Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
slow-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
Although I cried harder for Always in December, this one was just as sweet. 5/5 for making me cry and Emily Stone is a must read author for Christmastime
I’m glad I got to read a holiday book this Christmas! This book was alright, no stand out moments, and overall it didn’t feel like a lot happened between the characters. I didn’t hate it by any means, it just was there. I wanted to know what happened next and it wasn’t hard for me to pick up, but in the end I don’t really care for the characters and in a romance book, the main point is like caring for the characters. Their conversations were the same like every time… these people talk in circles, all revolving around some old lady that I also feel like I hardly spent enough time with to care about.
P.S. Thank you so much Audrey for this book, sorry I rated it low. I take my book reviews for my 5 followers very seriously and couldn’t not let my feelings out here. I swear 2 stars isn’t as bad as it looks!
P.S. Thank you so much Audrey for this book, sorry I rated it low. I take my book reviews for my 5 followers very seriously and couldn’t not let my feelings out here. I swear 2 stars isn’t as bad as it looks!
went into this expecting it to be very cheesy / hallmarky, and was pleasantly surprised at how earnest it was. of course, it is a romance so there are those elements, but the development and charm that Emma brings is the real star of this story. devastating at times, but in all the right ways.
This is a highly satisfying, wonderful love story.
Even before it starts, one word sets the pace: serendipity. An image comes to mind of some handsome guy that finds a beautiful girl and fate brings them together. Needless to say, that’s not exactly what happens.
However, if I was single, I would want to meet Jack, a tall, good-looking catch with a great job in a management position. He stumbles upon Holly in a coffee shop. He sees her red hair all over the place. She’s a little off balance but has a kind heart and sweet smile. There’s an instant attraction. But, there’s also family drama. Lots of it.
Holly is a want-to-be artist and Jack has always had a passion for landscaping. However, it's his grandmother that makes them both find their way with a little holiday cheer and a lot of love.
To me, it was predictable but so much fun to read about the story that brings sweetness into life. It’s an easy read that goes by in a hurry like being immersed in a beautiful heart-felt movie – one which you don’t want to end.
My thanks to Dell Publishing Company and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of September 26, 2023.
Even before it starts, one word sets the pace: serendipity. An image comes to mind of some handsome guy that finds a beautiful girl and fate brings them together. Needless to say, that’s not exactly what happens.
However, if I was single, I would want to meet Jack, a tall, good-looking catch with a great job in a management position. He stumbles upon Holly in a coffee shop. He sees her red hair all over the place. She’s a little off balance but has a kind heart and sweet smile. There’s an instant attraction. But, there’s also family drama. Lots of it.
Holly is a want-to-be artist and Jack has always had a passion for landscaping. However, it's his grandmother that makes them both find their way with a little holiday cheer and a lot of love.
To me, it was predictable but so much fun to read about the story that brings sweetness into life. It’s an easy read that goes by in a hurry like being immersed in a beautiful heart-felt movie – one which you don’t want to end.
My thanks to Dell Publishing Company and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of September 26, 2023.
Fate, do you believe in it? Love, Holly might just change your mind - in a good way. Holly is estranged from her family and so every Christmas she writes to a stranger who is alone like her. In return, she also gets a letter. But, this year, her anonymous stranger becomes her very best friend. Emma understands Holly's grief, and together, they navigate the tricky business of healing old family wounds and reconnecting with the ones they love. Fate. Fate brings Jack into Holly's life. Their romance is electric, and even after years, Holly's stomach still flips. The slow burn, intense romance is delightful, and the exploration of family relationships will hit home with many readers. I typically don't enjoy a miscommunication trope, but Emily Stone knocked it out of the park. It was a novel that will make you feel like you should tell the people you love that you love them. And that wasted time is truly a terrible tragedy. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for my. eArc in exchange for an honest review.
I am surprised by how much I enjoyed this.
Having recently read a book with a lying theme, I got a little nervous with this one when Holly has a few lies by omission guiding her. However, this book is incredible at issue resolution. I didn't feel trapped for a couple 100 pages waiting for an implosion, instead the author, Emily Stone, created issues and resolved them at a wonderful pace.
I clearly missed that the title "Love, Holly" was a sign off for letters, as Holly uses her writing to process her grief and loss over time – writing letters to her sister that she'll never send. It's like how I missed that "Yours Truly" was going to center around letters, even though that's clearly a sign off. Maybe I love a letter-writing trope.
Except in Gilmore Girls. If Rory could've written less letters, that would've been great.
Anyway.
I also enjoyed how this book was broken into moments in time with clear section breaks. I think it went something like December, March, June, August, and October. Noting now that this isn't a true holiday book because of these sections, so you can read this at any time. Honestly, it is a book layered with grief so it might be better to not read around the holidays if that's a difficult time.
Holly and her sister Lily are on their way to spend Christmas Eve with their parents when they make a pitstop at a small coffee shop. While there, Holly meets a man she immediately falls for. He writes his number on her cup and gifts her an artistic card before they all head out on their separate journeys. As Holly and Lily continue their drive, they start to fight about directions with Holly getting distracted by her cell phone, reducing the speed to which she can react to an oncoming car. This wreck changes their lives forever as Lily chooses to set a clear boundary between her and Holly that continues for three years, leaving Holly to feel isolated from her family.
In her grief, Holly loses interest in creating art and chooses to put physical distance between her family to take a teaching job. Her friend and coworker suggests she partakes in Dear Stranger letters where she can air her grievances and anxiety to a stranger without expectation of a response. When Holly receives a letter from a participant, she seeks the woman out and works to make her life a little easier since she feels stuck in her own predicament.
Fate plays a huge role in this story – so if you're into Serendipity, this is the one for you.
TW: Loss of child and parent; infertility; cancer
Having recently read a book with a lying theme, I got a little nervous with this one when Holly has a few lies by omission guiding her. However, this book is incredible at issue resolution. I didn't feel trapped for a couple 100 pages waiting for an implosion, instead the author, Emily Stone, created issues and resolved them at a wonderful pace.
I clearly missed that the title "Love, Holly" was a sign off for letters, as Holly uses her writing to process her grief and loss over time – writing letters to her sister that she'll never send. It's like how I missed that "Yours Truly" was going to center around letters, even though that's clearly a sign off. Maybe I love a letter-writing trope.
Except in Gilmore Girls. If Rory could've written less letters, that would've been great.
Anyway.
I also enjoyed how this book was broken into moments in time with clear section breaks. I think it went something like December, March, June, August, and October. Noting now that this isn't a true holiday book because of these sections, so you can read this at any time. Honestly, it is a book layered with grief so it might be better to not read around the holidays if that's a difficult time.
Holly and her sister Lily are on their way to spend Christmas Eve with their parents when they make a pitstop at a small coffee shop. While there, Holly meets a man she immediately falls for. He writes his number on her cup and gifts her an artistic card before they all head out on their separate journeys. As Holly and Lily continue their drive, they start to fight about directions with Holly getting distracted by her cell phone, reducing the speed to which she can react to an oncoming car. This wreck changes their lives forever as Lily chooses to set a clear boundary between her and Holly that continues for three years, leaving Holly to feel isolated from her family.
In her grief, Holly loses interest in creating art and chooses to put physical distance between her family to take a teaching job. Her friend and coworker suggests she partakes in Dear Stranger letters where she can air her grievances and anxiety to a stranger without expectation of a response. When Holly receives a letter from a participant, she seeks the woman out and works to make her life a little easier since she feels stuck in her own predicament.
Fate plays a huge role in this story – so if you're into Serendipity, this is the one for you.
TW: Loss of child and parent; infertility; cancer
I will give this book a more thorough review at Christmas time.