amarcum8
Written on Mar 16, 2021
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Get ready to be swept up in a whirlwind romance. It absolutely charmed me.”—Reese Witherspoon (A Reese’s Book Club Pick)
“The perfect book to get lost in . . . Josie Silver’s characters sneak their way into your heart and stay.”—Jill Santopolo, author of The Light We Lost
Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.
Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic . . . and then her bus drives away.
Certain they’re fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn’t find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they “reunite” at a Christmas party, when her best friend, Sarah, giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It’s Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.
What follows for Laurie, Sarah, and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming, and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.
- ISBN10 0525574689
- ISBN13 9780525574682
- Publish Date 16 October 2018 (first published 31 October 2017)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Random House USA Inc
- Imprint Dell Publishing Co Inc.,U.S.
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 416
- Language English
- URL https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525574682
Reviews
Stephanie
Written on May 28, 2020
One of the prompts I had for a round of TBR Monopoly was to read a book that had been gifted to me. During the last round of OTSP Secret Sister that I participated in my lovely sis Victoria sent me One Day in December by Josie Silver.
I am such a sucker for endings. If this book didn't have such a great ending I think it might have ended up as a three star read. This is definitely a slow burn. I cannot stress that enough. There's also a lot that happens from Point A to Point B. You might want to know that this book spans years in the characters's lives. At times it was frustrating. At the end of it all though I liked the experience.
I felt so bad for both Jack and Laurie. They were in such a tough spot. I can certainly imagine how it seemed like the universe was mocking them. One of the biggest issues I had with One Day in December is that Jack and Laurie clearly never stopped having feelings for each other. It made the rest of the book feel a bit icky. It felt like the continued feelings tainted all of their other relationships. Nobody wins in that situation.
In hindsight the ending really saved One Day in December by Josie Silver. I don't know if it would be worth the journey for other readers.
bookperson
Written on Jan 27, 2019
Liz (Bent Bookworm)
Written on Dec 5, 2018
One Day in December was my local bookstore's book club pick for December (the meeting of which I did not get to attend, to much sadness). I was a bit dismayed, to be honest, as I don't typically read a lot of romance and often find myself too jaded and cynical to enjoy books with a heavy romantic focus. I am very happy to report that this book warmed even my crusty old heart!
While this book is, yes, a story of love, it is also a story of friendship. Laurie and Sarah have been best friends for years, and their friendship is really the glue that holds this book together. I loved them both, even if I definitely identified more with Laurie's feelings and experiences. I've never been glamorous or someone who shines in the spotlight, so I was right there with her! The story spans 10 years from the time Laurie first spots her Mr. Right at a bus stop, and while Laurie and Sarah have their disagreements and even fights at times, they stick together through it all. Even when thousands of miles separate them! Again, having many long distance friendships, this really struck a chord with me. They aren't all sunshine and roses, and Laurie really struggles sometimes with Sarah being in a relationship with Jack, but in the end she does the absolute best that a best friend could do and tries to be rational. After all, it's pure silliness to think that you could be destined for someone you took a fancy to through the window of a bus...right?
Whoever the hell is in charge of TV scheduling needs a bullet between their eyes. Surely they could work out that anyone who needs to resort to watching TV on Valentine’s night is single and potentially bitter, so why they thought The Notebook would make suitable viewing is beyond me.
Despite the somewhat serious tone of the book - three young people seeking their own path in life as well as seeking for someone to share it with - there are moments of humor sprinkled throughout. More than once I giggled to myself while reading.
The storyline does move relatively fast, skipping over large chunks of each year and only coming back to "big" events or conversations. I was leery of that concept too, but it really seemed to work well for this type of growth in relationships and characters. All of the main characters grow, and growth includes some "mistakes" that are rather painful and costly at times. Some of the choices they made had me gasping in horror and feeling pains in my own heart, as again I just found them SO relatable (and in a couple of cases I've even walked the exact same path and could see the impending danger).
Jack starts off as a classic nice guy, goes through some shit and turns into a complete asshole. Not because that's who he really is, but because he sinks into depression after a major accident and it completely changes his personality. He can see this, himself, but seems powerless to stop it. I found this to be a very accurate portrayal of how depression can wreck havoc on a person AND their relationships with other people - again, having been on both sides of that coin to some extent. Thankfully this was only temporary but it did leave his mark on him and the people around him.
I did have a couple little...bothers with this story. First of all, Jack lies to Laurie right from jump. It's a little white lie, but it affects her more than he could possibly know and it just felt...bleh. And then, there is a certain THING that happens, that results in lies of omission that (naturally) create problems further down the road. It bothered me, and yet I can't say what I would have done in the same circumstance would really have been any different. People make mistakes, and sometimes it is better for other people - people who might be hurt by the truth - to not find out. Sometimes. It's such a gray area, which I guess was the point here.
5/5 stars. Overall I loved this story because yes (as I have already said MANY times, I know), it was relatable for me, and because I felt it was so true to life. Life is messy. Sometimes life sucks. Relationships and love are EXTREMELY messy and often uncomfortable. But people and relationships ARE worth it! I loved that even after all the heartache and struggle, Laurie and Sarah and Jack all have hope and love in life, no matter how long they had to wait or look to find it. Sometimes the road to get to where we need to go is long, but life isn't just about the destination.
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Sam@WLABB
Written on Sep 29, 2018
Could you imagine a missed opportunity, that turned into a year long search, just to end with that one special someone being your best friend's one special someone? Well, that's what happened to Laurie, and her pain and emotional struggle with the discovery made me gasp and get a little teary eyed, and it did not end there.
With each beginning and ending that Laurie, Sarah, and Jack endured, I shed tears - both of joy and sadness. I cheered for them, and I ached for them, and that is quite a testament to how well Silver crafted this story and these characters, because I cared so much about what happened to them.
She gave them many beautiful things, and though I was was sad that Jack and Laurie kept missing their opportunity, I was happy for the things that did come their way.
Listen, a decade is a long time to be involved in a character's life. There were many ups and downs, and Silver kept breaking my heart and filling it up. I read this book on a Saturday, and therefore was able to do ample updates. At one point, one of my blogger friends reached out to me. That's how emotional I was about this book.
Exhibit A: My Goodreads Updates
Don't worry, though. As I write this, I am thinking about the ending, and how amazing it was. I have a few happy tears in my eyes, and a huge smile on my face. So, all I have to say about this book is that it was an emotional trip worth taking.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Cocktails and Books
Written on Sep 26, 2018
Full review to come.