A real page turner for me. I really enjoyed the storyline of how two daughters were treated differently and how it shaped who they went on to become. Add in some romance and it was a winner for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I don't think this is necessarily a Christmas book, it spans across a year and though wintery and festive things feature occasionally I think this can be read at anytime and enjoyed so don't go in thinking its super festive or be put off if Christmas books aren't your thing. It has great characters, lots of travel and tackles a really emotional topic of belonging and family, I loved it!

Aww, now this gave me all the christmas feels, what a very original book! I loved this from start to finish!!
I sat on a miserable July afternoon and read this from cover to cover with a cup of coffee and my blanket and it gave me all the winter vibes!! This will definitely be a re-read over the festive period!

A lovely warm romantic seasonal read thank you netgalley. The story starts with the sad death of Lexie's Dad- while they had a difficult relationship it seems he knew what she needed and in leaving her half his travel company she found her way in life and love. It looked like Lexie and Theo weren't destined to be together untill the very end of the last chapter

A heartwarming story which I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved following Lexie's story with its ups and down. A great romantic story which was an excellent read.

Loved this book that I read through Netgalley. Family and friend relationships with romance thrown in.
Aĺl woven into a great story involving travel. Loved the tradition of a wish jar . Great to hear different sides of the story. Very heartwarming book.

This is another beautiful story told by Emily Stone, she is very quickly becoming one of my favourite festive authors.
The story is one which sounds simple on the surface, an estranged daughter receives an inheritance, but there are so many layers to it and relationships for Lexie to cope with and learn the truth of, it makes for an amazingly heartwarming tale which kept me turning the pages needing to know that all would be well by the turn of the last page.
The characters in this one are very interesting and relatable in many ways. The story arc was one that almost felt like it could have happened and we are just being told someone’s story rather than one that has come from the imagination of an incredible wordsmith.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and am now eagerly awaiting this author’s next book!

Lexie has one thing that is steady in her life of moving about constantly, and that one thing is her wish jar. It’s a tradition from childhood that she wouldn’t and couldn’t leave behind. When her estranged father dies she finds out that he has left her half of his travel business that is located in Bath. However, there is one clause and that is she has to work alongside Theo, who owns the other half, for a year. After the year is over Lexie is adamant she will leave and either sell her half to Theo or they will sell the company as a whole. After a work trip to Spain they both find that there is chemistry between them that neither can deny. Will Lexie up sticks and leave or will she find the reason to stay in one place and finally call it home for good.

I have been lucky enough to read all of Emily Stones books and every one of them I have adored even though they made me cry and I don’t mean a tear, I mean ugly cry. This one almost had me crying but it doesn’t mean I enjoyed it less than the other books. I really loved the story and Lexie and Theo’s characters. Another banger by Emily and perfect Christmas read but be like me and read it anytime of the year as books are for life not just Christmas 😉

I absolutely adore Emily stones festive books and this one did not disappoint. Cosy, fun and heartwarming. Read this one and all her others!!

I really enjoyed this book. It was so lovely, cuddly and Christmassy.
I really liked Lexi and desperately wanted it all to work out for her.
It's a perfect Christmas read, for those cold winter nights, snuggled with a hot chocolate.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read a previous book by Emily Stone I knew I would enjoy it, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s not really a Christmassy book, but it is a lovely holiday read which is good any time of the year.

Lexie’s Dad had a habit of letting her down. He walked out when she was a child, and started a new family with a new daughter, and from then on, he was never there for her and when he finally let her down on her 21st birthday that was the last straw and she cut him out of her life. When she heard that he had died she didn’t know what to feel, and then when she found out that he had left her half his business, she was even more confused. Her first thought was to sell up, pay her debts, and use it to travel. Unfortunately, he said that she couldn’t sell until she had run the business for a year – and if it turned a profit it could be sold (I’m pretty sure this isn’t legal in real life). The only problem is that the other half of the business was left to Theo, who worked in the business for many years and hated her. It doesn’t take a genius (or reading the blurb) to figure out that with time and understanding Their and Lexie learn to respect each other and then feelings deepen.

This isn’t the most cerebral book, and the main premise of the book is probably flawed, however it is a very enjoyable story with lovely characters that you would love to have as friends.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6740345871

https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2024/08/home-again-for-christmas-by-emily-stone.html

Lexie’s life is all about constant movement, except for one thing she always keeps close: her cherished wish jar. But when her estranged father passes away, Lexie is stunned to inherit half of his travel company in Bath. The catch? She has to work alongside Theo, her attractive but grumpy business partner, for an entire year. While Lexie plans to leave as soon as the year is up, a steamy work trip to Spain throws her plans into disarray as undeniable chemistry sparks between her and Theo. Now, Lexie must confront the possibility of finding a reason to stay, uncover the secret her father hid from her, and perhaps finally understand the true meaning of home.

This is a perfect, feel-good, cosy up with the fire and Christmas tree lit behind you kind of book. Perfect Christmas read, simple and easy! This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

This was a beautifully written book. Emily had made such excellent characters. Theo are Lexi are both great but Ange was my favourite. I loved her ways of meddling to try and fulfil Richards wishes.

I have never read any books by Emily and as always with a new author you're not sure if you're going to like their style of writing, but I have to say I really loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read it.

What a gem of a book! It is a fantastic read and had me hooked from the very first page. Thank you Emily for this great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for this ARC.

For every NetGalley reviewer there comes a time when the first Christmas books arrive, and it's usually in the middle of summer. I managed to delay reading any until August but now they have built up so let's dive headlong into wintery days and Christmas cookie baking.

Lexie's world fell apart when her Dad left the family when she was seven, and started a new family, resulting in her half-sister Rachel. She has never forgiven him because it was also the end of her travels with him, and she never formed deeper attachments to other people, preferring to work on short-term contracts as a chalet girl and nanny in Austria.

She is therefore more than shocked when her Dad dies of cancer after a short illness and she is told that she has inherited half of his travel agency in Bath, together with her Dad's mentee Theo. The will stipulates that they have to work together for at least a year and make a profit before they can sell or walk away.

Theo's a grumpy man with a temper (not my favourite for a book hero) and it takes a while for them to start tolerating each other and working together as they both seem to be committment phobes with trust issues. Unfortunately, we get my least favourite trope, misunderstandings and miscommunication, coupled with a third-act break-up. Lexie often feels like a wounded, cornered animal but it's hard to like a person who constantly runs away when a problem presents itself. Nevertheless, her journey feels believable. And I liked how she opens up to Theo, makes peace with her Dad and befriends Rachel. They both grew on me for their willingness to change.

It was nice to go on travels with her and Theo to Madrid, Austria and Ireland. The French lemon festival sounded brilliant and I would have liked to read more about other countries and their celebrations.

I don't think the book is too Christmassy as other seasons are available throughout the book. Thank God, right now it's 27⁰C outside!

As for the book title, I think it's too generic. I would have liked something like The Christmas Wish Jar, as this is what a huge chunk of the book was about - the wish jar Little Lex started with her Dad so many years ago and which became a big part of her life. She travelled light but took the jar with her everywhere she went.

I liked feisty Ange but I'm not sure I would have given Harry a job - he seemed very green!

This is a heartwarming romance book about complex family situations and traditions and reads very well - perfect to start the holiday season with.

It’s never too early for a good Christmassy book, Lexie has a Christmas jar which she takes everywhere on her travels, a tradition she remembers fondly from her childhood.
Lexie’s life changes drastically when her estranged dad dies, he leaves her half of his travel business, sharing it with Theo.
The pair instantly dislike each other and so starts the perfect enemies to lover trope.
The growing tension between them is evident, Theo softens as he uncovers why Lexie is so angry with her dad.
I loved the progression of her character, the elements of travel is really fun and lightens the book so well.
A really great read and I look forward to reading more of Emily’s books.
Thank you NetGalley, Emily Stone and Headline for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Home Again for Christmas by Emily Stone is an absolute joy to read. It spans a year, starting and ending around Christmas so could honestly be enjoyed at any time of year.
When Lexie and Theo meet, it is under difficult circumstances. Both have been bereaved, but while Richard was a beloved friend and mentor to Theo, to Lexie he will always be the father who abandoned her to start another family.
Richard has left his travel company to them both, which they must run together for a year before they can sell it or walk away. As they get to know each other, they also learn more about Richard and ultimately themselves.
I thought the story was beautifully told, and the supporting characters were also fully fleshed with interesting story arcs of their own. The descriptions and details of all the trips Lexie and Theo take are so intriguing I definitely want to check out a few of the locations myself! Enjoy!

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this book.

Lexie loves to travel, something that she loved doing with her Dad too. He and her mother separated when she was a child and afterwards she didn’t have much to do with him.

When she hears that he has died, she attends the funeral, after which she is informed that she has to look after his business along with Theo.

She’s not happy that she has to change her own plans to stay in England and work with someone she doesn’t know, and neither is Theo.

But after them both not liking each other, their relationship develops into romance.

We read about the different upbringings Lexie and her sister had and their feelings about each other. I loved the tradition that Lexie carried on after her father passed away.

I loved the characters, the different countries that were described throughout and the food.

I highly recommend this book.

Every year I eagerly await the release Emily Stone’s latest book and this years offering, Home Again For Christmas was as wonderful as ever.

Stone is one of my absolute favourite authors. She writes the most beautiful, though often devastating, stories that ultimately leave you feeling hopeful and uplifted. Her characters are beautifully real, fragile, complicated and messy, and goodness do I love them. Her writing also never fails to make me cry and we all know how cathartic a good book cry can be!

Home Again For Christmas centres of Lexi and Theo who are thrown together following the passing of Lexie’s estranged father Richard. In his will Richard left Theo and Lexie his travel company in Bath, but with the stipulation that they must work together for the year and turn a profit. Having worked with Richard for the past 5 years Theo is desperate to proof himself, but for Lexie, who never stays in one place for more than 6 months, it all feels too much. Will she find reason to stay in one place and will the undeniable chemistry between Lexie and Theo ignite? Will she discover the secret her father kept from her, and finally learn the meaning of home?

This was such a beautiful book; it’s a stunning and sensitive exploration of the complicated nature of families, both traditional and found. I don’t want to say too much about the intricacies of this so as to not give anything away, but this story has so much heart, but also some really wounded people. What was so beautiful though was how this group of people, both the MCs and the wonderful supporting characters, gained so much healing from one another once they allowed themselves the chance to open up in new ways. I love that the notion of home ended as being tied to who you’re with rather than where you are.

I adore Stone’s books and this one was no exception. The travel and different locations that the MCs found themselves in added such a wonderful extra dimension and left me wishing the travel company was real so I could go on their trips!

This was a delight and I couldn’t recommend it more.