Always, in December
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- Create Date：2021-10-04 07:51:08
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Emily Stone
- ISBN：0593496876
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Summary
"A poignant， heart-tugging， life-affirming story that will wrap around you like a hug during any season。 Keep tissues nearby！"--Josie Silver， #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December
It started with a letter。 It ended with a love story。
Every December， Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago。 Each year， she writes the same three words: Missing you， always。 But this year， her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life。
Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season， but this year， Max has his own reasons for doing the same--and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together。 Aglow with new love， Josie thinks this might be the start of something special。
Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye。
Over the course of the next year， Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect。 New York City。 Edinburgh。 The quiet English countryside。 And it turns out， Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay。 But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again？
A devastating， romantic， life-affirming love story， Always， in December will stay with readers long after they've finished the last page。
It started with a letter。 It ended with a love story。
Every December， Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago。 Each year， she writes the same three words: Missing you， always。 But this year， her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger--a stranger who will change the course of Josie's life。
Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season， but this year， Max has his own reasons for doing the same--and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together。 Aglow with new love， Josie thinks this might be the start of something special。
Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye。
Over the course of the next year， Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they'd never expect。 New York City。 Edinburgh。 The quiet English countryside。 And it turns out， Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay。 But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again？
A devastating， romantic， life-affirming love story， Always， in December will stay with readers long after they've finished the last page。
Reviews
Jill
，
Wait！ Do NOT let the title fool you into thinking that this book is another feel-good Christmas story。 Although it does begin and end at Christmas time， it is quite the opposite。 Christmas is a difficult time for Josie due to the loss of her parents since their tragic death when she was a mere child who died on Christmas Eve。 The story begins with the breakup of her relationship with her boyfriend who slept with another woman， who just happens to also work where both she and her boyfriend work。 Wait！ Do NOT let the title fool you into thinking that this book is another feel-good Christmas story。 Although it does begin and end at Christmas time， it is quite the opposite。 Christmas is a difficult time for Josie due to the loss of her parents since their tragic death when she was a mere child who died on Christmas Eve。 The story begins with the breakup of her relationship with her boyfriend who slept with another woman， who just happens to also work where both she and her boyfriend work。 Josie’s flatmate has just left for a holiday as well so that Josie is now alone at Christmas time。 To top it off， Josie is set to lose her job after the holidays。 Too much to deal with， Josie sets off on her bike to mail a letter that she writes every year to her dead parents and caught in her sadness， runs into a man just exiting a taxi。 Feeling sorry， she takes him to a nearby pub to make up for her mistake。 Max was to fly to the states for Christmas with his family but due to weather is delayed。 Together they share their stories and decide to spend time together。 Max encourages Josie to be adventurous and with him around， Josie finds a bit of happiness again。 But then on Christmas Day， she wakes to find Max gone， with only a note he left behind。 Another loss for Josie。Flash forward， somehow Max and Josie’s lives intertwine and they happen to meet at random events both in the states and in England and in Scotland。 Max still continues to think about Josie as does Josie realize that she also loves Max。 However， they are star-crossed lovers and it just seems as if Josie can’t catch a break。 I did keep reading though as I kept hoping。 Throughout the story， you keep hoping that finally Josie will be successful， and that Josie and Max will find happiness。 The story ends full circle a year later， again at Christmas where tragedy strikes again。 I found it profoundly sad。 The author notes at the end that her inspiration for this book was to reflect that you carry grief into adulthood。 That may be true but when I read， I want to be entertained and this fell short in that category。 Although well written and the characters well developed， Until the very end， I caution others before they think this is a holiday book， because it was a story that was so sad。 Many thanks to #penguinrandomhouse #alwaysinDecember #netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Jenn
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Stunning。 Devastating。 Fulfilling。 This one will stay with me for a while。 You’re probably going to need a box of tissues for the last 10% of this book。 I don’t want to give anything away in this review， I’ll just say that I truly enjoyed reading about this year in Josie and Max’s lives， the story was incredibly well written and engaging， and I agree with the descriptions of it being a devastating love story。 Very much still worth experiencing。
Lauren Vaughn
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was phenomenal。 This novel follows Josie as she’s recovering from a break up， and quite literally runs over a stranger， Max， in the street。 We then follow them over the course of the next few days encompassing the Christmas Holiday。 When Max leaves without a word we are able to follow their lives and ~fate~ run ins over the next year。 I went into this expecting some sort of meet-cute rom com and left with all the ugly tears and feels， but was not disappointed。 Instead of a cheesy roman This book was phenomenal。 This novel follows Josie as she’s recovering from a break up， and quite literally runs over a stranger， Max， in the street。 We then follow them over the course of the next few days encompassing the Christmas Holiday。 When Max leaves without a word we are able to follow their lives and ~fate~ run ins over the next year。 I went into this expecting some sort of meet-cute rom com and left with all the ugly tears and feels， but was not disappointed。 Instead of a cheesy romance， I was given a well developed novel that encompasses one woman’s grief and sorrow regarding lost loved ones and her personal development as a character as well as her developing relationship with Max all while mostly taking place over the Christmas holiday。 This was again one of the best books I’ve read this year。 If you love to read about a female main character and her overcoming grief as well as gaining confidence and growing tremendously as a person， and/or the movie “me before you” then this is your book！！ 。。。more
Jane 🌻 Gleaton
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2。5 - I was loving this book。 Until the freaking end。 It literally ruined it for me。 I was so mad and I literally almost quit at 95%。
Emma Prynne
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One that will stay with meThis book wasn’t anything like what I expected - it was so much more。 I smiled and cried and smiled again。 A must read！
Tanya （Girl Plus Books）
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4。5 starsLet me start by saying that Always， in December is not a romance novel。 I fear that it is being marketed as such， or at least labeled as romance by Goodreads users， and that will lead to some damning （and unfair） reviews。 Calling it a romance will garner certain expectations （I’m being purposely vague here） and I’d hate to see that because Always， in December deserves all the love。 "I never thought I’d see you again， but I’m so happy that our paths were destined to intertwine。" Josie 4。5 starsLet me start by saying that Always， in December is not a romance novel。 I fear that it is being marketed as such， or at least labeled as romance by Goodreads users， and that will lead to some damning （and unfair） reviews。 Calling it a romance will garner certain expectations （I’m being purposely vague here） and I’d hate to see that because Always， in December deserves all the love。 "I never thought I’d see you again， but I’m so happy that our paths were destined to intertwine。" Josie is at a crossroads。 She’s just broken up with her boyfriend and she’s being laid off from her job （or given the option to take a less-than-desirable lateral move）。 To make matters worse， it’s Christmas， the season Josie dreads every year because while everyone else is bustling about， shopping， filled with merriment， Josie is filled with memories of her parents who were killed in an accident on Christmas Eve。 While out mailing a letter to her beloved parents， her Christmas tradition， she quite literally runs into Max。 And that collision， that chance encounter， sets into motion a series of events that will change both their lives。I fell in love with both Josie and Max’s stories – because this is so much more than their story together – from the very start。 Right away I had the feeling that I would come to love these characters and I wasn’t wrong。 From their first meeting in London， and those magical few days spent together that seemed so promising， to a chance encounter months later in New York City， to a reunion of sorts in Scotland， Josie and Max’s paths continued to cross fleetingly before circumstances separated them again。While Josie’s issues were more outwardly obvious – grief that she has carried into adulthood， career dissatisfaction， a cheating boyfriend – Max’s were less so and I appreciated the way Stone doled out small bits of information along the way。 The more that is revealed， the more his past behavior makes sense。 I savored every page as their stories – both separately and together – played out。 Their interactions over the course of the year never felt contrived， but more serendipitous。The secondary characters felt purposeful and Josie’s doting grandparents， in particular， were delightful。 （I adored Memo and Grandad！） They all added a richness to the story， a bit of comic relief， and at least one of them truly surprised me。Josie was a heroine who was easy to love， to relate to， and want the absolute best for。 She had been shaped by loss in her childhood and Stone did an incredible job of showing how that resonated in Josie’s adult life。 Her journey presented her with options that pushed her out of her comfort zone， if only she was brave enough to take them。Let me reiterate that Always， in December is not a romance novel， but it is a love story。 One that was poignant and engaged my every emotion。 Always， in December was a remarkable debut novel and I can’t wait to read what comes from Emily Stone next。 。。。more
Rebecca Elizabeth
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2。5 Stars。 Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I really liked the 1/2 half of this book， but the second half didn’t work for me。 It felt like the pace was super slow， and I wish we had gotten more of Max’s perspective to get into what he was thinking。I hate miscommunication， or not communicating， so Max keeping major details from Josie that was a major issue for me。 Also- these 2 never exchanged phone numbers？ Or tried looking each other up on social media？ 2。5 Stars。 Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I really liked the 1/2 half of this book， but the second half didn’t work for me。 It felt like the pace was super slow， and I wish we had gotten more of Max’s perspective to get into what he was thinking。I hate miscommunication， or not communicating， so Max keeping major details from Josie that was a major issue for me。 Also- these 2 never exchanged phone numbers？ Or tried looking each other up on social media？？ Come on！ 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
，
The holiday season isn’t the most joyful of times for people。 It can bring sorrow and sadness。 Josie lost her parents on Christmas Eve and it’s been a low point for her。 Then she meets Max and spends just a few days with him， until he leaves her too。 They keep bumping into each other over the next few months。 The ending stunned me。 I was so not expecting the revelation and events。 I’m still reeling from it。 The auntie kept a major part of the story under wraps until the very end。 Thanks to Headl The holiday season isn’t the most joyful of times for people。 It can bring sorrow and sadness。 Josie lost her parents on Christmas Eve and it’s been a low point for her。 Then she meets Max and spends just a few days with him， until he leaves her too。 They keep bumping into each other over the next few months。 The ending stunned me。 I was so not expecting the revelation and events。 I’m still reeling from it。 The auntie kept a major part of the story under wraps until the very end。 Thanks to Headline Review and Netgalley for the early read。 。。。more
Jessica Svajgert
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*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Pub date: October 12， 2021Came for a holiday romcom and left with all the feels。 This wasn’t what I was expecting and I’m not sure I’d classify it as a romance。 If you’re looking for something lighthearted with a HEA， this one might not be for you。 I wanted to hate it by the end but I can’t hate something that made me feel that intensely sad。
Kathryn
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If you stop reading around the 90% mark， this is a charming， heartfelt， hopeful novel。 To me， the ending was too bleak for a holiday romance （view spoiler）[It's not just that Max dies （although I did stop reading this book for weeks once I saw a spoiler that he would die）， it's that Josie never knew of Max's cancer and never had any say/power in their relationship， even at the very end。 I feel like the book would've been stronger if Max did tell her， and she got to choose whether to stay with h If you stop reading around the 90% mark， this is a charming， heartfelt， hopeful novel。 To me， the ending was too bleak for a holiday romance （view spoiler）[It's not just that Max dies （although I did stop reading this book for weeks once I saw a spoiler that he would die）， it's that Josie never knew of Max's cancer and never had any say/power in their relationship， even at the very end。 I feel like the book would've been stronger if Max did tell her， and she got to choose whether to stay with him or not。 （hide spoiler）]。 Overall， I enjoyed the book and cared about all the characters， especially Josie and Max。 。。。more
sally whitfield
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A different kind of love storyAhh such a sweet story， I didn't expect it to end the way it did。 Very well written， heart warming and great characters。 A different kind of love storyAhh such a sweet story， I didn't expect it to end the way it did。 Very well written， heart warming and great characters。 。。。more
Kelli Roberts
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This book wasn't what I was expecting it to be， and I'm not sure it even knew at times。 It started out as a fun， lighthearted romance， with some deeper issues addressed。 That's how I expected it to continue， but the middle went into some less-interesting storylines that included the main characters， and then the ending came out of nowhere。 It felt a bit emotionally manipulative， rather than an organic culmination of the earlier chapters。 Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for This book wasn't what I was expecting it to be， and I'm not sure it even knew at times。 It started out as a fun， lighthearted romance， with some deeper issues addressed。 That's how I expected it to continue， but the middle went into some less-interesting storylines that included the main characters， and then the ending came out of nowhere。 It felt a bit emotionally manipulative， rather than an organic culmination of the earlier chapters。 Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advance digital copy！ 。。。more
Jamie Rueger
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Every December， Josie mails a letter that will never get to its recipients。 This December， on her way home from posting her letter， she rides into a man getting out of his taxi。 After a bumpy start， Max and Josie spend the next few days together in London， both of them not a fan of the holidays for different reasons。 They have a strong connection and then Max just。。。 disappears。 But somehow， without having any way to contact each other， their paths continue to cross over the next year， all over Every December， Josie mails a letter that will never get to its recipients。 This December， on her way home from posting her letter， she rides into a man getting out of his taxi。 After a bumpy start， Max and Josie spend the next few days together in London， both of them not a fan of the holidays for different reasons。 They have a strong connection and then Max just。。。 disappears。 But somehow， without having any way to contact each other， their paths continue to cross over the next year， all over the world。 Max is keeping something from Josie， but also doesn't want to stay away from her。 With Christmas coming back around， will the two of them find their way back to each other again？This book was an emotional rollercoaster。 My heart ached， I cried， I got angry， I was ecstatic and cried some more。 Emily Stone made it easy to care for both Josie and Max and want to root for them to get their happy ending， even when you didn't agree with how they may have acted。 Always， in December is about love lost， grief， and finding yourself。 If you want a beautifully written book that makes you feel all the feelings， this is definitely for you。 #alwaysindecember #NetGalley 。。。more
Darla
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Josie and Max。 Their story begins with a meet-cute moment when Josie is on her way to post a letter--to the parents who died too young。 It is a bittersweet tradition。 One she has kept for decades -- always， in December。 This book broke my heart。 At the same time there is a wonderful message about missing the ones we have lost and experiencing life without them。"I'm OK，" she repeated。 "Really。 It's something I've learned to carry around with me， but in some ways I'm glad of that， because it means Josie and Max。 Their story begins with a meet-cute moment when Josie is on her way to post a letter--to the parents who died too young。 It is a bittersweet tradition。 One she has kept for decades -- always， in December。 This book broke my heart。 At the same time there is a wonderful message about missing the ones we have lost and experiencing life without them。"I'm OK，" she repeated。 "Really。 It's something I've learned to carry around with me， but in some ways I'm glad of that， because it means I loved them， and I remember them， you know？"Many of us have stories of loved ones who were lost on a holiday or birthday。 The years to follow are forever changed。 Have your tissues ready。 This reminded me a bit of a Nicholas Sparks novel。 Be forewarned -- this is not a romance in the truest definition。 You will spend time in London at Christmas， NYC （Central Park in spring）， Edinburgh in late summer， and Botswana in December。 My biggest disappointment was the language。 It is called "taking the Lord's name in vain" for a reason。 Thank you to Dell and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
ʚϊɞ Shelley's ʚϊɞ Book Nook
，
Awww this book was so sad I cried and I am not much of a crier。 This book takes place over the course of a year。 Josie meets Max by "running" into him。 There starts a slow mo romance after Max "ghosts" her。 I loved Josie， she is someone I think I'd be friends with。。。max not so much。 I think she deserves better。 But I did appreciate how realistic the relationship was。 There are three main locations in this book and I loved that。 We have London， England， Edinburgh， Scotland and New York， USA。 I li Awww this book was so sad I cried and I am not much of a crier。 This book takes place over the course of a year。 Josie meets Max by "running" into him。 There starts a slow mo romance after Max "ghosts" her。 I loved Josie， she is someone I think I'd be friends with。。。max not so much。 I think she deserves better。 But I did appreciate how realistic the relationship was。 There are three main locations in this book and I loved that。 We have London， England， Edinburgh， Scotland and New York， USA。 I liked that I felt like I was travelling as well， especially in the time of COVID。 This is more than your typical Christmas romance and that suited me just fine， I also loved the fact that the ending wasn't the usual as well even though it wasn't what I wanted to happen。 That's all I am going to say。With many thanks to NetGalley， Emily Stone and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， Dell for the giving of the ARC。 。。。more
Karen
，
ALWAYS， IN DECEMBER by Emily StoneIt isn’t often that a read a 400-page book in three days， but I did with this one。 It begins magically and takes you on a journey， one which you will remember for a long time。The main character is Josie Morgan， who has just finished a relationship with Oliver and is at an impasse in her life with her relationship and her job。 We soon learn she lost her parents in a car accident one Christmas Eve when she was a child， so that time of year is a difficult one for h ALWAYS， IN DECEMBER by Emily StoneIt isn’t often that a read a 400-page book in three days， but I did with this one。 It begins magically and takes you on a journey， one which you will remember for a long time。The main character is Josie Morgan， who has just finished a relationship with Oliver and is at an impasse in her life with her relationship and her job。 We soon learn she lost her parents in a car accident one Christmas Eve when she was a child， so that time of year is a difficult one for her。But this Christmas， she has an accident and meets a stranger called Max。 They spend a few days together in December and … well， I’ll let you read the book to find out。Emily Stone creates beautiful characters， each one steps out of the page and is instantly someone you know， so you care about them。 Even the minor characters like Graeme – exactly the sort of man you don’t want to be stuck at a wedding with – jump out of the page with their realism。 The story takes you on a tour of your emotions and it isn’t always a happy book， I’ll warn you， but it’s a story that’s well worth reading。 9 out of 10 。。。more
Kathryn L
，
Books like Always， in December is the reason why the "Closure/Set-Up" section on my rubric exists。 I found this novel to be a fairly standard， sort of Love， Rosie-style story and was prepared to give it three or four stars until， quite literally， the last three chapters。 First， the positives。 I did enjoy the suspense woven throughout this book—the constant meeting， leaving， and re-meeting。 The writing also shines through at key parts in the novel， especially when Josie discusses the process of g Books like Always， in December is the reason why the "Closure/Set-Up" section on my rubric exists。 I found this novel to be a fairly standard， sort of Love， Rosie-style story and was prepared to give it three or four stars until， quite literally， the last three chapters。 First， the positives。 I did enjoy the suspense woven throughout this book—the constant meeting， leaving， and re-meeting。 The writing also shines through at key parts in the novel， especially when Josie discusses the process of grief and notes that it ought to be a process of loving and honoring rather than mourning。 Again， though， I must qualify this praise by noting that there are moments where Stone excessively summarizes events， disrupting the flow of the story。 The absolutely nonsensical nature of the ending cast a pall over the rest of the book。 Not only was it completely unnecessary to the novel， it was also rushed and poorly constructed; Stone's vague recalls to previous moments in the novel in order to justify the ending fell flat。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for giving me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 My full review can be found on my blog here。 。。。more
Ashleigh Easton
，
When I read a book I adore， I really want to take my time with it’s review as I want to pour my heart into it just like the author did with this book。 This book broke my heart and I ugly cried for about 10 minutes after （and during） and I haven’t cried like that at a book since I read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah last year。When I seen this book， my first opinion was it’s going to be your typical chick lit book， boy meets girl and they fall in love and it will be really cute with it being ar When I read a book I adore， I really want to take my time with it’s review as I want to pour my heart into it just like the author did with this book。 This book broke my heart and I ugly cried for about 10 minutes after （and during） and I haven’t cried like that at a book since I read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah last year。When I seen this book， my first opinion was it’s going to be your typical chick lit book， boy meets girl and they fall in love and it will be really cute with it being around Christmas。 This book had so much more to it that that。 We had Josie trying to decide what to do with her life after a break-up， nearing 30 and feeling like it was too late to change her career， even though she has been doing a job she doesn’t really like for so long。 It showed us the relationship she had with her Memo & Grandad and even her Aunt Helen who comes across as a little annoying but the support they have within each other is amazing， even with the heartbreak they dealt with when Josie was a child。 The friendship between Josie and Bia， I now want Bia as a friend！ I love that I love Erin， one of the kindest souls there is （even though we should hate her as she is the love interests ex！） Then there is Josie & Max！！！For those who can only read Christmas books at Christmas， yes this book was set around Christmas time but it’s not all about that， so I feel you can read this at any time of the year。 To me personally， I can read any genre of book at any time of the year and I just love Christmas。The book took us to different places also， we had London， New York， Edinburgh and the English Countryside。 As soon as I read they were going to Edinburgh， I squealed a little inside as this is my home town and I love seeing it represented in books and the mention of Dundas Castle was noted also。 The author did great to represent my home in their book and I loved reading Josie fall in love with it。I don’t know how else to describe this book and explain how much I adored it。 It was amazing and it was the reason I gave this book 5 stars。 This book will stay with me for a while I reckon and I won’t stop recommending this to anyone who loves a romance book or those who like a good cry at a book， because I certainly was not expecting that twist at the end at all！ It ended perfectly too， no questions were left unanswered。So to summarise， what I think you should do， is go buy this book！ 。。。more
Jennifer Steinhagen
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Thanks to @netgalley for this advanced reader copy！ This story centers on Laura and Max and is intertwined with loss and love。 If you are picking this up for a light-hearted holiday romantic comedy please set it back down。 I had all the feelings while reading this book。 Be prepared。
Bethany Walker
，
A heartbreaking and heartwarming read， Emily Stone's debut novel is poignant and beautiful。 I spent most of my night reading until I finished because I couldn't put it down。 Stone's prose and genuine characterization pulls you into the story， and the electric connection between Max and Josie as they navigate grief， family， love， and the holidays keeps you drawn in until the last page。 A heartbreaking and heartwarming read， Emily Stone's debut novel is poignant and beautiful。 I spent most of my night reading until I finished because I couldn't put it down。 Stone's prose and genuine characterization pulls you into the story， and the electric connection between Max and Josie as they navigate grief， family， love， and the holidays keeps you drawn in until the last page。 。。。more
Charlene
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Always in December - Emily StoneMy first Christmas book of the year， and what a way to start。 The author did a lovely job of endearing the reader to the two main characters Josie and Max， I was immediately invested in their lives and more importantly finding out what other factors were at play to complicate their relationship。 This book was so much more than I was expecting， yes it has all the regular niceties that we have come to expect from a great Christmas book。。。。。beautiful decorations/food Always in December - Emily StoneMy first Christmas book of the year， and what a way to start。 The author did a lovely job of endearing the reader to the two main characters Josie and Max， I was immediately invested in their lives and more importantly finding out what other factors were at play to complicate their relationship。 This book was so much more than I was expecting， yes it has all the regular niceties that we have come to expect from a great Christmas book。。。。。beautiful decorations/food/drink/experience descriptions， but also a whole lot of heart & heartache。 The ending was certainly an emotional roller-coaster for me and one that I won't forget about for a long while。 。。。more
Edens Book Den
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Always in December in exchange for my honest review。 Always in December started out as what I thought would be a lighthearted holiday romance。 It was anything but lighthearted。 Josie and Max meet when Josie literally runs into Max while she is riding her bike。 He isn’t in London for long and his flight to the states has been delayed。 We don’t know what job Max does at this point or why he is traveling between London and New York， b Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Always in December in exchange for my honest review。 Always in December started out as what I thought would be a lighthearted holiday romance。 It was anything but lighthearted。 Josie and Max meet when Josie literally runs into Max while she is riding her bike。 He isn’t in London for long and his flight to the states has been delayed。 We don’t know what job Max does at this point or why he is traveling between London and New York， but hints are given to what he does throughout the first part of the story。 It isn’t until Josie’s aunt Helen comes into the storyline that we get to know a little more about Max since she asks him。 Josie and Max end up spending time together before he is able to get another flight out on Boxing Day back to the U。S。 He doesn’t say goodbye， he just leaves， without a way to get a hold of him。 He does leave a small note。 There is no relationship between the two again until basically the end of the book and both Max and Josie are with other people in between。 There are specific reasons that Max doesn’t share with Josie why he just up and left that day after Christmas without saying goodbye。 It made me sympathetic towards his character when these reasons were revealed toward the end， but I can’t say anything more without giving away part of the story。 I wouldn’t classify this book as lighthearted romance or even romance in general。 The first thing that a romance must have is a happily ever after or a happy for now between the main characters。 That alone is missing。 I would classify this more as women’s fiction。 Without spoiling the story it takes a shocking and surprising turn at the end that left me in tears。 Not in a good way。 This is definitely not a feel good romance I would pick up for the holidays， but if you need a good cry then maybe。 The writing was good and the beginning of the story held such promise。 I was really looking forward to a holiday romance that left me feeling with all that encompasses the spirit of the season。 This sadly wasn’t it， but if you are looking for a well written women’s fiction book and want a good cry this is definitely one you should pick up。 。。。more
Staceywh_17
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With its main focus on coping with the loss of your parents & grieving this wasn't your average Christmassy romance。For a debut novel this was outstanding。 Well written， with lovable characters & a story that will break your heart into a million tiny pieces。Emotional， heartbreaking & definitely tissue worthy。 It's left me a snotty nosed， blubbering mess， but heck it was definitely worth it。I highly recommend you all give this book a read。 Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my tour spot & my With its main focus on coping with the loss of your parents & grieving this wasn't your average Christmassy romance。For a debut novel this was outstanding。 Well written， with lovable characters & a story that will break your heart into a million tiny pieces。Emotional， heartbreaking & definitely tissue worthy。 It's left me a snotty nosed， blubbering mess， but heck it was definitely worth it。I highly recommend you all give this book a read。 Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my tour spot & my gifted copy。𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 。。。more
Megan Thornton
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This was a tough one to rate and review。 The first part was riveting; I loved how Max and Josie met。 I loved how awkward they were at first （so relatable）， but then they had such great， adorable chemistry。 Josie’s backstory was so tender and I felt so much empathy for her。The second section from Max’s point of view was halting and slow; the plot seemed to lose momentum there。 The rest was up and down and very emotional。 The ending was so tragic。 I wish it was more hopeful at the end。 But I will This was a tough one to rate and review。 The first part was riveting; I loved how Max and Josie met。 I loved how awkward they were at first （so relatable）， but then they had such great， adorable chemistry。 Josie’s backstory was so tender and I felt so much empathy for her。The second section from Max’s point of view was halting and slow; the plot seemed to lose momentum there。 The rest was up and down and very emotional。 The ending was so tragic。 I wish it was more hopeful at the end。 But I will say this book was effective because I was extremely invested and devastated at the end， even if it wasn’t the happy ending I was hoping for。 This is very much in the tradition of “Me Before You，” “A Walk to Remember” and “One Day in December。” I wish Max and Josie had more time together， which I suppose is part of what makes this story so sad; they didn’t get the time they deserved。Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kristen
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When I started reading this book I was prepared for a Christmas romance。。。。and I kind of got that？ I really enjoyed the beginning story line of this book。 Started off with a super cute meeting and whirlwind romance and then from there some conflict which I could still get behind。 The characters were cute and the relationships were cute however I think the author was trying to build too many plot points and tragedies for it to all come together and make sense at the end。 This is NOT a cute happy When I started reading this book I was prepared for a Christmas romance。。。。and I kind of got that？ I really enjoyed the beginning story line of this book。 Started off with a super cute meeting and whirlwind romance and then from there some conflict which I could still get behind。 The characters were cute and the relationships were cute however I think the author was trying to build too many plot points and tragedies for it to all come together and make sense at the end。 This is NOT a cute happy story to get someone for the holidays and put you in the spirit of Christmas。 While December is a feature in the book - a lot happens outside the season。 There were eye rolls and tears during this book which speaks to the writing！ I did enjoy the characters and some of the banter but did not enjoy the multiple plot points/things that weren't tied up well or tied up way too fast。 Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Janet
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I would call this a romantic mystery。 We start with Josie， who is on her way， in December winter weather， on a bike， to a mailbox。 She literally runs into Max and the story starts。 There are mysteries throughout the book and one is why the mail and under such conditions？ And why does she mail a letter every December right before Christmas？ What is Max's story？ There is something secretive with him。 We know there is chemistry between Max and Josie， yet they are not together。 But， they keep encoun I would call this a romantic mystery。 We start with Josie， who is on her way， in December winter weather， on a bike， to a mailbox。 She literally runs into Max and the story starts。 There are mysteries throughout the book and one is why the mail and under such conditions？ And why does she mail a letter every December right before Christmas？ What is Max's story？ There is something secretive with him。 We know there is chemistry between Max and Josie， yet they are not together。 But， they keep encountering one another。 Both characters are likeable and I found myself really rooting for Josie。 This book was hard to put down。 In the end， this is a special love story well told by the author。 To say more， would be to spoil it。Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced copy。 。。。more
Susie Stangland
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You know how with so many love stories you think， that’s not realistic， could never happen！ What sets Emily Stone’s writing apart from others is the details， conversations and emotions a character feels， especially Josie， do feel realistic so I disappeared easily into the pages and did not want to stop reading until I finished。 I LOVED One Day in December by Josie Silver and wondered if the main character’s name was a tribute to her。 And while yes， I received an advance copy， I will be purchasin You know how with so many love stories you think， that’s not realistic， could never happen！ What sets Emily Stone’s writing apart from others is the details， conversations and emotions a character feels， especially Josie， do feel realistic so I disappeared easily into the pages and did not want to stop reading until I finished。 I LOVED One Day in December by Josie Silver and wondered if the main character’s name was a tribute to her。 And while yes， I received an advance copy， I will be purchasing this for my daughter and others as isn’t a great book， set in December the best gift to give！！ 。。。more
Mandy Hazen
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This book was a page turner from beginning to end。 I am a sucker for a love story。 There were points where I felt really frustrated and wanted to yell at the characters to just see what was right in front of them。 But honestly this book is a rollercoaster of emotions and so so so good。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。
Katie
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I recieved an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with access。Well。I will say that I went into this book with certain expectations and they were completely subverted。 I love romance books。 I loved missed connections and serendipitous meetups。 This book seemed right up my alley。 And all honesty， I expected something wholly different than what I got from the ending。That being said， this book was a well-written story， and I recieved an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with access。Well。I will say that I went into this book with certain expectations and they were completely subverted。 I love romance books。 I loved missed connections and serendipitous meetups。 This book seemed right up my alley。 And all honesty， I expected something wholly different than what I got from the ending。That being said， this book was a well-written story， and I was deeply engaged in Josie and Max's relationship as it played out on the page。 It's such a poignant and heartfelt story and you will definitely need tissues for the ending。 Definitely worth it though。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Always, in December
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Always, in December&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Always, in December&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0