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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Winter Wish is the first novel I read by Emily Stone and it was such a pleasant surprise! I came in to read it without expecting much, and it got me missing Christmas already. I loved how this book portraited (to me, at least) the Christmas vibe in little things like: having compassion for people, forgiving, healing, paying attention to local small businesses during this time of year, family, finding yourself and what you want for your life, and of course, traveling!
So basically without giving too much of the book away, the story revolves around Lexie, who is this adventurous girl that loves bouncing from place to place, and suddenly finds herself co-owning a travel company with Theo. This all happens because of her estranged dad's will, which is kind of messy, but also the perfect setup for some serious drama. At first, these two are like oil and water, but as they work together planning magical holiday trips, things get better in the most slow-burn way.
Lexie and Theo both have to navigate grief and loss in their own way and come to terms into how the person they both knew who put them into this situation is a human being, multilayered and complex. And that having a person into your life who is amazing does not mean that this person doesn't do no wrong or makes mistakes. We all have multiple sides of ourselves and things we wish we could do better. I loved seeing their journey and their baggage around their family drama and how it shaped them into the decisions that they made in this story.
Anyway, overall it was a great and emotional read, with a lot of traveling around Europe and major inspo for future ventures. Found it all very exciting to read about different celebrations around the globe and the idea around their company.
Tropes found here:
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn
- Travel/holiday romance
- Found family
If you're into romance with a sprinkle of family feels, and that cozy Christmas magic, The Winter Wish will make your heart so happy. I'm glad I picked it up.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not good! Slow and choppy
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Very repetitive storyline with no main build up/strong character development or plot.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read A Winter Wish for a December buddy read and saw a ton of mixed reviews on it. I honestly really enjoyed it! I thought it was a heartbreaking story with a happy ending. Lexie grew a lot as a character throughout the story and it was great to see how her and Theo came together and watch her relationship grow with Rachel. I understand Lexie's hesitation and resentment against her father and I don't blame her for her actions throughout the story. Even though Lexie was upset with the way things were left with her dad, she still did things he encouraged her to do, like the wish jar and the traveling. The letter from her dad at the end just broke my heart, but it helped her decide on her future. I definitely enjoyed this one and would recommend.
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes