December 14, 2012

Decked with Holly - Marni Bates

Decked With Holly Marni Bates book cover
Decked with Holly by Marni Bates
Publisher: K-Teen
Publication Date: September 25, 2012
Source: Publisher (Thanks!) || ARC
[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects any opinions expressed in my review.]

Holly is stuck on a Christmas cruise with her family, most of whom she just does not get along with. Things get interesting when a bout of seasickness forces her to run into an open suite - and that suite just happens to belong to rockstar Dominic Wyatt, drummer for ReadySet, one of the biggest bands in America. Holly agrees to be Dominic's fake girlfriend after her face gets plastered all over the news, but she doesn't expect how crazy it can get...

Once I started Decked with Holly, I knew I wasn't going to be able to put it down. The story was funny, entertaining and just plain adorable. It's become an instant favorite, especially because it reminded me a little of the fan fiction I used to write in my boy band obsessed days. The characters were quirky, the situations they found themselves in equally hilarious and sweet and the romance was so, so cute.

Holly was really easy to like because she's just so witty and so smart, especially when she's arguing with Nick. I liked how she came across as an average teen, since it added to the whole Cinderella feel of this story. Her talent for drawing, her awkwardness, and her love for her grandfather were all things that added to her charm as well.

Nick, on the other hand, just sounded like the ideal guy - which isn't a surprise considering he's the drummer of one of the biggest bands in the world. He came across as intensely creative, unabashedly sweet (even though Holly definitely forced him to be at first) and just extremely good-looking. Obviously, as a fan of boy bands, he was the kind of guy who appealed to me!

When these two meet for the first time, sparks fly - in a non-romantic way. Right from the get go, they are placed in an unusual situation and that pretty much sets the tone for their fauxmance. I like how they would go from being forced to do things, like act sweet in public or plan dates, to actually wanting these things from each other. The transition from fauxmance to romance was really quick, but it totally fit into the storyline so I didn't have too much of a problem with it.

Decked with Holly is really funny, and also the kind of book that will leave you with an incredibly positive feeling after reading it. It's just seriously so darn cute, especially how it ends! I can hardly believe that this is the first book by Marni Bates that I've read, and am going to have to remedy that travesty very, very soon.

14 Comments:

  1. I am so glad that you like Decked with Holly. I really enjoyed it. I think Marni Bates is just so funny. I think my favorite part of this book was when Holly and Nick first met, and the whole pregnant zombie thing. I was laughing so hard!

    I have read Bates' other book, Awkward which I really liked too. Can't wait to hear what you thought of Awkward.

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    1. I need to read Awkward soon! Decked with Holly made me laugh a lot, so I defintiely want to read more from the author.

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  2. Aww this sounds really sweet and I love a great witty heroine to add humor to a book. I haven't ever read a holiday book but I really want to! To get me in the spirit and all! ;)

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    1. This one's a quick, fun read! I enjoyed it quite a lot :)

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  3. Thanks for this review. It sounds like a fun book to read, especially during this hectic season. Plus, I just returned home last weekend from a 16 day cruise the Panama Canal (which was a blast), so anything that takes place on a cruise ship will be a fun read.

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    1. You'll probably enjoy this one a lot! It's a fun read to get itno the holiday spirit :)

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  4. Can't wait to read this one! I LOVED Awkward by Marni Bates and have been anxious to read this one as well!

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    1. I hope you get to read it soon! It was a pretty fun book :)

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  5. This sounds like a really entertaining read! I've heard pretty good things about it from most people now and your review is the final push I need. I'll have to slip this is sometimes over Christmas. :) Great review!

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    1. I hope you enjoy it! It's definitely a read that will have you smiling :)

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  6. I want to read this one so bad!! It sounds adorable!!! Great review!

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    1. I hope you get a chance to read this book, as it's a lot of fun :)

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  7. Alexa, I just went and bought this because of you! I'm hoping to squeeze it into my Christmas event! It sounds adorable, and your review has made me even more excited about it!

    - Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl

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    1. Yay! I hope you have fun reading it, like I did!

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