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.

Another book I wasn't the biggest fan of! There are a lot of romance reads, that take place in December, that are hit or miss and this one just didn't capture my attention. It was predictable like most romance reads, but there wasn't anything truly pulling me in and making me want to keep going. The writing was bland and uneventful.

This was a perfect holiday read. I loved the story line and the characters both. It was just exactly what I was looking for in a December read!

Josie struggles with Christmas but thanks to her friends and her boyfriend, Oliver, she thinks this time the season may just be a bit happier. That is until she realizes what a jerk he really is and now is facing the holiday alone. As she thinks of the upcoming holiday there is one thing she must do and sets off on her bike to drop off her traditional letter to her parents. She thinks of the past and how much she misses them and she’s so swept up in her memories that she doesn’t pay attention to her riding and the traffic until it’s too late and she has collided with a stranger and she ends up on the ground. Max doesn’t know what to make of this but Josie is insistent on making it up to him by buying him a drink.

Max isn’t really very cheerful since he’s missed his flight but Josie thinks that the best they can do is spend the day together and make the most of a holiday both seem to not be very happy about. As the pair get to know each other, sparks start to fly and Josie is almost ready to think that this could be the best Christmas but then after a night together, Max disappears without a word. Chance continues to bring them into each other’s sphere but will the two every be able to sort out what happened and what do they want from each other?

This was a sweet romance but it did make me cry so have some tissues nearby just in case. I believe this was Emily Stone’s first novel but I would definitely read another book by her.

Thank you netgalley & the publisher for sending me this arc. Holy moly this one punched me right in the feels at the end. I had no clue it was going to take such a heart wrenching turn. Beautiful holiday read

Not your typical Christmas, warm and fuzzy romance. I actually won't call it a romance. It's about love, loss, discovery .
The book really centers around Josie's relationship with her grief, and the processing of it in its many stages.
I am undecided how I really feel about this book. It's not my typical Christmas read, it's deep, emotional and won't be forgotten. I do think Josie is in a better place at the end of the book than when we met her in the beginning.

Publication date 12 Oct 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Dell through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was waiting for a book like Always, In December. If a hallmark movie was a book, it be this one. Everyone suffers from loss in some way, shape, and form. In the case for Josie it's in December visiting her parents' memorial writing a note that says "Missing you, always." This December, Josie meets Max who suffers the struggle of loss himself which leads to a romantic bond that'll change Josie's life forever. Even after Max, disappears it was refreshing to see the mental and emotional change in Josie having a new lease on life, later to reconnect with Max in many places for the adventure of a lifetime. It was so refreshing to read a book such as Always, in December because it takes you away on a positive, romantic journey that pushes all the negative realistic aside for a moment. These are the books I will always fall in love with, EVERYTIME no questions asked.

A romantic adventure of a lifetime that brings hope, and joy to readers worldwide. This book deserves 5 stars.