Decked with Holly by Marni Bates (Book Review)

Posted December 24, 2012 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 1 Comment

Decked with Holly by Marni Bates (Book Review)Decked with Holly by Marni Bates
Published by K-Teen on September 25, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Holiday - Christmas
Pages: 244
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Taking a Christmas cruise with her two cousins from hell isn't Holly's idea of a good time. And when seasickness forces her into an open suite, she's pepper-sprayed by a gorgeous guy called Nick. But when Holly makes her exit, she's greeted by a horde of screaming teenage fans. Because Nick happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for one of the hottest bands in America. Suddenly rumors are swirling and Holly's face is plastered all over the Internet. 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 a cute rock star? She's about to find out...

As soon as I read the synopsis of Decked with Holly, I could hear it screaming sweet Christmas nothings at me. Alexa’s review, however, is what clinched the deal for me. I knew I had to have this book, because it just sounds so adorable! And I have a big thing for books set on cruise ships… and cute Christmas stories… so this book won in two areas of my bookish heart. It was just as adorable and laugh-out-loud funny as I had hoped. As always, my main points are bolded. :)

1. Holly is a girl after my own heart: quirky, artsy, witty, funny, a little eccentric, and always in the shadow of her friends and glamorous family members. She’s so down to earth and average. I loved watching her get thrown into this awkward fake romance with a sexy boy she’s been crushing on from afar for quite some time.

2. This book made me remember my boy band crush days as a teen. I can’t tell you how many times I sat on my bed, listening to N’Sync or Backstreet Boys on repeat, pretending their love songs were about me. I’m not sure what would have happened to me if I’d had to play starlet and be one of their girlfriends for a couple weeks.

3. Nick is the typical boy band persona, and I loved reading about him and his musings and silly thoughts. And I loved how he softened as he got to know Holly more.

4. I love the word “fauxmance”. That’s just one of the hilarious things that was said in this book. Holly and Nick are so quirky and unique in their own way, and they had some of the funniest spats and arguments.

5. I’ve been on several cruises to the Mexican Riviera, so it was really fun for me reading a book that took place on one. I could picture Cabo and Puerto Vallarta (although cruise ships don’t go there anymore, because it’s too dangerous.).

6. Decked with Holly is kind of a conglomeration of Cinderella and Pretty Woman. I loved it. We’ve got this average, plain Jane who gets scooped up into the high rolling life, if you will. She gets a makeover, and she gets treated like a princess. She gets to stay in a suite, have spa days and scuba lessons, and wear expensive make up and cocktail dresses. This, combined with the sweet romance, made me really fall in love with the book.

7. I loved the author’s writing style. Here are some of my favorite quotes.

– “I closed my eyes and said, ‘It’s ok, Holly. You aren’t moving at sea. Oh, no, you are actually lying still on something very stable… like a mountain. That’s right, an enormous mountain with no water anywhere nearby.'”

– “Well, crap. I had probably just pepper sprayed my biggest fan.”

– “I hate the ocean. Someone should drain it.”

– “Apparently, the very mention of shopping was bringing back all sorts of bad memories, like he was having post-traumatic stress disorder from selecting mascara.”

– “I had nearly bailed several times on yoga. I’m sorry, but balancing on one foot isn’t exactly easy when you happen to be on a moving ship. I have no idea how everyone else managed what was absolutely not beginning yoga. It should have been called an advanced course on the art of Twister instead.”

Overall, Decked with Holly is darling, and just what I needed. There was not a huge emphasis on Christmas, so you could actually read it any time during the year. Maybe even on a cruise! It was a light, adorable little romance that I really, really loved.

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One response to “Decked with Holly by Marni Bates (Book Review)

  1. I read this book recently and absolutely loved it. Holly is such a nice girl and I loved seeing her grow and develop. What I really hated was that her grandpa didn’t defend her against her aunt’s attacks – that’s not grandpa worthy in my opinion but I decided to read Awkward as soon as possible because Marni Bates’ writing style is just totally my thing.
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