I really wanted to love A Winter Wish—the premise of an opposites-attract romance set against the backdrop of a travel business and the holidays sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish the book, stopping halfway as I struggled to engage with both the plot and the characters. Lexie and Theo just didn’t have enough chemistry from the start of the book.

The main character, Lexie, lives a nomadic life when she unexpectedly inherits half of a travel business from her estranged father. While this setup had potential, the legal aspects surrounding the will and business felt unrealistic, particularly from the perspective of someone who works in the legal field. The slow development of the plot and relationships also left me disengaged, as it lacked the pacing I typically enjoy in a romance novel.

That said, I think this might appeal to readers who enjoy a really slow-burn romance and don't mind a more gradual unfolding of the story. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

When her estranged father dies, Lexie inherits 50% ownership of her his travel company. Lexie is peturbed, but the will states that she has to at least try to run it for one year and turn a profit, in order to place it up for sale. So Lexie is left to give the company a go with her new business partner Theo. There are victories and challenges, but Lexie and Theo grow together. Lexie is better able to understand her father and his legacy through her work with his business. This is a heart-warming romance. I enjoyed the travel company storyline as well. It was something different than the usual. Enjoyable, cozy winter read!

FYI - this is not a Christmas book, although it does occur over a few Christmases

A Winter Wish was cute! A great little rom com for those post Christmas wintery months. A surprise inheritance from an estranged dad and an enemies to lovers romance - what more could you need?!

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Available on October 15th!

Emily Stone is the queen off the tear-jerker romance, but A Winter Wish doesn’t pack the same oomph as her previous novels.

Lexie is a commitment-phobe who has spent her adulthood flitting from one temporary job and casual relationship to another, who ends up coming home after her estranged father dies and leaves her half his travel company. She and her new co-owner, Theo, is full of resentment for each other, but as they begin to work past their mutual misunderstandings, it’s clear they more than work well together.

I quite liked Lexie’s journey to coming to terms with her father’s actions, but less her own neuroses. There’s a side plot that leads to the third-act separation (ugh) that was a bit underbaked, but I liked Theo’s shift from enemy (of sorts) to very dear colleague and lover.

A sweet story about learning to live with and learn from regrets, and overcoming the fear of rejection enough to let someone (a partner, colleagues, a sister) in.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 3.5 stars rounded down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Dell for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC of A Winter Wish by Emily Stone. I absolutely loved this one! It would make the perfect winter read; it's not quite a holiday romance (IMO), but it's such a fun one. I thought the characters were perfectly flawed, with great character development and palpable chemistry. I loved the travels that Lexi and Theo took, and it made me want to plan a European getaway ASAP. This also tackles deeper topics like family trauma, the grief of losing a parent, and self-discovery. Definitely add this one to your fall/winter TBR, it publishes on October 15 and is a must-read!

I enjoy Emily Stone, especially Always, in December. I was excited to receive this ARC.

It started off strong and I was intrigued. Her estranged father dies and leaves her half his travel agency company. The other half has been left to hot Theo. I saw this advertised as enemies-to-lovers but I have to say, enemies-to-lovers doesn't really exist in contemporary romance. It's more rivals to lovers, which is fine. I liked the premise a lot but thought the travel agency was an odd choice. It felt antiquated to this story and I don't foresee it aging well. That being said, I did enjoy some of the tension and banter, but there was nothing that stood out as a book I want to scream from the rooftops about. It's a holiday read and pretty predictable. I wish Lexie read a bit older and it felt more mature, but I think the contemporary romance girlies will enjoy this one for the holiday season.

A Winter Wish was a great read! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

The main character, Lexi, deals with grieving her dad in the wake of a really complicated relationship, and I think that part of the book was really well-written. It examined the grief left behind when we lose someone, but also the effects of that same person causing grief even when alive. When you add in Theo and his relationship to Lexi’s dad, too, it got even more complex in the best way.

Of course, there are also fun, lighter moments in the book. I loved the idea of the travel agency with trips centered around different celebrations — it made it a great setting for the book, and also gave it a really nice Christmas feel.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone was read and devoured while it was over 100 degrees outside but it gave me all the winter wonderland feelings. I love Christmas romance and this book did not disappoint.

I’m all set for my holiday reads and can’t wait for more! This book was the perfect way to kick things off, capturing the essence of a Christmas romance! Can Xmas be there already???

Opposites attract, beautiful writing, and wonderful characters, what more could you ask for in a romance? A Winter Wish delivers on all accounts. Lexie is full of conflicting feelings when her absent father passes away and she’s even more thrown when she finds out she’s been left half of her father’s travel company—and he has left the other half to Theo, his business associate that seems to hate her for no reason. While she’s convinced she wants to sell after year one, the more she’s there, the more her feelings towards the company…and Theo…begin to thaw. The writing is lovely and beautiful. There was something about it that just felt maybe a little long. I really enjoyed it, but I didn’t feel myself overly eager to keep getting back into it. But I did really enjoy the story and the characters. The conversation of Lexie’s conflicting of her grief for her dad was beautifully handled, her wish jar was an adorable and touching concept, and Lexie’s journey was just really great. It was so easy to root for Lexie. And for Theo. He’s complex in himself and the growth of their relationship is just so sweet. Plus the traveling! This book make me want to go to the Lemon Festival, to Iceland, to Madrid, to everywhere they mentioned. It really captures the wonder of travel and finding traditions, of finding community both abroad and at home, and just the power of connection. It’s a lovely read just bursting with heart.

The writing in this book is nothing short of exquisite. The author’s prose is both elegant and immersive, pulling me in from the very first page. There is a depth to the language that feels almost poetic, which made the experience of reading an absolute joy. The way the characters' emotions and inner struggles are portrayed demonstrates a true mastery of craft.

That said, while the story is rich in themes of secrets and new beginnings, I found myself wishing for just a bit more depth in the plot. The narrative introduces intriguing mysteries and fresh starts, but I felt there were moments where the story could have delved a little further into the complexities of these elements. The potential for emotional and thematic exploration was there, but it wasn’t fully realized in the way I had hoped.

Still, this does not detract from the fact that the book is a beautifully crafted piece of writing. For readers looking for a gently unfolding story with layers of emotion, it offers a rewarding journey. Even though I longed for a bit more from the plot, the writing itself made the experience well worth it.

Thank you to @netgally and @RandomHouseBallatine for this ARC. Lexie is working as a nanny in Austria when she receives a phone call that her dad has passed away, the one she hasn't spoken to since her 21st birthday. She soon finds out that he leaves her half of his travel agency and half to his protégé, Theo. The catch, they have a to turn a profit in the first year or else. Her first impression of Theo was not a good one and she was willing to walk away that instant but the will to succeed was to strong. Will they make it? I love Emily Stone books, not because they are rom-coms but because she does't write the same ol' story of boy meets girl, they fall in love and get together within 24 hrs. Her stories make you want to read more! If you haven't read any of Stone's books, you should! #AWinterWish #EmilyStone #RandomHouseBallatine #Oct2024

Every family has holiday traditions, some wear crazy sweaters, some wear matching pajamas and other open ones gift on Christmas Eve and the rest on the Day. Well Lexie’s day started a tradition with her family every Christmas since she was 3 years old they picked somewhere to travel and spend Christmas there, and they would plan it all year. The first year was Germany for the famous Christmas markets. Well, when Lexie was 7 years old those trips ended when her dad left her mom for another woman and her parents got divorced.

Lexie never lost her love of travel all those years later, but her relationship with her dad was never the same. She never knew why he didn’t have time for her and after a while she wouldn’t let him in. Then her father dies and she didn’t even know he was sick. She is asked by one of her father’s employees to come to the office the following week after the funeral. Lexie knew that her father had started up a business after he left his second wife, but didn’t know what type of business. At this meeting she finds out her father left her and Theo one of his employees half the business - R&L Travel. Lexie doesn’t want the business, the solicitor/ lawyer says the will states that they must run the company for a year together before they can sell it. Lexie is unsure about this, all she wants to do is go back to her wanderlust life.

This book was cute. Not the typical Christmas time book I’ve read before. I love the concept of Lexie’s dad’s travel company, traveling the world through celebration of holidays, festivals and traditions. The book did drag on in parts, but overall I very much enjoyed this book. This was my very first book by Emily Stone and I look forward to discovering more of them.

Thank you NetGalley and Random HousePublishing Group for- Ballantine | Dell for this eARC for my honest review.

I was recommended to read A Winter’s Wish from a friend who greatly enjoyed this ARC. This was a cute romantic comedy, and I was pleasantly surprised by the refreshing winter theme without hitting too hard on Christmas specifically. A Winter’s Wish is also my first read by Emily Stone.

I tend to prefer prose with a bit more description, but this language was easy to read for a short romance book. The plot itself was cute; it reminded me a lot of The Pairing by Casey McQuiston. However, everything else about this book felt truly bland - all characters lacked depth, especially Theo, strangely enough for an MMC. This lack of depth mostly lent to my indifference toward this book in general.

In addition to boring characters, the side characters GREATLY frustrated me. Specifically, the actions of Lexie’s dad and Ange felt not only unrealistic, but incredibly toxic. Both of these characters CONSTANTLY acted as though they knew what was best for Lexie, an adult woman, and it was never treated as strange.

Finally, I did not like the repeats of descriptions and language. For example, the back of everyone’s necks were constantly and deliberately described as “prickling”, or “flushing”, or “heating”. This was exhausting to read.

I had a fine time, but I will not recommend this book to friends. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Dell for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Winter Wish is a good place to start some Christmas themed reading. Lexie’s estranged father passes away and leaves her half of his holiday themed travel agency. Initially there are negative sparks between her and Theo who now owns the other half. Other kinds of sparks start to fly fairly quickly. The main storyline follows this relationship, but Lexie also needs to deal with her feelings about her father. That part of the story is heartbreaking as Lexie works through her feelings and founds out more about her father and how he loved her. Not the best Christmas book I’ve read, but overall a good read.

This book was cute and I’m glad I was able to read a ARC. The characters were sweet and you were rooting for them throughout the book. There was something about it missing a Christmas-y aspect but it’s definitely a cozy, cold weather read.

I've read several of this author's books and was happy to receive an ARC, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. Lexie is surprised to learn of her estranged father's death and shocked that he left her half of his travel business. The other half of the business was left to Theo, an employee her father mentored. Although initially Lexie wants nothing to do with giving up her vagabond life, she ultimately gives it a go and gets closer to Theo in the process and starts to work through the trauma of her father abandoning her as a child and remarrying and having another daughter. It was a good start to holiday reading.

I absolutely love Emily Stone's writing. I don't usually like 3rd person POV but her writing always weaves together thoughtful plots, deep emotional characters, and even glimpses of some steamy moments that create a magical holiday romance.

A Wishful Wish is more of a self-discovery journey for Lexi, our FMC who inherits half of her estranged father's company. She & her father did not mend their relationship and it was a shock to her that he passed in the first place. Without giving any spoilers away, she must run the company alongside the other owner, Theo in a workplace enemies-to-lovers type of story with some holiday vibes. And while there is an element of romance with Theo, it's really through working with him that Lexi discovers more about her father. Lexi starts coming to terms with who her father was and realizing how his absence in her life and his choices impact how she lives her life. Can she accept his choices and let go of resentment?

There are some side characters like Lexi's half-sister Rachel & the meddling office leader Ange, who help move the story forward. I really appreciated Rachel's presence in this story and how she gave a window to the other side of Lexi's father.

I enjoyed the love story between her and Theo. I felt sad for both of them at times and was rooting for them in the end. This was a very slow burn where I wish we had more heat between them earlier on but overall I enjoyed their romance.

Overall, this was a really cute story that tugged all the right emotions and fit nicely into the holiday romance season.

💖 Enemies-to-Lovers
🛩️ Workplace Romance (Travel Agency)
🛏️ Forced Proximity
🔥 Slow Burn
3️⃣ 3rd person POV

3.5 ⭐️

An enemies to lovers romance. Very heavy on the enemies. These two are not compatible. DNF.
Lots of misunderstandings and assumptions and no dialogue to clear it up.

3.25 fun travel stars

Lexie has been estranged from her father for years. It makes sense since he abandoned her and her mother to start another family when she was younger. She didn’t count on him dying before they could patch things up, though. Lexie is in for a big surprise when she discovers that her father left her half of his travel business. Some stipulations in the will surrounding the business force her to work with the other owner, Theo.

Things are very dicey between Lexie and Theo, as Theo resents working with Lexie. He was very close to Lexie’s father and knew that Lexie had nothing to do with the business while they were growing it. They are required to spend a year working together before deciding to sell or not, which is very difficult for Lexie as she moves around quite a bit.

I loved the idea of this travel company and some of the trips mentioned have definitely gone on my bucket list. How fun to go somewhere to celebrate holidays and festivals.

I also really liked the family relationships in this one and the exploration of the complexities of parental, sibling, and friend connections.

The romance was not as strong for me and I can’t pinpoint exactly why. I would like to go on a trip with R&L Travel though!