I'm not big on romances, but One Day in December will go down as the big exception to this rule. I LOVED THIS BOOK. And I can't wait to read more books by this author.

From the beginning, I was drawn in by Laurie James, the young heroine trying to find her way in London after graduating from college, and her best friend Sarah. Silver's descriptive, down-to-earth writing style made me feel like I was right there with them, making sandwiches, nursing hangovers, and laughing about all that had happened the night before. I don't want to say too much about the love story that's central to this novel because part of its charm is the many unexpected twists and turns it takes, but I will say it was riveting and unexpected and emotional and sweet and every time I picked this book up, I didn't want to put it down. When I finally had a relatively free afternoon yesterday, I just sat down and read until I finished it!

You can read One Day in December at any time of year, but it is particularly delicious at Christmas time. I totally recommend it, even if you don't ordinarily read romance novels.

While I was excited to read this book, I was a bit skeptical at the beginning - love at first sight? It doesn't usually play out too well in my opinion. This book, however, went beyond the love at first sight trope and allowed the two main characters, Laurie and Jack, to develop as individuals and as friends. As their friendship grew, I became more invested in the possibility of their future romantic relationship. However, I do wish that the author had allowed us, the readers, more time with Laurie and Jack together. Because this book takes place over almost a decade, we only seem to get little snippets of their relationship through a recap of the year before rather than experiencing everything in the moment with them.

I went in to this book expecting a cute holiday romance. While I got what I was looking for, I got much more. This book was romantic but also sweet and tender as it dealt with friendship and loss. It was a great read and one that I would recommend this holiday season!

I have to say that the ending made this book. But there were moments I wondered if we’d ever get there and there were a few times I wanted to throw the freaking kindle against the wall, although I’d never do that, because it’s my kindle!

That said, the story of Laurie and Jack was so tender and filled with such exquisite moments of sigh worthy goodness that I will forgive the frustration and major angst it caused me at times. One thing’s for sure I won’t soon forget this book and all of the emotion it made me feel. It’s rare when a book can give you all of the things this one does and wrapped up in a beautiful story of love, friendship and fate to boot.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of romance, drama and some seriously good emotional goodness. I so enjoyed it.

The perfect book to get you through the hustle and bustle of December!! How I loved the story of Laurie and Jack. The perfect Christmas gift of a few chapters every night. Loved this story and these people!

One day in December Laurie sees a man through a bus window. Their eyes meet and she falls in love. Feeling that he also sensed those sparks, she searches and searches for this man. A year later she finds him when her best friend Sarah walks into a Christmas party with her new boyfriend, Jack, that she is falling in love with. One Day In December by Josie Silver follows Laurie, Sarah and Jack through the next ten years of their lives.

This is a story about three people growing up and figuring out love, friendship, life and what’s important to them along the way.

The author did a great job in creating characters that I loved and was interested in. Laurie is often described as awkward. I am very awkward so whenever there is a good, believable, awkward character I’m sure to love that character. While I did not love Jack as a person, I thought he was a great character. I understood why he was the way he was and it added to my reading experience that at some points I didn’t want Laurie and Jack to ever get together.

As much as I really liked this book the amount of cussing and other crude comments did make it less of an enjoyable read for me. Though it made sense to the characters and I did feel it was true to them.

I really wanted to talk about this book with others when I finished. So many great topics. The characters themselves would be so much fun to talk about. Do you believe in love at first sight? Is there only one life, one person for us?

This was a book I didn’t want to end. I was sad to be done with those characters. I would gladly have read about their next ten years.

I waited till December to read this book thinking it had a Christmas theme (it didn't), but it was still a great, light read for this time of year, which I really needed after some heavy books. I sped through it and was excited to see how it would end. Here's the thing: I really loved the way the ending was done, but I hated some of the events that lead up to the ending. Some of the main characters' actions really didn't sit right with me, and I think this cheapened the ending a bit. I'm obviously being vague on purpose to avoid spoilers, but I'm happy to discuss it with those who have read it. Overall, it was a cute read, and I would definitely recommend it.

I love Christmas novels that aren’t too over-the-top holiday-ish, and this one fit the bill completely. It was a beautiful love story, both heart breaking, and heart warming. This is a perfect cozy afternoon-by -the fire, devour in one-sitting-type of book. I loved it.

Absolutely fantastic novel. Romantic without being being too over the top. The characters were so believable that you hate for the book to end-you'll find yourself wanting more time with them and wanting to know more about their lives. Highly recommended for anyone that loves a good winter romance or a quick, engrossing read.

Unfortunately I will not be posting a review of this novel, as I would only give it 2.5-3 stars. It is my policy that I will only post reviews on books I like or love (3.5-5 stars). While I found the novel writing style adequate and the plot fairly interesting, the premise became very unrealistic once the plot progressed and it only became more unrealistic from there. I'm happy for the author that Reese Witherspoon chose the book for her reading club, and wish the author continued success.

The perfect Christmas gift for a friend...One Day in December was a delightful read. Sometimes friends sacrifice so much to see their bestie happy. I found myself upset that she wouldn't just tell her friend the truth, but her decision to keep quite so that her friend could be happy was so endearing.

I simply adore seasonal reading, but I find most Christmas books to be all mistletoe and holly and Hallmark movie folly. This book, though, was an emotional rollercoaster, with just a dash of Christmas throughout. Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Books for the ARC. I liked it!

I was expecting more from this book seeing that it has been so gushed over lately, and a choice for Reese Witherspoon's book club. I found it to be ok, fairly predictable.
I wasn't a huge fan of the Laurie/Jack pairing in the first place. Maybe it's because I've never experienced "love at first sight", but really who has? Enough to spend an entire YEAR looking for this person you glimpsed for about one minute? And her decision to not tell Sarah that Jack is that guy just didn't make any sense. This entire book would probably have been eliminated with that one conversation, so I guess it couldn't happen.
I felt like this book was trying to be Bridget Jones, but Laurie was just too wishy-washy for so long and not nearly as funny.
I give it an extra half star for the ending bit, which I really enjoyed and thought was fresh and fun.

One Day in December is warm, captivating, unforgettable and quirky love story not only between couples but within a friendship as well. Laurie doesn’t believe in love at first sight. That is, until one day when she locks eyes with a by-stander while packed like a sardine on a bus. In that moment she feels a spark and knows she has to find her way back to that guy because she felt something with him. She make it her New Years resolution to find him, with no avail. Until one day he shows up… but not in the way she wanted him to. And so begins a story of longing, heartbreak, and possibly second chances? review: This was one of those books that was heartwarming and frustrating in one fell swoop! The writing is wonderful and the characters are so well-developed, I felt like I could relate to them on numerous levels. I loved the alternating perspectives of Laurie and Jack – it really allowed you to dive deeper into their relationship. But, I totally wanted to scream “NOOOO!!!” at some points in the book haha! This book is perfect to read during the holiday season and will remind you of those Hallmark Christmas movies that we can’t tear ourselves away from! rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐️

Sometimes I don't pay much attention to book blurbs. I thought, because of the title, that One Day in December was a Christmas romance. It is a really heartwarming and entertaining romance, but not a Christmas book.

One day (in December) Laurie is on a bus and makes eye contact with a cute guy at a bus stop and there is some electricity between them. But the bus drives away. Laurie spends more than a year (along with her roommate Sarah's help) looking for this mystery man. Sarah isn't just a roommate, she and Laurie are best friends and would do anything for each other. Laurie never finds the guy...until...Sarah introduces Laurie to her new boyfriend, who she has fallen head-over-heels for. It's Jack--the guy at the bus stop.

Laurie can't tell Sarah because Sarah is so happy. Jack doesn't say anything, so Laurie assumes he doesn't remember her. The reader gets Jack's perspective though, so we know he does remember her.

Life goes on for Laurie, Jack, and Sarah. They are happy, most of the time. Relationships end and begin. I won't go into details, but I found it difficult to know what to wish for.

One Day in December kept me entertained and it was a quick, cute read. The characters were well described and the situation seemed a bit hopeless. They do get their "happily ever after" though, so we get nice closure.

If you are in the mood for an intriguing romance that is heartfelt and a bit complicated, check out One Day in December.

Laurie locks eyes with Jack while on a double-decker bus in London and they instantly connect. Jack can’t manage to get onto the bus in time and Laurie can’t get off. Instead she spends the next year of her life searching for him only to end up meeting him a year later as he is introduced as her best friend’s boyfriend. The ups and downs of their friendship and relationships follow over the next ten years.

Oh. My. God. Did I love this!! This gave me “One Day” by David Nichols and “Blind Kiss” by Renee Carlino vibes and I lived for those books. I love the holiday atmosphere even though there are scenes told throughout other seasons of the year. I could have done without the insta-love “eyes locking” moment, but it is pivotal to the plot of the story, so I let that slide. This book was something that I couldn’t put down and stayed up late to get further. I love stories that are told this way because there really isn’t any non-essential storytelling moments. Each time jump is integral to the story and you find yourself just wanting to read more and more. I also really appreciated that this was romantic without the full on raunchy sex scenes.

Five stars: An emotional and captivating romance that will steal your heart and leave you in tears. Loved this!

Laurie and Jack’s story starts back in December 2008 when Laurie and Jack are in their twenties. Laurie is on the way home after a hard day. When she glances out the bus window, she catches sight of a handsome boy reading a book. He immediately steals her heart, and then he sees her and magic happens. She motions for him to get on the bus, he jumps up, and then misses the bus. Neither believed in love at first sight until that moment. Laurie immediately vows to find the busboy, and for months she and her best friend, Sarah look for the mysterious young man. Laurie finally finds him, but it happens when Sarah introduces him as her boyfriend. What follows is ten years of friendship, heartache, missed chances and all the ups and downs of life. Does destiny and true love really exist?

What I Loved:
*I wish I could just say in this review, this book is fantastic go read it, the end. However, I am sure you want to know more. This book was amazing. It had so many feels. There were times when it took my breath away, and other parts where my heart broke. I loved the realistic nature of the story, the characters, the ups and downs of life and how this book had me in tears. It was magical!
*I loved that this book felt so realistic. It starts with that magical moment when two people lock eyes and then miss their opportunity. What follows are ten years of watching the two become friends as they go through the ups and downs of life. There is happiness, heartbreak, love and loss all lumped into this ten year period. It was achingly beautiful and perfect.
*The romance is one that will drive you nuts and frustrate you to no end as the pair continue to deny feelings, miss opportunities and fail all the way around. Yet, there is that glimmer of hope throughout that somehow it will work. I won’t spoil it but I will say by the end, I had big fat tears rolling down my cheeks. So worth it!
*I liked that this book featured both Laurie and Jack’s view points. It was so nice to be able to get into both of their heads and see how they felt about each other.
*This book is so much more than a romance it is a book about growing up, finding your family and cultivating friendships. There are high points and low points. Parts that shattered my heart, and then scenes that mended it. I loved that friendships, especially the one between Laurie and Sarah, were such an important part of the story.
*I appreciated that this book takes place over a ten year time span. It was interesting to see the characters grow up and tackle careers, love and relationships, heartbreak and loss. It was a joy to watch the characters grow and evolve.
*The writing is wonderful. There were many times when the author’s words resonated with me and took my breath away. I was so impressed, and even more so when I found out this was Josie Silver’s debut. I will absolutely be reading more from this author as I was so impressed with this novel. She knocked it out of the park.
*The ending was absolute perfection. I want to say so much more, but I can’t. It grabbed hold of my heartstrings and made me sob. I loved it. This is a book that I will thinking about for days to come.
*I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Eleanor Tomlinson and Charlie Anson. Both of these narrators were outstanding. I especially thought Ms. Tomlinson did an outstanding job capturing Laurie’s voice. The depth of emotion conveyed by the narrator was superb. Listen to the audio if you can!!
And The Not So Much:
*I have to admit that Jack frustrated me so much at times. I liked him much better early on in the book when he is a supportive friend. Then something happens to him, and I struggled mightily with his character. He drove me nuts. I wish he had been more grown up and handled certain things better.
*Even though I loved the ending, I wish there had been just a little more, like an Epilogue.
One Day in December is a book that grabbed a hold of my heart and emotions and kept them captive until the final page. This is a romance based on fate and destiny as well as missed opportunities, friendship and time. I loved the realism of the story, the characters and the story. This book was amazing. It made me smile, it made me cry, it made me feel. Read it!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

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What an enjoyable novel! It follows the lives of three young people and their friends from after college to their late twenties. And, for the most part, these are really nice people and I rooted for all of them to find happiness.

The core of the story revolves around Laurie an aspiring magazine journalist, her best friend and flat mate Sarah, and late-nite radio host Jack. One cold December night Laurie is on a London bus when she glances out the window and makes eye contact with a guy waiting at a bus stop. She feels an instant jolt, as close to love-at-first-sight as described in romance novels. She feels bereft when the bus pulls away. Sarah, who is beginning a career in TV broadcasting, is charmed by Laurie’s account and for the next year the girls make a game of searching the crowds in pubs, theaters, and parties to spot Laurie’s soul-mate. Laurie rationally knows her dream-man is just a dream and she and Sarah carry on with their social lives and generally have fun. Still…..there is that lingering part of Laurie that feels something is missing in her life.

That missing piece shows up one year later. The only problem is that he is Sarah’s date and she is obviously very smitten with him and he with her! So begins Laurie’s bittersweet relationship with Jack. He is as nice a person as she imagined and he genuinely loves Sarah. Jack evolves into Laurie’s second best friend and Laurie meets and falls in love with Oliver, a really great guy she meets on vacation. As they all pursue their careers in the years that follow, the relationships change as they mature.

I found myself liking all these people. They do the right thing, even when it hurts. When the inevitable tragedies of life happen, they are there for each other. Friends can become lovers and lovers can be friends.

A warm and, at times very funny, read.

As a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy I shall give an honest review of this novel. Coming into One Day in December , I believed it was going to be a lighthearted tale of romance and serendipity. I later found those qualities but much more. The story centers around a brief encounter where our protagonist Laurie experiences love at first sight via a bus-stop. Unluckily for her the bus speeds away and the character is forelorn wondering what could have been. This experience impacts our character to follow the possibility of meeting him again. Unbeknownst to her he has become engaged in her life but not what she’d expect. After nearly a year from when Laurie first saw this mystery man does she meet him again when introduced by her roommate and best friend Sarah as her boyfriend (Jack).The novel follows these characters along a ten year period and examines different types of love. I enjoyed this novel as it kept me intrigued across the period of three days it took me to read. It was slow building, but is something that added to the success of this novel. By having a slow build up did the novel have a believable platform where the possibility for these characters to interact and come together across the many years and relationships possible. The novel was passionate at times, but slowly neglected primary relationships that the protagonist had and was functional by. For example the relational lens as I understood it was how Laurie interacted with the men in her life. If the relational lens included herself may I have been more open to believing she made progress concerning self-growth. Overall, I enjoyed this novel for what it is and that is an enjoyable read featuring a well-rounded cast of characters similar to those found in romantic comedies. As an homage to romantic comedies do I feel this novel did them just and made my reading experience one to remember. I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars..

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When winter hits, I always crave a fun holiday read and One Day in December fit the bill perfectly. If you are looking for a fun romantic read around the holidays, I would DEFINITELY snag this one (Pssstttt- it is one of the BOTM selections this month!!)

Laurie never believed in love at first sight, but one snowy day in December, she sees a man that she just knows is THE ONE. Unfortunately, the bus takes off before she can do any of the romantic things she has dreamt of wayyyy after her chance has passed her by.

She shares about this moment with her best friend, Sarah, and each of them keeps hoping that Laurie is going to run into him again so Laurie can be with the guy of her dreams.

As the holidays approach again, the two host a holiday party and Sarah couldn’t be more thrilled to bring together her boyfriend and Laurie for the first time. Wouldn’t you just know it that Sarah has found the guy of HER dreams and it is THE ONE that Laurie has been waiting for.

The story follows the three over the course of ten years as they navigate these muddy waters.

Although it was light, it has some surprisingly deep moments that make it both fun and compelling.

If, “Love Actually,” is your favorite holiday movie too, you are going to adore this read.

"It’s a look of Hello you, and Oh my God, it’s you, and I can’t believe how good it is to see you, all in one."

This was a funny, bittersweet and totally delightful novel! Perfect for a holiday read. I loved the British humor and Josie Silver's breezy writing style. And when I realized that she also writes under name of Kat French, I loved this book even more!

Laurie is a young, ambitious, hard-working woman, searching for her dream job when, after a particularly rough day, spots a handsome man though her bus window. He sees her, too, but misses the bus. This sounds cliche but the moment worked and served as the launching point for the story.

"For onlookers, it must have been an Oscar-worthy sixty-second silent movie. From now on, if anyone asks me if I’ve ever fallen in love at first sight, I shall say yes, for one glorious minute on 21 December 2008."

Laurie and her best friend Sarah spend months searching for her dream man. But Jack turns up in Laurie's life in the most unexpected way. This book is not a love triangle and the central relationship to me was actually between Laurie and Sarah. They are loyal friends and both were extremely likable and relateable characters.

The story unfolds over several years and is a lovely tale missed chances, love and friendship. New relationships come and go and Laurie realizes she must get on with her own life and put her fantasy of her dream man behind her. Josie Silver created a wonderful book about real people and real friendships, mixed in with lots of humor and romance. I loved how loyal Laurie was to her best friend Sarah. Yes there are unexpected twists in this book but it was a wonderfully poignant and bittersweet story.

"Sarah is my best friend in the entire world, and however much and for however long it kills me, I’ll never silently, secretly hold up signs to tell Jack O’Mara, without hope or agenda, that to me he is perfect, and that my wasted heart will always love him."

'One Day in December' is a light, unexpectedly warm-hearted novel that ends on a perfectly romantic note. I love stories about "what might have been" and this was beautiful.

‘Sometimes you just meet the right person at the wrong time,’ I say softly.

‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘And then you spend every day afterwards wishing that time could be rearranged.’