Lexie never stays in one place for more than 6 months. She’s always moving and finding part-time jobs. One thing that does always stay with her is a wish jar she made with her dad when she was younger. Each Christmas she puts a piece of paper in the jar with a wish she hopes to come true. Even after her parents divorced, and her relationship with her dad became strained, she always kept her wish jar.

One afternoon Lexie gets a phone call from her mom that her dad passed away. After going to his funeral and going back home, Lexie finds out that her dad left her half of his business, R&L Travel. The other half is left to a man named Theo.

Theo and Lexie need to run the business for at least a year and turn a profit. After that, they can sell it if they want to. Lexie soon finds out that Theo is very unpleasant to work with. Not only this, but Lexie has mixed feelings about how involved she wants to be with the business/working with Theo. Will Lexie run like she normally does, or will she stay to run the business?

I enjoyed this book. It’s a cute holiday read!

This was a good story, but it felt like it had a bit too much plot and some aspects of the story felt unnecessary. That being said, I still enjoyed it and I think it says interesting things about the ways in which we create narratives in our head and live by them without ever really investigating if the narrative is accurate. It touches on complicated relationships, which I always enjoy. But, I found the main character to be her own worst enemy.

Such a great Christmas story. The characters were perfect. The banter and chemistry was off the charts.
Lexie and Theo were perfect for each other. It was fun watching them blossom right on the pages.

Emily Stone's latest holiday novel, A Winter Wish, takes readers on adventures around Europe with free-spirit Lexie. While working the winter holidays in Austria, Lexie receives a phone call from her mom that her estranged father has passed away. Returning to the UK for his funeral Lexie is stunned she's inheriting half of her father's travel business. Lexie hasn't really spoken to her father in years; leaving Lexie and her mother for a younger woman (and her younger half-sister Rachel), he was never there for Lexie after the divorce. Reeling from the revelations of his will, Lexie has to share the business with Theo, her father's younger protege. Lexie hasn't stayed in one place for more than 6 months since leaving university-expecting her to stay in Bath for a year while learning to run a travel business has her ready to jet off on the next plane out of the UK. But with sparks flying with broody Theo and struggling to deal with her complicated emotions surrounding her father, Lexie tries to prove everyone wrong over the course of a year and makes a few wishes in the process. While this book felt a little less seasonal/Christmassy than Stone's pervious releases, by the end similar emotions are evoked and it felt like a classic Emily Stone novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone
Review to be posted on Goodreads (11/30/24)

Emily Stone has done it again! I’m so grateful to have received early access to this book through an ARC from NetGalley and Random House Publishing. As a longtime fan of Stone’s holiday novels, I was thrilled to add A Winter Wish to my TBR a year ago, and it exceeded all my expectations.

This heartfelt story follows Lexie, a woman who’s always on the move, never staying in one place for too long. Her life is upended when she learns that her estranged father has passed away. Attending his funeral, Lexie reconnects with her half-sister Rachel (a result of her father’s affair) and many of his beloved friends, including the team from his company, R&L Travel. The real twist? Lexie learns that her father has left her half of his travel company, with the other half going to his loyal employee, Theo.

From the start, Lexie and Theo clash. Their misunderstandings about each other’s relationships with Richard—and their differing visions for the company’s future—create immediate tension. To complicate matters further, Lexie discovers she can’t sell her share of the company unless she works there for one year and helps turn a profit.

What follows is a slow-burning friendship between Theo and Lexie, set against the backdrop of family reconciliation, personal growth, and the magic of holiday travel. Along the way, Lexie finds a sense of home with those around her: her childhood friend Fran, her sister Rachel, her mother, and the staff at R&L Travel, including Ange and Harry.

A standout element of the story is Lexie’s cherished “wish jar,” a childhood tradition where she wrote down her dreams and placed them in a decorated jar. This sentimental touch serves as a beautiful metaphor throughout the book and even helps bridge the gap between Lexie and Theo.

I also loved the unique premise of Richard’s company specializing in holiday travel based on cultural festivals. The descriptions of events like the Lemon Festival in France were vibrant and immersive, as were the adventures Lexie and Theo shared in Madrid and Ireland.

As with all of Emily Stone’s books, A Winter Wish is a tearjerker. The complex relationships—especially between Lexie and her father—offer a deeply realistic portrayal of family, capturing the bittersweet dynamic of holiday gatherings: the joy of being with loved ones and the heartache of unresolved tensions.

This story has a character for everyone, which made it all the more special. It’s left me eager to revisit Stone’s previous books now that the festive season is officially here.

5 stars!

This was a great holiday read! The book begins with the main character, Lexie, receiving news about her estranged father’s death. She finds out that her father left her half of his travel company, and that he has left the other half of the company to Theo, a man she has never met. This book had a slow start for me, but I am glad I stuck with it. Lexie and Theo were both nuanced characters, which made them feel relatable and I rooted for their relationship. I appreciated the other themes explored in this book, including navigating complex family relationships and grief. This book had a lot of heartwarming moments, but also felt a bit melancholy at times—for those who struggle with feeling lonely around the holidays, this book is for you. This is the first book I have read by Emily Stone, but it will not be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

3- 3.5🌟

This book was a like, not a love.

Emily Stone is known for writing emotional holiday novels, which is right up my alley. I’ve now read 3 out 4 of her books!

This story focused on Lexie’s experience with an absent father growing up. When he unexpectedly gets sick & passes away, she’s shocked to learn that he left her with half of his travel company. The other half goes to his grumpy business partner, Theo.

My biggest gripe with this book was how much it centered around the company and her dad. It felt like most of a story was about self-discovery & healing for Lexie. The romance was definitely more of a subplot! I did enjoy the workplace romance, enemies-to-lovers vibes, and travel experiences ☺️ I could have used a little more holiday spirit, but the story did take place over a year sooo?

Overall, it’s a tender book that explores complex family dynamics. I’ll always enjoy picking up a book by Stone!

#gifted Random House // Dell tysm!

A heartwarming holiday read for this season! I patiently waiting until the weather was colder to enjoy this book (since I kindly received it in May) and it was a lovely. I love Lexie and Theo's relationship, it's a slow burn for sure but it's worth it in the end. I also especially love how we got to read a chapter from Theo's POV. Emily has a beautiful way of writing Lexie and how she processed the death of her father and how that affected her emotions and relationships.

Thanks to NetGalley, Megan Whalen at Penguin Random House, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

I look forward to Stone’s holiday books every year - they are a great mix of heartbreak mixed with unexpected romance. I appreciated Lexi’s grief journey after losing her father, all while working through so many other changes. I loved the concept of his travel company and her role in that. I think there was just a bit too much happening and I was missing the typical charm of her books, especially in the romance department.

BUT, still a great holiday book that veers away from the typical hallmark style plot ❤️ Give it a try!

3.5⭐️

Emily Stone is the crowned queen of Christmas romances with complex emotions. As someone who is no contact with a parent, I felt so seen in the complex emotions had about how Lexie feels about her estrangement from her father. However, I do almost wish that this one had focused solely on Lexie and her journey. The romance portion felt forced and like it lacked a good bit of chemistry. That said, I really enjoyed following their travels.

This was a cute one but I felt like it lacked emotional depth. I did enjoy the relationship that slowly developed with Lexi and Theo and how they went from not standing eachother to more but I wanted it to go deeper, it felt very surface level. Still enjoyed it though!

This was a enemies to lovers story line. I love Emily Stone books for the holidays, this one isn't my favorite. Still a good quick read!

Lexie’s father, Richard, has passed away. They have a tumultuous relationship, but he leaves her and his partner, Theo, a shared portion of his traveling business. A great Christmas read. This is a enemies to lovers trope set in Great Britain and Ireland at Christmas time. A great story! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I requested this book purely because of the author,Emily Stone . I have read some of her previous stories and enjoyed them very much. This book was no different. I adore her holiday-themed novels. A Winter Wish didn’t disappoint—it might even be my new favorite from her. The story explores themes of grief, enemies-to-lovers romance, and estranged family dynamics. Having lost my dad in 2020, I deeply connected with Lexie, and Emily Stone did a remarkable job capturing the complexities and challenges of such relationships. Despite the themes of loss and grief, this book is a quick read with plenty of heart. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

The perfect book to kick off the holiday season! Emily Stone writes the most fun, cozy holiday reads. This did not disappoint. The characters had substance, the plot was plotting. Overall, enjoyed the read!

I absolutely loved this book! It was a cute, heartwarming and cliche but cute christmas book and I loveeeeed the main characters and flow of the writing.

I really liked the idea of this book - it would have been a super cute “enemies” to lovers romance, but it was missing some key aspects for me that unfortunately has the romance side of the story fall super flat.

I really loved the idea of the travel company, i think there was such a special opportunity to build chemistry and romance between the two characters, but I didn’t feel that at all.

There was 0 tension built and the build up, in my opinion, wasn’t super entertaining. Due to that i didn’t find my self rooting for them, i got to the point where i really didn’t care if they got together or not.

I felt that for a holiday romance, it lacked a lot of holiday aspects / that cozy feeling you get when reading a holiday romance..

It had potential and i loved the FMCs growth, but overall it wasn’t my favorite.

An emotional, fun, read. Lexie hasn’t seen or spoken to her father in many years. He was an amazing connected parent until the day he walked out the door for a new life and new family. She went no contact after years of chronic disappointment. It wasn’t difficult as she figured he barely noticed. After 10 years of nothing, she ignores his calls because why set ones self up for more heartbreak? So to say she is shocked when she learns of his death and what he has left her. A wonderful opportunity that will bring up every emotion she has tamped down and a business partner who is more angry bear than human initially. When she learns of the stipulations she has choices to make. Can she make it work with all of the emotional baggage she is carrying? Does she even want to? Why Theo, who seemingly was like a son to her father while he all, but abandoned her? And why does Theo seem to hate her on sight and is she willing to give up the life she has created for herself? So much to unpack and the author has created an emotional journey for us to join Lexie on. I enjoyed the read and the ending was exactly what I read this genre for.
Uprated to 4 from what would have been a 3.5 rating.

Lexie learns her father passed; they have not spoken in 10 years. Lexie is shocked to learn that her father left her half of his holiday travel company! The other half is owned by Theo. The two of them must learn how to run the company together. Lexie wants to leave after the year is over; however, she learns how this work is fulfilling. Plus, Lexie and Theo go to Spain, where they feel sizzles!

• when she receives half the ownership of her deceased estranged father’s travel company, vagabond lexie is forced to work for the business for one year before selling. and to make matters worse, she has to work alongside a young exec, theo.
• i love a workplace romance, and the travel element of this story worked well for me. even the third act breakup didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the story.
• lexie & theo’s chemistry was really well done, and believable!