Having read numerous cheesy, happily ever after, holiday books, I found Always, In December refreshing. Will this make you cry? Probably. Is it a sweet, refreshing contemporary set during December and the holidays? Yes. I really enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to readers looking for something a little different to read this holiday season.

My take: 4 out of 5. So many tears, both happy and sad in this book. It was heartwarming and beautiful. It had two things I love about a proper love story: a wonderful meet cute and a totally unpredictable path line. I loved the characters and the dual point of views. Also a great book to get into the Christmas spirit, i want to go around London doing Christmas stuff! a great way to get me into the Christmas spirit, my tree is coming up next!

Just finished reading this one... Wow is all I can say. This book gave me all the feels. #emstonewrite I can't wait for more books from you.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy Always In December in exchange for my honest review.
I must say that I enjoyed this book. The story was interesting and definitely grabbed me from its opening pages. The only criticism I have is that a lot of the sentences were disjointed and ran on quite a bit. I know this is the author’s first book, so I’m not judging too harshly. It was definitely something that ruined the flow of the story at times.
That being said, it was a good first effort.

Thank you so much @RandomHouse & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 12 October 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Josie never looks forward to December as it's a reminder of how she tragically lost both of her parents. Every year on Christmas Eve she writes them a letter that she knows they will never read & this year on the way to the postbox a chance encounter with Max changes the course of their lives.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the different settings of London, New York & Scotland
- the underlying theme of life after loss

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the initial meet cute over Christmas was too insta-love for me
- I really don't think this should be categorised as a romance
- the characters felt quite flat which sadly didn't help me root for the romance
- I cannot fathom why Josie took back her ex... why?!

I am not a fan of romances where the problems are purely caused by miscommunication (or lack thereof), which this was. The twist at the end seemed out of left field and unnecessary. Still, it was a cute, light read.

Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is about a romance between two people who meet accidentally and have a whirlwind romance in December, then it abruptly ends. The rest of the book is about finding out why and what happened. The reason this book was so successful and moving was that it became about so much more than a simple romance. The author very strongly and clearly portrayed strong ties between family and friends, and how important it is to have those relationships. I loved this book because it showed how love is vital not only between couples, but also how necessary it is to guide you through life, to face things with strength and hope.

“A poignant, heart-tugging, life-affirminitg story that will wrap around you like a hug during any season ESPECIALLY CHRISTMAS! its sweet and warming . It has great writing and a decent plot!

I don’t know what I expected from this book, but it didn’t meet any of them in a good way. I struggled some at first because I realize this was going to be a heartbreaker, ugly crier. The story was amazing, the characters were relatable, it made me cry just like I figured it would.

Emily Stone, why did you have to hit me in the gut like that?! I will not spoil anything but the tears were falling.

Josie doesn't do well with Christmas after her parents die on Christmas when she was a child. She send them a letter every year. She is on her way to deliver the letter when she literally runs into Max. They end up spending the holiday together and it's life changing but before you know it, Max is off to America and Josie is left heartbroken. They run into each other during the book and they are so obviously in love with each other. The moments they are together are just so sweet. Can I go to a British Christmas faire, please? Then we are hit with an ending that I didn't see coming and I am still feeling all the feels.

This was a Hallmark movie type of read with such picturesque descriptions of the holidays and of the United Kingdom. I loved the main characters and all the others around them. Be prepared with tissues.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a copy of this book.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for the copy of Always, In December.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a great read and the story made me happy and broke my heart all at the same time.
If ypu are looking for a feel good Christmasy boom for the holidays pick this one up.

I loved this! I wasn't expecting a tear jerker, and I normally don't like tear jerkers, but you'll definitely want a box of tissues handy when you read this! The story is, of course, a romance, but it's also a story of family and friendship and learning to appreciate each day for what it is. The author did such a great job writing the main character, Josie, that it's easy to feel her emotions and experiences like a punch to the gut. If I knew going in this wasn't going to be a light-hearted Christmas read, I probably would have skipped it, but I'm so glad I didn't! It's worth all the tissues and sobs - I don't know what else to say without spoiling it. This one will stick with me for awhile.

La historia sigue a Josie, una veinteañera que vive en Londres y que acaba de terminó las cosas con un novio infiel. Es tiempo de navidad y cada año escribe una carta a sus padres que fallecieron el Navidad cuando tenía 9 años. De camino a enviar su carta, literalmente se topa con Max, un hombre que cambiará su vida para siempre. Max está atrapado en Londres por unos días y terminan pasar unos hermosos días juntos antes de irse a Nueva York, pero en su último día Max se levanta y se va con solo una nota. Luego, la historia sigue la vida de Josie y Max durante todo el año, y todos los encuentros inesperados que enfrentan en el camino. A pesar de la distancia y el tiempo, existe una atracción magnética entre ellos. Esta historia fue tan hermosa. Fue divertido, romantico y tu absolutamente enamorado de Josie y Max. Los apoyas y les maldices cuando todo lo que quieres es que quede claro comunicación.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random Publishing House - Ballatine for the gifted copy.

ALWAYS DECEMBER is a romantic love story about a young woman, Josie.

Highly recommended for fans of rom com novels.

Well… that was HEARTBREAKING.

I picked up this book from my NetGalley shelf thinking it was gonna be this lighthearted romance novel and it ended up wrecking my soul.

There was lighthearted romance. A lot of it. But that last 1/3… oh my goodness! I fell of love Josie and Max’s story and that was my downfall. I shouldn’t have loved them as much as I did. 😂

Really solid read. I loved it.

I’m not sure how to properly review this book without giving away the ending. There was a big old cliche I did not see coming that really negated a lot of the positive aspects of this story for me.

Josie experienced a tragedy on Christmas Eve when she was a child, and as a result, she usually spends the holidays at home, preferring not to relive that time in her life. When she bumps into Max (literally) who is stranded for the holidays due to a flight delay, things start looking up for her Christmas season. I loved Josie and Max’s chemistry and their Christmas dates and adventures. The holiday spirit was palpable through the descriptions and I could perfectly imagine each of their dates.

After their initial meeting, the story starts to take some large jumps in time, each of which I found less compelling. Max and Josie bump into each other over the years, they’re always mad at each other for one reason or another and it just felt very drawn out.

And then the ending completely unraveled the story for me and felt like such a cop out. This did not end up being the cute Christmas romance I was hoping for.

Short version of the Goodreads blurb: Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life.

First I just have to say that I loved this book! There were enough Christmas activities for me to consider this a holiday read for sure. I laughed out loud a few times. I definitely cried. If you are a crier, I would recommend having tissues handy. I can understand why some people might not like this book or be upset with it being marketed as a romance. However, for me, I did not mind. This is the type of "romance" that I like. Cutesy dates and some heart tugging. I've discovered in the past year I really like novels that address grief in some way. Having lost my own mother when I was five, I identified with Josie's feelings of loss regarding her parents. It is not something that ever goes away and I really like that she was able to honor and remember them. I would recommend for fans of Josie Silver or Cecelia Ahern.

Thank you to Emily Stone, Dell Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Josie's long-term boyfriend is a liar and a cheat. To make matters worse, she has to see him at work every day...along with the girl he cheated with. And worst of all, it's almost Christmas and the anniversary of the deaths of her parents. So she's understandably in a state when she takes her bicycle out for a ride...and bowls straight over an attractive but grumpy man attempting to exit a taxi in the bike lane. What starts out as an apology drink soon evolves into a multi-day mutual cheer-up society and life will never be the same.

This was an easy read that I was able to finish in one evening. I hadn't read any other reviews before starting, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's a lovely romance, but be sure to read with tissues at hand! There are a few unexpected twists and turns along the way.

Christmas in October?! No need to say anymore! When Josie literally knocks Max off his feet while riding her bike they take soon learn that their loneliness during the holidays doesn’t have to be lonely and a new friendship builds. When one night together turns into nothing more though, they start to wonder about each other and why it was only one night.

This book was super cute and I loved the way it described the places these characters visited. I did get confused and bit lost with all the characters surrounding them but overall it is a very cute book! 3/5 stars for me!

It’s never too early to start the holiday books!

On the way to drop off the letter Josie writes to her late parents every year at Christmas, she unexpectedly crashes into Max…literally. Max is stranded in London while waiting for a flight and the two decide to go for a drink so Josie can apologize for the whole crashing into him thing. They spend a couple of passionate days together and then, out of nowhere, Max is gone with only a note saying goodbye. Throughout the next year, their paths keep seeming to cross in the strangest places and they have to decide if they want to give their connection another chance.

Josie and Max are an adorable couple. I found myself getting so annoyed that they wouldn’t immediately get back together because I liked them so much!

The storyline is both very endearing and also very sad. Like many of these holiday romances, it will punch you in your feels. I will say my critique for this book is the organization toward the end of the novel. I thought the pacing started feeling off in the last 1/4 or so. I can see what the author was going for, but because it seemed rushed, I felt a bit disconnected from it.

Overall, this really is an ideal holiday time read. Pick up a copy, pour yourself a cup of something warm, grab a blanket, and settle in…you won’t regret it!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!)