A refreshing romantic comedy from a male perspective.
Disclaimer: I’ve received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley, this doesn’t influence my opinion or review. Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Personal Experience:
Quote:
“Mummy! Santa said the F-word!”
Who should read it? Anyone who appreciates a refreshing take on the typical romantic comedy.
Would I recommend it? It was a pleasant read, so yes.
Sometimes all you want is to read a heartwarming story with a happy ending. No major surprises, no hey-reader-I-tricked-you twists. And Joanna Bolouri did this beautifully by focusing on character development and humor, while still allowing us to enjoy a pleasant, even if slightly predictable, read.
Why would you introduce the person you have a crush on to your best friend? From the very beginning that the plot made me pity Nick in a not-so-good-way. Nick was portrayed as a selfless character who cared about everyone except himself. But how helpful (or even interesting) can you be, when you’re trying to help others in ways they don’t want to be helped, while also harming yourself in the process? That’s not selfless, that’s just silly. However, for the sake of a romantic comedy, this concept worked.
This is what I particularly loved about this book:
🧡 The male POV
The author did a fantastic job with the male POV. It felt realistic, yet not over the top or relying on gender stereotypes. In fact, Nick is anything but your standard romantic comedy character.
🧡 The humor
The humor and language might not be for everyone, but I thought some moments were hilarious. Especially being inside Nick’s head, in such a deep POV, really makes you feel as you’re part of some of those awkward situations. Let’s say I had quite a lot of fun reading some parts of this book.
What I didn’t like so much:
🌧️ The actual characters
Funnily enough, feeling part of the plot and inside the head of one of the characters, didn’t help me feeling connected to them. It’s still funny to think about some of their decisions and can’t help but wonder: Why would they do this? Still, it didn’t personally feel relatable to me. I wasn’t specially rooting for these characters, or excited about the outcome. I was reading because I was curious about the situations they were putting their own selves through.
🌧️ It dragged quite a bit
I felt tempted to skip some pages, especially when it came to Nick’s endless job pursuit. It just felt some of it dragged quite a bit and didn’t contribute to the progress of the plot or character’s development.
Overall, I’d say “All I Want for Christmas” was a refreshing, fun and interesting romantic comedy. Even though it won’t be on my favorites shelf, it’s still a nice read for a cozy time during Christmas time (and beyond).
