Portobello Book Blog

Don’t be put off by this book having December in the title, it’s not a book that you need to wait till then to read. What is more important is that it is set over the course of one day – that day just happens to be in December. And what an action packed, emotional day it is.

First of all, what’s the book about?

By the stroke of midnight, a heart would be broken, a cruel truth revealed, a devastating secret shared, and a love betrayed. Four lives would be changed forever, One Day in December.

One morning in December… 

Caro set off on a quest to find out if her relationship with her father had been based on a lifetime of lies. 

Lila decided today would be the day that she told her lover’s wife of their secret affair. 

Cammy was on the way to pick up the ring for the surprise proposal to the woman he loved. 

And Bernadette vowed that this was the day she would walk away from her controlling husband of 30 years and never look back. 

One day, four lives on a collision course with destiny…

I adored this book. I loved the format of the way the story unfolded. It takes place, as I said, over the course of one day where we follow the four characters in blocks of two hours leading up to midnight. Each character has a chapter in each section of time so we hear from each what is happening. The characters are all loosely – or not so loosely  -connected and of course the reader knows more about the connections than the characters. I was slightly daunted by the large list of characters at the beginning of the book but actually, there are probably no more than in any book and I certainly had no problem keeping up with who was who.

I found this a really compelling book. Because we hear from each character in turn in every section, I was always desperate to find out what was going to happen next for them. Particularly as the time crept towards midnight, it was a bit like watching the end of thriller film – it was fascinating yet I almost wanted to hide my eyes as the four storylines inevitably came together. There were lots of interesting threads to the story and I definitely empathised with some of the characters more than others! Towards the end there were some emotional scenes which were perfectly narrated.

One Day in December is a wonderfully written story which I certainly found hard to put down. It’s a perfect mix of romance, relationships, friendships and secrets. It will make you laugh, it might make you cry and the characters will definitely stay in your mind. In fact, I’d really love to find out what happens next for them. It’s a book to curl up with as the darker nights draw in but don’t wait until December! It’s the first of Shari Low’s books I’ve read and I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this accomplished storyteller.

My thanks to the publishers Aria Fiction for my review copy via Netgalley. One Day in December is available now in paperback and as an e-book. The Kindle version is currently only 99p and you’ll not regret buying it I’m sure. Order your copy online here: One Day in December