Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of A Winter Wish by Emily Stone.

Over the last few years I’ve enjoyed Emily Stone’s holiday books. They always feature characters struggling with some heavy issues in a way that feels genuine.

In A Winter’s Wish, Lexie and Theo are both dealing with the loss of Lexie’s father, Richard, in very different ways as he fit very different roles in their lives. For Lexie, he was absent when she needed him most, a constant disappointment in her formative years. For Theo he was a surrogate father and mentor, supportive and impactful. When Richard dies he leaves them each half of his company and before they can sell it they must work together for a year to turn a profit.

The story is about grief and healing, and it’s about accepting that people are all flawed. Anyone who has lost a parent with whom they had a complicated relationship will relate to Lexie’s feelings about her father’s death. It certainly resonated with me.

I enjoyed the story and the character journey. A solid 4 stars.

Lexie unexpectedily loses her father who leaves her half the company. The only stipulation is that she has to work with a man who hates her from the get-go for a year.

This book is a slow burn. Like really slow. I had a hard time getting through it and an even harder time trying to connect with the characters but there were a few moments that drew me in.

An ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lexi and Theo will forever have my heart 💕 I know it’s hard to love when you’re rediscovering yourself.

This made me want to plan getaways to all the fun vacation spots in the book. In fact I wish there was more detailed experiences in the exploring to build Theo & Lexie’s relationship. While they both started out with their guard up, Theo grew on me faster than Lexie as she took much longer to open up to trust & love. Overall this was a sweet enemies-to-lovers romance with themes of grief and risking love after coming out of a dysfunctional family.

A heartwarming romance that captured the festive spirit perfectly. The writing is charming, the characters are endearing, and the holiday setting is magical. Overall, a delightful read that brings joy and warmth.

Lexie's estranged dad dies and leaves her half his company... but there's a catch: she has to work with Theo -- a man who apparently knows enough about her to hate her, but who she knows nothing about -- for an entire year before they can sell. As Lexie delves into the company, she discovers that her dad and his company are more connected to her than she had imagined. Nothing, and no one (*cough Theo*), is what it seems...

After binging Love, Holly, Always, in December, and One Last Gift in one week last December, I was SO excited to get an ARC of A Winter Wish. Emily Stone puts out emotional holiday bangers, and this was no exception.

To be completely honest, I almost DNF'd it. The first third of the book moved SO slow. I had no emotional connection to the characters, and then about at 28% on kindle it clicked. I loved the development of relationships between Lexie and all the people in her life. While we love a swoon-worthy romance, it was the relationship of Lexie and her sister that I enjoyed the most <3

A Winter Wish is a solid read, and I can't wait to pick it up again this holiday season. Thank you, Netgalley and Penguin for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An Enjoyable Journey of Love and Rediscovery

Emily Stone's A Winter Wish is a heartwarming tale that beautifully captures the essence of love, hope, and the magic of the holiday season. The story of Lexi and Theo is both touching and engaging, though it does have a somewhat slow start.

Lexi and Theo's journey is filled with emotional highs and lows that draw you in and make you root for them. Their character development is well-crafted, and their evolving relationship feels genuine and relatable. As the plot unfolds, the story picks up pace, offering readers a satisfying blend of romance and festive charm.

While the beginning of the book may take some time to fully engage, once it does, it becomes a truly enjoyable read. Emily Stone's descriptive writing brings the wintery setting to life, making it easy to get lost in the moment.

Overall, A Winter Wish is a delightful read that fans of romance and holiday stories will certainly appreciate. Despite the slow start, the journey of Lexi and Theo is worth sticking around for, making this book a wonderful addition to your winter reading list.

Thank you @netgalley and Emily Stone for the ARC opportunity.

What is better than a cozy Christmas book in the heat of Florida? Not much, and much like the character in this book someday I have a non existent relationship with my ability to enjoy any season but Christmas. The FMC Lexi, has a complicated relationship with her father and that story line threads it way throughout the book. I note that because, that could be triggering especially around the holiday season as those feelings tend to surface a bit more. Lexi becomes involved in her fathers company after his passing and discovers something unique and beautiful in it (no spoilers!). If you are needing a holiday story with a more depth - this is the one you will want to grab.

Lexie's father left her and her mom to start a new family and Lexie has always felt that his new family meant more to him. He took his other daughter traveling to places he promised to take Lexie. She hasn't seen him in years and didn't know he was dying. After his death, she's shocked to learn he has left her his travel company with the stipulation that she has to work there for a year before she can sell it. She would rather have inherited his house he left to her half-sister. The other person who inherits the travel company is a grumpy man named Theo, who isn't happy about Lexie owning part of the company. Throughout the next year as Lexie runs the business, she gets to know Theo better and learns more about her father and her half-sister. I didn't understand why Lexie was so unhappy working for the travel company. She loves to travel and this gives her the opportunity to get paid to travel instead of her former life where she nannied to be able to ski.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for the opportunity to read the ARC of A Winter Wish in exchange for my honest review.

This is my second book I've read by Emily Stone and I'm happy to say I have not been disappointed either time. It will not be my last.

A Winter Wish is about family (however dysfunctional it may be), relationships, friendship, grieving, holiday traditions, and some travel thrown in the mix. It made me laugh, it made me cry and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I really liked Lexie (the main character) and how she grew and changed throughout the story. I also enjoyed the details of the travel that took place. It felt like I was right there with the characters as they explored the world based on how detailed it was.

Although there is a Christmas component in this book, I think it can be read any time of the year.

Publication date: October 15, 2024

I have read and loved all of Emily Stone's books. She is the queen of slightly more serious holiday rom-coms. While I enjoyed this novel, I did have some problems with the actions and motivations of the characters (mainly the dad). I like how Emily Stone's novels have more to them than just a "will they won't they" drama and deal with more serious topics such as grief and unresolved issues from childhood. Even though this novel wasn't my favorite of hers, she will remain on my auto-read list.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book A LOT! I loved the balance between the love story and harder hitting issues like grief and issues from childhood. I think Stone did a great job weaving this story and really building it up. Great read!

Lexie likes traveling the world, not staying any one place for very long. Enjoying ski season in Austria, Lexie’s world is turned upside down when her Mom calls from Bath, UK to tell Lexie that her father has died. Lexie hasn’t spoken to her father, Richard, for 10 years and even had a shaky relationship with him before that….after her parent’s divorce Richard started a new family and was never around for Lexie. When she get’s back to Britain, she’s shocked to find out that Richard has left her 1/2 of his travel company. Why would he do this and write his will in such a way that, if Lexie doesn’t stay for a year, she loses everything. To add to this dilemma, the other 1/2 of the business is left to Theo, the very handsome, very annoying Theo. Will Lexie stay and work at the travel business, will she and Theo act on their spark or continue to class, will Lexie gain any understanding of her father and heal some remaining wounds? Lexie’s journey is emotional and bumpy. I enjoyed this book but I felt that it needs some additional editing.

You really can't understand all the things that happened to you as a child until you are grown up. Even then, you have to receive all the pieces to the puzzle. This book was a great winter read about how Lexie had to come to terms with losing her father and not being able to reconcile with him after continually pushing him away. It is hard to grow up and realize that sometimes there is a bigger picture. Great book!

Main characters Lexie and Theo are thrown together when Lexie's dad dies unexpectedly and leaves the company to the both of them, even though they've never met. Things start to sizzle between the two of them on a trip to Spain. Can Lexie let go of her inclination to run away and stick it out with the company and Theo? Enjoyable read.

2.5/5⭐️
This is the first Emily Stone novel I read, I had heard great things about Always in December and I was excited when I got this ARC. It was an ok book for me, to the point where I even skim a few parts at different parts of the book, I will still give this author another chance but sadly this book was not what I was expecting.

Emily Stone is a writer who makes reading easy and light. This was a heartwarming story that made me long to travel to Spain. If you love a good romance around the holidays, this one is for you.

If Emily Stone writes it, I’m going to read it. She is the queen of holiday romances and I just had to get my hands on this one! This opposites attract romance explores grief, an inherited company, and sone mistletoe. It’s basically a hallmark movie and I loved it!

I received this advanced reader copy from #netgalley in return for my honest review.

Lexie grew up with an absentee father and memories of amazing Christmases spent around Europe. She now lives a fairly nomadic lifestyle and is currently a nanny at a ski resort in the Alps. But a call from her mother with the news that her father is dead comes as a shock and she makes the trip home. She is soon told that her father left her half of his travel business which sells the wonderful holidays she grew up with to the masses.

Bitter, heartbroken, and full of memories she meets Theo, the owner of the other half of the business and he hates her on sight. They are told they have to work together for one year and if, only if, the business turns a profit can they sell. The two eventually work together and learn more about each other.

For a book whose whole premise is the miscommunication trope, I should have hated this from the first word, and don't get me wrong I can't stand it. But the book kind of redeems itself, instead of some accidental revelation that makes everyone immediately change their tune, the two of them slowly get to know each other, get to know each other's side of the story, and grow to realize they compliment each other very well. Lexie resonated with me and I totally understood how she could hold onto so much anger and still remember the joy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of Emily Stone’s new book, A Winter Wish. Easy, quick read - would be even more enjoyable to read at the holidays. Loved the travel element of the story - good for the wanderlust. It won’t be a favorite book of the year but a solid 3.5 stars.