Member Reviews
I absolutely loved this book and everything about it! And, look at that cover art! This is a perfect book for the holiday season, packed with Christmas love and cheer. I truly enjoyed reading this book because it upped my mood and spirits and helped me remember the reason and magic of the holiday season. I would highly recommend adding this book to your holiday reading list; it is like reading a Hallmark movie!
I picked this up because it sounded very similar to 'One Day in December' which is one of my favorites, but this one missed the mark for me. I enjoyed the characters, they were lovely and kind, and I enjoyed the descriptions of London, but I was not impressed with the plot and I felt like it dragged a bit.
Very sweet christmas type book. It's a lot like a hallmark movie, and it's a great read for the holiday.
Listened to a finished audiobook copy
I feel like this book was false advertising. I expected a lovely Christmas book and instead I got a book that was a year-long that was all about the two main characters being friends but wanting more.
Both Jess and Alex were likable characters and I enjoyed each of their stories alone. However together and the storyline of the will they won't they was just not for me.
Maybe If I had known these things going into the book I would have liked it more, but as I didn't do to the way the book was pitched I was disappointed.
Overall this book just wasn't for me in this situation. I wanted a full Christmas book, and instead got a book filled with angst and longing, with a rushed ending where they ended up together.
I really enjoyed all the Christmas vibes in this one. The story went a little differently than I was expecting, but I did really enjoy reading about the characters. Overall, it was a great read for Christmas time.
Great for those who enjoy light hearted Christmas stories. This moves at a bit slower of a pace. At points this one moved slower than I would like. It had less romance than I was expecting and was more character driven.
This was cute story of a growing relationship with the angst and you were routing for Jess that things would work out. A warm book that was nice to read during the holidays.
WE MET IN DECEMBER was a fun and easy read. The plot wasn’t as deep as a lot of novels, but if you’re looking for a light read during the holiday season, I’d recommend it. It was a sweet romance and gives all the holiday feels.
I started to read this book, but wasn't interested in continuing. The story was cute, but didn't develop quick enough to draw my interest & keep me reading, so I decided to put it down.
Cute, enjoyable read that great to read around Christmas. I'm generally not a huge fan of more "love at first sight" stories but the book did side step a lot of the pitfalls of the trope. I enjoyed reading Jess and Alex get to know each other over the course of a year. I wished they had communicated earlier in the book though.
I really, really wanted to like this but I couldn't get myself to carry on reading. I really didn't like the characters especially the main one. Had a lot of potential but didn't work for me.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
I just finished this little gem. I don't normally like romance, but this lovely novel (set in London, making it even more appealing for Anglophiles like me) is a cozy, quick read that's sure to please. Highly recommended!
SWOON. This book is so absolutely and adorably atmospheric--I felt like I was waltzing through Kensington Park with Alex and Jess, exploring London alongside them. This story is such a sweet contemporary romance, and is so much more than just a holiday read. Though it begins in December, this story spans the course of a year of friendship and *bigger than friendship* feelings between Alex and Jess, housemates in Notting Hill who are both suffering from recent breakups and career changes. The one rule of their house--no relationships between housemates--puts a halt on their possible relationship (that, and the fact that Jess knows that Alex is secretly breaking that rule with their other housemate, Emma). What follows is a year of cute moments and pining (from rotating perspectives). This book made me squeal, and is a perfect February read. Highly recommend!
I basically read this over New Year's as my last holiday hurrah and to be honest, I didn't really need to save it for that time of year because despite the title, it really doesn't have much of a Christmas feel - and I think that's a good thing.
We Met in December is a year long tale of Jess and Alex. Jess has left her home and is trying a new career in London. Alex has left his job as an attorney and is becoming a registered nurse. They meet because they both know a the same woman who has just inherited a London flat - one who is willing to rent out rooms cheaply. So Jess and Alex meet one night and then she leaves for a 2 week holiday. Even though there is a spark between them, when she returns, he has started a new relationship.
Over the course of the next year Jess and Alex become friends. Yes, I pretty much knew where the novel was headed but the author had some really interesting plot points to help me get there. I really enjoyed the side characters and especially loved Jess' interaction with her Grandmother. who basically raised her when she was a child.
I thought We Met in December was a cute romance which showed fairly realistic relationships. One of Jess' best friends is a budding actress and the other is trying desperately to get pregnant and they both add some comedic relief as well as a dose of sanity from time to time. And the flatmates each had their own tales which also held my interest and I would be interested in seeing stories about them in the future (which I have no clue if the author plans).
So overall, We Met in December was the perfect holiday read that turned out not to be so holiday-ish. It was also a great book to read while suffering by puppy-lag because I was able to set it down for short periods of time and then pick it right back up and quickly become fully immersed again. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys British romances as this one definitely puts me in mind of Bridget Jones and last year's One Day in December.
The title of this book drew me in. I requested it, not sure what to expect as rom-com can be hit or miss with me. I enjoyed quite a bit more than I thought I would.
Jess was a juxtaposition - highly qualified and capable in her job, willing to strike out into the unknown and yet also, unsure and a little timid when it comes to forming new friendships and relationships. Seeing her growth through the book was my favorite part.
The romance between Jess and Alex is definitely slow. There may be insta-attraction, but their relationship begins in friendship and remains solidly there for most of the book. It is clear that they have fallen for each other, but circumstances seem to hold them apart, until the very end. I expected a quick, insta-love, happily ever after story. Curtis instead drew this out over a year, examining not only how a crush can be disguised with friendship but how friendship can be the root of love.
Another element that surprised me was how likable the characters are. They aren't young and shallow and without direction, but rather honest in their struggles to figure out adulthood.
I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my honest review.
I enjoyed this novel set in London. It was a sweet and simple romance that featured a great cast of characters sharing a roof together.
This one gave me ONE DAY IN DECEMBER vibes (maybe I should have seen that coming), and I really didn't love that book. The writing style just did not pull me into the story, and I was not rooting for the hero/heroine, which is ultimately what you want from a romance title. I'm bummed because normally, William Morrow publishes nothing but 4/5 star reads for me. Next time!
Twenty-nine-year-old Jess follows her dream and moves to London. She rents a room in a Notting Hill house-share with a college friend and three virtual strangers. On her first night, Jess meets Alex, the man sharing her floor and feels an instant connection. Unfortunately, when Jess returns from a two-week holiday, she finds Alex has started dating Emma, their housemate.
Jess and Alex become friends, walking all over London together. Their excursions were one of my favorite parts of the book. It brought London to life for me - a place I have always dreamed of visiting. Another plus was the cast of side characters - I loved Jess' relationship with her grandma, Rob the Chef and Becky. The scenes where the housemates were all together, eating and enjoying each other's company were some of my favorites.
Yet, while the story had promise it also fell a bit flat for me. Alex's relationship with Emma and his feelings toward Emma were maddening. He was painted as a "good guy" but honestly - his actions were not those of what I would deem a good guy. Plus, this was an extremely slow burn romance with very little steam factor so it felt a bit drawn out at times. It felt like I was waiting forever for their "spark" to finally ignite into something more than friendship.
I read this book, appropriately, during my Christmastime break. The book is cute and both Jess and Alex were likeable enough but they didn't seem like the almost-30 year-olds they were presented to us as. The chemistry was there between them, no doubt, but the time it took them to actually be truthful with each other was excruciating. It wasn't so much of a slow burn as it was frustrating waiting for two people who were so clearly in love with each other to realize it themselves.
When I first picked this up, I initially thought of Josie Silver's One Day in December. But I enjoyed this a lot more. I was pleasantly surprised by all of the characters and the storyline.