Oh I was cheering for this book to be another romantic holiday read, but what I got was tears. It definitely hit the heart strings. I loved Josie and Max and their London adventures. Definitely a good read but I would classify more as women's fiction instead of romance.

Heartbreaking and beautifully written. Hard to believe this is a debut! I can see that some may not be happy with this ending but it definitely made me feel the feels. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am very surprised by all of the good reviews other readers have submitted. As a frequent reader of British romance/women's fiction revolving around Christmas, I do love the beats of these kinds of stories, but this one just missed the mark completely.

The strong writing kept me reading, but the story breezes over characterization, presenting flat characters whose goals and personalities never quite feel formed or believable. I can't name any defining personality trait of Josie or Max besides their jobs, and their friends and family members are the typical quirky side characters who get to be more interesting than the protagonists (but just barely, in this case). This is often an inevitable part of crafting a story, but the difference in characterization was glaringly bad here.

The book's pitch presents the loss of Josie's parents and her letter-writing as a key factor, but I completely forgot about this element until it was brought up again at the end of the book. The pacing was odd, completely surpassing plot points that would've been interesting to read (the details of Josie coming to New York, her time spent in Edinburgh) and randomly switching to Max's perspective midway through without really adding anything to the story progression.

I'm unsure if this book is being advertised elsewhere as a romance, but the cover is misleading, and I hope others don't go into it expecting a sweet love story. There are rules to the romance genre, and the most obvious is that it must have a happy ending. This book did not, and the plot twist is so badly and suddenly delivered that it offered me no emotional resolution or satisfaction at the story's end. For a better experience, read something like One Day in December instead.

After losing her parents at Christmas as a child, every year Josie sends a letter saying she misses them. This year however, Josie gets into a small accident on the way to the post office box. The man she with her bike however, turns out to also be alone for Christmas this year and the two quickly fall for each other. When he leaves without a work however, Josie is devastated. Max has a way of showing up in the craziest places however.

Ok so first of all I need to say that my book schedule does not help me when itches to holiday books. They always come out in October, which I totally understand, but that means I am reading them in August in order to post them in September. Reading a book about Christmas and winter while sitting by the pool felt a bit weird, but it didn’t take away from the fact that I loved this book! There isn’t too much to say about this gem of a book, but if you loved One Day In December you need to pre-order this one! It was such a lovely story and I adored getting to watch Josie grow into the person she could be.

I wanted a happy ending because this book is labeled as a “romance” and said genre hands out happy endings in multitudes with the enthusiasm of Oprah giving out cars. not to mention, it’s about Christmas and I love Christmas. but this definitely is a case of my expectations (including it being labeled a romance) getting the better of the book. the ending frustrated me, as well as some of the writing. it definitely could have been edited down for brevity’s sake. this book reminded me a ton of a condensed-into-a-single-year reprisal of One Day by David Nicholls (book or movie, take your pick) with a comparable ending and all the cliches.

Thank you to Ballantine/Random House for an advance reader’s copy. Always, in December hits U.S. shelves on October 11, 2021.

Oh, wow! Emily Stone novel Always, in December had me staying up way past my bedtime because I could not put down my kindle! I immediately found the main characters extremely relatable—love that! The storyline was well-paced and I have to say for a Christmas romance, Always, in December has twists and turns I didn’t see coming! I found this emotional novel both heartwarming and heartbreaking with cast of characters that will definitely stay with me! This is the first book. I have read from Emily Stone, but I am already looking forward to reading her in the future!

Always, In December, had many qualities that I enjoy in a good book. A cute love story that takes several unexpected turns, great friendships for both main characters, and a wonderful and truly surprising ending. I will admit, however, that it had a pretty slow build, and I wondered if I would have abandoned it had I not commit to a review. I’m happy to say I stuck with it and am very pleased I did. Sometimes light, sometimes deep...this book will allow the reader a lovely seasonal read with the sights, sounds and traditions of Christmastime interspersed throughout. Enjoy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Always, in December" and all opinions expressed are my own. Overall this book was good. The story flowed smoothly and it kept my attention. My favorite character in the story was Max. A very heartwarming and at times fun book. Yes, it has a bit of romance, yes you will need tissues.

I enjoyed this book overall and thought it was a fun, light read. I enjoyed the theme and am a big fan of the London setting. My only issue was the fact that I struggled to connect with any of the characters. It may be due to the way I read the book but the characters just felt a little flat. However, if you’re looking for a fun romance with a Christmas setting, this is definitely a good pick!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me access to this book!

I was going to give this story a 5-star rating until a certain part in the narrative came up and then I couldn't.

To the author: romance is a genre fiction that comes with very specific expectations. If these expectations are not met, it's not a romance. Call it women's fiction, call it general fiction, call it whatever you want—but DO NOT call it a romance.

To the publisher: why did you think it was okay to put this book in the romance category on NetGalley? This is NOT a romance. I see you put it in romance categories on Amazon too—this is a gross disservice to readers.

To the casual reader: if you've been duped in thinking this is a romance (like I was), save yourself the grief and don't read this. Seriously.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This is one of those books that I couldn’t stop thinking about after I finished it. I loved it but I had all sorts of emotions to deal with.
It should come with a “tissue warning” - Do Not Read Unless Tissues are Present. I thought I was going to read a cute Christmas romance. Yes, it’s partially set at Christmas, and it’s a romance, but it’s so much more. It’s a discussion about death and how it affects us, amongst other things.

Josie lost her parents at a young age, in a car accident on Christmas Eve. Ever since, Christmas have been a holiday to be endured, not enjoyed. She sends a letter to her parents every year. On her way to mail the letter, she literally runs into Max, who is on his way to New York to see his parents. They spend a magical holiday going to Christmas fairs etc., and spend nights together. On Boxing Day, Josie wakes up and Max is gone.

They see each other out of the blue over the next year in different cities, and as the next Christmas approaches, will they be together again?

I can’t say enough how beautifully written this book is. The characters are well drawn and felt like friends. Remember the tissue warning as you read this one. 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What begins as a chance meeting, or in this case, an unfortunate accident, brings two strangers together who share their Christmas holidays. From the first, the reader is rooting for the pair, Josie and Max, as their time together is romantic and magical. That being said, the characters themselves are multi-layered and realistic so when Max suddenly walks out on Josie, one feels as hurt as she does. Our story continues through the year as Josie comes to terms with her life and her losses yet hopes for answers about Max. Has he returned to his relationship with the beautiful Erin? Is there happiness in store for Josie? Why does Max seem to appear when she least expects him to?

Thanks Netgalley for a arc copy of this book for a honest review..

I don't want to say to much I'm scared I will give out spoiler's without meaning to. I enjoyed Always, In December it had me in tears very emotional didn't expect that with that begin said I'm glad I got a chance to read this gem. 5 star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟




Happy Reading 📚
Lisa

This book is so much more than the romance I was expecting. It’s a story about grief and chasing dreams, and it’s so heartwarming and lovely. This is a book perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Love, Rosie by Cecilia Ahern. This romance starts with a chance encounter and from then on, Max and Josie and thrown into fate’s hands as they being brought back together throughout the next year in different places. I loved the building tension of these two and their growing feelings with each encounter. I loved the format of this story, with each chance encounter becoming a new part of the story, so as a reader you get the snapshots of their year, and the each city was so vividly described, it was just beautiful. While the book is a little slower paced of a read, the writing is beautiful and while it is a romance, this is a story about Josie more than anything. Her grief over her parents’ death as a child made me want to pull her into a hug. Josie is just so sweet and kind and loving. She is so timid in the beginning, but she grows so much and her journey is so well developed. And Max too, I loved. No matter what, he has Josie’s back and is so chivalrous, and I just loved having some of his POV sprinkled throughout. And I love the spark these two had for each other. Plus, the side characters, Max’s sister and his friend, Josie’s roommate and her grandparents/aunt, were all so funny a spunky and they were just perfect! It really is such a well written story and is one I’ll be thinking about for a while! As a debut novel, author Emily Stone just did such a phenomenal job with this touching, heartwarming holiday novel!

My review will be posted on goodreads and Instagram, the Instagram will be posted 8/9 and I will add the link once it’s posted! Thank you!

This story absolutely caught me by surprise. I never expected to feel as deeply as I did while reading this and go through such an emotional time with this book.

My one and only recommendation going into this book: have tissues on hand or you’ll end of tear-staining your shirt and pillowcase like I did.

I’m going to set up this review in bullet points since I’m fresh off of finishing this book and I’m not sure I’ll be able to adequately form a coherent review while I’m still deep in the emotions of this book.

•This book gave me big Emily Henry vibes. The writing style, the emotions... I was heavily reminded of my attachment to her books while I was reading this one and it was absolutely beautiful.

•There was constant tension through and it ebbed and flowed. You’d think you were getting closer to happiness and then all of a sudden it just dropped and you’re left just as heartbroken as before. And yet it was so good and you’re left wanting more.

•Such an imperfect love story that was so insanely beautifully written while being gut wrenching. The back and forth with such bad communication but made so much more realistic with it covering a large span of time.

•I call myself an easy reader to make tear up. If there’s a sweet scene or any emotional scene, I’m definitely known to tear up. But it is very rare for me to full on sob. This is one of 3 books in my life where I have legitimately sobbed from reading. I’ve rarely been this gutted while reading which I think was honestly just such a huge shock. Huge huge HUGE kudos to this debut author for eliciting such an intense reaction from me and what she wrote about and me rating it as highly as I am. This author is brilliant at writing lovable characters that you become so insanely attached to, and you won’t realize it... until you do.

•This is a story about grief, and while I’ve never experienced true grief like these characters, I feel like this opened a very small window into what it’s like. And so I say again... this author blew me away and is absolutely incredible.

***Trigger warnings: I do want to say that this book deals heavily with dealing with death of loved ones and grief, so go in carefully if these are triggers for you. I never ever give trigger warnings, but for this one I will.***

*Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

Always in December really took me by surprise. When I found out this is Emily’ Stone’s debut novel I did not have high hopes, but I was proven wrong immediately.
The story begins in London with Josie and Max running into each other (literally) and deciding to spend the days leading up to Christmas together. Circumstances being what they are, the day after Christmas Max leaves to go back to America and Josie is left with no way of contacting him. They see each other a few times throughout the next year which helps to build the tension between them and their budding relationship.
This story is not just an angst ridden romance. It’s about love, self discovery and the different ways we deal with grief.
I loved the description and details of each new place Josie visits. I also liked the dual POV with both Max and Josie.
I did not like the way the story ended, but that’s just because I am a sucker for a happy ending.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

This book tore my heart apart. I don’t remember the last time that I cried that hard reading a book. It was so beautiful and so heartbreaking at the same time.

This book is about Josie who meets Max after she basically runs him over on her bike when he’s getting out of a taxi. They have immediate chemistry and spend the Christmas holiday together. After Max leaves Josie abruptly with no goodbye it’s left her heartbroken and confused.

Over the next 2 years Josie and Max run into each other within their social circle. Fate keeps bringing them back together. It’s a heartwarming and heartbreaking story about loss, love and soulmates.

I received an copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book. I thought the characters were well developed and the plot moved at a pace that felt appropriate. I would like to read other books by this author in the future.

Let me preface by saying I chose to read Always, in December right as I'm going through the emotional turmoil of a breakup/not breakup. (God, I hate 21st century relationships). So I was already setting myself up for failure by reading about a happy couple and how they live happily ever after. Well, I set myself up for even more failure by the BUCKETS of tears I shed over this book. It COMPLETELY broke me. And I LOVED IT.

Much like real life these days, Josie runs into the adorable stranger, Oliver, and the two spend a heartwarming holiday together. Their bond grows, memories are shared, and Josie finds herself finally opening up to the idea of loving again. Only... for Oliver to leave abruptly one day sans notice. (I feel you, girl). As she tries to pick up the pieces and move on, life keeps bringing these two back together in the unlikeliest of ways.

I personally refuse to believe this is Emily Stone's debut novel. As soon as I finished the book, (and spent many hours crying then staring at an empty wall), I went to Google her other works so I could tear through those. But alas, this is her first! She completely blew me out of the water with that. Her writing style is something that stuck with me days after finishing Always, in December; it holds a timeless, realistic feel that many romance books do not. I was totally immersed in the story, and for the hours where I couldn't put it down, I found myself so touched by Josie's character that I forgot my own heartbreak.

My thing with most romance books is that they aren't realistic. Which, duh Kaitlyn of course they aren't. But I've found that my favorite romances are the ones that tie in to reality and remind the reader that love isn't always a picture perfect fairytale. I especially loved that Stone touched on childhood memories, grief, past trauma, and how that shapes who people become as they grow. This was just such a touching story that left me more heartbroken than I currently am, but in the best way possible.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This was such a fun holiday read! I read it in one sitting and I personally think it would make a cute movie.