As a queer person who avoids Hallmark-style straight people romance, I had LOW expectations for this book. 

Was I in love with the girl meets boy and they fall in love after 3 days storyline? Nah. Was I sold by all the  coincidental meetings and their love/hate/forbidden love dynamics? No. Did it conform to my stereotyped expectations? Mostly.

That being said, I did get teary eyed at the end of the book. It was written well and the emotional aspects are relatable in a lot of ways. If you like straight romances and Hallmark-sequence tragedy with a silver lining, you’ll probably like it.

Ooh, boy. I didn’t read much about the description- it was an impulse buy. An enjoyable read, though frustrating at times as of course many books of the type are as you sit there thinking “just speak the damn words dammit.” Beautifully ended. A whirlwind I didn’t see coming. 

 Happy Tuesday! After feeling less than stellar last week I have a couple reviews to catch up on.

First up is Always, in December by @emstonewrites. I knew going in that this book would be emotional, but wow. I cried…a lot. Stone knows how to write characters you fall in love with and feel invested in. I absolutely adored Josie and Max, Memo, Bea, all the people we met. Well, I didn’t like Oliver because he was a jerk 😂 The relationships between our characters are authentic and moving. I was fully committed to seeing how each relationship would play out and how the story would end.

Several people have mentioned that they are waiting until December to read this one. Yes, December is mentioned in the title, but it isn’t wholly set during that month. In fact, the story starts off at Christmastime and then moves on throughout the following year. I think this is a perfect book to read any time of year. Especially if you’re feeling extra emotional.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration of Heather Long was superb. She really brought the characters to life and conveyed so much emotion. I truly felt like I knew Josie, Max, Oliver, Bea, and Memo. If you like fiction audiobooks then I highly recommend this one!

TW: loss of a parent, grief, infidelity, and others that you should DM me about if curious.

This book certainly wasn’t what I expected! 

What’s the last book that unexpectedly broke your heart? This was this book for me.

A story about grief and loss and how it affects us for years to come. How life circumstances can change everything. How we find ourselves. The love found and love lost. About the things we never say but should.

And this book?? All of it was wrapped into the festive Christmas scene.

It had sweet moments. It had sad moments. It had frustrating moments. It was just the sweet thing I needed.

This book reminded me bit of the vibes of One Day by David Nichols.

This definitely wasn’t everything I was expecting but it was a sweet and great holiday read all the same!