This one was sweet. It was different from what I was expecting. It’s definitely more magical realism. Still has all the Milwaukee love. I enjoyed seeing Astra discovering the Julemarked and Jack. It was such an interesting story and definitely a great holiday read. There were some things I wished were a bit different, but overall enjoyed. (3.5/3.75)

ONCE UPON A DECEMBER by Amy E. Reichert is a heart-warming and magical story that is a must-read for the holiday season. It is an entertaining and fanciful romance with a hopeful and inspirational message. Astra Noel Snow has just been through a difficult divorce so her yearly trip to the Milwaukee Christmas market with her dearest girlfriends is even more special. Jack Clausen works at his family bakery in the Julemarked, an enchanting world where it is December all the time. Whenever, Julemarked lands in Milwaukee, Jack and Astra meet even though she doesn’t entirely remember from year to year. This year, Jack risks everything to woo Astra before the Julemarked ends. Can the pair find a way to be together or are the sacrifices they’d each have to make far too great? This is a charming story full of friendship, love and Christmas spirit. I really enjoyed the unique premise and endearing characters. This sweet book will warm your heart and make you smile. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

I have become a fan of Amy Reichert, partially because of the hometown vibe. I am from the Milwaukee area so it is nice to read about a familiar area. This book if full of a true Christmas spirit of wishes and dreams.
Every year, Astra and her 3 best friends visit the Milwaukee Yule, she has noticed Jack for years, but can never seem to find him after the holiday season. When Jack makes a special Kringle for Astra, she knows there is spark and makes plans to meet for New Years Eve, but he doesn't show. The market disappears after the holiday season and there are sticking points to being a "Juler" if you will.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I loved the closeness Astra had with her girlfriends and what Jack had with his family. This will be a true holiday hit.

This is a sweet romantic comedy with a Christmas twist. I really liked the premise and I’m not sure if it was the rushed romance or what but I didn’t feel the characters were as developed as they could have been which prevented the magic from fulling settling in for me. The premise of the book is certainly a little strange and needs a bit fo twisty thinking to grasp. The Julemarked is a mysterious alley containing a village of people from whom it is always Christmas. They spend each December in a different Christmas market and when they leave no one remembers them. Astra from the outside and Jack from Julemarked have met many times but Astra has no memory of it. When they meet this time they make a connection that changes that, but can love be a bridge between worlds? Overall it was a fun book and it would make a sweet Christmas special movie. I gave it a 3.5 stars rounded up cause ‘tis the season.

This is the second holiday book I’ve read in the last few weeks that had magical realism and I have to say, I’m into it. The holiday season is already magical on it’s own so add in a little real magic that’s grounded in reality and I’m 🫠 One thing the authors books always have is amazing descriptions of food and this was no exception. The treats Jack makes at the Julemarked sounded delicious and I needed many snacks while reading this. There was something so pure about this one, maybe it’s because Jack himself was such a pure and innocent character but this was sugar sweet. If you’re looking for an adorable and whimsical holiday read this was an enchanting delight sure to give you all the Christmassy feels.

I really liked Kindred Spirits Supper Club, so I was beyond excited to read this one! It didn't disappoint. This book is full of sugar and spice and everything nice. It will make you laugh out loud and give you all the warm and fuzzies. It will also make you crave cookies and hot holiday drinks. Not upset about that. A perfect read for the holidays.

Once Upon a December is an enchanting, lovely book. This novel is a reminder that time is truly fleeting, and that we should treasure every moment we have with those we love the most. Like the presents under a Christmas tree, I’m not going to give you any more hints about why you should read this book; you must open up this book yourself, opening up your heart to the love and magic within its pages.

I thought my love for Reichert’s books could not be surpassed after reading The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, but it seems I was wrong. Sweet and funny with a magical touch, Once Upon a December filled me with so much happiness and joy and now has a special place in my heart.

Reichert has a knack for crafting wonderful and endearing characters who I cannot resist. I could honestly see myself befriending both Jack and Astra, and I really wished I was part of their circle of friends.

Astra had three best friends. This was a friendship that had lasted almost twenty years. Though, there had been some distance during her marriage, the quartet’s affection for one another never faded. It was beautiful how fiercely they loved each other and never hesitated to lend their support. I had such a great time with these women and was glad Astra had them in her life.

Jack was one of four baking sons, and it was fun to watch these men in action. Again, I was jealous of how close they were and how they could rely on each other. Jack’s family was definitely something special, but so was his home.

I did say this book had a magical touch, and it came in the form of the Julemarked. The Julemarked was a village where Jack worked and lived. But it wasn’t just any old village, it was a magical alley that could appear adjacent to any Christmas market in the world. In this dreamy place, it was always Christmas. Reichert deftly transported me to the the Julemarked and made me fall in love with it. There were quite a few interesting details about this place, and I really enjoyed learning the rules and history.

A delightful romance, a magical land, incredible friendships had already won me over, but there was more. I cannot talk about this book without mentioning the nods to Scandinavian holiday traditions, Wisconsin, and delicious food. Kringle was the star here, as it was what Jack baked, and the universe brought me some Kringle to enjoy while I was reading this book too. (Pumpkin, sent by a family friend from WI. It was delicious).

I could gush all day about this heartwarming story. It was such a treat getting to bask in all the Christmas joy, and I was surprised and impressed with some of the turns the story took. In a nutshell, this was a tale of love – romantic love, familial love, friendship, and love for oneself. A fun and touching feel-good story that left me with sunshine in my heart.

There is a reason the words 'once upon a' are in the title of Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert. A magical Christmas market appears for the month of December in various places around the globe. There is no rhyme or reason where it will next materialize, but it has been in Milwaukee enough times for kringle baker Jack Clausen to fall in love with local librarian Astra Noel Snow. There is a sticking point when the magical market disappears at the end of December: non-Julemarked dwellers can not remember the market unless there is a special connection made (for Astra that would be the handsome Jack). Of course, there are stumbling blocks - the main one is if they choose each other, which world will they live in? Leaving the Julemarked does have disadvantages for Jack.
This story reminded me of Brigadoon - and the similarity is mentioned in the book. Astra and Jack's connection is a sweet one, but I wanted more development on that aspect - for them to know each other. Of course, with the limitations of the Julemarked, love interests have to be quickly formed. The relationship/drama with the ex-husband dragged on and for me..... took away from the development of the Christmas romance.
Questions for discussion are included. Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group, Amy E. Reichert and NetGalley for the ARC.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert is a magical, entertaining romance that will warm your heart for the holiday season.

Story Recap:
Astra Noel Snow has just gone through a difficult divorce, but the one upside to the divorce is spending more time with her group of friends. Every Christmas, she likes to go to the Christmas Market in Milwaukee with her friends, and now that it’s the beginning of December, she gets to go again, and this time with her friends.

Jack Clausen has worked the Christmas market his entire life in his family’s bakery. He and his family call it the Julemarked, and he’s known all the shopkeepers of the Julemarked his entire life. The secret to the Julemarked is that it goes on every month in a different part of the world. It’s always December for the magical Julemarked, and Jack has no intention of ever leaving, the market, his family, or his friends. But, when he sees a cute woman come into his bakery he’s instantly smitten, but he knows, the market will disappear after Christmas and he will go with it.

My Thoughts:
Once Upon a December has everything I want in a holiday book. A setting of snow, holiday spirit, romance, and a bit of magic. I loved the premise of this story, where Jack works in a Christmas market that moves around the world, and he keeps inside the market that is full of family and friends. Jack is happy with his work and never wants to leave and visit the world outside of the market.

Astra has just gone through a divorce and her self-esteem is low and she’s vulnerable. But, Astra is lucky because she has a caring friend group, who rally around her and help her through this tough time. I just loved her friends, they are fun characters who give the story a bit of humor and help Astra grow after the divorce.

Jack is a skilled baker and the treats he makes in the bakery sound delicious and made me hungry. The people who work with Jack in the market are also wonderful side characters who support Jack and want the best for him.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend this warmhearted story to anyone who enjoys Christmas romance books. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Astra. a librarian, and adorable dog mom, is getting out from the downs of the demise of her marriage (good riddance, I say after reading about her ex), who has met Jack once yearly for the past 15 years at the Christmas market she and her best friends go to each and every year. He remembers her, she doesn’t remember him, ever… until she does.

This made me want to eat kringle (Wisconsin’s official state pastry!), go to holiday markets in the snow, as well as avoid shots and clubs for the rest of my life.

Though listed as solely romance, I would say this is more women’s fiction, with a big dash of fantasy, and with a romance emphasis. The main thing here, I felt, was not seeing Astra into a new relationship, it’s about Astra and her own self, and how she finds her way back to that self, along with the long-time female friendships that she has. Plus romance.

Regarding the romantic aspect - this one is closed door.

Amy Reichert’s Once Upon a December is a sweet romance filled with hot cocoa (sometimes spiked), yummy kringle and an intriguing hero and heroine. It is a magical story and especially enticing to me because it’s set in my area with mentions of familiar landmarks which made it even more fun to read. Astra and Jack live their lives separately each year until their paths intersect at the annual Christmas Market. They seem to enjoy their lives but also experience a certain loneliness that disappears at this special time of year when they meet up again. They definitely have a special attraction to each other but can they overcome the obstacles that could prevent a HEA? You’ll have to read to find out! Now is when I tell you that there were moments when I was pulled out of the story by having to figure out logistics. That’s could be just my issue but I felt I needed to give a heads up. It was a bit distracting. Ultimately I found Once Upon a December to be a frothy, magical story that takes a few unexpected turns making it quite different from others I’ve read in the Christmas Romance genre.

I received an ARC of ONCE UPON A DECEMBER in exchange for my honest opinion.

Spice level: 1-2 (fade to black)

In ways, this books reminds me of a portal story because Astra is pulled into a special market, the magic place where Jack lives, jumping from one December to the next.

I loved how Astra had a tribe of women to support her. If everyone had such good friends, the world would be a better place. She also loved her job as a librarian. And since I adore books, this tie in makes me very happy.

Jack and his brothers run a bakery—also something that makes me happy—specializing in making Kringle. He's been lonely for years and doesn't even realize how he's living a shadow of a life.

When Astra kisses this cinnamon roll man (or Kringle man), she's surprised at her feelings for him. Ultimately, Astra has to decide what she wants. I'm curious on what people would choose in real life.

This is a feel good romance, light-hearted, and fun.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. And thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

So much holiday magic!

Jack Clausen lives in a magical Julemarked that jumps from one Christmas market to the next. Astra Snow visits the local Milwaukee Christmas market every year with her friends. But none of them can remember the Julemarked (or Jack) after each encounter.

This book celebrate my favorite things: Christmas, baking, and libraries! It made me crave holiday kringles and want to spend all my time at Christmas markets. And I also loved the support for libraries as amazing community centers.

I appreciated the slightly older heroine. Astra is 37. And of course, Jack is much older, as he can live centuries through the Julemarked magic. This created such a fascinating world and also a really tough dilemma.

I enjoyed this unique holiday romance filled with a brand new type of magic.

Having loved The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, this was one of my most anticipated holiday romances of the year. Following a magical Christmas market that repeats the month of December every four weeks, this certainly had a whimsical setting filled with beautiful descriptions and quaint shops. You'll definitely develop a craving for a Kringle after finishing!

I will say, along with the magic system, the romance was incredibly unique. With fate continually leading them back together in Milwaukee, Astra and Jack have been acquainted for fifteen years. But by living in the outside world, Astra has practically zero memories of the handsome baker from the market.

With a race against time before the market disappears again, it was a lot of romance development crammed in at once. The glimpses of their interactions over the years were cute, but they were very, very brief—I found it difficult to believe their immediate, deep connection in present day. By the end of the book, I still didn't feel these two truly knew each other. I wish I loved this one more.

Once Upon a December was a really sweet holiday novel. It’s a romance (closed door), but the greater storyline is about Astra’s journey to find happiness. I would classify this book as more women’s fiction, with a strong romantic subplot.

Things to look forward to:
- An outstanding friend group. I LOVED Astra’s girlfriends. They are there for each other through it all and there’s never a question about their loyalty or what they will do for the other. I appreciated that in the end, Astra stayed true to this love.
- The love across time aspect. The book flips between the past and present and it was interesting to see how Jack and Astra’s relationship developed over the years. Yes, it’s instalove, but also in a way it’s not. There’s definitely a destiny/fate aspect at play, which made some of the decisions easier to accept. I loved the nisse that Jack carved and gifted to Astra. It was such a cute detail.
- Kringles. This book left me craving a Kringle (or ten). I’m not near Wisconsin, so I need to try and hunt one down.
- The Magic. I loved the cozy and homey vibe of the Julemarked and though I still don’t fully understand how it all worked, it was such a unique and imaginative idea. I loved all the different punny shop names in the alley as well.

I would have preferred if Astra’s ex-husband Trent hadn’t been such a big part of the story and honestly, it annoyed me what a pushover Astra was in the beginning. I understand it was part of her character arc to grow and change though. I also felt like the pacing overall was on the slower side. Some parts, like the running of the bakery and Astra’s job, were overly descriptive and made the book feel unnecessarily long. The ending was a bit rushed, but I loved how it all tied together. There is a trope in the novel that isn’t my favorite, but I appreciated that that surprise didn’t truly factor into either Jack or Astra’s decision to stay or go.

I read and listened to Once Upon a December and the narration by Sharon Freedman was wonderful. She’s a new to me narrator and was perfect as Astra. I did sometimes have an issue determining which character was speaking when Astra’s friend group got together, but overall this was a really enjoyable listen. If you enjoyed Amy E. Reichert's last book, The Kindred Spirits Supper Club, you’re sure to enjoy this one as well!

Audiobook Review
Overall 3.5 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 3 stars

CW: pregnancy and discussions of having children/parenthood, divorce and custody issues (dog related), skiing accident (secondary character), toxic & manipulative ex

*I voluntarily read and listened to a review copy of this book*

Much thanks to @PRHAudio for a complimentary audiobook and NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this magical second chance at love holiday romance featuring Astra, a recently divorced 38-year-old librarian and Jack, a baker who lives in this alternate dimension Christmas market world that only intersects with the real world over the holidays. Jack and Astra have encountered one another several times but it's only this year that Jack finally learns Astra's name and takes a chance on love.

Together these two have to decide whether a life together is worth taking a chance on and which one of them will sacrifice for the other. I loved the antics with Astra's dog and ex as well as the strong female friendships. I also really enjoyed that Astra was a middle aged FMC and still deserving of love and a happily ever after. Perfect for fans of books like The dead romantics or Just like magic and great on audio narrated by Sharon Freedman!

Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for my eArc, and PRHAudio for my complimentary audiobook. I paired the audio with the eArc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Once Upon a December is a magical, heartwarming, inspirational Christmas romance. Our MC are 100% lovers of Christmas, how can they not be with names like Astra Noel Snow and Jack Clausen. But since Jack lives in the magical Julemarked and Astra lives in Milwaukee, how will they ever fall in love? The Julemarked only shows up for 3 weeks each December, and once it leaves, no one can remember the shops or the people. The other caveat is there is no guarantee it will show up in the same spot year after year.

I thought the use of the traveling shop was an interesting twist on time travel. Even though Astra and Jack have met many times over 15 years, only Jack can remember the meeting. I liked the use of flashbacks in telling their meetings over the years. Eventually, Astra starts remembering the past meetings and this leads to some very important decisions.

Astra’s friends are amazing, and I wish I could hang out with them. Astra’s ex was a pain, and I did not like how he treated her. I did cheer when she finally stood up for herself.

Make sure to grab this one and add it to your holiday reads, remember, Christmas is not a place or a time, but a state of mind.

With sparkle and holiday merriment, Once Upon a December is a Christmas romance that takes 'magical' to a new level. Every year, Astra and her best friends visit the Christmas Market in Milwaukee, which mysteriously appears and disappears for the month of December. No one seems to notice, but Astra meets the swoon-worthy Jack and begins to have memories of their meetings and realizes the small hand-carved figurines she has been collecting for years all came from Jack. Astra needs to make a gut-wrenching decision between being with the love of her life and family and friends to determine her destiny. An enchanting Christmas-y that will get you in the holiday spirit!

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary/Fantasy Romance
Pub Date: October 4, 2022

This book had a lot of elements to really get you in the mood for the season. First, the concept of a traveling Christmas village was just really cool! I liked the imagery the "street" created for holiday markets, and it really took me back to my childhood when I used to go to these similar (albeit, non-fantasy) markets with my mom and grandmother. Second, I loved that the story gave me Elf (the movie) vibes, but on a bit of a more grown up scale. The male lead was cute and charming, and I thought the female lead was the perfect match for him.

That being said, there were some things that didn't work for me in this one. The main thing was the story was a little jumbled, and it tried to do a lot in a short page span. That's not always a bad thing, but it made the jumpy quality of the story hard to keep up with. It was confusing and not well explained at times, and that was a frustrating reading element. I also wasn't super invested in the romance tropes in this one, one in particular (no spoilers, but it is by far my LEAST favorite trope). I wish there had been a CW about this particular trope because that's how much I don't like it.

If you're looking for a cute, whimsical holiday read, I would still recommend picking this one up. It is, though, the type of book I would check out from the library instead of purchasing because I do not see myself re-reading it.