What a pleasant surprise!

I’ve read more than a few lackluster holiday romances this year - saccharine books that ultimately lack any kind of real depth, with the kinds of plots that seem more like punchlines about Hallmark movies rather than something to be taken seriously. And so this book, revolving around a holiday-themed travel company, written by an author who has only written holiday-themed books, didn’t initially inspire much hope. How happy I was to be wrong!

This book is so much more than cutesy trips and stolen kisses though, to be fair, there are plenty of both. Taking place in the year following her father’s death, this book follows Lexie on a journey of self-discovery as she learns what it means to grieve under complicated circumstances.

I do wish Theo had been more fleshed out. As it stood, I enjoyed reading as their relationship unfurled but he was still largely an enigma, or maybe a bit one-dimensional compared to Lexie. Either way, still a solid read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was my very first Emily Stone book and I adored it. A Winter Wish is a story that will warm your heart. Our main character is in a journey of self reflection and healing as she grieves her father. I loved seeing a main character that is relatable. I was really please with the character development and loved learning about every single character in the story. As someone grieving a loved one this book was healing.

Thank you to the author for such a wonderful story, to the publisher for the eARC and to NetGalley.

This beautiful novel about imperfect people is thoughtful and real and just meanderingly pleasant. There are bits of slowness and some frustration with characters who don't grow as fast as you want them too. The end is charming though, the book is clean, and the story feels real and authentic, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks #netgalley for the ARC copy for an honest review.

This is a charming book for those wishing they could tag along with some exciting group trips with adventure and cultural experiences.

Lexie has no idea how fortunate she is to learn that her father has left her with half of his travel company in his will. She is told that the other half is now in the hands of Theo who has been working for her father for five years. Of course, Lexie is beautiful, Theo is handsome and they are both single. We all know what will happen and yet, there has to be more to the story.

It's ideally a book one would want to read in a weekend at a ski lodge sitting in a cozy chair. Yet, for those of us with plenty of imagination and a bowl of chips, we will make due. Lexie has a stubborn side and doesn’t want to feel compelled to follow her dad’s goal in life with the company in Bath, England even though it seems like so much fun. It’s a love story and very predictable although Lexie is in need of a good therapist to address father issues. It’s a quick, girly book and it comes together with a satisfactory ending.

My thanks to Dell and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of October 15, 2024.

I wanted to DNF this book several times, but unfortunately my perseverance did not pay off. The FMC, Lexie, definitely has avoidant attachment type issues. The cause of those issues are valid but it’s basically her entire personality in this book. I just wanted to shake her, despite how much I sympathized with her. Theo, the MMC, is bland. The only person I actually wanted to read more about was Rachel, Lexie’s half sister. I think her character arc would have made a much more interesting story between her guilt/grief about her father, her strained relationship with her mom, and the fall out of her romantic relationship.

I received an ARC of this book for free from NetGalley, but this did not impact my rating/review. This book is scheduled to be released on October 15, 2024.

This book was pretty cute even though it dealt with grief throughout. I liked that Lexie came full circle and didn't exactly forgive her dad, but did understand his side of the story better. Theo was a fabulous character and the one chapter from his POV left me wanting more!

Thanks Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley for providing the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️
such a cute grumpy/sunshine romance. this book was so easy to read and fall in love with the characters. when lexies estranged dad suddenly passes away he leaves her half of his traveling business. with one condition- it has to be run with theo his protege for one year and then they can either keep it together or sell the company. this book takes you through lexies struggles to forgive her dad meanwhile learning the ropes of the business and working with her mortal enemy theo and getting to know him and love him.

While I felt the pacing was a little slow, this was an enjoyable read. Both Theo and Lexie were well developed characters, and I definitely found myself rooting for them. This was the first book that I've read by Emily Stone, and I'm very likely to read more.

This was an emotional, heart-breaking yet heart-warming read, holiday read. This is not a cute & sweet Christmas romcom, the story and the characters go much deeper. We watch the MFC, Lexie, deal with the loss of her estranged father. as she is thrown into being co-owner of his traveling company with Theo, a man she immediately clashes with.

I loved watching Lexie grow in this story. She struggles while she learns details about her father's life, but it also helps her to see him in another light. As she deals with her hurt, grief and regret over her relationship with her father; she is also making decisions about what her future is going to look like. This future may or may not include a very hard working, dedicated to the travel company and doing right by Richard (Lexie's dad) and not to mention incredibly good-looking, Theo.

This is definitely a holiday must read but just expect Emily Stone to pull all your heart strings. This is the second of her books I've read, and I have enjoyed her writing style in each of them. Thank you, Net Galley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC in return for my honest review!

If you have ever been bitten by the travel bug or love planning trips than I definitely think you should add A Winter Wish to your tbr. Be forewarned, based off the cover I thought there would be more Christmas vibes than there actually was in the book. There are a few scenes that take place around Christmas time but overall the majority of the book centers around the travel company and coming to grips with Lexie’s estranged relationship with her now deceased father.

Theo and Lexie definitely got off on the wrong foot, each assuming things about the other before getting to know them or the reasoning for certain actions, but once they got to know each other they found they had a lot in common. There’s a lot of heavy topics throughout this book and they were all handled well and realistically in terms of how one might react or deal with certain things.


Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback

A Winter Wish is an emotional romance about forgiveness and new opportunities. I recommend this for fans of Emily Henry, specifically 'Beach Read.' This book will make you want to pack your bags and travel and give your parents a big hug.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All opinions are my own.

A sweet Christmas novel. Lexie inherits half her father’s travel company after his death. Lexie does not know why she inherited it as she was estranged from her father for many years. Theo has inherited the other half and they both must run the company for one year and then they can decide what to do with the company. They are certainly enemies to start with but maybe they won’t stay enemies? Read to find out!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emily Stone is one of my very favorite authors. I adore her books - they are always emotional and tug at my heartstrings. This one dealt with a unique type of grief, and it was very well written. Both MCs had to do some work on themselves before they could commit to each other. I loved the backdrop of the travel agency, and how their workplace responsibilities forced them to get to know each other and communicate more effectively. All the side characters were perfect as well. For me, no book will ever top Always, in December, but I did love A Winter Wish. All the best on the upcoming release.
Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It didn't follow a traditional troupe (although work adversaries is close). I loved the sweet moments as these characters evolved and began to better understand their past relationships and learn to truth again. The banter was fun between characters. Although the open door spice is low there is plenty behind doors. This is just a good book and I was thrilled to have come upon it.

The perfect holiday feel good!! Lexie finds out that her father has passed away and left her half of his business. She wasn't aware that he was even sick or that he would be leaving this to her. There's one condition, she must work with Theo, who owns the other half of the company. At first he judges her hardcore and vice versa. Finally they come to an agreement and find a way to work together and maybe even a little more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This did not feel like an Emily Stone novel. I found it so boring that I kept putting it down and gong back to it, hoping it would get better. It did not. Lexie and Theo hated each other for a good part of the book and had zero chemistry. There was absolutely nothing that drew me into the story. I'm not sure why I didn't DNF but I will say that the travel part of the story and the descriptions of the places interested me more than the narrative itself. I could picture them clearly. I wish there had been some depth to any of the characters but that was sadly lacking. Also, the title is a misnomer, only a small part of this takes place during Christmas/winter. Can't recommend.

I really enjoyed this story! Lexie and Theo were well developed though it was definitely Lexie’s story more than Theo’s. I loved all the travel detail and info on festivals and different cultures.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lexie's dad's sudden passing leaves her with some unresolved father issues, a half-sister relationship that needs some attention, and a new business partner in a company she didn't realize existed. A solid 3.75 stars

This HEA is a cute quick read about a woman who is faced with her past that she's become very good at running away from for her adult life. But when Theo expresses his obvious disappointment with her relationships with her dad and sister, Lexie doesn't know if she should run like she always does or prove him wrong. I really enjoyed this read and the MFC's development. I didn't mind that most of the story was focused on her journey and not the love story. It was light on the love and spice but I think that was more true to Lexie's story.

Some TW's including grief, cheating (her father) off book and parental death.

ARC received through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cozy and delightful read perfect for the holiday season. I loved Lexie and Theo’s love story and the subplot with the travel was really fun and interesting too. Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced readers’ copy of A Winter’s Wish by Emily Stone. This is the first book I read by Emily Stone and was excited when she had a new book coming out, that being said, I was a little disappointed by this book. It took me a long time to get into this book. If I wasn’t reading it for a review, I might have put it down and walked away from it. I just felt like it took a long time to get to where the story was trying to go.

Stone did a wonderful job with her description of things, the holiday trips they were on, the places they saw and the way things looked which I was very impressed with. She did a wonderful job showing the struggle Lexie faced as she pieced together the father she barely knew. I also loved Theo and Lexie’s relationship.