I did find that this book was misleadingly positioned as romance from its cover and would compel readers to pay deep attention to the fact that it is NOT A ROMANCE

It is, however, a sensitive look at grief and how it ripples through the holidays. There is a wonderful sense of place and some charming moments extolling the different kinds of love from friendship to romantic to familial .

I really enjoyed this one!! I was a bit annoyed at Josie through some of it because she acted like Max left her after a year long relationship and that kept her from being happy, but other than that I thought this was great.

It was extremely emotional and really focused on the idea of living life to the fullest and not being afraid to go after what you love which I thought was amazing. I loved Josie’s relationship with her grandparents and the movie quotes were so fun!

As heartbreaking as this was, it was totally worth it!

My dislike of this book is a case of - it's not you, it's me. I am not a fan of Nicholas Sparks type romances

I loved this book. It was lovely and gut wrenching all at the same time. Josie's letter to her parents made my heart sad each year, but I thought it was wonderful that she kept the tradition and connection alive. A great holiday read that keeps faith going regarding the goodness of people and love.

This was SO, SO sad! I really enjoyed it, but I am not sure "enjoyed" the right word? It was a very good read. It wasn't my first by this author, and I hope it's not my last, either!

Another one that isn’t your typical romance. Lots of loss and heartbreak mixed in with your Christmas. Downer. But I still liked the story, regardless. Looking forward to the authors new book coming soon!

it gave me the feels and i was hooked. this book had an effect on me and i really enjoyed this very much.

The first book that I’ve read by author Emily Stone. We read as a video book club pick and had a great discussion. Also, I just love the cover.

Have your tissues ready for this romantic albeit heart wrenching love story. Oh my. I couldn’t have possibly loved Always, in December more than I did.

Let me start by saying this book reads much more as women’s fiction than romance. There is a love story here but SO MUCH MORE as well. There is much depth and emotion that I wasn’t expecting. It also may appear as a holiday read, but I’ll be the first to tell you that it 100% can be enjoyed any time of the year.

This story unfolds from Josie and Max meeting on a cold night in December. Both have unique life circumstances underneath the surface and this chance happening was not expected on either end. The story develops around their relationship with each other and elements to their lives personal lives. And all I can say it’s one big emotional, heartbreaking ride. Do not except a feel-good, fluffy read here.

With exceptional writing and storytelling, this book was a memorable read that I can’t sing enough praises for! Highly recommend!!

Many thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

Note that I thought this was a romance going in!

This should be shelved as women's fiction or general fiction, because it does not meet the criteria for a romance. That being said, if you're looking to get your heart punched, this will deliver. Please be in the mood for a good cry when you read this. London vibes were lovely, though!

This was a sweet story that I definitely plan on revisiting this holiday season. I was honestly hooked from the start, what can I say, I'm a sucker for the UK during the holiday season. It's so romantic!! But holy shit, I was NOT expecting this to be such a tearjerker!!! Color me destroyed..but I liked it lol! We all need a good romantic cry every now and again.

This book will break your heart just to put it back together and then break it all over again. My heart ached for Josie at almost every turn of the page - what an unfair hand she is dealt time and time again.

Reader beware: Despite the title having the word "December" in it, this is not a holiday read. Come here looking for beautiful words put to paper, but not for a lighthearted Christmas romcom.

It’s been months since I read the ARC of this novel (thank you NetGalley) and I’m still reeling from the ending. While I enjoyed the writing style and the book as a whole, I was not expecting the ending and was thrown for a loop. Don’t let the deter you from reading this though, I honestly enjoyed it and I hope to read more from Emily Stone.

It took a bit for me to get into the book, probably about halfway through. Once I caught onto the fact that there must be something serious keeping Max from staying with Josie I had to read until the end, of which was of course heartbreaking, tearjerking, and devastating. It's worth reading until the end. This isn't an emotionally light or funny book but I would still recommend it for a winter read.

Wahhh this book was amazing ! Don’t expect any fluffy feel good romance. This book is SAD. But it’s so satisfying and heartwarming in the end. Just expect to have some tissues next to you. I can’t wait to read what this author has next in store!

Always, in December is the perfect holiday read! It has meat and depth you might not expect from the genre, but made me think!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! 3.5 stars
I found the ending to be predictable. This is set at Christmas, but is not a Christmas feel-good read.

This book wrecked me and made me emotional in so many ways. Never thought that a book would give me so many emotions and make me connect to the characters to the level this one did. I was an emotional mess by the time I finished it, and it took me a while to recover.

This book was amazing in so many ways. It starts with Josie and Max meeting on a cold night in December while Josie is on her way to drop off a letter in the mailbox. Max is in the city for a few days before traveling to New York City, and after their cute meeting, he asks Josie to spend the next few days with him. Josie accepts, and they spend their days visiting local markets and holiday events before Max leaves. Six months later, they meet by chance again, and they give their relationship a chance until Max reveals to Josie why he didn't pursue her before.

Holiday romances are definitely my favorite, and this one had me from the beginning. Both Josie and Max are struggling with different life circumstances, and meeting each other on the most random night in December was not in the cards for either of them. The way their relationship developed was heartwarming, and I love getting to read how both were falling for each other without admitting it. They had insane chemistry and were meant to be together, yet they both knew that pursuing a relationship wasn't a possibility at the time they met. As the story draws to an end and they finally give each other the option to be together, I can't help to root for their love story to simply happen. I was a wreck when I finished the book, and I was in shock at how the book ended.

Overall an emotional love story with a heartbreaking ending.

Deep heartbreaking and challenging- definitely not the sort of Christmas romance I was expecting but it was such a wonderful surprise. I find that grief and the holiday season is something we often times avoid because it is difficult to discuss but do often it is something everyone is feeling.

Josie and Max have a unique meet cute and continue to meet over the next year from time to time as the fates allow.

This is not a light book but it explores challenging topics and things that we as humanity deal with following a loss. Always, in December is a winner.

I loved this book. It was such a heart warming story, full of emotions. It was a great read and a book that I would definitely recommend to others. I really enjoyed Josie's character and my heart broke for her and Max throughout their journey together. A must read but an especially great Christmas read.