This is a super cute read that will get you in the mood for the holiday season. I always like to read books like this starting in December, and this will be a perfect one to add to my list!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for this review

Three estranged sisters, Maggie, Simone, and Star, are tasked through their father's will to come together and revive the town's winter solstice celebration. Their father was mostly absent in their childhood except for the one month every summer they would all spend together in Rowan Thorp, but he was beloved by many. As adults, the three sisters live very different lives, with Maggie still living in Rowan Thorp, Simone is married and trying to have a child, and Star is a bit of a wanderer and seen as flighty by her sisters. As they work on the plans for the celebration, they have the chance to talk and forgive. Overall, a cute winter story of three sisters who have been at odds but discover they still have each other's support and the support of the whole town.

Another holiday story by Jenny Bayliss featuring the Winter Solstice Festival, but truly this is the story of three sisters coming together following the death of their eccentric father. In order to fulfill the terms of the will, they must solve a quest in his shop of curiosities and also restart the Winter Solstice Festival in their small town. but in order to do so, the estranged sisters must come together and work together to accomplish this. Not an easy ask. Maggie, Simone, and Star come from three different mothers, and three different backgrounds. They are also all dealing with their own issues and are not used asking for help from each other. But in this delightful tale, they learn to be sisters again and what is truly important in life - family. I loved the community atmosphere, the strong women characters but also the supporting cast of men who accepted these women for who they were. Told with a bit of magic, you learn the real magic is discovering the love that the sisters have for each other. Such a fast read, I enjoyed being transported to their little village and would love to have attended the Winter Solstice Festival. This is such a feel-good book, delightful and enchanting.
Many thanks to #netgalley #adecembertoremember #jennybayliss for the opportunity to read and review this book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

This one started off slowly; I didn't connect with it. I found the story to be a little intriguing in the end, but it didn't grab my attention. I found some of the writing to be so-so. The ending felt like I was reading a suggestion for a script for a movie rather than a well-written book. It felt unfinished at times. I did like the Christmas / Winter Solistice vibes. If a story about a family coming back together at the holidays intrigues you, this one would work. Not my favorite by Bayliss though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

This winter solstice sister reunion was ok. I found it hard to get into it. There were just so many characters and so much going on. I don’t know if it’s just me but I find it hard when multiple character have love interests happening at once. Between the scavenger hunt will and the busy characters and town this just wasn’t for me. It was cute and a feel good book def just took place in December as opposed to being a Christmas book.

Even though it is September this book got me into the mood to read more Christmas books. It was a delightful read and it was nice to read a book about women who are 30+.

I can’t wait to give this another read as it gets closer to Christmas time.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This was a wonderful, sweet holiday family story about three sisters finding each other again following the death of their father. The small-town setting was incredibly charming and I loved the multi-POVs. Holiday books aren't always the most well-written but this reads much more like general contemporary fiction. Jenny Bayliss is establishing herself as a must-read voice in the genre.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced readers copy!

I loved this one! I am a huge fan of Jenny Bayliss, her Christmas stories are always perfect and feel like a warm cup of coffee on a cold night.

Augustus North, father of 3 owns a small shop in the village of his home town. He traveled the world finding treasures to sell at his shop. Consequently, this left him with limited time with his daughters. Maybe related, maybe not- not all the daughters are getting along for the holidays. MAYBE SPOILER? Upon dying, he leaves his daughters a scavenger hunt to restart the Winter Solstice festival!

Anyways, what a BRILLIANT story that captures the heart of the holiday spirit. You have father-daughter relationships, sisterhood, romance and second chances. What is is about the holiday season and second changes anyway? Predictable, hallmarky, laugh out loud, feel good book. Loved the quirky side characters that stumble into the shop. Loved, loved, loved.

I have been enjoying a Jenny Bayliss book each Christmas season for the last few years and am very grateful to have been able to read this ARC.

Like all her books, Jenny builds such a beautiful world that the reader can dive right into. Set in a small town where everyone knows one another and works together to create such a beautiful and cozy community. The characters are fun and quirky without feeling fake.

While most of Jenny's books revolve around a love story, I enjoyed that this one really encompassed a fun plot that involved 3 sisters coming together. Yes they each had their own love stories and romantic interests, but I enjoyed that this was a story about familial love as well as learning to love yourself!

I would recommend this to anyone who has loved her previous works AND for those who are ready to dive right into her cute, cozy, British holiday stories! Another win for Jenny Bayliss in my books.

a really cute small town holiday story centering around three sisters. There is some romance thrown in but the main story is the complicated relationships of the North sisters. I really enjoyed this book it was perfect as a holiday read to get into the spirit. Will definitely recommend this one 4 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Quick and Dirty⁣
-contemporary holiday fiction ⁣
-family-focused with a splash of romance (closed door)⁣
-a sister story⁣
-full of quirk and charm⁣
-small-town setting⁣
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Thoughts⁣
Y'all, I think I'm obsessed with Jenny Bayliss's books! It started last year when I read her holiday book Meet Me Under the Mistletoe and LOVED it! So when I saw that she'd written a new book for the 2023 holiday season I rushed to request access. After hearing a few folks share some disappointment, I went in with low expectations only to find that I loved this one even more. If you've been following me for a while then you know I don't read a lot of romances, so the typical holiday romcoms usually fall flat for me. I love Bayliss' books because they are anything but the usual holiday romcoms. They have heart, soul, and so much more than sex. At its heart, this book is a sister story about reconnecting with family and rediscovering the magic and joy of life. The story of these three sisters hit home for me, as did the older main characters. Reading this gave me the same warm, cozy feel I get watching a PBS Masterpiece show. The British wit and charm oozes of the pages, transporting me right to the heart of the quaint village that serves as the perfect backdrop for this fun story of community and connection. Full of quirky characters and small-town antics, this book is exactly what I want from a holiday story. I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for something different this holiday season! Also, the audio is just as magical as the physical/ebook!

Jenny Bayliss has done it again - another wonderful holiday book.

A story about 3 sisters who come together after years apart because of their father's death. I loved the different personalities between the first born, "mother hen" Maggie, the serious and to the point middle daughter, Simone, and the free spirit youngest, Skye.

I loved the multiple points of views and hearing from all of the sisters as they had to overcome their differences and work together to pull off their father's final wish, a town wide party for the Winter Solstice. The transitions between the different points of view felt seamless and worked well to tell the story.

I loved all of the town characters and how the town rallied together to help the women pull off the party. The feel of the town and the community came through as the story unfolded and I felt like I was right there in that town.

Another hit from Jenny Bayliss! A beautiful book in a beautiful setting. Highly recommend for the winter/holiday season.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of A December to Remember in exchange for an honest review.

First off let me say that I love this cover!

If you love books that transport you to small towns, with complicated sibling relationships, that takes place during Christmas you will enjoy this read.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!

After the death of their father, three half sisters return to the quirky small-town of their youth for the reading of his will. It is soon discovered that in order to gain their inheritance, the sisters must work together to complete a series of tasks to honor their father’s final wishes.

A December to Remember is a contemporary holiday novel. There is some romance in it but it’s more of a subplot.

I like that we learn each of the sister’s backgrounds gradually. As the sisters get to know each other better, the readers find out more about the MCs in a natural progression. It’s a bittersweet journey seeing the sisters reconnect after so long.

I’ve enjoyed all of this author’s previous books and look forward to reading next year’s holiday offering.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)!

I must start by saying that I love stories with tasks to complete. Something about the clear start and end gives a sense of completion to me as the reader.
I loved how the themes of absolution and reconciliation wove into the storyline as the three sisters completed their father’s tasks. This book felt more like a good therapy session that a casual read. I loved the idea that the father didn’t just recognize that his absence caused problems for the daughters, but that he also created a tangible result from the scavenger hunt by helping the daughters bring back the solstice celebration. I was like, this is how you help to heal trauma!
Overall, I loved the story and continue to love Jenny Bayliss.

This book has way too many characters and far too much unnecessary dialogue to be enjoyable - which is unfortunate because the premise was interesting

This is a charming story of three estranged sisters, Maggie, Simone and Star, and how they find their way to a loving relationship with each other after the loss of their father. Their dad, Augustus, has put a plan in place after his passing to unite his daughters. In order to get a piece of inheritance, they must work together. The characters are fun, witty and lovable and each sister is on a mission for their own personal life satisfaction.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to review this arc.

Very sweet story about three estranged sisters finding their way back to each other after being given a task to complete by their recently deceased father.

Augustus Balthazar North fathered three girls by three different mothers: Simone, Star (Heavenly Stargazer), and Maggie. He owned North's Novelties and Curios in the small village of Rowan Thorp, and he traveled the world finding treasures he would send back to his shop. Unfortunately that meant he only spent limited time with the girls as they grew up, and their lives have made them somewhat distant and a couple of them aren't speaking to each other. Augustus has recently died, and he has left his daughters a scavenger hunt of sorts and a declaration that they need to restart the town's Winter Solstice festival.

I ended this book with a big smile on my face. I loved that the main characters (the sisters) were in their late 30s-40s. It gave a different perspective on the romance and issues that came up for them. Each one has something to work through and overcome, so they are relatable to readers. Overall it's fairly predictable, but sometimes a person just wants a nice cozy read. The addition of the shop and the quirky, meddlesome (in a great way) residents of the village made for an enjoyable read.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book initially. I was trying to figure out who all the characters were and the role they played. As I kept reading, all those things made themselves known. The story was sweet, with just the right amount of romance along the side.