Unexpectedly sad AF

I read this at a time when I needed a light, happy read. Instead I was served a huge helping of relationship angst and sad ending...

If you don't set out expecting a happy, rom-com holiday read this is a great story... well written, excellent pacing... But someone, somewhere dropped the ball on promoting this one as a romance novel! It is not that... At. All.

Content warning: terminal cancer

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

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Those going into this book expecting a light, cheery Christmas read will be sadly mistaken. This book was heartbreaking! All of the missed connections and miscommunication were frustrating. I enjoyed the characters and how their story unfolded but it got a bit too drawn out. I was not a fan of the ending and almost felt duped as a reader. This is not a light Christmas read but a very emotional tale, and one that would be good year round. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

I expected a Hallmark-style holiday romance when I started this book, but it’s definitely got more depth than the typical Christmas-themed novel. Sparks fly between Max and Josie when they meet and spend Christmas together; the early chapters as these strangers spend the holiday together packed serious heat. From there, I found myself frustrated as fate continued to bring them into each other’s lives, but misunderstandings and failure to communicate kept them apart. The book’s final twist was a true gut punch - I knew something was coming, but I didn’t anticipate this particular direction.

I’ll be honest; if you’ve lost someone during the holiday season, this may not be the book for you, and ultimately I can only give it three stars, because I really struggled with the conclusion. While I found the romance between Max and Josie to be well-written and compelling, I was too shaken by the final chapters to be able to fully appreciate the book.

I was blow away by this tear-jerking story. It was a romance story for the first 30% of the book, but then it becomes something much more deep.

Josie mails a letter to her deceased parents every Christmas, but this Christmas she accidentally hits a stranger named Max with her bike on the way to the post box.

As she explored the holiday season with Max her feelings start to grow, but when he leaves unexpectedly, she’s left to deal with the aftermath of the impact he had on her heart. But fate isn’t done their story yet as they bump into each other through-out the year.

Probably my favorite Christmas book of 2021, this one is tear-jerker for sure. I sobbed for the entire last 10% of the book. This book is a testament to the healing power of love and the kind of impact each of us can make on each other.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you are looking for a Christmas book that ends with a bow and smile, you may want to look elsewhere.

When a book deals with loss and starting over, you know it's going to be a book where you need to break out the tissues to get through. To be honest, I am usually more of a HEA fan... but this book... I could not put it down. It is something that I definitely have to be in the mood for. I am not always someone who can read a book that I know will make me cry. But I did end up loving this book. I finished it in one sitting while on sick leave from work. I feel like it helped me to heal from the sickness by helping me to clear out my sinuses with all the crying this book made me do. I probably would not re-read it, but it was a solid read the first time around!

This author was new to me but I liked the synopsis and loved the cover... I know, i know. But man, this story was one I didn't want to put down. Ms. Emily Stone created a world that I wanted to stay in with characters I grew attached to. This was a great read and would recommend to anyone!

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publishers for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved Always, in December - the characters felt so real, and so complex. Somehow Emily Stone has strung the exact right words together, creating a timeless novel with such warmth, humour, and heartbreak. I always marvel at an author’s ability to bring pages to life; to make me ache for characters such as Josie and Max, long after I have finished their story. I will add this to my annual Christmas reading list.

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary e-copy of Always, In December by Emily Stone.

I requested this book based on the cover. I always love a good, light, chick-lit romance during the holidays. It cannot be stressed enough: I. WAS. NOT. PREPARED. FOR. THIS. STORY. In a time of such hardship and loss in the world, I think readers should be aware that when choosing Always, In December, it is not LIGHT. It is sweet, occasionally funny, and romantic, and it was crushing, too. Generally, I am not a fan of the call for trigger warnings in book reviews. However, when experiencing emotional trauma related to unexpected illness, I wish I had known this book was not a light romance.

That being said, I really enjoyed the story and I might have even loved it if I hadn't been so emotional about my loved one when I read it. Josie is a character who most readers will be able to relate to and connect with. Max is the same. I think if they were real people, I would want them as my friends. The decisions they made in the book made sense and so I did not spend much, if any, time rolling my eyes at the poor choices characters were making. That is a characteristic that is so important to me in a romance novel. Make it believable, people! This book was believable.....but too real if you are looking for escapism. I would love to read more by Emily Stone as I am very hard to please with chick lit and romance, and yet she avoided all the tropes that normally drive me crazy. Great characters. Sweet friendships and family moments. I really liked this book.

I couldn't quite connect to the characters by themselves but together they worked very well. I liked the bit of mystery and bit of fate surrounding the love story. Emotions were written well mixed with the tough yet magical time at Christmas.

This book was adorable, but heartbreaking.

My only criticism is that I felt it was slightly too long; after the initial romance, I was eager for it to pick up again, as the plot was significantly slower. However, other than pacing, I loved the characters (both main and side), the different city and historic settings, and the relationship.

Cozy, amazing and full of warm & fuzzy feelings-- this the perfect holiday read! I went into this book expecting a light hearted romance, which I did not necessarily get, but I till did really enjoy it. There's always something special and charming to me about a book that takes place in the UK during the holidays and so I really enjoyed the setting and timing of this book.

I thought this would be a cute holiday story and it was not. It was heartbreaking! I definitely loved it but I was not prepared!

I LOVED this book. I have been ugly crying throughout the last thirty minutes of it. I feel like it captured grief perfectly, and it also captured love perfectly. Life doesn’t go as planned. Thank you to this author for making me realize that even sad endings can be beautiful. I want a love like Josie and Max!

This book was beautifully written, yes. And it kept me pretty hooked, even though about 50% of the way through I started to predict the ending. This book also made me cry actual tears, to the point where I had to stop reading and pull myself together. 😭😭 I wasn’t prepared for this story, that’s for sure.

I do have an issue though - and I’ve seen this in some other reviews - this book should not be classified as a romance book. Romance isn’t even really the main plot point of this book, let alone the ending!

I liked the book, as a whole, and would read more from the author, but I went in expecting a light, happy, romantic Christmas story and this was NOT it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, I want to thank the publisher for granting my "wish" for this in NetGalley. I had seen some reviews for this one, and just knew that this is exactly the type of book in my wheelhouse. A realistic portrayal of the ways that love steals and then inevitably breaks our hearts. An exploration into the path that grief takes in our life. The ways it affects all of our future decisions and actions and never ever quite ever leaves our heart.

I've seen some reviews that critically rate this book because they think romance should be all flowers and happy endings. I completely disagree - but then again, I'm not an everyday romance reader. The way that this book takes hold of the reader's heart and takes it along the journey to heartache is exactly what my idea of romance is. The way this story developed the characters and the romantic relationship was exquisite. I felt every jolt of new-found lust, every heartbreaking misunderstanding and the overwhelming tension with one unsaid thing that one character could not face enough to tell the other.

I loved the self-deprecating, artistic, caring, introverted and altruistic main character, Josie. She grew up with the tragedy of her parent's death always in her mind and heart. It affects all aspects of her life. She meets Max and what starts out as her apologizing for her literally wrecking into him with her bike, ends up with her finding potentially her true soulmate... who doesn't actually seem available. She has great friendships and one super dysfunctional relationship. He also has a seemingly super dysfunctional relationship. What ensues is a quest for Josie to hone her passion and for her to find herself before she can find her mate.

This story is beautifully heartbreaking - so be ready with tissues. There is a string throughout the whole book that makes the reader cognizant to the fact that something is amiss in the background, but they are only fed small hints. I honestly loved that aspect -- I kept trying to figure out what it could be. There is so much to love about this book! You will love the relationships, you will love (and hate some of) the side characters, you will love the friendships and you will be totally vested in how this will end. Go grab this one now!

Recommend fully! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for the ARC to read and review.

I love this book! A very cute Christmas story with all the classic Christmas activities. It wasn't a book that had me laughing out loud or gripping my kindle waiting to see what happens next. But, it was very enjoyable and made me smile. I'm in love with both the MCs and definitely recommend!

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the gifted copy of this eBook in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Josie lost her parents on Christmas Eve years ago and has avoided the Christmas season ever since. Until one day, when she quite literally runs into Max. The two spend the holiday together and Josie thinks it’s the beginning of something beautiful, until Max disappears.

The story follows these two over the course of a year, as they continue to be thrown together and form an even deeper bond. Could this be true love?

Disclaimer: I was expecting this to be a typical Romance, and it is not. Which may be why I had a hard time giving it a higher rating. The writing was so well done, but the story just moved a bit too slow for me at times. I also couldn’t get myself to really connect with either of the characters. Or really understand how they could become so connected over their few, and rather short, meetings.

Ugh… I thought this was a romance but I realized it was not just a quarter of the way in. I ended up just skimming this book and then reading the final chapters. It was well written, I just felt it was extremely predictable and was not in the mood to read a book like this.

This is an exceptional book and perfect for the holiday season. I’m a sucker for great character development and this hit the nail on the head! I highly recommend for those who love a genuine and kind love story that inspires!