Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - One Day in December

Very dramatic, not at all what I expected.
Not very spicy at all (occassional mention of nipples and mouths, and mostly fade to black).
Less of a romcom, more of two characters on a decade long journey to each other.
I live for the pining and the drama and yelling at them for making decisions that drive them further apart and then being frustrated at how much they love each other.
Another confession of love over the radio 🤪 (I think that's the fourth one I've read this year).
I personally love the drama and the journey so I wasnt actually mad at any of the decisions made, nor do I feel like the book is lesser because of it. I like the book, but it didnt make my heart flutter and my stomach flip. My stomach turned a little in December 2011 (I think), but it didnt even flip at the end and I wish it did.

Content Warnings

thefatpaperback's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad tense medium-paced

3.5

Content Warnings

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I’m not entirely sure how I fully feel about this novel. The synopsis (to me) kind of made me feel as if the predictability about Laurie & Jack’s situation was obvious from the get go. I’m also not entirely sure what it was about Jack that had Laurie smitten. A lot of telling instead of showing when it came to describing personalities. I did like that Laurie stood up for herself at one point when it came to Brussels. Of course, life happens and plans don’t always go as we originally thought but everything seemed too… convenient. It’s a well written story but I’ve never been a fan of cheating, lying or miscommunication, both in real life and in fictional stories 🤷🏽‍♀️

Content Warnings

writtenbydnicole's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.75

Content Warnings

confusedmuse's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted 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

3.5

Content Warnings

soundlysmitten's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

While I resonated deeply with this book’s portrayal of loss and grief, I did not so enjoy the romantic storyline. And that’s what I was looking for this time—romance and emotional pining, not loss and grief 😹 But part of me feels like I should’ve known better than to pick this one up… for one thing, I really don’t understand the concept of love at first sight. Infatuation at first sight, sure. But to me, love is an action that requires commitment. It isn’t a magical condition that just materializes. I mean, that heady 🥰 in love 🥰 feeling can absolutely spring up out of nowhere, but I think the action is what determines if something is truly love.

All the same, I was willing to go along with the love at first sight thing for the sake of the story. But while I wanted Laurie to be happy, I couldn’t bring myself to root for her and Jack. For the most part, I received Jack as selfish and emotionally stunted. Yes, he has a way with words at times, but he’s got a temper and a disrespectful tendency to patronize/brush people off. So even though I felt for his loss, I didn’t like him as a romantic partner.

I didn’t particularly like Oscar either and definitely didn’t agree with Laurie assuring him he’s been a great husband as they’re splitting up.

I also didn’t think it was cool to have certain people quit on each other just cause things don’t feel like they used to and chalk it up to their love simply not being strong enough to last. As if two lovers don’t have the final say in how strong their love can be… (I’m glad they broke up, I just don’t like the message their reasoning sends. I would’ve rather read about them taking responsibility for the fact that they just don’t feel like trying anymore).

That said, I did mostly enjoy Laurie’s relationship with Sarah. And there were things I found heartwarming along with things that made me cry, especially the parts on caring for aging parents and feeling like you’re running out of time. The plot is suitably predictable, but I’d say it’s also well paced. And I’d agree that the writing is charming in a Bridget Jones’ Diary way—even if the author may have inserted three or four too many nods to said book. So I’m not saying don’t read One Day In December, just that it wasn’t love for me.

Content Warnings

kaylasonlyheart's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

More...