My head is still spinning after finishing this book. What an incredibly intense, emotional, page turning read! I loved it from beginning to end!

A chance sighting, an instant connection and a decade of chasing that feeling you had for a stranger you saw for only a moment, one day in December. Laurie looks for "Bus Boy" for a year before finding him and immediately realizing that she can't have him. Life goes on, new love is found, love is lost, relationships are severed and everyone grows up. This read was an emotional roller coaster! One minute I was smiling from ear to ear and the next I was gasping and sobbing. The author took her sweet time crossing back and forth between Laurie and Jack's stories, spanning a decade in the process.

I loved the writing style and the depth she gave the characters and their individual personalities. Laurie might be my favorite female character with her sassy wit and introverted nature. I laughed so hard during her POV parts of the story.

Laurie and Jack's story was captivating, heartbreaking, thrilling and satisfying. I didn't want it to end but I was so happy with how it did. I had no idea how it would get there but I wasn't disappointed. The only reason I rated this a 4 star instead of a 5, was because I felt like Jack's side of the story was lacking a bit in depth and perspective. I'd love to see a follow up or extended epilogue to curb my book hangover!

When library users are looking for book recs, I often ask them about their favorite movies. Share this great rom-com with readers who mention movies like Love, Actually or You've Got Mail, or Four Weddings and a Funeral. This is a love at first sight gone wrong, then right, but it takes a loooong time -- which is good, because Josie Silver is a very good storyteller.

This book is a chick flick on paper. From the very first chapter, when the movie Love Actually is referenced, all the way through the grand gestures of love, this is a feel-good chick lit novel, loosely set around Christmastime. I wouldn't call this a holiday romance, but it does have a few notable scenes taking place in December.

One Day in December is very British, both from the setting and the writing (many British phrases and slang terms are used). This book reminded me a lot of Bridget Jones' diary. It was a very light read, from the beginning where Jack and Laurie are introduced, through Jack's relationship with Sarah (Laurie's best friend) and the continued friendship among all three as they weave in and out of each other's lives. They all love each other, sometimes at the right time, sometimes at the wrong time. The book is predictable, but it doesn't matter. The reader is rooting for Jack and Laurie to have their happy ending.

For anyone who has ever loved someone and felt the timing was just off, this is the book for you.

I chose this book because of the cover, expecting a lighter "rom-com" type feel. I was pleasantly surprised that there was a little more than that and enjoyed the story of love, loss, and friendship. The story is told over a period of 10 years and I enjoyed that even though I didn't love the characters all the time I could relate to their challenges and enjoyed the concept of falling in love with someone vs staying in love and what that really means in the long term. This was my first Josie Silver book and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Oh goodness gracious, what a ride! warning, possibly spoilery (i will hide spoilers on goodreads but you can't here!)

So I will admit, when I saw this on netgalley, I just saw the whole bus thing and the comparison to Love Actually and I was like sold! I somehow completely missed the best friend and the spanning ten years thing. So I thought this would be a light fluffy read, meanwhile my heart feels like it’s been run over by the dang bus.

Here’s the thing, I don’t mind the best friend’s boyfriend thing, but it’s just… angsty and heartbreaking when they are in love or stay together, or when the girl has a guy too.. I just can’t understand that. When I was 13, I had the biggest crush on this boy. I’d been ‘in love’ with him for, like, a year. True love. He ‘asked me out’ right before the school holidays, we didn’t speak for 3 weeks and I think he broke up with me? I don’t remember. But anyway – then he did it again and we went out for 3 months (I’m just now realising what a jerk move that was). Then I guess we broke up again but I don’t really remember the specifics. Anywho, he had a friend, and after the second break up, he asked me out (as in, do you want to be my girlfriend and you hang out at school, not ‘dating’) and I said I would allow him to walk me home, which he did and he kissed me – I cried and told him I couldn’t hang out with him while I was still in love with his friend (oy vey, the drama). Anywho, I don’t remember how long after, I went out with that first boy again, this time for 9 months before he broke up with me again (seriously, what a jerkface). Moral of the story, the second boy was super cute and if I wasn’t hung up on the first boy, I would have been all over that.. but I *was* hung up on the first boy and I cannot personally wrap my head around being with someone when you are in love with someone else – even if you are 13 and have no idea what love is. But that’s just me.

So that’s my long story way of saying, I can’t quite get behind the fact that Jack stayed with Sarah as long as he did – if he liked Laurie, he should not have. Then Laurie marrying Oscar, ugh. It just. Blergh. Speaking of Oscar, I never really got a whole lot from him, I kept expecting him to become a bad guy or villain because he was pretty underdeveloped, you know?

Honestly, I can’t think of how this should have gone – like at the end, they say something like ‘boy sees girl on bus, he gets on, happily ever after, sounds boring when you say it like that’ and yes, that is right, but this way was… agonising. Constant angst. Constant heartache. Honest to god, the fallout with Sarah and Laurie is what broke my heart the most. I am really glad that got sorted. I wish Jack and Laurie had not kissed, so Laurie could have said that to Sarah on her wedding day. I really liked Laurie and I really liked Sarah. Jack was probably my least favourite character out of the three. I know there wouldn’t be a story if he hadn’t stayed with Sarah, but still. It’s like, I believed Laurie and her feelings because what could she have done? But Jack? He stayed with Sarah. He made Laurie feel like crap about Oscar, when he obviously had no right to do. That’s simply the risk you run when you hagve a book like this though because how can he redeem himself when he knowingly chose another woman over Laurie several times? You’re going to annoy some people, not much you can do.

Anyway. Like I said, this was a very angsty read, it was very emotional and kind of draining – not in a bad way, but if you’re invested, this is not a light fluffy read. I do think it could have been a bit shorter, not because it was bad but because it did drag a bit and it spends time on the things that we might not like about the best friend’s boyfriend trope. You know?


Even though I’m not on board with a few of the things that happened in this book, it was very well written, I read it in one sitting and I was invested. I did think the ending was adorable. An epilogue wouldn’t have hurt anyone though ;) I will absolutely read more from this author!

ONE DAY IN DECEMBER BY JOSIE SILVER BOOK REVIEW
Unrequited love that begins on a bus. I’m game!

LOVE FROM AFAR
One Day in December gives me some While You Were Sleeping vibes. You know that movie with Sandra Bullock, right? She sees a guy pass by her train station and has all these ideas in her head about him. Basically, falls in love with a stranger. I LOVE that movie, so when I got those type of vibes from this book, instantly I’m excited!

BUS BOY
Laurie locks eyes with a guy from the bus & she feels an instant connection. Honestly, I can totally relate to this. While I haven’t fallen head over heels for someone I met on mass transit, I trust my intuition. There are several people in my life with whom I immediately connected. I find these relationships to be especially meaningful.

One thing I like about this story is that it spans the course of several years. Josie introduces us to these characters & readers get to experience a huge chunk of their life with them. I also really like that she changes narrators thought the book. This gives me insight into what “bus boy” is thinking. And duh!, of course, I want to know EXACTLY what he is thinking.

A LONG DECEMBER
See what I did there with the Counting Crows reference? I’m sorry I had to. One Day in December is on the long side. While the story spans a lot of time, I wish there was more depth to the characters. I sure know a lot about Laurie, but I wanted to know a bit more about Jack. If it’s an unrequited love, then I want to feel that burning intensity. I want to know these two are destined to be together & I just didn’t get enough of that. So, I found myself not being super invested in their relationship.

THE VERDICT
I am Into This book. While One Day in December didn’t thrill me like Josh & Hazel or The Kiss Quotient, I did enjoy it. Overall, it’s light on romance, a quick read (despite being a longer book) & I did enjoy the characters.

Special thanks to Josie Silver, Broadway Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

This was an easy book to get lost in. Josie Silver is such a strong writer that I was immersed in this story from the first page. Everything was so well written that the things that bothered stood out and could not be ignored. I never felt the relationship between Jack and Laurie develop to the point where they were close, longtime friends. The story sort of jumps from them just beginning to get to know each other and tripping over their tongues to suddenly telling us that they are the best of friends. It just never rang true. I wish that sections weren't told from Jack's perspective. I never really liked him and his sections made me like even less. He always seemed like a selfish jerk to me who did not deserve the love of either Laurie or Sarah so it was very hard to root for them to finally get together. It also threw that a book that takes it time through years of angst has such a fast paced, out of nowhere, conclusion. I liked this book but did not love it as much as everyone else seems to.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One Day in December by Josie Silver is a romance story and also the story of best friends their love for each other.
On a cold December day Laurie looks out the bus window and spots a handsome man. They make momentary eye contact but then the bus moves on. She can’t get him out of her head and she and her best friend and roommate, Sarah, look for him for a year. Soon after Laurie decides to move on Sarah brings home a new boyfriend that she is absolutely crazy about and, no surprise, it is the man from the bus stop. How will this work out? Will he recognize Laurie? Will they both keep their recognition of each other a secret to keep from hurting Sarah?
I liked this story but some things really were silly and didn’t make sense. Don’t want to give too much away. I think this book will appeal to a younger audience than myself as a senior citizen. There are a lot of twists and turns over the next decade in their lives and some surprises along the way. I give this book 4 of 5 stars; it is well written and will be enjoyed by many.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

What would you do if you have been looking for the man you had an instant connection with for a year and he is standing in your apartment...as the date of your roommate and best friend? That is the situation Laurie finds herself in. Laurie and Jack struggle to put aside the attraction they feel and become friends. Told by both Laurie and Jack you experience life's ups and downs from their point of view.

I have always been a fan of the "boy meets girl, boy and girl fall madly in love" storylines. But the storylines can be over told and become stale. One Day in December is not that book. It plays off classical fairytale romance storylines but with a modern twist. The boy and the girl in question (Jack and Laurie) do find each other but not in the way they would have expected, as her best friend's new boyfriend. It follows them through the course of nine years with all the twists and turns that life likes to throw and plenty of "will they, won't they" moments. The writing is excellent and the character developments are amazing. The ability to see the story from both Jack and Laurie's point of view is one of my favorite features this book as to offer. Highly recommend.

This was just lovely.

Covers lots of love adages...love-at-first-sight, right person-wrong time, serendipity. Some laughs, some tears and some “Really??!!” moments.

While I did enjoy the love story (but occasionally wanted to throttle both Laurie and Jack), I absolutely LOVED the bff friendship depicted between Laurie and Sarah! 💕 Selfless love, sisterhood, it was wonderful!

Only complaint was staying atop the timeline, but I managed. 👍 4.5/5⭐️

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Crown for the ARC! The opinions are strictly my own.

2008

Reminiscent of the songs, “Downtown Train” by Rod Stewart or “You’re Beautiful “ by James Blunt, Laurie is on the top of a double decker bus in London, when she spots a guy at the bus stop below. Their eyes meet and she feels a connection, something like “love at first sight”.....

But the bus pulls away without him getting on....

She and her best friend Sarah, search for “bus boy” over the course of the next year, to no avail.

Then Sarah brings home her new boyfriend, Jack, the guy she has already decided she would one day marry, and unbeknownst to her, she has fallen in love with the same guy that Laurie had spotted from the bus.

Laurie chooses to NOT tell Sarah that Jack was the was the one she had been searching for...sacrificing her own happiness for Sarah’s.

Each subsequent year, begins with Laurie’s New Year’s resolutions, and unfolds over several meaningful days in that year, from the viewpoints of both Laurie and Jack...

Days of friendship, days of heartbreak, days of Hellos and days of Goodbyes

2018

Is it finally Laurie’s turn for a happy ending?

Cue music........(Rod or James) And, pick this up on Oct. 16th to find out!

I don’t read a lot of romance but a review on Goodreads piqued my interest for this one, so I decided to request it for a “change of pace” from my usual thrillers. Despite being over 40o pages, it was a quick addictive read and would be a perfect Christmas gift, for the romance readers on your list!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Crown Publishing and Josie Silver for the ARC I received in exchange for my candid review!

This romance will make you laugh, make you cry (I cried and cried in some parts), and make you turn the pages because Josie Silver invests you so fully in Jack and Laurie that you will be desperate to know what happens to them. 

The two see each other one afternoon: she's on a bus, he's at a bus stop. Their connection is the stuff of fantasies--so strong and immediate that she goes to get off the bus and he goes to get on the bus, but instead the bus takes off. The next time Laurie sees him, he's on the arm of her best friend. 

I enjoyed how Josie Silver set up this story. She shows you straight away that there is something indelible between Jack and Laurie, yet she makes their relationship play out in a way that doesn't feel forced or manipulated. She builds on that insta-click, letting the two get to know each other and grow increasingly as emotionally connected as they are physically. She makes them earn any hope of a future together, just as she gives them the chance to learn to be themselves with each other. 

Parts of this book are set during the holidays, and as a sucker for a holiday romance, I particularly liked those scenes. I didn't always like Jack, and I didn't always like Laurie, but I suspect that is intentional on Josie Silver's part. She doesn't want you to feel like Jack and Laurie are too perfect. Instead, she draws them with flaws and weaknesses so that when they fall, you feel their hurt right along with them. And when they soar, you feel their joy. 

I inhaled this book, and I'm excited for you to read it, too. Please hit up the comments and let me know what you think of One Day in December.

One Day in December was an incredibly charming, funny, and captivating read. I found it hard to put down once I started it, because I became invested in the characters and how their stories wound throughout the years. The novel opens on a cold day in December, when two people share a look that will change both of their lives (and the lives of those around them) forever. I enjoyed Silver's writing style and humor, and was reminded of my favorite romantic comedies. I highly recommend picking up One Day in December.

Rview: One Day in December by Josie Silver

One Day in December is a cute debut by Josie Silver. It opens with a missed opportunity between Laurie and Jack that leaves you wondering if they will one day reconnect. This novel explores friendship, relationships, love and self reflection.
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I felt the writing was strong and Silver’s descriptive writing really soared with the atmosphere and settings she created - I could really imagine myself in the different locations throughout the novel. There were fun references to some of my favourite books and movies including Bridget Jones, Pride and Prejudice and My Fair Lady that made me smile. The characters were flawed and there were parts of the book that left me frustrated but this also made the characters and their relationships more realistic. Laurie was written well and I enjoyed reading from her perspective throughout this book. Most of the novel is from her perspective. I feel like I kept wanting to know more about Jack. With some chapters also from his point of view I feel like I don’t really get him. I kept asking myself why love this guy and I wish he could have been developed more fully.
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I loved the friendship between Laurie and Sarah for the most part and it felt real. I feel like the relationships between male and female characters were described at a more surface level. There were times when we were told characters had a great relationship and knew each other so well but I feel like we never see enough of this with their interactions. Often we wound see conflict in their interactions and rely on the narration commenting how out of character it was. I wanted more interactions describing how people fell in love to truly believe in it rather than just be told they’re lovely.
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I enjoyed reading this book and thought the ending was cute. I felt the most butterflies for romantic relationships at the start and end of the book. I think this is a solid debut novel and I’m excited to read more from this author in the future!

3.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the premise of seeing someone from a bus window and making that instant love connection...only to have him end up dating your best friend. The journey from that bus window until the very end, while I kinda knew how it would end, was a page turner for me. Just when I think they would finally connect...life throws another curveball, over and over again. And that's real life right there! I thought the characters were strongly developed and the setting beautifully described as I could feel the atmosphere such as the restaurants and pubs. I would recommend this as a great, fun and easy read and I will look for more from this author in the future. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this story. I really liked the way the book was set up. It seemed very realistic to skip over certain amounts of time, as I think that is how things work in real life. Sometimes there are lulls in life where it is just every day stuff that is happening. So I found the format of the book to be very believable. I found myself very interested in the story for most of the book. Once it got towards the end I found it to be a little cliche but still find this to be a happy and enjoyable read.

A light and breezy read in the vein of One Day. Laurie and Jack encounter so many obstacles on their way to being together. The author kept me turning pages to get them to their happily ever after.

This plot was frustrating and messy just like life and real relationships which I loved. The characters were flawed but I still loved them all the same. Josie Silver did an amazing job creating depth to her characters and ensuring that they were ones that a reader can identify with from struggling with emotions, truths, and making difficult decisions.

One Day December follows Lu as she falls for a stranger through a bus window one day in December and, how she handles meeting the man of her dreams when he is introduced as her bestfriend's new boyfriend. Ultimately decisions are made on behalf of other people and the right choices made feel unbearably wrong; lies are told and feelings are buried to prevent hurting the ones they care for and some relationships fall apart no matter how much they want them to work.

This story is a great example of how some loves never die and can span across a lifetime. It tells a great tale of love, loss, friendship, and treasuring the ones you care for.

I'm glad that I was provided and advanced reader copy of this story by Crown Publishing through NetGalley.

What do you do when the man you fell in love with at first sight falls in love with someone else? You drink copious amounts of wine, repress your feelings, and get on with your life. For the next decade, it's a series of decisions and missed opportunities for Laurie and Jack. This book provides the sweet, lighthearted atmosphere you'd expect from this type of contemporary romance.