What I read | Christmas Edition ‘21
Author: Emily Stone | Book: Always in December
Synopsis
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.
My Thoughts on Always in December
It's the holiday season, so I'll keep this short so you can get back to your life.
I read this last week and my heart STILL gets sad when I think about it. But it was worth it 🥺😢
“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”
Here’s my short “review”
I should've maybe read more reviews.
𝐌𝐞: this made me very sad 🥺
𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐌𝐞: Read this book, it’s sweet and worth it.!
Do with that information, what you will!
💯 recommend.
Author: Christina Lauren | Book: In a Holidaze
Synopsis
One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners..
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
My Thoughts on In a Holidaze
“If I died today, what would be written about me?”
I'm super surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I took a chance on it, because the reviews have been split right down the middle - from amazing to ...ick lol.
I for one, love a groundhog day tale when done right, and as far as I can tell, CL never misses. I'm relieved that the flashbacks and time loops were minimal. There were enough looks to establish the MC and her decisions, but not too much so it becomes a strain.
I think for a story that carries a light air, it dealt with deep, introspective topics. Like, the life you've got - if it ended right now, how would you like to be remembered; how much of your desires are you "saving for later"?
Also, who doesn't love a friends-to-lovers/childhood crush trope? The MCs have know each other their whole lives, and now see each other differently? Well, one of them...lol. The wit, the banter, the family, the chemistry, the drama and tension. all perfection.
💯 recommend.
Maelyn was witty and funny, as were most of the other characters. So here are some more of my favorite quotes from the book.
“It never occurred to me that you might be mine”
“I laugh because this feels genuinely impossible. How does one move on from a man so kind of heart and fine of ass?”
What is Left of my December TBR
We still have some time till the year ends, and I've still got some titles left on my reading list for the month.
The Festival of Significance by Milan Kundera
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez - this may carry over into 2022 tbh. It's not really Holiday "light"-reading!
What are you reading this holiday? Let me know in the comments
Whatever it is or isn't, I hope you're well and safe. x