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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
A solid 4.75/5 ⭐️s
The book follows Cassie’s journey after she loses her brother, the only immediate family member she has left. They had a bond like no other and were the best of friends. The loss is tough for her but also her brother’s friend, Sam. Cassie can keep her brother with her through the Christmas scavenger hunt he had ready for her that year while also tackling her complicated feelings for Sam.
This is the perfect Christmas or winter read. I devoured it in 24 hours because I could not put it down.
I went through a range of emotions while reading it and believe that well-written books can do just that. From sadness to pride to excitement, this book had it all.
The book was told from Cassie’s POV with a sprinkle of Sam’s, which I always love. Also, brother’s best friend and second chance romance… yes, please!
The book follows Cassie’s journey after she loses her brother, the only immediate family member she has left. They had a bond like no other and were the best of friends. The loss is tough for her but also her brother’s friend, Sam. Cassie can keep her brother with her through the Christmas scavenger hunt he had ready for her that year while also tackling her complicated feelings for Sam.
This is the perfect Christmas or winter read. I devoured it in 24 hours because I could not put it down.
I went through a range of emotions while reading it and believe that well-written books can do just that. From sadness to pride to excitement, this book had it all.
The book was told from Cassie’s POV with a sprinkle of Sam’s, which I always love. Also, brother’s best friend and second chance romance… yes, please!
i kinda loved this, though it was more depressing than i realized.
Everyone likes a challenging treasure hunt and this book has two: one that is written down with actual clues and another that is invisible with a relationship. In life, we have to figure out the game.
There is something else: a love triangle. Cassie and her brother, Tom are close. Their parents died in a plane crash when they were young and they depended upon each other. Tom was “the big brother anyone could hope for.” Tom and his friend, Sam, were best friends since they were kids. All three spent a great deal of time together. Years later, Sam is found flirting with Cassie and she is secretly in love with him. Is this what she really wants? The book is about relationships with the parents, siblings and friends. Some parts are sad. Other parts make the reader smile.
It’s easy to read with surprises in the plot. While many of the characters could use a good therapist, it’s a book that opens up to real problems with trust, fear and insecurities. Each character can easily be visualized along with the settings in the story. All the pieces had to come together at the end which was nicely accomplished. She also adds "Questions and Topics for Discussion" which is a great benefit for book clubs.
My thanks to Emily Stone, Dell Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced book with an expected publication date of October 11, 2022.
There is something else: a love triangle. Cassie and her brother, Tom are close. Their parents died in a plane crash when they were young and they depended upon each other. Tom was “the big brother anyone could hope for.” Tom and his friend, Sam, were best friends since they were kids. All three spent a great deal of time together. Years later, Sam is found flirting with Cassie and she is secretly in love with him. Is this what she really wants? The book is about relationships with the parents, siblings and friends. Some parts are sad. Other parts make the reader smile.
It’s easy to read with surprises in the plot. While many of the characters could use a good therapist, it’s a book that opens up to real problems with trust, fear and insecurities. Each character can easily be visualized along with the settings in the story. All the pieces had to come together at the end which was nicely accomplished. She also adds "Questions and Topics for Discussion" which is a great benefit for book clubs.
My thanks to Emily Stone, Dell Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced book with an expected publication date of October 11, 2022.
This book was cute, but I didn’t love the way that it jumped time so often. It did make things more realistic at times, but other times I was like “come on, surely they’d talk to each other sooner than this?!” And I felt like I was missing out on key things happening. Overall though, I loved the chemistry — although I’d loved to have seen more of the buildup of Cassie’s crush on Sam, and vice versa — and it was a solid read!
** disclaimer: although this book takes place surrounding a Christmas gift treasure hunt, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a Christmas book. Due to the time jumps, a lot of it takes place in the spring/summer. So if you want a holiday book completely focused on December, this is not it. It definitely still has Christmas vibes though since it’s about looking for a present!
** disclaimer: although this book takes place surrounding a Christmas gift treasure hunt, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a Christmas book. Due to the time jumps, a lot of it takes place in the spring/summer. So if you want a holiday book completely focused on December, this is not it. It definitely still has Christmas vibes though since it’s about looking for a present!
I do not know what exactly I expected when I began this book, especially having never read Always, in December from Emily Stone. I really enjoyed this book though. It follows Cassie and Sam, two hot and cold friends tied together by Tom, Cassie's brother and Sam's best friend. The best part of this book was the character growth, with romance as more of an afterthought. Cassie and Tom's relationship was really sweet, and I would have loved to learn a little bit more about Hazel and how she fell in with Tom and Sam beyond what we saw in the book. The theme of grief was really well fleshed out and I really felt like the ending was satisfying. I would recommend this!
PAIN!!! THIS BOOK WAS PAINFUL!!!!!! IM IN TEARS AND I DIDNT THINK IT WOULD BE THIS KIND OF STORY. It is definitely NOT a happy, cute Christmas story. Happy is the last word I'd ever use to describe this book.
When I started this, I thought it'd 100% be a romance book. I mean, the cover and everything built it up as one. It still was, technically, but the romance part definitely took to the bleachers for about 75% of it. The story was still great, so I'm not upset about this.
The synopsis itself reveals that the brother dies, but I didn't think we'd follow the journey of his death and how it impacted everybody. There were so many (too many) instances where I was tearing up, holding back tears because I was so fucking upset and in pain, mourning the death of Tom, who I grew to love. I even texted my brother to tell him I loved him, just in case. It was such a heartfelt (and heartbreaking) journey reading this book.
Spoilers ahead (i just need to rant)
and the parts where Cassie opens his letters?? and he's talking in the present tense, because he was writing while he was alive, not knowing he'd die. It was fucking PAIN. And his son!! HE NEVER MET HIS SON! I'm so sad, this book was too sad. I just wanted to hug him, hug Cassie, hug Sam. the fact that he'd had things he wanted to do, an unborn child and a girlfriend that he thought he'd get back to just breaks me. Amy and Cassie are some strong ass women. I don't know how I'd be, delivering the baby of my boyfriend who died. It would all be too painful. I'm literally crying rn just thinking about it.
Anyway, it was still a really good book so if u want your heart shattered, 100% recommend
When I started this, I thought it'd 100% be a romance book. I mean, the cover and everything built it up as one. It still was, technically, but the romance part definitely took to the bleachers for about 75% of it. The story was still great, so I'm not upset about this.
The synopsis itself reveals that the brother dies, but I didn't think we'd follow the journey of his death and how it impacted everybody. There were so many (too many) instances where I was tearing up, holding back tears because I was so fucking upset and in pain, mourning the death of Tom, who I grew to love. I even texted my brother to tell him I loved him, just in case. It was such a heartfelt (and heartbreaking) journey reading this book.
Spoilers ahead (i just need to rant)
and the parts where Cassie opens his letters?? and he's talking in the present tense, because he was writing while he was alive, not knowing he'd die. It was fucking PAIN. And his son!! HE NEVER MET HIS SON! I'm so sad, this book was too sad. I just wanted to hug him, hug Cassie, hug Sam. the fact that he'd had things he wanted to do, an unborn child and a girlfriend that he thought he'd get back to just breaks me. Amy and Cassie are some strong ass women. I don't know how I'd be, delivering the baby of my boyfriend who died. It would all be too painful. I'm literally crying rn just thinking about it.
Anyway, it was still a really good book so if u want your heart shattered, 100% recommend
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
No
A great story that covers grief, love, community, and miscommunications. If you’re someone that doesn’t read certain stories because they’re too cheesy,
this book is for you. Perfect amount of cheese.
this book is for you. Perfect amount of cheese.
4.5 stars! I loved that this wasn’t too shmultzy. Reading grief-themed stories has been therapeutic for me. Still a sappy, seasonal story that I wholly enjoyed!