I am 2 for 2 in reading books I thought would be a cute, light-hearted romance but actually ripped my heart out of my chest. Don’t let the cover and synopsis fool you, this one is sad.

I wasn’t expecting this to be as heavy as it was. Thank god I didn’t finish reading this on my flight back from London because I would’ve been a sobbing mess.

Despite a different tone than I was expecting, I still really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed seeing Josie grow and become more confident throughout the book. I also like that we got to see Max’s point of view as well. The romance was cute and I liked the different settings throughout the book.

I don’t want to give too much away, but just be warned that this is way more heart-wrenching than you think.

I had a difficult time getting into this one. May be a case of wrong reader, wrong time. Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader.

Summary: Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger–a stranger who will change the course of Josie’s life.

Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special.

Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye.

Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they’d never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: this book was an absolute delight. Such a beautiful story that made me weep. One of my favorite Christmas books I’ve read. The only thing that prevented me from giving it 5 stars was a minor plot point or two that wasn’t tied up with the end of the story. Josie was such a likeable main character and Max drove me crazy until the end. It was such a beautiful love story. Thank you @netgalley , @emstonewrites ,and @penguinrandomhouse for the advanced copy of this book. It’s available now be sure to check it out!

I really wanted to love this one, but I ended up just liking it. It could have mainly been my mood/a me problem, but it was just too sad for what I was looking for at the time and I went into it expecting a cute and fun Christmas romcom. I really did love both Max and Josie as characters and also enjoyed watching them fall in love. This is a book that made you want to yell at the characters the entire time while reading. The writing was also great.

I don't always like a together/apart romance but this one worked, I think the shorter timespans between sections helped. Chemistry and misunderstandings and a killer UK setting. This is the perfect Christmas read with just enough coziness and winter vibes to make you curl up with blankets and lattes.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I didn't read any reviews of it prior to starting, so I didn't have any expectations. I thought it was going to be a light-hearted romance, but it was much more than that. It was about friendship, family, following your dreams, heartbreak, and of course love.

I enjoyed the main character of Josie very much and her family and friends too. I loved the descriptions of the various settings - London, Scotland and New York. As for the actual story, I liked the concept, but didn't really feel the strong connection between Josie and Max, during their whirlwind Christmas weekend, so it took me a little while to warm up to the idea of them as a couple. I got frustrated around the middle of the book, because I knew there was something Max was trying to tell her - but he didn't try hard enough and she didn't give him enough of a chance. Without giving anything away, I was very surprised by the ending, but felt it gave the book some depth beyond just a cute Christmas love story.

I thought this book was very well written and the characters were very well developed. I will definitely welcome the opportunity to read another book by this author.

Always in December is a beautifully written story about love and life. It is hard for me to describe how I feel after reading the book because it was both captivating and heart-breaking.
The story follows Josie and Max, who met by chance on Christmas time, throughout a year and we can see how fate both separates and brings them back together.
As I said, the writing is beautiful, the characters are deep and interesting and even when it is a bit slower in pace you can easily read it in a couple of hours. However, you should have some tissues at hand because it will probably make you drop some tears.
The ending is sad and I could not really believe it, but I understand that it was part of the bigger picture and it works.
If you’re looking for a romantic story that will make you cry, this is definitely a good choice.

Always in December,,

“You were the light in mine when you were there, and so many times when you weren’t.”

Well, pass the tissues, these tears are about to freeze on my face from sobbing.

Always, in December really kind of hits ya in the feels on this story of star crossed lovers that meet by chance, and continue to meet. It
gives you all “The Holiday” vibes where things connect with a bit and there’s a crappy office romance, but also, it gives you of serendipity of soulmates seeing each other each time.

I’m kind of frustrated with the story as I feel like time is so precious these days and it was just wasted being angry and thinking of the other instead of bucking up and saying how they feel. Like, y’all could have that had happily ever after 11 months before now. C’mon.

I did love all the supporting characters and I’m glad we got to really understand everyone’s foundation to see how they would all interact. However, I still felt a little disconnected from the characters and the story didn’t invoke the emotions I would have thought it should have.

For fans of The Holiday, Serendipity of My Girl, I think Always, in December is a heartbreaking holiday read that leads you reflecting on self discovery in the end.

Thank you @penguin for the gifted copy. This is out now.

Josie literally runs into Max with her bike one December day, and that accident turns into them spending the next few days together until he disappears off to New York without any way to get in touch. Over the course of the next year they randomly run into each other by chance. But the question is, will the end up together?

I’m a sucker for a winter romance set in London. I’m an even bigger sucker if that romance also involves fate bringing two people together time after time. Add in some very emotional moments and I’m done. You’ve got me. This story was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. As many other reviewers have said, get the tissues ready. I adored so much about this book: the character development, the message about grief, the side characters. Truly I loved all if it. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy.

It was a sweet book with an ending you didn’t expect until halfway through. I wanted Josie & Max to have their happily ever after. Especially since it was a xmas book!

I had to take some time to write this review because it just wasn't what I was imagining. I think up until the very end I would have given it many many stars, but the ending really ruined it for me. I didn't know what I was going into, thinking it was going to the cute fluffy rom com I needed, but instead, it dangled exactly what I wanted and then took it away at the very last minute.

All in all, the main characters grew and progressed enough, I guess, but at its heart the reveal took everything away from Max, and frankly made some of his storylines not make sense at all. His point of view was far more interesting than Josie's imo, and then when the carpet got pulled out from under me, I found that the rest didn't quite make sense? The relationships, the dynamics, it fell apart for me with what felt like a plot twist for the sake of a plot twist that didn't really belong in a holiday book with a cover as cute as this one. I loved it, until I didn't.

Not a HEA/Romance. Although this was a women's fiction novel, the advertising/cover led me to believe it was romance, overall story was cute until IT happened.

First up in the holiday reads is Always, in December. This book broke me. Big fat ugly sobs. And I loved every minute of it. It is the story of two people who have a chance meet cute right before Christmas that leads to a whirlwind but abbreviated romance, only to cross paths inadvertently throughout the following year. Oh, my heart. There are miscommunications and misunderstandings but there is grief, heartbreak, sadness, strength, resilience, love, humor, and second chances. I am a puddle of mush from this one. Make sure you have Kleenex nearby.

It’s time! I’ve been sitting on this book for a few months now, as I was lucky enough to have access to an early eArc from Net Galley (Thank you Penguin Randomhouse!) The endorsement from Josie Silver is what got me. (She the queen of my favorite Christmas book, One Day In December.)

Verdict? I really liked this book BUT it is very sad. Let me clear…I don’t mind books that break my heart–I revel in a bittersweet ending, and I love a tortured love story. And the plot, romance, and holiday vibes worked for me in Always, In December. My gripe, though, is that I could have used 30 more pages before being sucker-punched (even though I could see the writing on the wall.) I still liked it a lot! But potential readers beware that this is not a fluffy holiday Hallmark read (not that you would ever find that here anyway–sorry to the Hallmark lovers) and it might quite possibly make you sob. Just me? Cool, cool. Someone bring me a mulled wine. Merry Christmas!

This book was absolutely adorable! i really needed a nice holiday romcom and this did the trick! 4.7🌟

This book was really cute but a little too long - I thought that some of the story could have been trimmed down a bit. Very cute holiday romance though and I think other romance lovers will like this! 3.5 stars/5

Unlike myself, our main character Josie is NOT a fan of Christmas.
When she was a little girl her parents were killed in a car accident on Christmas Eve; and while her grandparents provided her with a stable and love-filled life, Josie can’t help but feel sad when Christmas times approaches every year.
As an adult, she can’t get herself to go back to her grandparent’s house for Christmas, as she’s afraid being back there will bring up sad memories.
Instead, she has a tradition.
Every year, a few days before Christmas, she writes a letter to her parents.
No address.
No stamp.
Just a letter in an envelope put in the mail bin.
But this year, a random bump with a stranger sets Josie on a different course.
Could this chance encounter help Josie to embrace her Christmas spirit again?

Josie writes letters to her parents.
So I thought it would be fitting to write a letter to EmilyStone

“Dear Emily,
You don’t know me. But I am very angry with you.
(Not really… but yeah… KIND OF!)
At first I wasn’t sure I believed that this random encounter would turn into what it did.
BUT THEN YOU SUCKED ME IN!
I fell under your magical Christmas spell and became so committed to these characters and their relationship.
It was a slow burn, but so excellently written.
Sometimes books like this show how the characters grow individually. But I loved how your book showed that but with both the characters constantly interacting with each other.
I literally couldn’t get enough of these two.
I make a joke sometimes how once I became a nurse I forever lost the ability to cry.
But CONGRATULATIONS. You had me ugly crying for about 5 full chapters.
Anyway…thanks for writing this book. It was NOT what I expected but I absolutely loved it.
Always your fan,
Justagirlandhercouch (Sherry)”

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy of this wonderful book!

This book personifies the perfect "meet cute" and had me rooting for Josie and Max and their constant run-ins the whole book! I was expecting this to be a very light-hearted and easy Christmas read, and in one way it was, but it also dealt with a lot of heavier topics such as loss of loved ones, illness, loneliness, etc.

This book was one surprise after another and just when I thought I knew what was coming...Boy, was I wrong! Grab some hot cocoa and turn on your Christmas tree lights and snuggle up with this great read!

I’m honestly not the biggest fan of the events that took place in this book. There was a lot going on & I thought it was supposed to be a Christmas romance.

The good thing is that everything wraps up in the end, which would have made me give this book 2⭐️ if it didn’t. The story itself wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Now that I can see the computer screen through my tears, all I can say is... What the actual heart stomping madness of goodness did I just read?!?!? I was not expecting the ending at all, and it absolutely gutted me. Had I known in advance that the book would touch on death (present day) and medical emergencies quite this much, I probably would have been better prepared, or held off on waiting as those things are very triggering for me right now. I loved the story, but it definitely ripped my heart out.