!
Many thanks to the author and Bethany House Fiction for the gifted copy!
