I absolutely adore Emily Stone’s writing (and not just because I’ve been a character in one of her books; One Last Gift) so receiving a surprise copy of Counting Down to You was such a treat. My huge thanks to Alara Delfosse at Headline for sending it to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Counting Down to You today.
You’ll find other posts featuring Emily here on Linda’s Book Bag.
Counting Down to You was published by Headline on 8th October 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
Counting Down to You
A young woman travels to the Alps to complete her best friend’s last request – and finds a love that’s closer to home than she realises in this gorgeous festive romance from the author of Always, in December and Yours for the Season.
Ali has always loved Christmas. She and her best friend Robyn had a tradition to exchange advent calendars filled, not with chocolate, but with fun challenges to complete.
Only this year, there is no Robyn. Ali would rather skip December altogether, and the reminders it will bring.
But before she died, Robyn left Ali one last calendar.
The first challenge? Book a flight to Chatel, in the French Alps.
The second challenge? Post a selfie with an attractive man to make your ex jealous.
Determined to give Robyn’s calendar her all, Ali takes a position in a hotel in Chatel, nestled in the snowcapped mountains, and snaps a selfie with a gorgeous stranger on the way.
But when she arrives, Ali is shocked to realise the surly hotel manager is the man from her photo. And now everyone already thinks she’s dating the boss…
Suddenly the season looks a lot more complicated than she’d planned. But as the snow falls, will this be the Christmas to thaw Ali’s heart?
My Review of Counting Down to You
Ali has an advent calendar of challenges to fulfil.
What an utterly gorgeous read. I adored Counting Down to You. In her inimitable style, Emily Stone has created a beautifully romantic read that is simply packed with emotion, depth and the most perfect understanding of human nature.
The structure of the novel is superb because the advent calendar of challenges gives a framework upon which events in the past are explained, the present action is driven and future possibilities are hinted at. The advent calendar also makes the reader want to create something equally special for those they love in real life.
The French Alps setting is glorious. There’s enough description to make the reader feel they are there without overpowering the narrative. It feels both Christmassy and realistic. There’s an appeal to all the senses too so that reading Counting Down to You is both immersive and enchanting.
The characters feel so incredibly real. I loved the spark of attraction between Ali and Leo and the romantic aspect of Counting Down to You is absolutely gripping (and occasionally quite sexy!). There’s no cliched guarantee of a happy ending because Emily Stone has created flawed and believable people for whom life can be a challenge as well as a joy. You’ll need to read Counting Down to You to find out exactly what happens, but I found myself exclaiming aloud and giving Ali advice on several occasions.
The setting, romance, characters and plot in Counting Down to You all make for a wonderful book, but it is the themes that elevate the story into such a mesmerising read. Emily Stone explores aspects like grief, family, ambition, self knowledge and forgiveness with such a skilful blend of depth and lightness of touch that there’s a real impact on the reader. I’d defy any reader not to find a lump in the throat or tear in their eye at some point. And I adored the ambiguity of ‘You’ in the title – it might refer to Leo or Robyn and equally, it might just be Ali herself as she discovers as much about herself in the story as she does about any of the others.
I thought Counting Down to You was fantastic. I’ve been struggling to settle to reading a book recently but Emily Stone captivated me completely. She transported me into a visual, romantic and convincing narrative that gave me the most wonderful read. Just brilliant!
About Emily Stone
Emily Sone is the author of six festive romance novels , including Always, in December and One Last Gift. Her novels have been translated into eleven languages. Emily has lived in many places over the years, including London, Wales, Cornwall, Germany and Mozambique, before finally settling down in Bristol, where she spends most of her free time with her two rescue ponies.
Emily Stone is a pseudonym – she also writes speculative romance under her real name, Becky Hunter, and is the co-author of fantasy romance Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter.
For further information, find Emily on Instagram.
