I will never not read or love a book written by Stone!
A Winter Wish by Emily Stone was the perfect holiday romance!
Her stories are charming and fun, and their guaranteed to make you cry every time. I. Love. It.
This story hooked me right from the get-go.
Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and adored the whole story.
This is going to be a must read for many many readers.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House & Ballantine for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I absolutely adored Love, Holly last year and was so excited for this one. It didn't work for me like that one did. I think that there were so many feelings about Lexie and her dad, that made it hard for me to read because it hit close to home in a lot of ways. I also wasn't the biggest fan of how Lexie and Theo came together originally. I like enemies to lovers but there was some meanness there that made it hard for me to see past. While this wasn't my favorite from this author, I will definitely be reading her backlist and upcoming novels in the future.

This story just felt okay - for a Christmas story, over half of the book took place at different times of year which was slightly disappointing.
The chemistry between the two main characters felt lacking and I honestly didn’t care if they ended up together because of how forced it felt.
This felt more like a reconciliation journey between the fmc and her deceased father than it did a romance in my opinion.

Overall it wasn’t bad, just wasn’t necessarily memorable.

Thank you to Dell for the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley arc!

Stone is always a holiday story writer I look forward to reading. Always December is an icon.
A Winter Wish has a couple of my fav tropes. Forced proximity with grumpy business co-owner.
A wishing jar, a travel company and parental relationships wrapped in grief makes for a touching romance with surprising depth. Highly recommend for the seasonal reader. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I've read all of Emily Stone's holiday novels and unfortunately, this one was my least favorite. It didn't even seem like a Christmas book until the very end so if readers are looking for a book to get them into the holiday spirit, this might be a bit of a disappointment. I thought the plot was entertaining, but I didn't find either of the main characters very likeable.

Summary: When an unexpected inheritance forces two total opposites to work together, Lexie must decide if Theo is going to push her out—or pull her in for the kiss of a lifetime.

Thanks NetGalley and Dell Publishing for the early copy for me to read and review.

I love a Christmas romance, and I enjoyed Love, Holly last year. This year wasn’t as holiday focused but I did enjoy the banter and all the talk of travel.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Lexie and Theo meet a better her father passes away and leave her half his travel business, the other half going to Theo. The catch is they must work together for a year. A great read and some great places they visit inspire you to book a flight!

An enjoyable and easy read. I felt that the chemistry between the main leads was lacking, but Lexie’s character development was well done. The ending seemed too neatly put together and rushed but I would recommend this book for lovers of holiday romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballentine for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

stars for A Winter Wish. I didn't quite feel the chemistry between Lexie and Theo. I did notice that I have given each book I have read by Emily Stone three stars. I enjoy her books, but they don't leave a lasting impact on me. Good to get in the holiday spirit for me. I'll keep reading her future novels!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. A Winter Wish is available on October 15, 2024.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for this arc.

Lexie's estranged dad passes from cancer and leaves her half of his travel business. Lexie is used to living on the go, with her life in 2 suitcases and no desire to stay in one place more than 6 months. The other half of the company goes to Theo. They got off on the wrong foot and didn't get along. Legally Lexie has to put a year minimum into the company before she can try to sell, but how can she run a business with someone who seems to hate her?

At first I actually really did not care for Lexie at all. She was harsh and cold, and couldn't seem to get sentences out. But as the story goes on her character develops and you find out why she was that way. I enjoyed this one. I liked all the travel and that the story took place over a year and not a few weeks.

4 stars for me.

When Lexie's father died, she was surprised to be included in his will. The inheritance was half his travel company. The catch? She had to run the company along with prickly Theo before she was allowed to sell. The question was: would Lexie and Theo be able to work together for a year?

Since 2021, I have grown to expect a winter release from Emily Stone. Her books are often quite sad, but ultimately, uplifting. A Winter Wish was a bit different. It dealt with a woman working through her complicated feelings regarding her father's death, but it wasn't as sad as Stone's previous books.

Her parents divorced, and Lexie's father went to be with his "new" family. Though he attempted to include Lexie, the blended family never really worked out, and the distance between her and her father grew until she no longer had contact with him. Hearing about his death stirred up a lot of feelings. Lexie wanted nothing to do with his company or her half sister, but being forced into his world helped her gain insight into her father and helped her learn a lot about herself as well.

The travel company Lexie's father started hosted trips to celebrate given holidays. These trips were some of my favorite parts of the book. Yes, there was a Christmas trip, but there were other holiday trips built around local celebrations that were so interesting and tons of fun.

I didn't just love reading about the trips, it was on these excursions where Theo and Lexie were able to connect with each other. I liked seeing that friendship grow, and Theo was a vital part of Lexie getting to know her father in a different way. It was bittersweet, as she had pushed him away and never really knewn him as an adult, but it was good that she got to learn about who her father became. This allowed Lexie to forgive him, to work through her baggage, and to finally live her life to the fullest.

Overall, I had a lovely time taking this personal journey with Lexie which was marked by forgiveness, healing, friendship, love, and a few celebrations.

Thank you PRHaudio and Netgalley for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!


Emily is one of my autobuy/read authors. I know I am in for an emotional read and will love the book. This was no exception. This was excellent on audiobook and put me in the holiday season. This focused more on family relationships and what that means.

I have a hard time when contemporary enemies to lovers are just flat out mean to each other, and that's exactly what was going on here. Lexie and Theo instantly hated each other, and they were both extremely rude and condescending. I also struggled with the fact that Lexie had an awful relationship with her dad, and Theo seemed to love the man like his own father.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️

A huge thank you to Dell, Penguin Random House, Netgalley, and Emily Stone for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Emily Stone’s holiday books are always so thoughtfully written. There is a depth to this book that isn’t seen often in holiday romcoms. This book made me feel a whole gamut of emotions and it was an absolutely wonderful experience reading this!

Lexie unexpectedly gets the news that her estranged father passed away. Then, she finds out that her father left her half of his travel company. The other half was left to Theo, who looked up to Lexie’s dad. They have to learn to work together if they are to make the business successful. Along the way, they end up falling for each other as they travel to exciting destinations and figure out who they are.

Overall, this is a great holiday read with a lot of heart, adventure, and love! I would definitely recommend adding this to your holiday TBR!

I'm quite disappointed in this book.

The idea of Lexie, inheriting from her estranged dad half of his travel company sounded quiter nice. Especially since the other half was given to a handsome but a bit bad tempered man, Theo.

It did sound promising, but there wasn't much character development. I mean, we get early on Lexie has commitment issues because of her dad divorcing her mom and almost disappearing from her life. But it felt it was the only piece of her personality.

in addition, this book felt really, really long. I could have done without some bits.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

#arc #arcreader #arcreview #arcreviewer #awinterwish #emilystone #netgalley #romance #christmasromance #enemiestolovers

A Winter Wish is my first book by Emily Stone. Lexi has inherited half of her estranged father’s travel agency along with Theo, the handsome young executive she now must work with.

This book did have holiday vibes which I enjoyed but it does take place over a year and not just one holiday.While I can see the travel agency/company aspect to be dated- I thought it was a fun backdrop to the story. As far as the romance goes, it was there but I wasn’t captivated by it. What I really loved was the themes of grief and making space for different perspectives and life experiences.

People are complicated.

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. Ahh, okay. This was cute and all but not my favorite I’ve read recently.

I thought the travel agency piece of this book was great and provided interesting settings. We got to see lots of different events in different places around Europe which was cool! And I liked that this romance blossomed while exploring the beauty of travel.

Unfortunately the romance fell flat for me in the second half of the book, the chemistry just wasn’t where it should’ve been.

I did find Lexie to be a tad immature at times. It felt like we were rehashing the same things over and over and over again with her and she didn’t learn anything or change until the very end of the book. I wish I could’ve seen more gradual growth from her.

I also feel like we could’ve had a great secondary character found family situation but we never got that far. None of the secondary characters had enough depth that they added anything really interesting to the story.

Overall though this was definitely cute and I’d still recommend it for some holiday fluff if you have room on your holiday TBR, especially if you’re a wanderlust person!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballentine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

“There was something cathartic about writing a wish down and putting it in the jar—like she was letting the wish go, setting it free.”

I absolutely loved Emily Stone's book Love, Holly (5⭐️!) and I was SO excited to get an early copy of A Winter Wish.

Unfortunately, A Winter Wish lacked the magic I found in Love, Holly. I didn’t feel connected to the characters or drawn into Lexie’s story. In fact, I didn’t get to know Lexie as well as I needed to in order for her story to truly make me feel something.

Lexie and Theo’s enemies-to-lovers romance lacked the maturity and depth I needed to really root for them. Both characters acted quite young and showed very little character growth. However, by end, I had started to warm up to them a little bit.

Though A Winter Wish didn’t reach my heart in quite the way I had hoped, it still contained some great messages and featured complex familial relationships to which readers might relate.

Fans of Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent will probably enjoy A Winter Wish.

3 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of A Winter Wish by Emily Stone, out on October 15, 2024. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: A Winter Wish by Emily Stone
Rating: 4/5 stars

If you’re craving a feel-good holiday romance with a touch of wanderlust, Emily Stone’s A Winter Wish hits all the right notes. This novel is a delightful blend of opposites-attract tension, emotional healing, and travel that will transport you into the warmth of the holiday season, even if you’re reading it mid-July.

The story follows Lexie, a woman with a strained relationship with her late father. When she inherits half of his niche travel company, which specializes in holiday-themed trips across the globe, she’s thrown into an awkward partnership with Theo, the brooding, hot-headed executive who inherited the other half. The catch? They must run the company together for a year before deciding its future.

The dynamic between Lexie and Theo is where the novel truly shines. At first, their interactions are fraught with tension—Lexie’s free-spirited nature clashes with Theo’s more structured, sometimes prickly personality. But as they explore holiday traditions in places like sunny Spain, their chemistry begins to sizzle, leading to moments that are both sweet and steamy.

I particularly loved how the book explores not just romantic love, but also the complexities of family relationships and personal growth. Lexie’s struggle to reconcile her feelings toward her father, while also navigating her budding relationship with Theo, adds depth to the story. It’s not just a holiday fling; it’s about two people learning to heal and let go of the past.

While the romance and travel elements are wonderful, the pacing could have used a bit more energy in the middle, where the plot feels like it stalls briefly. However, the charm of the setting and characters pulls the reader through to a satisfying conclusion.

In short, A Winter Wish is perfect for anyone looking for a heartwarming holiday read with a side of globe-trotting and slow-burn romance. It’s the kind of book you want to curl up with while sipping a hot drink by the fire—just don’t be surprised if it gives you the urge to book a holiday trip of your own!

Lexie is a wanderer, never staying in a job (or country!) for more than a few months. All that changes when she finds out she has inherited half of a travel company and needs to work there for a year before she can sell it. The other problem? The owner of the other half. Theo is handsome, doesn't want to sell, and doesn't seem to even like Lexie that much.

If you have a Dead Bad Dad (welcome to the club) you might want to tread carefully, because a large part of the plot dives into how different people have different experiences with the same person—in this case, her dad who left and let her down, and yet became a good dad, boss and friend to other people in his life. Lexie has some inner child work to do and Theo has some assumptions to reevaluate, but they get there in the end.