I got an advanced copy of this book and can't wait for it to be published so I can buy a finished copy! I could not out this book down. This book follows the story of three sisters that grew up in various ways, but always came together for the summer to spend a month with their dad. This book covers very real and deep topics. It has me crying throughout he entirety. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a cozy Christmas read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss!

Oh my gosh, so so cute! I went through all the emotions while reading this and had such a hard time not finishing this in one go. It's a little absurd, but absolutely magical and perfect for for getting me into the holiday mood.

A December to Remember is a heart-warming story of three half sisters who come together to bury their father., an eccentric collector of all kinds of things who owns an antique shop The three sisters are very different and except for being together one month each summer, they hardly know each other. When the will is read, they find themselves challenged to several tasks that bring the women together, including bringing back a winter solstice celebration for the whole town. The characters are likeable and the story is predictable but has enough twists and bumps to keep you intrigued to the end. I give it four stars. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in return for my honest review.

(3.5 Stars) A new general (women’s fiction) story from Jenny Bayliss. When things start with a death and a funeral it catches your attention quickly. This is a very British story taking place in the quaint town of Rowan Thorp. Three half sisters gather for the reading of their father’s will. He never married any of their mothers but connected with the girls for a few weeks each summer. The sisters, Maggie, Simone and Heavenly Stargazer (Star) once looked forward to their time together but have grown apart. The will leaves them to split his estate if they accomplish specific challenges he has planned for them. Of course the purpose is to have them work together and become closer. The community of Rowan Thorp is an important character itself.

I don’t want to give all the specifics away. In fact I think too much is shared in the blurb. If you like books about reconnecting and finding family this will interest you. I enjoyed the book but didn’t feel compelled to read it straight through which is my norm. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

A December to Remember got me in the holiday spirit in September, which says a lot. This story is about three half-sisters— Maggie, Simone and Star— who have grown apart over the years, but are brought together again when their father Augustus, the owner of , passes away. Upon reading his will, they learn they must work together to complete the various challenges to receive their inheritance. They’re in the small town of Rowan Thorp, which is the cutest, most picturesque small town in the UK, where the town’s cast of characters play a role in the story as well as a winter solstice celebration that has come back to life.

All three sisters have great character development— each dealing with common life challenges. There are some sensitive topics in here such as addiction, infertility, financial challenges etc. but I found they are handled with care, and make each character feel relatable. They each go on a journey of self-discovery while reconnecting with each other, with forgiveness being a big theme here.

This book got me so excited for holiday reads; really setting the mood and managed to capture romance, sisterhood, friendship, and cozy small town festivities. My only wish was that the pacing was just a bit faster— there was nothing that had me anxious to get to my kindle to pick up where I left off. Which isn’t always a bad thing, because then I don’t have to hide from my family in the bathroom to find out what happens next.

I recommend adding to your holiday TBR, especially if you’re a fan of Jenny Bayliss!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

ARC REVIEW

A December to Remember
By Jenny Bayliss
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Publishing date: 9/26/23

*THIS WAS SO FREAKING CUUUUUTE*
no, really, add this to your holiday tbr.

I didn't LOVE the holiday release by Jenny Bayliss last year, but this one made up for it!

The book highlights various relationships and feelings. We get friendships, sister love, romance, and even parent/child bonding. It was a beautiful, heartwarming story that even caused a few tears to be shed at the end.

I love when a book exceeds my expectations, and this one definitely did! I loved it, and the people of Rowan Thorpe- I wish I could spend my winter solstice there 🙂

Big big thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for the opportunity to fall in love with this book early 🎄

SUMMARY:
Three bickering half sisters.
One unique antiques shop.
The coziest holiday season of their lives.

Wildly different half sisters Maggie, Simone, and Star have hardly seen one another since their sprightly summers at Rowan Thorp, their eccentric father Augustus’s home. Known for his bustling approach to the knick-knack shop he ran, Augustus was loved by all and known by none, not even his daughters.

Now, years later, the three estranged women are called upon for the reading of Augustus’s will and quickly realize he's orchestrated a series of hoops through which they must jump to unlock their inheritance—the last thing any of them want to do. But Maggie and Star desperately need the money. And who would Simone be to resist? 

Through hilarious goose chases, small-town mishaps, and one heart-warming winter solstice celebration, love is in the air, if only the three sisters can let themselves grasp it.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an E-Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is a cozy warm Christmas hug that wraps you up. I really enjoyed the small lovely English town and the relationships between the sisters, This books provides all the cozy vibes you need wrapped up with a beautiful cover.

A December to Remember was a cute winter read. The importance of family, community, and forgiveness.

Three half-sisters have only spent summers together during their childhood years and brought together by their father’s funeral and his will to bring them together.

I will be honest, I wish this book would have been 150 pages shorter or so. It seemed to drag on unnecessarily and repeat itself. I was ready for it to end. A very hallmark read with characters’ lives being tied up with a neat bow of resolution.

Augustus Balthazar North owns the curio shop that has been in his family for generations. When he dies, he leaves its contents to her three daughters, who each have different mothers and aren't close after only spending one month a year together for the better part of their childhoods. Now in middle age themselves, the North sisters must return to Rowan Thorp to fulfill their father's wishes and stage a winter solstice festival in their quaint village in order to receive their inheritance.

This was such a fun read! It did take me a bit to get into it, as there were so many different characters and dynamics and details. Once I did, I loved it! I just love books set in a small English village at the holidays and Jenny Bayliss is the queen of this subgenre! I also liked how the North sisters were in their late 30s, early 40s and a bit more mature, though that didn't mean they lacked in trials and tribulations. I loved seeing how the sisters' bond grew as they were forced to work together to carry out their late father's wishes and find their sense of home.

TW: Death of a parent, death of a spouse, infertility, mention of addiction

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of A December to Remember! I fell in love with Jenny Bayliss' writing in The 12 Dates of Christmas, so I was looking forward to this book so much!

This book was cute! The characters are engaging and interesting, and they definitely make you feel all the things. The book is really more women's fiction than romance, though, and I think you'll enjoy the book much more if you temper your expectations that way. I wanted a holiday romance, honestly, and instead, I got a story about sisters on their path towards being sisters again...which is a nice story, BUT when you're expecting one thing that's different... can be a bit of a let down.

Overall, though, I did enjoy this story! I would jus like to see Jenny Bayliss go back to books like The 12 Dates of Christmas and A Season of Second Chances...They were both so good, and I just haven't enjoyed her last two books quite as much as those.

Rating: 3⭐️

Read if you like:
👯‍♀️ Stories about Sisters
☕️ Cozy Reads
❤️ Romance
💪🏻 Personal Growth
🏘️ Small Town Vibes

This one will be the perfect cozy winter read! This one really is such a great wintery read that is so much more than what the cover portrays!

If you love books that transport you to small towns, explore real life issues and concerns such as sibling relationships, money problems, love, all while having to work on strained relationships for a common goal I strongly recommend this one!

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

This is the first book that I have read by Jenny and it did not disappoint. The story line of this book is centered around 3 sisters who have grown apart and are trying to find their way back to each other after their fathers death. Each sister is grappling with something and has to work through it in order to complete the tasks set out for them in their fathers will. The character develop of each of the sisters is written so well and really focuses on them in the individual and group aspects. I enjoyed the nods to small villages in England and really get transported there via the way it was written. It was great read that really tugged at the heart strings in a good way. Would recommend to others.

5/5 stars: Bayliss has once again brought all the cozy holiday feels, in particular winter solstice, with her newest British Holiday novel that weaves in the POV's of estranged half-sisters. As always Bayliss' characters are complex yet incredibly likable and the descriptions of the village and it's inhabitants are priceless. Bayliss also manages to not only deliver plenty of swoony romantic vibes and delightful dry, witty British humor but effortlessly balances the heavier topics in the book. Take care; Check the CWs. So cuddle up with your favorite hot drink and grab your coziest blanket and settle in with one of the seasons best books.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Decided to get a head start on holiday books since my reading has been so murder focused lately! This follows a group of estranged sisters brought together by the death of their Santa Clause-esque father. It’s got small town charm, a winter solstice festival, cozy romance… so yes, it’s a Lifetime Christmas movie in novel form and I know I’m not the only one into that kind of thing.

Cozy, charming, delightful.

I especially loved that this is a book set at Christmas focusing on three sisters instead of the usual romantic couple. The North Sisters only saw each other in the summers when they visited their eccentric bohemian father. As they became adults, they grew apart and have been estranged for years. Upon Augustus' death, they have to come together to settle his estate.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I am required by law to disclose this in my review.

Such a good read! This book was like a warm magical hug. I truly felt transported to Rowan Thorp Village. I couldn't put this book down and read it in 2 days. I had to find out what was going to happen. I fell in love with the three main characters and was rooting them on. Read this for a feel good story that takes some twists and turns but is absolutely magical. Four and 1/2 Stars for me. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Thank you Putnam for the advance copy!

A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss is simply lovely. Following the death of their father, the North sisters - all extremely different in their own way - are sent on a scavenger hunt and then a mission to restart the town’s Winter Solstice festival in order to get their inheritance.

It is a story of family, of sisters, of love, romance and of community. A December to Remember is surprisingly funny, full of shenanigans and soaked in charm.

Read if you like:
• holiday books
• family drama
• cheeky fathers
• charming small towns
• holiday festivities

Spice rating: 🌶️ (closed door)

This was such a heartwarming little story that felt like snuggling up in a warm cozy sweater.

I enjoyed watching the 3 sisters, with very different personalities, find their ways to each other. All three sisters faced different this throughout their lives and pretty much had to manage on their own. To see them come together was so sweet.

Enjoyed this little gem of a book!

Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
Don't go into this thinking it's a Christmas book. Yes it's December but it's more about winter solstice. It might be.a December to remember but for me, it's not a book to remember. I had a hard time getting to know the sisters, and there were so many side characters, I completely lost interest in the villagers. Each sister has her own love interest but nothing about them really pulled me into the story. This was more a cozy mystery without the mystery. I do like this author and will continue to read her but it's definitely my least favorite of her so far.