A story of love at first sight between two people who keep missing opportunities to get together due to various circumstances.

I ended up reading this book from start to finish in one day, almost in one sitting. I loved it! At first I wasn’t sure how I would enjoy the changing points of view and the passage of so much time, but I think it worked so well for this story in particular. Josie Silver wrote with such description that I could picture myself as a passenger on the bus witnessing Laurie see Jack for the first time. I felt like I was a fly on the wall in the Delancey Street apartment and in Thailand with Oscar and Laurie. Each character became so relatable, and it was heart breaking to follow them through some tough moments in their lives.

Something I was really impressed with - it seems like many romantic novels nowadays lead up to a wedding (whether it ends up happening or not) and a happily ever after of some sort. It felt like a breath of fresh air to actually get to follow the characters into more of their lives, making the plot seem much more realistic. After all, life goes on after a wedding and honeymoon, and I’m so glad the author decided to let us see glimpses of that. In the attempt to keep this review spoiler-free, I will say that I’m not sure whether I saw the ending coming or if it was something I was so strongly rooting for that it didn’t surprise me when it happened, but either way, I would love to read more about these characters’ lives that I instantly felt connected to. The concept of finding your 100% is so important. Bravo, Josie Silver, and thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

I read this book in almost one sitting! I adored the characters & was so rooting for Laurie & Jack to get together the whole time!
I liked the twists and turns that it took and I loved the fun ending. Certain parts were predictable but overall it is a fun, Christmasy love story!

This romance is full of allusions to all sorts of British rom-coms, famous and otherwise. There's something about wet, canoodling English lovers that make the most hardened American reader lovesick and yearning. Like many of these stories, One Day in December features alternately charming and feckless characters who can be shallow, rude and self-centered while also charming, talented and impossibly glamourous. Ironically, the more "romantic" the storyline appears, the more problematic it is. If we can get past our love of the British accents, are these characters we really want to spend time with? Laurie and Jack don't even manage to have a "meet cute," though for the sake of the plot, they are forever marked by their glimpse of each other one London night in December - Laurie, perched on an impossibly crowded bus, Jake reading a book from a bench - but find it impossible, over a ten year period, to ever get together. They go through relationships, breakups, family tragedies, jobs, flats, and an endless series of mental monologues about the other, but never do they ever seem to have an honest conversation with each other. The novel succeeds nicely in portraying their individual growth - Jack from a somewhat self-centered, ambivalent laddish boy-about-town, and Laurie an insecure, shy Northern girl riddled with class issues - to mature, self-aware adults. So much of their development happens away from each other and frankly, it's a little unbelievable their flames burn bright for each other when they change so much over the course of the novel into different people. I was frankly rooting for the endurance of Laurie's friendship with Sarah, her bestie who first dates Jack, unknowing that he is Laurie's "bus boy." but who remains the most constant emotional relationship of Laurie's life. There is no doubt that this will be a great seller AND made into a film we will all go see, but hopefully it will not have the slightly queasy feel that the book leaves.

This was an enjoyable page-turner, although some of the events were telegraphed well in advance. Not chick-lit, more like literary romance. Highly recommended for Library Reads.

Truly enjoyed the conversational tone of this story, and how the characters just invited the reader into their lives.

One Day in December was a fantastic, fun and engaging novel. I found myself totally submersed in Silver’s writing and I finished the book quickly. One Day in December follows Laurie as she experiences love at first sight with Jack. Despite searching for him without success, he spontaneously reappears in Laurie’s life, as her best friend’s boyfriend. Laurie and Jack decide to keep their very brief past a secret from Sarah and One Day in December follows Laurie, Jack and Sarah’s life over the next several years. Laurie wrestles between being a good friend, trying to find love in other places and remaining in Jack’s life. I loved the deep, realistic and complex friendship between Laurie and Sarah. Laurie’s attempt to save Sarah from revealing how her heart aches for Jack, influences so many life decisions for all the characters. I found myself thinking of Laurie and Jack long after I finished this book.

Many thanks to Crown Publishing and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this novel!

My Anglophile heart beats for British books every now and again, and I must admit to being drawn to this book by its stereotypical cute British cover. Once I read the blurb, I just had to have it. It sounds like the quintessential easy love story to get lost in for a few hours, similar to watching a ROM-COM like Notting Hill. Summer in Texas made me even more eager to read something set in December in London. If I can't be out of the heat physically, by God, I will be mentally. I was pleasantly surprised to get more than I expected from One Day in December by debut author Josie Silver.

Give me a good slow-burn Romance, great setting, likable characters and I am SET! This book was everything I was hoping for and so much more. There were moments I laughed out loud, cried, and felt gut-wrenching pain along with the characters. I fully invested in this story and didn't want it to end. One of the most impressive things about this novel was the author's ability to span a decade in one book without leaving out details or making the story feel jumpy. There was never a disconnect between the reader and the characters, despite the many years covered, which is a rare feat in my experience. I truly felt the passage of time, the way the years quickly stack upon one another faster than we expect them to, and the melancholy of nostalgia.

This book boils down to one thing: Timing. When the timing isn't right in life, my goodness, it can cause some of the most soul-crushing heartbreak. Every part of your soul yearns for something, yet fate (God or the universe, whatever you believe) prevents everything you hope for from meshing together. It creates an invisible barrier and no matter how much you push, pull, kick and fight for the thing you want most, you still can't have it. Ouch. When I began this story, I was worried this story was set up for an all-too-familiar trope, you know the one: guy meets girl, best friend steals guy, three-way Romance is in the works with lots of cheating, betrayed friendships, etc. etc. Thankfully, this book wasn't the same ol' thing I've read over and over again. It was a fresh look at the role fate plays and the unbreakable connections we develop to specific people in our lifetimes.

I'm giving this beautiful story four stars though I could easily teeter towards five. I felt the story slow slightly at certain times and wished for a little more excitement during those moments. However, everything ended up working in the conclusion, with the ending completely exceeding my expectations. Lucky for everyone, One Day in December is releasing on October 16, so there's no waiting for a snowy day to read this sweet tale! If you'd rather, save it on the shelf to keep you warm and cozy for the Christmas holidays.

Laurie, while riding a bus, looks out the window and falls in love with Jack, who happens to be at the bus stop. Jack has seen her as well and is totally smitten. She meets him a year later at a Christmas party, where he is her roommate Sarah's date. Neither reveals their mutual attraction or acknowledges having seen each other before. Yet, the attraction remains. Will love conquer all? An over-all enjoyable, happy ending novel..

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Laurie is riding the bus. She sees a guy and it's suddenly love at first sight. She spends a year trying to find the guy. When she does find him, it's her best friend's boyfriend. Here's a story over ten years involving Laurie, the guy, and her best friend.

Okay, I had to laugh. Somehow I thought that maybe they at least talked to each other before she fell in love, but no, it's from a glance. That part aside, this book is basically 10 years of Laurie and the guy (Jack) pining for each other while Jack dates her best friend (Sarah). Part of me was so captivated by the story. The other part of me was frustrated and exhausted. Do something about your feelings! Also, the book is about the journey, not the destination. Would have liked a little bit more at the end. Still a good read, but frustrating at times.

A woman and a man spot each other through the window of a bus and they both feel a spark, but before either can act, the bus pulls away!

Now, before you go thinking this is one of those missed connection-they spend the whole book missing each other, let me continue! Laurie tells her roommate Sarah about this, and they are constantly on the lookout for bus-boy. Now, much to Laurie's surprise, Christmas comes and Sarah brings home her new boyfriend, none other than bus-boy (Jack)!

As you can imagine, this is not just any love triangle, but things can get rather intense here. I was somewhat expecting this to be a bit of a [book:Something Borrowed|42156] story, which is a favorite of mine, but it took a rather different path, which still ended up being amazing. My heart ached for these characters at times and I wanted to shake them and scream at other times but I can't say enough good things about this book!

I’ve almost completed a chapter of this book. Sadly I won’t be finishing it. The language is off-putting and it definitely would not be a book I’d add to our church library.

“One Day in December” is a romance that brings to mind that sometime fate just doesn’t work in your favor. Laurie and Jack, after a glance at each through a bus window, must navigate around their attraction and love for each for 10 years. This is a story filled with warmth, friendship and love. Perfect for a rainy afternoon.

I enjoyed this book a lot and it was one that I easily read in one day. I’d recommend this one for someone looking for a quick read or a vacation read. It reminded me a lot of One Day meets Love Actually. I think it was pitched as being a lot funnier than it actually was and while that may sound like a complaint it actually had a lot more heart than I was expecting.

I enjoyed the writing a lot but the characters frustrated me a lot at points. I didn’t always find their reactions believable but that’s the case in most women’s fiction books for me, otherwise you wouldn’t have as much drama I guess.

This one didn’t have enough representation for me and was very white and very straight, that is my biggest complaint. Other than that I enjoyed it and will recommend it when it comes out and I think it’ll be a good holiday vacation read!

I am not usually fond of romantic novels, however, when I read the blurb for this book, I wanted to give it a fair shot and I did. NetGallery hasn't let me down (too much) yet and this book wasn't bad either. I liked the way the story progressed, It stayed true to the idea of a true love and the role fate plays in bringing 'The One' into your life. I think my take away from the book was just that, I liked the characters, even though they were a bit obvious (shy protagonist and sexy, pretty better-than-the-best kind of best friend) and they were well explored throughout the book.
It's a good one time read for people looking for an engaging story. It's well written. For me, it's 3 stars.

This book was refreshing.

I loved the characters and the story and the realism behind it. A lot of romance novels don't have enough of reality in them but this had all the ups and downs and struggles of real life. I really loved all of the characters making their way through their lives and growing.

I couldn't put this book down because I needed to know what happened. My only issue is that I wished we got an epilogue or something more of their time together.

I also love the cover.

I read this entire book in a day. I really kind of loved it. The premise is totally up my alley: the book version of a chick flick. Boy sees girl, girl sees boy. They lock eyes and chemistry sizzles between them. All the stands between them is the window glass of the bus. Boy stands up suddenly to get on the bus when suddenly the doors close and the bus drives away. Girl looks frantically everywhere for "bus boy" as she calls him. She doesn't give up hope for a year, and her very best friend in the world tells her that she's described him so many times that even she would recognize him if she saw him. The only thing is, she doesn't. Instead she brings him to a party as the man she has been proclaiming might be "the one." OUCH. The book spans a lot longer timeframe than I anticipated and has so many more twists and turns than you'd think would be possible with this type of plot.


I found it overall enjoyable and would recommend it for a great beach or vacation read.

I loved this book! It was everything I was hoping it would be, charming, heartfelt, and romantic. I loved the premise of a couple seeing each other fleetingly through a bus window yet feeling a connection. The author delivered a complete and fulfilling story that honored the spirit of that premise without trivializing it.

This was told through the first person viewpoints of both Laurie and Jack, which added a layer of emotion. I found this to be a believable and relatable story, and the characters were likeable. I would also like to add that I really like the cover of this book and would like to see it as a print on my wall. This couple does not easily obtain their happily ever after, and I found myself laughing, crying, and cheering for them the entire journey. This was a joy to read, with the feeling of a crisp quickly read romantic comedy.

This was a five star read for me and I highly recommend it!

One Christmas season in London, Laurie looks out from the bus window and locks eyes with a man waiting at the bus stop. The bus pulls away. Feeling foolish Laurie spends months searching the London crowds for this man she senses is her one and only.. Fast forward to the following holiday season, when she finds the mystery man, who is her best friend's new boyfriend. This is a fun story of bad timing and good friendship.

One day in December, Laurie and Jack have a not-meet cute that defines their lives for the next decade. She's in the double-decker bus, on her way home from working a dead end job; he's on the bench outside. Their eyes meet in a magical, instant connection and it's like a Hollywood romance-- cue the orchestra and bright lights. But that's where it ends. She doesn't get off the bus. He doesn't get on. The bus drives away into the night.

The next time Laurie sees Jack, he's on the arms of her bff, Sarah. What do you do when focus of the great love-at-first-sight moment falls in love with someone else? You drink copious amounts of wine, repress your feelings, and get on with your life. For the next decade, it's a series of decisions and missed opportunities for Laurie and Jack.

This book has the sweet, lighthearted atmosphere you'd expect from this type of contemporary romance. I didn't hate it, but I had a real problem with the way neither Jack nor Laurie ever exercised any agency to actually be together. They go though life in a fog, pining for one another but not doing anything about it. They wait for other relationships to fizzle out and other people to disappoint them before making a move. I know it's a popular "conflict" for writers to use, but I don't get characters who stay in tepid relationships out of obligation instead of just moving forward to just be with "the one." As someone who was once in that situation, I find it so irrational and contrived.

After setting up the big reveal-- that Laurie's mystery bus guy winds up being Sarah's new mystery boyfriend-- the book becomes a bit of a slog. It could stand to lose about 100 pages. Even so, the ending seemed to come abruptly. Laurie and Jack spend so much time building barriers and making excuses not to be with one another, it's a quick turn around in a matter of paragraphs. That said, the ending was fast paced and adorable.

The biggest problem I had with this book is that I just didn't care if Laurie and Jack got together. Scratch that. I became convinced they *shouldn't* be together. The author tells us they are soul mates, but I never saw it or felt it. Jack was kind of a jerk, to be honest, and I think Laurie was a much better fit with Oscar.

I give this book 3.5 stars. The author had an interesting hook with the not-meet cute angle, but it wasn't executed as well as it could have been.