Romance, especially sports romance, has been the name of most of my reading game in December. I also took a brief break in the romance and contemporary-ness by picking up one of the most anticipated YA fantasy conclusions this month as well.

One Day in December by Josie Silver

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

One Day in December is one of my new favorite holiday reads. I absolutely devoured this book over one weekend in December and highly recommend binge-reading it over your holiday break. One day in December, Laurie falls in love at first sight with a man at bus stop, only never to see him again… until the next Christmas when Laurie’s best friend, Sarah, introduces her to her new boyfriend, Jack.

The book is narrated from Laurie’s third person perspective with a few chapters from Jack’s third person perspective and is told over the course of ten years. I really liked the book’s storytelling, as Josie Silver showed the most important or integral parts in all of the relationships. I also just genuinely enjoyed Josie Silver’s writing style, loving each character’s humor and the balance between plot and getting to know the characters. Each character really evolves and grows up from beginning to end. I really loved being able to follow along with each of their journeys. I wasn’t sure within the first few chapters if I was going to like it or not, but I soon fell into Laurie and Sarah’s friendship and humor. Despite the yes, major fact, that they are in love with the same guy, Sarah and Laurie have such a great female friendship. The whole falling in love with the same guy, not to mention the guy from the bus stop, trope may not be too realistic, but it really worked for this story. You begin to forget that that’s not only how Laurie first “met” Jack, but also Laurie’s feelings for Jack get lost as she begins to explore new relationships and opportunities.

Although One Day in December wasn’t all Christmas all the time, I still appreciated its holiday spirit. Many of the major events in the book happen during the holiday season, and most of the Christmas scenes were very atmospheric.

I look forward to picking up Josie Silver’s new release in March 2020, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My craving for adult romance latest led me to one of the latest releases of 2019, The Bromance Book Club. The Bromance Book Club follows professional baseball star Gavin’s attempt to save his marriage. His teammates’ strategy? Use romance novels and the relationship development within them as inspiration in getting his wife back.

The Bromance Book Club’s unique premise absolutely delivered! The book really has all the elements, from friendship, family, sports, humor, marriage, raising kids, and sisterhood. Lyssa Kay Adams balances all of these elements in this new favorite rom-com of mine. There are definitely some steamy moments, but the book is really about Gaving rebuilding his relationship with Thea, and Thea learning to find the love and happiness in her marriage again. I think I really am a fan of the third person perspective, with this book alternating between Gavin and Thea’s perspectives. I also loved their relationships with the people in their own lives, with Del and Mack for Gavin and Liv for Thea.

I’m so excited to see what Lyssa Kay Adams has in store for Mack and Liv in the next book in the series, Undercover Bromance! Overall, The Bromance Book Club is easily one of my new favorite adult romance books and has made me crave even more sports romance.

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

 

My Rating: 2/5 Stars

Like most of the YA community, I was highly looking forward to the final book in Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air trilogy, The Queen of Nothing. The Wicked King was an unexpected favorite fantasy read of mine last year. I couldn’t wait to see what The Queen of Nothing had in store based on THAT ending. However, I’m really disappointed to report that The Queen of Nothing super disappointed me.  

I liked the beginning of QoN, having always loved how Holly Black incorporated the mortal world in this book about faeries and other magical beings. However, I feel like QoN really built up to nothing throughout and even in its ending. Perhaps its my fault for not rereading TWK right before, but I didn’t really understand a lot of the plot points or why Jude was concerned about certain characters. To be completely honest again, I didn’t really even understand what Jude was doing herself in trying to figure out her own role. Much of the plot felt very anticlimactic, along with the solution between the Madoc v. Cardan war. Speaking of Cardan, I also feel like there was no chemistry or relationship development between Jude and Cardan in this installment, which made the ending just feel even more bizarre.

Overall, I think The Folk of the Air trilogy just isn’t the series for me. I really wanted The Queen of Nothing to be a strong finale, but it lacked in its world-building, plot, and character development. As much as I loved The Wicked King and believe that The Wicked King is such a strong fantasy book even by itself, I’m just not a big fan of The Cruel Princeor The Queen of Nothing.

Have you read any of the above books? What have you been reading in December?Do you have any sports romance recs? Share in the comments!