One of my first holiday reads for the holiday season. I was excited to check this one out as my other Emily Stone read really got me emotionally. This story starts with Lexie who's attending her father's funeral and finds out she's been left half of his travel agency business. Lexie meets Theo who has been left the other half. They don't seem to get along - but can they manage working together? This was an easy read and I liked the travel aspect of this story. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

It took me forever to finish this book. I just couldn’t connect with the characters. There was no chemistry between the two and it was hard to be invested in their love story. I am happy I was able to complete this book instead of sending it to the DNF pile.

A Winter Wish is a poignant holiday story that explores the complexities of family relationships. When the protagonist learns of their estranged father's death, they are surprised to inherit half of his travel company. However, there's a catch: they must work for a year alongside their father’s grumpy business partner. As they navigate this challenging partnership, unresolved emotions, and tensions come to the surface. This heartfelt tale highlights the struggles of reconciling with the past and the potential for healing and connection during the holiday season.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i think emily stone is my favorite author around the holidays. every book she has is focused on holidays but it always feels fresha nd new, not redoing past storylines and unique characters.

As with all Emily Stone books this one is also heartwarming and deals with complicated subject matter.

3/5

Lexie is estranged from her father, so when he passes and leaves her half the company she has to deal with her emotions surrounding him. While also working along side her father’s coworker on the company.

This book lacked chemistry for the romance between Lexie and Theo. I wanted to gush over them more than I was.

Overall, while I think Emily Stone’s book are good they are never amazing to me. Maybe because they always deal with deeper subject matter than I want in a holiday read.

This is my fourth winter now that I’ve spent reading a Christmas novel by Emily Stone - and her stories touch a part of my heart and stay there every year.

When Lexie unexpectedly inherits half a business from her recently deceased, estranged father, she wants nothing to do with it. She wants to cut her losses and continue with her life. But as she is bound by the will her father left, she is half owner of the business for a year and must work with Theo to keep the company profitable if they ever hope to be able to sell come one years time. What unfolds is a beautiful story of grief - and how grief isn’t just for those who have died, but sometimes for the living too.

Emily Stone has always been able to capture the human condition and write it so beautifully and eloquently. I have never read a more endearing story that unpacks grief - and there were so many times where my heart would just break for Lexie while simultaneously feeling healed by the way the story was unfolding. This is a beautiful tale, and watching Lexie and Theo’s slow burn unfold while they both muddle through their relationship with her father, his death, and each other was incredible.

I will just say if you’re looking for a story that will fill your heart and you’re okay with crying, pick up this one next.

Thank you, Dell and NetGalley, for my eARC of A Winter Wish by Emily Stone.

I am a huge fan of Emily Stone, so when I saw she had a new Christmas story coming out, I was super excited and clicked that request button immediately. While I liked this story, I didn't like it as much as her previous novels.

I typically love the enemies-to-lovers trope, but I think this one was just missing *something*. I didn't feel like there was a connection between the two MCs, Lexie and Theo, so the romance element felt a bit forced.

Her writing didn't feel like it normally does. There was more out-of-place cursing than usual, and while I don't care about cursing in my books, in a rom-com Christmas book, some of it just felt jilting.

There was also a lot of family trauma surrounding her dad and it seemed to get muddled with the romance being a big component as well. I'm not sure both needed to be as big a part of the story as they were.

Besides all of that, I did find parts of this book interesting. I loved the premise of the travel business and experiencing different holiday traditions for different cultures. There were also well-written characters, like Rachel, for example.

I'll be on the lookout for Stone's next holiday book.

I enjoyed this lovely, holiday season story- I especially resonated with the theme around the scripts we live. About how we cling to the stories we tell ourselves about the past as opposed to accepting the truth that where family is concerned, the truth is rarely black and white.

Romance isn’t even in my top three of favored literary genres because they so often lack the depth that I look for in a good story. This, though, had a sort of depth that both surprised and moved me.

I’m giving it 3.5 stars because there were some glaring plot holes that I couldn’t ignore, and I felt like the rhythm faltered somewhat in the middle, but overall, I’d recommend this to anyone who loves stories about family, loss, and unconditional love.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the advanced copy of this to read! Emily’s books are perfect for a large glass of tea on a winters day. Expect some of the same winter tropes you would in seasonal tales, but Emily has a way of weaving them together in a wonderful way that makes them feel fresh and enjoyable.

I enjoyed this book but there should be a warning for those who have recently lost a parent or loved one. A Winter Wish is not really a "Christmas" romance but more of a "it starts and ends at Christmas time - one year apart". I liked the the storyline but her dealing with the death of her estranged father throughout the entire book definitely takes the rom-com aspect out. It was a good book with lots of great interactions between all the characters, but don't expect a meet cute or a lot of funny situations.

Anything Emily Stone writes, I will read! Get some tissues and get comfortable! This novel brought so much more depth than I expected from a holiday read.

Lexie leads a nomadic lifestyle but finds out her estranged father has passed away, leaving her his travel business.

Before leaving his family for his mistress, Lexie’s family traveled quite a lot. It became a Christmas tradition to travel the world. The abandonment she felt left her feeling angry and confused. Not only did he leave her his travel business, but he also stipulated that she run the business with a co-owner, Theo. Despite some push back on Lexie’s part, she and Theo grow closer together through a lot of deep conversation and travel.

Definitely add this one to your list! Also, if you haven’t read Always, In December by Emily Stone you should also add that to your TBR this holiday season! Thank you to Dell Romance and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

I love Emily Stone's writing, but this one just did not do it for me. I LOVED the travel company idea - how unique? - but I did not feel the chemistry throughout the story.

I enjoyed this book! I loved that the main female character loved to travel and see the world, and how it stems from the abscence she felt when her father left. However, I think the style of the book wasn't for me, although I did enjoy it.

Emily Stone books just hit different. This would be my third one and the emotion in the writing is great! This one definitely was not my favorite because I couldn't get behind the plot, but it's full of great characters and settings.

Oh what a beautifully heartwarming story!
Lexie is always on the move. Taking odds and ends jobs just so she can travel and experience the world. Having had an estranged relationship with her father, she is surprised to hear she has inherited half her father’s company upon his death. The other half goes to his colleague Theo. Lexie was not involved with her father for several years and knows nothing about his company. Therefore, she wants to sell it. The contract has other stipulations. For the next year Lexie and Theo must work together in order to grow a profit. If they do so, Lexie will have full leverage to do as she likes. She must also learn to work with Theo an attractive man who she absolutely despises.
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I have read a loved all of Emily Stones books and every time I say “this on is my favorite.” Today this is absolutely true. I adored the story of found family and experience new things through the lens of another. Lexie and Theo were the perfect “enemies to lovers” This story came with all the tears and heartwarming moments you have come to expect from Stones writing. I absolutely loved this one.
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Thank you Netgalley and Dell books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Stone writes the best emotional and heartwarming Christmas reads!

Lexie is a ski instructor/nanny who travels and does various jobs throughout her adulthood. She gets a call right before Christmas that her dad has passed away. She hasn't been close with her father since she was 7 years old, when he left to start a new family. After his death, she finds out that he has left half of his travel business to her, and to Theo, a man who worked for him in the travel business for the past 5 years. Lexie is allowed to sell the business, after 1 year of working with Theo, but they must work together to run it.

Lexie doesn't like Theo and Theo doesn't like Lexie. Theo was close to Lexie's dad and didn't understand why Lexie wasn't close with her dad. Working together will be a challenge for both of them.

Will Lexie continue to own her father's business or will Theo drive her over the edge?

I'll read anything Emily Stone writes. These books aren't necessarily "Christmas" books, but books that tend to start and end at Christmas time. She talks about how people handle grief differently and we always see characters grow and develop through the year. I can't wait for her next one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the Dell for the advanced copy!

Ok let me honest I hated this. WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE DROPS DEAD. Thats actually fucking crazy and an awful way of making the main character realize she can be independent. BOO!

I really enjoyed Lexie and Theo’s story. Both are grieving the same person but for different reasons. This causes them to be instant enemies at the start.

They go VERY quickly from enemies to realizing the other isn’t so bad. It’s a little rushed but then they go back and forth between being friends or more. Usually I would find this annoying but it actually worked really well here.

This was a great book to start off my holiday reading.

This book was so cute but lacked something I needed! I love an unexpected inheritance plot, but instant love isn’t usually something I like, and some more time for tension to build would have moved this up a star rating for me. It’s a cute holiday read, but as a romance novel it didnt hit some marks for me!

Lexie has been mostly estranged from her father since he left her and her mother and started a second family. His death leaves her saddened--mainly because she knows they will never reconcile. She is shocked to learn he has left her 50% of the travel agency she didn't know he owned. But there are conditions. Grudgingly she agrees to try to run it with Theo, owner of the other 50%. Predictably, the two don't get along, but sparks fly nonetheless.

Lexie and Theo breathe life into this old trope, and Lexie's voyage of self-discovery follows her more literal trips. As she comes to term with her father's desertion, she finally builds the foundation for a relationship with her half-sister. #AWinterWish #NetGalley