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Decked with Holly
Holly Dayton is about to go way out of her comfort zone. . .
Spending Christmas vacation on a cruise with her two cousins from hell isn't Holly's idea of a good time. And when in a moment of seasick-fueled desperation she lurches into an open suite--she's greeted with an eyeful of pepper spray. The culprit? A gorgeous guy calling himself Nick. But when Holly goes to make her exit, she gets the shock of her life: a corridor crammed with screaming teenage fans. Because Nick just happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for ReadySet--one of the hottest bands in America.
Suddenly rumors are swirling, and Holly's face is captured on countless phones and plastered all over the Internet. But the band can't risk a scandal destroying their family-friendly image, so Dominic convinces Holly to be his fake girlfriend--just for two weeks. How bad could it be to be fauxmantically involved with one of the cutest rockstars on the planet? Holly's about to find out. . .
Spending Christmas vacation on a cruise with her two cousins from hell isn't Holly's idea of a good time. And when in a moment of seasick-fueled desperation she lurches into an open suite--she's greeted with an eyeful of pepper spray. The culprit? A gorgeous guy calling himself Nick. But when Holly goes to make her exit, she gets the shock of her life: a corridor crammed with screaming teenage fans. Because Nick just happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for ReadySet--one of the hottest bands in America.
Suddenly rumors are swirling, and Holly's face is captured on countless phones and plastered all over the Internet. But the band can't risk a scandal destroying their family-friendly image, so Dominic convinces Holly to be his fake girlfriend--just for two weeks. How bad could it be to be fauxmantically involved with one of the cutest rockstars on the planet? Holly's about to find out. . .
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2012
104 people are currently reading
2217 people want to read
About the author
Marni Bates
11 books388 followersMarni Bates' autobiography MARNI (part of HCI's Louder Than Words series) was on the New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List. She then signed a five book deal with KTeen. Her first YA novel, AWKWARD, has been optioned by the Disney Channel as a made-for-TV movie and translated into several languages. Her latest YA novel DIAL EM FOR MURDER is with Merit Press.
In her free time she can be found reading romance novels, hiking, singing really loudly (and off-key) in public and watching copious amounts of television--strictly for artistic inspiration, of course.
In her free time she can be found reading romance novels, hiking, singing really loudly (and off-key) in public and watching copious amounts of television--strictly for artistic inspiration, of course.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
November 6, 2015
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.
December 10, 2017
Super adorable bookclub selection. Light hearted, quick to read and it felt just like watching a Hallmark movie. I loved the back and forth narratives between Nick and Holly. Just wish that the ending had been a little more. It felt suddenly rushed and then bam it was over. Two more chapters would have been good.
December 18, 2017
I had mixed feelings throughout. Both of the main characters annoyed me a lot at some parts, at others I kinda liked them.. Towards the end it started to get better I guess but it still had some annoying parts.
I guess YA romance is not really for me anymore, however, sometimes I need this kind of a book.. fluffy contemporary teen romance, easy-to-read... It's 1am, so no.. I can't really form sentences at this point, so this review will have to do, sorry.
I guess YA romance is not really for me anymore, however, sometimes I need this kind of a book.. fluffy contemporary teen romance, easy-to-read... It's 1am, so no.. I can't really form sentences at this point, so this review will have to do, sorry.
October 23, 2021
This book was so cute!! It isn't something I'd normally rate five stars, but it kept a constant smile on my face, so it's getting five stars. I wasn't looking for anything revelatory, I just wanted something entertaining, and that's what I got.
You'll rarely hear me say this about romances, but I wish this was longer. Seriously, I could've read another 200 pages about Holly and Dominic. (Nic? Dom?) Their romance was adorable, and I loved how this book deviated from the typical meet-cutes we see in romances. (I don't think their meeting could've been less cute!) I've realised that I love the rock-star type romances (gosh, I'm embarrassed to write that) due to Cole St. Clair. As soon as I saw that Nic was a musician, I was sold. I loved the fake dating aspect of this, and although this may be get redundant, it was adorable.
I also want to address how much I appreciated the way Holly was written. I loved how she struggled with self-confidence, and watching her regain it was touching. When she finally stood up to her cousins, I was ecstatic, because they were total brats.
If you're a fan of romances, you're going to love this! It's light, fluffy, and the perfect book to read while you're getting into the Christmas mood!
10/21/21 Reread
This was just as adorable the second time around! Kinda embarrassed to say I read a Christmas romance in October though...
You'll rarely hear me say this about romances, but I wish this was longer. Seriously, I could've read another 200 pages about Holly and Dominic. (Nic? Dom?) Their romance was adorable, and I loved how this book deviated from the typical meet-cutes we see in romances. (I don't think their meeting could've been less cute!) I've realised that I love the rock-star type romances (gosh, I'm embarrassed to write that) due to Cole St. Clair. As soon as I saw that Nic was a musician, I was sold. I loved the fake dating aspect of this, and although this may be get redundant, it was adorable.
I also want to address how much I appreciated the way Holly was written. I loved how she struggled with self-confidence, and watching her regain it was touching. When she finally stood up to her cousins, I was ecstatic, because they were total brats.
If you're a fan of romances, you're going to love this! It's light, fluffy, and the perfect book to read while you're getting into the Christmas mood!
10/21/21 Reread
This was just as adorable the second time around! Kinda embarrassed to say I read a Christmas romance in October though...
November 4, 2012
3.5/5 stars
Decked with Holly is another cute read from Marni Bates. In this novel, we've got Holly Dayton, a 17 year old orphan who lives with her grandfather. For christmas, her grandfather decides to take her as well as his other daughter's family on an 8 day cruise to Mexico. Her aunt, along with her two daughters, are typical bullies masked in designer clothes, calorie counting, and makeup. In other words, the cruise is an 8 day vacation in hell. To Holly's delight, and Dominic's misfortune, they get photographed together while she was leaving his room after getting using his bathroom to rid herself of her seasickness.
This is when the story really moves. Dominic is a member of the band ReadySet. If you've read Awkward by Marni Bates then you'll remember him from there. The tabloids accuse him of hitting this mystery woman (Holly), and in order to kill the rumors he strikes a deal with her to be his fake-girlfriend. From here on out, we all know the direction the novel will take, even the misunderstandings that occur on whether the behavior of the other person is for the cameras or there is some hint of real feelings behind it. Since this novel is told from both Holly and Dominic's POVs you get to see how each one of them really feels and you just want to smack them and tell them to just get on with it and get together already. While the back and forth banter between Dominic and Holly was very cute and resulted in a ton of funny situations, I just hoped we spent more time with them really talking or just any awkward situations to occur because staying in the same suite as your fake-boyfriend or fake-girlfriend HAS to cause some red-face inducing situations right? I also really wanted to know how Dominic did with his new venture of lyric writing. He's also known as the Drummer of ReadySet but he took this vacation to write and relax. I've read the beginning of one of his lyrics and it sounded fun! I hoped that Bates gave us a bit more on what happened with the song he composed and how it was received by his bandmates and management.
The ending of Decked With Holly is predictable, but that's something to expect from a contemporary romance genre. While throughout reading the novel I found myself skipping a few descriptive paragraphs here and there and wanting to read more dialogue between the characters, I really did enjoy it. Decked With Holly, in my opinion, wasn't as enjoyable as Awkward, however it was an overall great novel that I am sure fans of Marni Bates and cute contemporary novels in general wouldn't want to miss out on!
Decked with Holly is another cute read from Marni Bates. In this novel, we've got Holly Dayton, a 17 year old orphan who lives with her grandfather. For christmas, her grandfather decides to take her as well as his other daughter's family on an 8 day cruise to Mexico. Her aunt, along with her two daughters, are typical bullies masked in designer clothes, calorie counting, and makeup. In other words, the cruise is an 8 day vacation in hell. To Holly's delight, and Dominic's misfortune, they get photographed together while she was leaving his room after getting using his bathroom to rid herself of her seasickness.
This is when the story really moves. Dominic is a member of the band ReadySet. If you've read Awkward by Marni Bates then you'll remember him from there. The tabloids accuse him of hitting this mystery woman (Holly), and in order to kill the rumors he strikes a deal with her to be his fake-girlfriend. From here on out, we all know the direction the novel will take, even the misunderstandings that occur on whether the behavior of the other person is for the cameras or there is some hint of real feelings behind it. Since this novel is told from both Holly and Dominic's POVs you get to see how each one of them really feels and you just want to smack them and tell them to just get on with it and get together already. While the back and forth banter between Dominic and Holly was very cute and resulted in a ton of funny situations, I just hoped we spent more time with them really talking or just any awkward situations to occur because staying in the same suite as your fake-boyfriend or fake-girlfriend HAS to cause some red-face inducing situations right? I also really wanted to know how Dominic did with his new venture of lyric writing. He's also known as the Drummer of ReadySet but he took this vacation to write and relax. I've read the beginning of one of his lyrics and it sounded fun! I hoped that Bates gave us a bit more on what happened with the song he composed and how it was received by his bandmates and management.
The ending of Decked With Holly is predictable, but that's something to expect from a contemporary romance genre. While throughout reading the novel I found myself skipping a few descriptive paragraphs here and there and wanting to read more dialogue between the characters, I really did enjoy it. Decked With Holly, in my opinion, wasn't as enjoyable as Awkward, however it was an overall great novel that I am sure fans of Marni Bates and cute contemporary novels in general wouldn't want to miss out on!
December 11, 2012
I love the holidays. The gifting, decorating, music (some of it, anyway), the baking, the parties and the sparkles – I love all of it. I read holiday-themed stories, too, both in-season and out. Some of them are good, some are terrible, and a few fall into mediocre territory. While Marni Bates’ Decked with Holly had a stellar recommendation and a happily-ever-after at Christmastime, it did not deliver that other important element I look for in contemporary YA – a plausible, enjoyable story.
Heroine Holly is that non-endangered species, the YA cliché (she’s *ahem* an orphan). She also has evil stepsisters, a doting but largely absent grandfather, low self-esteem, naïveté, and she is pulled into crazy situations by her best friend Jen. Did I mention that she’s poor? And her cousins call her Orphan Annie. I could go on, really. Dominic Wyatt, her supposed foil, is a rock star a la Justin Bieber or One Direction, and he just wants a break. What is absolutely amazing (read: sarcasm) is that he has no entourage and a pretty non-existent family as well, which makes convenient and possible his availability on the same cruise as poor girl Holly. Throw in some seasickness, some rabid fans and a large contingent of paparazzi (again, how?!), and you’ve got the makings of YA as wish fulfillment, sans charm or cohesion.
As I alluded to above, what bothered me most about the story was its deadly combo of cliché and implausibility. I can appreciate a light, cute story with famous characters (see: Epic Fail, Jenna & Jonah’s Fauxmance). However, when the plot has gaping holes, the characters seem to be made of cardboard, and there are no real surprises or obstacles to overcome or character development to be had, it’s time to reevaluate.
What did I like, then? Well, I like Christmas. I’ve never considered going on a ‘real’ vacation over a holiday (except for that one time when I was in Spain for a semester… does that count?), but the setting of Christmas on a cruise ship was interesting. I also thought that the characters had decent chemistry, even if their dialogue and interactions wouldn’t win any awards. And that is pretty much it.
Recommended for: those with an incurable desire for fluffy Christmas romances, and fans of Rachel Hawthorne’s Snowed In or Love on the Lifts.
Heroine Holly is that non-endangered species, the YA cliché (she’s *ahem* an orphan). She also has evil stepsisters, a doting but largely absent grandfather, low self-esteem, naïveté, and she is pulled into crazy situations by her best friend Jen. Did I mention that she’s poor? And her cousins call her Orphan Annie. I could go on, really. Dominic Wyatt, her supposed foil, is a rock star a la Justin Bieber or One Direction, and he just wants a break. What is absolutely amazing (read: sarcasm) is that he has no entourage and a pretty non-existent family as well, which makes convenient and possible his availability on the same cruise as poor girl Holly. Throw in some seasickness, some rabid fans and a large contingent of paparazzi (again, how?!), and you’ve got the makings of YA as wish fulfillment, sans charm or cohesion.
As I alluded to above, what bothered me most about the story was its deadly combo of cliché and implausibility. I can appreciate a light, cute story with famous characters (see: Epic Fail, Jenna & Jonah’s Fauxmance). However, when the plot has gaping holes, the characters seem to be made of cardboard, and there are no real surprises or obstacles to overcome or character development to be had, it’s time to reevaluate.
What did I like, then? Well, I like Christmas. I’ve never considered going on a ‘real’ vacation over a holiday (except for that one time when I was in Spain for a semester… does that count?), but the setting of Christmas on a cruise ship was interesting. I also thought that the characters had decent chemistry, even if their dialogue and interactions wouldn’t win any awards. And that is pretty much it.
Recommended for: those with an incurable desire for fluffy Christmas romances, and fans of Rachel Hawthorne’s Snowed In or Love on the Lifts.
December 1, 2018
What a cute, Christmassy, fake romance! I love ya fake romances anyway, but this one was especially cute as it was set at Christmas!
There was plenty of humor and I liked the alternating viewpoints. Both Holly and Dominic were fun to read about, and their meet cute was super funny (and kind of gross at the same time).
Plotwise, it’s very similar to When It’s Real, and I think I liked that one more, but this was still really really good!!!!
There was plenty of humor and I liked the alternating viewpoints. Both Holly and Dominic were fun to read about, and their meet cute was super funny (and kind of gross at the same time).
Plotwise, it’s very similar to When It’s Real, and I think I liked that one more, but this was still really really good!!!!
December 18, 2017
Review to come!
November 30, 2017
The female narrator was quite... Chipmunky. But, ridiculously cute, and perfect for the holiday season. 😊
May 8, 2019
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.
November 4, 2020
It was a cute read, perfect for the Christmas-y season, lighthearted and very fun at times. I enjoyed it a lot.
June 18, 2013
Originally reviewed on my blog Reading the Best of the Best.
When I first read Marni Bates other novel, Awkward, I fell in love with her characters and plot and how the book actually made me laugh. When I was given the chance to go on a blog tour for her new book, Decked with Holly, I eagerly joined. I wasn't sure what to expect but let me tell you: I wasn't expecting to stay up late finishing this book!
For starters, I loved Holly. She was awkward and weird and loved to draw. She loved her grandfather to bits and while she had some mean family members, she always kept her head up. While Holly could have easily been a girl I didn't care for (she complains a lot), Marni Bates wrote her to be more charming and funny than I expected. Dominic aka Nick was also a guy I loved. While I wish both of the characters acted closer to their ages (18 and 21), it wasn't something that bugged me too much. Surprisingly, Nick made me laugh too and I grinned when the ending came! It was also exciting to see (well hear) from character's I loved in Awkward!
As I said about the age, I do wish the writing had been more...advanced? Having read Awkward, I was aware of the author's writing and while I had hoped her writing would change a bit, it didn't seem to happen. While it wasn't the biggest issue, it went along the lines of simply wanting more from the story. It was only 250 pages but I think had a been a little longer, more of the character personalities could have been fleshed out. But that's about all the bad things about this book!
Marni Bates scores again with another excellent book. Decked with Holly is a book that will make you laugh and sigh and even roll your eyes at times. It's a book that you just need to read because sometimes, you need a good laugh!
When I first read Marni Bates other novel, Awkward, I fell in love with her characters and plot and how the book actually made me laugh. When I was given the chance to go on a blog tour for her new book, Decked with Holly, I eagerly joined. I wasn't sure what to expect but let me tell you: I wasn't expecting to stay up late finishing this book!
For starters, I loved Holly. She was awkward and weird and loved to draw. She loved her grandfather to bits and while she had some mean family members, she always kept her head up. While Holly could have easily been a girl I didn't care for (she complains a lot), Marni Bates wrote her to be more charming and funny than I expected. Dominic aka Nick was also a guy I loved. While I wish both of the characters acted closer to their ages (18 and 21), it wasn't something that bugged me too much. Surprisingly, Nick made me laugh too and I grinned when the ending came! It was also exciting to see (well hear) from character's I loved in Awkward!
As I said about the age, I do wish the writing had been more...advanced? Having read Awkward, I was aware of the author's writing and while I had hoped her writing would change a bit, it didn't seem to happen. While it wasn't the biggest issue, it went along the lines of simply wanting more from the story. It was only 250 pages but I think had a been a little longer, more of the character personalities could have been fleshed out. But that's about all the bad things about this book!
Marni Bates scores again with another excellent book. Decked with Holly is a book that will make you laugh and sigh and even roll your eyes at times. It's a book that you just need to read because sometimes, you need a good laugh!
August 21, 2012
Perfect stocking stuffer!
Seriously, you should buy this book! It is fresh and funny and had me laughing nonstop.
I devoured it in one sitting. It is a great spin-off of Bates’ first book AWKWARD, following Dominic Wyatt, the drummer for the band ReadySet, although she takes a nice departure and gives us both the hero and heroine’s POV, which makes for some great dramatic irony. Holly is funny and sarcastic and doesn’t take any of Nick’s rock-star BS.
It brilliant egins with Holly decking Santa and ends with the perfect HEA, with plenty of zany and funny moments filling up the middle, especially the bathroom scene. Another great novel from Bates!
Seriously, you should buy this book! It is fresh and funny and had me laughing nonstop.
I devoured it in one sitting. It is a great spin-off of Bates’ first book AWKWARD, following Dominic Wyatt, the drummer for the band ReadySet, although she takes a nice departure and gives us both the hero and heroine’s POV, which makes for some great dramatic irony. Holly is funny and sarcastic and doesn’t take any of Nick’s rock-star BS.
It brilliant egins with Holly decking Santa and ends with the perfect HEA, with plenty of zany and funny moments filling up the middle, especially the bathroom scene. Another great novel from Bates!
January 14, 2021
I love how Marni Bates makes situations you will never be in seem relatable. This book is fun even after repeated rereads. The perfect amount of light and breezy. I loved everything but the icing on the cake was Jen. Jen's reaction when she sees Nick on screen and his comment about the "sigh"? Banter between Jen and Holly? Hilarious and absolutely perfect because it was so real. Like a conversation between my best friend and me. Including the sigh. However pathetic and silly that sounds xD I'd definitely recommend this book for a time when you want nothing complicated and need just the right amount of silly.
September 25, 2012
Super cute. I really enjoyed this one. I'm behind deadline, but I still couldn't put it down. Made me laugh out loud several times. Definitely worth picking up a copy!
October 23, 2012
A fun teen, holiday read. And honestly, how can you not like a book with a cute main character named Holly? :)
October 20, 2012
Was hoping for a cute romance to make me smile.
Unfortunately the guy was too boring and the girl far too annoying.
Unfortunately the guy was too boring and the girl far too annoying.
December 13, 2012
So much fun! Set around Christmas, so it's great to read now, but honestly that's a very small part of the story. You can read this any time of the year. And you should. Like, now. :)
December 26, 2021
Somehow I seem to be quite unlucky when picking books to read around Christmas - I didn't expect a
spectacular read, but Decked with Holly was definitely not what I had in mind for 2021's Christmas read.
With the exception of a weird perverted Santa entry scene, there was nothing festive about this book at all. Unless we are counting the fact that this takes place during the time of December and that our main character is called Holly. So, I didn't get my Christmas feels out of this, but it wouldn't have been so bad had the story been any better. I found both main characters largely unlikely, which is already one of the biggest issues any story can have.
The premise, while nothing new, could have provided a cute story. And it did have its moments, some of the banter was funny enough and had me laughing. But it doesn't change that Holly and Dominic were so strangely full of themselves. Holly is set out to be this poor, poor orphaned girl who is bullied and cowed by her family and at school. The moment she's offered a deal to act as a fake girlfriend of a celebrity, she becomes weirdly demanding and rude. Where do I even start with this?
I don't really care if she was seasick - if I were sick on a boat, I would not enter someone else's private rooms to use their bathrooms. No one wants to puke in public but I'd infinitely prefer that over breaking in. Dominic had every right to defend himself and she mostly made it sound all so normal that she highjacked his private rooms for throwing up. Rather than properly apologising, she starts arguing and even making demands. When the press gets this the wrong way and they have to come up with a cover story, she only agrees to be a pretend girlfriend if Dominic treats her like a princess so that everyone can see she's not a loser - so she can be popular at school, play with the cool kids and get revenge on her cousins. It's good if characters have flaws but that was such a shallow request from her end, it already quickly killed any desire to root for her.
She also proves to be quite the hypocrite. There she is, faking a relationship to be popular at school, while at the same time pointing a finger and each and every other female character besides her best friend and calling them sluts. Mind you, the characters were awful, but I think Holly should have listened to her imaginary parents when they advised her to rise above. Just because someone is nasty to you doesn't make it ok to call them bitches and sluts at every opportunity. It also helps to give your 'villainous' characters a bit more depth - Holly's cousins and Dominic's fans were so nasty it made them seem like comedic cartoon villains.
Speaking of Dominic's fans: ok, Dominic as a character wasn't actually bad at all and I would have liked him if he wouldn't always go on about his fans being such a pain. Not that he ever spelt it out like that, but come on, he whined so much about girls squealing and screeching in his presence and how they're all psychos. I can't imagine what spotlight and lack of privacy truly mean and I'm sure it's not an easy feat, but ultimately, fans are a big part of a band's fame and it was getting on my nerves how poorly he spoke of them.
So, I liked that it had a dual point of view, the banter was quite fun and... that's where it ends. The characters were awful and the Christmas theme was a scham. Better luck next year?
January 2, 2018
Well that was a nice quick read .. I didn't expect to finish it this fast but honestly the plot was moving so flawlessly that I really enjoyed how it all played out
so we Holly who is basically the Cinderella of her family who finds herself stuck into a fake relationship with a famous rock star Dominic and how will she deal with it in a pan of four days .. I liked the friendship between those two although it was full of banter and quick witted conversations but it was really enjoyable to see their relationship .. I didn't have a huge problem with the story it's just the romantic development wasn't convincing for me .. it was all about how they hated each other and suddenly they like each other .. just like that, so yeah .. it was a nice quick read and I really would suggest making this into a cute Hallmark movie :)
so we Holly who is basically the Cinderella of her family who finds herself stuck into a fake relationship with a famous rock star Dominic and how will she deal with it in a pan of four days .. I liked the friendship between those two although it was full of banter and quick witted conversations but it was really enjoyable to see their relationship .. I didn't have a huge problem with the story it's just the romantic development wasn't convincing for me .. it was all about how they hated each other and suddenly they like each other .. just like that, so yeah .. it was a nice quick read and I really would suggest making this into a cute Hallmark movie :)
January 11, 2020
I absolutely love cruising, so when I heard that this book took place on a Christmas cruise, I was all in. I really, really want to take a Christmas cruise one day, and started planting the seed with my family earlier this year, perhaps for when my boys are a little older and less likely to run amok at sea.
Anyway, the story centers around two teens from opposite worlds: Holly, a slightly nerdy girl who is stuck with her horrible, mean girl cousins for the trip, and Nick, a handsome rock star who is trying to take a break and relax out of the spotlight. When Holly gets unfortunately sick on the trip, she runs into Nick and gets photographed by the paparazzi. Now, they've decided to fake a romance to please the cameras. Despite their initial intolerance for each other, perhaps they can find love on the open seas...
So, this book was cute. I loved the average girl / rock star romance thing that was going on, and I also loved the cruise setting because DUH. It was sweet, humorous, and very light fluff. I honestly didn't love it, because this one was definitely targeted more toward the younger YA reader, but it was overall sweet. I don't have anything bad to say, but it's not a stand out by any means. It passed the time fine but was nothing spectacular.
All in all, I'd say this would be a good pick for a preteen or younger teen who is just getting into romance reading!
Anyway, the story centers around two teens from opposite worlds: Holly, a slightly nerdy girl who is stuck with her horrible, mean girl cousins for the trip, and Nick, a handsome rock star who is trying to take a break and relax out of the spotlight. When Holly gets unfortunately sick on the trip, she runs into Nick and gets photographed by the paparazzi. Now, they've decided to fake a romance to please the cameras. Despite their initial intolerance for each other, perhaps they can find love on the open seas...
So, this book was cute. I loved the average girl / rock star romance thing that was going on, and I also loved the cruise setting because DUH. It was sweet, humorous, and very light fluff. I honestly didn't love it, because this one was definitely targeted more toward the younger YA reader, but it was overall sweet. I don't have anything bad to say, but it's not a stand out by any means. It passed the time fine but was nothing spectacular.
All in all, I'd say this would be a good pick for a preteen or younger teen who is just getting into romance reading!
November 20, 2020
Adorable, quick read about Holly, the awkward teen who goes on a cruise of the Mexican Riviera with her horrible/emotionally abusive family and Nick, a man she meets on the cruise, who becomes her fake boyfriend. Sure, it was like watching a Hallmark Christmas movie, but who doesn't love those?
December 2, 2017
A high school version of a Hallmark Christmas movie...with lots of teenage snark and not-so-much sappy Christmas feels...
December 5, 2017
3.5 Super cute!
December 22, 2023
Just when the book was starting to pick up it had ended. There could have been about 50 more pages.
January 1, 2019
This book is 👏 so 👏 immature 👏
This is one of the worst books I've ever read. At first I was hesitant to give it only 1 star, and then I remembered that there wasn't anything that I liked about this book. I saw this book at my library and picked it up because I love books about boy bands, and thought that a Christmas fake relationship might be cute. I was wrong. This book is a disaster.
Unfortunately this book did not deliver for any of my expectations. It's not really about the band ReadySet at all, it's only about the drummer Dominic Wyatt. We see the other band members briefly, but they are not important to the story. The boys in the band decide they need to take a break for Christmas, so Dominic goes on a cruise because he wants to get away so he can try his hand at song writing. I was so happy, I love music, I love boy bands. And here is the first time that the book didn't offer resolution to its plot lines. There's only a few times on the cruise that Dominic mentions songwriting and usually only when he's upset or angry.
The main reason that this book was insufferable, was because of how immature and juvenile the characters were. Supposedly, Dominic is 21, and Holly is about to turn 18. Neither of them act like it. What's unfortunate, is that I keep finding reviews of this book where people say how hilarious it is, and it is so far from funny. It is immature. There is a fine line between those two things.
The characters are constantly making comments and remarks to each other that are so petty. Of course, when they first encounter each other, they have valid reasons to be upset and confused about each other. But it drags on for so long, that you think you're reading about 12 year olds who specialize in holding grudges. They over exaggerate every situation so that every single sentence they say blows up into huge drama. It was so unnecessary and not enjoyable to read.
For example, Holly is uber obsessed with one comment that Dominic made when he first saw her about her looking like a zombie. She brings it up all the time, and it isn't relevant or funny.
They are not only insufferable when they are together, but also as individuals. The main character Holly is so whiny and annoying because of how much "her life sucks." She's extremely ungrateful about everything. And while I would agree that many situations in her life are pretty suckish, it's no fun to read about a complainy protagonist. Holly constantly makes negative comments about her body weight, and I can't even tell if its because she is truly unhappy about her body, or if its just a knee jerk reaction to the negative comments of her aunt and cousins.
The book alternates perspectives between Dominic and Holly, which is fine. Most of the time. There were so many chapters where something happened during Dominic's perspective, and then when it switched to Holly's chapter, the story timeline would reverse to tell Holly's perspective before moving into the present situation. I don't know if that explanation makes sense, but this quickly became repetitive and boring.
Another flaw in this book is that Dominic tells Holly that his previous girlfriend was Taylor Swift, who he went on a few "casual dates" with. As a swiftie I was personally offended at how unrealistically this scene was written. I also just didn't like that they used a real celebrity in this book. It doesn't line up in my head.
The resolution in this book happened in about 2 pages which wasn't nearly the satisfying ending I was hoping for. It happened way too quickly for it to be believable, especially after seeing the way Dominic and Holly interacted with each other through the whole book. It just didn't make any sense.
Other bad things:
- any side characters barely existed and had no development
- Holly and Dominic don't grow as individuals or together
- the one relationship that supposedly matters to Holly is with her grandpa, and she barely even interacted with him
- Holly's hobbies and interests are mentioned about two times to reassure the reader that the author at least attempted to develop her character.
- Reading about Holly's nasty cousins didn't make me have sympathy for Holly, it made me want to scream because of how petty and juvenile it was.
Please do not read this book. Would not recommend.
This is one of the worst books I've ever read. At first I was hesitant to give it only 1 star, and then I remembered that there wasn't anything that I liked about this book. I saw this book at my library and picked it up because I love books about boy bands, and thought that a Christmas fake relationship might be cute. I was wrong. This book is a disaster.
Unfortunately this book did not deliver for any of my expectations. It's not really about the band ReadySet at all, it's only about the drummer Dominic Wyatt. We see the other band members briefly, but they are not important to the story. The boys in the band decide they need to take a break for Christmas, so Dominic goes on a cruise because he wants to get away so he can try his hand at song writing. I was so happy, I love music, I love boy bands. And here is the first time that the book didn't offer resolution to its plot lines. There's only a few times on the cruise that Dominic mentions songwriting and usually only when he's upset or angry.
The main reason that this book was insufferable, was because of how immature and juvenile the characters were. Supposedly, Dominic is 21, and Holly is about to turn 18. Neither of them act like it. What's unfortunate, is that I keep finding reviews of this book where people say how hilarious it is, and it is so far from funny. It is immature. There is a fine line between those two things.
The characters are constantly making comments and remarks to each other that are so petty. Of course, when they first encounter each other, they have valid reasons to be upset and confused about each other. But it drags on for so long, that you think you're reading about 12 year olds who specialize in holding grudges. They over exaggerate every situation so that every single sentence they say blows up into huge drama. It was so unnecessary and not enjoyable to read.
For example, Holly is uber obsessed with one comment that Dominic made when he first saw her about her looking like a zombie. She brings it up all the time, and it isn't relevant or funny.
They are not only insufferable when they are together, but also as individuals. The main character Holly is so whiny and annoying because of how much "her life sucks." She's extremely ungrateful about everything. And while I would agree that many situations in her life are pretty suckish, it's no fun to read about a complainy protagonist. Holly constantly makes negative comments about her body weight, and I can't even tell if its because she is truly unhappy about her body, or if its just a knee jerk reaction to the negative comments of her aunt and cousins.
The book alternates perspectives between Dominic and Holly, which is fine. Most of the time. There were so many chapters where something happened during Dominic's perspective, and then when it switched to Holly's chapter, the story timeline would reverse to tell Holly's perspective before moving into the present situation. I don't know if that explanation makes sense, but this quickly became repetitive and boring.
Another flaw in this book is that Dominic tells Holly that his previous girlfriend was Taylor Swift, who he went on a few "casual dates" with. As a swiftie I was personally offended at how unrealistically this scene was written. I also just didn't like that they used a real celebrity in this book. It doesn't line up in my head.
The resolution in this book happened in about 2 pages which wasn't nearly the satisfying ending I was hoping for. It happened way too quickly for it to be believable, especially after seeing the way Dominic and Holly interacted with each other through the whole book. It just didn't make any sense.
Other bad things:
- any side characters barely existed and had no development
- Holly and Dominic don't grow as individuals or together
- the one relationship that supposedly matters to Holly is with her grandpa, and she barely even interacted with him
- Holly's hobbies and interests are mentioned about two times to reassure the reader that the author at least attempted to develop her character.
- Reading about Holly's nasty cousins didn't make me have sympathy for Holly, it made me want to scream because of how petty and juvenile it was.
Please do not read this book. Would not recommend.
December 19, 2012
To me, this book was the literary equivalent of a cupcake. Which is a GOOD THING, because I love cupcakes. They are sweet, sugary, fattening, and delightful, plus they’re usually decorated all fancy. No, a cupcake is not a substantial meal. No, it has no nutritional value. But it’s a cupcake, and that’s not even what it’s going for, or what you even want when you order a cupcake. You want dessert. Escapist, giggle-inducing, adorable dessert.
Decked with Holly, while disappointingly light on the Christmas-ness, is generous with the swooniness and the cheesy romantic tropes. Again, I thought this was a good thing. It wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, because, hey, sometimes round wheels really do work best when it comes to wheeling.
I’m sorry. The Extended Metaphor Abuse ends here (spoiler no it doesn’t like at all)
Holly is an almost-eighteen orphan raised by her grandfather in Los Angeles. She is snarky, clumsy, and eschews makeup of all sorts. She is your typical YA heroine and yet I loved her to bits, probably because she’s funnier than your average YA girl with low self-esteem (a problem exacerbated by her truly heinous bully aunt and bully girl cousins, all of whom deserved a GOOD SMACKING which I’m still miffed did not occur). Through some Hilarious Hijinks, she ends up crossing paths with Dominic “Nick” Wyatt, the stressed-out, zombie-fearing, devilishly-handsome drummer for boy band ReadySet.
Basically these guys are one part Jonas Brothers and one part One Direction, so the paparazzi are ALL UP IN THEIR SHIZZ at all times. Which means Holly and Nick must pretend to be madly in love due to Reasons which who even cares because it’s cute. Yes, reality is stretched to breaking point. This rock star supposedly travels sans entourage, sans bodyguard, sans anybody. Holly’s family is unrealistically atrocious. But WHATEVER I was laughing like crazy and living in this little fantasy bubble of fun. Like, fan-fiction-as-written-by-a-professional-author fun. Which is a thing I think should happen so much more.
So, yes, things roll just as you’d expect. They drive each other completely mad, and yet there is a spark. Holly is charmed by his blue eyes, musical genius, and adorable floppy hair. Nick discovers she has surprisingly long legs and is fun to be around (even though there is a LOT of talk about what a messy disaster Holly is, physically speaking, for way too long, which… bothered me, actually).
There are misunderstandings, hearts break, hearts heal, people kiss. I read this in a couple of hours, delighting in the banter and skipping the descriptive paragraphs, because don’t even try to serve me meat and gravy when I just came here for cake (how about we do a shot every time I torture a metaphor? Except you’d die, so never mind). Every relationship beside Holly’s and Nick’s is thoroughly underdeveloped, but again. Cupcake.
If you have no patience for fluffy little contemporary romances, you should give this a pass. If you want something full of Christmas spirit andcheer, this isn’t that book, despite the fact it takes place on Christmas and has that deceptively Christmassy cover. But if you want laughs and fun and giving your mind a vacation from the truly shittastic couple of days we’ve all just had, then I recommend you go take a cruise with Holly. Because it’s fun.
Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs
Decked with Holly, while disappointingly light on the Christmas-ness, is generous with the swooniness and the cheesy romantic tropes. Again, I thought this was a good thing. It wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, because, hey, sometimes round wheels really do work best when it comes to wheeling.
I’m sorry. The Extended Metaphor Abuse ends here (spoiler no it doesn’t like at all)
Holly is an almost-eighteen orphan raised by her grandfather in Los Angeles. She is snarky, clumsy, and eschews makeup of all sorts. She is your typical YA heroine and yet I loved her to bits, probably because she’s funnier than your average YA girl with low self-esteem (a problem exacerbated by her truly heinous bully aunt and bully girl cousins, all of whom deserved a GOOD SMACKING which I’m still miffed did not occur). Through some Hilarious Hijinks, she ends up crossing paths with Dominic “Nick” Wyatt, the stressed-out, zombie-fearing, devilishly-handsome drummer for boy band ReadySet.
Basically these guys are one part Jonas Brothers and one part One Direction, so the paparazzi are ALL UP IN THEIR SHIZZ at all times. Which means Holly and Nick must pretend to be madly in love due to Reasons which who even cares because it’s cute. Yes, reality is stretched to breaking point. This rock star supposedly travels sans entourage, sans bodyguard, sans anybody. Holly’s family is unrealistically atrocious. But WHATEVER I was laughing like crazy and living in this little fantasy bubble of fun. Like, fan-fiction-as-written-by-a-professional-author fun. Which is a thing I think should happen so much more.
So, yes, things roll just as you’d expect. They drive each other completely mad, and yet there is a spark. Holly is charmed by his blue eyes, musical genius, and adorable floppy hair. Nick discovers she has surprisingly long legs and is fun to be around (even though there is a LOT of talk about what a messy disaster Holly is, physically speaking, for way too long, which… bothered me, actually).
There are misunderstandings, hearts break, hearts heal, people kiss. I read this in a couple of hours, delighting in the banter and skipping the descriptive paragraphs, because don’t even try to serve me meat and gravy when I just came here for cake (how about we do a shot every time I torture a metaphor? Except you’d die, so never mind). Every relationship beside Holly’s and Nick’s is thoroughly underdeveloped, but again. Cupcake.
If you have no patience for fluffy little contemporary romances, you should give this a pass. If you want something full of Christmas spirit andcheer, this isn’t that book, despite the fact it takes place on Christmas and has that deceptively Christmassy cover. But if you want laughs and fun and giving your mind a vacation from the truly shittastic couple of days we’ve all just had, then I recommend you go take a cruise with Holly. Because it’s fun.
Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs
February 3, 2013
I am not ashamed to admit that this book is totally my junior high fantasy come to life in novel form. How cool would it be to go on vacation as a somewhat awkward girl with a good amount of self-image issues and end up the girlfriend of an uber good-looking rock star who happens to be kind and considerate and fun all at the same time? And, oh yeah, happens to begin to notice that you are "hot" before the trip is over? When I was in the middle of all of that awkward anxiety filled experience that was junior high for me I believed that that would have been the best thing ever! Well, that is exactly what Holly gets to experience in this book. Nick is the drummer for a famous rock group who is trying to get away from the grind of his life in order to relax, but all of that goes to pot when Holly runs into his room, throws up in his bathroom due to extreme seasickness, and ends up getting pepper sprayed by him in the process. When photos of the aftermath of this experience go public Nick and his bandmates decide that the best course of action would be for Nick and Holly to pretend to be dating and madly in love. Okay, the premise of this probably is a bit of a stretch, but I didn't care. The book was too enjoyable to get hung up on things like that.
This book is not deep at all. But I don't really mean that in a bad way. Some of the secondary characters, especially Holly's horrible aunt and cousins, were way too cardboard for my taste. They were just so, so mean without any layers that might have made them more interesting. So if you are looking for a read that will cause you to think deeply about the issues of the world around us, this is probably not the book for you. But if you are looking for a fun and enjoyable escape for an afternoon, this book is perfect. I really liked it a lot. I never laugh out loud when I read a book. Never. But this book had me laughing over and over. Holly's character, the situations she kept getting into, and her wonderful dialogue with Nick were just fantastic. I could totally see how a famous person like Nick could begin to find himself falling for her. The banter between Nick and Holly was fun to read, and I thought that Marni Bates did a great job of writing their relationship where you could see the progression of the relationship and hope for a happily ever after sort of ending, while at the same time showing the vulnerability of both characters as they headed into a situation they had not intended to find themselves in. The last twenty pages were almost agonizing for me to read, hoping for a good ending (and expecting one), but still terrified that there were not enough pages left to bring me a satisfactory ending. I'm happy to report that I was super, super satisfied. I loved the ending. It left me with a smile on my face, and that is always a good thing.
This looks like a book that is meant as a holiday book, but that is not the case. This is a sweet little romance that would be great to read at any time of the year. So check it out! I am glad to have discovered this writer, and I will be looking for more of her books in the future. Four stars!
This book is not deep at all. But I don't really mean that in a bad way. Some of the secondary characters, especially Holly's horrible aunt and cousins, were way too cardboard for my taste. They were just so, so mean without any layers that might have made them more interesting. So if you are looking for a read that will cause you to think deeply about the issues of the world around us, this is probably not the book for you. But if you are looking for a fun and enjoyable escape for an afternoon, this book is perfect. I really liked it a lot. I never laugh out loud when I read a book. Never. But this book had me laughing over and over. Holly's character, the situations she kept getting into, and her wonderful dialogue with Nick were just fantastic. I could totally see how a famous person like Nick could begin to find himself falling for her. The banter between Nick and Holly was fun to read, and I thought that Marni Bates did a great job of writing their relationship where you could see the progression of the relationship and hope for a happily ever after sort of ending, while at the same time showing the vulnerability of both characters as they headed into a situation they had not intended to find themselves in. The last twenty pages were almost agonizing for me to read, hoping for a good ending (and expecting one), but still terrified that there were not enough pages left to bring me a satisfactory ending. I'm happy to report that I was super, super satisfied. I loved the ending. It left me with a smile on my face, and that is always a good thing.
This looks like a book that is meant as a holiday book, but that is not the case. This is a sweet little romance that would be great to read at any time of the year. So check it out! I am glad to have discovered this writer, and I will be looking for more of her books in the future. Four stars!
January 25, 2025
I have been seeing this thing on Fable, where people place their favorite tropes around a book tree. This got me thinking about what my favorite tropes are, and after reading this book I can come to the conclusion that I love the fake dating trope.
This book was a lot of fun to read. Despite the fact that I had to get up early in the morning before a day-long event, I stayed up late to finish this book. I was glued to the story and was often laughing as I read it.
Both the characters were so much fun and realistic. They each had their own unique relationships with their family/friends. I especially loved the dynamic between Nick, Chris, and Tim.
They story was so much fun. It had dual point-of-view, which was nice because it showed both perspectives for the same event. In some books it will be in one perspective for one scene then another perspective for the next scene. It wasn't exactly like that for this book, which I enjoyed. I enjoyed the cruise ship and the rockstar aspect, as well. I don't get to read too many YA books with cruise ships or about rockstars.
This book was published in 2012, so there was a certain outdatedness that was noticeable. I enjoyed that about the book, though. It reminded me of the 2000s Disney Channel movies.
My only complaint is that there wasn't a lot of closure. It ended nicely, but there wasn't a confrontation with the twins. This book is also advertised as a Christmas book, but I wasn't getting Christmas at all. You could read this anytime of the year because it isn't Christmas-y.
One of my favorite books this month, Decked with Holly is an adorable story reminiscent of early Disney Channel movies. It has a cute story, with memorable characters, though it was rushed in some parts and did not fit the Christmas advertisement.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a cute, YA rom-com!
This book was a lot of fun to read. Despite the fact that I had to get up early in the morning before a day-long event, I stayed up late to finish this book. I was glued to the story and was often laughing as I read it.
Both the characters were so much fun and realistic. They each had their own unique relationships with their family/friends. I especially loved the dynamic between Nick, Chris, and Tim.
They story was so much fun. It had dual point-of-view, which was nice because it showed both perspectives for the same event. In some books it will be in one perspective for one scene then another perspective for the next scene. It wasn't exactly like that for this book, which I enjoyed. I enjoyed the cruise ship and the rockstar aspect, as well. I don't get to read too many YA books with cruise ships or about rockstars.
This book was published in 2012, so there was a certain outdatedness that was noticeable. I enjoyed that about the book, though. It reminded me of the 2000s Disney Channel movies.
My only complaint is that there wasn't a lot of closure. It ended nicely, but there wasn't a confrontation with the twins. This book is also advertised as a Christmas book, but I wasn't getting Christmas at all. You could read this anytime of the year because it isn't Christmas-y.
One of my favorite books this month, Decked with Holly is an adorable story reminiscent of early Disney Channel movies. It has a cute story, with memorable characters, though it was rushed in some parts and did not fit the Christmas advertisement.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a cute, YA rom-com!
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