Usually, the winter holiday season is full of warm apple cider, holiday parties, and snow. But for some of us, this season of celebration is a reminder of loss.
In this book, the main character, Josie, loses her parents just before Christmas when she was six years old. And every year her grief returns, but when she accidentally runs into Max, for the first time in a very long time, Christmas is something to be celebrated.
But as is so often the case, life and love are complicated. This story tells the tale of two souls perfect for each other who just can’t seem to get their timing right. And the ending, well, just keep your tissues ready.
What I Liked
The author creates a beautiful, relatable character in Josie. And the cast of supporting characters, especially her best friend Bia, create a warmth and ambiance throughout the whole book that made me feel I was right there. I couldn’t help but root for Josie and Max. And the dialogue is witty and spot on.
What I Wish Had Been Different
Not much to say here, except that the ending surprised me and felt a bit abrupt. I might have liked just a few more clues through out the book where the ending was heading. That being said, I still felt all the feels.
For it’s wonderful characters, delightful dialogue, and for roller coaster of emotions you experience while reading, this book gets four heartfelt stars from me.
Book Details
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release Date: 12 October 2021
Book Blurb:
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.