Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of this latest from Emily Stone. I thought One Last Gift was pretty good, but there's a definite pattern to Stone's work: the FMC is forced into some kind of "challenge" thanks to the last wishes of a recently deceased family member. In One Last Gift, it was the MC's brother. In A Winter Wish, it's the FMC's estranged father. It's hard to get past her animosity towards him and one can see why it would be difficult for her to carry through his request. I struggled to read it because the first several chapters are the FMC running away from difficult conversations and situations. Yes, her father just died, but at some point you have to communicate maturely with the people around you. I found the FMC difficult to relate to even though I have my own complicated grief after losing both parents. She just came off as immaturely bitter when she could've handled the situation differently without compromising her morals. And the MMC is such a jerk considering he knows nothing about her, and his mentor/boss (her father) wasn't actually his own parent so he should've been able to respect that this wasn't his experience to be judgy about, and while he was understandably upset about his boss' last wishes, he definitely could've handled it better, as well. Sorry, but this one just wasn't for me.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

A Winter Wish was about what you would expect--a holiday enemies to lovers romance with some depth (thankfully), but overall it was a "fine" read. I appreciated the backdrop and focus on Lexie's complicated relationship with her father, but, in someways, that overshadowed her relationship with Theo and I cared more about Lexie coming to understand her father than Lexie coming to understand Theo.

My favorite part (though I recognize I'm probably a bit biased given my hobbies/blog) was the travel company and some of the trips the couple took. (I definitely took notes on the lemon festival in France and hope to visit myself soon!)

It's an enjoyable book, but it just didn't have the spark that draws me in and makes a book un-put-downable.

Book: A Winter Wish
Author: Emily Stone
Format: Digital
Genre: Holiday, Romance
Places Featured: Europe
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded up)

Quick and Dirty
-contemporary holiday romance
-grief & loss themes
-enemies to lovers/forced proximity
-grumpy sunshine
-travel inspiration

I’ve loved previous Emily Stone novels, so I had high hopes for A Winter Wish. Luckily, this one worked for me! I prefer holiday romance books that incorporate heavier subplots, and Stone’s work always fits the bill. Our FMC, Lexie, has a complicated relationship with her father, who unexpectedly dies and leaves her half of his travel agency business. Little does she know, it’s exactly what she needs. Having spent years traveling abroad with few responsibilities or ties, Lexie grapples with the responsibility of owning a business and her unresolved emotions from childhood. At every turn she’s reminded of the father who abandoned her rather than the generous man who left her half his beloved business.

To make matters worse, she starts to develop feelings for Theo, the stranger her father hired and left the other half of the business to! As they travel to foreign places in search of the perfect vacation, they both learn something about the people they hope to be and the power of love. I was rooting for this couple from the very beginning, eager to see how Stone resolved their early miscommunication. With a cast of supporting characters, cultural experiences, and lovely European destinations, this book is perfect for romance readers who want a touch of holiday charm.

This book touches on some heavy topics, and I think it does a great job capturing the feeling of grief. Throughout the story, we see how the characters share this emotion in different aspects of their lives. That said, the book ended up being heavier than I expected, and honestly, it brought up some of my own feelings of loss. I also had mixed feelings about Lexie and Theo as a couple—I struggled to feel the chemistry between them at times. The writing is solid, but I don’t think this one was my cup of tea. Still, I’m open to checking out more of the author’s work!

Thank you so much, NetGalley and the publisher, for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Oh, how I love a British holiday romance! I was really looking forward to reading this one and it didn’t disappoint. Our FMC came across as a little immature through parts of this book but the author gave her a backstory that I think justified a lot of her actions. And there is wonderful character growth from both main characters.

This is a somewhat heavy emotional read. I still don’t know how I feel about Richard (Lexi’s dad) but I think that’s the point. The author really shows how complicated people can be and how grieving complicated people can be even more difficult because of those mixed feelings.

This is also a book about traveling and the descriptions of the different settings was amazing. I found myself wishing I was there with the characters. Even their home base of Bath seems like a wonderful place to visit!

Overall, this was what I expected (in a good way). It was a memorable, sweet romance with holiday vibes and just enough spice to keep things interesting. I definitely recommend.

This book was so beautiful! I loved the slow burn romance with the underlying themes of difficult grief, personal growth, and found family. I really enjoyed reading about all the trips and traveling the characters did and enjoyed all the characters. While I’m overall happy with how it ended, I was a bit disappointed at the super last minute third act breakup and somewhat rushed conclusion. I get why it happened and loved the inclusion of Richard’s letter, but wish it wouldn’t have happened. Nearly a five star read for me!

It was alright. Easy to read but forgettable. Didn't really follow how Lexie and Theo went from hate to like. The conflict between Lexie and Theo that drives her to quit also felt pretty silly, it was such a blatant overreaction that it was eyeroll worthy.

This enemies-to-lovers was perfect! So many details that added to the magic. The company that these two work for sounds divine and I want to book a holiday through their company tomorrow … if only it were real!

This book is a hard one for me to rate. The FMC, Lexie, inherits half of her father's travel agency after he passes away. The problem is... she was estranged from her father for many years and doesn't want to have anything to do with running the business, especially since she'll have to share those ownership responsibilities with Theo, her father's annoying exec.

Lexie definitely has her own issues of feeling abandoned since her dad walked out on her and her mother years ago. And while this has a bit of "enemies to lovers" aspect, I never really understood why they were enemies and the "lovers" seemed like of forced and I never really felt any chemistry between Lexie and Theo. Throw in the "miscommunication trope" towards the end and I was ready to DNF the book with only about 10% left to go.

Things I liked:
- the trips and itineraries for the travel agency. I could picture myself in France and Madrid. Listening to the descriptions of food, buildings, and the local people really made me miss my time spent in Europe. When Theo described a recon trip to Bruges, I could almost smell the waffles and chocolate that are seriously unlike anything anywhere else.

- Lexie developing a friendship with her half-sister, Rachel. I liked seeing their relationship as half-sisters slowly turn into a friendship, but I just wish we ended up with more of the two of them together

This book has a little more of a serious and somber tone because the holidays aren't always holly and jolly in the real world. Lexie is thrown into the life her father had with his second family after his death. She has a lot to unpack and work through. She's been living her life through one narrative and it's hard to see other sides. I liked how she was able to open up and let other people help her.

I enjoyed the addition of international travel to the typical unexpected inheritance trope. This gave the characters the opportunity to interact in new locations and with new challenges. Overall this was a very enjoyable book.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

This was an enjoyable enemies to lovers romance but I do wish there was more tension and build up between the main characters. I would say this is a light weekend read.

If you enjoy British contemporary romance, with the grit and heart that gets past the basic tropes, this one is for you. Lexie's deceased father's attempt at post-grave reconciliation is genuine and heart warming. The male love interest, Theo, is moody and cautious with Lexie and helps her see the man her father became after he abandoned her. All this emotional growth is lightened up with scenes of travel and celebration around Europe over the course of a year. There are a few lovely side characters and the villainous step-mother is off the page and even given a bit of a reprieve by the end. Emily Stone writes page turners with great pacing and delightful narrative and banter.
Pick this up anytime of year, not just during the winter festivities, for a travel-dotted homecoming story.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone. 4.25 stars!

I can be honest, I have never read an Emily Stone book but now she is most definitely on my radar. I really liked A Winter Wish. It was full of emotion, grief, honesty, yet equally balanced out with laughter, joy, and beauty. The build up for Lexie and Theo all the way to the very end is absolutely worth it. Also, Ange & Fran are incredible supporting characters, adding so much depth. A beautiful story with many layers that had me in tears from time to time. Definitely recommend.

I normally really enjoy Emily Stone books. This one was not my favorite. The overall concept using the travel company is what really peaked my interest and that part was enjoyable. It's a great setting/premise. But there were problems with the romance element. It felt a bit forced and there was a spark missing between the two main characters. I think this would be have been a better story overall without the addition of romance. Dealing with the complexities of grief of losing someone you had a complicated relationship with while showing growth and development is better without the addition of a lukewarm romance.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this book to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Winter Wish by Emily Stone is a tender and heartfelt holiday romance that beautifully explores the layers of a father’s love.

Set against a cozy, wintry backdrop, this story weaves together family secrets, second chances, and the magic of the season. Stone’s gift for emotional storytelling shines as the characters navigate love, loss, and the joy of new beginnings.

With its warmth and depth, The Winter Wish is the perfect read to curl up with this holiday season. Thank you, NetGalley, for this moving and memorable story!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for granting access to this book and to prh audio for the audiobook alc.

If I am being honest, for whatever reason (I can't quite put my finger on it), Emily Stone's books have been either hit or miss for me. I would say this book is somewhat middle of the road in my opinion. I enjoyed the story, but unlike some authors where I can read any book by them and absolutely love it, I haven't yet found this with Emily Stone. And like I said, I don't understand quite why this is. Perhaps its because her books are set in the UK and I live in the USA? Or maybe her books are either slow or depressing at times for me. This book is definitely one of the better ones and I am glad I requested this book. If anything Emily Stone proves that just because you didn't like a certain book by an author, doesn't mean that you will dislike all of that authors books.

I would give this book a 3.5 or 4 star a rating as it still is a lovely novel to curl up with this winter.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone

I love love loved it. All you three star-ers can fight me.

If you’re expecting sunshine-y Christmas, you won’t find it here. If you want some hard topics about forgiveness and coming to terms with difficult relationships, slide right up.

Christmas vibes are mild despite the cover. I know this about Stone’s work already and it never detracts from my enjoyment.

I loved the theme of two sides to every story that appeared throughout the book. And the romance was my cup of tea. That first kiss 🫠

Content: death of a parent, explicit language, two bedroom scenes

4 stars.

If Emily Stone writes a Christmas book, you know you're about to get punched in the gut with emotions. "A Winter Wish" is another excellent entry in her fine catalog of work. I always enjoy reading her stories when I need a good cry. This enemies-to-lovers romance involves traveling, found family, seeing the world, shattered expectations, and not letting life pass you by while enjoying new experiences out of your comfort zone. As with all of Stone's books, the main character starts out one way and completely does a 180 by the end of the story. Lexie's dad has just died and left half of his niche traveling company to her. She has to learn to get along with her estranged father's co-worker, Theo, since he now owns the other half of the company. Lexie wants to sell the business and get the heck out of there, but this is Theo's life's work, so he wants to keep it open for the foreseeable future. They agreed to give the business one year to flourish or sell and split the profits. In the meantime, they decide to go on expeditions together to see how the tours run and get an inside look at the business from a ground level. On their many traveling adventures, Lexie and Theo eventually end up seeing more than just the sights...if you catch my drift. There is a lot of good banter between Lexie and Theo in this story, but at the end of it, I was left wondering if they would truly make it as a potential couple. Their enemies-to-lovers background leads to a lot of miscommunication, and it seems they fundamentally disagree on a lot of "big" life things. One thing they don't disagree on is s3xual chemistry, and while there are brief wisps of something more than just s3x, this aspect still landed a little flat for me. They're both trying to process their grief about Lexie's father's death, which makes matters more murky. If I had to put it in words I would say I liked Emily Stone's other two books better than this one, but it is still a solid Christmas read. Just don't go into it expecting something heavy on the romance because it is very much a drama first kind of book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Stone, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Book Review
Book Title by Author Name
⭐️⭐️

I was hoping for a different kind of Christmas read, but unfortunately, this one didn’t hit the mark. It felt slow, repetitive, and much heavier than I expected. The tone was more serious and somber, which just didn’t match the cozy, feel-good vibe I was looking for.

I’m not typically drawn to overly sweet, lighthearted romances, so I thought this might offer a nice change of pace. However, it ended up being too heavy and drawn-out to keep my interest. While it might resonate with some, it wasn’t the right fit for me.

I love Emily Stone and she will always be an auto buy author for me! Unfortunately this wasn’t my favorite of hers. Out of all her books, this is my least favorite. I wasn’t hooked on to the story line. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Lexie and Theo. I wasn’t invested in their relationship. Despite of not enjoying this book, I will absolutely read whatever Emily Stone writes.