3.5 rounded up. This book is very reminiscent of the classic Hallmark movies that take place overseas. That part of it is very charming and interesting. I love the idea of the travel agency Theo and Lexie own. I wish I could transport myself to the places the visited. The complex issues in Lexie’s family are also well written and handled with care.

Where the book lost me was the its pacing, and the way it handled the romance between Theo and Lexie. It felt like a good slow burn at first, but ultimately I had a hard time getting emotionally invested, especially when it seemed to skip through their relationship when they finally got together, and then immediately jump into conflict. I think the story could have benefitted with being shortened in some places and actually injected with a little more Hallmark-esque fun and romance in others.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lexie is shocked to find out her estranged father left her his holiday travel company. Reluctantly, she agrees to be part of it in hopes of turning a profit and selling the company eventually. The catch? Her father's grumpy but cute business partner also owns part of the company, and he's not making things easy on her.

Thoughts 💭
This one started off slow for me. I wasn't feeling the chemistry between the two main characters. This also has some touchy topics in regards to absentee parents, death of a parent, and other family issues. So, caution before proceeding if those are triggering to you. I warmed up to the story as it went on. Lexie and Theo grew on me even though it was a slow burn, enemies to lovers type of situation. I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a Christmas story because it happens over a long time frame (so no Hallmark vibes here). But it wrapped up nicely by the end, and the story was enjoyable overall.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"A Winter Wish" by Emily Stone is a heartwarming romance that beautifully blends travel, love, and second chances. When Lexie unexpectedly inherits half of her estranged father’s holiday travel company, she’s thrust into a partnership with Theo, a handsome yet moody executive. Their initial tension sparks a slow-burn romance, as they navigate the world of holiday traditions together.

Stone masterfully captures the magic of travel and the complexities of human relationships. As Lexie and Theo’s undeniable chemistry unfolds, so does a deeper understanding of themselves and each other. "A Winter Wish" is a charming read filled with wanderlust, emotional growth, and the joy of discovering love in unexpected places.

I love a forced proximity romance book. Emily is the QUEEN of holiday stories… I cannot wait to purchase a print copy next month!

PS: The artwork on this book (and all her books… perfection)! 🤩

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hand clap for Theo. Loved his character.

Now Lexie, aye ya ya, she kinda dragged on and on and on in the story.

As for Lexie and Theo together, it just didn't work for me. I didn't get the chemistry. Enemies to loves is a troupe you have to sell me on, and I didn't buy it here.

However, it's a cute, fun perfect romance Christmas read, and Stone delivers fun reads... so don't discount it!

This was a sweet enemies to lovers with forced proximity romance. Lexie has been estranged from her father for years after he walked away from her mom & her when she was a child. After he passes away, Lexie learns that her father has left half his holiday travel business to Lexie. . . . He left the other half to his right hand man, Theo. Theo is grumpy, misunderstood and a rule follower.

However, as Lexie and Theo accompany the trips to ensure each is a success they are pushed together and begin to form a friendship that turns into more.

Thank you Dell for the ARC

I was given A Winter Wish by Emily Stone in exchange for my honest review.

A Winter Wish follows Lexie has she inherits half of a travel company from her estranged father. The other half of the company is left to Theo, her father’s business partner. An enemies to lovers romance that fell a little flat for me. Lexie is wanderer who doesn’t like to settle down for too long, and I couldn’t really bond with her as a character. Theo seemed a little lackluster for me.

Overall, I thought that the book was good, but not great and would be a light read for the holiday season.

Emily Stone’s Christmas books have become a fixture for kicking off the holiday season. Her stories always bring me to tears. A Winter Wish was no exception.

Lexie’s dad passes away and leaves his travel business to Lexie and his employee Theo. But there is a catch— they have to successfully run the business for a year before they can sell and collect profit.

In Emily Stone fashion this story was a bit heavier than your typical Christmas book. I enjoyed the travel element to this story. If you’re looking for something a bit heavier this holiday season be sure to pick up A Winter Wish by Emily Stone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for an advanced copy of this book!

Emily Stone books always hit just right, and this one is no different for me. Lexie resonates a bit as I, too, lost my dad when I was in my mid-20s. She is grieving his loss, but she has also been grieving for a while since she lost a solid relationship with her dad years before. Compounding this is the fact that he left her half of his travel company. The other half went to Theo- a longtime employee-- and he is resentful because Lex has been so absent.

Not only do you get misunderstandings galore, but Theo and Lex grow as characters as they begin to learn more about each other towards genuine friendship and respect, then eventually more. While romance does factor into the story, it is not the whole story and that makes the book so good! Lexie is struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants. She's figuring out how to grieve and grow. Great read!

This was a great read! I would recommend it to a friend. I loved it! Five stars. This book is a captivating exploration of human emotions and relationships. The narrative unfolds through the lives of richly developed characters, each facing unique challenges and growth. The author’s prose is both lyrical and engaging, drawing readers into the story with vivid imagery and relatable experiences.

I have mixed feelings on this book. I really wanted to like it. It sounded like a great story. But I started reading it and I just couldn’t get into it. I thought Lexie was rude and so stand offish. I do get a little of why but she seemed so selfish at times too. And Theo just seemed rude as well. So that set me off some. I liked the side characters for the most part. I did like when Theo and Lexie started really liking each other. They did make the book a little better. But then Lexie acts selfish again and I struggled again. The ending was sweet so that did help!

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.