*I received One Day in December for free at 2018 BookExpo America (BEA). I did not receive it in return for a review, I simply received it as a guest to BEA, I chose to read and review it of my own accord.*One Day in December by Josie Silver is an romance all about missing your chance at love at first sight. After missing the chance to meet him after their love-at-first-sight encounter, Laurie meets Jack a year later -- as her best friend Sarah’s boyfriend. The novel follows their story for ten years as they try to find their fate, love, an happiness in their lives during the unexplainable turns that life takes. The novel is an easy to read romance from the dual perspectives of Laurie and Jack, the markers are clear and the dates attached as well - even the voice of the perspectives are distinct - making the jump between a job well done.There is a cast of characters, the main tripod being Laurie, Sarah, and Jack. There are others, like the Aussie, Luke, the posh Oscar, and intense Lucille. Some of the themes are, of course, what it means to be meant-to-be, what to do about that, and friendships. This book is very much all about knowing that you are meant-to-be and the ride of your life with that knowledge. Silver seems to present the very idea that when you are in that meant-to-be relationship, not only will you know. Silver has more to say on those ideas -- but those will only be found in the spoiler-filled review.The story grabs you as soon as you start the first page, the grumpy beginning of the Christmas season in 2008. That moment where their eyes first meet stays with the reader as much as it does Laurie and Jack - it’s a mythical moment that truly feels real and lasting. It’s the dream that we all wish for in the wake of all those rom-coms, after all. For the first half of the book, however, it is not the love pushed back that keeps the reader’s interest but the friendship between Laurie and her best friend Sarah. The book is dense with glimpses into their lives for ten years, and true to life, much happens. The story propels us forward, and there are almost no pauses of the propelling plot. Despite its length, it is a fast read. The book does not dwell in as much drama as some would think - especially if anyone is a fan of modern soaps. There are pressures and tension that are throughout the book, but because of the source of them they do not hit as hard as they may have intended because we do not get to see those parts of their lives often enough in this format. There is a lot more to be said on other parts of the story that didn’t quite land in the spoiler section.In the end, however, One Day in December is a great read for those in search of a longer fluff read and in wanting for their favorite romance movie on the page. It is an entertaining read for those that are only interested in that sort of novel. Anyone who is looking for more depth into that would be left wanting.Spoilers SectionWhile it is true that Silver certain believes in this novel that one will capital ‘k’ Know when they have found the one they are meant-to-be with, it is also clear that she also believes that they will end up together. Perhaps, that is in part the nature of the genre, perhaps that is how she feels it will be, and it is my own fault for reading this book at the wrong time in my own life when I am not as hopeful as she. But, the ending did make for the perfect cliche rom-com ending, and perhaps that is all that we needed for a read that is only meant to be fluffy, and not at all a life preserver or critique of such relationships.I must say, of the great things in this novel, the distinct voices of the two narrators of the novel was excellently done. With Laurie’s self conscious monologue and Jack’s foul mouth, we can tell that these two have very different voices - and these voices sound wholly their own and like real people. There were scenes that just seemed oh so real; the early twenties drunkard holiday parties, the struggle with integrating a spouse into one’s family, and the deep seeded desire to hold on to a relationship that isn’t enough because you love them just enough for it to rip your heart out.One of my biggest critiques of One Day in December comes from the characters.First, there was Sarah. From the beginning, Sarah was this mythical being. She was, to be frank, a perfect being - an unrealistic being. Albeit, she is being described by her best friend throughout the novel - and her boyfriend/ex - but she just seems like an impossible character. She’s beautiful, daring, “just the right kind of confident and insecure,” and completely kind. Her one “mistake” of the novel is that she does not show up to Laurie’s wedding after she finds out that she had been in love with Jack and kissed during their relationship - something that wouldn’t be all too unwarranted in real life. Perhaps, there is another flaw that is written of her - the possible cheating on Jack with Luke - but judging by how Silver truly tries to write the desperation that nothing happened and she was faithful the way Silver had written her up to that point would make the reader truly believe that there was nothing going on. This mythical status of Sarah was supposed to make Laurie seem paler in comparison, but there were no real flaws outside of falling in love with Jack that seemed to come about in Laurie’s character either…Except, there was one glaring difference between all the character’s and Laurie: everyone but her seemed to grow up. While we can see Sarah growing up as she moves on to live on her own, grows in her career and becomes more sophisticated; witness Jack mature as he works through the aftermath of pulling himself up after the grief from his accident, his changing viewpoints on relationships, and even maturing through his own career; we do not witness any true growth from Laurie. All of Laurie’s growth seems to stem out of simply coping. Her growth in Thailand was about moving on from Jack, but she let herself get whirlwind into something right away once more. Her growth after each of her father’s health crises seem to be able pulling herself together and yet leaning on other people. Most of all, all of Laurie’s growth for most of the novel seemed to stem immediately to her job. “Look how much Laurie grew! She’s following her dream finally!” Silver seemed to say a quarter way through. “Look how much Laurie grew, she’s writing for adults!” Silver tried to argue at the end of the novel. But in all honesty, Laurie didn’t seem to grow much at all. She was finally becoming happy with herself again, learning how to love her life, when the final whirlwind brought her right back into Jack’s arms. There is only one decision that stood as a true testament of Laurie’s growth: her decision to end her marriage with Oscar. It was a grown-up, realistic decision, one that was inevitable for a relationship that they had especially because it was, in truth, so short.Oscar, out of all the characters, had received the short end of the stick for the cast of characters. From the beginning I did not understand why a relationship had flourished outside of Thailand between Laurie and Oscar. Their entire relationship seemed based around sex, including back in the UK. He was written as though he genuinely loved Laurie - or at least we are supposed to believe that - but there were no scenes that were not physical that told us that. Instead, we are simply meant to believe that by how often he proposed and their small banter. Their conflict in marriage was a real one though, and that was honestly the strongest moment for Oscar than any other part of the novel.Again, perhaps I am reading this book at the wrong time in my own life, but I felt like the tagline of “A love story about what happens after you meet - or don’t meet - the one,” had opened up doors to a far more meaningful story than a simple fluff novel. Perhaps reaching each other in the end in a less rom-com, more real way, would have been better. But for myself, the strongest moments of writing where not the sections of romance, but the use of that romance to pull on the heartstrings when it wasn’t enough. When Laurie tells the comatosed Jack that she told a young boy how painful it is to let someone go, how there isn’t only one person in the world for us, and how you can move on… That moment hit harder than any other. Just the same, the strongest moment for Sarah was when she explains to Laurie why she and Jack broke up, explaining, “...our entire relationship has been a million tiny compromises, his and mine, so our differences weren’t big enough to pull us apart. It’s been a constant effort, and I don’t know if love should feel that way, you know? I don’t mean making an effort for each other… I mean making an effort to be someone ever so slightly different from who you are” (Silver, 237). The strongest moment in the novel? When Jack and Sarah arrive, despite it all, to support Laurie during her father’s death.This book was entertaining, but it was not meaningful. It was simple fluff that is fun to read with a page-turning romance and drama. It could have been so much more.