This story is about two people Jess and Alex who become renters in a mutual friend's large inherited home in the Notting Hill district of London. Both are starting new careers and are around 30 years old. Jess and Alex have a brief romantic moment at Christmas time, but when Jess comes back from a skiing trip with friends, she realizes that Alex is now in a relationship with another flatmate. Jess and Alex become "just friends" and the rest of the novel is a year long "will they/won't they". It's not a deep and thoughtful book, but it is very entertaining. There are enough conflicts to keep things interesting while maintaining a positive vibe throughout the book. All the characters are likable, but with realistic issues. I also liked the format of the book - you get Jess and Alex's alternating perspectives and each chapter is the next month in the calendar year. By the end of the book, it's December again. A very enjoyable read and perfect if you need a break from the rush of the Christmas season.

This was a cute story of friendship, living in London in your late 20s. I appreciate the reality of living in an expensive city and not having enough money. I love the role of the grandmother in the story. I love that the relationship flourished over a series of walks. My only disappointment is that we didn't get much of the romance. I am grateful for the epilogue.

I will be talking about this book in an upcoming What to Read Next Podcast in December as part of the holiday reads

It was an overall cute book with a nice premise but I was hoping for more substance or a deeper romance. It felt a bit rushed but was still a cute novel you can read in winter time :)

Jess & Alex are housemates who are both starting their professional lives all over again. With more in common than they realize their friendship begins to turn into something more...a sweet, quick, read. If you love romance & London I would recommend this book!

I received a copy of We Met in December by Rosie Curtis from HarperCollins and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I give this book 3 stars. We Met in December by Rosie Curtis was a sweet read, but didn't really captivate me like I thought it was going to. It was a bit too slow moving. I was really looking forward to it because I LOVE reading Christmas/winter romance books. This one just didn't make the love it list.

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow Books for my copy. All opinions are my own. I got a chance to read We Met In December before it comes out next month and I loved it. I listened to Christmas music the whole time and generally got in the mood for my favorite time of year. This charming love story gave me One Day in December vibes because of its friends-to-lovers Christmas plotline. I could see this book being made into a Hallmark movie- it’s got all the right ingredients and the perfect dose of romance and finding yourself. Looking for a heartwarming Christmas tale? Pick this one up when it comes out 11/5! 3.5 stars

Told alternately by Jess and Alex, this is the story of two people remaking their lives and circling one another. Jess was dumped by Neil and has moved to London to take a job in publishing. She moves into a mansion (geez) in Notting Hill where Alex, who is now training as a nurse, lives. There might have been a spark except that Alex is seeing (friends with benefits) their other flatmate Emma. Ah the triangle. There are some lovely scenes of London as this moves through the year. Fans of the genre will also find there are few surprises. It's got a nice sensibility but would have benefited from an editorial tightening. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Not really a Christmas book but it's a good romance.

3 1/2 Stars....

My feelings for We Met in December bounced back and forth as I read. I was really torn on how I wanted to rate it. I loved the cover and the title holds true because "they did meet in December." If people are expecting the entire novel to revolve around the Christmas holiday, they will be disappointed as it takes place over the course of a year or so. Fortunately, I didn't have a problem with this. I liked seeing Alex and Jess' friendship bloom over time.

This novel is definitely a slow burn as Alex and Jess are both coming out of recent breakups and trying to get a fresh start. Neither is looking to get involved. When they all move into the house together, one of the rules is that none of them date. What develops between Alex and Jess is a gradual and sweet friendship. They explored London together and their friendship grew with each day. What Alex didn't know is that Jess was harboring a crush on him. He also didn't know that she was aware that he was secretly sleeping with one of their other flatmates. I really struggled with this plot line. I had a real issue with the secret "friends with benefits" relationship that Alex and Emma had. Towards the end of it, Alex was insistent that he didn't want to continue it because he knew Emma was getting the wrong idea. Then he has a weak moment involving alcohol and wakes up in bed with her again?! This was a little too much for me to be able to trust him for Jess. At this point he's supposedly starting to wonder if maybe he has feelings for Jess. So, how does he just land in bed with Emma again? I think I was okay with Alex and Emma's tryst until the last time he "accidentally" sleeps with her again. Then my patience with it simply went off the rails. There was so much about Alex's character that I liked and respected that I really had a difficult time reconciling it with these actions.

I liked the inner strength of Jess' character. She had been through a bad experience with her ex boyfriend and was looking for a fresh start when she moved to London. The friendship that she and Alex developed during their explorations was important to her and not something she wanted to risk. Even though she was crushed when she realized he was secretly sleeping with Emma, she didn't want to lose his friendship. Jess' focus was primarily on her job at this point. She also enjoyed spending time with two of her long-time girlfriends and periodically making trips home to check on her grandmother. One of her girlfriends gets her to go on a blind date with a co-worker. Jess and James hit it off for a bit. Seeing Jess with someone else definitely makes Alex think twice about what he wants from his relationship with her.

Over the course of the book, Jess' confidence in herself grows. She lamented her single status a great deal, but in the end realized that being single was better than being with the wrong person. James also comes to peace with his breakup with his fiancee during this same time. He realizes that he doesn't have feelings for her anymore and that he's probably fortunate things happened the way they did. By the time we get towards the end of the book, these two have evolved into "healthier" individuals than before.. Of course, it also seems as if they can never get their timing right. You have to wonder if they can eventually make something romantic work? Or will they just remain friends? Or will they lose touch altogether?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: ‘We met in December’ by Rosie Curtis. A huge thanks to @netgalley @harpercollins_publishing @williammorrowbooks for a copy in exchange for an honest review. 🎄
If you are a Hallmark countdown to Christmas and romcom/romdrama fan then you need to read this one! I loved it and here’s why:
The writing is wonderful.
Jess, the protagonist, is not a weak, sappy female. She quit her job for one in publishing, moved, and knows what she wants in a partner. Jess is also devoted to her grandmother and the relationship is very endearing. 🎄
Alex was a lawyer who was unsatisfied and switched his career to nursing. He’s sweet and full of depth.
🎄
They develop the sweetest relationship built on friendship and eventually, it leads to more. It gave me all the feels. If it makes a difference for you, there is implied sex but no details.
🎄
I will warn you that this is not based on Christmas, so I’d your heart is set on that, then you’ve been warned. Jess and Alex meet in Dec and the book follows their relationship for over a year...I loved it!!

One year. Four people in one flat equals a mixture of a perfectly good read! This story is about 4 people that live together for one year in London. These people have been thrown together due to various circumstances and the dynamics make it an interesting and enjoyable read. I enjoyed the friendships that develop with the 4 friends, romantic or otherwise. I did feel like Emma was just a flat character that really didn't develop much; however she was necessary for the story. This was a great read and made me want to visit London.

This was a typical British rom/com. It's not a Christmas book though the cute cover is bound to catch the eye of people looking for a holiday book. Instead the story starts in December and evolves from there.

This would be a cute tv movie. The story is fine. I liked the theme of the two main characters both starting new careers and navigating life in London. It's got all the usual rom/com elements like silent longing, missed opportunity, looking on as the object of affection starts a new relationship with someone else. I also liked how the main characters developed their friendship on walks throughout London.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for GoodReads.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

If you love a Hallmark movie like I do this is the book for you. This book was idyllic in the sense of being an easy, unputdownable, I’m pretty sure I know what’s going to happen but I NEED to know for sure and finish reading it type book. The characters are lovable in the same way as the characters of Friends. I absolutely loved this book and although I wouldn’t classify it as a Christmas book at all it was a delightfully light holiday read.

A very slow, very overly descriptive (to the point of boredom) book which is not just slow romance but for a lot of it actually no romance.

So... that was painful to read. I hate to be a downer because there are some cute moments in the book, but our “couple” is actually just a pair of roommates who SLEEP WITH OTHER PEOPLE for nearly the entire book - literally in the room next door to each other. I get that the premise of the book is that Jess has to watch Alex with another woman while she has unrequited feelings for him, but that’s not really what happened here. Alex went through a tough breakup and isn’t ready to start something serious, so he likes and starts falling for Jess during the day then sleeps with another woman at night and Jess has to wear earplugs so she doesn’t have to hear it. And not just for a small portion of the book - there are other people in the way of them being together until the final chapters. That’s... too much for me.

I could really go off on a rant about how cringeworthy it is that these two fall in love while having sex with other people, so instead I will mention what I DID like about the book. The writing itself was fine (if not a bit drawn out) - the descriptions of London really paint the scene, and the characters are well developed. I like the concept of two housemates falling in love even if the execution didn’t work for me. The romance itself is really understated; most of Jess and Alex’s time together is spent during their walks of London and there’s a serious lack of chemistry between them. There’s no explicit sex so it’s clean, but I find it difficult to believe that anyone who prefers a clean romance would appreciate the other woman/man drama. Ultimately, this one wasn’t for me, but I appreciated receiving an ARC from NetGalley. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

2.5 stars rounded down

I was expecting this book to be a cute and quirky romance full of holiday feels but unfortunately I found a bland storyline with uninteresting characters. The slow pace did this book no favors, and it was painfully predictable. I wouldn't say it's a book that I strongly dislike, but I don't strongly like it either! So, I'd definitely give this one a pass.

2.5 stars

Not quite a Christmas romance, We Met in December was a confusing and ultimately meh personal reading experience. Which is so sad, because I was HERE for this cover and concept.

Writing: ★★★ 1/2
Romance: ★
Pacing: ★★

Urgh. I'm not looking forward to explaining this one.

Jess is a late 20-something girl who arrives in London with a renewed sense of purpose following a few dramatic life changes. She's got a friend with a cheap flat and a brand new job in publishing. She's ready for a fresh start. However, then she meets her other flatmate, Alex, and things get a little more complicated...

Alex is a 30-something guy who gave up a promising life as a lawyer to join a nursing training program. His life story is an intentional parallel to Jess's, and he is also ready for a drama-free fresh start.

While it might seem obvious to assume that Jess and Alex begin a meet-cute and fall in love as flatmates, We Met in December then takes a surprising turn...

Alex begins a sexual friends-with-benefits situation with Emma, a different flatmate of theirs. Somehow, we're supposed to feel like this is not necessarily a black mark against Alex...guys, it definitely made me question his suitability as a love interest. If you're boinking someone else repeatedly, I'm not about to ship you with my other main character. Sorry?

Adding another layer to the novel's complexity is the fact that "We Met in December" implies that this is a Christmas romance. It's not—each chapter propels the plot into a different week/month of the year, showcasing small vignette-like scenes that kept me from becoming too invested in any one aspect of the character's lives, as the reader is never present in the same place long enough to have any meaningful connections.

A whole year-in-the-life concept is fine, but when it's a rom-com that involves two POVs with near-identical personalities...it got boring for me real fast.

Alex and Jess spend a lot of time walking around London, reiterating their same dreams (which are very similar) and going over their past relationships (which are very similar) and then experiencing different versions of heartache (similarly) as they watch each other muck about with other relationships. With a POV for Alex and a POV for Jess (both in first person), I had a very hard time telling the POVs apart—both narrative voices were very similar and similar rom-com like moments happened to both of them.

As you can tell, this novel really didn't work for me. I didn't mind Jess and Alex as separate people, but found the combination of their lives with the pacing and lack of intimacy to be a a real problem.

I wouldn't say stay away from We Met in December if you're interested in reading a very long slow-burn romance. It just wasn't for me. Sigh. On to the next!

Thank you to HarperCollins via NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I totally judged this book by it's cover and sadly, it didn't live up to what I thought it would be! At first, I found it to be more likable than One Day in December (it's a similar story line) but the entire book just dragged for it. It was little too predictable without much pay off. If you know the whole time one couple is going to get together, you want to at least fight for them and want to see it happen. But I didn't really care about either of the main characters. I wasn't motivated to pick this one up and it was work to finish. However, if you love light romance that is clean (no graphic sex) you'll probably enjoy this one! There's not as much Christmas in it as I was hoping, but I love London so it was fun to be transported there!

A story of living life and taking chances to find true happiness. When Jess leaves her comfortable job in her home town to take a dream job in London she moves into a house her college friend, Becky, has inherited, The house has a strict no couples rule which Jess is fine with until she meets Alex. Alex is making major changes in his life too, changing careers and ending it with a fiance. A friendship forms as Alex and Jess explore London and life together. But roads are bumpy and the year in the house together is full of miscommunication and surprises. The characters feel like friends and this is a perfect read for a long winter weekend.

I really liked this and read it quickly and loved the characters. The plot felt a bit off and on at times. This is definitely not a Christmassy book in any way - and it reminded me a lot of One Day in December which I had similar feelings for last year

I was so excited to have the chance to read We Met in December. It sounded like it was going to be such an enjoyable book. Unfortunately, it was a major let-down.

I read about five chapters, and I wasn't even close to being invested. None of the characters intrigued me. At all. I felt no chemistry between Jess and Alex.

Furthermore, the book moved soooo sloooowly. The pacing was off, the writing was uninteresting.

All in all, I struggled hard with this one.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***