Cover Image: We Met in December

We Met in December

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

When offered a room in a house share in London, Jess jumps at the chance. She has always wanted to live in London and with a new job thrown in, she’s living her dream. Alex lives in the room across the hall; he is recovering from a nasty breakup and not looking for love. As Jess and Alex become friends, they find their feelings for each other are developing into something more.

A sweet lighthearted love story which was an easy and entertaining read.

Was this review helpful?

Our Review
We Met in December gives you that warm cosy feeling, of sitting in a cosy chair by the fire. This is a great autumn read that will warm the heart and make you laugh. I throughly enjoyed reading and following Jess and her move to Notting Hill, London.
Jess moves into a rented and shared house in Notting House. The house is full of characters each very different, most very likeable. One or two moments where you roll your eyes and think "oh no" moments. But, Rosie has made each of them very realistic and when reading my imagination went on overtime. It was so easy to visualise the house and characters.
It's not long before Jess meets one of the housemates Alex and the chemistry is strong between them from that moment. Whilst they spend time together, and Alex opens up to her sharing details of his relationships, family and career.
Jess starts to imagine him in her future, then she returns to the house one day to see Emma leaving Alex's room in the small hours of the morning. Emma lives in the house on the floor above Jess. And Jess soon discovers Alex has started seeing Emma. It's a definite "oh no" moment and one that pulls on Jess and her heart strings. But has she read a friendship as a potential relationship? Or is Alex interested?
No spoilers here! But if you are intrigued and fancy a heart warming read then this book may be for you. 
Thank you to Rosie and Avon for our advanced copy and invite to join the book tour.

Was this review helpful?

i loved this book! The timelines make the pacing fast. The characters are so well drawn and the story is perfection!

Was this review helpful?

LOVED THIS BOOK!! Just the type of romancey read I was in the mood for. I found this book to be extremely enjoyable with excellent characters and wonderful writing. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

This was a pleasant lovely read which is set in London which provides a brilliant backdrop to the story. It features Alex and Jess who are flat mates in a gorgeous Notting Hill house who have an instant connection. I did feel like I was waiting for it finally to happen. A good lighthearted read

Was this review helpful?

So, my first festive book this year is ‘We Met In December’, to be strictly accurate, although Christmas features in this story at the beginning and the end, it follows Jess and Alex’s emotional journey, month by month, after their initial meeting in December. Both are emotionally scarred from failed relationships, and childhoods, that were less than ideal, and so a serious romantic relationship is not what either is looking for.

When they meet in December, as new housemates in a household where a firm house rule is no couples, they ignore their initial attraction, both believing it is one-sided. Jess focuses on her new career and her two best friends. Alex focuses on his new vocation as a nurse, but he can’t resist a non-relationship with another housemate Emma.

The friendship that develops between Alex and Jess is gentle and lovely, they explore London together and find out what makes each other tick, but romance is denied by both of them. The travelogue through London is vividly portrayed and adds extra depth to the story.

Told from two points of view, there is a sense of dramatic irony. The reader knows what each character is feeling, but they are both in ignorance of the other’s regard. Most of the conflict to the romance is internal, from their past emotional baggage, but other well-meaning people provide external conflict, and you do wonder if they will be able to see, and more importantly act on what is right in front of them.

This is a lighthearted relationship story with a festive ambience. The ending is so romantic and leaves you with a heartwarming feeling.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Alright!
The premise of this book sounded incredibly cute and I was excited to start it but unfortunately it let me down. Jess and Alex meet one night and have an instant connection but! they are also new roommates and there’s also more people involved so of course: drama.

The pacing of this book was just weird to me. I felt like I was waiting to anything to happen the entire time.

Overall I just think it was pretty boring. I felt nothing towards the characters and started skimming the pages about 75% in because nothing was happening still.

<i>ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley <3 Thank you!</i>

Was this review helpful?

This book was a breath of fresh air--chilly London air, perhaps, but still a welcome change of pace. Jess, our heroine, is nearly thirty, changing careers, moving to the city, and coping with aging and/or difficult family members. She meets Alex and instantly finds herself falling for him, but life, and other people, find a way of always getting in the way. The author makes the subject matter come alive, whether it's wandering around London on foot or dealing with lingering grief. This would make a great travel/beach read, or a good gift for that friend that loves Richard Curtis movies and/or David Nicholls books.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

Was this review helpful?

This is such a charming book. I loved the cover and I wanted to read it as soon as I saw it on netgalley and I have to thank netgalley and the publishers for granting me this e-galley! It was a delightful read. I loved Alex and Jess's story though i was a bit mad at alex for entering into another relationship while it was clear that he had feelings for Jess and Jess most definately had feelings for Alex. The poor girl wanted him even after having quiet a bit of chemistry with a great guy. The ending was cute. I can relate with Jess posting frequently in her insta account(I do that all the time). I was rooting for them the whole time and in the ending I was like"finally!"😂 A great read. A very cute rom-com with great supporting characters too. I loved it! It was a treat. Happy reading! ....xoxo.

Was this review helpful?

Okay. Look at that title and the synopsis. Can you blame me for having subconsciously compared it with my absolute favorite "One Day in December"? I'm unreasonably angry with this book as if it's intentionally mislead me to compare the two.

Not that there are no similarities between the books. Both take place over a period of time. The characters are forced not to act on their feelings. There's an involvement with a mutual friend. But that's where the similarities end.

There's no angst. No unresolved tension. No heartache. No sparks. No chemistry. Whatsoever.

Jess falls for Alex right off the bat. She can't stop self-gushing over his handsome looks. And before we know it, she's telling us about how she can't stop herself from falling in love with the more time they spend together. But that's the thing. She's telling us this. We don't see these things happening. And there was nothing remotely convincing about her words.

On the other hand, the first time we get into Alex's head, which is quite far in the book, he can only talk about his 'friends with benefit' thing with another housemate Emma, and his worry over how to navigate it, as he has no interest in starting a relationship after a disastrous break-up with his ex Alice. His feelings for Jess simply don't get enough breathing space to convincingly develop.

This book is supposed to be a romance, we get more time spent on secondary characters and their stories than the central romance. Nothing interesting happens. We get excruciatingly minute details on Jess's new life in Notting Hill, but not on her feelings for Jess, except for one line here and there. There's no proper buildup of the romance. Even the character development is lacking. The author barely scratches the surface when it comes to developing the romance.

I simply wanted more from the book that has been compared to Richard Curtis romances. Are you freaking serious? If you want me to go into this book thinking it will be similar to Love Actually, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones, you better deliver on the awkward heroes, the amazing chemistry, great one-liners. At least give me some semblance of a romance!

The only good thing about the book was that it's a fast read.

Was this review helpful?

I knew I would love this book from the very first page, it captured Christmas in London exquisitely. A heartwarming tale of will they, wont they, that is sensitively told. With plenty of characters placing stumbling blocks in their way, you find yourself rooting for the two leads. As beautiful as a Richard Curtis film.

Was this review helpful?

This is a lovely and sweet book which is also very realistic. This is the first book I’ve read by Rosie Curtis. It definitely won’t be the last. I really enjoyed the writing style used, it definitely kept my attention.

Was this review helpful?

This is a sweet love story; about change, friendship and never saying no to a dream.
This had been a really quick and delightful read; with some charming characters and a sweet love story that will transport you to the beautiful snowy Christmas.
The story is about Jess a woman that after having her life more or less in track decided to leave everything and move to a house with some friends and follow her dream to work at a publisher in London! She is starting to follow her dreams when she will meet Alex, the attraction seems to be there since the first moment, but their time together is not now, maybe not ever…!
I am sure you want to know what makes this story different; because the main story is not the love story between Jess and Alex but their stories; how both have changed their paths to follow their dreams, with ups and downs, of course. I really liked that neither Jess or Alex have a perfect life or want to be perfect, they simply want to be accepted for their choices and respected for them.
It was really interesting the paths they both took around London, Alex and Jess, they shared with the readers some original and secret places that I didn’t know, but I am sure I’ll visit them soon!
If you are looking to start you Christmas spirit soon this is your chance, this read has everything you need; friendship, happiness and love, of course.

Was this review helpful?

It’s a book that’s ready to be a movie, like Notting Hill and Love Actually, but to read the story is a little boring. Not really much is happening, except for the fact the fife housemates are always tired of doing their jobs and drinks a lot of booze and get drunk. The nice parts are the walkings of Jess and Alex trough Londen. It gives a nice view of the city and it’s a great opportunity tot learn more about these persons. But there could be more sparkling between them. I like the background stories of Alex and Jess, but the repetitive explanations are to much. I already knew why Alex changed his carrier and I knew already about the raising of Jess by her grandparents.
I was hoping to know more about the new book-job of Jess, unfortunately it didn’t happen. There was more to read about the job of Alex, and I like this parts of the book.
Thanks for the change of reading We met in December in advance. I wish I could be more enthusiastic about it. It might be a great movie, I think the story is a great base for that.

Was this review helpful?

Get ready for gushing ! I absolutely adored this, it’s such a cute, heartwarming, gives me the fuzzies story. Sweet, light hearted romance, absolutely amazing seasonal read, will have you curled up, wishing you were in London. The chemistry is amazing, it’s agonising to read at times with the emotional stumbling blocks just like watching a Richard Curtis movie that Jess loves. An absolutely fantastic winter read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Was this review helpful?

I went into this with high expectations which I shouldn’t have done.

For some reason I was expecting a story like One Day in December by Josie Silvers (which was my favourite read of 2018) but please be aware that it's not really like One Day in December at all.

In this story, Jess has left her hometown of Bournemouth to move to London and start her dream career of working in publishing. Alex has also left his old life behind to retrain as a nurse. From the start,it was obvious these characters had a connection, Jess then goes on holiday, comes back to realise Alex has started sleeping with their other roommate Emma.

For me, this is where the issue came in. From the description it reads like Alex starts a full on dating relationship with this girl Emma, when in reality they become friends with benefits for a few months all whilst being bestest buddies with Jess. It was obvious they both had feelings for each other outside of friendship, even the other characters knew it.

I found these two main characters left their old lives behind to have their “dream” jobs but no details were given on these jobs, it ended up feeling like a shallow, surface type read. Even their “feelings” for each other were never really put into actual words before declaring their love for each other.

I don’t necessarily need a “deep” read, I just like more details than this came with unfortunately. This mixed with my too high expectations meant I only vaguely liked this.

I wanted to love this but unfortunately didn’t.
It was an okay, sweet read and I recommend for a lazy Sunday afternoon but if you’re expecting a fully padded story, this isn’t it.

Read and reviewed courtesy of Netgalley

Was this review helpful?

This is a wonderfully, wistful romance just perfect for the colder month, curled up reading a book by the fire.

Very sweet.

Light-hearted.

And gives you exactly what you desire, a happy ending.

Realistic.

It is perfect women's fiction.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed We Met in December, it made me wish I was in London in December! I liked the 2 main characters and was really willing them to get together. I read it in one setting, it is the kind of book that needs to be read on the run up to Christmas with a big mug of hot chocolate!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Jess is unlucky in love.  She takes a chance to move to London for a new job.  She finds herself connecting with Alex, one of her roommates in her house share.  However, she believes he is dating another roommate of theirs.  She is determined to survive the next year.

I thought this was a quick, fun read.  Rosie Curtis writes the story over the next year from the POVs of Jess and Alex.  Yes, it is a predictable story, but sometimes you just need a read that makes you feel good.

Was this review helpful?

🎀🎑Living the single life in London; does it have to lead to 💔heartbreak?!🙁
4.5🌟stars
I loved the ending of this book, even though my heart cracked a bit every time romantic lead Jess hit another emotional stumbling block in her search for love and fulfillment in London. Jess is a true romantic; Richard Curtis movies are her fantasy life and comforts when the man she fancies appears impervious and unaware of her feelings. The supporting characters were well-drawn, some a lot more likable than others. Jess's worry that she's abandoning her beloved grandmother in Bournemouth to embrace her dream of a career in the London publishing world makes her a totally sympathetic and relatable heroine. I could not stop reading, I so wanted her choices to work out.

Housemate Alex was laudable in some ways but he is definitely not perfect and some of his ill-advised moves, usually fallen into while in an alcoholic haze or driven by an engrained sense of politeness, were hard for me to accept. Fortunately Jess is more forgiving of his frailties and, miscommunication and secret longings notwithstanding, their good times together are sublime!

If you are looking for a sweet, slow-burn romance that pays homage to the delights of London's iconic neighborhoods, look no further!

Thanks to publisher Avon Books and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Was this review helpful?