REVIEW: Always, in December by Emily Stone

In Always, in December by Emily Stone, The Christmas season, while joyful and filled with good cheer for the large majority of people, is a time of reflection for Josie–and a longing to see her parents again. Losing them to an accident on Christmas Eve when she was nine has changed her life in many ways. One thing that helps her cope with the feelings the holidays bring is writing her parents a letter each year. Even though they’ll never see it, Josie knows she’s keeping their spirit alive with her messages.

“You have no idea of anything, Josie.”
“Well, no, because you don’t tell me anything, do you? I’ve given you everything, I told you everything, and you give me nothing back.”

This year everything goes awry when Josie leaves her London flat to mail her letter. After an already tough few weeks, she–and her bicycle–collide with a handsome stranger who gives her a bit of attitude. Things quickly smooth out for them, though, and Josie ends up spending the holidays with Max only for him to ghost her, leaving nothing but a short letter behind. As the months carry on, Josie and Max find themselves in the same places at the same time and begin to wonder if there’s a reason why. Neither can forget their attraction or the special bond they formed. But as they deal with their daily lives and the cruel twists that can bring, will they ever have a chance to finally get it right between them?

‘She had no idea just how much she’d captured his heart. Captured it when it was already too late, when he had no right to take her heart the way she’d taken his.’

Always, in December is not your typical holiday-themed novel. Debut author Emily Stone explored what happened when two troubled souls had their worlds collide right before Christmas and the ups and downs of their lives that followed that chance meeting.

‘She realized that, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t sad that it was Christmas morning, that she was actually excited about what the day would bring.’

Trigger warning: View Spoiler »Terminal illness, death of one of the main characters. « Hide Spoiler

I have to let you know right away that this is NOT a happily ever after. I repeat, it was NOT a happy ending for our hero and heroine. So keep your tissues handy. Without spoiling the whole thing, I will say that one of the characters had a sort of happy-for-now ending. So if you’re the type of reader who requires a HEA, this likely won’t be the book for you.

That being said, if you are a reader who cares more about the journey and having an author pull a wide range of emotions out of you, then this might work. (Think: Jojo Moyes, Kristin Hannah) Because Emily Stone certainly did write a heartfelt story. I won’t lie that due to the miscommunication–and oftentimes, lack of communication–between Josie and Max, I was frustrated more than once with them. And the ending, even though I had a feeling what was going on, left me a little shell-shocked, particularly from the abruptness of one memorable scene.

But on the other hand, I did like Max and Josie. We got to read from both of their POVs, although the majority was from Josie’s perspective. And given the circumstances of when/how they met and what was going on in their lives, I can see why Stone chose to write from the heroine’s viewpoint more frequently. The relationships Josie and Max had with family and friends were a big part of the story and it was touching to see how the people in their lives helped or supported them along the way. That sense of family and community went along well with this being set (part of the time) during Christmas.

QOTD: Do you require a HEA in the books you choose? Or do you take a chance if the story sounds interesting enough on its own?

Book Info:

Publication: Published October 12th, 2021 | Dell |

It started with a letter. It ended with a love story.

Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger–a stranger who will change the course of Josie’s life.

Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same–and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special.

Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye.

Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they’d never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?

A devastating, romantic, life-affirming love story, Always, in December will stay with readers long after they’ve finished the last page.