One Day in December (Silver)

One Day in December 
Josie Silver, 2018
Crown/Archetype
416 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780525574682


Summary
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. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
Josie Silver is an unashamed romantic who met her husband when she stepped on his foot on his twenty-first birthday. She lives with him, her two young sons, and their cats in a little town in England called Wolverhampton. (From the publisher.)

Book Reviews
Consider setting aside some time and prepare to be charmed as author Josie Silver takes readers on a captivating journey—where female friendship is as important as romantic love.… One Day in December is an unmistakable winner.
USA Today


A must-read. In Josie Silver’s charming rom-com, Laurie experiences love at first sight through her bus window… then the car pulls away.… What follows is a decade of heartache, betrayal, and destiny.
US Weekly


In Josie Silver’s One Day in December, a chance encounter on a London bus turns into a Bridget Jones-inspired romp.
Cosmopolitan


Love at first sight! But he’s her BFF’s new BF. What to do? Do you really have to ask?
Entertainment Weekly


[L]ovely…. Silver’s propulsive narrative is enjoyable, and the mix of tension and affection between Jack and Laurie is charming, addictive, and effective. Readers who like quirky love stories will be satisfied by this cinematic novel.
Publishers Weekly


[A]sweetly romantic novel.… Readers who enjoy contemporary romance will root for Laurie and Jack as they work through laughter-through-tears experiences and toward a happily-ever-after worth fighting for. —Charli Osborne, Southfield P.L., MI
Library Journal


Silver writes with verve and charm in this debut, and readers will be pulling for Laurie and Jack as they detour through missteps and misunderstandings.
Booklist


The pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic.… Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
 1. How would you describe the connection Laurie felt upon first seeing Jack? How do you think he perceived her when he saw her from the bus stop? Have you ever felt a similar connection with someone?

2. Why didn’t Laurie tell Sarah that Jack was the person she’d been looking for?

3. How similar are Laurie and Sarah? In what ways do their personalities differ? Which character do you identify with?

4. Why do you think Jack doesn’t admit to Laurie that he remembers her from the bus stop?

5. Should Sarah have noticed the tension between Laurie and Jack?

6. Is it realistic for Laurie and Jack to try to be friends considering their feelings for each other? Why do you think they try so hard to remain friendly?

7. How does Laurie’s relationship with Oscar compare to her relationship with Jack? Is it possible for her to love them both simultaneously?

8. On page 209 Laurie notes that she’s been conflicted about "how much information constitutes the truth, how much omission constitutes lying." Do you think she’s lying to Oscar and/or Sarah considering what she hasn’t revealed to each of them?

9. Laurie describes the flowers Jack sends her as "lush and extravagant… but then in the shortest time they’re not very lovely at all. They wilt and they turn the water brown, and soon you can’t hold on to them any longer." Do any of her relationships also fit this description?

10. How does Laurie cope with loss, in terms of family members, romantic interests, and friends?

11. By the end of the story both Laurie and Jack have grown and changed significantly. How do these changes affect their relationship?

12. How do Laurie’s New Year’s resolutions evolve through the years?
(Questions issued by the publishers.)

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