Μια μέρα τον Δεκέμβρη

by Josie Silver, Αναστασία Καλλιοντζή (Translator)

Δύο άνθρωποι. Δέκα ευκαιρίες. Μια αξέχαστη ιστορία αγάπης.

Η Λόρι δεν πιστεύει στον έρωτα με την πρώτη ματιά, αλλά ένα πρωί του Δεκέμβρη βλέπει έναν άντρα από το παράθυρο του λεωφορείου και νιώθει ότι αυτός είναι ο ένας και μοναδικός.

Όμως το λεωφορείο φεύγει…

Η Λόρι περνά τον επόμενο χρόνο αναζητώντας τον σε όλες τις στάσεις λεωφορείων και σε όλα τα καφέ του Λονδίνου. Μάταια.

Τον επόμενο Δεκέμβρη, η καλύτερή της φίλη της συστήνει τον αγαπημένο της. Είναι αυτός, τον λένε Τζακ. Επιτέλους τον βρήκε, αλλά τώρα δεν μπορεί να γίνει δικός της…

Τρία μονοπάτια ζωής –διανθισμένα με δάκρυα, χαρές και αγωνίες– ενώνονται μοιραία σε μια πορεία δέκα χρόνων με μία και μοναδική κατεύθυνση: την αναζήτηση της ευτυχίας.

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Chick Lit, Audiobook

480 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2018

About the author

Josie lives in a small English town with her husband, their two sons, plus a changing cast of cats, dogs and fish. She writes full-time in a studio at the bottom of the garden.

Reviews

[Bianca thinksGRsucksnow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have I read the same book as everyone else?
Girl, Laurie, is on a bus. She looks out the window and notices a guy sitting in a bus shelter absorbed in a hardcover book. He lifts his head and sees the girl staring at him. Their eyes meet. They communicate wordlessly …

I am on page 7 and I'm already grumbling. Not about the insta-love, although, really? Not even about the irritating first-person narration, which somehow I find irksome mostly in romance novels. I would just like to know how is it possible to ” stare straight at each other" when one is sitting on the top deck of a double-decker bus in London and the other person is sitting in a bus shelter, with a roof I assume, head down reading. Did I mention it happened on 21st December – the shortest day of the year when at 4 pm it’s already dark? Besides the fact that I was incredulous that a young man would read a hardcover book, in winter, when it’s dark outside, while waiting for the bus, I would just like to know how it is possible for two people on different levels, in pretty close proximity, distance-wise, to achieve the staring contest. It’s physically unlikely. But hey, let’s not allow something as stupid as the laws of physics derail our enjoyment of this love story.

The twenty-two-year-old and her best friend and roommate, Sarah, spend what seems like the entire year looking for the “bus guy”, in bars and so on. Neither of them thought about taking the bus at the same time or waiting in the said bus stop around the same time. I guess that would be too logical. Right … moving on.

Guess who falls in love with “your bus guy” – your best friend, Sarah. Poor Laurie, she’s lost the love of her life… Give me a break. She saw the dude for one minute. Besides, once she got to know Jack, there wasn’t anything special to admire about him. He was as interesting as a wet dishrag. Not that Laurie was miss excitement or had much of a personality either. Apparently, she had blue-purple eyes and dark hair – yeah right. That would make her striking. But according to Laurie, she wasn’t the gorgeous one, her best friend, Sarah, was. Alright … Sarah seems to have more of a personality and since she was gorgeous and sleeping with Jack, I found it very hard to believe that Jack would pine for Laurie, because, what? they saw each other through a window? Do men operate like that? Nope.

Given it's an English novel, I expected some good ol’ British humour, sarcasm, banter, I love banter! – but there was no banter! :-( Those are the best bits about starting up a relationship. Something tells me the author is a coffee drinker, because nobody drinks tea in this novel - so very un-British of them *smirk. Besides a lot of alcohol drinking and getting drunk (one of the very few things about this novel that were life-like), there’s very little of anything else. Even douchebag Jack, who’s a DJ, never mentions music. The only movies they briefly mention are Twilight and Grease. Ok… Oh, I forgot, The Great Gatsby is apparently highbrow literature (don't they study it in high school in the States?).

Josie Silver does a whole lot of telling, very little showing. Laurie keeps telling everyone, and Jack, that they're best friends. Really? Based on what? They spent less than 50 pages together. This old romantic trope of the male best friend drives me crazy. Most of us know that women and men can’t be friends, because men, young and old, won’t spend time or think about a woman they don’t want to sleep with. I mean friendship as in the kind you share intimacies and personal things, not the hanging out type.

One Day in December was cliche and there were lots of things that irked me:
- Annoying first-person narration with two points of view, Jack’s point of view, only reinforcing his douchebag qualities.
- Too much telling not enough showing, actually, it’s all telling;
- The novel's structure didn’t work for me, too many vignettes, not enough meat to the story;
- The worst thing was that the two main characters, Laurie and Jack, were flat, unidimensional and their chemistry was non-existent, so I ended up not caring at all about either of them.

As far as I’m concerned One Day in December was boring, trite, uninspired and lacklustre.

Who wants my paperback?

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

me reading that this is a love story about missed opportunities:


me reading the words "best friend's boyfriend":


me for the rest of the book:


basically this was a Meh read for me. it was very long, and very slow, and there was a lot of drama in a kind of suburban-gossip there's-nothing-else-to-talk-about way that did not at all translate to an interesting-book way.

i think for stories like these, you gotta like the characters or it's going to be a 400-page trip to Boring City, USA. and unfortunately, i took that mundane vacation.

ALSO, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW THE PROTAGONIST ENDS HER MARRIAGE AND THE MAIN REASON SHE DOES SO IS BECAUSE HER HUSBAND IS MOVING TO ANOTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY, ONLY FOR HER TO FLOUNCE OFF AND DECLARE HER LOVE FOR HER SOULMATE WHO ALSO LIVES IN ANOTHER COUNTRY? AND THEN THE BOOK JUST ENDS??? COWARD'S WAY OUT, AUTHOR. SOLVE THE PROBLEMS YOU'VE MADE FOR YOURSELF.

bottom line: caps-filled spoilery rant aside, i just didn't feel much for this book.

-------------------------
pre-review

name a better way to fully get out of a slump than binge-reading fluffy romance.

you can't. it doesn't exist.

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. There were things I really loved about this, but also things I really hated and I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL. I thoroughly enjoyed this one but it definitely made me feel a little icky and I don't know what to do with that information lmao. I was rooting for the protagonists but I felt like I shouldn't have been. Also the love interest was kind of a shit for most of this? IDK MAN IDK. It was fun but I FEEL WEIRD OKAY BYE

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

WOW, I'm shocked that this book has been rated so highly...

I really hope young impressionable women do not read this book. This is exactly the type of clichéd romance novel I used to fill my head with as a teenager that convinced me that true love is pursuing a bad boy who has lukewarm feelings for you and treats you like crap. But hey, he's really hot and it's love at first sight, so it's all good! /s

I really wanted to love this book! I heard it described as similar to Bridget Jones, which is one of my favorite movies of all time, but this was nothing like Bridget Jones. Bridget Jones has quirky and lovable characters you wanted to root for. Bridget and Mark Darcy were adorable because they were very different from each other, but also perfect for each other in all the best ways. Meanwhile, this book was incredibly predictable with no characters to root for.

Where to even start? I hated both Laurie and Jack, they were both awful.

Laurie is a terrible friend to poor Sarah. You can't act normally around the boy your best friend in the world just introduced to you as her future husband because you saw him at a bus stop for 10 seconds? Please! There was good reason Laurie only has one bridesmaid at her wedding, and even she didn't show up. Laurie is that girl who has no female friends and doesn't understand why. Laurie also constantly used sad events in her life as a manipulative tool to get what she wanted. She almost exclusively only mentioned her dead sister when she was alone with Jack to get him to feel sorry for her and cuddle her and kiss her, etc. Gross. In general, I hated how this book used family deaths as catalysts for romance. Also, the way she treated Oscar was just awful, like a crappy consolation prize. Oscar was honestly much better suited to Laurie and made her HAPPY. What did Oscar even do to deserve the treatment he got? He had a snobby mom, and let Laurie live rent-free in his posh apartment and that's supposed to make us dislike him? UGH.

Now on to Jack. Jack was just awful. He dates Sarah for three years while being well aware of the fact that he doesn't really love her, but just finds her beautiful. He strings Laurie along for years and years. He always gives her just enough attention to make her believe he's interested and then sulks off somewhere and hooks up with another beautiful actress/tv personality. Throughout the book, it seems like his character wants her, but is in denial because he thinks Laurie isn't as gorgeous as some other girls he could potentially get for himself. I also almost got physically sick when he got "rock hard" when Laurie called him crying about how her dad died and she needed him. It's like it was a turn on for him just how desperately Laurie wanted him and he could have given a crap that Laurie's father died. Oh, and let's not forget Jack's little temper tantrum where he gets physically violent with Laurie and rips off her cherished necklace and basically screams at her for not giving him sex when he's feeling down, and then tells her she's pathetic in his next breath.

Another huge pet peeve of mine is how the author kept saying that Jack just had to be invited to dinner, invited to the wedding, invited to the funeral, etc. because Jack and Laurie are just SUCH good old friends. When? How? All Laurie even talks about is avoiding Jack and Sarah because she just can't stand to even be in the room with them. Then suddenly Jack's her dearest old friend? What?

All in all, I hated this book and I regret even finishing it. Laurie needed a therapist and some self-respect and Jack needed to get over his massive ego.

[NickReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

You can buy the book here!

“You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill.”

5 stars

One Day in December is an epic story centered around three people Laurie, Sarah and Jack.

It all start on a December day.
Laurie doesn't believe in first sight love.
She sees a man through the bus window.
She believes now.

She searches for him, every now and then.
She thinks is sure he is the one for her.
She finally finds him.
In a wrong place.

And their story begins now.

This is what I call an addictive book. You just can't put it down for a second. The story is so engaging and it satisfies you but also leaves you wanting more. And here comes my only problem with the book. I see people complaining about the ending but for me it was just right.

Overall, as you can see from my rating, I loved the book. It is such a winter read, where you can take a blanket, a hot cup of tea or coffee and read the hell out of this book.

Was it worth reading? - Absolutely.
Will I read it again? - Yes of course.
Would I recommend it?- Yes yes yes. Save it for Christmas.

[Yun · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Day in December originally caught my eye because of its intriguing premise. The idea that two people would see each other through a bus window and know instantly that it was love at first sight is soo romantic. It totally appealed to the sentimental mush in me. Besides, I'm always up for squeezing in a seasonally appropriate read this time of the year.

There is a lot I liked in here. Laurie and Sarah's heartwarming friendship is a real highlight, coming alive off of the pages with their joy and mutual devotion to each other. Laurie's growth as a character is well-done, showing how she matured through the years, evolving from a starry-eyed fresh grad into a confident and caring young woman. I also enjoyed the depiction of Laurie and Oscar's relationship, filled with so much love and happiness along with all of its struggles.

But for me, the real disappointment is Jack. He is mean and childish through most of this story. The parts from his perspective focuses on him thinking about how hot women are and how he wants to get with them. When Laurie starts dating Oscar, Jack refuses to be nice and essentially takes the attitude that Laurie shouldn't have a boyfriend even though he himself has a girlfriend. To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would want to be with him. I just don't buy the book's premise that someone sweet and kind like Laurie would fall in love with a negative man-child like Jack.

I think the other thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that while this is supposed to be two people in love with each other equally, it came across as Laurie pining so hard for Jack while he hardly cared. He went from one woman to another, but there was never a feeling that he wanted to be with Laurie until the very end. It's just such a cliché to read about a woman longing for a man while he happily enjoys a succession of women, all the while stringing her along by saying how he would love her if only circumstances were different.

In the end, there is nothing I liked about Jack, which is a real bummer since this is a romance. Still, I found all the relationships other than the main one to be poignant and heartwarming, and for that, I'm glad I picked up the book.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, a hearty thank you to my TBR Jar for forcing me to read this absolutely charming book.



I do not consider myself a serious Romance reader and it wouldn't be a stretch to say I went into One Day in December with a fair amount of trepidation.

I actually believe one of my comments upon starting was that I thought chances were 50/50 I would DNF it. That thought seems utterly ridiculous now!



I am floored by how much I actually loved this story.

The humor was perfect for me. I loved the pace and I fully appreciated how it was messy, frustrating and never easy. So is life, am I right?



It's a long book, but upon finishing I feel it couldn't have been shorter.

To get the full impact of missed chances requires a long scope and that is exactly what this book provides.



I felt like past-Meg, who watched Bridget Jones Diary for the first time and screamed, YES, finally there is a character whose love life I can relate to!

Particularly the scene of Bridget consuming too much white wine, singing All By Myself at the top of her lungs whilst also dramatically dancing and possibly ugly crying, but I digress.



I am so impressed with Ms. Josie Silver and thoroughly look forward to reading more by her in future!

[BernLuvsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can a fated glance across a misty bus window = TRUE LOVE?

One Day in December is the kind of book that will touch your heart and make you believe in love. The kind of heartwarming love that is meant to be against all odds. The kind of love that leaves you smiling just reading about it. I opened the book and found myself immersed in Laurie and Jack's story. It was exactly what I needed. An addictive, unputdownable, angsty love story that filled my heart with a solid dose of romance.

The story is told from both Jack and Laurie's perspectives, starting from the snowy December day they find themselves on opposite sides of a misty bus window, inexplicably drawn to each other. The moment is brief but the bond it forms within them is strong and leaves them both marked. Can they find each other again or was this doomed to be a missed, fleeting moment in both their lives?

This is not a typical love story. It unfolds over the course of ten, angst filled years! In the decade following the moment they first laid eyes on each other we follow Laurie and Jack's ups and downs, their heartaches and relationships, misunderstandings and of course their friendship and undeniable connection. They may have the world's worst timing and a seemingly impossible road to love and happiness together but you can't help but root for them while wondering - will they ever actually get to be together?

Do you believe in destiny? That we all have that one perfect match - the person we are meant to be with!

One Day in December was charming, complex and romantic. Laurie and Jack are perfectly flawed and the kind of well written characters that feel like friends you want to shake and yell at for not being honest about their feelings. Every romantic at heart needs this book in their life!

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurie sees a man outside of her bus window one day. There are no words, no actions, only intense eye contact but that is enough to make her fall head over heels in love with a stranger. She years for him, she can't stop thinking about him, she dreams of the time they will meet again. Then one day her best friend and roommate, Sarah, introduces her new boyfriend, Jack, to Laurie. Sarah is anxious for Jack and Laurie to meet. She hopes they will hit it off - if only she knew that her boyfriend is the man from the bus. The man that Laurie has been dreaming about.... and he is dating her roommate. UGH!

Bring on the angst, the heartbreak, the not wanting to hurt anyone, the wanting to be happy and the quest for the happily ever after. This book follows Laurie, Sarah and Jack through ten years of their friendship. Through their love for each other, their friendship(s), their lovers, their unrequited feelings. This is not a typical love story. It's a slice out of three people's lives. The story is told through Laurie and Jacks perspectives. The reader is privy to their secret thoughts and feelings. This book has heart. I like that these people cared deeply for each other and as a reader, I cared about them.

I found this book to be addictive. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to these characters. This is a great book to curl up with a blanket with. My only complaint with this book is that I wanted an epilogue. When the book ended, I thought "Come On!". I wanted just a little bit more time with these characters. I found this book to be engaging, fun and a very enjoyable read. It has a little bit of everything: friendship, loss, grief, new beginnings, forgiveness, heartache, and love.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a tricky book for me to rate and review.

my immediate reaction is that i enjoyed it - hence the 4 stars. i must be a glutton for heartache, because ‘missed chances at love’ is a romance trope i quite enjoy (ie. one day and november 9), even though it breaks my heart at times. there is just something so rewarding about seeing two people finally find their way to each other after many years of fighting for it and this book is a perfect example of that. i especially loved seeing the character growth over the 10 years the story takes place. it made for a really enjoyable reading experience.

that being said, if i took the time to dissect and nitpick this much more thoroughly, i think would find a lot wrong with the story. there are plenty of other reviews that shed light on problematic issues, so i feel content enough not to go through all that. i think i will just keep my thoughts focused on the positive aspects of this book and see it for the heartfelt and touching story that it can be.

↠ 3.5 stars

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just.. not for me.

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming!

One Day in December is a sweet story about friendship, romance, and true love.

The plot centers around a romance that could have been but was not. Instead, wrong matches are made, friendships are put to the test, and the notion of true love is tested. This is the story of Laurie, Sarah, and Jack.

Told through Laurie and Jack’s alternating POV’s, the reader learns over the course of time of what was not but what should have been. Will true love prevail or will one be left heartbroken?

What I liked about One Day in December is that all of the characters are likable. Even when they are with the wrong romantic matches, the “wrong” partner is never villainized, rather things don’t work out because the wrong match was made. The plot isn’t wholly original and it is a little predictable, but the depth of characters and Laurie’s compelling narrative makeup for these issues. I appreciated that the characters had depth and evolve over the course of the story.

Prior to reading this, I was in a bit of a reading slump. Nothing fit or felt quite right until I read One Day in December. This turned out to be the perfect holiday read as it took away my reading frustrations and brought me into the holiday cheer!

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Heartfelt, Love-Sick Stars!

What happens when see him? It’s love at first sight, and then your best friend meets him in person and she gets the guy?

For Laurie, there is a moment. Just one. Perhaps it is Kismet or maybe it's Destiny. She sees him at the bus stop. Laurie is inside, he is waiting outside, he looks up at the exact moment she does, their eyes meet and hold and she knows. He is the one.

For a year, she looks for him everywhere, but never finds him. Her crush goes unrequited. Her best friend and roommate Sarah, jokes about him constantly. Yet Laurie knows, her feelings for him are true.

Laurie and Sarah met while at Uni. They are two peas in a pod, besties till the end of the world. One night, they have a party and Sarah brings her new boyfriend, Jack O’Mara. Laurie meets his eyes and she is gutted. Jack is the guy, her crush, yet she says nothing.

Jack recognizes Laurie instantly. He too, has thought about her. How could he not? And yet,.. he is with Sarah now.

Told in both Laurie and Jack’s alternating viewpoints and spanning the course of several years, there are missed chances, choices and loads of heartache and tears. As the years passed by, I felt that tightness in my chest that made my throat close up and my heart pound. The pain was palpable, the feelings of jealousy and heartbreak were as real as any I’ve ever felt personally.

“One Day in December” by Josie Silver is a novel that broke my heart time and again. My eyes filled and yes, I had to grab a tissue or two because I couldn’t stop myself from crying. Ultimately, this is a story that will make you feel… whether you are unabashedly romantic or not, your heart will soften and you will not be able to stop yourself from wondering, from having hope that it is out there and from showing everyone you love how much you care.

If you get the chance to read “One Day in December” please take it! This heartwarming read will be on my best of list for 2018 and I sincerely hope it will be on yours too!

This was another weekend buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to Emily at Goodreads, Eliana at Crown Publishing and to Josie Silver for a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon on 12.7.18.
Excerpt posted on Instagram.

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie Silver writes a romantic comedy that is absolutely going to be a big hit, with characters that tug at your heartstrings and packed with laugh out loud humour. It is perfect escapist fare that begins and ends in the festive season. It's December, Laurie doesn't believe in soul mates, but with her hair covered in tinsel, she is at a bus stop in London on a crowded bus heading to her parents home in Birmingham for Christmas. Through the misted window, she sees him outside and deep inside her she just knows he is the one. When he glances up and spots her, his reaction is mirroring her. However, Laurie doesn't get off the bus and he doesn't get on, and that chance for the two of them is missed. However, Laurie can't forget him, and spends the following year desperately hoping to come across him.

Laurie's best friend Sarah is as close as a sister to her, they laugh, have fun and support each other unconditionally. Sarah is head over heels in love with her new boyfriend, certain he is the man she will marry, and she is desperate for Laurie's approval. To Laurie's horror, Sarah's new man is Jack O'Mara, her bus stop man, the one. Laurie buries her feelings, her friendship with Sarah is too precious as she tries hard to rein in her feelings and not show her heartbreak. Through the following decade we follow Laurie, her new year resolutions, the kicks and bruises that life hands out that leave her broken, being a pink lady, her never tell a goldfish moments and meeting Oscar in Thailand. Will she and Jack ever get together?

If you are feeling under the weather, or if life is too much or is getting you down, this is a great book for giving you a lift. Josie Silver has written a gripping contemporary romantic fairytale with verve, wit and panache. A beautifully told story of love, of tears, of loss, of friendship, and regrets, with characters you cannot help but care for. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Penguin UK for an ARC.

[preoccupiedbybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

(sorry 😭)

Well...Before reading this, I had never read a romance book where I didn’t ship the main characters! However, the more I read of ’One day in December,’, the less I wanted Laurie and Jack to end up together!

Ok there were some things I liked in this book:
1) Laurie was likeable sort of...
2) The friendship between Laurie and Sarah (except the lying to Sarah!)
3) The familiarity of the setting-it was nice reading a book set on the UK!
4) The importance of family
5) The way the book dealt with death and grief.

There was more that I didn’t like though *sigh*
I hated Jack...I thought his character was like a cardboard cut out, he wasn’t fleshed out properly and I don’t think we really got to know him despite having his POV! I mean did Laurie even know him? They spent most of the book apart, and despite going on about them having this amazing friendship, they rarely spent any on page time together or even as a three with Sarah! I would’ve loved to have seen them build up a proper strong friendship over the years, instead of obsessing about the bus incident, Ferris wheel and pub!
Jack used women. He dated Sarah for four years despite not being really into her, and fantasising about her best friend! He then used Amanda, who seemed lovely and who had the patience of a saint! He never loved her and just strung her along.
He cheated on his long term girlfriend! I’ve read reviews where people say a kiss isn’t cheating-well if my husband kissed someone else I would chop his bloody balls off!!! Of course it’s cheating! Not only was he physically cheating, he was emotionally cheating, it wasn’t just a random kiss, he was into Laurie! He also fantasised about her when with Amanda 🤬

JUSTICE FOR OSCAR!! I loved Oscar, but could tell early on that he was going to be treated poorly. He was basically used as a plot device! He was a lovely man, and Laurie and he had a great relationship, being much more compatible than Laurie and Jack IMO. The author did a terrible job of making him seem like a bad guy, sending him to work in Brussels. Plenty of people have to work away from home, and they make it work! Myself and my husband were long distance for the first two years of our relationship, but we made it work until it didn’t, and then one of us moved because we wanted to be together above anything else! Laurie didn’t even consider moving to Brussels! What a fantastic opportunity that would’ve been for her, yet she claimed she couldn’t leave her mum. London is a couple of hrs train ride from Birmingham so...I’m just saying that if she loved him, she would have tried harder. When you are in a relationship, you make compromises🤷🏻‍♀️She could have given it a try, but instead moped about dreaming about Jack.

I didn’t like that instead of reading about the main couple, we had to endure reading about their other failed relationships! Maybe it would have been okay if they hand a bit of time together, even an epilogue, but they had like half a frigging page!! And the way they both treated their loved ones was appalling!

The only character who had any growth was Sarah, the others were like moody teenagers. I’m sorry, but screwing your life up because you caught gazes with a handsome boy and had a spark?! Really?! But speaking of sparks, I felt that there was no chemistry between Jack and Laurie anyway!

So...I was really excited to read this, but I felt really let down and disappointed by this one. I seem to be in the minority here though so maybe just ignore me?! 😂

[Kaceey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you believe in love at first sight?

A chance encounter at a bus stop. Laurie, day-dreaming, gazes out the bus window and suddenly locks eyes with the boy sitting on a bench. One quick glance is all it takes. Young love is off and running! Is it magic? Is it kismet?

But the bus has a schedule to keep, and before either one can do anything, it pulls away.

Laurie, unable to let go of that single moment, spends the next year searching for her bus-boy. So… you just have to believe it’s more than coincidence when he walks into her Christmas party on the arm of her best friend Sarah!

You’re swept away on a journey of three amazing friends through their lives as they navigate life and love. Trying to answer familiar, age-old questions along their way:

Do you get over your one true love?
What do they say about the one that got away?

Josie Silver writes a wonderfully enchanting love story that will tug hard on your heartstrings, making even the most hardened soul believe in love once again.

A most heartwarming story that left tears rolling down my cheeks and the biggest smile on my face. I cannot recommend this book enough! One of my new favorites for 2018. Just in time!

A buddy read with Susanne that left both of us reaching for the Kleenex😢💖

Thank you to Emily at Goodreads, Eliana Seochand at Crown Publishing and Josie Silver for a copy of this book to read and review.

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOOOVED IT!!! Every page, every sentence, every word, every letter!!!

In case you cannot tell I have fallen head over heels in love with this book! It has earned a place on my fave shelf and is absolutely one of my top five reeds of 2018... such a beautiful story, so full of love and heart.... this is an epic love story spanning an entire decade... a story with all the feels, you will laugh, you will cry, you will smile, you will shake your head, you will fall in love... this book will break your heart over and over again and then fill it back up with love just as many times! Simply put it was MAGICAL!

Laurie doesn’t believe in love at first sight until she glimpses a boy at the bus stop...Laurie was such a wonderful character so well developed, I felt as though I would know her if she were walking down the street... adored her friendship with Sarah, one of my absolute favorite parts of this book... such a positive realistic portrayal of what a female friendships should be.... of course they have their ups and downs, but at the end of the day they were always there for one another.... all three of the main characters in this book Laurie, Sarah, and Jack were well drawn likable characters that you definitely could relate to...

Told from alternating points of view... we got the insights and perceptions of both Laurie and Jack threwout the decade... The book was structured brilliantly you never were confused as to who was narrating and what year it was... in fact the entire book is told linearly, there was no jumping around kind of nice for a change....

I absolutely recommend this stunning story to everyone with a heart! A wonderful Christmas read!

This was a group read with my Book Besties... Jennifer was approached by Goodreads and the publisher with this book and just as a true friend does she included all of us! How appropriate for a group of friends to read a story with such a tremendous focus on friendship... we had a wonderful discussion, we were all captivated by this story! We also thought it would make a fantastic movies, we even casted it... I thought I’d share our choices with you all!
Laurie we thought should be played bye Shailene Woodley, Sarah played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Jack buy either Liam Hemsworth or Zac Efron... have you read this? What do you think?

*** huge thanks to Goodreads, Crown Publishing, and Jennifer for my copy of this book ***

[Christina Loeffler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4, 🎶 do you believe in love 🎶 stars!!!

Full review featured on my blog Recipe & a Read!

It all begins one day in December (I know, shocker, you had no idea). We start our story with Laurie, she doesn't believe in love at first sight, she's having a normal run of the mill day, then BOOM she sees a man outside her bus window. As their eyes meet, she feels an instant connection. Laurie's brain shorts out and she does nothing as the bus pulls away, she then runs through endless possibilities of what she could have done, what she should have done in that moment. 

From now on, if anyone asks me if I've ever fallen in love at first sight, I shall say yes, for one glorious minute on 21 December 2008.

Even though it was just one fleeting moment between Laurie and Jack (AKA "Bus Boy") she spends the next year looking for him everywhere she goes. She sees him in bars, at bus stops, in shops because she can't even begin to fathom that it wasn't destiny passing her by. Of course, fate had far bigger things planned for Laurie and Jack and they do reconnect. Only this time, it's on the arm of her best friend Sarah. 

This is told from alternating POVs between Jack and Sarah. As we receive Jack's point of view, it turns out he actually did recognize Laurie - and he remembers the many times he thought about her after their chance encounter at the bus stop as well. However, nothing in life is ever easy and he genuinely does care for Sarah, so he attempts a friendship with Laurie, despite it's difficulty. 

You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill.

There was an immediate cinematic quality to this and I will be truly shocked if it doesn't get made into a movie in the near future. This story follows 10 years between Laurie, Jack and Sarah and their ever changing relationships with one another, along with people they meet along the way. While it's a fairly traditional romance there was something effortlessly engaging here that keeps the reader attached to not just the story, but the characters as well.

Who was St Valentine anyway and what made him such an expert on romance? I’m willing to bet his full name is St Smugbastard-three’s-crowd Valentine, and he probably lives on a candle-lit island where everything comes in pairs, even bouts of thrush.

What's great is that Silver doesn't just rely on angst here, while it's there in spades there's also a levity and humor that carries throughout the story. This isn't just about the dreaded love triangle, betrayal or friendships and relationships lost and found. No, it's about life, about it's triumphs and failures, about success and loss, about growth and learning who we are. While this ultimately fell just a bit short for me because it was quite predictable, I absolutely loved the story Silver wove and it's a quick, incredibly fun read that I had a really fun time with. I'd suggest this for fans of romance or anyone looking for a quick, fun and cozy winter read!

Thank you to the ever amazing Traveling Sisters for facilitating this group read and providing us with physical ARCs!!!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve stayed up until midnight on a weeknight to finish this book. It was the perfect emotional, real Christmas romance that I wanted. This won’t be for everyone. It has a fair share of angst and some romance tropes that don’t land for everyone. But sometimes life is a bit messy and this depicted that fact so well. I will be doing a full review (and possibly a gush?!?) on my channel.

[~Calliope~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

”We stare straight at each other and I can’t look away. I feel my lips move as if I’m going to say something, God knows what, and all of a sudden and out of nowhere I need to get off this bus. I’m gripped by the overwhelming urge to go outside, to get to him. But I don’t.”

Every once in a while there comes a book I don’t want to write about. Not because it wasn’t good (quite the contrary) but because reading it was such a unique and amazing experience that I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. “One Day in December” definitely falls into this category and I’m having a tough time deciding what to write about it. XD

Maybe it’s best to start with the obvious story line that’s already mentioned in the synopsis. Laurie and Sarah are best friends that share everything with each other. From their flat up to their secrets and lives, they are always together and do everything as a pair. Well, and then that fateful day happens when Laurie falls in love with a stranger who sits at a bus stop and tries to find him for an entire year.

”I’m in hell. I hate myself. I take a couple of steps away from him for my own sanity and grapple with my wretched heart to stop it banging louder than the music.”

Of course Sarah knows everything about him. Or well, as much as Laurie could tell her because it was just a passing moment and other than the fact that he read a book (of course he did) and how he looked, Laurie actually doesn’t have any details about him. How could she? She just saw him through a bus window. So in the end the universe does was it does best and messes things up big time. *lol* (Me a cynic, never! XD)

So through the twisted ways of fate Jack O’Mara (the guy from the bus station) ends up as Sarah’s boyfriend and they are so happy that Laurie would rather die than to mention that he’s HER bus boy! What follows is life with its inevitable ups and downs that keep our three protagonists more than just busy. They live and love, they grieve and hope, they move on and return, they give up on themselves and they reinvent themselves once again. Over the course of nine years their story unfolds and just like in normal life the twists and turns keep coming.

”There’s something about living in a different place that allows you to be whoever you want to be.”

What I really loved about this book were the friendships and how everything that happened felt so real. I mean 9 years is a long time and we all know that there can happen so much! Yet, those three people still stayed strong. In one way or another they were always there for each other and helped each other through difficult times. No matter what happened to them and no matter how far they lived from each other, their friendships never faltered. Yes, there were some serious bumps along the road but that’s just the way life is and in the end they always found each other again.

”But I also said that sometimes, rarely, people can come back into your life. And if that happens, you should keep those people close to you for ever.”

I swear there were so many moments my heart broke for those three and sometimes all I wanted to do was to rip the book in two. *lol* I was so emotionally invested in this that it felt like they were my friends and naturally I only wanted them to be happy! XD Sometimes they were and I was glad for those moments, but other times they were so unhappy that I felt myself hurting with them. >_<

”I’d lost sight of who I was, and you made me remember. I don’t think I ever said thank you, so I’m saying it now. Thank you. You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill.”

”Hey, hey, hey.” I speak as softly as I can. “I know, sweetie, I know.” I wish with all of my heart that I could hold her. “It’s okay, Laurie, it’s all right, sweetheart.” I close my eyes, because her grief is so raw it hurts me to hear it.

Gosh, I really loved this! In fact I loved this book so damn much that I stayed up until midnight just to finish the last 200 pages! And I had to get up at 5:00 a.m again so that says quite a lot about my enjoyment! *lol* Needless to say that I cried at the ending and went to bed as an emotional wreck. XD Still, it was worth every minute and I can’t thank my friends enough for recommending this to me.

”It’s always been like this with us, hasn’t it? “ I don’t have any control over the words spilling from my mouth. “When you look at me, I know that you really see me. I don’t think anyone ever has, Lu. Not the way you do.”

Conclusion:

This was legit one of the best romances I ever read and I loved every second of it. Josie Silver managed to capture the currents of life like no other and she did it so masterfully that I’m convinced her characters are actually real people! Laurie James and Jack O’Mara just became one of my favourite couples and I wish them all the best! (Yes, they are real! I’m convinced they are! *lol*) This said: Happy reading! ;-)

”Sometimes you just meet the right person at the wrong time,” I say softly.
“Yeah,” he says. “And then you spend every day afterwards wishing that time could be rearranged.”

And because I don’t want to spoil anyone I’ll write some of my other thoughts in here:
If there was one thing I didn’t like about the book then it was that Laurie and Jack kissed while he was still with Sarah! I mean I can understand why they did it and I know why they kept it from her but it was no surprise that Sarah was angry when she found out. To kiss your best friends boyfriend is just a no-go and I was actually kind of angry with them when they did it.

After that they should have come clean with Sarah and should have told her. Not to mention that I didn’t understand why Laurie didn’t tell her right from the start. I don’t think Sarah would have ripped her head off is she would have told her. I mean she’s her bestie, she would have understood! Who knows maybe Sarah and Jack would have even realized that they are not enough for each other way earlier than they did in the end. Or they would have made the same mistake but at least they would have tried with an honest and clean slate. You never know.

Also I don’t think that Oscar was a good husband. Maybe a good man but definitely no good husband. The mere fact that he took the job in Brussels and didn’t even think about declining and saying “no” was proof of it. I mean he had a wife, they were about to start a family and he simply overrode Laurie’s veto! How egoistic can you be? A marriage is about compromises and finding a way that works for both! It’s no wonder Laurie left him in the end! Which woman in her right mind would have stayed with such an egoistic douche? To move to another country and to start a life over there is a huge step! You can’t just expect that your wife will follow you blindly and will give up her entire life! Especially if she already told you that she doesn’t want to take that step! I mean WTH???!!

And last but not least: The ending killed me!!! I cried so much when I read their conversation on the radio and the twitter hashtags were one of the most relatable things ever. I just loved how everything came together in the end and that their love ended up being public. It’s such a great love story it was bound to come out one day! Also SARAH IS THE FREAKING BEST FRIEND EVER! To buy Laurie a ticket to Jack was one of the most selfless things she could have possibly done and I only love her even more for it! <333
_____________________________

This book has been on “My Book List 2019” ever since it was recommended to me but I waited until December to read it. I mean it’s called “One Day in December” so it kind of begged to be read in this last month of the year, right? *lol*

Also I’m kind of in awe how many of my friends already read and liked this! If it wouldn’t have been recommended to me I would have never known this book even exists. XD
It seems like this is some sort of secret insider’s tip in the reviewing world and I’m really curious now!

Let’s hope “One Day in December” will melt my ice-cold winter heart! ;-P

[Norma ~ The Sisters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smashing, engrossing & devouring!

Wow! I absolutely LOVED this book! Laurie, Sarah & Jack were great characters!

Random amusing line:
“I squint, trying to duck my head to see what he’s reading ....”

Oh my, I think all of us book lovers can relate to that sentence. I know that I have done that very same thing so many times!

ONE DAY IN DECEMBER by JOSIE SILVER is a fabulous, brilliant, heartwarming and delightful story that completely stole my heart and consumed my thoughts. It took me less than 24 hours to read this book because once I started reading it I absolutely could not put it down. It had me totally absorbed, entertained, and interested in the storyline right from the very first page.

The way that this story was told and presented was actually much more than your typical love story. It was such a powerful and moving story that had so much heart and warmth flowing through the pages of this book that I absolutely could not get enough of. I’m actually kind of a little disappointed that the story was over. It definitely left me yearning for more but in a good way though.

JOSIE SILVER delivers an engaging, intriguing and beautifully written tale of love, friendship, hope, longing, loss and regret that flowed so perfectly. I was wholly impressed with Josie Silver’s writing style and how perfectly she interweaves the passage of time and storyline with the perspectives of Laurie and Jack. I was totally invested in these characters lives and was definitely hoping for a happily ever after for them.

It was one of those books that was definitely an all consuming read for me and the perfect winter escape.

*Thank you so much to Emily from Goodreads for making this spectacular Traveling Sisters group read possible!*

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: I love everything about this cover from that beautiful design to the embossed snowflakes!
Title: Appealing, intriguing, and such a meaningful and fitting representation to storyline.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, beautiful, impressive, engaging, captivating, and fluid.
Plot: Warming, sweet, comical, thought-provoking, engrossing, perfectly-paced, enjoyable and extremely entertaining. I adored this storyline!
Ending: A touching and emotional ending that I was extremely satisfied with that left me with that warm fuzzy afterglow feeling. If a book produces that feeling from me then it is a splendid read indeed!
Overall: This book was beyond wonderful! Loved, loved, loved it! This book has made my top five books of the year! Would highly recommend!

Thank you so much to Emily from Goodreads, Crown Publishing and Josie Silver for gifting us the Perfect Night In book club kit. It was my absolute pleasure reading this incredible book!

[KAS · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Mesmerizing & Memorable!! Stars

  ...I need to get off this bus. I’m gripped by the overwhelming urge to go outside, to get to him. ... I’ve just fallen hopelessly in love with a stranger at a bus stop.

Well folks, it just gets juicier and more captivating with each passing chapter ;)

Of course, I went in blind! Of course, it was the best way to go! Of course, I recommend you doing the same! Of course, I am convinced you will love it as much as I did!!

I would describe this story as sophisticated chick-lit. It is full of sass, sensuality and surprises.

I so loved this was told in dual narrative. I truly enjoyed getting into the heads of the characters. And these characters, the whole lot of them are a jovial, witty bunch. A bunch I desired to find true happiness.

Thank you dearest friend, Jennifer, for gifting me this incredible book!!

Don’t let “December” in the title lead you to think this is just a holiday read. Honestly it can be read anytime of the year.

[Irena BookDustMagic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: This book talks about love at first sight.

Pure and simple: I loved this book.

…and to be honest with you, it took me by surprise how much I loved it. It was a perfect book to read, with beautiful writing and fascinating story with feels that gave me shivers.

The story follows Laurie who, one day in December, sees a boy and falls in love. They didn’t talk, she knows nothing about him, but the chemistry and the connection they had by just looking at each other is too strong to forget.
She spends a year dreaming about that boy, trying to find him and believing they were made for each other.
One day, a year later, she happens to meet him, but as her best friend’s boyfriend.
Laurie keeps her secret with her because she doesn’t want to ruin her friendship with Sarah. However, erasing Jack from her heart is not an easy task.

Going into this book I thought it’ll be a quick, easy read. Boy, was I wrong!
I mean, reading this book was pure pleasure, but it was not a light read.
It talks about love, life and human relationships, and if you ask me, it stands somewhere on the edge between women’s fiction and general fiction.

We follow our characters during a decade and we see what they went through during that period of time.

This is pitched as a love story, and it is a love story, but it doesn’t talk only about romantic love.
It talks about different shapes of love: platonic love, love between lovers, friends, parents and children.

It also talks about grief, falling apart, life taking you different directions, marriage and human interactions.

The writing style is beautiful. Some scenes were so emotional and it takes talent to engage readers in a way Silver did.

The story is written in first person, following two POVs: Laurie’s and Jack’s.

The Christmas setting is captured excellently and the novel really gives you that festive vibe, even if the story itself doesn’t take time only during Christmas.

The only thing I wish for is an epilogue. I loved how the story ended, but I think with two, three pages more that talk about some time later it would be even better.

I loved this book so much more then I thought I would. It is now one of my favorite Christmas stories, if not even my favorite, and I would recommend it to everyone who believes (or want to believe) in love at first sight, likes to read about friendships and life twists and turns.

It’s a brilliant piece of fiction.

Read this and more reviews on my blog https://bookdustmagic.com

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading One Day in December is a like a getting a warm hug on a chilly winter day. It warmed our hearts and left us feeling like we just experienced something very special.

I have been talking about a few books I have read lately that have not been my normal and One Day in December was definitely one of them. This sister does not have a romantic bone in her. My poor husband.

One Day in December is warm, captivating, unforgettable and quirky love story not only between couples but within a friendship as well. It’s a story of friendship, loyalty, and missing chances that left us questioning if they really were.

Sometimes I think I am more romantic when it comes to friendships. I envied the relationship our main characters Laurie and Sarah had. Both characters were so different from each yet similar in some ways.

One of the things that makes this story so great is how it is told over a long period of time. We really get the chance to connect to the characters and see them develop, change, and experience different things. The dynamic between the characters seemed realistic and was heartwarming and truly special.

One Day in December made for one of the best group discussions we have had. We received a group kit with discussion questions and it had some of the best questions we have yet used. You can find them online as well. The questions are very thought-provoking, easy to answer and really related to the theme, insight and emotions we felt towards the story.

We highly recommend this one and think it is one to put on your do not miss list. If you get the chance to read it in a group we suggest taking it as its one of the best stories to discuss. You could always join the Traveling Friends. This is one I am definitely going to suggest they read.

*Thank you so much to Emily from Goodreads for making this spectacular Traveling Sisters group read possible!*

Thank you so much to Crown Publishing and Josie Silver for gifting us the Perfect Night In book club kit and sending out copies to some of The Traveling Sisters. It was an absolute pleasure reading this incredible book!

https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/2...

[Sunflowerbooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

2018 has been an amazing year of talent for new releases and I can proudly say that this little beauty sits proudly on that shelf!

Oh my goodness Josie Silver you have my heart with how beautifully your words and talent is expressed across these pages of One Day in December.

This book was NOTHING that I expected. What a beautiful and powerful tale of love, loss, friendship, and how love can span across a lifetime.

One beautiful wintery day Laurie is on the bus and she happens to look out her window to see heart stopper Jack. They both have an instant connection but Jack never got on the bus. A year goes by and Laurie has done nothing but look high and low for this mysterious bus lover.

Until one day.. Laurie goes to a Christmas party with her best friend Sarah... who can't stop talking about this new boyfriend she has that she wants to marry. Well..... ladies and gents Laurie has found her bus boy Jack.. who is her best friends new boyfriend. YIKES.

Let me tell you this is NOT a typical love triangle. Oh my gosh is this novel so much more then just a love story. I became so invested in these characters and gobbled this book up like a turkey dinner!

Josie flawlessly interweaves the path and storyline of the three characters perfectly.

"You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill."

You need this book in your life... pre order this one because it deserves a raw and rare spot on your bookshelf!!!

5 for perfection!!!

Huge thank you to Crown Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Expected publication date: 10/16/18
Review published to GR: 7/27/18

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a scene from one of the hopelessly romantic movies she loves: one late afternoon just before Christmas, Laurie is packed sardine-like onto a double-decker bus, when through a misty window she spots a handsome man. Some mystical force tells her that he is the one, and when their eyes meet, it's like they both know this to be true. But before Laurie can move or the man can try to board the bus and hopefully sweep her off her feet, the bus drives away.

Even though she's almost certain that "Bus Boy" may never come back into her life, she spends a year looking for him at every bus stop, shop, bar, everywhere she goes. She can't imagine finding anyone else. And just as she gives up hope that she'll ever be reunited with her mystery man, they finally do connect—only he's on the arm of her best friend and flatmate, Sarah. Yes, "Bus Boy," whose name is Jack (and who is more handsome than she even imagined), is Sarah's new boyfriend, a man she's fallen head over heels for.

Part of Laurie wants to tell Sarah the truth, that Jack is the man she has been hunting for. But when Jack doesn't seem to recognize her, she realizes she has been hanging on to a foolish obsession, and how can she stand in the way of her best friend's happiness? Of course, Sarah doesn't make it easy for Laurie, since she wants the three of them to spend lots of time together, and more importantly, she wants Laurie and Jack to be friends, too.

Jack actually did recognize Laurie, and he can't believe that the woman he may have had more than one or two fantasies about is actually his new girlfriend's best friend. But Laurie and Sarah are complete opposites, and he doesn't want to jeopardize what he's starting to have with Sarah. Even if it's difficult to try and be friends with Laurie, if it means that much to Sarah, he'll put any lingering feelings he has aside and do it.

Is there such a thing as destiny? Is there really one right person for everyone? How can you be happy when someone you truly care about gets what you want, what you think should be "yours"? Can you move on with your life if your heart isn't quite ready to let go?

One Day in December follows Laurie, Jack, and Sarah through 10 years of heartaches and triumphs, passion and anger, connections and misunderstandings, secrets and facing the truth. If ever there were a book that highlights how important it is to say what you feel, what you think, when it happens, it's this one.

If reading the plot summary in my review gives you ideas of how this book will unfold, you may be right. There isn't anything too surprising here, but that doesn't matter, because Josie Silver's appealing yet flawed characters grow on you, even though you want to shake them at times for not saying how they feel. It's a charming, romantic book, sure to warm the hearts of those looking for a good story about love and friendship and how one can get in the way of the other.

I thought this was going to be a breezy, mindless read, but it's a little more complex than I expected. I really enjoyed this, even though I would have liked it more if we didn't run through the same situations with the characters so many times. It definitely appealed to the sap, err, romantic in me though!!

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars to this treasure of a book and five stars to the unforgettable experience of reading it! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I’m honored and humbled that Goodreads selected me to receive a book club kit and set of copies of One Day in December, graciously provided by the publisher, Broadway Books and Crown Publishing. I was fortunate to have local friends and online friends join me for this heartwarming read, the perfect story to enjoy this time of year, and quite uplifting in the end.

It’s close to the holidays, December 21 to be exact, when Laurie is bewildered and exhausted riding the bus home from work. She just so happens to make eye contact with a guy at the bus stop, and she has an instant connection, something she never believed in before. He tries to get on the bus, but it’s too late. The doors close, and off Laurie goes. She makes it her New Year’s Resolution to find the bus stop guy.

For a year, she searches for him at every bus stop and bar in London (amazing setting, by the way!). Never finding him, she attends a Christmas party where she is introduced to HIM as her best friend Sarah’s new boyfriend!

Ten years go by between these friends, and they experience their share of kindness, heartbreak, disconnects, and could there possibly be second chances?

I loved this story from start to finish. The formatting and timeline added interest and even more investment on my part. I found this a cozy, charming read, the characterization was warmhearted, and overall, it was a delicious escape, one where happiness is the ultimate goal. One Day in December is much more than the typical romance read, and that’s why it’s receiving universal love from readers across genres.

I hope I can speak for the group in saying that many found this book one of the their favorites of the year, if not their top favorite. We are all avid readers, so that’s saying something.

Thank you again to Broadway Books, Crown Publishing, and Goodreads for this special opportunity and for the free books. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[JanB · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book is all about fate, timing, and star-crossed love, told with a side of humor and a lot of heart. You’re not a romance reader? Neither am I! But this book melted my non-romance reading heart into a puddle.

In short, I loved it. It turned out to be so much more than I expected. I loved the characters of Laurie, Sarah, and Jack. I also enjoyed how the author explored the friendship between Laurie and Sarah, best friends for life, through thick and thin.

We follow these three through ten years, 2008 to 2018. Each year starts off with Laurie’s New Year’s resolutions and we hear both Laurie and Jack’s POV. Honestly, I couldn’t decide how I wanted this messy situation to end up and I changed my mind several times throughout. Things are not always how they appear and there are a few surprises in store.

The book ends in the year 2018 and you won’t read any spoilers here. I closed the last page with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face. 


Don’t let your dislike of the genre miss this gem! When Renee of https://itsbooktalk.com raved about it I hopped onto Netgalley and requested a copy. And am I glad I did. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book that will warm your heart on the coldest of days. It would also be perfect for the booklover on your gift list.

*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!!

Sometimes you just meet the right person at the wrong time.

One Day in December is a story that follows three main characters, but it's told from Laurie and Jack's pov. It was a loonnnngggg journey to get there, but that ending, it was perfect. Life is about timing. Sometimes we meet people at exactly the right time, and sometimes we meet people at the wrong time.

The first time Jack and Laurie 'meet' it's on a bus. Laurie is on a bus and sees Jack. He sees her too. He tries to get on the bus, but it's too late. Her bus is pulling away and that's that. Laurie spends some time looking for him, but it's a big city and she doesn't find him. Until a year later. When her best friend/roommate brings him home and introduces them as her new boyfriend.

Ah the stress of this book. I just wanted Laurie to tell Sarah, but she couldn't ruin her happiness with Jack so she keeps quiet. The story spans 10 years. Jack and Laurie become friends and Sarah and Jack continue to date. I had so much anxiety while reading this. It was so hard, because I genuinely liked all three of these characters, as well as Oliver, who is introduced later in the book.

One thing I can say about this book is it hooked me early on and captivated me. I love a book that can completely hold my attention and this one did just that. I could see this book turning into a film- I think it would make an epic holiday rom-com/angsty romance. It's a heartwarming and beautiful tale of love, friendship, and how sometimes one choice can change the trajectory of your entire life. I listened to the audio book and the narration was fantastic. Definitely a romance I'd recommend for this winter!