chaptersbyindia's review
3.0
“You know what’s worse than an awkward first date? A first date that’s fake. Oh, and your entire family is there.”
- 3 1/2 Stars for this sweet love story! Let’s dive into why I rated it the way that I did, shall we?
First of all I promise to always keep thing honest. I didn’t want to rate this book a 5 just because I didn’t want to hurt the authors feelings, because I totally don’t. But I know that being honest is always best and I hope this review will show some love & help with growth!
But first, what is this story about?
The book follows a duo perspective. The first that we meet is Olive who is on a plane, freaking out slightly, and not looking forward to Christmas with her family. The second is Finn, the hunky comic relief. Fate sat them together and had them fake dating before the plan landed in Aspen, Colorado.
Well technically they didn’t fake date until Finn randomly showed up to Olive’s family dinner but who cares how it happened we all love a good fake dating romance story, am I right?!?
But what Finn doesn’t know is how deep Olive’s scars are from her past. And the people who caused her to build such high walls were two people in her family that she constantly had to be around. Thank goodness for happy Finn who takes Olive’s mind off of her panic and shows her how to love Christmas again.
But is it enough to have her fall for him? You’ll have to read to find out.
Now let’s list these Pro’s & Cons. I like to get the bad over with.
Cons:
1) Ok - so...... I suck at writing the bad stuff but again I want to be honest here. The first thing that kinda had me go “Meh” was Olive’s personality. Now there are things I adore about her & even can resonate with her as well. But the way she treated her Sister, Sarah, and handled their “issues” I found kinda annoying. At least half way through the book. I was wanting to tell “Just get over it already!”
2) I kind of knew what had happened between the sisters before it was revealed so it wasn’t much of a shock to me and what Sarah did made me eye rolling so much. Really? That fast? I mean I don’t blame Olive for being so hurt & how it even messed with her mental health. But she’s 25, it’s been 3 years, couldn’t she handle it a little bit more mature?
BUT for the sake of story telling I understood what the Author was going for so I figured it was just my own personal preference.
3) Finn was wayyyyyy to cocky for my liking but again that’s a personal preference. The guy winked too much, talked about his ego a lot, and clearly focused a lot on looks. For me personally, that is such a turn off. He could have any woman in the world and liked being the fun one night stand. Eh, not my type of book boyfriend.
4) Also I felt like Olive’s eating disorder could had been wrote just a little bit better. There was just so much focus on good looks, perfect bodies, & to me I just don’t find that realistic. But again, I do understand what the Author was trying to achieve with this personality trait of Olive.
Pros:
1) Even though Finn’s arrogance got on my nerves he still had me swoon with how sweet he was to Olive. I was swooning over his attempts at bringing happiness and joy back into Christmas for Olive and that scene by his Cabin Window (iykyk) - definitely such a sweet romance. Finn & Olive were just - perfect for one another.
2) I did enjoy Olive’s Character & watching her grow slowly back into the Olive she was before “the fight” was a fun journey to read through.
3) The Fake Dating Troupe is always fun to read & the author wrote it very well.
4) Even though the book contained a few steamy scenes, it was closed door which I always respect authors for. She did a great job balancing the two together!!!
Read if you enjoy:
⛄️ Christmas Vibes
- 3 1/2 Stars for this sweet love story! Let’s dive into why I rated it the way that I did, shall we?
First of all I promise to always keep thing honest. I didn’t want to rate this book a 5 just because I didn’t want to hurt the authors feelings, because I totally don’t. But I know that being honest is always best and I hope this review will show some love & help with growth!
But first, what is this story about?
The book follows a duo perspective. The first that we meet is Olive who is on a plane, freaking out slightly, and not looking forward to Christmas with her family. The second is Finn, the hunky comic relief. Fate sat them together and had them fake dating before the plan landed in Aspen, Colorado.
Well technically they didn’t fake date until Finn randomly showed up to Olive’s family dinner but who cares how it happened we all love a good fake dating romance story, am I right?!?
But what Finn doesn’t know is how deep Olive’s scars are from her past. And the people who caused her to build such high walls were two people in her family that she constantly had to be around. Thank goodness for happy Finn who takes Olive’s mind off of her panic and shows her how to love Christmas again.
But is it enough to have her fall for him? You’ll have to read to find out.
Now let’s list these Pro’s & Cons. I like to get the bad over with.
Cons:
1) Ok - so...... I suck at writing the bad stuff but again I want to be honest here. The first thing that kinda had me go “Meh” was Olive’s personality. Now there are things I adore about her & even can resonate with her as well. But the way she treated her Sister, Sarah, and handled their “issues” I found kinda annoying. At least half way through the book. I was wanting to tell “Just get over it already!”
2) I kind of knew what had happened between the sisters before it was revealed so it wasn’t much of a shock to me and what Sarah did made me eye rolling so much. Really? That fast? I mean I don’t blame Olive for being so hurt & how it even messed with her mental health. But she’s 25, it’s been 3 years, couldn’t she handle it a little bit more mature?
BUT for the sake of story telling I understood what the Author was going for so I figured it was just my own personal preference.
3) Finn was wayyyyyy to cocky for my liking but again that’s a personal preference. The guy winked too much, talked about his ego a lot, and clearly focused a lot on looks. For me personally, that is such a turn off. He could have any woman in the world and liked being the fun one night stand. Eh, not my type of book boyfriend.
4) Also I felt like Olive’s eating disorder could had been wrote just a little bit better. There was just so much focus on good looks, perfect bodies, & to me I just don’t find that realistic. But again, I do understand what the Author was trying to achieve with this personality trait of Olive.
Pros:
1) Even though Finn’s arrogance got on my nerves he still had me swoon with how sweet he was to Olive. I was swooning over his attempts at bringing happiness and joy back into Christmas for Olive and that scene by his Cabin Window (iykyk) - definitely such a sweet romance. Finn & Olive were just - perfect for one another.
2) I did enjoy Olive’s Character & watching her grow slowly back into the Olive she was before “the fight” was a fun journey to read through.
3) The Fake Dating Troupe is always fun to read & the author wrote it very well.
4) Even though the book contained a few steamy scenes, it was closed door which I always respect authors for. She did a great job balancing the two together!!!
Read if you enjoy:
⛄️ Christmas Vibes
onceuponafrida's review
4.0
This was a very cute and cozy christmas read, fast-paced and easy to read. No spice, only hinting and some flirty remarks, but actually didn’t miss it. The story did not need explicit scenes, I think that would have taken away from the story. I did cry at several pages and laughed out loud at others. It will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling in your stomach and heart while reading. Highly recommend!
milenabookish's review
2.0
I wanted to love this book, but there was too much that I just didn't enjoy, and that took me away from the romance. It wasn't a perfect fit for me but it could be for someone else.
cokiereads's review
4.0
So sweet
It was so sweet. Finn and Olive were perfect together. It was definitely grumpy/sunshine. Or former sunshine
It was so sweet. Finn and Olive were perfect together. It was definitely grumpy/sunshine. Or former sunshine
kalarosereads's review
5.0
This book was absolutely adorable! We meet Olive, who is returning to her home town of Aspen for the first time in 3 years, after her world was flipped upside down when she caught her boyfriend and her sister together. This has caused her to have some major self esteem issues after she always felt like she was in her sister's shadow. On her way back home, she meets Finn on the plane, a confident and hilarious character, who offers to be her fake boyfriend for the trip.
I usually am not a fan of the "fake dating" trope but Juliana Smith has converted me. Finn's character was so loveable, yes he is confident, but not cocky, and the way he spoke about and treated Olive gives you all the warm and fuzzies. Plus he got to play a little bit of a hero and him standing up for Olive against her sister and her family was such a feel good moment. I could feel Olive's conflicting emotions through the page throughout the story. I think everyone can relate even a little bit to Olive's character having insecurities and going through a period in your life of wanting to re-invent yourself. I enjoyed the exploration of complicated family relationships with siblings, another very relatable storyline.
Extra points for not having a picture perfect little epilogue with everyone magically getting along. I was so happy with the ending of this book, there is some closure with Olive and her sister but it's not wrapped up into a neat little bow, which I think is the most realistic option. Tie in a lot of heart warming Christmas references and a beautiful Colorado background and you have a perfect holiday love story!
I usually am not a fan of the "fake dating" trope but Juliana Smith has converted me. Finn's character was so loveable, yes he is confident, but not cocky, and the way he spoke about and treated Olive gives you all the warm and fuzzies. Plus he got to play a little bit of a hero and him standing up for Olive against her sister and her family was such a feel good moment. I could feel Olive's conflicting emotions through the page throughout the story. I think everyone can relate even a little bit to Olive's character having insecurities and going through a period in your life of wanting to re-invent yourself. I enjoyed the exploration of complicated family relationships with siblings, another very relatable storyline.
Extra points for not having a picture perfect little epilogue with everyone magically getting along. I was so happy with the ending of this book, there is some closure with Olive and her sister but it's not wrapped up into a neat little bow, which I think is the most realistic option. Tie in a lot of heart warming Christmas references and a beautiful Colorado background and you have a perfect holiday love story!
cierraslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
“What do you want, Olive? You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.”
She’s grumpy and he’s the sunshine??? fake dating?? dual POV??? Oh, I’m SAT! I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved both, Olive and Finn, so so much and how there was immediate chemistry between them. How the grinch stole Christmas is definitely my favourite Christmas movie so Finn always calling Olive, “Lil’ Grinch”, “My Grinch” or “Grinchy” and constantly referencing the grinch and the movie itself was amazing. I’ve just been wanting to read sweet, cute, Christmas/holiday books and this was perfect for me!! Will definitely be rereading this next year.
Also, I very much agree with Olive, Prisoner of Azkaban is the best HP movie!
She’s grumpy and he’s the sunshine??? fake dating?? dual POV??? Oh, I’m SAT! I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved both, Olive and Finn, so so much and how there was immediate chemistry between them. How the grinch stole Christmas is definitely my favourite Christmas movie so Finn always calling Olive, “Lil’ Grinch”, “My Grinch” or “Grinchy” and constantly referencing the grinch and the movie itself was amazing. I’ve just been wanting to read sweet, cute, Christmas/holiday books and this was perfect for me!! Will definitely be rereading this next year.
Also, I very much agree with Olive, Prisoner of Azkaban is the best HP movie!
pages_of_fantasy's review against another edition
1.0
This deserves a big 0 stars. The misogyny. The sisterly betrayal. The insta-love and cheating...... this book is terrible. It's awful and sexist and the body image issues are portrayed in an extremely unhealthy way. No mention of therapy. No lesson on healthy coping skills. Nothing that should have been included.
Don't even get me started on Olives family and how they so easily just forget who her sister married.... what the actual fuck. The fact this has so many high ratings is crazy to me. Absolutely insane. Do not recommend.
Don't even get me started on Olives family and how they so easily just forget who her sister married.... what the actual fuck. The fact this has so many high ratings is crazy to me. Absolutely insane. Do not recommend.
ambersbooksandcoffee's review against another edition
5.0
“If you were mine, you would never wonder how perfect you are”.
If you know me you know once the clock strikes Midnight on 10/31, I am ready to crank on the Christmas music and start decorating, put some Hallmark Christmas movies on, watch the Grinch about 15 times, pause for Thanksgiving and once that’s over its Christmas kind of gal. If that’s you, stop what you’re doing right now and go preorder this book- RIGHT NOW. I have had the privilege of reading both of Juliana’s novels as an ARC reader and I cannot thank her enough. I really loved her first novel, but WOW this one is THAT much better, she’s grown so much as writer, her writing in this is truly incredible.
I don’t think I can describe to you how much I loved this book. I laughed out loud a few times, I swooned over our main character Finn, I felt the pain Olive felt, I experienced all the emotions in this book. I am big fan of “he falls first” romance and this didn't at all disappoint.
The book is set in Colorado, Juliana does an amazing job of painting the scene. The whole time I was visualizing the picturesque view of Colorado mountains at Christmas in my head. Told in a dual POV from our main characters Olive and Finn, you really get to see what’s going on in each of our main characters heads this way, it really works well for this book. The banter between the two characters, the feel-good wholesomeness of Finn, the chemistry between Olive and Finn, the family drama, all the at the right moment Christmas references, I was sucked in from the beginning. I loved Finn’s 12 Days of Christmas idea and the leaps and bounds he went through to get Olive to love Christmas again.
Can we talk about the nicknames too, “Oh yeah, Grinchy. Hop aboard the Finland Train. Whoo whoo”. Finn can call me Grinchy any day, okay?
There is so much more that I could say, but I’d rather you read it to experience it firsthand. It comes out on 11/26, you should preorder so you get it right away, and when you have it in your hands grab your coziest blanket, some fuzzy socks and crank on the Christmas music and dive right in I promise you, you will love it. This is an absolute must read for the Christmas season!
Read if you like:
-Fake dating
-He falls first
-Forced proximity
-Dual POV
-The holiday season
If you know me you know once the clock strikes Midnight on 10/31, I am ready to crank on the Christmas music and start decorating, put some Hallmark Christmas movies on, watch the Grinch about 15 times, pause for Thanksgiving and once that’s over its Christmas kind of gal. If that’s you, stop what you’re doing right now and go preorder this book- RIGHT NOW. I have had the privilege of reading both of Juliana’s novels as an ARC reader and I cannot thank her enough. I really loved her first novel, but WOW this one is THAT much better, she’s grown so much as writer, her writing in this is truly incredible.
I don’t think I can describe to you how much I loved this book. I laughed out loud a few times, I swooned over our main character Finn, I felt the pain Olive felt, I experienced all the emotions in this book. I am big fan of “he falls first” romance and this didn't at all disappoint.
The book is set in Colorado, Juliana does an amazing job of painting the scene. The whole time I was visualizing the picturesque view of Colorado mountains at Christmas in my head. Told in a dual POV from our main characters Olive and Finn, you really get to see what’s going on in each of our main characters heads this way, it really works well for this book. The banter between the two characters, the feel-good wholesomeness of Finn, the chemistry between Olive and Finn, the family drama, all the at the right moment Christmas references, I was sucked in from the beginning. I loved Finn’s 12 Days of Christmas idea and the leaps and bounds he went through to get Olive to love Christmas again.
Can we talk about the nicknames too, “Oh yeah, Grinchy. Hop aboard the Finland Train. Whoo whoo”. Finn can call me Grinchy any day, okay?
There is so much more that I could say, but I’d rather you read it to experience it firsthand. It comes out on 11/26, you should preorder so you get it right away, and when you have it in your hands grab your coziest blanket, some fuzzy socks and crank on the Christmas music and dive right in I promise you, you will love it. This is an absolute must read for the Christmas season!
Read if you like:
-Fake dating
-He falls first
-Forced proximity
-Dual POV
-The holiday season
emily_jade's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 || i’ve been in a HUGE book slump (huge being an understatement) but this has definitely got me out of it (so i hope) i wanted to read a festive holiday book so i picked this up and I LOVED IT. it’s so cute and fluffy, Finn is the best book boyfriend you could ever ask for. their relationship and everything… makes me jealous. 100% would recommend