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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
I think some of her other books were a little more charming / had more complex characters but was an easy Christmas themed read.
Thank you to Random House—Ballantine and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Emily Stone’s books are ones I consistently look forward to reading each year and usually mark my first holiday/winter reads of the season. A WINTER WISH is a great novel to ease readers into the holiday spirit, especially those holding onto summer for dear life, because while Christmas is featured in the story, it’s not necessarily the star of the show.
Though there were many enjoyable things about this book, my absolute favorite parts were where Lexie, a woman who has recently lost her estranged father and inherits half of his travel company, and Theo, the other half owner, volley banter back and forth. These moments really showcased not only their personalities, but also the growth in a relationship that began with them as adversaries.
Like all Emily Stone books, A WINTER WISH is marked by the characters dealing with heart-wrenching circumstances, challenges in relationships and life itself, and a love story that can’t be missed.
3.5 ⭐️s
Emily Stone’s books are ones I consistently look forward to reading each year and usually mark my first holiday/winter reads of the season. A WINTER WISH is a great novel to ease readers into the holiday spirit, especially those holding onto summer for dear life, because while Christmas is featured in the story, it’s not necessarily the star of the show.
Though there were many enjoyable things about this book, my absolute favorite parts were where Lexie, a woman who has recently lost her estranged father and inherits half of his travel company, and Theo, the other half owner, volley banter back and forth. These moments really showcased not only their personalities, but also the growth in a relationship that began with them as adversaries.
Like all Emily Stone books, A WINTER WISH is marked by the characters dealing with heart-wrenching circumstances, challenges in relationships and life itself, and a love story that can’t be missed.
3.5 ⭐️s
I really enjoyed Lexie and Theo’s story. Both are grieving the same person but for different reasons. This causes them to be instant enemies at the start.
They go VERY quickly from enemies to realizing the other isn’t so bad. It’s a little rushed but then they go back and forth between being friends or more. Usually I would find this annoying but it actually worked really well here.
This was a great book to start off my holiday reading. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of A Winter Wish to read and review.
They go VERY quickly from enemies to realizing the other isn’t so bad. It’s a little rushed but then they go back and forth between being friends or more. Usually I would find this annoying but it actually worked really well here.
This was a great book to start off my holiday reading. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of A Winter Wish to read and review.
I don't think this is necessarily a Christmas book, it spans across a year and though wintery and festive things feature occasionally I think this can be read at anytime and enjoyed so don't go in thinking its super festive or be put off if Christmas books aren't your thing. It has great characters, lots of travel and tackles a really emotional topic of belonging and family, I loved it!
An enemies-to-lovers romance with a bit of magic that the holiday season brings. Lexie has to take care of her father’s estate and wasn’t planning on finding herself and falling in love with Theo. The travel aspect and thus the forced proximity involved was fun, but the lack of depth in the romance and miscommunication trope not so much. Heavier on grief and estrangement from family, the bits of holiday references lightened up the read and were appreciated in the overall story. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the electronic copy.
"We all make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect, remember? It’s whether we learn from the mistakes that’s the important thing."
Emily Stone is such a wonderful holiday story teller! I especially loved this story because it has just enough Christmas elements to make it a wonderful holiday read, but it is also a story about grief, love, and best of all - travel! This is not an overly Christmas, cheesy read. It's more of a women's fiction that includes Christmas.
The travel components of the story were my absolute favorite. I loved learning about the different holidays celebrated around the world.
"...she had that sense of pure contentment, something that only settles on you every now and then....she’d never lose what she had here. Because these people were, thanks to her dad, her home. And really, it didn’t get much better than that, did it?"
Emily Stone is such a wonderful holiday story teller! I especially loved this story because it has just enough Christmas elements to make it a wonderful holiday read, but it is also a story about grief, love, and best of all - travel! This is not an overly Christmas, cheesy read. It's more of a women's fiction that includes Christmas.
The travel components of the story were my absolute favorite. I loved learning about the different holidays celebrated around the world.
"...she had that sense of pure contentment, something that only settles on you every now and then....she’d never lose what she had here. Because these people were, thanks to her dad, her home. And really, it didn’t get much better than that, did it?"
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
A Winter Wish is a cozy rom-com with a heartfelt premise and moments of real emotional resonance—but it didn’t fully land for me. The setup had me hooked: the banter was sharp, Lexie’s emotional vulnerability felt relatable, and I was charmed by the premise (especially the wish jar—such a lovely, creative touch). Emily Stone does a beautiful job weaving in grief, especially around Lexie's relationship with her late father. The emotional exploration here is where the book shines.
However, I struggled with the romance. The chemistry between Lexie and Theo felt weak for a significant portion of the book, which made it hard to invest in their relationship. The workplace romance trope can work well with the right spark, but in this case, it only highlighted how disconnected the leads felt from each other for much of the story.
As the novel went on, it started to drag a bit. There were sections that felt overly drawn out or emotionally over-explained, pulling me out of the narrative. While some moments were clearly designed to tug at the heartstrings, they didn’t quite hit the emotional depth I was hoping for.
Overall, this had a strong, charming start and some standout emotional beats—but it didn’t completely deliver on the romantic or cathartic payoff I was looking for. A sweet winter read, just not one that stuck with me as much as I’d hoped.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
However, I struggled with the romance. The chemistry between Lexie and Theo felt weak for a significant portion of the book, which made it hard to invest in their relationship. The workplace romance trope can work well with the right spark, but in this case, it only highlighted how disconnected the leads felt from each other for much of the story.
As the novel went on, it started to drag a bit. There were sections that felt overly drawn out or emotionally over-explained, pulling me out of the narrative. While some moments were clearly designed to tug at the heartstrings, they didn’t quite hit the emotional depth I was hoping for.
Overall, this had a strong, charming start and some standout emotional beats—but it didn’t completely deliver on the romantic or cathartic payoff I was looking for. A sweet winter read, just not one that stuck with me as much as I’d hoped.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.