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One Day in December

Josie Silver (Goodreads Author)

3.90 · Rating details · 233,915 ratings · 22,952 reviews

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 aga ...more

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Paperback, 393 pages

Published October 16th 2018 by Ballantine Books

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Josie Silver - author, romance

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Average rating 3.90 ·

Rating details

· 233,915 ratings · 22,952 reviews

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Feb 09, 2019 emma rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: non-ya, 2-stars, eh, couldn-t-wait-to-read, unpopular-opinion, romance, reviewed

me reading that this is a love story about missed opportunities:

me reading the words "best friend's boyfriend":

me for the rest of the book:

basically this was a Meh read for me. it was very long, and very slow, and there was a lot of drama in a kind of suburban-gossip there's-nothing-else-to-talk-about way that did not at all translate to an interesting-book way.

i think for stories like these, you gotta like the characters or it's going to be a 400-page trip to Boring City, USA. and unfortunatel ...more

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Dec 18, 2018 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it liked it

3.5 stars. There were things I really loved about this, but also things I really hated and I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL. I thoroughly enjoyed this one but it definitely made me feel a little icky and I don't know what to do with that information lmao. I was rooting for the protagonists but I felt like I shouldn't have been. Also the love interest was kind of a shit for most of this? IDK MAN IDK. It was fun but I FEEL WEIRD OKAY BYE ...more

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Feb 26, 2021 chan ☆ rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2021, contemporary-romance

if you're going to write a book about cheating, at least make it interesting

reading the 52 most popular romances of the past 3 years ...more

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Jan 19, 2019 Bianca rated it it was ok

Shelves: female-author, on-my-real-bookshelf, british-lit, 2019, contemporary-romance

Have I read the same book as everyone else?
Girl, Laurie, is on a bus. She looks out the window and notices a guy sitting in a bus shelter absorbed in a hardcover book. He lifts his head and sees the girl staring at him. Their eyes meet. They communicate wordlessly …

I am on page 7 and I'm already grumbling. Not about the insta-love, although, really? Not even about the irritating first-person narration, which somehow I find irksome mostly in romance novels. I would just like to know how is it p ...more

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Sep 27, 2018 NickReads rated it it was amazing

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

You can buy the book here!

“You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill.”

5 stars

One Day in December is an epic story centered around three people Laurie, Sarah and Jack.

It all start on a December day.
Laurie doesn't believe in first sight love.
She sees a man through the bus window.
She believes now.

She searches for him, every now and then.
She ~~thinks~~ is sure he is the one for her ...more

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Dec 20, 2018 Kate rated it did not like it

WOW, I'm shocked that this book has been rated so highly...

I really hope young impressionable women do not read this book. This is exactly the type of clichéd romance novel I used to fill my head with as a teenager that convinced me that true love is pursuing a bad boy who has lukewarm feelings for you and treats you like crap. But hey, he's really hot and it's love at first sight, so it's all good! /s

I really wanted to love this book! I heard it described as similar to Bridget Jones, which is WOW, I'm shocked that this book has been rated so highly...

I really hope young impressionable women do not read this book. This is exactly the type of clichéd romance novel I used to fill my head with as a teenager that convinced me that true love is pursuing a bad boy who has lukewarm feelings for you and treats you like crap. But hey, he's really hot and it's love at first sight, so it's all good! /s

I really wanted to love this book! I heard it described as similar to Bridget Jones, which is one of my favorite movies of all time, but this was nothing like Bridget Jones. Bridget Jones has quirky and lovable characters you wanted to root for. Bridget and Mark Darcy were adorable because they were very different from each other, but also perfect for each other in all the best ways. Meanwhile, this book was incredibly predictable with no characters to root for.

Where to even start? I hated both Laurie and Jack, they were both awful.

Laurie is a terrible friend to poor Sarah. You can't act normally around the boy your best friend in the world just introduced to you as her future husband because you saw him at a bus stop for 10 seconds? Please! There was good reason Laurie only has one bridesmaid at her wedding, and even she didn't show up. Laurie is that girl who has no female friends and doesn't understand why. Laurie also constantly used sad events in her life as a manipulative tool to get what she wanted. She almost exclusively only mentioned her dead sister when she was alone with Jack to get him to feel sorry for her and cuddle her and kiss her, etc. Gross. In general, I hated how this book used family deaths as catalysts for romance. Also, the way she treated Oscar was just awful, like a crappy consolation prize. Oscar was honestly much better suited to Laurie and made her HAPPY. What did Oscar even do to deserve the treatment he got? He had a snobby mom, and let Laurie live rent-free in his posh apartment and that's supposed to make us dislike him? UGH.

Now on to Jack. Jack was just awful. He dates Sarah for three years while being well aware of the fact that he doesn't really love her, but just finds her beautiful. He strings Laurie along for years and years. He always gives her just enough attention to make her believe he's interested and then sulks off somewhere and hooks up with another beautiful actress/tv personality. Throughout the book, it seems like his character wants her, but is in denial because he thinks Laurie isn't as gorgeous as some other girls he could potentially get for himself. I also almost got physically sick when he got "rock hard" when Laurie called him crying about how her dad died and she needed him. It's like it was a turn on for him just how desperately Laurie wanted him and he could have given a crap that Laurie's father died. Oh, and let's not forget Jack's little temper tantrum where he gets physically violent with Laurie and rips off her cherished necklace and basically screams at her for not giving him sex when he's feeling down, and then tells her she's pathetic in his next breath.

Another huge pet peeve of mine is how the author kept saying that Jack just had to be invited to dinner, invited to the wedding, invited to the funeral, etc. because Jack and Laurie are just SUCH good old friends. When? How? All Laurie even talks about is avoiding Jack and Sarah because she just can't stand to even be in the room with them. Then suddenly Jack's her dearest old friend? What?

All in all, I hated this book and I regret even finishing it. Laurie needed a therapist and some self-respect and Jack needed to get over his massive ego.

...more

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Dec 09, 2018 Yun rated it liked it

One Day in December originally caught my eye because of its intriguing premise. The idea that two people would see each other through a bus window and know instantly that it was love at first sight is soo romantic. It totally appealed to the sentimental mush in me. Besides, I'm always up for squeezing in a seasonally appropriate read this time of the year.

There is a lot I liked in here. Laurie and Sarah's heartwarming friendship is a real highlight, coming alive off of the pages with their joy a One Day in December originally caught my eye because of its intriguing premise. The idea that two people would see each other through a bus window and know instantly that it was love at first sight is soo romantic. It totally appealed to the sentimental mush in me. Besides, I'm always up for squeezing in a seasonally appropriate read this time of the year.

There is a lot I liked in here. Laurie and Sarah's heartwarming friendship is a real highlight, coming alive off of the pages with their joy and mutual devotion to each other. Laurie's growth as a character is well-done, showing how she matured through the years, evolving from a starry-eyed fresh grad into a confident and caring young woman. I also enjoyed the depiction of Laurie and Oscar's relationship, filled with so much love and happiness along with all of its struggles.

But for me, the real disappointment is Jack. He is mean and childish through most of this story. The parts from his perspective focuses on him thinking about how hot women are and how he wants to get with them. When Laurie starts dating Oscar, Jack refuses to be nice and essentially takes the attitude that Laurie shouldn't have a boyfriend even though he himself has a girlfriend. To be honest, I'm not sure why anyone would want to be with him. I just don't buy the book's premise that someone sweet and kind like Laurie would fall in love with a negative man-child like Jack.

I think the other thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that while this is supposed to be two people in love with each other equally, it came across as Laurie pining so hard for Jack while he hardly cared. He went from one woman to another, but there was never a feeling that he wanted to be with Laurie until the very end. It's just such a cliché to read about a woman longing for a man while he happily enjoys a succession of women, all the while stringing her along by saying how he would love her if only circumstances were different.

In the end, there is nothing I liked about Jack, which is a real bummer since this is a romance. Still, I found all the relationships other than the main one to be poignant and heartwarming, and for that, I'm glad I picked up the book. ...more

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Mar 25, 2019 megs_bookrack rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

First, a hearty thank you to my TBR Jar for forcing me to read this absolutely charming book.

I do not consider myself a serious Romance reader and it wouldn't be a stretch to say I went into One Day in December with a fair amount of trepidation.

I actually believe one of my comments upon starting was that I thought chances were 50/50 I would DNF it. That thought seems utterly ridiculous now!

I am floored by how much I actually loved this story.

The humor was perfect for me. I loved the pace and I ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 BernLuvsBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, adult-reads

Can a fated glance across a misty bus window = TRUE LOVE?

One Day in December is the kind of book that will touch your heart and make you believe in love. The kind of heartwarming love that is meant to be against all odds. The kind of love that leaves you smiling just reading about it. I opened the book and found myself immersed in Laurie and Jack's story. It was exactly what I needed. An addictive, unputdownable, angsty love story that filled my heart with a solid dose of romance.

The st ...more

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Oct 10, 2018 Debra rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, romance

Laurie sees a man outside of her bus window one day. There are no words, no actions, only intense eye contact but that is enough to make her fall head over heels in love with a stranger. She years for him, she can't stop thinking about him, she dreams of the time they will meet again. Then one day her best friend and roommate, Sarah, introduces her new boyfriend, Jack, to Laurie. Sarah is anxious for Jack and Laurie to meet. She hopes they will hit it off - if only she knew that her boyfriend is ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 Meredith (On Vacation) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: overdrive

Heartwarming!

One Day in December is a sweet story about friendship, romance, and true love.

The plot centers around a romance that could have been but was not. Instead, wrong matches are made, friendships are put to the test, and the notion of true love is tested. This is the story of Laurie, Sarah, and Jack.

Told through Laurie and Jack’s alternating POV’s, the reader learns over the course of time of what was not but what should have been. Will true love prevail or will one be left heartbr ...more

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Dec 07, 2018 Susanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: direct-from-publisher, favorites, buddy-read, womens-fiction, 2018-five-star-books

5 Heartfelt, Love-Sick Stars!

What happens when see him? It’s love at first sight, and then your best friend meets him in person and she gets the guy?

For Laurie, there is a moment. Just one. Perhaps it is Kismet or maybe it's Destiny. She sees him at the bus stop. Laurie is inside, he is waiting outside, he looks up at the exact moment she does, their eyes meet and hold and she knows. He is the one.

For a year, she looks for him everywhere, but never finds him. Her crush goes unrequited. Her bes 5 Heartfelt, Love-Sick Stars!

What happens when see him? It’s love at first sight, and then your best friend meets him in person and she gets the guy?

For Laurie, there is a moment. Just one. Perhaps it is Kismet or maybe it's Destiny. She sees him at the bus stop. Laurie is inside, he is waiting outside, he looks up at the exact moment she does, their eyes meet and hold and she knows. He is the one.

For a year, she looks for him everywhere, but never finds him. Her crush goes unrequited. Her best friend and roommate Sarah, jokes about him constantly. Yet Laurie knows, her feelings for him are true.

Laurie and Sarah met while at Uni. They are two peas in a pod, besties till the end of the world. One night, they have a party and Sarah brings her new boyfriend, Jack O’Mara. Laurie meets his eyes and she is gutted. Jack is the guy, her crush, yet she says nothing.

Jack recognizes Laurie instantly. He too, has thought about her. How could he not? And yet,.. he is with Sarah now.

Told in both Laurie and Jack’s alternating viewpoints and spanning the course of several years, there are missed chances, choices and loads of heartache and tears. As the years passed by, I felt that tightness in my chest that made my throat close up and my heart pound. The pain was palpable, the feelings of jealousy and heartbreak were as real as any I’ve ever felt personally.

“One Day in December” by Josie Silver is a novel that broke my heart time and again. My eyes filled and yes, I had to grab a tissue or two because I couldn’t stop myself from crying. Ultimately, this is a story that will make you feel… whether you are unabashedly romantic or not, your heart will soften and you will not be able to stop yourself from wondering, from having hope that it is out there and from showing everyone you love how much you care.

If you get the chance to read “One Day in December” please take it! This heartwarming read will be on my best of list for 2018 and I sincerely hope it will be on yours too!

This was another weekend buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to Emily at Goodreads, Eliana at Crown Publishing and to Josie Silver for a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon on 12.7.18.
Excerpt posted on Instagram. ...more

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May 28, 2019 jessica rated it really liked it

this is a tricky book for me to rate and review.

my immediate reaction is that i enjoyed it - hence the 4 stars. i must be a glutton for heartache, because ‘missed chances at love’ is a romance trope i quite enjoy (ie. one day and november 9), even though it breaks my heart at times. there is just something so rewarding about seeing two people finally find their way to each other after many years of fighting for it and this book is a perfect example of that. i especially loved seeing the charact ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 Paromjit rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, netgalley, humour-comic-fiction, contemporary-fiction

Josie Silver writes a romantic comedy that is absolutely going to be a big hit, with characters that tug at your heartstrings and packed with laugh out loud humour. It is perfect escapist fare that begins and ends in the festive season. It's December, Laurie doesn't believe in soul mates, but with her hair covered in tinsel, she is at a bus stop in London on a crowded bus heading to her parents home in Birmingham for Christmas. Through the misted window, she sees him outside and deep inside her ...more

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Nov 19, 2018 Christina - Recipe & a Read rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-read

4, 🎶 do you believe in love 🎶 stars!!!

Full review featured on my blog Recipe & a Read!

It all begins one day in December (I know, shocker, you had no idea). We start our story with Laurie, she doesn't believe in love at first sight, she's having a normal run of the mill day, then BOOM she sees a man outside her bus window. As their eyes meet, she feels an instant connection. Laurie's brain shorts out and she does nothing as the bus pulls away, she then runs through endless possibilities of what ...more

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Nov 19, 2018 Berit Talks Books rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, faves, book-besties, net-galley

LOOOVED IT!!! Every page, every sentence, every word, every letter!!!

In case you cannot tell I have fallen head over heels in love with this book! It has earned a place on my fave shelf and is absolutely one of my top five reeds of 2018... such a beautiful story, so full of love and heart.... this is an epic love story spanning an entire decade... a story with all the feels, you will laugh, you will cry, you will smile, you will shake your head, you will fall in love... this book will break your LOOOVED IT!!! Every page, every sentence, every word, every letter!!!

In case you cannot tell I have fallen head over heels in love with this book! It has earned a place on my fave shelf and is absolutely one of my top five reeds of 2018... such a beautiful story, so full of love and heart.... this is an epic love story spanning an entire decade... a story with all the feels, you will laugh, you will cry, you will smile, you will shake your head, you will fall in love... this book will break your heart over and over again and then fill it back up with love just as many times! Simply put it was MAGICAL!

Laurie doesn’t believe in love at first sight until she glimpses a boy at the bus stop...Laurie was such a wonderful character so well developed, I felt as though I would know her if she were walking down the street... adored her friendship with Sarah, one of my absolute favorite parts of this book... such a positive realistic portrayal of what a female friendships should be.... of course they have their ups and downs, but at the end of the day they were always there for one another.... all three of the main characters in this book Laurie, Sarah, and Jack were well drawn likable characters that you definitely could relate to...

Told from alternating points of view... we got the insights and perceptions of both Laurie and Jack threwout the decade... The book was structured brilliantly you never were confused as to who was narrating and what year it was... in fact the entire book is told linearly, there was no jumping around kind of nice for a change....

I absolutely recommend this stunning story to everyone with a heart! A wonderful Christmas read!

This was a group read with my Book Besties... Jennifer was approached by Goodreads and the publisher with this book and just as a true friend does she included all of us! How appropriate for a group of friends to read a story with such a tremendous focus on friendship... we had a wonderful discussion, we were all captivated by this story! We also thought it would make a fantastic movies, we even casted it... I thought I’d share our choices with you all!
Laurie we thought should be played bye Shailene Woodley, Sarah played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Jack buy either Liam Hemsworth or Zac Efron... have you read this? What do you think?

*** huge thanks to Goodreads, Crown Publishing, and Jennifer for my copy of this book ***

...more

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Apr 09, 2020 ~Poppy~ rated it really liked it

4.5 Stars

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Dec 07, 2018 Kaceey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, top-reads-for-2018, arc-from-publisher, buddy-read

Do you believe in love at first sight?

A chance encounter at a bus stop. Laurie, day-dreaming, gazes out the bus window and suddenly locks eyes with the boy sitting on a bench. One quick glance is all it takes. Young love is off and running! Is it magic? Is it kismet?

But the bus has a schedule to keep, and before either one can do anything, it pulls away.

Laurie, unable to let go of that single moment, spends the next year searching for her bus-boy. So… you just have to believe it’s more than co ...more

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Dec 23, 2019 Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

”We stare straight at each other and I can’t look away. I feel my lips move as if I’m going to say something, God knows what, and all of a sudden and out of nowhere I need to get off this bus. I’m gripped by the overwhelming urge to go outside, to get to him. But I don’t.”

Every once in a while there comes a book I don’t want to write about. Not because it wasn’t good (quite the contrary) but because reading it was such a unique and amazing experience that I don’t want to spoil anything for anyon ...more

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Dec 15, 2019 Samantha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-2019, ships-passing-in-the-night

I’ve stayed up until midnight on a weeknight to finish this book. It was the perfect emotional, real Christmas romance that I wanted. This won’t be for everyone. It has a fair share of angst and some romance tropes that don’t land for everyone. But sometimes life is a bit messy and this depicted that fact so well. I will be doing a full review (and possibly a gush?!?) on my channel.

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Nov 06, 2018 Norma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: traveling-sister-reads, review-requests, favourite-reads-of-2018

Smashing, engrossing & devouring!

Wow! I absolutely LOVED this book! Laurie, Sarah & Jack were great characters!

Random amusing line:
“I squint, trying to duck my head to see what he’s reading ....”

Oh my, I think all of us book lovers can relate to that sentence. I know that I have done that very same thing so many times!

ONE DAY IN DECEMBER by JOSIE SILVER is a fabulous, brilliant, heartwarming and delightful story that completely stole my heart and consumed my thoughts. It took me less than 24 hou ...more

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Dec 06, 2018 preoccupiedbybooks rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. (sorry 😭)

Well...Before reading this, I had never read a romance book where I didn’t ship the main characters! However, the more I read of ’One day in December,’, the less I wanted Laurie and Jack to end up together!

Ok there were some things I liked in this book:
1) Laurie was likeable sort of...
2) The friendship between Laurie and Sarah (except the lying to Sarah!)
3) The familiarity of the setting-it was nice reading a book set on the UK!
4) The importance of family
5) The way the book dealt with (sorry 😭)

Well...Before reading this, I had never read a romance book where I didn’t ship the main characters! However, the more I read of ’One day in December,’, the less I wanted Laurie and Jack to end up together!

Ok there were some things I liked in this book:
1) Laurie was likeable sort of...
2) The friendship between Laurie and Sarah (except the lying to Sarah!)
3) The familiarity of the setting-it was nice reading a book set on the UK!
4) The importance of family
5) The way the book dealt with death and grief.

There was more that I didn’t like though *sigh*
I hated Jack...I thought his character was like a cardboard cut out, he wasn’t fleshed out properly and I don’t think we really got to know him despite having his POV! I mean did Laurie even know him? They spent most of the book apart, and despite going on about them having this amazing friendship, they rarely spent any on page time together or even as a three with Sarah! I would’ve loved to have seen them build up a proper strong friendship over the years, instead of obsessing about the bus incident, Ferris wheel and pub!
Jack used women. He dated Sarah for four years despite not being really into her, and fantasising about her best friend! He then used Amanda, who seemed lovely and who had the patience of a saint! He never loved her and just strung her along.
He cheated on his long term girlfriend! I’ve read reviews where people say a kiss isn’t cheating-well if my husband kissed someone else I would chop his bloody balls off!!! Of course it’s cheating! Not only was he physically cheating, he was emotionally cheating, it wasn’t just a random kiss, he was into Laurie! He also fantasised about her when with Amanda 🤬

JUSTICE FOR OSCAR!! I loved Oscar, but could tell early on that he was going to be treated poorly. He was basically used as a plot device! He was a lovely man, and Laurie and he had a great relationship, being much more compatible than Laurie and Jack IMO. The author did a terrible job of making him seem like a bad guy, sending him to work in Brussels. Plenty of people have to work away from home, and they make it work! Myself and my husband were long distance for the first two years of our relationship, but we made it work until it didn’t, and then one of us moved because we wanted to be together above anything else! Laurie didn’t even consider moving to Brussels! What a fantastic opportunity that would’ve been for her, yet she claimed she couldn’t leave her mum. London is a couple of hrs train ride from Birmingham so...I’m just saying that if she loved him, she would have tried harder. When you are in a relationship, you make compromises🤷🏻‍♀️She could have given it a try, but instead moped about dreaming about Jack.

I didn’t like that instead of reading about the main couple, we had to endure reading about their other failed relationships! Maybe it would have been okay if they hand a bit of time together, even an epilogue, but they had like half a frigging page!! And the way they both treated their loved ones was appalling!

The only character who had any growth was Sarah, the others were like moody teenagers. I’m sorry, but screwing your life up because you caught gazes with a handsome boy and had a spark?! Really?! But speaking of sparks, I felt that there was no chemistry between Jack and Laurie anyway!

So...I was really excited to read this, but I felt really let down and disappointed by this one. I seem to be in the minority here though so maybe just ignore me?! 😂 ...more

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Dec 16, 2018 KAS rated it it was amazing

5 Mesmerizing & Memorable!! Stars

...I need to get off this bus. I’m gripped by the overwhelming urge to go outside, to get to him. ... I’ve just fallen hopelessly in love with a stranger at a bus stop.

Well folks, it just gets juicier and more captivating with each passing chapter ;)

Of course, I went in blind! Of course, it was the best way to go! Of course, I recommend you doing the same! Of course, I am convinced you will love it as much as I did!!

I would describe this story as sophisticat ...more

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Nov 04, 2018 Irena BookDustMagic rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Warning: This book talks about love at first sight.

Pure and simple: I loved this book.

…and to be honest with you, it took me by surprise how much I loved it. It was a perfect book to read, with beautiful writing and fascinating story with feels that gave me shivers.

The story follows Laurie who, one day in December, sees a boy and falls in love. They didn’t talk, she knows nothing about him, but the chemistry and the connection they had by just looking at each other is too strong to forget.
She sp ...more

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Jul 27, 2018 Kendall rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, netgalley-approved

2018 has been an amazing year of talent for new releases and I can proudly say that this little beauty sits proudly on that shelf!

Oh my goodness Josie Silver you have my heart with how beautifully your words and talent is expressed across these pages of One Day in December.

This book was NOTHING that I expected. What a beautiful and powerful tale of love, loss, friendship, and how love can span across a lifetime.

One beautiful wintery day Laurie is on the bus and she happens to look out her win ...more

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Nov 15, 2018 Brenda ~Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: print-from-publisher

Reading One Day in December is a like a getting a warm hug on a chilly winter day. It warmed our hearts and left us feeling like we just experienced something very special.

I have been talking about a few books I have read lately that have not been my normal and One Day in December was definitely one of them. This sister does not have a romantic bone in her. My poor husband.

One Day in December is warm, captivating, unforgettable and quirky love story not only between couples but within a friends Reading One Day in December is a like a getting a warm hug on a chilly winter day. It warmed our hearts and left us feeling like we just experienced something very special.

I have been talking about a few books I have read lately that have not been my normal and One Day in December was definitely one of them. This sister does not have a romantic bone in her. My poor husband.

One Day in December is warm, captivating, unforgettable and quirky love story not only between couples but within a friendship as well. It’s a story of friendship, loyalty, and missing chances that left us questioning if they really were.

Sometimes I think I am more romantic when it comes to friendships. I envied the relationship our main characters Laurie and Sarah had. Both characters were so different from each yet similar in some ways.

One of the things that makes this story so great is how it is told over a long period of time. We really get the chance to connect to the characters and see them develop, change, and experience different things. The dynamic between the characters seemed realistic and was heartwarming and truly special.

One Day in December made for one of the best group discussions we have had. We received a group kit with discussion questions and it had some of the best questions we have yet used. You can find them online as well. The questions are very thought-provoking, easy to answer and really related to the theme, insight and emotions we felt towards the story.

We highly recommend this one and think it is one to put on your do not miss list. If you get the chance to read it in a group we suggest taking it as its one of the best stories to discuss. You could always join the Traveling Friends. This is one I am definitely going to suggest they read.

*Thank you so much to Emily from Goodreads for making this spectacular Traveling Sisters group read possible!*

Thank you so much to Crown Publishing and Josie Silver for gifting us the Perfect Night In book club kit and sending out copies to some of The Traveling Sisters. It was an absolute pleasure reading this incredible book!

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Nov 03, 2018 Larry H rated it really liked it

It was a scene from one of the hopelessly romantic movies she loves: one late afternoon just before Christmas, Laurie is packed sardine-like onto a double-decker bus, when through a misty window she spots a handsome man. Some mystical force tells her that he is the one, and when their eyes meet, it's like they both know this to be true. But before Laurie can move or the man can try to board the bus and hopefully sweep her off her feet, the bus drives away.

Even though she's almost certain that "B It was a scene from one of the hopelessly romantic movies she loves: one late afternoon just before Christmas, Laurie is packed sardine-like onto a double-decker bus, when through a misty window she spots a handsome man. Some mystical force tells her that he is the one, and when their eyes meet, it's like they both know this to be true. But before Laurie can move or the man can try to board the bus and hopefully sweep her off her feet, the bus drives away.

Even though she's almost certain that "Bus Boy" may never come back into her life, she spends a year looking for him at every bus stop, shop, bar, everywhere she goes. She can't imagine finding anyone else. And just as she gives up hope that she'll ever be reunited with her mystery man, they finally do connect—only he's on the arm of her best friend and flatmate, Sarah. Yes, "Bus Boy," whose name is Jack (and who is more handsome than she even imagined), is Sarah's new boyfriend, a man she's fallen head over heels for.

Part of Laurie wants to tell Sarah the truth, that Jack is the man she has been hunting for. But when Jack doesn't seem to recognize her, she realizes she has been hanging on to a foolish obsession, and how can she stand in the way of her best friend's happiness? Of course, Sarah doesn't make it easy for Laurie, since she wants the three of them to spend lots of time together, and more importantly, she wants Laurie and Jack to be friends, too.

Jack actually did recognize Laurie, and he can't believe that the woman he may have had more than one or two fantasies about is actually his new girlfriend's best friend. But Laurie and Sarah are complete opposites, and he doesn't want to jeopardize what he's starting to have with Sarah. Even if it's difficult to try and be friends with Laurie, if it means that much to Sarah, he'll put any lingering feelings he has aside and do it.

Is there such a thing as destiny? Is there really one right person for everyone? How can you be happy when someone you truly care about gets what you want, what you think should be "yours"? Can you move on with your life if your heart isn't quite ready to let go?

One Day in December follows Laurie, Jack, and Sarah through 10 years of heartaches and triumphs, passion and anger, connections and misunderstandings, secrets and facing the truth. If ever there were a book that highlights how important it is to say what you feel, what you think, when it happens, it's this one.

If reading the plot summary in my review gives you ideas of how this book will unfold, you may be right. There isn't anything too surprising here, but that doesn't matter, because Josie Silver's appealing yet flawed characters grow on you, even though you want to shake them at times for not saying how they feel. It's a charming, romantic book, sure to warm the hearts of those looking for a good story about love and friendship and how one can get in the way of the other.

I thought this was going to be a breezy, mindless read, but it's a little more complex than I expected. I really enjoyed this, even though I would have liked it more if we didn't run through the same situations with the characters so many times. It definitely appealed to the sap, err, romantic in me though!!

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html. ...more

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Nov 20, 2018 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: super-excited-about, arcs, 2018-reads, hard-soft-copy, bb-shelf

Five stars to this treasure of a book and five stars to the unforgettable experience of reading it! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I’m honored and humbled that Goodreads selected me to receive a book club kit and set of copies of One Day in December, graciously provided by the publisher, Broadway Books and Crown Publishing. I was fortunate to have local friends and online friends join me for this heartwarming read, the perfect story to enjoy this time of year, and quite uplifting in the end.

It’s close to the holiday Five stars to this treasure of a book and five stars to the unforgettable experience of reading it! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I’m honored and humbled that Goodreads selected me to receive a book club kit and set of copies of One Day in December, graciously provided by the publisher, Broadway Books and Crown Publishing. I was fortunate to have local friends and online friends join me for this heartwarming read, the perfect story to enjoy this time of year, and quite uplifting in the end.

It’s close to the holidays, December 21 to be exact, when Laurie is bewildered and exhausted riding the bus home from work. She just so happens to make eye contact with a guy at the bus stop, and she has an instant connection, something she never believed in before. He tries to get on the bus, but it’s too late. The doors close, and off Laurie goes. She makes it her New Year’s Resolution to find the bus stop guy.

For a year, she searches for him at every bus stop and bar in London (amazing setting, by the way!). Never finding him, she attends a Christmas party where she is introduced to HIM as her best friend Sarah’s new boyfriend!

Ten years go by between these friends, and they experience their share of kindness, heartbreak, disconnects, and could there possibly be second chances?

I loved this story from start to finish. The formatting and timeline added interest and even more investment on my part. I found this a cozy, charming read, the characterization was warmhearted, and overall, it was a delicious escape, one where happiness is the ultimate goal. One Day in December is much more than the typical romance read, and that’s why it’s receiving universal love from readers across genres.

I hope I can speak for the group in saying that many found this book one of the their favorites of the year, if not their top favorite. We are all avid readers, so that’s saying something.

Thank you again to Broadway Books, Crown Publishing, and Goodreads for this special opportunity and for the free books. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com ...more

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Nov 12, 2018 JanB rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

4.5 stars

This book is all about fate, timing, and star-crossed love, told with a side of humor and a lot of heart. You’re not a romance reader? Neither am I! But this book melted my non-romance reading heart into a puddle.

In short, I loved it. It turned out to be so much more than I expected. I loved the characters of Laurie, Sarah, and Jack. I also enjoyed how the author explored the friendship between Laurie and Sarah, best friends for life, through thick and thin.

We follow these three throug ...more

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Nov 12, 2018 Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it really liked it

Shelves: traveling-sister-read

4 stars!

Charming. Witty. Endearing. Refreshing. Heartwarming.

I do not generally read romance, but when Brenda and Norma offered the Traveling Sisters the opportunity to read this title, I thought I would take a chance and try it out. I am SO GLAD I did! This is not your typical love story.

This novel follows Laurie who believes she has found “the one” when she happens to look through the window of the bus she is on and makes magical eye contact with a handsome stranger. She doesn’t believe in l ...more

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Chapter Addicts: One Day in December - BONUS Holiday BOTM!	2	28	Dec 02, 2021 07:17PM
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About Josie Silver

Josie Silver

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Josie lives in a small English town with her husband, their two sons, plus a changing cast of cats, dogs and fish. She writes full-time in a studio at the bottom of the garden.