The Christmas Letter by Emily Stone

I gave this book a solid 30% to capture my interest. Unfortunately, I found the book as a whole to be quite depressing. I understand that Holly was involved in an accident and that is pretty traumatic but she made the entire thing about herself. She speaks about it as if her pregnant sister died because of her, which she didn’t, and then she gets all sad about the fact that her sister hasn’t spoken to her in over a year. Which I think is fair considering she lost the baby.

Here’s a quote from my review that perfectly sums up why this book wasn’t for me “She (Holly) actually becomes a bit insufferable after a while.I get that she’s grieving her relationship with her sister, but this is supposed to be a ‘dazzling romance’. It took over 25% of the book for Holly to meet her love interest again and personally, I’m a bit confused about how it happened. It came out of nowhere and it wasn’t even in the original town.”

Also, before she meets her love interest again (who she actually had a lovely meet cute with making me think this would be a great read) she meets up with the stranger who sent her the Christmas letter and it’s all just so sad and depressing. It felt like no part of this book would be lighthearted and that’s not what you want around Christmas.

Synopsis: A young woman tries to heal a rift in her elderly pen pal’s family in time for Christmas, all while falling in love—and maybe even reuniting with her own family—in this dazzling romance from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift

Sometimes it takes a stranger to bring you back to yourself.

Ever since a car accident tore her family apart, Holly has been part of a lonely-hearts holiday letter–writing club. Each December, she writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone, and receives a letter from another lonely person in return. 

Usually, the letters go unanswered. That’s the point—the letters are anonymous, and the senders write whatever is in their heart. But this year, the letter Holly receives is different; not only is the letter full of a grief she knows all too well, but its writer, Emma, mentions a place that Holly has visited. When she realizes that she might actually be able to find the letter’s author, Holly becomes determined to reunite Emma with the estranged grandson, Jack, with whom Emma is desperate to reconnect.

When Holly finally tracks him down, she remembers that she’s met Jack once before . . . and the connection was electric. The spark between the two of them is still there—until a misunderstanding risks their burgeoning romance and his strained relationship with Emma, too. But Holly is determined; if she can fix Emma’s family, she might also be able to fix her own. Though as it turns out, Holly might have less time to put things right than she thought.

A Court of Sugar and Spice by Rebecca F. Kenney

I never tracked that I was reading this book anywhere as I didn’t get far enough into it to feel like I had a right to do so. Despite its long list of content warnings, I decided to give this a go. I loved the idea of a retelling of The Nutcracker but I couldn’t get past the vivid descriptions of sexual assault. I can handle fairly graphic spice but not when it’s non-consensual – it makes me feel physically sick. I don’t understand how authors can write such horribly graphic things.

After looking at the reviews of this, I’m glad I didn’t push myself to continue reading. It looks like it’s pretty awful in general.

Synopsis: With their inheritance restricted until their marriage, sisters Clara and Louisa, both in their twenties, must live with their godfather Drosselmeyer. One night, an accident brings to life one of the strange wooden dolls in Drosselmeyer’s mansion. The Nutcracker doll is a cursed Fae prince, and he pleads for the sisters’ help. During the ensuing journey into the Fae realm, Clara encounters the handsome Sugarplum Faerie, and he promises her the chance to enact all the forbidden. fantasies she has dreamed of. Meanwhile Louisa and the Nutcracker Prince battle and bicker over everything, despite the growing attraction between them. And to make matters worse, the entire Seelie kingdom is under threat of conquest by the Rat King, ruler of the Dread Court.

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Like this post? Why not read this one too: To Be Read: January 2026