Member Reviews
I first read Kitty's Cornish Village School series, which I loved, so jumped at the opportunity of receiving an ARC of her latest book.
Belle is a Shakespeare - loving girl who has a history of disastrous relationships, overbearing parents and who has just been made redundant. Rory has just returned from Australia, where he has escaped to following the death of his fiance 5 years before, to be with his mother who has cancer. They knew each other from years before, but now are becoming friends again whilst Belle tries to get Rory to overcome his dislike of Christmas.
It is always interesting reading a Christmas themed book in the middle of what is meant to be an English summer, but I personally don't have trouble with this. I prefer stories where the emphasis is on characters, rather than just situations, and this certainly fills that role. Both Belle and Rory have issues that they need to overcome and have growing feelings for each other that they try to hide, with varying degrees of success. The supporting characters add to the story, especially 5 year old Marsha, giving an overall warm theme.
Maybe not for those who prefer more dramatic storylines, but if you enjoyed films such as Love Actually you will love this book.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book and I have already pre-ordered it as Kitty is on my list of must - read authors.
Interesting book about the insidious ,intrinsic changes individuals go through as they live their lives, a change that culminates into that light bulb moment , revealing a newer, better evolved you.Belle ,the heroine has endured emotional, mental and verbal abuse for most of her life at the hands of those who should love her unconditionally but fortunately she has that true friend that sticks around no matter what.Belle meets an acquaintance from her past and as the relationship progresses , she learns less destructive behaviors and embraces love.Her counterpart also has to grapple with old feelings of guilt and make the conscious effort to move forward into his future either alone and lonely or with the one he loves.The story was interesting, maddening,humorous and gratifying.If you're looking for a clean, sedate but evocative love story with a Christmas theme, this one fits the bill.I am gratified to receive this ARC and provide an honest review.
Kitty loves everything about Christmas and Shakespeare but has just lost her job and is skint again
Rory hates Christmas after losing his fiancee 5 years ago and has come back from Australia to see his mum who has cancer
They bump into each other again having known each other since uni but lost touch. Kitty is determined to get Rory to like Christmas and Rory tries to help Kitty get her Shakespeare project off the ground to earn her some money
A fab story of what they are getting up to each day of December
I wish I had liked this story even more than I did, but I don't know if it was because of 1. duh, a Christmas romance in the middle of the summer or 2. the story itself. I loved the blurb and that's why I felt compelled to request an ARC even though it's not exactly snowy or cold weather outside to get in the right mood.
It's definitely a slow burn romance with the grumpy/sunshine trope I love and I really enjoyed seeing Belle and Rory get back into their friendship from university, getting to know each other again now as grownups and the buildup of their relationship. But , the book was a bit too long and slow paced, so I kind of lost interest in it in the end.
The story can be summed up with three C's: cute, charming and Christmassy. I think I would give this a try again when it's actually Christmas and see if it might be a more perfect read then.
This is a fabulous book. One of those that you end up reading into the wee hours or rushing jobs so you can find out what happens next! The characters are enormously likeable, I found myself really rooting for both Belle and Rory, and even the surrounding minimal characters, such as Temperance are entertaining. I would highly recommend and will be looking for more books by Kitty Wilson!
I did not enjoy this read. The storyline dragged out too much and it felt like a sub-standard Hallmark Christmas film.
Every Day in December by Kitty Wilson a five-star read that would warm even the coldest winter day. I simply adored this story, and the way this author wrote all of the words, they just flowed on from each other and created a sublime story, that was reminiscent of the famous prose quoted throughout. Belle and Rory are real, they aren’t all gloss and lightness, they are real, they have issues and families that show it’s a shame you can’t always pick them, but sometimes you get a very good one. This was just a story that gave me all of the warm and fuzzies, even a certain house gave me good feelings. This story was so well done in the aspect of out and around Brissol and Bath, it was nice seeing the places come alive on the page, it’s been a while since I have been able to get there, and it just made me desperate to pop to the Mall or go sledding down the hill.
What a heart- warming read!
I received a copy of this wonderful book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was my first Kitty Wilson’s read and she did not disappoint. Having gown up in England I loved the setting, and the December time of year with all the Christmas buzz was so spot on!
The sweet relationship between Rory and Belle felt natural and their character development wonderful to see. The drama of the complex family dynamics, death of a loved one and falling in love kept me reading to the early hours!
I loved this book! Taking place in England throughout the month of December, it made for a fun holiday in July read. It will be a huge hit during the holiday season!
I love the relationship between the characters. One who loves Christmas and one who doesn't due to bad things happening. With touching subjects such as breast cancer, it was handle with care and will not trigger anyone.
A fun romantic comedy with all the chills to get anyone through the winter/holiday season.
The characters are well written and developed. You find them relatable and enjoyable. The whole story was fun, a quick read.
It's Christmas in July and this book is the perfect read for those Christmas cravings, like the ones I'm having right about now!
A slow burn romance with lots of Shakespeare love that reminds me of Well Met mixed with One Day in December! It's a sweet book with some really fun characters and the cutest kid you'll ever read!
Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the earc in return for an honest review.
This romance between a Shakespeare-loving woman who dreams of advancing literacy in disadvantaged school systems and a "reputation manager," an old college friend tasked with improving her actor father's image, is a sweet opposites attract/friends-to-lovers story. The main characters, Belle and Rory, tell their story in alternating chapters. The supporting characters are also engaging, and the themes of survivor guilt and parental neglect are treated with a light hand but bring some serious issues into consideration. This is an easy and entertaining read that is well-written and includes touches of humor and pathos.
After years of living in Australia, Rory returns home because his mum has been diagnosed with cancer. Part of his job contacts are in the UK, & one of which is the father of Belle, an old Uni friend & through this they meet up again. Rory, due to heartbreaking reasons is no fan of Christmas, Belle on the other hand is the extreme opposite. She is determined to get him to love the festive season, so sets about trying to help him see how much fun December can be.
Rory is only home in the UK for a month. His mother has cancer, he is still grieving the death of his fiancee and his life is in Australia. It's not the right time to fall in love.
Belle is jobless, broke and feeling totally unsupported and belittled by her parents. She loves Shakespeare and wants to bring his work alive for schoolchildren, and she has a big dream that she can't see any way to make happen.
Rory hates Christmas. Belle loves it and is determined to get him involved in everything seasonal, from sliding down hills on an old tin tray to making snow angels in the park.
As their friendship grows day by day, can it turn to more before the month is up?
A fun romance with both touching moments and others when I just wanted to bang their heads together.
Every day in December by Kitty Wilson
A really well written book filled with emotions, character, humour alongside lots of twists. Also their are many people that are not what you perceive them to be, a snapshot of life's awkward situations.
A page turner that will keep you engrossed from start to finish. It is a truly slow burn of a story that builds into a climax and covers many sensitive issues beautifully whilst making you love and hate the main character in equal measure.
Well worth the read and doesn’t disappoint.
arc sent by netgalley
It was a bit weird reading this book about december in july which made it complicated at first but i adjusted to it quickly and i went past that! the book is about belle who loves christmas and is quirky. she’s unemployed and broke. it’s also about rory who just lost his fiancée and his mother has cancer and he moves back to the uk for a month. it’s sunshine x grumpy which is always a fun dynamic to read!
it’s pretty slow burn which is great and the building of their relationship was interesting.
i’d say if you want to get into the christmas mood this is the perfect romance book!
This is a thoughtful, slow burn romance that draws from the friends to lovers trope. The heroine, Belle, has a well written character arc, and is a relatable heroine to champion. The love interest Rory is facing two inner conflicts - both handled with care due to their sensitive nature - though the realisations he needs to come to seem to stall just as they were about to 'kick in'- this became a little frustrating as a reader - likely for Belle too, so quite realistic. Another strength of this book were the supporting characters - all richly drawn - and the relationships the two main characters had with those around them were believable and added another layer to the story. I did think the pace in the middle of the narrative dropped off a little, but it picked up perfectly by the climax.
This was a cute kind-of rom com Christmas story. Both the main characters are strong. One loves Christmas and one not so much because bad things have happened in the month. Friends to lovers and personal growth for each as well as accepting the past. I enjoyed this more than I would and would read more from this author in the future. Just the right amount of fluff and a nice break from thriller/suspense. Recommened.
Thanks to Netgalley, Kitty Wilson and Harper Collins UK 1 More Chapter division for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 8/20/21
Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Belle returns to her families hom after losing her job. Rory returns home to visit his family after being gone for several years. When the two meet sparks fly. I liked the different characters in this book.
What a fun book to read in the middle of summer!
I absolutely love the Christmas vibes.
There are parts of this book that I loved and parts that I felt were drawn out and kinda blasé. For the most part I enjoyed the characters and the plot lines
Overall I would still recommend it to my friends.