There's nothing wrong with this book I just found it boring. The characters were cute, I just don't I really liked the writing.

Tells the story of Lexie, who has lost her father and finds she must take over his company, and of Theo, already working for her father and not too sure how he feels about Lexie stepping in. This seems to be marketed as a Christmas Romance, but more character journey through grief and belonging, than romance. And Christmas just a shadow in the background. I did not enjoy this one. I did not feel any connection between Lexie and Theo and not care what happened with them. I enjoyed Lexie's relationship with her sister, but not enough to reccommned.

The Winter Wish by Emily Stone delivers a heart-tugging blend of romance and reflection, perfect for those who enjoy a little melancholy with their mistletoe. The story beautifully captures the complexities of love, loss, and second chances, with Stone’s evocative writing painting a vivid winter landscape. The main characters are flawed but endearing, making their emotional journey feel genuine. Plus, the slow-burn romance has just the right mix of longing and hope to keep you turning the pages.

While the emotional depth is a highlight, the pacing occasionally drags, and some of the conflicts feel a touch drawn out. The bittersweet tone may also not be everyone’s cup of cocoa—it leans more poignant than purely feel-good. Still, the heartfelt moments and charming winter setting make it worth the read.

This was a cozy holiday romance about estranged family and how grief manifests in a myriad of ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Emily Stone knows how to write a feel-good winter romance that doesn't skirt around hard issues.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dell for providing me with an eARC of A Winter Wish in exchange for my honest review!

This cozy little rom-com can get me cuddling up with it, even if the love story at the core of it isn't something that charms me as much as I want it to. I simply don't feel like there's all that much chemistry between our MCs for a good portion of the tale, and it doesn't help that this uses the workplace trope. Now, this cliche can work perfectly well if you execute it smoothly, but because I'm having trouble becoming fully invested in Lexie and Theo's relationship, the cliche sticks out to me as being much more of a glaring issue. with father issues. Thankfully, I do appreciate how this book plunges us into Lexie's internal struggle surrounding her deceased dad and the estrangement that had hung between them.

Overall, I'm officially rating A Winter Wish 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars. I remember enjoying Love, Holly by Emily Stone a little more, but even then, I had problems with that book, too. Hmm, but I'm still willing to take a shot at another one of Stone's books.

This was a cute and cozy holiday read! The storyline was enjoyable, and I absolutely loved imagining the magical Christmas markets and dreamy winter destinations. Reading this made me want to book a holiday trip ASAP! If you're looking for a light, festive escape with romance and travel vibes, this one’s a great pick.

Thank you, NetGalley & Random House, for the ARC!

When Lexie learns that her father, whom she’s estranged from, has recently passed away she’s left with a lot of feelings. Inheriting half of her late father’s travel company, she is ready to get rid of the whole thing. But there’s the other half of the company, which has been handed off to Theo, an executive close to his father. The two must work together for a year before determining the fate of the company. What starts as enemies with different priorities quickly changes… I have read an Emily Stone almost every single holiday season for the past few years. Every single one has ripped me apart and has stayed with me well after I have read the last page. A Winter Wish was a nice reprieve from her usual more heavy holiday-themed books. Now that’s not to say this one doesn’t have heavy themes, but it’s not quite as heavy as her others. I really love that Emily Stone books always have a lot of depth to them and how eloquently she writes about difficult subjects such as death, grief, and loss.

Lexie and Theo were so fun to read about. The dynamic between this duo was really good. I did feel like some parts kind of lingered on a bit long, but overall I really enjoyed this book. I loved that Lexies dad knew exactly what he was doing when he left the company to Lexie and Theo even though the two of them had never even met. He loved to travel and loved to travel with Lexie when she was small and then he took Theo under his wing because he saw the potential in him and also the admiration he would have once he got to know Lexie. Theo and Lexie were exactly what the other one needed even when they didn't want to admit that. This is a really good winter read and I would recommend it!

This review is LONG overdue, but I really enjoyed the book. I look forward to @emilystone books every year and this one was just lovely. Thank you to @dellromance @randomhouse for my #gifted book.

Lexie is estranged from her father for over 10 years when she finds out of his passing and that he left her half of his travel business. They haven’t spoken in many years and this seems completely out of the blue. The other half of the company has been left to a long time employee of the business, Theo. And in order for them to inherit the business, they must learn to work together.

This book wasn’t as Christmassy as some of Emily’s other books, but I liked the niche travel company’s idea of holiday vacation to see different cultures celebrate. I’m glad Lexie was able to connect with her half sister and make up just a little for the heartache her father caused.

I would like to point out that this was the first of Emily’s book that did not make me cry at all!!

I’m a huge fan of Emily Stone’s literature. This one was cute, but I think I struggled to feel the same cozy, holiday vibe that I usually get from Stone’s books. This one focused on some serious themes. In this moment, I was hoping for an escape so this one wasn’t for me. That said, I could easily see how it would be well loved by someone looking for a more authentic holiday story. Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the advanced reader copy.

This was the perfect holiday book!

Bring your tissues when reading Emily Stone's books!
THis was a cute read, and definitely gets you in the mood for the holidays!

Thank you for this ARC!

theo and lexie are thrown together when lexie’s dad dies and leaves his company to both of them. theo, was one of his top employees. lexie, wqs his eldest daughter. throughout this book, we find out more about lexie and her dads relationship. the people in this book are not perfect. in fact, theo and lexie did NOT get along till about halfway through the book. lexie has a lot of unresolved daddy issues, and let’s not even bring up her relationship with her half sister Rachel.

What would you do if you learned you inherited a niche travel company and know nothing about running it? Would you sell it or step up to the challenge to learn how to run it? The answer was not that simple for Lexie who had some sentimental value attached to it (her late estranged father's company) and that the will stipulates she and Theo, her father's handsome executive, must find the way to run the company together for a year before deciding its fate.

I really enjoyed this story of family, mistakes, regrets and new-found hope. I really felt sad overall that Lexie and her dad drifted away from each other in the last decade. And more so for Lexie who even before that felt like an unwanted daughter after her father remarried and began raising Lexie's stepsister. There is so much heartache in this novel. But the storyline of Lexie and her stepsister reconnecting is so full of hope, grace and forgiveness. The romance was not the main storyline, but was such a welcome fresh tale! This book made me want to start planning travel, exploring the world and its cultures.

Even though this was a holiday read, this story of family connections and father-daughter love could be enjoyed in any season.

I didn’t vibe with this one! Romances are hit or miss for me, and I like depth in books, but the pacing felt off and I couldn’t connect with the FMC.

such a heartfelt book. This brought out so many emotions, and i overall loved this one and thought it was a great winter read.

Emily Stone has a talent for Christmas stories with a side of grief and romance (or perhaps grief and romance stories with a side of Christmas).
In A Winter Wish, Lexie is coming to terms with the loss of her estranged father after finding out he willed her half of his company. Although Lexie’s mom has always been there for her, the hurt from her father’s abandonment hasn’t been dealt with, and has manifested in Lexie’s need to always be on the move, never forming deep attachments. Can she let her guard down and let people in? Can she heal her heart?
While not earth-shattering, this was an enjoyable read with some pretty emotional moments. 3 1/2 stars rounded up.

5 star book for me! This book was a wild ride of Theo and Lexie's relationship, how they started was rough, because these are two people thrown together when neither expected it and neither wanted it. It was emotional and sweet and a great holiday read if you are looking for your heart strings to be pulled.

I think I have a soft spot for Emily Stone after reading Always, In December a few years ago. She always makes a winter/Christmas book that is rich with interesting characters and a sad but happy ever after plot, which I am a sucker for. This book was no different. I do feel like it didn’t read much as a Christmas book, which was fine with me as I am not reading it during the Christmas season. I thought the concept was interesting, and I loved the character development. It isn’t my favorite book of hers, but by the end I did leave overall happy with the story and the resolution. The grief element of this book was done so nicely after our main characters lost her father that she had a complicated relationship with. Stone does such a good job of bringing up these hard issues and finding resolution with them, which I appreciated. While this was not a light and fluffy read, I’m certainly still glad that I read it. I give the book 3.75/5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reading copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

*thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review*

This book was way less predictable and far more touching than I ever would have guessed. First of all, it wasn’t really a Christmas book, which was a relief. It was a perfect winter read, naturally. The whole story was enchanting and relatable, and I almost cried multiple times. Grief is real for all of us, and Emily Stone handled it with so much grace.

Theo was so so perfect. I loved his arc from bulldog to cinnamon roll. Lexie was slow to come around, but I empathized with her story deeply. Grief is confusing, and sometimes it does feel easier to brush it off than to work through it. But I love that in the end we get to see Lexie choose bravery.

First I would like to thank Random House for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the story of Lexie who after her estranged father's death she inherits half of her travel tour business with a young executive at the company, Theo. Meeting Theo for the first time it is loathe at first sight and she can't sell her share of the company for a year when they can decide to sell or keep it running. During the year, Lexie goes from not wanting anything to do with the company, to getting tricked into going on a trip, to helping run the business. Throughout her year with the company she also starts building a relationship with her half sister, learn more about her dad and understands the importance of staying.

What I loved:
- Travel, I love travel and all of the different places Lexie goes throughout this book just made me wanna book a trip
- Wish Jar, a cute thing to start as a kid that I loved Lexie kept going as some connection to her dad
- Theo, even though he starts off as a jerk he really does care about the company and Lexie
- Family, this book focuses on both blood and found family and how those two can interconnect which I always enjoy

Overall this was a cute read with a lot of great locations, characters and personal growth.