This was an unexpected emotionally charged book. I am not normally one for books that make me cry, but this one almost brought me to tears and I loved it. This story is one of forgiveness, hope, and love. It was a story that was so elegantly and eloquently written I felt all Lexie's feelings. I was right along with her in her struggle and rooting for her when she found her inner strength. There is a love story here, Theo was perfect for Lexie, but I feel this was more of a story about how families fail one another and how they love and forgive one another as well. I enjoyed this story and I know I will look for more from this author going forward. Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Just go ahead and get ready for a tug on your heart strings! This book has all the family drama and so much love and heartache wrapped up in a neat little bow.

In A Winter Wish, Lexie is a constant traveler who goes wherever the wind takes her. When she receives news that her estranged father has passed, she has to face old hurts, resurfacing memories, and a half-sister she doesn’t know how to talk to. However, this nomad has just discovered that her father left half of his travel business to her with the stipulation that she work for the company for at least a year. Furthermore, the inheritor of the other half is Theo, a young executive at her father’s company who, upon first meeting Lexie, already seems to despise her. With an encouraging push from her mother, her best friend Fran, and the company’s personal assistant Ange, Lexie starts working for the company, despite Theo’s protests. As Lexie and Theo find themselves planning and taking part in various adventures, the two begin to learn more about each other and start seeing eye-to-eye, and Lexie’s wandering spirit starts to see the advantages of traveling with someone who challenges her. It also doesn’t hurt that the man is easy on the eyes!

Emily Stone has done it again with this beautifully heartwarming novel! Having read all of Emily’s previously published books, I can tell you that you don’t want to miss out on this one! I gobbled it up in one night, and I immediately want to go back and reread it again!

Some of the things I loved about this one:
✨ Rivals/Enemies-to-Lovers
✨ Opposites attract
✨ Found Family
✨ Encouraging and supportive family and friends
✨ The bonds of sisterhood
✨ Travel adventures in different countries
✨ The holiday wish jar tradition
✨ Different worldwide celebrations/festivals

Be on the lookout for this one in October!

Thank you Netgalley and Emily Stone for this eBook ARC!

A Winter Wish is about Lexie, a young woman who is estranged from her father and after he died inherits his travel business. Theo is her father's employee who inherits the other half. This is a book about how your past can affect your future, but it doesn't have to. Lexie and Theo don't always see eye to eye. As they learn more about each other, they develop a relationship. Lexie will have to decide if this is something she wants for herself or if she wants to keep traveling and exploring new places by herself.

This was an enjoyable read, but at times I felt that Lexie read very immature for an almost 30 year old woman. I think some of that is portraying how her estrangement from her father affected her, but it times it was a bit much. I loved reading about the different festivals the travel company took their clients to and Lexie and Theo's travels.

Thank you Random House for this ARC. I would recommend adding this to your holiday TBR!

I really liked this book, enemies-to-lovers are always my favorite and this one did not disappoint! I really liked how Emily handled each character's grief and acknowledged how complex it can really be.

Wow this book me in the holiday mood. As it’s 102 degrees for me. But I’m ready for the holidays now. Loved the characters and the story line.

Thank you NetGalley and Emily Stone for the ARC of A Winter Wish!! It was such a cute and cozy read!! I can’t wait to reread it during the holiday season, it gave me the perfect combination of tension and flirty! And Theoooo… loveee him!! Can’t wait to read more by Emily Stone!!

This book did not feel as much like Stone’s last novels, as I thought it had a bit more romance and a bit less of the emotional/grieving aspect. Both things are still there, but I felt like the proportions were flip flopped. That being said, it’s still a sweet book, and I really appreciated the recognition that people are complex, our relationships can be complex, and that can make grief complex. In this case, Lexie is trying to figure out how to feel about the death of her father who failed her in so many ways, and with whom she was estranged in the end. And to add to the pain, it seems like other people really liked him and had good relationships with him. Grappling with this felt realistic.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone is a heartwarming story with all the feels. This was a bit of a departure from her previous novels of which I’ve read them all but the emotional depth remains.

Lexie’s father has unexpectedly passed away and she’s not sure how to feel. They’ve been estranged for over ten years and she’s stunned to find out he’s left half of his travel agency to her and half to his business partner Theo. The will stipulates that Lexie and grumpy Theo must work together for a year and then decide to sell or keep the agency.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the idea of the travel agency booking trips that explored how other cultures celebrate the holidays. This was a slow burn, opposites attract romance, but also a story about found family and forgiveness. Another wonderful book by Emily Stone.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story was so fun! It was awesome to read it in the summertime for something different. It was very cozy and I loved all of the characters. I formed an attachment very early on that did not let go. This is a must for summer or fall 2024.

I absolutely adored this book. Emily is such a talented author; there isn’t a book I’ve read by her that I haven’t loved.
Lexie is someone who has gone through so much growing up and being estranged from her father. When finding out that her father left her half of the company he built it made me keep turning pages. I needed to know what ended up with Theo and Lexie and the company that was dropped in their laps. Theo and Lexie have a hard (enemies to lovers vibe) relationship from the jump but I loved the slow burn to their relationship!
There were a few times that it was a little too slow for my taste but once it picked back up it sucked me in!
Also, Ange was a hoot and a half! I absolutely loved her character!
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Emily Stone for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone was a great Memorial Day weekend read for me with all the feelings of Christmas.
Where the complicated feelings of families divided by hurt and loss, become even more complicated than ever before by death.
Can a travel agency and time bring together a family torn apart? Can love and forgiveness be enough?
I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Emily Stone.
#AWinterWish
#EmilyStone
#NetGalley
#RandomHouseBookClub

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a book about grieving, new love, and learning that although some wishes can’t come true, you must fight to fulfill the ones that can. It was a slow burn romance which I felt made the relationship seem realistic and not rushed. My favorite part of this story was the traveling aspect and the travel company that took the reader on various exertions that explored different festivals and holidays around the world. The descriptions of the activities and locations were just lovely. It made me want to travel more.

Things in life don’t always turn out the way you’d “wished”. This was abundantly clear for Lexie! We meet Lexie as she is suddenly dealing with the sudden passing of her estranged father & the unexpected bequest of a company she knows nothing about and wants nothing to do with!
I enjoyed navigating the growing and grieving process with Lexie. The book has beautiful descriptions of traveling the world, forbidden feelings, navigating difficult relationships & inevitably the importance of mending relationships.
The banter kept me giggling! The flashbacks broke my heart & the on again off again romance made my heart ache!

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. I didn’t enjoy the beginning of this book. It was a little boring and seemed to drag but the story picked up and it was cute to see the relationship grow. Some of the miscommunication that happened was a little annoying and made it a little hard to believe.

I hadn’t read a book by this author before and based on the cover I was expecting a typical Christmas rom com. This was no that! In the best way. It had so much depth to it. I want to travel the world now!

What is not to love about this Emily Stone book? It's a delightful, family-oriented story set at Christmastime! I often expect that holiday books will be too Hallmarky for me but this novel had a lot of depth.

Lexie faces a tough decision when her estranged-father passes away. It's a story filled with lots of misunderstandings, big feelings, and s much more.

Loved the relationship between Lexie and Theo.

I have to be honest here…I thought this was gonna just be some romantic fluff. I didn’t anticipate the way I cried. I didn’t expect to laugh out loud so much. And I certainly didn’t think I was gonna FEEL so much in general. It’s a lovely lovely book and I am definitely gonna read the others this author has written now. Such a delightful read. 💜💜📚

This book is described as a slow burn….it is a REALLY slow burn. Almost so slow that I had a real hard time getting through it. It is also written in third person which sometimes makes for a tough read.
I think the main character, Lexie has almost too much emotional baggage and it is really tough to relax and enjoy the book. I thought it had great potential but it really was a long enemies to lovers that just seemed to take too long to go anywhere.

What a sweet, cozy, holiday read! If you enjoy Hallmark movies and swooning over adorable characters falling in love, pick this one up this holiday season!