Challenge Corner discussion

Two people. Ten chances. One unforgettable love story.

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic... and then her bus drives away.

Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780525574682.

Started this book today! Listening to the audio version - so far so good.

25% in

I really like this story so far. A few thoughts...

Laurie (view spoiler)[ why didn't she tell Sarah about Jack and the bus...this isn't going to end well (hide spoiler)]
Sarah (view spoiler)[ I feel sorry for her because her best friend is basically lying to her (hide spoiler)]
Jack (view spoiler)[ he should have told Sarah about Laurie, and he actually let Laurie sleep on his lap (hide spoiler)]

50% in

I knew it would get messy

Jack & Laurie (view spoiler)[ them kissing was inevitable, and I'm glad they both felt remorse after doing so (hide spoiler)]
Jack & Sarah (view spoiler)[ just break up already!! (hide spoiler)]
Laurie (view spoiler)[ I'm glad she's going off by herself to try and get some distance from this and break up this ugly triangle (hide spoiler)]

I'm not sure where your points are so I'm going to hold off clicking spoilers until I know I'm past them lol

2008 - 2010

(view spoiler)[ wow, I can't imagine falling for someone at first sight like that, just from a bus stop without any interaction... but now that he's dating her best friend!! Wild!

But I can understand why she didn't tell her friend either. yikes. what a rough position to be in

but yikes, they are doing some really shady stuff behind her back and it's awful. I could never. I WOULD Never. (hide spoiler)]

2011 - 2013

well (view spoiler)[ that seemed like silly timing on Sarah's part. how can she literally be mad at her, asking if she was just waiting to pounce on Jack when are celebrating Laurie getting married (and having moved on from Jack in the most obvious way)

this rift is silly and I'm disappointed in Sarah for actually missing the wedding. I assume Laurie will grovel back and Sarah will bless her with friendship again but I think it's over the top that Sarah is being like this

I'm glad Sarah and Jack broke up, they hadn't seemed happy in a long time. I'm also glad Jack got out of town (hide spoiler)]

2014 - 2017 (end)

(view spoiler)[ Ugh, I think that's just silly. I believe in love at first sight in that you get interested in someone
but I don't believe that Laurie was "instantly in love with Jack" and he with her just because their eyes met.

I'm glad they got there in the end, and I'm glad that Sarah got her happily ever after with Luke

and Oscar . . he probably went back to his ex who worked in the same side of the world as he did after his promotion. probably would have made his mom happy! lol (hide spoiler)]

70% (right after the wedding)

Sarah - (view spoiler)[I don't blame Sarah for leaving and being extremely mad at Laurie (hide spoiler)]
Laurie (view spoiler)[ told you so! I hope that she actually gives her husband Oscar a chance and really leave Jack behind (hide spoiler)]
Jack (view spoiler)[I'm glad he's moved and appears to be dating, but why is he so attached to Laurie (hide spoiler)]

Done!!

Well, I think it's worth more than 1 star, I gave it 2 stars.

I thought it was predictable, and the characters (view spoiler)[ were kind of whiny and emotionally not there (hide spoiler)]

2008 - 2010

(view spoiler)[I think Jack should've have told Sarah for sure. But I also think that it follows the rule of girl code, so I have to agree with Trisha that I never could do that either...so I think it's so uncool that Laurie is doing what she is and not telling Sarah. Her love is 100% just made up in her head over his looks. (hide spoiler)]

2011 - 2013

(view spoiler)[OMG give me a break! They just needed to break up! Obviously Sarah and Jack just don't belong together so it's good that they broke up and stopped wasting time on their "relationship"!

But I have to agree with Trisha that it's pretty over the top how Sarah's reacted to the entire thing.

If Laurie had told Sarah how she felt about Jack from the get-go, they might've been able to talk it through. That being said, I think their "insta-love" was ridiculous. I literally had a friend YEARS ago who was engaged with a guy and broke it off because she saw a man in a small grocery store and they also "locked eyes" and she "knew he was meant to be with her." I thought she was crazy!!! She kept going back to that store in the hopes of finding him again because she really believed they were meant to be and she just couldn't get him out of her head. Poor Bob though! (hide spoiler)]

Finished

(view spoiler)[I am pretty character driven and I didn't care for the characters and nothing about them resonated with me. I also felt it was TOO silly how they had insta-love over nothing...absurd! All you can get with that kind of interaction is insta-lust or attraction but certainly not love. I thought the whole plot was silly and the characters were so immature. I just couldn't like this one but I thought it was OK

I can deal with an insta-love with some interaction and their relationship builds and grows, but I never saw that happen. She ended up with one tragedy after another and, in my opinion, they never had a lot of time together as a "loving couple" so I just don't get it. To me, this isn't a nice, second chance love story set during Christmastime when we hope for a HEA! (hide spoiler)]