You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
lighthearted
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
I think if this was a movie I would have accepted the classic romance tropes a bit more than I did?? I kind of hate a 3rd act breakup, I don’t usually like enemies to lovers, and I thought the buildup wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be. Also sometimes the characters were just annoying? I saw someone say recently that so many romances are centered on grief and trauma as the catalyst for a “meet cute” and now I think about it all the time, and I’m not sure this book handled that in the most delicate fashion ever. Still enjoyable though, and I was kicking my feet a lil.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
relaxing
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:
No
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Lexie loves to travel, a trait she has inherited from her estranged father, but she always takes her childhood 'wish jar' with her, and every year at Christmas she makes a new wish - even if the tradition brings just as many sad memories as happy ones.
This Christmas, Lexie does not know what to wish for. Her father has died, unexpectedly leaving half his travel business to her, and her emotions are all over the place. Finding herself back in Bath for the festive season for the first time in years, she is shocked to discover that she will not be able to simply sell the business and move on either. Her inheritance comes with the stipulation that she must work with her new business partner, bad tempered, but extremely handsome, Theo, for a year first - and make a profit if she wants to be released from her obligations.
The sparks fly between Lexie and Theo from the start, so Lexie decides that taking a back seat in the business might be the sensible choice. However, being forced into close proximity with Theo on some of the celebratory trips that the business specialises in reveals that there is an undeniable chemistry between them. Could this opportunity bring with it more than an unwanted inheritance...?
Home Again for Christmas brings with it all the festive ingredients you need to make a heart-felt winner to snuggle up with over the holiday season. The story begins in the run up to Christmas, when Lexie discovers the next year is going to be a lot more complicated that she thought... and the unexpected twists in her life keep on coming as she bumps heads with Theo, finds a way to reconcile the good and bad parts of her relationship with her late father, and heals the breach with the younger sister she has always been jealous of.
Stone incorporates a really lovely healing journey for Lexie in this story, and many of the other characters too, with emotional themes that delve into difficult family dynamics, loss, and expectation. Stone uses wishes, memories, Christmas traditions, and the theme of celebrations to perfection, and ties them to a delicious romance of the enemies-to-lovers kind that positively sizzles with passion in gorgeous locations in Europe and beyond - via the necessary mishaps and misunderstandings that make the heart-warming ending all the more rewarding. There is a fabulous supporting cast around Lexie and Theo too. I loved it!
This is my first Emily Stone, but it will definitely not be my last!
emotional
lighthearted
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
I could not love this cover any more! So beautiful. I also love the title, which I think is perfect for this book. So much of the book is about the wishing jar that she has kept over her life, and it’s important to her.
“It's sort of like I'm setting them free. Like, by putting a wish in the jar, I won't wish for it anymore.” P182
This book reminds me of Jenny Bayliss’ A December to Remember. Both books involve the dying of a father, who has complicated relationships with his daughters from different mothers, and they have to complete a business related task as part of the will.
In this case, Lexie has to run her father’s travel business with one of his employees for a year. This travel company is called R&L Travel and arranges trips around local events:
“The whole idea was based around cultural traditions and allowing people to experience key holidays around the world and get to know a country through the way they celebrate. See the world through celebration. There were trips for the more universal holidays like Christmas, but there were also trips specific to certain areas, like the Tomato Festival in Spain or St. Patrick's Day in Ireland.” P36
“It's part of the whole ethos of the company-work with
small, local places, support the community and people like these guys, who work hard and love what they do. It adds to the feeling of discovering the place behind the tourist traps.” P82
I loved the whole ethos of this company and enjoyed visiting the different places where they went in this story.
I enjoyed the sister relationship in this book and how it grew. I loved many of the supporting characters in this book, which helped with the kind of unlovable main two characters (who both have issues from their pasts).
This is different from many other romances, but I do think I love a British romance because they are so family and friend oriented.
“It's sort of like I'm setting them free. Like, by putting a wish in the jar, I won't wish for it anymore.” P182
This book reminds me of Jenny Bayliss’ A December to Remember. Both books involve the dying of a father, who has complicated relationships with his daughters from different mothers, and they have to complete a business related task as part of the will.
In this case, Lexie has to run her father’s travel business with one of his employees for a year. This travel company is called R&L Travel and arranges trips around local events:
“The whole idea was based around cultural traditions and allowing people to experience key holidays around the world and get to know a country through the way they celebrate. See the world through celebration. There were trips for the more universal holidays like Christmas, but there were also trips specific to certain areas, like the Tomato Festival in Spain or St. Patrick's Day in Ireland.” P36
“It's part of the whole ethos of the company-work with
small, local places, support the community and people like these guys, who work hard and love what they do. It adds to the feeling of discovering the place behind the tourist traps.” P82
I loved the whole ethos of this company and enjoyed visiting the different places where they went in this story.
I enjoyed the sister relationship in this book and how it grew. I loved many of the supporting characters in this book, which helped with the kind of unlovable main two characters (who both have issues from their pasts).
This is different from many other romances, but I do think I love a British romance because they are so family and friend oriented.
emotional
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
It’s never too early for a good Christmassy book, Lexie has a Christmas jar which she takes everywhere on her travels, a tradition she remembers fondly from her childhood.
Lexie’s life changes drastically when her estranged dad dies, he leaves her half of his travel business, sharing it with Theo.
The pair instantly dislike each other and so starts the perfect enemies to lover trope.
The growing tension between them is evident, Theo softens as he uncovers why Lexie is so angry with her dad.
I loved the progression of her character, the elements of travel is really fun and lightens the book so well.
A really great read and I look forward to reading more of Emily’s books.
Thank you NetGalley, Emily Stone and Headline for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.
Lexie’s life changes drastically when her estranged dad dies, he leaves her half of his travel business, sharing it with Theo.
The pair instantly dislike each other and so starts the perfect enemies to lover trope.
The growing tension between them is evident, Theo softens as he uncovers why Lexie is so angry with her dad.
I loved the progression of her character, the elements of travel is really fun and lightens the book so well.
A really great read and I look forward to reading more of Emily’s books.
Thank you NetGalley, Emily Stone and Headline for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.