This is a tragic romance, one I had not expected. I think the author has put her personal grief into the story and it is sad and poignant. However, the story drags in multiple chapters and I almost didn't finish it. I like their romance and wish they had spent more time on their relationship. Even if it was short, I felt like the romance was too short for the amount of time they fell in love. Also, I wish the author had done a better job of giving Max's storyline. His chapters seem too short and fragmented. Thanks to Netgalley for the book.

I wanted to read this book after Halloween, during November or December, to get into the holiday mood. I generally love this time of year and the feelings that are associated with it, however, I've never been too into holiday reads. Reading the description of Always, in December, I was admittedly curious.

The book is NOT your average, corny holiday romance. In ways, this is good. It maintained my interest based on the relative unpredictability of the story, but it certainly was not what I was expecting.

I'll admit, I saw the cartoon cover and thought this story would be a lot happier. To say the least, it was not. I think the way this book is marketed and distributed could be altered a little, only because I feel that people will walk into a Christmas romance with an idea of one thing and come out with another, likely with a sour taste.

In the end, this book is for the people who need more than just your average romance plotline with the holiday setting.

I really enjoyed this sappy little novel. I definitely wouldn’t consider it a Christmas book but it does revolve around Christmas a bit. A quick, fun read

Always, in December is not your typical Christmas romance with a heart-wrenching twist that you won't see coming. It's not always easy to celebrate Christmas when it brings up memories of loss. Even though Josie lost her parents at a young age, she still finds it difficult to fully enter into the season. An accidental meeting with Max leads her to question if she has been missing new opportunities for celebration.

Oh wow, this book really tugged at my heartstrings. I was immediately drawn into Josie and Max’s meet cute and budding relationship. I felt for both of them when he left without a word. I had an idea from his conversations with friends and families that something was going on with him, but I didn’t know what. I was sad when he and Josie had a few run ins but they were still not able to get together. There was still something that Max couldn’t say to Josie. I wish he would’ve pushed a little harder to share his news with her no matter how challenging of a conversation.
My heart absolutely broke when Max passed away suddenly in the hospital while her grandmother was just getting out of her triple heart bypass. What a beautiful heartbreaking book this is. I’m grateful for friends who warned me to have tissues ready. .

I will update with the link when I share to my bookstagram account.

I knew this wasn’t going to be a typical Christmas-y romance, but even still, I could not have predicted how depressing it is based on the cutesy cover art. At no point was it particularly uplifting, but it gets so sad that I honestly felt duped.

My issue is in the marketing; had I known I was signing up for a book about some really heavy, sad stuff, I’d feel more prepared to actually review it. It’s obvious this book was geared toward romance readers, and it meets none of the expectations you’d have of that genre. And because there’s little to be said about the content without spoilers, readers can’t know what they’re in for.

This book was soap opera–style sad, like the writer sat there and said “how can I make readers most upset?” and just went for the shock factor. I love a good sad book, but there’s a difference between a sad book and a book that adds in sadness as entertainment.

Overall, though, the writing was smooth and digestible, and despite how I felt about the subject matter, the author is certainly a compelling storyteller.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc.

Always in December is a delightful read it’s not all about Christmas and takes place over a two year span. Josie runs into Max one day in December on her bike, through their relationship they unknowingly help each other. It is a bit of a tear jerker at the end.

I loved a seasonal read and this one was no exception. I loved the characters and how they kept missing each other and reconnecting. The ending was so unexpected and felt a bit random/rushed which is why this is not a 5 star book for me. Overall a really easy, sweet read,

On a very cold night in December, while feeling at her lowest, Josie literally ran into Max. She literally ran him over with her bike. Being distracted by the nostalgia of missing her parents, blinded by tears both from the anniversary of her parent's death and her recent breakup with her now ex-boyfriend, Josie was definitely not paying attention to where she was going.

After apologizing a million times, she offered to buy him a drink as an apology. Hesitating for only a second, Max went with her to a near pub and after that, they ended up spending Christmas week on each other’s company.

Sadly on Boxing Day, Max pulled a D-Move and left quietly in the morning, leaving behind only a note and no further details of how to contact him, giving the suggestion that what they had, whatever it was, was only temporary. At least that’s how it felt to Josie.

Over the next months, they continue to have a few encounters. Making them wonder what the next Christmas will have in store for them.


—

I need to say that… I need a break from life after reading this book. It broke me apart and brought me back to life. I sincerely suggest that you give this story a chance just to make you feel something. I absolutely adored Emily Stone’s writing style. Who said that romantic books cannot have a jaw-dropping plot twist. I was not, I repeat,

I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT ENDING!!!

I just don’t know what to do with my life. Would I read it again, just feel all that again? ABSOLUTELY! This is a story that will teach you to dream big and to always follow those dreams. No matter how impossible they may seem. Only you can determine how far you can go in life. There is always a way. Do not give up!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this beautiful story.

Even though this book appears to be holiday/Christmas related, it is really not. It takes place throughout various seasons so if you are looking for a warm Christmas read- this is not it! It's an emotional read but has some humor and light-heartedness as well- and there are lots of cute moments between the main characters...

I really loved this story- the entire book was up my alley and I flew through it. That being said, I hated the ending and was very disappointed. So again, looking for light and cheery, this is not it but overall a fantastic read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well bloody hell.

That was an unexpected ending.

I really enjoyed this one and i enjoyed Josie. Still will never give 5⭐️ to a book in which one conversation between two adults can change a lot. 😂

Josie and Max. Their story begins with a meet-cute moment when Josie is on her way to post a letter--to the parents who died too young. It is a bittersweet tradition. One she has kept for decades -- always, in December. This book broke my heart. At the same time there is a wonderful message about missing the ones we have lost and experiencing life without them. This book is hard-hitting, a truly gripping read from page 1 and it is easy to put yourself in Josie's shoes, to feel what she feels, from anger, hurt to heartbreak, with the odd snigger along the way too. The characters are very realistic and resonate with the reader. This one will tug the tears so make sure to have some tissues handy. The holidays are different for everyone and people deal the best they can with the hand that is dealt. The book was easy and fast to read, and i couldn’t put it down.


Thanks to the publisher , author and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book.

Left me preface this by saying this is all me. I wanted to love this book so much, and I know beyond a doubt it's just me who didn't connect because so many connected with the book. The premise is lovely. It's beautiful honestly. For some reason however I couldn't connect with the story. I tried multiple times and it just didn't work for me. I'm so so sorry. As a lover of books it honestly pains me when this happens so I do apologize.

I have been in a reading slump since the end of summer, but Emily Stone's "Always, In December" pulled me in so effortlessly I finished it in two days.

I'm a year-round Christmas enthusiast, so this book could be read at any time of year but, as the title suggests, it is indeed the perfect December read. In fact I feel like I will read this book every year around Christmastime now just to get those warm fuzzy feelings again. One of the very first scenes takes place at a Christmas fair and I felt like I was there myself.

This book is great for fans of books like One Day in December by Josie Silver or This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousins. I loved not only the core relationship but also the strong friendships with the side characters too.

Highly recommended to get you back into a cozy, Christmasy, reading mood!

Always in December by Emily Stone is a somewhat difficult book to classify. Even though it does feature two people who are attracted to one another, I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a romance. And in the same vein, even though December and Christmas are both featured in the story, it’s not what I think of when I think of a holiday read. At its heart, Always in December is a story about love and loss.

The story follows a young woman named Josie whose parents were killed on Christmas night years ago. Still struggling with such a huge loss, Josie tends to avoid most of the Christmas festivities, only clinging to one holiday tradition. Every year she writes and mails a letter to her parents, letting them know how much she misses them and still thinks about them everyday. She has no idea when she ventures out to the post office that she is quite literally going to run into someone who will change her life forever.

Enter Max, the handsome stranger Josie runs over with her bicycle. Like Josie, Max is avoiding the holidays for his own reasons. We don’t know exactly what is going on with Max when we first meet him, but he definitely seems a bit out of sorts, although Josie wins him over pretty quickly and they decide to spend the holidays together. It seems to be going splendidly and Josie starts to envision a future for them, but then Max disappears without saying goodbye and her hopes are dashed. That is, until they keep randomly crossing paths over the course of the next year. It feels like so much more than just coincidence, although Josie can’t understand why Max keeps pulling back from her. It’s an emotional roller coaster for them both and I found myself frustrated with Max at times, although when we ultimately find out the reason for his reluctance, it’s a truly heartbreaking moment and I cried my eyes out.

I adored both Josie and Max from the first moment we meet each of them. Josie is so sweet and vulnerable, and it crushed me to think of how lonely she must have been to grow up without her parents. The loss has clearly shaped her and I was so happy when she and Max seemed to hit it off so well during that first meeting. I was just as frustrated and heartbroken as Josie when he disappeared and then elated each time they crossed paths again, only to be heartbroken all over again each time they parted ways. Max was a sweetheart too, although he clearly has some things weighing him down, and those things are in the way of him finding happiness with Josie.

I really loved how the author has Josie and Max’s relationship unfold. The fleeting happiness, followed by heartbreak and confusion each time they met felt very authentic, and I also loved the idea that they were destined to keep finding each other, to force each of them to be brave, live in the moment, and embrace love since we never know what the future holds.

Always in December is a quietly beautiful story about how our lives are shaped by love and loss. It’s a poignant story that I won’t soon forget.

A sad but uplifting story about a girl who suffers from deep grief only find hope and love again. Will it be snatched away too soon? The book's ending was a twist made me cry but it still give an uplifting feel to it. Highly recommended for those who want a sweet holiday romance with a tinge of bittersweentness to it.

I'm going to start with this is not just a holiday read. It covers different months throughout the year. I like the idea of how Josie & Max instantly connect when they first run into each other (Or I should say when Josie runs Max over with her bike). It's a bit unrealistic that they formed such a tight bond over the few days in December when Josie was still getting over a long term relationship, but that's what books are supposed to do sometimes...suspend reality. Max leaves without saying goodbye which sets up the rest of the book to have crazy connections that bring them back together months apart. When you read this book, be prepared to laugh & cry & sometimes scratch your head in wonder.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

•Let me just start by saying I thought this book would be a light, fluffy holiday centered read. It’s definitely not that!!

•This one was a TEARJERKER! A beautiful story of loss and heartbreak, sprinkled with friendship and finding the strength to carry on.

•The meeting between the two MCs is iconic and hilarious, had me hooked from the start! While this one is definitely emotional, it has its cute and funny moments between the two that make it all worth it 💛

•I did like this one but I don’t recommend it for a light and cheery holiday read if that’s what you’re searching for!

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review ✨

“A devastating, romantic, life-affirming love story”

This book!! I don’t know whether to love it or be so mad. Throughout the whole thing I had an inkling that Max was sick or something was wrong with him. But there were so many things that just made me mad. While I completely think you can create a strong connection with someone and fall in love from only a few encounters I don’t think max owed Josie an explanation. I also don’t feel like the 3 encounters they had were long enough to create such a strong bind between them. It felt a little unrealistic.

I also can’t imagine his parents and sister at the end being okay with Josie being the one to be with him when he passed. It just seemed so wrong!

The book is very cute and romantic but just felt a little unrealistic. I also felt like because it skipped so many months I didn’t feel like I was getting the whole story. I don’t want this entire review to put the book down because it was very cute and sweet. I liked the authors writing style and I liked the book. I just wish it wasn’t so sad and unrealistic.

Loved the amount of love (and loss) the author made me feel reading this. While it’s perfect for this seasons TBR list, I feel this is a book we’d get something out of year round. It doesn’t square itself away as only a holiday read. What a feat. Perfect! Heartwarming and helped me remember to be truly appreciative of loved ones around me.