Book Review: One Day in December | Josie Silver

A love story about what happens after you meet, or rather, don’t meet the one.

Charming and authentic, One Day in December is a story of love, friendship, and growing up. This book made me so happy! It felt like a film, something that I could envision so vividly. And at the same time, it felt like a real story. The characters felt like friends, and I felt deeply invested in their lives. This was a book club read hosted by Jennifer at Tarheel Reader and sponsored by Goodreads, and I’m so glad to have shared this magical story with friends!

About the Book

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.

Reflection

It would be so easy for this book to have followed the formula of a perfect couple that by chance found other people first. Laurie and Jack could have been the heroes, and Sarah could have been obviously wrong for Jack. Sarah could have been a friend that betrayed Laurie, and deserved what she got. This book was none of those things, though. When I say it felt authentic, I say that because the characters all just felt like people—imperfect but lovely nonetheless.

The fact is, Sarah and Jack are a great couple! When I started One Day in December, I expected to want them to break up and Laurie and Jack to get to be together—don’t we all want to believe in love at first sight?? But that isn’t how the story felt at all. Sarah and Jack are good together. They have a real connection. That makes Laurie’s position all the more raw to read about—she loves Sarah and she’ll do anything to not have the feelings she does.

Laurie and Sarah’s friendship was actually my favorite part of the book. Both make mistakes, but both are incredible friends to the other. Sarah is upbeat, inclusive, and loyal. Sarah wants Laurie to be happy and successful. Sarah would do anything for Laurie. And Laurie herself loves Sarah with such heart. Laurie is kind, supportive, and entirely removed from the jealousy many would feel of a girl like Sarah. The moments between these two friends and watching them grow up, from 22 to 32, made my heart sing. Many of the moments that made me laugh and cry and smile were actually moments between Sarah and Laurie, without Jack involved. That’s why I say this is a book about friendship.

But of course, there is love! Love and heartbreak and passion and emotions flow out of the pages of this novel. There were so many moments that just made me feel what the characters felt. I cried with them, I laughed with them, I felt confused about was the right path. And ultimately, I let the story unfold and wash over me. I experienced every up and down, and I loved it. I don’t want to spoil anything about the central relationships, so what I’ll say is this book is wonderful! Read it—you won’t regret it!

Also, I wasn’t sure where to mention this because it is kind of an aside, but there’s another part of this book that I loved. That is the movie references. With the exception of two movies, I don’t think the others are mentioned by name, but there are dozens of instances that pay honor to the great romantic films throughout history, beginning with Love, Actually and moving back and forth through time. If you are a movie fan, watch for those! Sometimes they were subtle, but it was such a magical element to this book!

Many thanks to Crown Publishing and Goodreads for sponsoring this book club read!