This was such a delightful novel! Utterly perfect for a mid-week wind down. While romance/chick-lit is not my usual choice of genre, I do like it a lot when it's British. I'm kind of like that with my rom-com movies too. It's all in the humour, I find myself able to click better with British humour. And Josie Silver has a way with words too, an intimate style of telling her story that had me veering between laughter and tears – One Day in December really does have all the feels.

‘Who was St Valentine anyway and what made him such an expert on romance? I'm willing to bet his full name is St Smugbastard-three's-crowd Valentine, and he probably lives on a candle-lit island where everything comes in pairs, even bouts of thrush.’

Laurie is gorgeous, a character I was able to relate to on every level. In her early 20s when the novel opens, she's still very much finding her way, actively looking for her dream job while keeping an eye out for her dream man. And then she sees him, love at first sight through a bus window, but he's not quick enough at getting up and jumping onto the bus, so they miss each other. Until months later, when he turns up as her best friend’s new boyfriend. But don't be mistaken in thinking that this is the beginning of a cliché love triangle – far from it. What unfolds is a story about friendship, loyalty, and missed opportunities. As Laurie and Jack get on with their lives, as friends, the next twelve years throw up many different paths, none of which see them on the same one at the same time. And the other big relationship within this novel, between Laurie and Sarah, her best friend, was awesome. They were a great pair, through the highs and the lows, and there's nothing better than a solid book friendship anchoring a story in my opinion.

‘I remember the day I first met Sarah, and the first time I saw Jack, and how very tangled and complicated our lives have become over the years. We are a triangle, but our sides have kept changing length. Nothing has ever quite been equal. Perhaps it's time to learn how to stand on our own, rather than lean on each other.’

One Day in December is a novel that wraps you up in a comforting embrace. In many ways it's more life-lit than chick-lit, the sort of novel I can see myself getting really excited about if it ever made it up onto the big screen. And that ending...incredibly wonderful. A truly perfect way to finish such a gorgeous novel. I highly recommend One Day in December.


Thanks is extended to Penguin UK via Netgalley for providing me with a copy of One Day In December for review.

One Day in December, a boy meets a girl and a girl meets a boy... They fell in love and have their happily ever after. No? No! They meet but don't meet. Laurie is on a bus home from work. He's on the bench at the bus stop. Their eyes meet and there is this magical sparkle, this connection, almost like love at the first sight. But then the bus door closes and it drives away into the night.
Laurie looks after the mysterious boy from the bus stop for a year. And then she finds him! His name is Jack and he's a new boyfriend of Laurie's best friend Sarah.
What do you do in this situation? Tell your friend? Or try to eject all your feelings and live the next decade full of missed opportunities?

Although I'm not a great fan of cinema I've seen a few classic films, like "Sleepless in Seattle", "Nothing Hill", "When Harry Met Sally", "You've Got Mail", to name a few, and as a huge bookworm I've read some great books, such as the Lou Clark series by Jojo Moyes or "PS. I Love You", and guys, "One Day in December" is the perfect mix of all of them. It perfectly combines and blends the magical moments, the moments that made you go "wow" when watching and reading. And it's full of such magical and wow occassions of it's own, bringing to us new characters that we're going to talk about for a long, long time and, actually, never forget. But what makes this book even better is the fact that it's challenging, it's not fairy - tale - ish but it's realistic and down to earth.
It follows the lives of the characters over the course of ten years, skipping periods of time and jumping forwards, sometimes few weeks, sometimes months, and I must say that it was a brilliant idea - writing it like this made the book's pace faster, and I really liked how it focused on things that were truly significant, without leaving out the details but still focusing on the most significant events and things.

The friendship between Laurie and Sarah was gorgeous. I liked Laurie from the very beginning, but I actually was falling in love with her with every page that I've read, seeing how much she's able to sacrifice in the name of friendship. This closeness covered so many years, it was the real kind, when you don't see each other for few weeks and when you do you just start where you've finished, where you understand each other without words, where you'd do anything for the other person. It was real, genuine and honest. It was so incredibly easy to immediately become invested in their lives.
As much as the tale is told from Laurie's point of view, it also included chapters told from Jack's perspective. And Jack, oh Jack... It really broke my heart more than once to see how he tried to make himself invisible and unimportant, how much he was also able to sacrifice and how much it was breaking him.

My biggest problem with this story though was - it bothered me all the time, since I've finished reading it some time ago to this moment - that even though I loved it, and I fell for the characters, and I WANTED them to be together, I couldn't feel the chemistry between them, didn't see the sparkle! Their relationship missed it, no matter how much the author tried to convince me that they're destined to be together, that they're a perfect much. For me it was clear they're perfect match, it was clear that they loved each other so much but still, this electricity between them was missing. And the end - even though extremely romantic and gorgeous - did seem too abrupt for my liking - after spending so much time avoiding each other and making excuses it only takes a chapter to solve the problem.

This book was brilliantly written, and I don't only mean the writing style. The author has so vividly and beautifully described the feelings and all the emotions were palpable through the pages - it was so powerful and overwhelming. It was easy, uplifting and poignant read and it had it all: beautiful friendship, unconditional love, brilliant characters, unfavourable in - laws, all the ups and downs of being young and falling in love and getting older and realising that life is not always a bed of roses. However, those elements could also be perceived as clichés. I'd also love some of the characters to be better developed, as they felt too stereotyped, too black and white, and some events happening too conventionally, just helping the plot to continue. You could also see the end coming already at the beginning of the book, but the execution and the way to this end was what absolutely fantastically worked for me and I simply loved this book. I could not only laugh and cry but I also closely felt the gut - wrenching pain, the despair of the characters, their resignation and desperation, and it can't be easy to bring such feelings to the pages. Here Josie Silver has done and excellent job, pulling her readers into the story, making them fully invested in the characters' lives. Of course it is also this kind of book that makes you ask yourself what would you do in this situation. Being Laurie, would you tell Sarah, taking into consideration this brilliant, honest friendship of theirs? Being Sarah, would you like to know? And if your answer is yes, what then? I didn't find answers to these questions.

"One Day in December" was totally different to other books, refreshing, unique and addictive - you just have to know how it all is going to end! It was touching, moving and affecting, and I really often found myself holding my breath - at life being a bitch, at the unfairness of it, at the bad luck and especially at the beautifully captured feelings and emotions. It was not your usual boy meets girl, girl meets boy story, it was a love story with a difference, full of challenges and obstacles on the way and even though you could feel with your whole being how it's going to end - or at least you want to end it in THIS way - you really don't know, till the last moment, how it's going to happen. I liked it that way, as I liked my books to give me all kind of emotions, and it doesn't happen often that I can feel butterflies in my belly. A gorgeous story about love and loss, about friendship and relationships that is so much more than your usual love story, about falling in love and staying in love against all odds; about second chances, missed opportunities, about trust and about what ifs, regarding the question of all times: can love really conquer everything? Highly recommended!

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I suppose the clue is in the title. Yes, that's right - a slightly different story, but this is the essentially a version of of One Day, only the dynamic between the two main characters is even more excruciating. A girl and boy make eye contact, feel something extraordinary, and a year later (a year of obsession on the part of the girl) meet again, only the boy is now in love with the girl's best friend. Many years of trials and tribulations and growing up follow.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, although a third through the book I did start to wonder where this might be leading and where they will end up. I liked the main character, and that of the friend, but what bugged me is just how many bad things can happen to one person? At times it felt like a Grey's anatomy episode. Also, not being English I felt this book was representing that quintessentially British element - being silent lest that should upset others and as a consequence suffer in silence. But I suppose without the hurt there would not be a book. And despite all that, it is very well written book and did not fail to provoke the emotions and reactions. Well worth a read.

Great book, really well written, great story. Characters were great and related to them quickly. Lots of twists and turns in the book. gripped right to the end.

2.5 stars.

I seriously love this author’s work under her alternative pen names, so there was no question of me not reading this. However with several tropes and elements I tend to avoid finding their way into this story, there’s no way of flowering this up: One Day in December and myself weren’t destined for one another.

“From now on, if anyone asks me if I’ve ever fallen in love at first sight, I shall say yes, for one glorious minute on 21 December 2008.”

The premise of this story is simple, effective and unquestionably has that film-like aura to it. And you get no argument from me that Josie Silver does an outstanding job of covering a ten year period. But overall I struggled with the storyline content and characters who I couldn’t warm to, or particularly relate to.

“Sometimes you just meet the right person at the wrong time.”

I know they say the course of true love never runs smooth and the best things come to those who wait, but when fate and destiny bring constant poor decisions and the trampling of others along the way, then a book is unlikely to win my heart, no matter how much I love the author or how brilliant an ending the characters were given—and believe me the ending was indeed brilliant. I certainly wouldn’t deter anyone from reading One Day in December, it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

‘If anyone asks me if I’ve ever fallen in love at first sight, I shall say yes, for one glorious minute on 21 December 2008.’

Sometimes we come across a story that immediately warms our hearts and makes us feel like we’ve come home. Like we’ve been waiting for that immediate greeting of a warm hug, of a book that stirs something in our soul that makes us want to roll amongst the pages as they consume us. Sound fanciful? Well it’s not, it’s where we avid readers love to be -to find ourselves- to stay and feel part of something wonderful, something magical, something emotional and something heart-warming. Reading fiction that feels somewhat real, so much so we laugh, cry and experience every emotion. It’s a place we call book heaven and One Day in December is this book.

“There comes a point where you have to make the choice to be happy, because being sad for too long is exhausting. And that one day, you’ll look back, and you’ll not be able to remember exactly what it was you loved about that person.”

So quintessential British, so very romantic and dreamy. So heart-breaking, lost and persevering. So full of regrets, sacrifices but also hope and loyalty. So angsty and conflicting. So very funny and delicious. Every single character plays an intricate part of this story of life and love. A cast of people who all come across incredibly real in all their flaws and all their perfects. We experienced every step of this story as Josie Silver never just told, rather she showed us through masterful writing which ensured we felt the story with every breath we took as friendship and loyalties were tested in the pursuit of love and happiness.

‘So my only resolution this year? To work out how to fall out of love.’

The opening chapter reads like something out of a fairy-tale in all its wistful romance. The cockles of our hearts swooned and we could taste and feel the snowflakes, we saw the steamed up bus window and we felt the connection when Laurie and Jack first laid eyes upon each other. Fleeting yes, but a momentous and intense moment which was to reside deep within both for years to come.

“I don’t know if I believe in all that destiny stuff, Lu, but I’ll always be glad you’re in my life.” He looks down into my eyes and his mouth is so close I can feel his breath on my lips. I ache.

“Me too,” I whisper. “Even though being with you is hard on my heart sometimes.”

One day in December is told in dual pov as we follow Laurie and Jack who are caught in the headlights of bad timing and consequences beyond their control. The path of true love rarely runs smoothly and often drama and heartbreak makes a visit for the occasion. Love interrupted by friendship, distance and inopportune situations beyond anyone’ control. Yet the heart still wants what it wants and will fight for it no matter what it has to go through and how long it takes.

‘The truth is that I’ve walked around the edge of being in love with Jack for too many years. It’s made me realize something inevitable, something that’s been a long time coming: he and I would be better off without each other.’

We absolutely adore our Christmas movies; you know the ones that we sit and watch again and again every year as part of tradition. The ones that make our hearts warm and happy, maybe cry a tear or two whilst we curl up on the couch under a blanket with a glass of wine in hand. Well, if ever there was a case to bring a new one into the Christmas movie -must watch- fold then One Night in December stands proudly at the forefront. Someone needs to make this happen and we will be there ready with bells on and tinsel in our hair. Be prepared for a compelling journey of love and friendship spanning years, it’ll make you laugh and cry in equal measure. It’ll break your heart -frustrate you even- yet it will fill you with so much love and beauty too. It’s a wondrous journey we urge you to take. Let Josie Silver mesmerize you as she did us, leaving us with a heart full of love and a tearful smile of pure happiness.

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

One day, whilst on the bus, Laurie spots Jack at the bus stop (or Bus Boy as he is known to her then), and falls instantly in love, only for the bus to pull away from the stop before there is a chance for them to meet. She subsequently spends a year searching for him before being introduced to him as her best friend's new boyfriend. Spanning 10 years, this is the story of Laurie and Jack - will they/won't they get together?

This is not my usual type of book and I enjoyed it. An easy, cosy, romantic read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Silver and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh what a fabulous book! I have read this over the last couple of days picking it up at every opportunity. A welcome change from my usual crime/psychological thrillers.

Travelling home from work one night Laurie catches a glimpse of a handsome boy at the bus stop. They lock eyes and there is an instant connection. Unfortunately the bus moves on before either of them can make a move and Laurie spends the next year searching for "bus boy" with her best friend Sarah. Then one night Sarah introduces Laurie to her new boyfriend, Jack, who Laurie recognises as "bus boy". Jack is now out of bounds to Laurie and she has to find a way to keep her feelings hidden and get on with her life. The story is told from the viewpoints of both Laurie and Jack and we follow the three friends as they make their way through the ups and downs of life over the next few years. I won't say much more about the story but it's full of love, laughter and heartache.

The characters are very believable and the friendship between them is lovely. You cannot help but be drawn into this book and the lives of these characters. This book is beautifully written and as others have already said it would make a very good movie.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a lovely romantic read perfect for fans of 'One Day', 'Where Rainbows End' and 'Bridget Jones's Diary'. Romcom references are sprinkled throughout the text but they're subtle and fun to spot, not in-your-face. I liked the characters and enjoyed reading about nice people in a tricky situation.

My only complaint was that I didn't see enough of Jack; from about halfway through I stopped seeing positive traits in him and started to question why he was worth all the effort/heartache. I understand that there has to be some upheaval/conflict in the second half of the plot, however Jack became quite unlikable and didn't quite redeem himself sufficiently.

Having said that, I still really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those who enjoy romantic stories and tales of friendship and unrequited love.

I seem to have a thing about gold embossed covers at the moment so One Day in December caught my eye straight away and after reading the blurb I knew this was going to be my kind of read.
When Laurie looks out of the bus window and her eyes find this handsome man at the bus stop engrossed in a book (every bookworm’s ideal man!) she believes she has fallen in love when their eyes meet and he unsuccessfully attempts to get on the bus to meet her.
With the help of her best friend Sarah, Laurie is determined to find Bus stop Boy but when she finds him her heart breaks.
What an addictive romantic storyline! It has that will they won’t they pull to it the whole way through. Laurie and Jack ( bus stop boy) are totally made for each other but the impossible situation they find themselves in really tests their character and loyalty to those around them. The unpredictability of the storyline meant I had to read this book in one sitting as I was desperate to see if there was any way of a happy ever after for them.
Laurie and her best friend Sarah have such a strong friendship which I do love to see in a book.
Laurie is an easy character to love even though she has her flaws and her actions at times I didn’t agree with but because we understand the situation she is in we can see how impossible and unfair the situation she finds herself in is.
I would definitely recommend this book especially at the current Kindle price it is a steal. There is so much covered in this book, sacrifice, friendship, grief, heartache and romance.
A beautiful romance about boy meets girl but right girl at the wrong time!

I did enjoy this book but I just felt that sometimes it was spread over too long a period. I know that the author wanted to spread it over ten years, but for example, one minute Laurie is making New Year's resolutions, then it's May, then it's November and I kind of kept losing track of where we had been and where we were now so had to keep going back to look at how long had elapsed. It's a nice love story with an obvious ending that gives a nice overall feel to the book, but it didn't draw me in enough to keep me wanting to find out what happens next. I love the book cover but overall the story was slightly disappointing.

After reading a series of psychological thrillers it was nice to sit down with something much more relaxing. One Day in December automatically drew me in because it was based at Christmas.

Laurie is living a lacklustre life. She has a deadend job and feels that everything is at a standstill until she sees him....bus boy. Gazing out the window Laurie falls in love with a stranger, who we later come to know as Jack, and vows to find him before the year out. When she does find it though it is in the worst possible circumstances; he is her best friend's new boyfriend.

As Laurie deals with the heartache of losing the one guy that she thought would make her life better the story develops over a period of ten years and has a beautifully tragic feel to it. The obvious sparks between Laurie and Jack isn't all in her head but how can she live with herself knowing that her best friend is in the dark.

I really enjoyed this book and felt so sad for Laurie so I sped through it at immense speed. I would highly recommend.

Wowsers! Have to say this is one of those books that is hard to categorise because it encompasses a lot more than what you expect.

One Day in December absolutely wasn't what I was expecting, it was far more. This book goes really deep, it had me questioning a lot of decisions within, and it had me wiping my eyes at some scenes that were very close to my world and my experiences.

If you've read the book One Day, then this had me thinking of that immediately, and I mean immediately, not because it's the same oh no, but because the undertone current has the same feels. So if you've read 'that' book you'll know where my head was going with this one. Suffice to say Josie wove this story into such a well polished story where you couldn't help but get into the heads of all the characters and get behind them. Definitely, definitely a great book to warm the ole cockles in wintertime.

What turned this from a five star read to a six star read was the spot on insights into people and their reactions to circumstance. Hard to put into words, but some of the scenes and words within One Day in December mirrored me and aspects of my life completely. I'll not say any further as I refuse to put spoilers in a review, but know that it was almost like Josie has lived in my head at certain times in my life.

I'd recommend this to anyone who loves a deep romance, fraught with turbulent waters to conquer before the calm oasis materialises. Real people with real jobs and real life problems told in voice that is very engaging. I loved the New Year resolutions element, the way Laurie looked at life, although at times she frustrated me, but that's good, it means I'm thoroughly engaged. Jack also frustrated me. Would I have been able to keep quiet like Laurie did? Hell no. But then the story wouldn't have been anywhere near like it is if she was like me ;)

Highly recommend.

One Day in December Laurie first sets eyes on Jack waiting at a bus stop while she sits on the top deck of the bus. They lock eyes and she just knows he's the one but before he can get on the bus starts moving. She ropes her best friend Sarah into trying to hunt him down and they spend the next year searching the bars of London in the hope of finding him again. Laurie is about to give up when at last he appears... as Sarah's new boyfriend. What do you do when the love of your life falls for your best friend?
This book had me hooked within minutes and I stayed up for hours to finish it. It is a beautiful, complicated, bittersweet love story that I loved and I wish I hadn't read it so I could enjoy it again for the first time!
I loved it and I can't wait to read more by Josie Silver.

Definitely a wet/cold day book or a holiday read. So difficult to put down. Everything the reader thinks will happen doesn't and vice versa. Lu and Sarah are the very best of friends, what will happen in their love lives and will Lu ever meet the bus boy ? Wonderful reading.

When I saw the title of this book, I thought just another Christmas story. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas stories, and I sat down to read with great anticipation. However, this is no ordinary tale of tinsel and sleigh bells; it is an absolutely wonderful love story that keeps you captivated and guessing at the same time. As well as romance, there is heartbreak, happiness, humour and the most amazing lasting friendship in the pages of this incredibly moving book.

This is the story of Laurie and Jack. As the title says, Laurie first glimpses Jack one day in December from the bus she is riding home from work. Although she doesn't believe it possible, she is smitten there and then, but the bus drives on, Jack is left behind and she is left searching for him. When they finally meet properly, it is when he is introduced to her by her best friend in the world, Sarah, but as Sarah's perfect boyfriend. There then follows 10 years of ups and downs in which Laurie's, Jack's and Sarah's lives move in all sorts of directions, and a host of other characters come and go.

I completely loved this story. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster, but not one that had me shouting to get off; I never knew where it was going to turn next - wonderful writing. I cannot recommend it highly enough. However, be prepared with tissues for tears of joy, sorrow and frustration.

Thanks for letting me have a early copy, I really enjoyed this book and didn't take me long to read it.

Reading this book was easy and writing this review is hard because there are so many things I want to say about it, but I don't want to spoil anything for the next person who picks up this book to read it.
One Day In December is a wonderful story. From the very first chapter I was drawn in and I honestly didn't want to put the book down until I had read every single page and knew where the story concluded. Laurie, Sarah and Jack are three of the nicest people you could wish to meet. I love the close friendship that Laurie and Sarah share, they have such a special bond and a relationship they would put first above anything else.
If you have read the blurb you will already know that Jack is Laurie's 'one'. The man of her dreams that she has been searching for since locking eyes with him from a crowded bus. Unfortunately for Laurie, Sarah finds him first and I was absolutely heartbroken for her when she discovers that Jack is also Sarah's 'one'. The author wrote their wonderful and complex story so perfectly that I could feel every emotion. There were moments during the book where my tears flowed freely and other times when I would be laughing out loud, but throughout the story I could feel my stomach in turmoil as I read and subsequently empathised with what each of the characters was going through. My heart and my head were often in two different places as I wanted Laurie, Sarah and Jack to have the happiness that I felt they deserved, however I knew that this could potentially result in one or more of them being hurt and dejected.
Please don't think for one minute that this is your usual love triangle romance. This is a story of love, loss, friendship, missed chances and about finding your own way in life. It is a book that I would urge you to read as I am certain you will love it as much as I do.

Not your average boy-meets-girl story; this is much more like real life - and I loved every word of it!

On her way home on the bus after a hard day at work, Laurie sees a guy waiting in the bus stop and, as their eyes meet, she feels he may her 'someone special'. Transfixed by her, he doesn't make a move until it's too late and the bus pulls away leaving him behind. Laurie spends the next year scanning everywhere in the hopes of finding 'bus boy' but it's not until her flatmate and best friend, Sarah, introduces her to the new man in her life that she realises the hunt is over - and he's out of bounds to her. With the scene set, we follow Laurie and Sarah through their twenties; love, life and careers whilst through everything their friendship never falters.

This is a fresh take on romance, and I enjoyed it immensely. Skilfully created, there is always something going on to keep the reader's attention. Several different gorgeous locations are beautifully described, and the character traits are very endearing giving a clear picture that these are folk you would welcome as friends. A wonderfully light-hearted read, full of as many angst moments as there are 'aaah' ones and I really couldn't find fault - even if I wanted to. It certainly kept my attention throughout, and I have no hesitation in recommending this new voice in fiction.

My thanks to publishers Penguin for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

The London settings are certainly evocative and brought me back to that time and place in my life with familiar feelings. Slow burn romances are not usually my favourite type when reading the genre but the characters were likeable and one cannot but end up feeling connected with them and their life.
An enjoyable emotional read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.