Cover Image: One Day in Winter

One Day in Winter

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Member Reviews

Another lovely warm cosy Christmas read from Shari Low. The characters are great to get to know and then love/hate/despair of and although a little predictable, it was an easy light read, perfect for the run up to Christmas.

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This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

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Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

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This is a feel good novel. It's light. you will root for the various characters, and it will make you smile. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

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A strongly written festive read. Great characterisation and storyline which was a good quick read. Get the Bailey’s poured and a mince pie - you’re in for a treat.

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With "One Day in December", Shari Low wrote a story about different people in Glasgow, each of them with issues of his or her own and at least in one way connected to someone else. This reminded me a lot of the movie "Love...Actually", and I can really imagine it being made into a movie.

Low's writing style is as amazing as usual. She tells the story from the point of view of four different characters, each on a special mission on this last Friday before Christmas.
I was most interested in Bernadettes storyline and really hoped that everything would go according to plan. But I also sympathized with Cammy. Caros story was incredible and I was really excited about the outcome, but in the second half of the book her thoughts mostly repeated herself. Lila was such a disagreeable person, but I was nevertheless curious about her day, although she also felt a bit repetitive after a while.

Great book, that can be read any time of the year, because winter or December or Christmas really play no role in here at all.

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Fantastic pre Christmas read to get you in the mood. Couldn’t put it down and now looking forward to reading Shari’sn next book

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As always with Shari Low, as soon as I started One Day in Winter, I was unable to put it down. Told from multiple points of view from the main characters: Caro, Cammy, Lila, and Bernadette, this is about one whirlwind day when everything changes for the main characters and goes nothing as expected. Some changes are wonderful, some are heartbreaking, and some are fate stepping in saying “don’t do this.” But this was an addictive read from beginning to end.

My favorite character by far was Bernadette and I was cheering for her the entire time. I wasn’t sure about both Caro and Cammy for a great deal of the book. They were likable but seemed to be missing a little something. Maybe it was courage, backbone, faith? I’m not sure exactly but as the novel neared its end, I felt that each of them had grown so much. I loved them and loved their stories, it just took me a while to really invest in them. Then there’s Lila… Obviously, she isn’t written to be likable, yet there were times I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her because her priorities were just so skewed. She was beautiful, somewhat intelligent, supposedly successful. However, she let her greed and obsessions take over her life. But at least to her standards, it all worked out o.k. in the end, lol.

I truly enjoyed and highly recommend One Day in Winter, as I do with almost all of Shari Low’s novels. It’s packed full of such colorful characters, twists, surprises, and a lot of laughs. I love how everything sort of intertwines and intermingles together, yet each character is enough on their own. This is a fun and addictive read that makes you feel as if you’re watching it play out in real life or a movie, rather than curled up with a book.

*Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Don’t think I’ve read a book set in one day and this was a great read.

Four characters tell their stories - Caro, Lila, Cammy and Bernadette.

Likeable characters apart from one!!

I really enjoyed this story and thought the ending was fitting to the story.

A clever interesting storyline that kept me going back for more. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

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One Day in Winter (previously published as One Day in December) is the first novel in Shari Low's Winter Day series.

It is set in Glasgow near Christmas. Glasgow is somewhere I have never been on so I liked the descriptions of the city.

The story follows a series of characters over the course of one day . Caro, Llia Bernadette and cameron all lead very different lives.

Not to spoil the story as it has a lot of plotlines and is intricately woven but suffice it to say that over the course of this novel we learn about each character's love loss thoughts fears dreams and see them grow and change to different extents.

I was drawn in at the beginning by Caro's quest to find her father and felt that was a good way to start the book with some action.

I found Lila was too self-absorbed but did like Bernadette.

The book has funny sad and tragic moments but is also realistic.

The dialogue kept me interested and the book is fast paced.

After having reviewed some of Shari Low's books (With or Without You, Another Day in Winter This is Me and Because Mummy Said So) and having liked them all I was pleased to be able to take part in the blog tour for this book.

Huge thanks to Shari Low and Aria for my ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntary review .

As well as the eARC, Head of Zeus were kind enough to send me a physical paperback copy of this book which I am very grateful for.

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What a brilliant book - I devoured it in 2 days - and I am normally quite a slow reader. Just wanted to keep reading to see how much more the author could cram into the 4 main characters lives in a 24 hour period. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone but it goes to show how much someones life could change in such a short period of time.
I am excited that this is the first book in the Winter Day series - the next book in the series is Another Day in Winter which is then followed by The Last Day of Winter. I as even more excited when I checked my Netgalley account and found I have already been approved for both titles. They have now moved to the top of my to be read pile. I am now questioning why I have never read anything by this author before - although they are all marked as "want to read" on Goodreads.
Shari's writing flows along at a pace and really drew me in to the lives of the characters. It was a joy to read and I highly recommend it.
I took my kindle with me today when I went to give blood - certainly took my mind off what was happeneing.
Thank you to both Shari and to Victoria from Aria for the chance to both read this title and to take part in the upcoming blog tour.

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One Day in Winter by Shari Low
A Winter Day #1

It is almost Christmas as this story begins. It is told from the perspective of four people who will each experience more before the day ends than they could have imagined.

Caro: is just finished teaching and on break. She is off to see if what she has seen on social media might give her insight into why her father disappeared a couple of years before. She is dealing with the illness of her mother and wants answers.

Cameron/Cammy: is a man nearing forty who has loved deeply in the past and lost the girl to someone else. He has a business running a men’s clothing shop and believes he is in love and ready to settle down even though friends of his are skeptical.

Bernadette/Bernie: has been married for thirty years, born two children, is a nurse and is fed up and finally ready to claim her life for herself again. Her husband is a handsome professional man who is in reality a scum-bucket.

Lila: is a blonde beautiful bombshell focused on her media image and attaining the man she has been with off and on for the past seven years. She seems to have daddy issues that carry over into other parts of her life. Of the four people narrating this story she is the one most difficult to feel anything positive for.

The book begins with a person on a bed alone dying.
The book then is told in segments of time by the four people mentioned above.
Beginning in the morning we see how the day of each one begins
Next they are on their way to achieve their goals for the day
We follow and get to know them better
As the day wore on I began to:
* like Caro more and more
* hope Cammy could deal with what I suspected was going to happen
* cheer loudly for Bernadette
* and dislike Lila and the man she was having an affair with
By the end I was satisfied with the way the book ended.

At first I was wondering if I would enjoy the book because it moved from one perspective to another and I wondered if I would be able to keep all the threads straight but very quickly I realized it would be no trouble at all.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to ARIA for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

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Loved this book & can’t wait to read the next one in the series. Fab characters loved the writing style. Really enjoy books by this author I’d highly recommend her.

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I love stories that have an element of serendipity, and this story of four people, seemingly unconnected, is an engaging read. It follows Caro, Cammy, Lila and Bernadette through 24 hours just before Christmas. Some of the characters feature in other books, so if you are a fan of this author, like me, you may recognise them.

The day is divided into time slots, and each of the four main protagonists has a chapter within. As the story progresses, the reader realises they are connected, and eventually so do they. All of the main characters are complex and realistic. Some have more flaws than others, but they are all relatable, and most are easy to empathise.

The plot is cleverly written, it all fits together and the coincidences are realistic. Coupled with the beautifully written characters, the emotion and poignancy of the story make this is a page-turner that you won't easily put down.

The ending is satisfying, it fits, and everyone gets the outcome they deserve.

I received a copy of this book from Aria - Head of Zeus Books in return for an honest review.

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I've seen a lot of reviews comparing this to Love Actually, so I was really exciting to dive in, as I love those complex stories that intertwine the lives of multiple people. Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.

I only liked a couple of the characters, the others I found unbearable and irritating. I ended up skipping most of the novel to get to the ending, which wrapped things up in a rather dull and predictable way.

For me, there are far better Christmas books out there. It might just be me, but I would give it a miss.

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It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
It's well written, heartwarming, engrossing, and entertaining.
I appreciated the character development, the atmosphere and the plot.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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This is the story of four people whose lives are slightly entwined, but some are aware of the others, and others are not.
It is set out in sections of time, so 10 am-noon and each part give the main four characters a chapter, so you see what each is getting up to that day during that time. So there are crossovers and slight misses. It is very brilliantly out together. 
Caro has discovered a family secret and is determined to uncover the truth.
Cammy is a man in love and is putting everything in motion to live happily ever after.
Bernadette is a lovely down-beaten wife that is going to make a life-altering change.
Lila has everything but wants more and today is the day all her dreams are going to come true.
I loved Bernadette. I really felt for her and was rooting her on. Caro I wanted her to stop dawdling, if I saw my dad, I’d know it was my dad. Lila is a deplorable human being, and I wanted all the bad things to happen to her! Cammy was a pleasant surprise as I met him during ‘Temptation Street’ that I read earlier this year as part of my reading challenge.
He wasn’t the only crossover character we had Jen and Val from ‘The Story of our Life’, and Josie and Suze also from ‘Temptation Street’. There may be other characters from books I’ve not read yet, but I liked this continuity and nods to books I’ve spent time living inside of. This book isn’t advertised as a follow-on, but I definitely recommend reading ‘Temptation Street’ to get the full backstory of Cammy. It is referenced quite a bit and isn’t completely necessary to read, but if you want the whole chronological picture, it’s worth reading. 
I loved how the story came together in the end with all the characters. I’m looking forward to book two, although I’m not sure if it’s about the same characters or not. I know book three follows at least Cammy and Caro!
A brilliant feel-good and emotional book, highly recommend!

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Really enjoyed this novel. The writing flowed and the characters were depicted very well. Couldn't wait to find out what happens next.

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Favorite Quotes:

She despised him. When he walked out, she’d thought she couldn’t hate him more. Now, looking at these images, she realised there was a whole pool of hate she hadn’t even dipped her toe in yet.

What started as a temporary post in the blokes’ section led to a couple of promotions until he claimed his self-penned accolade, Manager of Sack and Crack Support Services.

Argh, the aging process is bollocks. I think every time I pee I lose brain cells. My memory is shot.

‘Although… wouldn’t have minded that in my day. It would be good to have photographic evidence of how I looked before I went gray, developed wrinkles and my baps headed south.’ A woman at the next table froze, unsure if she really had just overheard that correctly. Couldn’t have. Not from that elderly lady.

‘We’ve come to tell you that we’re running away together. We’re lesbians,’ Sarah replied, deadpan, making Bernadette splutter. Stuart’s eyes widened so much she worried that he’d do himself a permanent injury. ‘I’m kidding! Although, she does have great legs,’ Sarah added, grinning.

I can’t tell you how much I hope you’re related to this lot because I need this kind of drama in my life. I love them already. It’s like having your own Lifetime mini-series.

My Review:

I giggle-snorted and smirked my way through this delightful and addicting tale. This was my first encounter with the mega-talented scribe that is Shari Low, but I am positive she has already become an extremely necessary habit. The author and her ingenious storyline were based in Scotland, a land from which sprouted some of my ancestral DNA, so I plan to claim my reading time indulging in Ms. Low’s highly entertaining work as supporting possible relatives. Ms. Low’s writing was crisp, witty, engaging, observant, and cleverly amusing. I adored her well fleshed out characters, was captivated by her well-plotted storyline and relished the witty bantering of the shrewd and meddlesome aunties. One Day In December was a toy chest full of delicious secrets just begging to be exposed.

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I have been meaning to read Shari Low for ages and now I have I wont take so long next time. Loved how all the characters intermingled over a momentous day for each of them. The Glasgow setting was great and I could see the characters moving round the city in my head. Great read.

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