This is a contemporary fiction by Scottish author Shari Low, that takes us through one day in the intersecting lives of four different people, somewhat like the movie Love Actually. A random facebook post leads Caro to take a trip to Glasgow to find out if everything she has ever known about her father is in fact a lie. Lila is plotting to reveal to her lover’s wife their affair, in the hope that they will finally become a real couple. Cammy is shopping for a ring to propose to his glamorous girlfriend while his dear friends try to talk him out of the match. Bernadette has finally plucked up the courage to leave her controlling husband of 30 years.

This was an enjoyable read with some engaging characters, and some unlikeable but nevertheless realistic ones. In particular I liked some of the side characters and friends such as Cammy’s older friends Josie and Val and their sarcastic banter, and Caro’s supportive gay cousin Todd. If you want a clever and entertaining but light read this one would be good. ( )

A female led version of 24

Take 24 hours, a cauldron of interestng characters,with stories that are going to cause a train crash when they intersect and you have a fun and engaging holiday read. Caro is certainly the lynchpin to this story and she is relatable. You want her to win, just as you want to see Lila get a come-uppance. A satisfying story where everyone gets their just desserts. ( )

One Day in Winter by Shari Low
A Winter Day #1

It is almost Christmas as this story begins. It is told from the perspective of four people who will each experience more before the day ends than they could have imagined.

Caro: is just finished teaching and on break. She is off to see if what she has seen on social media might give her insight into why her father disappeared a couple of years before. She is dealing with the illness of her mother and wants answers.

Cameron/Cammy: is a man nearing forty who has loved deeply in the past and lost the girl to someone else. He has a business running a men’s clothing shop and believes he is in love and ready to settle down even though friends of his are skeptical.

Bernadette/Bernie: has been married for thirty years, born two children, is a nurse and is fed up and finally ready to claim her life for herself again. Her husband is a handsome professional man who is in reality a scum-bucket.

Lila: is a blonde beautiful bombshell focused on her media image and attaining the man she has been with off and on for the past seven years. She seems to have daddy issues that carry over into other parts of her life. Of the four people narrating this story she is the one most difficult to feel anything positive for.

The book begins with a person on a bed alone dying.
The book then is told in segments of time by the four people mentioned above.
Beginning in the morning we see how the day of each one begins
Next they are on their way to achieve their goals for the day
We follow and get to know them better
As the day wore on I began to:
* like Caro more and more
* hope Cammy could deal with what I suspected was going to happen
* cheer loudly for Bernadette
* and dislike Lila and the man she was having an affair with
By the end I was satisfied with the way the book ended.

At first I was wondering if I would enjoy the book because it moved from one perspective to another and I wondered if I would be able to keep all the threads straight but very quickly I realized it would be no trouble at all.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to ARIA for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4.5 Stars ( )

Glasgow, December, Christmas is approaching.Course of the action, a single day when four very different people decide to fulfill their resolutions.

Caro is a teacher in a primary school and I couldn't help but liking her immediately, after reading her thoughts on the upcoming Christmas holidays and the children 's excitement. She wants to discover the truth about her father's escapades, his "secret" life. Cammy is planning a wedding proposal to an utterly unsuitable woman.Bernadette, married to a despicable man, finally decides to wave him goodbye. Lila ,the second despicable person in the novel having an affair with the aforementioned one. Too much of the stereotype of the idiotic, manipulative, sex-crazed blonde. She was the big minus of the novel, lowered the quality and potential of the story. I've got absolutely zero patience for flighty, dumb people who rule amidst the social media frenzy and I hardly read her chapters.

I went into this believing that it would be a contemporary novel, dealing with family issues, insecurities and themes. What I discovered was a melodramatic mixture of questionable quality. I'm sure many readers will be satisfied by this novel. Speaking strictly for myself, the various issues of romantic nature, the family drama coming straight out of a soap opera, the stereotypical characters and the poor quality dialogue do not consist an interesting read. I managed to finish it due to my sympathy for Caro and the glimpses of actual good writing that were very few and far between.

This is a case where the book may be good but the reader is wrong. And I should have known better and avoided it. Feel free to try it and form your opinion. However, the family drama and paperback romance don't call my name...

Many thanks to Aria and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com ( )