Book Review: All the Jingle Ladies by Beth Garrod

All the Jingle Ladies by Beth Garrod
Published: October 13th 2022 by Scholastic Press
Rating: ★★★★ (4)
Genre: Young Adult // Christmas, Contemporary Romance
Quick Thoughts: A one-sitting, warm-feeling kind of book that instantly made me feel festive and nostalgic.
About The Book:
The brand-new snowy, festive, feel-good, rom-com from bestselling Beth Garrod, perfect for fans of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Kissing Booth.
Molly hates Christmas. And it’s not even her fault. Her mum and dad had the biggest ever Christmas single when she was a child, complete with video evidence of Molly in a hideous Christmas costume joyfully singing the mortifying last line that EVERYBODY knows.
Molly has spent her life trying to play it down but then the song is used in the hottest new Christmas film. It’s only November and it’s already EVERYWHERE. And when Molly meets a cute guy at the premier, how can she stop him from working out who she is?
But Molly isn’t the only one hiding her real identity… will her Christmas romance turn out to have a Hollywood ending?
- Perfect for fans of cosy Christmas movies like The Holiday and Last Christmas.
- Beth Garrod is the bestselling author of the Super Awkward series and All I Want for Christmas.
First Thoughts
Is it ever too early for a festive read? I don’t think so . . . last year I picked up Blame It On The Mistletoe (aka All I Want For Christmas) by Beth and I loved it, so naturally when Scholastic offered me the chance to read this, it felt like kismet.
My Review
Molly has hated Christmas for as long as she can remember. When she was little, her Parents made a Christmas video that, over the years, went viral. It wouldn’t be so bad if she wasn’t in it, embarrassingly singing a jingled line that has haunted her ever since. Everyone knows that little girl in that video. So as a consequence, Molly has branded herself a Christmas-hater, trying to rid herself of anything jolly and red. Only, she does want the festive season to be perfect for her best friend, and tries to put her Grinch-ness away for the sake of making happy memories.
But when her Parents “hit” song is being used in only the newest and best Christmas movie, the feeling of coming full circle drowns Molly in glitter again before December even arrives. And even though she tries to get out of it and dodge the movie premiere, she finds herself tunnelling into a secluded space away from the cameras. That’s when she meets a handsome guy—and as sparks fly, she desperately wants to make sure that her two worlds don’t collide. But when she’s not the only one with secrets, how can this Christmas be better for her? And will the tables finally turn and Molly get the Christmas she deserves?
Overall, All The Jingle Ladies was a one-sitting, warm-feeling kind of book that instantly made me feel festive and nostalgic. I adore the world-building Beth uses and she has this delicate way of making us feel ultra-close to the characters. Whilst I didn’t agree with all the choices and things Molly did and said, I saw her as this young girl that lost the magic of Christmas in the tangled-ness of growing up, and by the end, I warmed to her so very much. If you’re looking for a light, wholesome YA Romance that has family, friendship, Christmas feels and more, this is the book for making your December just that much brighter. Four dazzling stars!

About The Author
Beth Garrod is the author of the best-selling SUPER AWKWARD trilogy published by Scholastic, with SUPER AWKWARD published in 2016, TRULY MADLY AWKWARD in 2017, and ACCESS ALL AWKWARD in 2018. Standalone summery rom-com TAKE A CHANCE ON ME and Christmas rom-com ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS are also available. Beth’s debut middle-grade SISTER SWITCH published in 2021, with a second book coming soon. She has also written graphic chapter book series THE INFLATABLES with Jess Hitchman, illustrated by Chris Danger, which launches in 2022. She now lives in East London and concentrates on social impact campaigns, working with charities and broadcasters around the world. In 2018/9 she wrote an AR children’s storybook (Wonderscope/A Brief History of Amazing Stunts) which won Bologna Ragazzi Digital Award: AR (2019) and a Children’s BAFTA (2019), and also produced a SAFTA nominated documentary about sexual health in South Africa (MTV Shuga: In Real Life).
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happy reading!