I really enjoyed “A Winter Wish” and the characters. I love the theme, a travel company who specializes in holiday trips and it really has me wanting to do the same for specific holidays in other places. The characters were definitely made for each other as in any romance, in my opinion. I really look forward to reading more books by Emily Stone as this was my first and I liked her writing.

When I received this ARC, in the middle of summer, I wasn't ready to read a christmas story. But then, Autumn settled, and suddenly it was the perfect time.
Lexie is a young woman who loves to travel. She can't imagine a life where she has to settle, and prefers the no-strings no-commitments style of life she's living.
Just before christmas, her mother informs her that her father has passed. And she comes back to Bath, to realise that she inherited his travel company. Well, half of the company. The rest goes to Theo, former employee, who seems to hate her on the spot...

This story goes slowly, the characters living their life as they process their feelings. And after the good old 'enemies to lovers" vibes, this story goes into a "friends to lovers", and more... And there are also family problems that are solved, old resentments that are explained, and finally, Lexie and Theo grow up together and learn to live a happy life, as they wished for it. I really love this book, thant you for sending it to me :-)

I enjoyed this book! It did not feel like a super Christmasy book to me, but I enjoyed that it wasn't overly focused on the Christmas aspects that sometimes come through for holiday books. I thought it was well-done timeline wise and I enjoyed that it never felt like it was dragging on. I was a little worried it might start to feel like that as Lexie worked through her grief after her dad's passing, but I found that even though there were repetitive thoughts/feelings throughout, that it was never so repetitive that it was boring or unnecessary. The processing of feelings and emotions was needed for Lexie's character to work through her dad's passing and having her whole life turned upside down by suddenly owning a company.

I enjoyed the character development between Lexie and Theo. I love that they were both guarded but worked slowly to trust each other over time. The book also did a really good job talking about how people are just simply... well, complicated - you never truly know someone or why they make the choices they do, but you can always try to understand that things are never as black and white as they seem. I loved the scene where Lexie's mom was talking about why she and her dad didn't work out. I thought it was a really mature way to discuss such a heavy topic. Overall, a very nice read that deals with grief, new beginnings, and taking new chances.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

One of my favorite reads last year was Always, in December by Emily Stone. I haven't read her other books yet which I plan to soon, but I was so thrilled to get this ARC in the meantime. I have mixed feelings about this one. Emily's writing was fantastic here but the characters and storyline fell flat. And the romance and emotional depth I expected didn't quite resonate with me. I never got attached to either Lexie or Theo. Though it didn't hit the mark for me personally, I think other readers may still find this book captivating and enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Winter Wish is a holiday romance, the main character Charlotte is a Christmas hater. She was previously a child star in a Christmas film and has spent all her life trying to separate herself from being associated with the film. She is now an artist. She comes from parents who are in the entertainment business, as well as a sister that is quite popular performing in plays. Charlotte lives in NY by herself, but travels to London for the holidays to be with her sister and her family. While there they visit the family home of Graham, which just so happens to be the location her former holiday film was filmed at. Graham’s family home is on the verge of being lost, as money to fix the home is hard to come by. Charlotte and Graham end up making a business deal selling her art as a way to make money, but their meeting and connection might not be what Charlotte thought it was. Charlotte spends a lot of the book coming to terms with the fact that the Christmas film will always be in the background of her life, and that the way she has been towards her family and any romantic relationships may have been a flaw on her part. This was a cute holiday romance for sure and I enjoyed the banter and sarcasm that Charlotte used throughout the book.

I've loved all of Emily Stone's holiday-themed stories but I'm sad to say that this one was not my favorite :(.
Lexie the MC, takes seasonal and temporary jobs all over the world but struggles to form lasting connections. Her estranged father dies, leaving her a part owner of his travel agency in Bath, England. By the end of the first year, she's told that the business must turn a profit or else they can sell it. Lexie shares ownership with Theo, a young friend of her father's who has worked there for years. Like Lexie, Theo has also moved from place to place without settling until he started working for Lexie's father. The two are disappointed upon their first sight of each other during the aftermath of her father's death and sparks ensue.
Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me because the chemistry and the general business they were running didn't gel. I really wanted to like it-traveling - during the holidays! Christmas! Emily Stone! I just couldn't get there.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Layered with emotion ‘A Winter Wish’ explores grief and forgiveness complicated by family dynamics. Yet despite its weighty topic, it was handled carefully with a compelling protagonist. I couldn’t put it down.

Lexie has a peripatetic existence, destined never to settle in any one place, job or person. She’s called to Bath after learning her estranged father Richard has died and left her co-ownership of his travel business with the hostile Theo. As Lexie works through her buried anger and grief at her father, she can’t help be drawn to both the business and Theo as they slowly come to understand each other. But what if she is still determined to leave?

The strength of this book was the slow growth of Lexie as she comes to work through her buried feelings about the many times Richard let her down after leaving and starting another family. The concept of the wish jar was a perfect device to evoke Lexie’s heartbreak. I felt so sad and angry for Lexie to come to grips with her dad being the perfect dad for her younger half-sister Rachel, but let her down at every opportunity at the behest of his wife Jody.

I also liked the slow-burn between Lexie and Theo. While Lexie was frustrating with her push-pull, it was understandable. Theo had his own parental issues though this felt incomplete which was a missed opportunity given that Theo responded to his family life similarly to Lexie.

Overall, this was poignant, tender and a well-drawn portrait of working through grief.

Thanks to Random House/Dell and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was really drawn to this book because of the author. In practice though I struggled to connect with the plot and ended up not finishing it. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Winter’s Wish by Emily Stone
Publishing date - 10/15/24
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this eARC.
I have been a fan of Emily Stone’s books ever since reading , Always in December.

A Winter Wish is a quick holiday-themed read. A surprise inheritance from an estranged dad and an enemies to lovers romance! Definitely add this one to your fall/winter TBR when it publishes on October 15.

Enjoyable.
I think coming to terms with a poor relationship with one ‘ s parent is always difficult and this was written in a way that showcase a breathe of forgiveness.


The main characters started off on the wrong foot with each other due to miscommunication and poor assumptions but as they are force into close proximity of each other, understanding comes forth.

What’s funny is both characters had parental issues and both don’t like finality. Hence why they love traveling, but by the end they form such a United team.

I love Emily Stone's books, and A Winter Wish was another great one that is perfect for the holiday season! Although there were a few times I got frustrated at the actions of the main character, Lexie, she redeemed herself in the end. A story that centers around a travel company that organizes trips for holidays, this book made me really yearn for traveling especially for Christmas!

I wouldn’t completely call this a Christmas book since the events take place over a couple years, but I enjoyed it. It wasn’t completely light-hearted and I appreciated that main character Lexie had her issues to deal with. Theo was a good love interest and their interactions were the best part of it by far.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Getting my Christmas reading started a little early with this ARC. After Lexie’s estranged father passes, he leaves half of his travel company to her and half to his handsome business partner Theo. From haters to lovers, these two must decide what to do with the company before a year is up. At times this one was slow with unnecessary details. I felt myself wanting more from their romance. Overall, not my favorite of Emily Stone, but definitely is putting me in the holiday mood.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC

Thank you to Random House—Ballantine and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emily Stone’s books are ones I consistently look forward to reading each year and usually mark my first holiday/winter reads of the season. A WINTER WISH is a great novel to ease readers into the holiday spirit, especially those holding onto summer for dear life, because while Christmas is featured in the story, it’s not necessarily the star of the show.

Though there were many enjoyable things about this book, my absolute favorite parts were where Lexie, a woman who has recently lost her estranged father and inherits half of his travel company, and Theo, the other half owner, volley banter back and forth. These moments really showcased not only their personalities, but also the growth in a relationship that began with them as adversaries.

Like all Emily Stone books, A WINTER WISH is marked by the characters dealing with heart-wrenching circumstances, challenges in relationships and life itself, and a love story that can’t be missed.

3.5 ⭐️s

Another great read by Emily Stone. I always enjoy the holiday vibes without the book being totally Christmas-centric. They’re always heartwarming and a little heartbreaking at the same time. But I love that. So well written and the storyline was told over a year or so which I liked. Highly recommend.

I loved every sizzling page of this holiday romance! There is a depth to this book that is often lacking in holiday romance novels, as complicated emotions and relationships drove this store. Lexie and Theo both have deep-rooted issues regarding their parents, but it’s each of their relationships with her father that are at the heart of it all. I loved these two, and felt like the air crackled with electricity every time they were near each other. Their feelings were so raw where they were antagonizing each other, making each other laugh, or opening up to each other, and my own heart wept and celebrated with them. This also isn’t a holiday romance that takes place over one Christmas season; their story is a full year of love and heartache and mistakes and vulnerability and complications, and, of course, love.

I just loved this book. Everything about it. My only complaint was at times the main character got on my nerves with the way she didn't want to talk things out and it always lead to drastic misunderstandings. But this was a nice romance set through an entire year with a big focus on Christmas.

The story deals a lot with grief. And it's not just grief from the death of a parent, but grief from other parents' hopes for you, grief for your own hopes and wishes, grief from the rejection of a parent, grief from the rejection of a sister and grief from a parent's mistake.

I really enjoyed the nomadic aspect of the book and how the main character realizes that perhaps it's time for taking a chance and making roots in one spot. Her glee at travel was also a unique take on life as a child traveler and onwards into adulthood that we don't often see in romance stories.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Balantine for giving me and e-copy of A WINTER WISH to review.

I rate A WINTER WISH four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"A Winter Wish" by Emily Stone is a quick holiday-themed read. It reminded me of "A Winter in New York" by Josie Silver, because both deal with grief, complicated family dynamics, and finding oneself. I wasn't the biggest fan of our two main characters, Lexie and Theo; they were both often immature and their chemistry was lacking. However, I appreciated the journey (literal and figurative!) on which the author takes Lexie.

I loved this book! I’ve read this author before and her books are always so good to me! The story line was captivating, the characters were enjoyable, and I felt in a Christmas spirit afterwards! It was very well done and an overall excellent romance!

It was ok. It was like watching a Hallmark movie, no real substance but you get the warm holiday feels. If that’s your vibe then this is for you. I, however wanted more. Especially since this author has written such gems in the past.