I thought I was going to be reading a sweet, light romance book but it was unexpectedly emotional. I was not anticipating crying as hard as I did towards the end!

Lexie is a nanny who has recently lost her estranged father. Shortly after his passing, she learns that he has left her half of his company and the other half to an executive at his company. Lexie loves to travel, and it is a big part of who she is. Ever since she was a kid she has loved to travel; it was a family tradition to travel to different regions to celebrate their culture & holidays. I loved the travel aspects of the book and the adventurous excursions the book took us on, learning about different festivals and holidays all around the world. Emily Stone painted the picture of each travel scene so well that I felt like I was a tourist alongside Theo & Lexie.

At the beginning of the book, Theo & Lexie have a misunderstanding of each other and frankly got off on the wrong foot. After meeting Lexie, Theo seems to immediately despise her for no reason, which creates a lot of tension when Lexie finds out that they must work with each other for a full year before they are able to decide on whether to sell the company or keep it. Throughout the year, as they work together and slowly get to know each other, their relationship starts to build into something magical. They both were dealing with the grief of losing Lexie’s father in different ways and it was interesting to see how they both worked through that together. They begin to see eye-to-eye about the direction of the company and create a plan to make it successful and meaningful to the guests that use their company for traveling.

I also loved the celebration of traditions and how, year after year, Lexie continued to make a wish for her wish jar. I thought this concept was sweet and enjoyed the conversations it brought up between Theo & Lexie - “a truth for a wish.”

The side characters were great too – Lexie’s mom, who helps her with understanding and forgiving her father for the things he did when she was a child. Her best friend, Fran who encourages her and pushes her to participate in running the company, despite her initial feelings towards Theo & her unwillingness to forgive her father. Ange, the assistant at the company who is a voice of wisdom & reason when Lexie or Theo needs it. I enjoyed each and every one of them!

This book was heartwarming and reminds us that life is not always how you wished it would be. People are complicated, relationships are complicated, and life in general is complicated. You can’t change what happened in the past, but you can make the most of the present and make the future better from learning from mistakes. Forgiveness and grief are complex and difficult to navigate. We should all have grace because we never know what someone is going through or has gone through in the past.

this story lacked chemistry big time. Lexie is came off as an annoying brat at first. i almost DNF it half way through. thankfully Lexie did grow in the second half of the story. i love Emily Stone and all of her books, so i was pretty shocked when i didn't love this one.

I'm a big fan of Emily Stone, but A Winter Wish fell flat for me. Honestly, I barely even finished it. I truly had to skim through to make it through the end and not call it a DNF.

this was okay but personally not for me! i felt this lacked chemistry between the characters. i couldn’t connect to them and felt bored halfway through forcing myself to skim.

I got this book as an arc from NetGalley

I went in with zero context or experience with Emily Stones writing. It was…okay. The chemistry between the characters I found to be lacking. I will still read it again though because seasonal books are my favorite. Side note: who uses a travel agency anymore?

When I started reading A Winter Wish I was looking forward to escaping into a light modern romance for a little while. I'll be honest, I almost gave up on it a few chapters in because Lexie was coming across as a spoiled, immature brat who didn't even have the ability to consider the feelings of those around her. She was willing to tank an entire business with no regard for the people who worked there and relied on those jobs. What a jerk. BUT I stuck with the book and I was happy to see Lexie grow up a little by the end.
The characters were fun and, as someone who loves to travel, I loved the travel company theme. It was, for the most part, fun to read. I just wish the main character had been a little bit more likeable.

Loved this holiday read! Emily Stone’s writing is always a hit for me so I will def be recommending this to friends over the holidays! Loved!

Thanks to Netgalley & Random House Publishing- Ballantine for the E-ARC! I loved this so much! Beautifully written & loved the characters. Even cried a couple times. Definitely will read more from this author.

I love Emily Stone's Christmas books. The travel agency was a unique plot/setting so that was nice change from the usual romance novel.

Does anyone else have an issue with the beginning of the book? We are supposed to believe that the two main characters despise each other from a simple look at funeral. They have never met, never spoken and yet this one look leads to profound hatred of each other. Meh. Otherwise the rest of the book is fine. Some part enjoyable, but mostly forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredibly cute book. We have travel, we have crying, we have laughing,we have Christmas in July.

I think I truly enjoyed this book because if the characters. Not only does the plot have to be strong, but the characters have to support it. I felt like each character was unique and was well rounded so we get to know each one and everyone these for a purpose. Lexie and Theo have depth, they communicate, learn from their mistakes and grow. Ange and Rachel have to be my favorites for the meddling and be authentically themselves, including the crying.

My main critique would be about flow. I was ready to meet Fran earlier on since she’s mentioned a few times and that Lexie would be doing something with her but then we experience time jumps because those things didn’t happen as we read them. I think the flow could have been better between multiple chapters because it felt a little choppy to me.

I received an eARC from Penguin Random House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute! I didn't connect as much with this book as I did with Always, in December, so this won't top my list of Emily Stone works, but I imagine lots of people will be especially moved by Lexie's journey with losing her dad.

This was a cute easy read for christmas, would definitely recommend for that time. The plot is a bit unrealistic as not manny people uses travel agencies anymore , but still made for a cute side. Like I said a easy read for something refreshing and cute

Emily Stone is one of my favorite writers! A Winter Wish is now one of my favorites. A celebration of travel, traditions, love, good food, family, and work. I would recommend this book to my friends.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read every single Emily Stone book since her first publication (Always, in December). This book does not disappoint! I dare to say I enjoyed this book more than Love, Holly but nonetheless the story line between Lexi and Theo is fantastic. I love how the author is able to develop the characters, their nuances and eventual connection. Highly recommend this book to be added to your holiday reading list. Please see full review (@aguiluv)- Thank you Emily for a fantastic book!

When Lexie unexpectedly inherits half of her late father’s travel business, the father who abandoned she and her mom, it throws her nomadic life into a tailspin. Lexie’s arrival raises Theo’s hackles because he’s worked side by side with Lexie’s dad to build the business and as the other inheritor he’s not thrilled by his new partner or her attitude.

Lexie and Theo must work together for a year before they can sell but can they find common ground in both business and life.

I love a good enemies to lovers story and the emotional depth Emily Stone brings to her writing made A Winter Wish a winner.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone was definitely a slow burn, so slow I had a hard time finishing it. Although I loved Ms. Stone's last novel, Love, Holly this novel just didn't have the engaging characters that made you want to spend time with them, or the touching moments that captured your heart. It fell flat for me. Thank you to the author publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by this author, and what a gem! I adored traveling through Europe with the characters. This rom com has depth, which I always appreciate. I’ll be reading more from this author.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 For Lexie, Christmas has always been a season for wishing. When her estranged father dies and leaves her half of his company to run with his mentee, Theo, she wishes she could be anywhere but in the predicament she is in currently. Amidst the grief, the wanderlust, and the newfound business ownership, Lexie is feeling all of the feels…and wishing she finds hope and healing. A really fun and beautiful read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted is Goodreads and final review will be on instagram ahead of the publication day!

2.5 Stars

It was an arduous task to finish this book. The pacing was terribly slow, there was much repetition of the underlying issues, and the storyline was not that engaging. I could only read a few pages, or a chapter at the most, before my interest waned. The enemies-to-lovers trope is one of my least favorite literary devices. In this case, it was fueled by immaturity, unresolved anger/grief, and poor communication.

Lexie is a free spirit never settling longer than six months in any job or any place. When her estranged father bequeaths her with one half of his holiday travel company, this unexpected and unwanted legacy turns out to be a catalyst for healing and reevaluating her life choices. Theo is her business partner who brings his own baggage to the relationship which predictably has a rocky start and transforms over the course of the book.

The redeeming quality of this tedious read was the beautiful descriptions of the city of Bath (England) coupled with the innovative trip itineraries offered by the travel company. Overall, I respect the author’s efforts, but this novel was not a match for me.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.