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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
This is my second Emily Stone book and I really enjoy the more serious aspects she weaves into her holiday romances. They have just enough festive tones but enough substance and character development to really make me invested in the characters. I really connected to the themes and the family dynamics in this book. Looking forward to reading another by Stone before the month is finished.
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:
Yes
Lexie’s estranged father dies and leaves her half of his travel company; the only catch is that she has to work together with Theo for a year to make the business profitable or they can’t sell it. And of course, Lexie and Theo can’t stand each other. At first, Lexie tries to be a partner in name only, but she gradually begins to enjoy running the company more and more (and to enjoy Theo’s company more and more). Along the way, she also works to repair her relationship with her estranged half sister Rachel. While I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t Emily Stone’s usual tearjerker, and I wasn’t invested in the romance at all (it almost felt like a side plot in Lexie’s journey of self-discovery). Theo and Lexie just didn’t seem to have a lot of chemistry, and I was more interested in her other relationships and the travel aspects of the book. That being said, I still really enjoyed the book!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dell Publishing for the opportunity to read this book! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dell Publishing for the opportunity to read this book! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
I wouldn’t completely call this a Christmas book since the events take place over a couple years, but I enjoyed it. It wasn’t completely light-hearted and I appreciated that main character Lexie had her issues to deal with. Theo was a good love interest and their interactions were the best part of it by far.
Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Lexie has many conflicting emotions when learning about her estranged father’s death. Especially when she inherits part of his travel company. The catch is Lexie must help the company turn a profit within a year. Now Lexie must learn to work with her father’s business partner Theo who seems to hold a lot of resentment towards her. As Lexie travels on tours and comes up with ideas of her own for the company, Theo’s attitude towards her begins to thaw. Both begin to open up and examine their relation with Lexie’s father and each other. But will the company succeed or fail? Will Lexie move on when year is over?
As usual, Emily Stone gives us all the feels in the comfort of a holiday romance.
As usual, Emily Stone gives us all the feels in the comfort of a holiday romance.
Loveable characters:
No
I wish I had the ability to DNF cuz this would be one of them
It’s the holiday season, and Lexie seems to be a nanny on vacation helping two young charges decorate a tree at a ski resort where she’s had enough time to hook up. Out at the bar and off duty she gets a call that her father has passed. The funeral is attended by his other daughter., Rachel, who seems genuinely distraught—Lexie cannot relate, as Richard may have been a father but was never a dad. And then the novel takes an abrupt left when we learn Lexie and Theo—her dad’s employee—have been willed his travel company and have to commit to a year of working together to inherit. Rachel gets the house.
At 10% through, I put this one down. I’m not sure if the writing style is a mismatch or it’s just poor writing—lots of exposition that doesn’t even tell very much. The very vague beginning, too many characters to keep straight, and lack of warm, cheery, holiday appeal made this a DNF for me.
At 10% through, I put this one down. I’m not sure if the writing style is a mismatch or it’s just poor writing—lots of exposition that doesn’t even tell very much. The very vague beginning, too many characters to keep straight, and lack of warm, cheery, holiday appeal made this a DNF for me.
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia