4 Star Book Review: All's Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon | A Holiday-Themed, Inspirational Romantic Comedy
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links. You can view my affiliate disclaimer here.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Two workplace rivals. One festive competition. And a romance that upends it all.
Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham--Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they'll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she'd be a contender in her company's holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise?
Jeremy Fletcher's life is meticulously planned out, including how to win this year's promotion at work. Not only will the new position fulfill some of his career goals, but as a single guardian to his twin niece and nephew, he needs the salary increase to support his family. Jeremy has barely noticed Mackenzie Graham around the office, but now that she's his rival, he can't stop thinking about her. Her quirkiness intrigues him, and he's afraid that if he can't get his head on straight, the promotion isn't the only thing he'll end up losing to Mackenzie.
MY REVIEW: ★★★★ 4/5 Stars
New-to-me author Sarah Monzon absolutely delighted me with this adorable, sweet, holiday romance! A great read for the Christmas season! If you love watching Hallmark or GAC holiday movies, you’ll love this new release.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Clean, Inspirational RomCom
Better Than Watching a Hallmark Movie
Workplace Competition Turned Romance
Socially Awkward FMC
Uncle-Turned-Guardian MMC
Slow-Burn, Falling in Love Story
My Thoughts:
All’s Fair in Love and Christmas features first person POV from the female lead, Mackenzie Graham, while alternating with second person POV from male lead, Jeremy Fletcher, and such fun it was to read! From the very beginning Monzon hooked me with Mackenzie’s inner dialogue and social struggles. As an introvert myself, I wholly identified with Mackenzie and found myself chuckling and nodding right along with her thoughts and difficulties.
Mackenzie and Jeremy both prove to be lightly, multi-layered people who face challenges and motivations of their own when pitted against each other by their well-meaning boss who’s offering an inner workplace promotion. I enjoyed witnessing how each faced their feelings and revealed more of their characters and backstories throughout the story.
The romance in this novel was a slow burn, with cute, if not awkward, moments that made it fun and entertaining to read. There are a handful of secondary characters that are enjoyable and I liked the friendly support they gave the main characters. In addition, readers who enjoy a nod to pop culture and fandom will find little nuggets in this story as well as a few thoughts and phrases that make the story feel modern and appealing to a wide-aged variety of readers.
Another great feature of this story is the fact that it is sweet romance, wholesome, clean and does offer strong faith elements during character growth.
My only hesitation over a 5 star rating was the way Jeremy handled a situation where he said something he should not have. I immediately disliked his character and wished he’d apologized right away. Because he did not (and more so, wavered over his decision), his character lost a bit of its value for me.
Summary:
Overall, a heartwarming holiday romance written in a highly entertaining way with humorous inner monologue and great characters. The story is well-paced, clean and wholesome offering faith, romance and a hint of workplace competition, making it appeal to a wide variety of readers and especially those who enjoy holiday movies!
Content + Trigger Notes:
G Rated, Critical Illness of a Parent (light)
More Books from this author:
About the Author:
Image Courtesy of Baker Publishing Group.
HOLT Medallion and Selah Award-winner, and a Carol Award finalist, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels). As a navy chaplain's wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her. Learn more at sarahmonzonwrites.com.
