DNF @14% - With how far I got into this book, I can’t particularly tell you anything wrong about it. The only problem I have with this so far is just the sheer amount of character’s in each of the three storylines. We are thrown in, without much explanation, and it was just difficult to keep track of who’s who. That’s not why I DNF’d though, as I’m sure that if I kept reading things would get more clear. It’s just that this book isn’t my thing. I liked the premise of it, but it’s WAY heavier than I anticipated, and I’m also not really vibing with either of our three protagonists. So, I decided to not put more of my energy into this book as I know it won’t turn out great for me.

I'm one who will pick up any Christmas-themed book, and since I really liked the 12 Dates of Xmas, I expected something similar here. I guess I didn't do enough research on this one because the story was about 3 estranged sisters being forced to work together to revive the town's traditional Winter Solstice celebration.

It was cute, but it didn't have enough of that Xmas romance I wanted - and that was my bad for going blindly into the book.

Scavenger hunts are fun, but with heavy premises… they aren’t so fun anymore! Also, I believe this book was misnamed in terms of its genre because it’s certainly not a romance! While it has romantic aspects, it’s more of a found family or rekindling your original family type of story with other things thrown in. A heavy story with not the best plot, vastly different than what I imagined! Not only that - I’ve read all of Bayliss’ books, and thought maybe this one would be it - but I guess she’s just not the author for me. If you’re looking for a found family read with some heavy doses of depressing moments, but a HEA, this is the one! Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Three estranged half sisters return to their father’s home after his death, where they have to learn to work together to ensure their inheritance…but can they? ❄️

Sadly, if not for the fact that I received this from NetGalley and was also reading it for book club, this would have been a DNF for me. I found the characters too unbelievable, going from annoyingly immature and self-centered to the most supportive of best friends in such a neat, clean, and quick fashion. 🙄 The writing and storytelling was overly sweet and simple to the point of saccharine and everyone learned their “lessons” and made all the perfect choices afterwards. I wasn’t pulled in by any of the sisters, who for me, felt like they were in situations of their own makings that didn’t need to be as dramatic as they were making them. The premise of the book sounded great and I liked the atmosphere surrounding the dad and his curiosity shop, but absolutely nothing else delivered for me. This is my second book by this author and I’ve rated both 1-2 stars…I’ll give her another shot, but I’m wondering if we’re just not a match.

My thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for a complimentary advance copy of this eBook, out now.

I love Jenny Bayliss' books - they have just the right kind of British coz(s)y romance vibes for me.
This one is no exception even if it was less (or more) of a romance than the others. There wasn't a single couple of main protagonists but three sisters who each have or find their significant other as well as the value of their sisterly relationships.
The three estranged half-sisters are brought together after the death of their father - more than that his will forces them together.
Each woman is a very different character from three different mothers, and after a relatively close childhood, spending idyllic summers together with their joint dad, they drifted apart.
But a few stipulations in their father's will leaves them with little choice but to spend time together to complete certain tasks and try and get on. They must re-establish the annual Winter Solstice celebration for the whole village; can they put their differences aside and get on task and maybe just maybe help each other a little along the way?
This is an absolutely lovely novel about sisterhood, community, love and loss, all done with a little bit of Christmas sparkle! I love stories where friendship or family takes center stage and romance comes second, and this was a great example of that done well - I was so invested in the sisters growing closer that their love stories were just an added bonus. This was lovely start to finish and now I want to travel to Rowan Thorp and experience a winter solstice celebration ... maybe our star would work in terms of decoration...the evening in the illuminated snowy yard sounded just perfect!

This one took a while for me to get into but had a satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed Augustus' foresight to bring the sisters back together and force them to realize how special their bond could be. The townspeople were excellent and it was lovely to see them all step in to help the North family. The men in this one left a lot to be desired (talk about waiting to parent until your dead, Augustus!), and Patrick (Maggie’s son) needed a good dose of reality and made me so angry throughout but his little sister, Verity, was able to warm my heart back up.

This book gave me all the feels. The story revolves around three estranged sisters. They are brought together by their father's death. He leaves them a task to complete and they need to do it together to succeed.

Three, half sisters who haven’t had much of a relationship since they were children are suddenly forced to spend time together. In a charming, cozy town of Rowan Thorp, these sisters reunite to sort through their father’s antique shop. In his last attempt to get them together, their father has them navigate a treasure hunt to receive their inheritance. All three women are unique and vastly different but can they put away their differences and work together like they used to?
A cozy, funny and heartwarming winter story of second chances, romance and fun- this book didn’t disappoint. I loved the plot. It just goes to show that no matter how much time has passed, relationships can always be mended if the people are willing to try and put in the work. Merry Christmas!

When three sisters have to come back and sort out their father’s antiques store and estate it is not a happy reunion. Maggie is a single working mom who is being evicted. Simone has been dealing with emotional fertility issues. Star has always chosen the wrong guy and cannot hold down a job. As their late father gives them a scavenger hunt of sorts the sisters begin to dig deep and discuss their relationships. This Christmas will be a memorable one for them all.

This if you struggle during the holidays with grief and familial relationships, this is the heartwarming holiday read for you!

This is my first time reading a Jenny Bayliss book, and I am so looking forward to her others now as well! This book felt like the perfect hallmark Christmas movie. The story takes place in a small town called Rowan Thorp during the winter. Upon the sudden death of their father, three sisters who share different mom's must come together after being apart for years to fulfill their father's dying wish. I really enjoyed watching the personal growth of all three sisters and how they each helped one another through difficult personal conflicts and changes. Truly such a touching and warm read! I can't think of anything better to read during the holidays.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy. I liked the description, but once I jumped in, I found it wasn't my cup of tea.

Jenny Bayliss wrote a heart warming story about three sisters, once estranged, finding their way back to each other. Their father passed away and tasked them each with a "quest" in order to receive their inheritance. I liked the wintry setting but this book was long and I found myself skimming toward the end.

What a wonderfully charming Christmas book! I loved the familial relationships and growth of the characters in this one. Pair it with small-town charm and a Winter Solstice celebration and you have the perfect cozy December read. Get your hot chocolate or wassail ready for a lovely time.

Every year I look forward to reading Jenny Bayliss’ new holiday novel! I especially enjoyed this one that had a little romance, but focused more on the relationships between three sisters and their love for the town where they spent summers together with their father. A quick and beautiful holiday read!

A story that I have read before where a family member has passed and they have left their kin with a charge in their will and their goal is to bring the family back together. These three half sisters all shared one father who was eccentric, but cared for each of his daughters and hoped that they would have each other when he was gone. Augustus left his daughters a treasure hunt and a challenge.

This was such a fun ride. I loved the uniqueness of the sisters and I believe that all readers could find themselves in at least one of them and they are each at crossroads in their lives where having their sisters will help them cross each bridge. While there is some romance in this book, it isn't the full focus and instead the role of both your internal family and found family in a community really shines in this book.

My second Jenny Bayliss holiday book and now an author that I hope to read during each holiday season as her books are just fun to read with great characters and a wonderfully joyful holiday setting.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦: 0/5🫑
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𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝: The setting of Rowan Thorpe was a lovely little town, and the forrest where the Solstice Celebration was held, with its critter cameras and snow-dusted trees really delivered on wintery vibes. I didn’t know that traditions of celebrating the Winter Solstice existed, and I liked learning about the history of celebrating the longest day of darkness before the return of light.

I’m also giving a star back to this book because of the helpful spotlight that the author put on reproductive issues (abortion, infertility, surrogacy, etc.).
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: From the beginning, I wasn’t very invested in the scavenger hunt or the little games that the dad assigned to his daughters. The timing of the book (late-December) alludes to elements of Christmas cheer, but I definitely wouldn’t classify this as as a “holiday” read. And while Bayliss’ books always have some underlying story of romance in them, it’s certainly not ever the focus and this book was more about maintaining or rekindling existing relationships.

Overall I found it to be predictable and overly sugary and tied up in morals and lessons. It was a bit long and trying to do too much, and I found myself bumping up the audio speed in the hopes of skimming through it and finishing more quickly.

This book was an utter delight! I enjoyed reading about each of the North sister's lives and i enjoyed each of their different personalities. As the eldest child in my family i very much related to Maggie but i found it fun to hear all sides of their family story. This was a warm Christmas read that shows us how important family really is and how family is the best part of Christmas...even if they do drive you batty..lol!

Jenny Bayliss wrote another flawless novel again and I'm so honored that I was able to receive an advanced copy from NetGalley!

Reading this book was such an enjoyable experience. I loved everything about it from the well rounded characters to the plot and everything in between.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC of A December to Remember!

Maggie, Simone, and Star grew up as "summer sisters," spending one month each summer away from each of their mothers and together with their father and each other. After the death of their father forces them to join forces, first to find all of the hidden mysteries in his antique shop and then to plan a community solstice celebration, they learn that they actually NEED to rely on one another. Each sister is struggling; Maggie with her pending eviction, Simone with her marriage and struggle to conceive, and Star with her place in the world. The forced break in the small town of Rowan Thorp was exactly what they needed.

Review:
I LOVED this story. It is such a sweet story of sisterhood and friendship that really understands the conflicted relationships sisters have with each other. Each sister has their own well-developed personality complete with their own strengths and flaws. I loved how the sisters grew to support each other and fill the others' needs in their own way. The town and side characters are super delightful.

I don't usually put trigger warnings in my reviews but miscarriage and infertility are a huge part of this story so if you are sensitive to those topics you may want to avoid this one.