Wishing You Well This Christmas: A Sapphic Second-Chance Romance Novella (The Wishing Well)

What I loved about this novella: -Both the trans representation and the fat and Indonesian representation felt so authentic and affectionate. The author clearly loves getting to write these characters. -The way the food was almost another character. I could almost taste and smell it while I was reading. -It had some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read, but it never felt pretentious or over-done. -This is a prequel novella for a novel the author is currently working on and this felt like the perfect little taste of an introduction to the characters and the mysterious circumstances that drove them apart.

Loved it, and I cant wait for the next one 🧡🤍🩷

This short story was such a change of pace for one of my absolute favorite authors in the most wonderfully surprising way. Nai shows up for a Christmas celebration with her newly ex-wife's family and their children. Nai and her ex still have a kind relationship and genuinely care about one another, but Nai feels like she is broken inside. The way the author describes her standing in a room full of people and yet feeling utterly alone is so relatable that I am certain my head was nodding the entire time. She is a career social influencer, but no one knows the real her. Well no one except Safi, the girl she first fell in love with that loved her exactly how she is. Then we get a glimpse of Safi's current life and the running that she has done for so long to get to this town she lives in. Her running made sense to me, knowing the need to run and escape when things get too real, but I loved seeing her fight the urge in this short story. The way that the emotions and memories were described in this book were so wonderful. I absolutely empathized with both women through every step. I just want to invite Nai over to crash at my house until she feels comfortable in her own skin again. I loved that it was the chaos of families in the present and in their memories. Oh, the descriptions of the food is mouth wateringly well done. And the author did just such a beautiful job with the prose that I cannot wait to get more of Nai and Safi in the future. "She was good at it though. Good…

After reading this, I am more excited for The Wishing Well. Can’t wait to learn more about Safi and Nai.

This was a short but emotionally resonant story. I follow Juniper on social media, so I’m somewhat familiar with Safi and Nai lore, but I believe this story will stand on its own. Wishing You Well this Christmas introduces the reader to Juniper’s upcoming book The Wishing Well in reminiscent and nostalgic Christmas memories. The longing hits and the two characters have unique voices and energy on the page. I get the feeling there is a bit of magic in this world, a hint of the mysterious, but at the center are two women tethered to the events of a long ago summer and to what might have been. Warm holiday vibes, big emotions, some cozy spice. This is a lovely appetizer for The Wishing Well.