I picked this up because Jenny Bayliss's "Twelve Dates of Christmas" is one of my all-time favourite Christmas books, and please, this book was SO GOOD and SO WHOLESOME 😭 I think this became my favourite book by Jenny Bayliss ❤️ this book focuses on 3 estranged sisters who build back the sisterly relationship they lost after childhood.

The book is narrated by all three sisters, each of whom are going through various troubles in their careers and/or relationships. They've been estranged for years and going at life alone, but when they're brought together to fulfil the last will of their dead father, they build back their bonds and become stronger than ever 🥲🥲 All three romantic plots were also so wholesome 😭 the hea's were so perfect. Istg, this book felt like drinking warm coffee ❤️

TWs - death of an estranged parent, death of spouse (past), stalking by an ex (past and on-page), drug addiction (secondary character, aka aforementioned ex), failed pregnancies from IVF (past and talked about on-page)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Three sisters are reunited in their charming hometown over the tragic loss of their father. This whimsical story is set in December, and the entire town comes together to support these sisters as they begin to process their father's curios shop and plan the Solstice event. This was a really sweet read- I loved learning about each sister and their past. Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this free ecopy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Very cute rom com, perfect for someone who really isn’t into romance overall. I always love a good lighthearted book centered around a holiday. In this one you have three estranged half sisters, coming together to solve a puzzle (maybe more of a challenge than puzzle?) put together by their late father.

Augustus North has written out a will that requires his offspring to work together to sort through his curiosities shop, and then to put together a winter solstice event for the town- working together to reunite them as well as the town.

The story has many layers, each sister has her own problems and insecurities to deal with, so not only do they solve the biggest issue but they use each other to work through their own personal difficulties.

I especially enjoyed the winter solstice event details, it makes me want to put together my own traditions this winter. I mean, I’m already going to have to get rich so I can set up my own monopoly house will, right? Might as well be fully invested!

This is a perfect holiday read for those readers who don’t necessarily want ANOTHER Christmas themed romcom. Still fun and festive, but new. I appreciate the advanced readers copy from Jenny Bayliss, Penguin Book/Putnam and NetGalley! Will definitely be picking up a finished copy upon release.

A December to Remember is a sweet story of estranged sisters. While this is an enjoyable read I did find it to be a bit predictable. It tends to move slower as well. This is a good read, but definitely not one of my favorites from this year.

I love this authors writing. It’s captivating in all the right ways. Not to mention perfect for this this season.

Augustus North is a rolling stone. He has three daughters (Maggie, Simone, Star) by three very different women. Growing up, his daughters were only together for the summer months when they lived with their dad. Each daughter is wrapped up in their own lives and really have no idea of the others lives.

Augustus passes and his daughters are left with a series of challenges that they must complete together in order to collect their inheritance.

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This is definitely a feel good, Hallmark-y, Christmas read in ALL the best ways. You become very invested in their stories.

This was a charming Christmas read, though admittedly I thought it was going to be fluffier for some reason. Instead we hit on some bigger topics that I wasn't expecting. Overall though it's a sweet holiday read featuring an adorable community. Oh, and the cover is perfect!

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book features several perspectives and is slightly long. I thought the writing was good and the author poured a lot of time and love into the characters. However, I had a hard time connecting with it for some reason. I think it’s because there was so much going on, there were multiple deep topics covered and it was more of a heavier read than I’m used to in a Christmas book.

A Christmas novel! I'm so excited. Its almost summer, but I'm compiling a list to share of this year's holiday books and this one will definitely be on the list!

The description of this book sounded so interesting, and it just kind of fell flat for me. I struggled to get into it, letting myself get easily distracted by other things. It did get better, but the beginning just really almost made me DNF it honestly. Maybe I'm just in the wrong season for it.
I absolutely loved the other books I've read by this author, so not sure why this one was so different for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 rounded up. Although I loved her last book, I really had trouble connecting with this one. The POV jumped around a lot and it was hard to keep up with which character was talking at the time. The plot was cute and unique, but it was also at least 100 pages too long.

Thank you @netgalley for sending me an ARC of A December to Remeber in exchange for an honest review!
This is the perfect Christmas book! The plot revolves around three estranged sisters who come together after their father dies. To claim their inheritance, they must work together to re-initiate the long forgotten Winter Solistice.
All of the sisters have their own life troubles: Maggie is in love with a younger man and is about to get evicted, Simone is trying to have a child through IVF, but it's not going well, and Star is currently jobless and homeless.
Of course their lives are also very affected by how absent their father was. They only saw each other during the summer and their father didn't even spend time with the Maggie, who lived in his town, outside of the summer. In the end, even though he loved them, he was a very selfish man, who wanted the fun part of parenting, but not really the responsability.
All the sisters are very interesting character, but the one with the most development is Simone. Simone is insufferable at first. I get it that she's going through a lot, but she doesn't have the right to constantly criticize everything she doesn't understand. Her reaction to a winter solistice was completely uncalled for. It's as Star says, just because she doesn't like or know what something is, it doesn't make it suck. Her wife is also a character I disliked at first. Evette doesn't seem anywhere near as interested in Simone's IVF journey. I understand that she doesn't want to get pregnant and I'm not saying she had too, but why didn't why didn't she grieve the loss of Simone's pregnancies? It just felt like she didn't care at all. If she only wanted to adopt and didn't want Simone to do IVF why didn't she just say so instead of being so aloof? It pissed me off that she didn't seem to care about what her wife was going through.
I'm also a big fan of Star's development! I love how Star goes from being babied by her family to becoming a strong woman her sisters can rely on. She helps her sisters, especially Simone, and finds her place in the world, while shaking the demons from her past away!
I love how the couples ended up solving their issues and working out. Sometimes relationships have times where things aren't great, but that doesn't mean people can't bounce back.
Kinda like how the whole town comes together to help with the Solistice. Yeah, it probably wouldn't happen in real life, but it's still sweet. The sisters found their place there and learned how to be more than "summer sisters", the became true family. This is a story that encompasses the true meaning of Christmas, which is to be with and cherish your loved ones.

TW:death, drug addiction, implied sexual content, alcohool, being drunk, absent father, IVF, pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, robbery.

This book hurt in a way I was not prepared for. I have two sisters so maybe that’s one reason why I didn’t love this book, but there is just so much trauma lumped into one book. I’ve read this authors other Christmas books and expected a fun, Hallmark like movie feel. While the town had me enchanted and gave the Hallmark/Christmas feel, the story was just too deep for me for what I want out of a Christmas book. I think my expectations weren’t ready for this story. I enjoyed watching the sisters relationship heal, but I did not jive with the overall story.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is a heartwarming story about three estranged sisters who reunite after their father passes. The characters are full of life, the small town is magical, and the events were interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this although it was a little slow at times.

I love Jenny Bayliss' christmas romance books. They are an auto buy and I haven't been disappointed in them yet. They are always filled with heartfelt emotions and love. This was a 6 star book if I could give it. I loved this!
I just reviewed A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss. #ADecembertoRemember #NetGalley
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I adore this cover. It just might be my favorite holiday book cover ever! Well done. The story is also interesting and entertaining. Bayliss writes sister characters well. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.

Bayliss has crafted a heartwarming tale that is sure to delight readers with its humor, charm, and festive spirit. The story is filled with colorful characters, quirky mishaps, and heartwarming moments that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired.

Overall, A December to Remember is a feel-good novel that is perfect for the holiday season. Bayliss's writing is engaging and enjoyable, and the story is both heartwarming and hilarious. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a fun and heartwarming holiday read. I would like to give it four stars.

When Augustus North dies at the venerable age of 96, he leaves behind a legendary curiosity shop in the village of Rowan Thorp -- along with three daughters who once spent summers together and have now become estranged. The three of them must reunite for the reading of the will, and they discover that Augustus has left them two quests that he hopes will bring them together. As they work together to clean up the shop and pursue the quests (one of which is to revive the village's winter solstice celebration), they learn to open their hearts again to each other and to reconsider their future as a family.

Though there is some romance in this book, the emphasis is on what it means to be family and how to overcome current life obstacles. The three sisters, born of three different mothers and therefore having different childhood experiences to form their adult selves, have distinctly different personalities that often clash, but the time they spend together helps them not only understand each other better but also recognize how they themselves can be better sisters to the others. The plot moves at a measured pace, speeding up at the end to resolve a couple of ongoing personal conflicts, and the overall feel is that of a heartwarming community. You'll find plenty of humor, both in the riotous celebration of Augustus's life (and love life) and in the involvement of village neighbors to help plan the festival and get the sisters unstuck from their own problems.

A very cozy book to help you remember what is good in the world. 4 stars.

Thank you, G. P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

it was fine. hijinks and light romance for the christmas romance crowd. it feels very manufactured at time - the humor is a bit cliche - but it's well written enough i suppose

This is a hilarious story. The relationships are priceless. I loved the story and didn't want it to end. I will be rereading this book in December and recommending it to everyone.