I’ll be honest and say this book wasn’t my cup of tea.

I really enjoyed Stone’s novel Love, Holly, so I was so excited to receive an ARC of her upcoming release. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t connect with her characters.

Advertised as a romance, I felt this was lacking. Theo and Lexie hate each other for the first half of the book. There is a single, regretted kiss, but then nothing really romantic until the last 35%. It felt almost forced to me. I couldn’t feel the chemistry between these two. It was such a push and pull.

Lexie’s character seemed dynamic on paper, but I thought she fell flat. It was almost robotic the things she did. I wanted more from her. Maybe a deeper internal struggle for why she needs to stay away from Theo romantically versus her heart wanting him near.

It was also a sad novel that covered how your family can truly mess you up. I did feel for Lexie (I’ve been in a similar situation).

I think this book would be enjoyable if you’re in the mood for a sad book that goes beyond romance and makes you think about life and how those around us have the power to hurt us in ways that impact us for the rest of our lives. It’s deep, and was maybe a little too deep for me right now.

*An ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

𝗔 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵 follows Lexie grappling with being incharge of her late father's travel company, considering they've been estranged for years. Add in Theo, the handsome co-owner who's infinitely distrusting of her intentions.

- ~ -

Cute story. Loved the aspect of travelling through celebration across cultures.

There were loads of commitment issues and temper issues, might I add.
Lexie is likely the author's most sassy character of any of her books (also the spiciest) and I was there for it.

Theo was a sweetheart. I loved his povs and the longing and pining? swoon.

The traveller in me definitely enjoyed the various trips to Madrid, Vienna, Ireland and that one perfect trip to Iceland and it's northern lights!!!

- ~ -

3.92 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun "beach read" (fire read for holiday themed books?). I loved some of the tropes used and thought it was a nice light plot.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "A Winter Wish" and all opinions expressed are my own. "Love, Holly" was my favorite and I also liked "Always, In December". So, this current book was not a favorite, it was okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Sadly this one didn’t do much for me. I’ve read this author in the past and liked her, but I couldn’t get into this book. The characters seemed really flat and all her books are starting to be the same.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone is about a gift from an estranged father and realizing not everything was as it seemed. The theme of redeeming relationships in this story is lovely, and it was an enjoyable read. But I will say that it was not by favorite book by Emily. The main characters felt disconnected to me, but there were a lot of great secondary characters in the book.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of A Winter Wish by Emily Stone

This book is for you if you love Holiday Hallmark movies! It’s just one of those cozy and comfy feel good books that you can sit and read in a day or less.

Emily Stone is overall very well written.

For the most part this story is cute, but many moments it fell flat to me. I wish there was a bit more with the characters themselves, it didn't feel there was much depth with them.

The story has all of the Hallmark Christmas movie vibes.

I wasn’t expecting to open a Christmas book to start out feeling so hopeless. I stopped after chapter 2 (6%).

The writing was fine, the prose was fine, probably a 3-4 stars for the target audience.

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

This book was cute! I loved the holiday and travel vibes. The characters were loveable. This felt like a hallmark movie in a good way. It was fun!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Emily Stone is back with another heartfelt holiday novel. Lexie loses her father and while working through her grief, she finds out her father left her half of his travel company - only to find out she has to co-manage it for a minimum of a year with his sour-tempered executive, Theo. Tensions run high before a work trip to Spain that leaves them both questioning everything.

This book was fun. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't really revolve around Christmas because I was reading it out of season so that made it much more enjoyable for me. The characters were fun and the slight enemies-to-lovers trope was cute. Dreaming of a spicy work trip to Spain now...

A WINTER WISH ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. When Lexies estranged father dies, she is left half of his travel company in his will, although the owner of the other half was her father’s trusted colleague Theo. When Lexie finds out there is a clause, that the company must turn a profit in one years time to sell, she must decide how to proceed. This book was a cute, easy, hallmark style. The reason I’m not rating it higher was because I just felt I wanted more of a “winter” aspect to the book. Also, in the e book the travel agency focuses on adventures I would have loved to hear more of than the going back and forth between the characters. It was just okay, the book left me feeling indifferent. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

What is not to like?? This book was unique and heartwarming and I will definitely be looking into this author further!

A delightful holiday read about a woman named Lexie who finds she has inherited half a business after her father's estranged death. She is co-owner with a man she does not get along with, but as you can imagine, sparks fly.

I found this a nice light hearted holiday read and enjoyed the destination trips they took as she navigated her complicated grief. I found the characters lacking a bit of depth and complexity and the story lacking in some parts.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

An inheritance…family and friends…love and romance…secrets…I like the title…intriguing…a quick fun read. Realistic characters keep this story moving quickly...would make a great movie... Thanks Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for access to this early holiday read! This is my first Emily Stone novel, but I now want to go back and read her backlist. I really loved this!

Is this me finally defeating my reading slump? (Not fully out, please stay tuned)

There’s something rather deranged about reading a Christmas romance in the middle of a scorching summer that makes it the ultimate escapist reading session. While this book navigates different seasons, there is a certain holiday feel to it—which makes me eagerly count down the days until it becomes socially acceptable to countdown to Christmas (probably September).

I actually really loved the depth Emily gives her characters in this story. God, I sound like a broken record saying this, but the book is very much The Bolter in writing. Think—woman with abandonment issues who runs away from commitment & refuses to put down her roots because she’s distrustful of people. Then add the grumpiest yet lovably protective MC (with his own self-worth issues). What do you get? A match made in heaven. Oh—and the perfect book for anyone who doesn’t know what they’re doing with their life. Except with Christmas in July? It’s hard to explain.

If you resonate with any of those issues AND if you love traveling, I think you’re going to really like this one. I do think the romance felt a little rushed at first, and it was a bit undeveloped in a way that I couldn’t really justify the way they started. But! Emily’s writing is so good and chockful of “damn I felt that” statements; so much so that you and help but forgive the beginning for what it was. I’ve been seeing a lot of her books around the bookstores, and this was pretty much the affirming sign I needed to pick up her other books (which I heard were amazing!). Most of them are Christmas themed, but if that’s what it takes to pull me out of my reading slump, then so be it.

I was so excited to get this ARC as I’ve read all of her books and loved her last release, but this one fell flat for me. I felt like the characters were boring and the storyline was dull. I liked exploring the different facets of relationships and grief with the characters and there were some moments where I was invested, but overall I had to push through the story. It wasn’t a bad book, just not my favorite of hers. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone is a heartwarming holiday romance that blends emotional depth with the enchantment of the season. The novel follows Lexie and Theo, whose differences and mutual misunderstandings initially create friction, but as they navigate business together, sparks of undeniable chemistry begin to fly. The novel captures the tension and slow burn romance between the two, taking readers on a journey from icy disdain to passionate connection. The novel isn't just about romance, but also about themes of forgiveness and the importance of family and tradition. This book is a perfect read for those looking to be swept away by a story of unexpected love and holiday cheer.

I LOVED Always in December, but A winter wish was only OKAY for me.
I found myself skimming through to the end.