Book Review: One Day in December by Josie Silver

Pages: 416

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: October 16, 2018

Publisher: Broadway

Source: Library

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "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 again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.  What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness."

It's a snowy day in December and Laurie is taking the bus home through the bustling city streets of London.  While peering out the bus window, she sees a man at the bus stop and she locks eyes with him.  She immediately feels butterflies and an undeniable connection to him.  Does he feel it to? She isn't sure, but she knows he doesn't look away.  She should have gotten off the bus, but alas, it drove away quickly taking her with it.  She spent years looking for her bus guy.  She'd be at a crowded pub in London, her eyes would always search for him, but a few years went by and she never saw him again.  She always wondered what if. What if she got off that bus and actually talked to him? What if he was the one? What if true love at first sight actually exists and isn't just reserved for Disney movies and Romeo and Juliet? Instead she finds him when she least expects it. Her best friend, Sarah, introduces her boyfriend to Laurie at a Christmas party.  Guess who Sarah's boyfriend is? Bus guy.  His name is Jack and he is still perfect.  Cue the awkward situation, especially as Laurie tries to figure out if Jack remembers seeing her at the bus stop a few years ago.  But even if he does, she could never steal him away from Sarah; after all, Sarah is pretty much the perfect girlfriend not to mention her best friend.  Laurie finally moves on, but readers can't help wondering if they will ever have their happy ending.  Josie Silver's One Day in December is like sitting down on the sofa with your favorite blanket and a hot cup of tea. It's heartwarming, it's romantic, it's heartbreaking and it's the perfect holiday/wintertime read.  

Oh, Laurie. She is almost like a Jane Austen heroine in One Day in December. She's tragically flawed and she's totally got her head in the clouds when it comes to love...but how could readers not enjoy her? I really wanted to believe in her love at first site scenario, but the skeptic in me kept wondering if Jack actually felt it too. I mean it seems pretty far fetched that he would remember her from that brief, but special moment. Or maybe Laurie just conjured it up in her mind. Nonetheless, the fact that he is dating Sarah makes it extremely challenging not to mention awkward for all involved.  As the years go by, Laurie tries to move on and while we think maybe, just maybe, there's a chance for her to be happy, we can't help but wonder.....what about Jack? He seems to always be in the back of her mind and their story takes many wrong terms in order to get to that final destination. 

Jack isn't my usual swoon-worthy love interest, but I still really liked in him One Day in December. Like Laurie, he is flawed and makes horrendous decisions, but I couldn't help liking him.  I was rooting for him from the beginning.  I loved how he had Laurie's back through many difficult situations and their friendship spanned many years.  I won't say much more, because I don't want to give it away, but I thoroughly enjoyed their complex story.

If you love Bridget Jones and Love Actually, then you will adore this novel. I am SO glad I read it around the holidays, because it's the perfect feel-good read to snuggle up with and get lost in.  This novel had me feeling all the emotions, so I definitely recommend you curl up with One Day in December this winter.  It ended up being one of my favorites for 2018.