Book Review: One Day in December by Josie Silver
As the Christmas season of 2021 draws to a close, I knew that I would be reading this one next. This is my first novel by this author. Let's see what I thought of this romantic winter story.
One Day in December is written by Josie Silver. The American edition is published by Broadway Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In it, we are introduced to Laurie James, who is en route from work home. She rides the public transit and cannot wait to get to her apartment on Delancey Street that she shares with her best friend, Sarah. It is the Christmas season and lights and the craziness of Christmas have packed all transportation with desperate shoppers and business commuters. As the somewhat boring ride snatches away bits of Laurie's patience, she sees someone. A man sits on a bus bench engrossed in a novel. He barely notices the bedlam of holiday cheer milling about him. Then he suddenly looks up and locks eyes with Laurie. They both seem struck by one another and before she can do another thing the bus is gone, leaving him behind.
A year later Sarah is buzzing about the new guy she met. She finally arranges for him to meet Laurie. But when Laurie meets Jack O'Mara she is devastated to discover that he is the man from the bus stop. And after a year of looking for him all over London, he is finally before her. What Laurie does not know is that Jack also remembers her from that day at the bus stop. And he has been thinking of her, as well. Will Laurie and Jack finally confess their attraction, or will they live in silence as their desire grows? All they know is that one day in December both their lives were changed, possibly forever.
One Day in December is the most roller-coaster book of emotions that I have ever read. From the first chapter, I was hooked on Silver's writing style, filled with wit and often laugh-out-loud moments. It is a cheerful, funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately a very cozy and romantic read. I found myself updating friends and online book clubs on the book, and could not stop talking about how much I loved these characters. All of the cast had excellent growth as the years went on, adding excellent depth to their story. Josie Silver tugged at my heart, broke it, and then filled it with warm-fuzzies. I want to say more, but I do not want to spoil the plot for my readers. Silver ends her tale in quite a grand fashion that left me exhilarated.
This book was read in part with the narration of actors, Eleanor Tomlinson and Charlie Anson. I was captivated by their presentation of the narrative. Tomlinson read Laurie's parts so well that I believed that she was Laurie. Anson's Jack was just as believable, with a sexy voice that I could imagine coming from Jack. And after looking at photos of them both online, I cannot help but notice how they even resemble this book's star-crossed duo. If there is a movie made from this novel, they definitely should be considered to star. Excellent work!
In the end, One Day in December was a solid four-star read for me. I was given a romantic romp that spanned over many years, with excellent character development. I will seek out more Josie Silver in the future when I am in need of a cozy book to offset my thriller binge-reading. I highly recommend this wonderful book. After all the turmoil, family drama, and lusty encounters I leave this story smiling and happy that I read this novel. I hope that you add it to your winter reading list. And I may even use that recipe for the Delancey Street Special. It sounds yummy.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading this week.
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Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
All written content and top logo (c) Copyright 2021 by Thomas Bahr II
Book Cover (c) by the publisher
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