notlikethebeer's review against another edition
3.0
Utterly ridiculous but a lot of fun. The main guy (I forget his name...) was a LOT of a dick though, and I'm a bit confused by the main girl's family being so easy to go along with everything?!
jodyladuemcgrath's review against another edition
4.0
When I starting reading this, I didn't realize it went with Awkward. I was really happy to get to know ReadySet better. Great story! I think I will skip the next one with Jane as the main character though. I think it will ruin my love for Mackenzie, Logan and Corey. And I am just not interested in her at all!
lavendermarch's review against another edition
4.0
I've read this book before, although not for a while, and it was still a good read the second time around. It's funny, cute, and romantic, with an entertaining premise and relatable characters. Decked With Holly was easy to read in one sitting, and I would recommend it to fans of young adult novels, romance, and humor. 4 stars.
aprilk's review against another edition
5.0
Holly gets stuck spending her Christmas vacation on a cruise with her family. It wouldn't be so bad if it were just her grandpa and her, but instead she also has to put up with her evil twin cousins and her Aunt that's constantly insulting her. To top things off Holly is experiencing extreme sea sickness and her cousins kick her out of their room. Not wanting to disturb her grandpa and in desperate need of somewhere to throw up, Holly staggers into a strangers room and uses their bathroom. When she comes out she gets assaulted with pepper spray and called a zombie by a guy calling himself "Nick". But when she tries to leave and gets bombarded by the paparazzi Holly realizes that Nick is actually "Dominic" a member of one of her favorite pop bands " Readyset". To avoid a scandal Nick talks Holly into being his fake girlfriend. Even though they can get on each others last nerve could this fake relationship turn into a real one?
I loved "Decked with Holly"! It was hilarious and intelligent I found myself laughing out loud continuously and loving how fun and unique the story was. Holly is definitely a "mess" but that's what makes her so cute and lovable. Nick can certainly get under her skin and vice-versa which made for a lot of cute banter. The point of view switches back and forth between Holly and Dominic which I feel gives us a better look into each character and helps us know what they are both truly feeling. I like that it clearly states who's point of view you are now reading so that it doesn't get confusing like some other books that I have read. I am definitely going to check out other books by Marni Bates after this great read. Overall it is a fast and fun read that will have you smiling behind its pages.
I think fans of romantic comedies of all ages would love Decked with Holly.
Review posted to my blog www.bookhoardermom.blogspot.com
I loved "Decked with Holly"! It was hilarious and intelligent I found myself laughing out loud continuously and loving how fun and unique the story was. Holly is definitely a "mess" but that's what makes her so cute and lovable. Nick can certainly get under her skin and vice-versa which made for a lot of cute banter. The point of view switches back and forth between Holly and Dominic which I feel gives us a better look into each character and helps us know what they are both truly feeling. I like that it clearly states who's point of view you are now reading so that it doesn't get confusing like some other books that I have read. I am definitely going to check out other books by Marni Bates after this great read. Overall it is a fast and fun read that will have you smiling behind its pages.
I think fans of romantic comedies of all ages would love Decked with Holly.
Review posted to my blog www.bookhoardermom.blogspot.com
leesuh's review against another edition
3.0
♫ Deck the halls with boughs of holly… ♫ Oh, wait. It’s called Decked with Holly. Isn’t that such a cute pun?
I like a story where Santa gets slapped in the first chapter. That’s not to say all Santas should be slapped, but drunk and vile Santas definitely should be. Not that this has too much to do with the book. Onwards and upwards we go.
Decked with Holly wasn’t on my radar until just about when I started reading it. I had finished all my holiday books so I was cruising Goodreads for another to read. Let me tell you: It’s a pain to find YA holiday books when you have no starting point. I’d said “no” to several books and before realizing this one. “This is the one,” I said. I got a digital copy and started reading.
Just about all of the important characters in Decked with Holly are introduced in the first (and the beginning of the second) chapter. I love this because it’s simpler to distinguish who’s important and who’s “important”. I guess that’s most helpful when there’s more than one perspective, because each perspective is generally a fraction of the “important characters”, all of which come together as the whole. Am I even making sense anymore?
As for the story, it was fine. Surely it’s not the first average person/celebrity romance I’ve read about, but the circumstances are certainly unique. The main character’s (Dominic, who I imagine is 1/3 of an edgier Jonas Brothers, and Holly) attraction to each other was a little weird. Because of the events in the story they really disliked each other while secretly lusting for the other at the same time. That’s all fine and dandy, but I don’t feel like they ever got out of that phase. The “I want to be in a relationship with you” stuff was a little abrupt for me. It felt rushed and, frankly, sort of forced. We never got to see them fully realize their feelings. Oh, well.
I would like to question Bates on why the insults on Holly’s physical appearance (by Dominic, of course… that cad. Though he isn’t all bad) lasted so long. It was funny the first couple times, but got pretty old afterward. Holly’s two cousins and their mom were pretty terrible as well. The three of them are a pack of characters that you love to hate and call mean names while simultaneously hoping they trip and fall. The bitchfaces deserve it anyway. Yeah, I said it.
While this isn’t my favorite [holiday] book, it’s definitely not my least favorite. I can see myself reading it again and probably recommending it as a lighthearted Christmas romance.
I like a story where Santa gets slapped in the first chapter. That’s not to say all Santas should be slapped, but drunk and vile Santas definitely should be. Not that this has too much to do with the book. Onwards and upwards we go.
Decked with Holly wasn’t on my radar until just about when I started reading it. I had finished all my holiday books so I was cruising Goodreads for another to read. Let me tell you: It’s a pain to find YA holiday books when you have no starting point. I’d said “no” to several books and before realizing this one. “This is the one,” I said. I got a digital copy and started reading.
Just about all of the important characters in Decked with Holly are introduced in the first (and the beginning of the second) chapter. I love this because it’s simpler to distinguish who’s important and who’s “important”. I guess that’s most helpful when there’s more than one perspective, because each perspective is generally a fraction of the “important characters”, all of which come together as the whole. Am I even making sense anymore?
As for the story, it was fine. Surely it’s not the first average person/celebrity romance I’ve read about, but the circumstances are certainly unique. The main character’s (Dominic, who I imagine is 1/3 of an edgier Jonas Brothers, and Holly) attraction to each other was a little weird. Because of the events in the story they really disliked each other while secretly lusting for the other at the same time. That’s all fine and dandy, but I don’t feel like they ever got out of that phase. The “I want to be in a relationship with you” stuff was a little abrupt for me. It felt rushed and, frankly, sort of forced. We never got to see them fully realize their feelings. Oh, well.
I would like to question Bates on why the insults on Holly’s physical appearance (by Dominic, of course… that cad. Though he isn’t all bad) lasted so long. It was funny the first couple times, but got pretty old afterward. Holly’s two cousins and their mom were pretty terrible as well. The three of them are a pack of characters that you love to hate and call mean names while simultaneously hoping they trip and fall. The bitchfaces deserve it anyway. Yeah, I said it.
While this isn’t my favorite [holiday] book, it’s definitely not my least favorite. I can see myself reading it again and probably recommending it as a lighthearted Christmas romance.
charmaineac's review against another edition
4.0
It was a bit too transparent with its life lessons. Some things did not have to be spelled out that much.
Overall, it was cute though -- a fluffy vanilla read.
Overall, it was cute though -- a fluffy vanilla read.
lauroberge's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
This kept me up much later than I should've, but it was pretty awesome.
It's such an amazing book to read around Christmas (or anytime, when you're like me). It takes place on a cruise during winter break and it has a very charming rock star, which makes it the perfect cutesy novel.
I liked the plot of this story, even though it's not exactly an original one. It shows a realistic side of celebrity and I thought seeing Holly pushed into this was really interesting. Her ability to act whenever she had to made me laugh and surprised me a lot, because she's suprisingly good. The rumors created by her relationship with Nick were as impossible as the ones I read sometimes, so it was nice to have an insight on the celebrity life for once.
The thing I disliked about this book was probably Holly's character, because she was just horrible sometimes. As someone who's very nice and sweet, I do like to read about sassy characters who say everything they want, but when characters just say mean things for fun, it's just something I can't understand or appreciate. Nick was all but nice to her sometimes, but she would get all her claws out and act as though he had just told her that he wanted her dead. Obviously, she becomes nicer as the story goes, but at first, I couldn't stand it. She crossed the line between sassy and bitchy, at least in my opinion.
In the end, this was a pleasant book, although not one of my favourites.
This kept me up much later than I should've, but it was pretty awesome.
It's such an amazing book to read around Christmas (or anytime, when you're like me). It takes place on a cruise during winter break and it has a very charming rock star, which makes it the perfect cutesy novel.
I liked the plot of this story, even though it's not exactly an original one. It shows a realistic side of celebrity and I thought seeing Holly pushed into this was really interesting. Her ability to act whenever she had to made me laugh and surprised me a lot, because she's suprisingly good. The rumors created by her relationship with Nick were as impossible as the ones I read sometimes, so it was nice to have an insight on the celebrity life for once.
The thing I disliked about this book was probably Holly's character, because she was just horrible sometimes. As someone who's very nice and sweet, I do like to read about sassy characters who say everything they want, but when characters just say mean things for fun, it's just something I can't understand or appreciate. Nick was all but nice to her sometimes, but she would get all her claws out and act as though he had just told her that he wanted her dead. Obviously, she becomes nicer as the story goes, but at first, I couldn't stand it. She crossed the line between sassy and bitchy, at least in my opinion.
In the end, this was a pleasant book, although not one of my favourites.
caffeineandbookreviews's review against another edition
4.0
60 second review :
I think I'm getting too old to connect with YA as the insecure and whiny leads are starting to get on my nerves but Bates did good. She wrote the lead well and realistic. Not overly annoying at all and some important topics are touched on. A good one for impressionable kids these days but with enough unrealistic whimsy to keep them reading.
I think I'm getting too old to connect with YA as the insecure and whiny leads are starting to get on my nerves but Bates did good. She wrote the lead well and realistic. Not overly annoying at all and some important topics are touched on. A good one for impressionable kids these days but with enough unrealistic whimsy to keep them reading.