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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is my second Emily Stone book and I think she may just not be my cup of tea. I really liked the premise of this book, and it started strong, but at about the 25% mark, it started losing me. It took me longer than usual to get through this book and it felt like it dragged.
I really appreciated all the main characters and their depth and complexity. Their relationships were not quick to develop or heal, which felt realistic to me. However, the push and pull between the two MCs in the romance arc got to be a little old.
The writing was good, but dry at times. I liked the characters, but I found them frustrating at times. I liked the storyline, but it was more depressing than I expected at times. So....I guess that all averages out to a middle of the road rating.
While some of the events take place near Christmas, it didn't really feel like a holiday read so if you're looking for a light, cozy Christmas book, this isn't it!
I really appreciated all the main characters and their depth and complexity. Their relationships were not quick to develop or heal, which felt realistic to me. However, the push and pull between the two MCs in the romance arc got to be a little old.
The writing was good, but dry at times. I liked the characters, but I found them frustrating at times. I liked the storyline, but it was more depressing than I expected at times. So....I guess that all averages out to a middle of the road rating.
While some of the events take place near Christmas, it didn't really feel like a holiday read so if you're looking for a light, cozy Christmas book, this isn't it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Miscarriage
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found Love, Holly by Emily Stone to be a tedious book. Holly exchanges letters in a Dear Stranger club with a woman she feels a connection to. Holly decides to track this lady, named Emma, down, and immediately begins to meddle in her life. Holly finds Emma’s estranged grandson, Jack, who turns out to be a man that Holly had a meet-cute with in a cafe years prior. Holly and Jack have an instant connection, which is complicated by her relationship with his grandmother. This starts out cute, takes a turn for the tragic, and goes downhill from there. I found most of it uninteresting. Holly is an annoying character. The story randomly switches perspectives and it is difficult to understand who the dialogue belongs to at times. The coincidences are not believable. I’m not sure that this author is for me. It has a few moments that are touching, so it gets points for that. 2/5 stars.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my eARC of this one. I absolutely loved it and devoured it in a day. It’s such a heartwarming, moving story. The ending genuinely made me quite teary. I definitely now need to read more of Emily Stone’s books!
My favorite Emily Stone book so far!
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holly is in a car crash on Christmas Eve that leaves her relationship with her sister incredibly fractured. She joins a Dear Stranger letter program that leads her to track down an older woman and they bond over having both been driving in a car crash. Their relationship also leads Holly to reconnect with a man she met on the day of her crash.
This book is full of heavy topics - car crashes, miscarriage, loss, cancer, and family abandonment. Like her other books Emily Stone handles this very well! In this novel she touches on blame and the idea of fate. I loved Emma and Holly’s relationship so much and enjoyed reading it develop throughout the book.
I think there was an awful lot of blame back and forth and that got a little annoying but overall it was handled well. I also really enjoyed that the sad part of the book happened at the beginning rather than the end like Stone’s other novels. Her books are always sold as Christmas novels but this book takes place over a year and could be read at any time.
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holly is in a car crash on Christmas Eve that leaves her relationship with her sister incredibly fractured. She joins a Dear Stranger letter program that leads her to track down an older woman and they bond over having both been driving in a car crash. Their relationship also leads Holly to reconnect with a man she met on the day of her crash.
This book is full of heavy topics - car crashes, miscarriage, loss, cancer, and family abandonment. Like her other books Emily Stone handles this very well! In this novel she touches on blame and the idea of fate. I loved Emma and Holly’s relationship so much and enjoyed reading it develop throughout the book.
I think there was an awful lot of blame back and forth and that got a little annoying but overall it was handled well. I also really enjoyed that the sad part of the book happened at the beginning rather than the end like Stone’s other novels. Her books are always sold as Christmas novels but this book takes place over a year and could be read at any time.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes