Title: A Winter Wish
Author: Emily Stone
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday Fiction
Published On: October 15, 2024
Publisher: Dell (Penguin Random House)
Source: digital (Netgalley)
Pages: 353
Synopsis:
When an unexpected inheritance forces two total opposites to work together, Lexie must decide if Theo is going to push her out—or pull her in for the kiss of a lifetime—in this heartwarming holiday novel from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift
When Lexie learns of her father’s death, she doesn’t know how to feel; they’ve barely spoken in the last ten years. And she’s even more confused when she discovers he’s left her half of his holiday travel company, a successful niche business specializing in trips that explore the holiday traditions of cultures all over the world.
Meanwhile, the other half of the company has been left to her father’s handsome but bad-tempered young executive, Theo. And the will stipulates that the two of them must find a way to run the company together for a year before they decide its fate.
Lexie intends to leave once the year is over, even though, as a wanderer herself, she finds the company’s mission more compelling than she first thought. And a work trip to sizzling Spain reveals a chemistry between Lexie and Theo that is impossible to deny.
There may have been some snap judgments made about each other. But mixing business and pleasure isn’t always a good idea.
My review of Always, In December
My review of One Last Gift
My review of Love, Holly
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
A Winter Wish by Emily Stone is my fourth novel by the author, and every holiday season I look forward to her latest seasonal offering, much like I do Emily Henry’s novels in the spring and summer. Stone’s latest book is probably her first one that feels lighter, or less focused on grief. Not that there aren’t moments of depth—and the instigating event IS Lexie’s estranged father’s death and the reading of his will.
While I enjoyed A Winter Wish, and would probably read almost anything Stone wrote, this one is probably my least favorite of hers. Just like all of Stone’s previous novels, the story is more about our main character’s journey and less about the romance. Most of the time I’m okay with that, but this time it was the romance I was most interested in. And I had a hard time connecting with Lexie, who I found juvenile and selfish at times. She’s a frustrating character in that she’s portrayed as very kind-hearted, making her selfishness toward her mother, father, and half-sister seem uncharacteristic.
“I think it’s OK if you can’t forgive him. Forgiveness and acceptance are different things, aren’t they? And it might take some time to work toward either.”
There is also a large amount of miscommunication or lack of communication in this one, and it is my least favorite trope. It’s hard to ignore the fact that a simple conversation would solve so many of the conflicts in a story.
What I did like is whenever Lexie and love interest Theo were on the page together. I believed the sparks and I enjoyed their banter. I wanted more time with their story, especially when they travelled together. So, basically I wanted more romance. Is anyone surprised by that?!
The conflict in A Winter Wish, the fact that Lexie and Theo have to run her father’s travel company together for a year, seemed weak to me, as well, and I questioned the legality of it all. But it did give our characters a conflict to spar about, creating the tension I crave in my romances.
A Winter Wish is also light on Christmas. While the story starts and ends at Christmastime, the rest of the book takes place throughout the year, making it one that doesn’t have to be reserved for the holiday season. Even if this wasn’t my favorite of Stone’s, I’d still recommend it, especially if you’re a fan of her previous work!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Dell and Netgalley for providing me with a copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
My Rating: 3.25 stars
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Levels inspired by The Well-Read Librarian from Sourcebooks
About the Author
Emily Stone
Hello, I’m Emily! If you’ve found this page then welcome, and thanks so much for showing an interest in my writing.
If you read my novel then I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you want to get in touch then I’d love to hear from you – I’ve just joined Twitter, so come and say hello!
A Song For A Book
In my search for a song to fit A Winter Wish, I came across the song I’ve chosen to highlight, “December Song” by Birdtalker, featuring Joy Williams. It’s not one I’d ever heard before, but I think it’s fitting and beautiful to listen to, as well.
Friend, your heart has been far away from mine
There’s no one to blame but that wicked, stalwart time
As the year marches steady to its end
Oh, my heart is longing to be close to yours again
And I’ll be home in December
Maybe we can remember us
Our memories together are like worlds inside my head
Places that I go to remember who I am
Worlds untouched by my worries in the dark
Worlds where time can never pull us apart
And I’ll be home in December
Maybe we can remember us
When the world gets cold
And the lights get low
I get that old feeling again
Stay awhile and let’s hide inside the glow
Winter keeps on marching and it’s almost time to go
But I’ll be home in December
Maybe we can remember us
Remember us
Have you read A Winter Wish? Or did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
This was not my favorite by Stone, but like you, I thought Theo and Lexie were great. I also loved the holiday trips. There were some interesting ones in there. I liked that Lexie got some closure with respect to her father as well.