Always, in December by Emily Stone is a heartwarming and bittersweet romance that explores love, loss, and healing. The story follows Josie, who meets a mysterious man, Max, while dealing with grief over the loss of her family. As their relationship deepens, both must confront their pasts and the emotional wounds they carry. Set against the backdrop of a holiday season, Stone’s writing is filled with warmth and emotional depth, blending romance and self-discovery. It’s a perfect read for fans of holiday romances with a mix of joy and poignant moments.

This book has been on my Netgalley for a bit and I haven’t picked it up. I haven’t been into romance in a minute, so I’m not the right person to review it anymore.

3.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this - such a sweet story that tugs on the heart strings. A fun, easy holiday read. I would describe this as: easy reading, emotional, festive.

A poignant romance about a chance meeting and the relationship that follows. Grab your box of kleenex because you'll need it.

Always, in December by Emily Stone is a poignant and romantic tale that will resonate with readers who appreciate emotional, character-driven stories that explore themes of grief, missed connections, and the power of love to heal and transform, making it a perfect fit for fans of contemporary romance and those who enjoy a good cry.

Such a fun read! Loved this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Alright, I have some complicated feelings about this read. I went into it having read a few reviews, so I was fully aware that this was not a romance book. I really did love the main characters and the love they had for each other, but the way the story developed left me frustrated and the miscommunication drove me insane. The right person wrong time trope hits me hard when it's done right, but I just don't think book hit that mark. I will say though that the winter London atmosphere was perfect for a snowy weekend.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

How can you not love anything that Emily Stone writes? She makes you fall in love with her characters and root for them every step of the way. And I love how her books are more than just about the romance too.

Luckily, I had some warning going into this one that I may need tissues close by, but it was still heart-wrenching and hard to read at times. A well-written story with memorable characters.

HOLY CRAP THIS BOOK IS SAD.

If you're looking for a book to totally destroy you this holiday season, this one is for you. Trigger warnings are a must, but it was well written and handled with care.

I will admit, I was close to DNFing this book at about 50%. I was pretty bored with this book and I didn't like the direction it took. However, I saw a lot of reviews saying how much people loved this book and how sad it made them, and I love a sad book. The ending was definitely sad, but I didn't really like how this book ended. I will say, I love stories about grief, and I think this book did a good job covering that topic.

This is the story of Josie and Max, two star crossed lovers. They meet accidentally in London and then after a short time together they part. They meet again in New York and then back in the UK. The story seemed very long and drawn out. The two of them seem to just about get together but something doesn’t quite seem to fit. By the end of the book I was just about over it but then the ending pulled me back in again. The ending is worth reading the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

4.5. This book is a tearjerker, in the best way. Josie has had such loss filled life. She runs into Max (quite literally) on the way to the post one holiday season They develop a friendship to a sort of romance, and then he is gone. Ghosts. As it goes on, you learn more about the characters and it just turns into this emotional story of how love is it. I will read anything Stone writes. What a wonderful debut.

Josie and Max run into each in London and decide to spend the days leading up to Christmas together. You would think this would be a love story but it is more of a self-discovery story with love mixed in. The details and the dual POV are two of the attributes I loved the most.

I wanted to adore Always, in December however; I had to not finish twenty percent in because of the trigger warning heartbreak. Wtih my husband having leukemia, a cancer diagnosis with this writing style is not something my heart can handle.

Bring out the tissues! Because it truly is inevitable to not tear up while reading this. It’s a romance but also the story of love and family and what truly matters. It’s fully and heartwarming but also heart wrecking. This isn’t a fun easy Christmas tale but it’ll have you appreciating the people in your life more than before

Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for a free e-arc of Always, in December by Emily Stone 💚 I’m a little behind on my NetGalley shelf, so this book is already published and available now! I enjoyed this story even though the ending basically had me in a puddle. If you pick this up (and you should!) be sure to pick up some Kleenex also.

I was not expecting this book to be so gut wrenching! There are definitely some trigger warnings to be read about here beforehand, so check those out. But this is a story about love, friendship, loss, heartbreak and how to start over. This is not your typical holiday read, it is so much more and very powerful. The message of resilience is strong throughout and there is much to be learned from the strength of the characters.

My heart!!!! 😭😭😭😭

WOW! I did not expect this book to have such a strong hold on me!

Max and Josie’s story is unlike anything I have ever read before. I loved how they kept meeting up and how at the end all the pieces fell into place.

Josie’s letters at the end 😭😭😭

I’ll be posting my full review for this on my instagram (Bookmarkedfavs) this week sometime!

I adored Always, in December. It wasn't the traditional holiday read, the holidays are more of a backdrop. I loved everything about the story and characters and that ending was emotional. A great debut novel.