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Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Emily Stone for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lexie seeks adventure and new experiences. After her father left her and her mother to start a new family she feels abandoned and doesn’t allow herself to get close to others, moving every 6 months for another temporary role.
She has avoided communication with her dad, Richard, for several years and is shocked to hear of her father’s passing. The only thing that surprises her more is to learn he left her half of his travel business. However, there is a condition…she must help run it for a year before it can be sold.
Theo is heartbroken when Richard dies, he was the first person who took a chance on him and took the time to push him to be the best he could be. He is confused when he learns he was left half of the company he has been working so hard for and doesn’t understand why his seemingly absent daughter is part of the deal.
Cue all the misguided assumptions, hurt feelings and tension.
The book was an easy read and fun. It makes me want to travel!
I liked that it showed how one person (Richard) could be so different to different people and that humans are flawed. It stayed pretty surface level on this idea but it was fine for this story.
Overall a cute story I think many would enjoy, 3.5 rounded up.
Lexie seeks adventure and new experiences. After her father left her and her mother to start a new family she feels abandoned and doesn’t allow herself to get close to others, moving every 6 months for another temporary role.
She has avoided communication with her dad, Richard, for several years and is shocked to hear of her father’s passing. The only thing that surprises her more is to learn he left her half of his travel business. However, there is a condition…she must help run it for a year before it can be sold.
Theo is heartbroken when Richard dies, he was the first person who took a chance on him and took the time to push him to be the best he could be. He is confused when he learns he was left half of the company he has been working so hard for and doesn’t understand why his seemingly absent daughter is part of the deal.
Cue all the misguided assumptions, hurt feelings and tension.
The book was an easy read and fun. It makes me want to travel!
I liked that it showed how one person (Richard) could be so different to different people and that humans are flawed. It stayed pretty surface level on this idea but it was fine for this story.
Overall a cute story I think many would enjoy, 3.5 rounded up.
Thank you @dellromance @randomhouse for this #gifted copy 💖
✨What it is about:
An unexpected inheritance forces Lexie and Theo (two total opposites) to work together, and though things were very unexpected, and a lot of trauma hindered their lives, nothing can really step in the way of what’s meant to be.✨
💭My thoughts:
This book was such a heartwarming read. It has a very unique premise and multiple layers, which were all beautifully put together in a way that captivated my heart. Emily stone has a way of writing about grief and other serious topics, and intertwining that with hope, in a way that I just enjoy. I loved seeing Lexie come to terms with so much, and being open to a lot she had shut the doors to for so long (even if after a bit of a tiff 😂). We saw so much growth in her. There was also growth in other characters because of her as well, which is always fun to see. I didn’t love the miscommunication bit towards the end, but I really loved how the author used the concept of travel throughout the book, and in the end to carry out emotional impact. I thought that was very well done. That aurora borealis scene made me tear up.
🎧 I listened to the audiobook while reading the physical copy (my favorite!) and I feel Meg Travers did a phenomenal job bringing all the characters to life. I usually have a bit of an issue with certain accents, but had no issues at all with this narration. I loved it. This story was a beautiful slow burn that delivered, and I’m looking forward to all that Stone writes next.
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Read if you like:
🎄 Slow burn
✈️ Complex family dynamics
🎄 Holiday travel
✈️ Enemies to lovers
⚠️CW: Infidelity, cancer, death of a parent, grief, mention of homophobia.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
This one was sweet. Lexie learns that she inherited half of her estranged father’s travel company. She must share it with a stranger and work together for a year before deciding what to do with it. I enjoyed the overall story, but felt like there could have been more. I am not fully sure how to explain it. Lexie has complicated feelings about her father and they are completely warranted. But she also never allows other people to talk to her about him, so it takes a lot for her to understand things. She probably would have avoided some heartache if she allowed people in. I did like seeing her development when it came to the business and her life. Realizing that she wanted to be more settled and enjoyed the work. The romance aspect was sweet, but I am not sure I fully bought in. Overall I enjoyed it and felt like it was a cozy listen. But it’s also not my favorite of this authors.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I just really love Emily Stone’s writing. She does enemies to lovers so well, and I have yet to read one of her books that didn’t get my eyes at least a little misty. This book was no exception. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
This story just felt okay - for a Christmas story, over half of the book took place at different times of year which was slightly disappointing.
The chemistry between the two main characters felt lacking and I honestly didn’t care if they ended up together because of how forced it felt.
This felt more like a reconciliation journey between the fmc and her deceased father than it did a romance in my opinion.
Overall it wasn’t bad, just wasn’t necessarily memorable.
Thank you to Dell for the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley arc!
The chemistry between the two main characters felt lacking and I honestly didn’t care if they ended up together because of how forced it felt.
This felt more like a reconciliation journey between the fmc and her deceased father than it did a romance in my opinion.
Overall it wasn’t bad, just wasn’t necessarily memorable.
Thank you to Dell for the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley arc!
This story just felt okay - for a Christmas story, over half of the book took place at different times of year which was slightly disappointing.
The chemistry between the two main characters felt lacking and I honestly didn’t care if they ended up together because of how forced it felt.
This felt more like a reconciliation journey between the fmc and her deceased father than it did a romance in my opinion.
Overall it wasn’t bad, just wasn’t necessarily memorable.
Thank you to Dell for the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley arc!
The chemistry between the two main characters felt lacking and I honestly didn’t care if they ended up together because of how forced it felt.
This felt more like a reconciliation journey between the fmc and her deceased father than it did a romance in my opinion.
Overall it wasn’t bad, just wasn’t necessarily memorable.
Thank you to Dell for the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley arc!
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
This holiday romance is sweet and emotional with a lot more plot than romance. These travel, drama, and a closed door romance.
# A Winter Wish
# 11/3/2024 ~ 11/4/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0
# A Winter Wish
# 11/3/2024 ~ 11/4/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0
emotional
lighthearted
This had much of what I’ve come to expect from Emily Stone, but it lacked a certain spark, I guess? I always love her signature exploration of grief and family conflicts (she does this so well), but beyond that, something felt missing for me.
Lexie and Theo had a really interesting, complex start. With the story centered around the passing of Lexie’s father, I really empathized with both of their perspectives. For Lexi, he was the man who abandoned her for another family, while for Theo, he was a beloved mentor and boss. Now, due to a stipulation in his will, Lexie and Theo must work together to run his travel company for a year before deciding its future.
The romance didn’t quite give me butterflies, and the business storyline wasn’t particularly interesting for me, but I loved seeing Lexie’s relationship with her half-sister evolve throughout the story. Seeing them reconcile and reflect on their different upbringings was really touching—a reminder that things aren’t always black and white. And the ending was truly heartwarming!
(heat level: one open-door scene, mild details)
(heat level: one open-door scene, mild details)
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment
Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters and the writing was unappealing and lackluster. I found that the third person writing just didn’t work for this book. I have heard great reviews on other books by this author so I do plan to read more by her, this one just wasn’t for me.