Counting Down to You by Emily Stone 

I have now read four books by Emily Stone, and they just seem to get better and better. Counting Down to You has everything I look for in a great read: deep emotion, romance, humour, and stunning scenery. From the very beginning, I was completely drawn into the story and couldn't wait to see how it would unfold.

Ali and Robyn have been best friends and couldn’t be closer, sharing everything, especially their love of Christmas and the tradition of creating advent calendars filled with challenges for each other. When Robyn becomes seriously ill, she creates one final advent calendar for Ali, packed with special tasks designed to push her out of her comfort zone. Devastated by the loss of her best friend, Ali feels completely adrift, but completing the challenges gives her a way to honour Robyn's memory. As she works through each one, she finds herself embarking on a journey of friendship, healing and self-discovery.

Emily Stone balances themes of friendship, grief, romance and self-discovery beautifully throughout the story. I enjoyed following Ali's journey as she worked through Robyn's advent challenges, and the mixture of emotional moments, humour and hope kept me fully invested in the outcome. A touching and uplifting read that explores loss, love and finding a way forward after heartbreak.

 

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8992727029