I didn’t realise how much I needed this story until I read it. I know it feels early to mention the “C” word… but I couldn’t resist! I’m so excited to share my very first festive read of 2025 with you all — and what a beautiful way to start the season.
A heartfelt thank you to Boldwood Books (@theboldbookclub) for granting me auto-approval on NetGalley. As always, this review is completely honest and reflects my own thoughts.
About the book
If you could spend just one more day with someone, who would it be?
When Lili sends a jokey ‘knock-knock’ message to her best friend Em, she doesn’t expect to hear back. Because – as Lili notices the chill in the air, and the little robin in her garden – she realises Christmas must be just around the corner once again. A whole year since she last saw Em.
But then this time someone replies. ‘Who’s there?’ It can’t possibly be Em, but Lili wants to believe it could be, and she hastily suggests meeting.
However when she gets to the meeting place, there only one other person there waiting. A man. And not just any man. The most handsome man Lili’s ever seen, Dylan… And he is also waiting for someone he’s been missing.
As the days get shorter and Autumn turns to Winter, will two lonely hearts spend another Christmas without their loved ones? Or can they welcome an unexpected friendship? Or maybe even more, if they can just help each other to focus on not what they’ve lost, but what they’ve found…
Will You Stay Another Day? by Samantha Tonge
Published by Boldwood Books on 11 August 2025
You can find the book on Amazon, Goodreads and Storygraph
About the Author
Samantha Tonge lives in Manchester UK with her husband and children.
She studied German and French at university and has worked abroad, including a stint at Disneyland Paris. She has travelled widely.
Samantha has sold many dozens of short stories to women’s magazines. She is represented by Darley Anderson Agency & Associates. In 2015 her summer novel, Game of Scones, hit #5 in the UK Kindle chart and won the Love Stories Awards Best Romantic Ebook category. In 2020 one of her novels won the RNA’s Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award. Currently Samantha writes uplifting, emotional women’s fiction for Boldwood Books.
Learn more about Samantha at Boldwood Books and on samanthatonge.co.uk
My Five Star Review
This past weekend I read Will You Stay Another Day? – my 94th book of 2025 and my first Christmas read of the year – and I already know it will stay with me for a very long time.
The book is dedicated “For everyone who longs for just another day,” and that line captures the heart of this story so perfectly. If you’ve ever wished for one more conversation, one more laugh, one more hug with someone you’ve lost, this book will speak to your soul.
It’s an incredibly tender, quietly powerful read. Samantha Tonge writes about grief in a way that feels both deeply personal and universally understood. There’s a softness in her storytelling that doesn’t try to fix the pain of loss, but instead gently holds space for it – while offering a flicker of hope for what still lies ahead.
I found myself tearful at times – not from sadness alone, but from the comfort in being seen. The arrival of the robin was a particularly moving moment. So many of us believe that robins are signs from those we’ve lost, and this small but powerful inclusion added a deep layer of meaning to an already heartfelt narrative.
The characters are beautifully drawn, full of warmth and quiet strength. I found myself wishing that this version of the world—the one where strangers pause to help, where kindness is instinctive, and where healing begins in the most unexpected ways – wasn’t just fictional.
What I loved most was how the story reminds us that, although grief never leaves us, we can still find joy, connection, and even new beginnings. It’s not a traditional love story, but rather a story of human connection, understanding, and emotional rebuilding.
This is a book I’d gently place in the hands of anyone who’s feeling a little lost, broken, or simply needs to feel less alone this Christmas.
This review may also appear on my social media and selected book platforms. All links are correct at the time of posting.
📝 And finally…
One quote I highlighted and immediately printed to pin on my wall was this:
“If you ever have to compromise yourself to fit into a relationship then it’s not good, even if that partner is a good person.”
This resonated so deeply with me—not just for romantic relationships, but for all relationships. Friendships, family, future partners… anyone. It’s a reminder I need, and one I’ll carry with me going forward. Thank you Samantha x
#WillYouStayAnotherDay #SamanthaTonge #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #digitalread #bookreview #ChristmasReads
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