so-soAstra is on her annual girls trip to the Milwaukee Christmas Market where she meets Jack who works at his family bakery. What she doesn‘t know, she‘s met Jack multiple times before, but the magic of the Christmas Market makes her forget each time… until this year when everything is different.
Overall it was a cute story but the characters tended to over-complicate things and the over-explaining of simple or unnecessary details drove me nuts.
pickSo exciting to read a book of this genre by a Wisconsinite author!! I loved reading about cannibal sandwiches, a beloved staple for my German Milwaukeean family, Christkindlmarket, Door County cherries, and West Allis Candy Cane Lane. Loved the premise wondering what it would be like to live in never ending Christmas. The ending twists pleasantly surprised me. Jack was super romantic in how long he waited for Astra.
My #ReadingBracket2023 🎉
This was so hard to narrow down as I read some truly wonderful books this year! My goal was to read 48 books this year, with more of them coming from ones I own. I ended up reading 49 books!
Disclaimer: a fair amount are children‘s books and graphic novels but read well over my goal - probably thanks to moving to a new area and having loads of time to myself. 🥂
pick5/5 ⭐️ Team read for #CandyCaneCrushers #wintergames 🍭 I loved it! Christmas market romance with some magic and so many Wisconsin (my home state) references! This really made me miss kringle and wish I had ordered some to be shipped this year. (O & H Danish Bakery is my favorite!)
pickSUPER fun concept! Plenty of unexpected plot twists, and a beautiful romance between Jack and Astra. Still a pleasant Christmas read, but a little off the beaten track from the rest. #christmasromance
pickThis was the perfect holiday read. A little romance, a little fantasy, and an adorable dog that lends to the fun shenanigans. I loved the world of the Julemarked and hope this isn't the last book by Reichert set in this world.
I think this was one of my team, #CandyCaneCrushers two Holiday Reads. Great choice! I'm so glad I read this.
#WinterGames
ONCE UPON A DECEMBER features an excellent, much-loved dog. Casey feels a connection.
I enjoyed the book a lot. I‘ve seen people complain about the time displacement angle, but I thought it made sense and held together well. Add good characters and lots of holiday cheer and I‘m glad I read this (even though there was a fair bit of unnecessary repetition).
My goal for #20in4 is to finish Come Away With Me and Once Upon a December for #WinterGames GO #CandyCaneCrushers and start From Bad to Cursed and finally, even though I won't make it, I'll aim for 20 hours. @Andrew65
pickI must have put a hold on this holiday romance around Christmas, but it only just recently dropped into my library ebook borrows. Magical Christmas market disappears and reappears all over the world in a continual Christmas celebration. When it disappears, people don‘t remember it was there. The Kringle maker falls in love with a woman over 15 years, but she doesn‘t remember him from year to year. Corny, but sweet read.
so-soNot my favorite holiday story. It was unique which made me think I‘d like it more than others. It jumped around in time and dimensions too much for me which made it a little confusing. The ending was satisfying though. ⭐️⭐️
pickMagically delightful, this book was everything I wanted it to be and more! Wonderfully written with characters that are so full of heart! If only magical Christmas markets existed…
so-soNot the Christmas romance for me. I found it really hard to understand the time jumps and it wasn‘t until halfway through that I figured out what was going on. The characters were fun, though, and that‘s what kept me going.
pickOnce Upon A December is a magically delightful read. It is a love story but it is also about strong family ties and epic friendships. Heartwarming and unique, funny and emotional, romance and magic,
Read my full review here = https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2022/12/20/once-upon-a-december-by-amy-e-reic...
so-soThis is almost a pan. I liked the concept, the magical realism of a Yule market only open from Dec 1-24 and then it disappears to reappear on Dec 1 somewhere else. But the romance and character development felt unbalanced and just didn‘t work for me.
Book 38 for #winterreadathon
For #holidayromancebingo this would work for time travel, character named that‘s holiday themed, or character obsessed with Christmas
pickThis was very cute. The story of a woman who visits a yearly Christmas market that has a magical secret. There she meets a charming baker each year. Though predictable and very much a Hallmark movie set-up, it was still a nice listen. 3.5⭐️
#bookspinbingo - another bingo!
Book 147 of the year. Three books away from my reading goal.
Reading tonight with a holiday ale in my Lolita wine glass.
panI just did not like this book. I think it had amazing potential, the whole idea behind it was great. However, other than the idea, there wasn't much I liked. I was able to finish it though, but I almost bailed on it in the first 30%
“ONCE UPON A DECEMBER by Amy E. Reichert is the perfect novel to bring the magic early this year.”
FULL POST: https://tinyurl.com/39h6x6n7
@aereichert
@berkleypub
@penguinrandomhouse
Once Upon a December | 
