Concluding December’s holiday merriment is Josie Silver’s One Day in December. The naturally British brew to enjoy with this novel would be tea, but I felt that a quintessential Starbucks drink was in order: the gingerbread latte.
December is for Lovers
Do you believe in love at first sight? Laurie didn’t, until one magical moment she shared with a stranger. Despite exchanging nothing more than a charged gaze through a steamy bus window, Laurie is convinced that she will find this dream man somewhere in London. That, or the universe will deliver him to her. After all, sparks don’t fly like that with any old stranger. She and her loyal best friend, Sarah, spend the next year scanning every pub, cafe, and street for his face, hopeful that fate will, for once, be on her side.
Laurie is just beginning to resign herself to the idea that this romance has just been a fairy tale when her best friend announces exciting news: she’s in love. And who with? None other than Jack, the handsome stranger who all but captured Laurie’s heart that fateful day in December. Obviously, Sarah can never know that she’s dating the very same man that Laurie has been pining over for months. Intent on keeping Jack’s identity a secret from Sarah, the novel explores Laurie and Jack’s twin struggles against a magnetic attraction they’ve felt since their eyes met. Following the two in alternating narration, Josie Silver offers a charming tale of heartbreak, loss, love, friendship, and missed opportunities.
“Sometimes you just meet the right person at the wrong time."
A Modern-Day Jane Austen Romance
Interestingly, One Day in December shares more in common with the novel One Day than just a similar title. Yep, you guessed it: another tale of missed opportunities! (Does this make me some kind of masochist?) I'll go ahead and attach to this musing a warning: do not pick up this book unless you’re open to tropes like love triangles and forbidden romance.
However, for those craving a warm, mostly predictable romance during the colder months, this novel should scratch that itch. With a healthy helping of angst and quiet pining, it almost feels like being stuck inside a Jane Austen novel! (Complete with silent crushes, unbearable eye contact, scandalous trysts, and social awkwardness.)
To clarify before my review continues, I should point out that I’m probably not the best audience for this storyline - I often have trouble with love triangles, especially when they involve a pair of best friends. Love triangles also tend to inevitably involve (and validate) cheating and gaslighting.
And on the topic of our protagonists' toxic threesome, I truly wish I could’ve learned more about Sarah! Her perspective would have added great nuance and tension to a common romantic storyline. The little knowledge we have of Sarah is limited to Laurie and Jack's dueling perceptions of her, which inherently does her characterization a bit of a disservice. However, it was interesting to see Laurie’s concerted resistance to romance in contrast to Sarah’s more whimsical, rose-tinted glasses; this produced an interesting dynamic between the friends, but left me wanting more for Sarah.
Sarah aside, Josie Silver delivers two mostly likable protagonists, though I often found myself annoyed with Jack’s personality and overall treatment of Laurie. Sections written from his POV, while believable, convinced me Laurie shouldn’t even end up with him. He hardly regarded her well as a friend, let alone his forbidden soulmate. And don’t even get me started on Jack’s other romantic relationships!! In a stark juxtaposition, I was rooting for Laurie throughout most of the novel - she's funny and relatable, and has snarky, cynical moments. For all of her positive development, I felt that her plotline with Oscar deserved more attention and less (unrealistic) passivity.
In terms of the narrative structure of Jack and Laurie's storyline, a narrative spanning 10 years initially felt ambitious, if not overly drawn-out. As I read, however, I discovered that time offered important opportunities for Laurie’s personal and romantic growth outside of her interactions with Jack. It was refreshing to root for a protagonist who was seemingly going against the narrative flow and instead forging her own path. However, much of Laurie’s plotline, while enriched with humor and other friendships, revolved around a romantic relationship with one toxic man or another. Couldn’t we just have *one* man who’s easy to root for? I don’t mean to say a woman can’t be independent or develop when written as a romantic interest - relationships should never hinder your personal growth. But this age-old trope of a woman who barely passes the Bechdel Test did try my patience a bit. The scattered narrative structure hopping around through time (often without context) didn’t improve my perceptions of the protagonists over the years. Laurie and Jack made me wonder: should we just sit around pining, waiting for love to drop in our laps as the years go by? Waiting for relationships to end so we can be with those we truly love? Can’t we control (or at least try to control) that small piece of our fate? I suppose my frustration with the protagonists stems from the evergreen notion of "right person, wrong time."
Josie Silver's One Day in December falls short in romantic depth and characterization, frequently using important side characters as mere plot devices. Yet on the surface level (and sans cynicism), this is a quick, charming read befitting of the holiday season. I give this novel 3 stars out of 5 - I liked it, but this likely better suits avid romance readers. This narrative would appeal to fans of The Unhoneymooners or One Day.
Yuletide Brew
Ready for a shock? I had never tried a gingerbread latte prior to this blog post. I'm not sure how - it captures several flavors I love, like cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar. And of course, the holiday essential: molasses. Though the novel is set in England and would be well-accompanied by some tea, the warm, romantic stereotypes compelled me to sample a stereotypical Christmas classic.
This is certainly a spicy, sweet brew that could warm even the Grinch's heart; I readily admit this, even though I typically dislike hot coffee. Unfortunately, with all these spices and flavored syrups, I'm not sure an iced version would be as enjoyable. But who knows? This brew is literally like a liquified gingerbread cookie, though definitely a bit sweeter.
Copycat Starbucks recipes are fairly straightforward, and call for basically every Christmassy ingredient you can think of. If I recreate this at home, I'm 100% adding a huge dollop of whipped cream on top.
I hope this chilly winter season has treated you well, whether you celebrate Christmas or not! I think I'll go read by the fire and consume my bodyweight in cookies now.
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