Oh this was another lovely Emily Bell story, I really enjoyed it. It was more than a book about Romance, it was a book about the grief of losing a friend and making your way through life without them, It was about friendships and how these change over time as we mature and friend's lives change after having children etc. This book was about honouring your friends dreams after a list of Hannah's resolutions were found by Celeste and she is asked by Hannah's boyfriend to complete them on behalf of Hannah.
It was wonderful to read about the experiences that Celeste experienced due to this list of resolutions and how her life changed for the better while completing each task. I loved the friendships in this story and that is what is the core of this book is about. The characters are strong throughout and there was no one I didn't want to meet.
If you are wanting a story about really strong friendships, this one is for you

A fab read for this time.of year as thoughts begin to turn to the year end and new beginnings. Celeste has spent every new year since 1999 with best friend Hannah until a tragic ski accident cruelly cuts her life.short. The first new year without her proves testing but Hannah's partner Vic arranges a gathering. Whilst staying there Vic shares Hannah's notebook detailing her resolutions for the year before and Celeste agrees to complete them for her friend.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for this early copy.

Wow I loved Baby it’s Cold Outside last year and This Year’s for me and you, has blown me away, I love it!
When Celeste loses her best friend, Hannah, it shocks her to her core and she struggles to carry on, until she finds Hannah’s list of resolutions and decides to fulfill them, giving her a purpose and opening up new opportunities and friendships.
Celeste has help along the way, sharing in these new experiences and possibilities open up, is she willing to take them?
Set between London, Suffolk and Dublin, her family, friends and possibly love opens her eyes to a happy and hopeful future.
I devoured this in a day and felt extremely warm and Christmassy.

This Year’s for Me and You is a heartwarming novel about friendships, love and overcoming loss. Celeste is struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of her best friend, Hannah, in a skiing accident. To honour her she decides to complete Hannah’s list New Year’s resolutions from the previous year. She is determined to make her way through them, even though many of them are completely out of her comfort zone. Celeste is a great character as are her family and friends. I really enjoyed watching her character grow and it was a lot of fun seeing her work her way through Hannah’s list, trying new things and finding to her surprise she liked many of them.

The writing on the whole is a little simplistic, however the settings in Dublin, London and the Christmas market in Belgium are beautifully described giving a real sense of place and atmosphere. There is some element of romance, which simmers gently away in the background but the story is mainly focused on grief, learning to cope with it and the supportive friendships. Although the romance wasn’t at the forefront of the story it definitely needed more intensity of feeling, it lacked passion and as a result I was left feeling a bit indifferent and unmoved by it.

Overall, this is a lovely touching story with some wonderful characters and happy uplifting moments. It’s an enjoyable and entertaining read which could be best enjoyed in the wintertime, snuggled up with a hot chocolate.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. So full of festive cheer and romance. The resolutions were brilliant and it was such a feel good read. Will definitely recommend to others.

New Year has always been their special time for best friends Hannah and Celeste. When tragedy strikes Celeste is left bereft and struggling to cope without her friend. When she discovers Hannah's New Year resolutions, she finally has a purpose and a way to keep Hannah's memory alive.
Although dealing with very emotive issues, this is a heartwarming tale of friendship and moving on.

What a triumph- again! I loved following Celeste’s journey of finding herself whilst recovering from the grief of unexpectedly loosing her best friend, The story jumps back and forwards in time but each part slowly reveals more about Celeste’s relationship with her friend. I love the written descriptions of the main characters friendships and how hopeful and supportive they can be. The book captures London at it’s best whilst also making me want to explore Ghent and Dublin. The romance was also a really lovely element of the story.

An emotional read. After Celeste loses her best friend she embarks on a plan to fulfil Hannah's new years resolutions, a list she never got to start herself. What will she learn about herself along the way?

I loved this book. Great group of friends. I enjoyed the way "the list" helped Celeste to gain insight into her own life, as well as making her feel closer to her friend. It's very poignant at times and I think the author deals with bereavement sensitively. I enjoyed the romance too, though it was predictable. Not overly Christmassy, thankfully. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not your typical christmas read. It isnt a cheerful romance novel. Its a book that deals with loss and grief. It does have a small amount of love and romance thrown in! I did enjoy this book however I wouldn't release it for a festive novel!

Trigger warning for grief. I found this a tricky read but on positive note, this has a readable narrative voice, and some lovely nostalgia references for the 90’s. The grieving of main character Celeste during the holiday season makes this potentially a hard read in the run up to the festive season. It is slow to get started despite flicking between timelines and various characters. This wasn’t my favourite Emily Bell but will appeal to Josie Silver readers.

A poignant story of friendship and grief, this story opens with two women, Celeste and Hannah celebrating their long friendship together at New Year.. But tragedy strikes and Celeste is left to face life alone - a life that no longer fulfills her. Months and another New Year pass before Cerleste finally sets out to fulfil Hannah's sadly abandoned New Year's resolutions - anything from rock climbing to Ceilidh dancing. Will this help her rediscover her joy in life and finally look to the future?
I loved this story! It spoke so much to me of the importance of friendship, which was explored not just through Hannah and Celeste's relationship, but through their wider circle of friends, who all pulled together around Hannah's heartbroken fiance, Vik. The characters are empathetic and warm, and the plot moves along at a perfect pace. The subplot of Vik's restoration of the old house he's inherited adds an extra dimension of charm to the story, and the reappearance of manly, handsome Patrick in Celeste's life adds the romance we expect from a seasonal novel.
A definite winter winner.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: This Year’s For Me and You
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Emily Bell
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Romance
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 27th October 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5

I needed a Christmas romance to break up all of my spooky reads lately, so I was excited to read this ARC. I was glad to put down the horror in exchange for something more heartwarming.

Celeste has recently lost her best friend Hannah and struggled to reconnect with her friends and family, whilst focusing on her unrewarding career.

The main character has the emotional balancing act of simultaneously needing to be alone and feeling lonely, which I really appreciated. The author wrote this contrary main character well, and a few times my eyes welled with tears.

Grief is a major plot point in this story, which I think is dealt with sensitively and with congruence. Though there’s that serious undertone in the writing, this is really a heart warming story; a story about stretching outside of your comfort zone and not letting anything hold you back.

Unfortunately the writing is pretty simplistic. I felt that the characters could have had more depth and I didn’t much rate the romance, it felt more subtle than the intensity that I like.

🧚🏻‍♀️

I do love my lists, and when I find a story written around a list it always appeals to me. While this book's list catalyst is New Year's resolutions, the story and the list tasks span across the year - one each month.

While fairly predictable, the slow burning romance bubbling in the background is lovely to read. However this story is really about grief and how using that list helps our main character deal with her healing, change, and opening up to new experiences.

The author does a great job of discussing a painful subject while also bringing us hope and many light-hearted comedy moments too. This is most definitely helped by the story having a great group of supporting characters, the main characters friends, showing how important important it is to have that support network.

I would recommend for readers looking for a thoughtful cozy romance.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Celeste is grieving, her best friend Hanna. She’s finding it hard to move on, she finds a list that Hannah wrote, her resolutions from last New Year.

Celeste decides to complete the list, and through doing the list she finds friends, new Hannah's last New Years Eve list. Along the way she opens herself up to friends, opportunities and family.

Someone she used to know comes back into her life, as well as the guy from when she first knew Hannah.

The story was well written.

I recommend this book.

Another beautiful and heartfelt book from Emily Bell.
I was invested in the friendship of Celeste and Hannah, especially their backstory from their teens and moving to London from Dublin. Tragic sudden events leave Celeste navigating her memories and trying to decide what direction she must go next, and I found this was written in a very tender and sympathetic way. The beauty of Hannah's partner renovating a stately home, Celeste's lovely family & friends, the calm magic of Dublin and new opportunities all combine to make this a life-affirming story about second chances and finding your way through the worst of times.

Celeste and Hannah have spent every new year together since the millennium when they were 18. However moving to the present day and shortly after new year, Hannah dies in a skiing accident. Celeste is devastated and shuts herself off, becoming even more of a workaholic. Eventually Hannah's partner Vik persuades her back into the bosom of their group of friends and she finds herself celebrating the next New Year with friends at Vik's fabulous new country home. Celeste is persuaded to undertake New Year resolutions that Hannah set the previous year and she sets out to do this helped by Vik, Mel and Patrick, moving completely out of her comfort zone. Along the way she meets up with former fiance, Eddie. Can they rekindle the spark? The romantic outcome is clear from the start but it's still enjoyable to follow the story. Lots of funny moments. #netgalley #ThisYearsForMeAndYou

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Penguin for my copy of #ThisYear’sForYouAndMe by #EmilyBell
Celeste is happy in her life with a great job and fabulous best friend but then the unthinkable happens and Hannah dies.
Celeste feels so lost without Hannah by her side and struggles move on until she finds a list of Hannah’s New Year resolutions and decides to do them in her memory.
What happens next is a heartwarming, life affirming story that will melt your heart.
Funny and sad, this is a book for curling up on the sofa with chocolates and wine on a cold winter night. MAGIC!!!!!

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. If you're looking for a festive book, this isn't it. If you're looking for a cheesy romance book, this isn't it. This book deals with grief and loss with a small bit of romance throw in. I didn't really like any of the characters either.
I was so bored for most of it, I was very close to DNF'ing this one. I needed more action or more of the romance suspense to keep me gripped. I feel like this is marketed as a festive read but I wouldn't be recommending it as a festive read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Emily Bell for an arc of This Year's For Me and You. Emily has written another winner! Celeste is grieving and struggling after the death of her best friend Hannah. She decides to complete Hannah's New Year Resolutions List and so our journey begins. It's a poignant but uplifting story that has it all really.... it's happy, sad, funny, romantic and at times very emotional. Although some of the story centres around the festive season I would happily recommend this book for reading at any time of the year. Enjoy!