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frenandjen's review
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Car accident, Cancer, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
alaynacp's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Always, In December by Emily Stone is a poignant and emotionally charged novel that delves deep into the themes of love, loss, friendship, and the courage to start anew. This heart-wrenching story follows Josie and Max, who have a chance encounter just before Christmas. Their lives become intertwined, but their journey is far from a fairytale romance.
Stone's writing beautifully captures the raw emotions and complexities of grief, making it impossible not to empathize with the characters and their struggles. The characters are flawed and relatable, each trying to navigate through life's uncertainties. The story takes unexpected twists and turns, leaving readers on the edge of their seats and shedding tears along the way.
What sets Always, In December apart from other novels in the genre is its lack of a traditional happy ending. Stone explores the reality that not all stories conclude with a neatly tied bow. While this may be unexpected for some readers, it certainly was for me, it adds a layer of authenticity, reminding us that life doesn't always work out the way we want it to.
There's also a beautiful exploration of friendship in this book. Josie and Max have amazing bonds with their friends and family who support them through thick and thin. It's a reminder of how important it is to have people in your corner when life gets tough.
Emily Stone's writing style is descriptive and vivid, you'll feel like you're right there with the characters. She knows how to bring their emotions to life and make you feel every single one of them.
Always, In December is a book that will stick with you long after you finish it. It's a reminder that life is messy and unpredictable, but it's also full of love and resilience. So grab some tissues and get ready for an emotional journey. You won't regret it’s!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content
Minor: Car accident and Cancer
kateyg's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Cancer
omgitsyelhsa's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
This is NOT a light-hearted Christmas book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cancer, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
sidekicksam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Josie and Max meet coincidentally, and though neither of them had planned it, they spend a few days together while Max sits out his wait for a rescheduled flight. The days are unexpectedly wonderful, and though Josie knows Max will be leaving on Boxing Day, she is still surprised he leaves without leaving a phone number. But they will meet again…
It takes a lot for me to enjoy a romance book, and my buddy reading buddies usually love the romances we read a whole lot more than I do. We picked this as our holiday-read, as it looked to be about something Christmas-y, but it wasn’t so much a holiday read as it was a book set in December.
I must say that I flew through this book because I was home sick one day with a cat on my lap, so I could not move to get the remote and had to spend the day reading. Though it has its flaws (miscommunication trope alert), I thought the story between Josie and Max was cute and this read like a movie. I cried.
If you’re in for a quick read that you don’t need your full attention for, add this to your winter TBR!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
sglance9's review against another edition
I had a bad feeling this was going to end awful and after reading other reviews it was confirmed. I was looking for a happy Christmas book and this is not that. I thought about pushing through since I was reading it for a buddy read but decided I didn't need that anxiety
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Death
sarahallez's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness
morganperks's review
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
emily, bestie I’m gonna need you to be so for real right now. I can’t even give this a rating. This is a joke, right? I feel like I have been absolutely violated by books with Christmasy covers claiming to be ‘romance’, ‘heartwarming’ or ‘good’, and every time I get closer and closer to my 13th reason maybe I’m naive and like to live in happily ever after land but I don’t think it’s necessary to kill off the parents and or love interest to have a good story. I love a good sad story as long as I know what I’m getting into but I do prefer my characters in romance novels to be alive
Update: upon further review, some of the blame may be on me for not reading the back cover where it says, "in the style of Me Before You" so there was a heads-up, but I stand by what I said. I was a victim of clever marketing. Heed my warning, if you're looking for a cute Christmas romance...this ain't it.
Update: upon further review, some of the blame may be on me for not reading the back cover where it says, "in the style of Me Before You" so there was a heads-up, but I stand by what I said. I was a victim of clever marketing. Heed my warning, if you're looking for a cute Christmas romance...this ain't it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Car accident, Medical content, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
carly_the_librarian's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death
meggenlee's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I picked this book up as a light holiday read, and it definitely did not not fit that description. Despite that, I wasn’t mad about it. The book was compelling, and I wanted to see how the story would end. Clearly, the author was working out some of her own issues surrounding death. I wish her well on that journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent