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A review by turophile
Always, in December by Emily Stone
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Don't let the cover fool you. This is NOT a romance novel. Yes, there's romantic elements, but (Spoilers from here on out) it violates a core principle of the romance genre. NO HAPPY ENDING for the couple. If you know all of that going in, you may like it more.
I picked this book up at the airport because I forgot my reading device at home and needed something for the flight. I love reading Christmas/Holiday romance novels and from both the cover and the description, that's what I thought this was.
In a nutshell, Max and Josie meet right before Christmas. Christmas is rough for Josie because it reminds her of when her parents died. This Christmas is rough for Max for reasons not disclosed until the end of the book. They hit it off, spend time together, and then really hit off. But then Max leaves for his flight to New York leaving just a note with no forwarding information.
They run into each other in multiple cities throughout the next year and I just wanted to bang their heads together because they almost talk, and one stops the conversation. It just drove me crazy. Seriously- let the other one get a word in edgewise when they are trying to open up.
Well the "talk" doesn't happen until it's too late - after Max drops dead.
So yeah, no HEA.
They try to close it by having Josie realize she did love Max and helping her grow to next stage in life. But yeah, not a romance.
I picked this book up at the airport because I forgot my reading device at home and needed something for the flight. I love reading Christmas/Holiday romance novels and from both the cover and the description, that's what I thought this was.
In a nutshell, Max and Josie meet right before Christmas. Christmas is rough for Josie because it reminds her of when her parents died. This Christmas is rough for Max for reasons not disclosed until the end of the book. They hit it off, spend time together, and then really hit off. But then Max leaves for his flight to New York leaving just a note with no forwarding information.
They run into each other in multiple cities throughout the next year and I just wanted to bang their heads together because they almost talk, and one stops the conversation. It just drove me crazy. Seriously- let the other one get a word in edgewise when they are trying to open up.
Well the "talk" doesn't happen until it's too late - after Max drops dead.
So yeah, no HEA.
They try to close it by having Josie realize she did love Max and helping her grow to next stage in life. But yeah, not a romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer