First and foremost I think Emily's books need to stop being promoted as romance. Yes there is romance in them but that is not the main focus of her books. This one had me crying over dead dads and just wanting to find somewhere to belong.
Loved it. Highly recommend. Can not wait for the next Emily Stone book.

Not my favorite Emily Stone book, but I do enjoy an enemies to lovers story. I was disappointed a bit and felt that there wasn't much chemistry between Theo and Lexie.

An entertaining story by talented author Emily Stone. While a solid, intriguing read, however, it is only incidentally a holiday tale and leans more heavily into grief and family conflict than romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dell for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Not my favorite Emily Stone. The novel was based on a lot of extreme preexisting judgements made by characters. Although the walk a mile in someone else’s shoes moral was very strong, a gave a little sense of realism.

The enemies to lovers felt a bit rushed, the gate was so extreme to making out in the hallway after a brush of the wrist. But I think I’m the wrong audience, enemies to lovers isn’t my jam.

The FMCs background story felt a little silly, and unnecessary and took up far too much of the book giving it a bit of a slow start.

Now onto the pros, loved allll of the different settings and travel stories. I loved when they went to a new place and went into details about the food or the traditions. This gave it such a fun twist.

I also loved the FMC finding her path and also her best friend falling out of hers. I don’t think this is normalized in the world and puts a lot of pressure on young people.

All in all good Christmas story, and will continue picking up Emily Stones!

Emily Stone’s A Winter Wish is a holiday romance that’s as much about grief, healing, and family as it is about love. It follows Lexie, a free spirit who’s been drifting from one temporary job to the next, avoiding any real roots. Her world is thrown off course when her estranged father passes away and unexpectedly leaves her half of his company, R & L Travel. The twist? She has to co-run it for a year with Theo, her dad’s prickly—and maddeningly attractive—executive. Naturally, they clash right away. But as they work together, the sparks of their frustration start to feel a little more… complicated.

This story is more than your typical holiday romance. Yes, there are snowy scenes and festive traditions, but at its heart, it’s about Lexie confronting the pain of her father’s abandonment and trying to figure out what she wants from her life. The setup gives her and Theo plenty of time to grow—not just as potential partners, but as people—and I appreciated the year-long timeline. It let the story breathe in a way that felt realistic, even if the romance itself was a slow burn.

There’s a lot to like here. The travel company specializes in holiday-themed trips, which takes the characters to some beautiful destinations. I loved learning about different traditions, even if I sometimes wished those scenes were more immersive. And while Lexie and Theo’s relationship didn’t always sizzle with chemistry, their moments of vulnerability—especially when discussing their messy family dynamics—were heartfelt and real.

Although, some parts of the story were a teeny tiny bit of a struggle…. . Theo is a classic grump, his character didn’t always feel fully developed, and at times, their romance seemed a little too convenient. I also couldn’t help feeling that the workplace and family drama weighed the story down in places. It’s not quite the light, festive read I was hoping for, and I think it missed a bit of the magic that makes a holiday romance sparkle.

Still, I enjoyed the depth and the emotional journey Lexie goes on. This isn’t just about finding love—it’s about finding herself, and that made the story worth reading. If you’re in the mood for a thoughtful, layered holiday romance with themes of forgiveness and healing, give A Winter Wish a read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read it early!

This was a really lovely read. Lots of complicated family drama but it’s all handled nicely. Loads of supportive friends (and family) make up the rest of the cast. Not much nastiness or nonsense. Quite a bit of travelogue style writing too with the travel company storyline. All makes for a cozy read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. This was very close to being a DNF for me. The first few chapters were so repetitive and whiny that I was begging for something to happen. Ultimately I stuck it out but I'm not sure it was worth it. Lexie, the FMC, has daddy issues, to say the least, and being inside her head for so much of the story where she repeats it over and over again made her into a character that I really found annoying. When she meets Theo, at least there is some heat. But even Theo ends up being a pretty boring character. When they finally get together, it built up and, just as things started getting good, it went to "afterwards they..." If you're gonna go spicy, please don't give us blue (eye)balls.

I had read a book by this author previously and, while it didn't wow me, I thought it was okay. This one made me decide not to read this author again. Sorry, but, yikes!

Lexie, the MMC, is shocked to learn her distant father left her half of his travel company after his passing. She was even more shocked to learn she must keep it for one year with Liam, the co-owner and man her dad took under his wing at the start of the company. After one year she fully intends on selling and keeping the profit. However, during the year Lexie takes an interest in running the company which throws her and Liam into a lot of close (and romantic) situations.

I really enjoyed A Winter Wish! Was it a pretty straightforward holiday romance? At its core, yes. However Stone absolutely nails it on the head what it is like to have a distant father, who you both love and dislike because of that, who dies too young. As someone who has been in this situation I was surprised at how personal and emotional some parts of this story felt. Stone does an amazing job of showing a lot of parental prototypes, actually.

The spice was good, but not plentiful. I enjoy an enemies-to-lovers trope. Unfortunately what also did not work for me as well in this book was the romance. There were parts of this book that felt too long, yet I still wanted more from Liam and Lexies relationship. There also was very little Christmas/Holiday in this outside of some of their travels. It could have been set in the summer and it would not have changed the story at all. Not exactly a bad thing depending on what you are looking for.. but I wanted a bit more Christmas.

Overall, I would recommend this for a holiday read if you are looking for something with a little less spice and a little more depth.

This was a fun holiday romance. The plot was fun and unique. I enjoyed the story but I didn’t feel like it was anything extra special.

Emily Stone is a truely amazing writer - she writes in such a gripping way that you are immediately connected to the characters and you feel such an emotional connection to the story.

Lexie and Theo were not exempt from that - right from the get go there was a strong connection that flowed through the entire book. Lexie was a delight - her shock from being given half of her estranged father's company, to even further shock to find that the other half was given to Theo - a worker that had been employed at the company. Together they must work together in order to keep the company going.

The trips that were planned all sounded incredible. The arc of development of dealing with all of her abandonment issues from her father were also really well done. What was lacking for me, was a complete spark of anything between the characters. It was a really enjoyable read, absolutely perfect for the time of year, and I look forward to reading future works by her also!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy an Emily Stone book release - she tends to deliver that Women’s Fiction with a strong romantic arc and emotional nuance I look for in a read. I like my books to make me think and feel, but I don’t want to sob and I want things to end happily enough 😅🤷🏼‍♀️ this far, Ms Stone manages to check these boxes for me.

Her newest release once again touches on an exploration of grief, family and family dynamics — and also has a side romantic storyline too. While I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t my favorite of hers to date. I liked seeing the evolution of the sister relationship between Lexie and Rachel. Lexie’s grief journey was one that was also intriguing to see unfold and I liked how it was happening based on the background.

While I liked Lexie and Theo, they didn’t pop for me as much as a romantic couple. They had moments but I think the draw out took some away from it for me. Lexie also was just a harder character for me to relate to and understand personally.

Overall, still a solid read and one I’d recommend for fans of the author / of this style of story. Looking forward to seeing what Ms Stone writes next!

3.5 ✨

Emily Stone’s A Winter Wish is a cozy holiday story full of emotion and romance. When Lexie inherits half of her estranged father’s holiday travel company, she is navigating grief, emotional baggage, and an unexpected business partnership with Theo, who has his own issues to sort through.

I enjoyed the holiday travel connection, and Lexie’s personal journey is emotional and moving. However, the enemies to lovers romance lacked the chemistry and spark I look for, which made it harder to root for the relationship. It's also overly emotional, which I can see many readers appreciating. It just didn't work for me. The warm holiday vibes and unique premise make it an enjoyable seasonal read for those who like a lot of emotion in their books!

Looooooove the perfect winter vibes! A perfect sweet cozy read for this Christmas/holiday season! A hallmark movie in writing. My obsession.

Emily Stone writes the most amazing stories and this one is no exception. I loved this story and all the complicated family drama. It shows that life and families may not be perfect but they can still be wonderful anyway! Such a great read!

Solid 3 star book. I was mostly engaged and it did have some of the Christmas feels. I feel like it was missing something, slow at times. Predictable ending . It would make a great Hallmark movie.

This was a lovely holiday novel that takes place throughout one year from one Christmas to another starting with the death of the main character's estranged father. I loved all the different travel destinations and enjoyed the banter between Theo and Lexie. Lexie would have annoyed me as a character if not for her great character growth throughout the novel. Another holiday hit by Emily Stone!


Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

"A Winter Wish" left me disappointed. It lacked emotion and character depth. There was little known about the characters other than their family situations. The pace of the book was very slow and everything that ended up happening could have been done in half the time.

I am sorry this was a miss for me this year. I look forward to the author's books every year.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Sometimes holiday books can be too sappy for me but this one wasn’t at all! Heartwarming and a great coming of age story. All the feels. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

This was a well-written story. It was so heartwarming. I enjoyed it very much and could not put it down. I love reading books like this one.

I absolutely adored this read. Even with the flaws, the characters were so loveable and real. As someone who is no contact with her dad whom happens to be very ill, this was so on the nose but so well written. It inspires hope for these situations without invalidating feelings of the child in the relationship.