Lexie, the MMC, is shocked to learn her distant father left her half of his travel company after his passing. She was even more shocked to learn she must keep it for one year with Liam, the co-owner and man her dad took under his wing at the start of the company. After one year she fully intends on selling and keeping the profit. However, during the year Lexie takes an interest in running the company which throws her and Liam into a lot of close (and romantic) situations.

I really enjoyed A Winter Wish! Was it a pretty straightforward holiday romance? At its core, yes. However Stone absolutely nails it on the head what it is like to have a distant father, who you both love and dislike because of that, who dies too young. As someone who has been in this situation I was surprised at how personal and emotional some parts of this story felt. Stone does an amazing job of showing a lot of parental prototypes, actually.

The spice was good, but not plentiful. I enjoy an enemies-to-lovers trope. Unfortunately what also did not work for me as well in this book was the romance. There were parts of this book that felt too long, yet I still wanted more from Liam and Lexies relationship. There also was very little Christmas/Holiday in this outside of some of their travels. It could have been set in the summer and it would not have changed the story at all. Not exactly a bad thing depending on what you are looking for.. but I wanted a bit more Christmas.

Overall, I would recommend this for a holiday read if you are looking for something with a little less spice and a little more depth.

This was a fun holiday romance. The plot was fun and unique. I enjoyed the story but I didn’t feel like it was anything extra special.

Emily Stone is a truely amazing writer - she writes in such a gripping way that you are immediately connected to the characters and you feel such an emotional connection to the story.

Lexie and Theo were not exempt from that - right from the get go there was a strong connection that flowed through the entire book. Lexie was a delight - her shock from being given half of her estranged father's company, to even further shock to find that the other half was given to Theo - a worker that had been employed at the company. Together they must work together in order to keep the company going.

The trips that were planned all sounded incredible. The arc of development of dealing with all of her abandonment issues from her father were also really well done. What was lacking for me, was a complete spark of anything between the characters. It was a really enjoyable read, absolutely perfect for the time of year, and I look forward to reading future works by her also!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy an Emily Stone book release - she tends to deliver that Women’s Fiction with a strong romantic arc and emotional nuance I look for in a read. I like my books to make me think and feel, but I don’t want to sob and I want things to end happily enough 😅🤷🏼‍♀️ this far, Ms Stone manages to check these boxes for me.

Her newest release once again touches on an exploration of grief, family and family dynamics — and also has a side romantic storyline too. While I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favorite of hers to date. I liked seeing the evolution of the sister relationship between Lexie and Rachel. Lexie’s grief journey was one that was also intriguing to see unfold and I liked how it was happening based on the background.

While I liked Lexie and Theo, they didn’t pop for me as much as a romantic couple. They had moments but I think the draw out took some away from it for me. Lexie also was just a harder character for me to relate to and understand personally.

Overall, still a solid read and one I’d recommend for fans of the author / of this style of story. Looking forward to seeing what Ms Stone writes next!

3.5 ✨

Emily Stone’s A Winter Wish is a cozy holiday story full of emotion and romance. When Lexie inherits half of her estranged father’s holiday travel company, she is navigating grief, emotional baggage, and an unexpected business partnership with Theo, who has his own issues to sort through.

I enjoyed the holiday travel connection, and Lexie’s personal journey is emotional and moving. However, the enemies to lovers romance lacked the chemistry and spark I look for, which made it harder to root for the relationship. It's also overly emotional, which I can see many readers appreciating. It just didn't work for me. The warm holiday vibes and unique premise make it an enjoyable seasonal read for those who like a lot of emotion in their books!

Looooooove the perfect winter vibes! A perfect sweet cozy read for this Christmas/holiday season! A hallmark movie in writing. My obsession.

Emily Stone writes the most amazing stories and this one is no exception. I loved this story and all the complicated family drama. It shows that life and families may not be perfect but they can still be wonderful anyway! Such a great read!

Solid 3 star book. I was mostly engaged and it did have some of the Christmas feels. I feel like it was missing something, slow at times. Predictable ending . It would make a great Hallmark movie.

This was a lovely holiday novel that takes place throughout one year from one Christmas to another starting with the death of the main character's estranged father. I loved all the different travel destinations and enjoyed the banter between Theo and Lexie. Lexie would have annoyed me as a character if not for her great character growth throughout the novel. Another holiday hit by Emily Stone!


Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

"A Winter Wish" left me disappointed. It lacked emotion and character depth. There was little known about the characters other than their family situations. The pace of the book was very slow and everything that ended up happening could have been done in half the time.

I am sorry this was a miss for me this year. I look forward to the author's books every year.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Sometimes holiday books can be too sappy for me but this one wasn’t at all! Heartwarming and a great coming of age story. All the feels. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

This was a well-written story. It was so heartwarming. I enjoyed it very much and could not put it down. I love reading books like this one.

I absolutely adored this read. Even with the flaws, the characters were so loveable and real. As someone who is no contact with her dad whom happens to be very ill, this was so on the nose but so well written. It inspires hope for these situations without invalidating feelings of the child in the relationship.

An adorable, complicatedly realistic Christmas novel that had real issues and bad choices, mixed in with a beautiful romance.
Things I loved:
Hotel corridors
Intense looks
Bad tattoos
And lots of scared feelings.
Thanks Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley.

I love Emily Stone's writing and look forward to reading her novels. A Winter Wish was another great holiday read! While Lexie was not likable in the beginning, she had some great character growth by the end of this book. This book gave me all of the feels! A fun read to cozy up with this winter!

Thank you netgalley for the arc of winter wish in exchange for my honest review. A solid three star holiday romance. Lexies estranged father dies and leaves her half of his holiday travel business which she is to share ownership with Theo. A man around her age who is also grieving the death of her father. She has a complicated family storyline as her mom raised her alone while her father made a second family resulting in a half sister Rachel. She falls in love and they all live happily ever after. Pick it up if you like the holiday vibes.

Well written book but perhaps it just wasn’t for me. I don’t have too much feedback because there wasn’t anything necessarily wrong, I just didn’t love it.

I just couldn't get into this one. She is such a brat. The enemies to lovers went on to long and I just didn't buy it. There was no spark/Swoon. They just hardly liked each other. The characters themselves were well developed and good. I really got her feelings for her father.
Sadly just didn't like this one as much as I kept wanting to

Emily Stone is a must read holiday author for me. But this one was not my favorite. I feel like there was something missing. Maybe emotion and depth? I liked lexie's complicated feelings surrounding her dad but. I don't know. Something felt "off"

In A Winter Wish, Emily Stone weaves a heartfelt holiday romance about unexpected inheritances, second chances, and love found in unlikely places. When free-spirited Lexie inherits half of her estranged father’s holiday travel company, she’s shocked—not just by the inheritance but by the stipulation that she must run it alongside Theo, her father’s young and brooding business partner. Lexie plans to stick it out just long enough to honor her father’s wishes, but the company’s mission of celebrating global holiday traditions starts to captivate her wanderer’s heart.

3.5 rounded to 4

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.