Reviews with content warning for Car accident - One Day in December

I'm going to start by saying the actual writing of this book was wonderful. The formatting was interesting and a unique concept that kept me engaged until the end, even though the rest of the story drove me absolutely nuts. Jumping between dates and years can be confusing and convoluted, but having them sectioned off was very creative.
Now to the actual plot of the book. The main characters, Laurie and Jack are absolutely despicable people, but not in a way that reading about them keeps you invested.
Laurie is a sad-sack who says she has ambitious but mostly complains about not achieving as much as she wants. In addition, for as ambitious as she claims she is in the journalism industry, we never truly see her succeed. She also happens to be the worst best friend ever. I would much rather read a book about the dynamic, forgiving, and caring, Sarah. She has trauma which she briefly discloses, but it mostly seems to work as an excuse to get with her best friend's boyfriend.
Jack, similarly, is terrible. He seems to sleep with anyone who will distract him from Laurie. Additionally, he likes to claim that he's doing the right thing for both of them, but that seems to be a way of preventing the development of a guilty conscience. I can't decide if I hate him more or less than Laurie, but I think I'm going to go with more for many reasons.
Overall, this book cannot overcome its despicable main characters. The main problem could've been solved three years into the decade long saga (if not sooner), and it would've saved a lot of characters a lot of hurt.

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miranda_is_reading's review

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emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Slow at times, but still a decent read. I found it relatable to a relationship I had in the past.

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thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Twas a very sad discovery to finally read this Christmas-themed romcom and find out that it was quite meh. Normally I love a romance story that spans many years, but this could have easily been summed up in less than one year, maybe two. It was so frustrating! I also love a second chance romance, friends-to-lovers storyline; however, this one fell flat for me because I never particularly felt much chemistry between our two inevitable lovers. All in all, every relationship in the book was rather dull.

Also, our MMC wasn’t especially charming or redeeming? It was hard to root for them getting together after reading all this build up of how he treated the other women in his life. Idk.

The writing was good and I liked the setting for the most part, I just really wish the characters were more developed and the plot lines more exciting and thought-provoking.

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itsheyfay's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

While the beginning was great, I could not root for Laurie and Jack to get together.

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theonlybaillie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I enjoyed this book. I had ALL of the feelings while reading it, as second-chance love is a trope that really hits for me and makes me cry basically every time.

The main characters in this book felt very real to me...in the sense that they had very annoying flaws that were, unfortunately, realistic IMO. Jack was emotionally immature and wanted to blame others and deflect any emotional pain or self-wrongdoing. Laurie was a pushover and bent to others wishes and plans until the end of the book where she finally decided that enough was enough and took ownership of her life (FINALLY!).

Relationships ebb and flow as seasons of life change, and I love that Jack, Sarah, and Laurie were still part of each others lives throughout their twenties. Lifelong friendships are a blessing, even though they can get quite messy over the years.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It is not the light-hearted Christmas read that most people look for this time of year, but I appreciated the story that it told.

I also appreciated the phrase "kissed stardust into my mouth", because I have never heard it before and thought it was creative and funny. :)

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kfquarium's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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