leeliu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Moderate: Death
Minor: Terminal illness
deelightfulreads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Terminal illness
omgitsyelhsa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Graphic: Death, Cancer, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
sglance9's review
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Death
sarahallez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness
morganperks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Update: upon further review, some of the blame may be on me for not reading the back cover where it says, "in the style of Me Before You" so there was a heads-up, but I stand by what I said. I was a victim of clever marketing. Heed my warning, if you're looking for a cute Christmas romance...this ain't it.
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Terminal illness, Abandonment, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Car accident, Medical content, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
emmehooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Was I in love with the girl meets boy and they fall in love after 3 days storyline? Nah. Was I sold by all the coincidental meetings and their love/hate/forbidden love dynamics? No. Did it conform to my stereotyped expectations? Mostly.
That being said, I did get teary eyed at the end of the book. It was written well and the emotional aspects are relatable in a lot of ways. If you like straight romances and Hallmark-sequence tragedy with a silver lining, you’ll probably like it.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Infidelity
chessie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This is not a light-hearted Christmas romance, so just know that going in…
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Car accident
thrillofthepage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
First up is Always, in December by @emstonewrites. I knew going in that this book would be emotional, but wow. I cried…a lot. Stone knows how to write characters you fall in love with and feel invested in. I absolutely adored Josie and Max, Memo, Bea, all the people we met. Well, I didn’t like Oliver because he was a jerk 😂 The relationships between our characters are authentic and moving. I was fully committed to seeing how each relationship would play out and how the story would end.
Several people have mentioned that they are waiting until December to read this one. Yes, December is mentioned in the title, but it isn’t wholly set during that month. In fact, the story starts off at Christmastime and then moves on throughout the following year. I think this is a perfect book to read any time of year. Especially if you’re feeling extra emotional.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration of Heather Long was superb. She really brought the characters to life and conveyed so much emotion. I truly felt like I knew Josie, Max, Oliver, Bea, and Memo. If you like fiction audiobooks then I highly recommend this one!
TW: loss of a parent, grief, infidelity, and others that you should DM me about if curious.
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness
ampinfrance's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
And it was all just too cliché and predictable.
Moderate: Death of parent and Terminal illness