So I'm obviously very late to read and review this one. I feel incredibly bad especially because I'm a fan of Rachel's other books but I've just never found myself in the right mental and emotional state to start this book and sadly I still feel this way.

I will pick this book up one day but I just don't know when that will be.

I'm giving it 5 stars because I know I'll love it when I do read it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the sound of this one but the more I read the more I grew aggravated by Laura and Luke. I wanted them to communicate more! I decided to DNF this one at 30%.

This was a somewhat fast paced read which made for fairly compulsive reading. I really liked the first half of the book and was wrapped up in the couple and their budding romance and how they approached obstacles together/how they fought through struggles. I found a lot of their communication to be fairly toxic but viewed it in the light of their youth and being flung into responsibility and fame so young. However, the theme of the book did turn out to be poor communication and I think this was fairly exasperating to read at a certain point. I still wanted to see how their story ended and I would say I enjoyed a lot of elements of the book, but my goodness were these two frustrating at a certain point in time!

Unfortunately this one was a bit of a miss for me. I thought the characters were quite immature, didn’t seem to have good communication and felt it hard to get invested in them one day per year. November 9 by Colleen Hoover is similar but I felt much more invested in those characters

I have enjoyed a couple of Rachel’s other books Saturdays at Noon and Until Next Weekend so would try more from her

I've read a few of Rachel Marks' books now, and this one is well written but overall didn't wow me.

The book follows Laura and Luke on one December day over a 15 year period. Similar in fashion to One Day, which I think was slightly better executed.

I found most of the characters to be unlikeable, and honestly one day a year wasn't really enough to understand the circumstances. I found the novel covered a lot of heavy topics, but as it was a yearly glance, it didn't feel like it was given the gravitas it required.

I love these sorts of festive romances where it spans over long periods and we keep coming back to one particular day. This was no exception - loved it

Rachel Marks' "One December Day" is a heartwarming and evocative novel that beautifully captures the magic of the holiday season and the transformative power of love. Set against a backdrop of wintery charm, the story follows a protagonist who finds unexpected joy and new beginnings during a pivotal December. Marks’ writing is both tender and engaging, with well-drawn characters and a plot filled with warmth and emotional depth. The narrative balances festive cheer with poignant moments, making it a perfect read for fans of feel-good, seasonal romances. "One December Day" is an uplifting and delightful tale that embodies the spirit of hope and connection.

One December Day is a lovely emotive read that makes you feel warm inside and gives you lots of feels. Great book to curl up with with on the sofa with a cup of tea or a glass of wine in the bath.

One December Day by Rachel Marks

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

One December day, Laura meets Luke...

Luke's in a band. He's going places. But what good is success if you have no one to share it with?

Laura's a summer girl. But, on this winter's evening, has she found her soulmate in funny, sexy Luke?

Under the Christmas lights, something magical begins. But will they still feel the same on this day next December? And the one after that?

Finding love at Christmas is wonderful. But is staying in love - year after year, through the joy and heartbreak - the real miracle?

Luke and Laura are about to find out, one December day at a time...

My Opinion

This book takes place on the 16th December, set over different years - Rachel Marks lovingly tells the story of Luke and Laura whilst swapping perspectives. At times I found myself getting frustrated with these characters, I just wanted them to pay more attention to each other's feelings. This is emotional in places but it was such a lovely read. Whilst set in December, this wasn't overly festive so whilst best read during the festive season it could be read at any time of year.

Rating 4/5

Even though it has December in the name and not Christmas, I was expecting more of a festive read than I got. But I still found myself hooked when reading this.
It's equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. I also found it to be really engaging and had me hooked from the very first to the very last page.
It does feel similar to One Day In December in some ways. So, if you liked that book, I have a feeling you will enjoy this.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for what Rachel Marks does next.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely book that goes through all the emotions and tribulations that people experience as they go through their twenties and become real grown ups!

⭐️ 3 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I enjoyed One December Day but didn’t like or connect with any of the characters at all, not a single one.
 
It’s well written, and the characterisation is good; it’s just that none of the cast are particularly likeable.
 
I loved the idea of the story, but I did think it became slightly repetitive at times.
 
Overall, an entertaining (albeit not particularly festive) read.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I loved it! I wasn't expecting it to be such an in-depth story of love and heartbreak. I was expecting a warm and romantic festive read but it was totally over and above what I thought it would be.

It is more about December than Christmas specifically and it took me a while to get into it but I loved the characters and their interwoven stories which were created so perfectly.

Highly recommended. I will be looking out for future books by Rachel Marks.

Great book, cute storyline which was what I expected.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I’ve read all of Rachel’s novels and admire her skill for bringing something different to each couple’s story. It’s a real skill to take the romance genre and make the reader feel like it’s a new and individual story. I think Rachel manages this and brings in real life issues like alcoholism or blended families to explore modern relationships with some of the challenges they can face. This novel takes a structure like David Nicholls’s One Day but adds the beautiful warmth and hope of Christmas. We visit Luke and Laura on 16th December each year and as each year passes we become more invested in their story. We get to know their characters and quirks. As I read I became almost protective of their fledgling relationship. What brings even deeper meaning to the novel is that this book carries on where others finish. It doesn’t finish at the ‘happy ending’ where this couple get over a few small obstacles and stay together. Rachel takes us beyond this into the reality of long term relationships, where situations change and difficulties arise. People change as they get older and a couple can feel out of step with each other on choices like where to live or whether to start a family. Life challenges like illness, bereavement, work difficulties and opportunities come and go over the years. Couples argue over how to deal with these changes and may not be able to find common ground any more. Here Rachel challenges the couple with revelations and mistakes, even people who love each other can hurt each other. In their early relationship Luke is hopeful and enthusiastic about the band he plays in. He really thinks it could go somewhere, but seems oblivious to how much it worries Laura who fears his potential success might take her away from him.

However, from time to time I wanted to give them both a slap. Whether it’s being much older than them, but I was very aware there were miscommunications and Luke seemed deliberately obtuse sometimes. Despite this I did desperately want them to work and found myself willing them on. I also really enjoyed their friend Sarah, who loved the couple to pieces and they are buoyed up by her support and strength of character. She’s also incredible brave when facing her own difficulties. I was really impressed with how well the structure worked. Rachel had written her couple so well I felt like I knew them, so when we jumped from one year to another I automatically picked up where I left off. She never left me wondering what on earth had happened. It was almost like having an old friend who you don’t see often, but when you meet you’re able to pick up straight away and carry on as if no time had passed. I read this over the Christmas period, but it’s not so overtly festive that it would feel strange to read at any other time of year. Rachel’s managed to create the tension of a ‘will they - won’t they’ romance, with a couple who are already together. That’s really clever.

The story follows Laura and Luke on the 16th December every year for 15 years, starting with there first date to having a teenage son. A great book with lots of emotional sub plots. I really enjoyed One Day In December.

One December Day by Rachel Marks . Luke loves Christmas, Laura not so much, they really could long be more different but they met at a gig that Luke is playing at and there story begins from there, are they meant to be together or not? This wasn’t the greatest book, it was ok, but I wished I had picked something else, however at times it felt like it had potential. I say this simply because it simply felt like, each chapter set a year apart on Laura and Luke’s sons birthday, was just on big continued argument, that despite the arguing was always going to end in one way. I felt like it had potential because part of the plot (a small part) was that Laura’s friend had breast cancer and it very briefly explored the friends relationship around this and the effect it had on her friend. This part of the book for me although a very sad part, was a break from the repetitiveness of the will they won’t they of Luke and Laura and gave the heart much need heart and emotion. With each coming year of Laura and Luke, it was like what are they arguing about now, why are the denying they still love each other again! Don’t get me wrong early on I did feel sorry for Laura and her relationship with Luke but I just got fed up hearing about it. I was simply drawn to this because of the lovely cover, I will say that despite Luke being mad on Christmas and each chapter being set on December 16th, I wouldn’t class it as a Christmas book. There are far better Christmas books and other books to be read however at the moment if you wanted to add this to your TBR or it’s in your TBR pile then it’s only 99p on kindle. I’ve given it ⭐️⭐️⭐️and the only reason for that is the part about Breast Cancer, as this part is sensitively written, written with a heart and it really tugs are those heart strings. 📚📚

On Dec 16th 2004 Laura and Luke fell in love under the stars, when life felt exciting and unknown. Fast forward a year and Luke's band is taking off, meanwhile Laura is giving birth to their son, Dylan.

We catch up with their story every Dec 16th up until 2018, with all the trials and tribulations they go through. There's happiness. There's frustration. And there's heartbreak. But there's also friendship and festive joy and an unbreakable bond.

This is a beautiful romance but it's not sickly sweet. It reflects how messy life can get and how hard it is even when you love someone. But it's message is that it's never too late if you just dare to be brave. Truly magical.

This is my fourth book by the author and the fourth book that I’ve fallen in love with
This author has a unique writing talent. Taking a group of people in a book and introducing them to the reader and the reader becoming immediately invested in their lives, feelings and experiences. With every book I’ve read by this author, you instantly feel a connection to the characters and for the time you spend reading about them, I feel like they are actually part of my life.
I felt like Laura and Luke were people that I knew and like I was invited every year to Dylan’s birthday
The story is told on 16 December every year over a 12 year period. Each year throws a new dilemma into Luke and Laura’s life. The storyline with Sarah broke my heart. I could literally feel the pain through the pages.
This book is an easy 5 star for me and is highly recommended as with all the authors books
Looking forward to the next one

Full disclaimer, I went into this headfirst expecting a full blown Christmas romance, sparkles and warmth. It’s more about the time of year (December) than what’s actually happening in terms of festivities and holidays though. Once I got my head around that…wow. It’s a heavy book in many respects, and too a while to properly get going, but once it did I was hooked right up until the end.

The characters irritated me so much. So. Much. I was constantly frustrated with them. Almost doing the equivalent of shouting at the TV when they repeatedly seemed to do ridiculous things. But you know what? They were human. That’s what made this book so good in the end. This is an emotional read, and if you’re looking for festive cheer it’s not the one, but it’s absolutely worth adding to your TBR list and bumping it up when you’re ready for an emotive, flawed-characters with heart-warming elements.