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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
On the way home for Christmas, Holly has the perfect meet cute with a guy in a cafe and it looks like this cute romance may take off from the very first pages of the book, but minutes later tragedy strikes and everything changes for Holly. Years later Holly writes a Dear Stranger letter and receives one of her own, instead of reading her letter and moving on, Holly takes it upon herself to help ‘her Stranger’. One thing leads to another and the web that ties everyone together is revealed. Holly doesn’t believe in fate, but after everything she discovers in her search for forgiveness, it’s hard not to.
From the first pages of this book I thought this was going to be a cute holiday romance with little else, but boy was I wrong! Love, Holly is an emotional roller coaster ride in the best kind of way. It is sad, happy, empowering and inspiring and I couldn’t put it down. I immediately felt connected to Holly and loved her and the other characters that popped up throughout her journey. This book was so well written and laid out in a way that are it so easy to follow as so much time passed. I don’t have a single complaint or critique about this story, it absolutely beautiful and I loved every second of it. I highly recommend this as a read this holiday season! I can’t wait to see what else Emily Stone has written!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC version this great book!
From the first pages of this book I thought this was going to be a cute holiday romance with little else, but boy was I wrong! Love, Holly is an emotional roller coaster ride in the best kind of way. It is sad, happy, empowering and inspiring and I couldn’t put it down. I immediately felt connected to Holly and loved her and the other characters that popped up throughout her journey. This book was so well written and laid out in a way that are it so easy to follow as so much time passed. I don’t have a single complaint or critique about this story, it absolutely beautiful and I loved every second of it. I highly recommend this as a read this holiday season! I can’t wait to see what else Emily Stone has written!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC version this great book!
Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Love, Holly to review!
One Christmas Eve, Holly gets into a car accident that will tear her family apart for years to come. Feeling lonely, she decides to join a lonely-hearts holiday letter writing club. Even though the letters are anonymous, one Christmas Eve she decides to track down the woman who wrote a letter that she received because she feels connected to her situation. The woman that Holly tracked down, Emma, was also in a car accident that caused her to lose her son and lose her connection with her grandson as well. Now with a cancer diagnosis, Emma is feeling more alone than ever. While getting to know Emma, Holly finds out that she had met Emma's grandson (Jack) the night of her car accident. Determined to resolve their family situation instead of her own Holly decides to reunite these two people and in the process, help heal her own grief as well.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I didn't dislike it but I felt very misguided from what I originally thought this book was going to be about. I thought this was going to be a fun little Christmas themed romance book and in some ways it was but in a lot of ways it was not. This book was a lot more about grief than I was initially expecting and in a lot of ways I think the grief part of the story took precedence over the love story part of the book. I also thought it was kind of comedic how a significant part of the story didn't actually take place during Christmastime? Additionally, I never totally understood Holly and Emma's relationship but I understood the purpose. I also never really felt the chemistry between Holly and Jack but you gotta love a good dramatic hospital scene though. (It gave me major Fangirl vibes because that book has like three different dramatic hospital scenes in it). In the end, I didn't really dislike the book but it was definitely not what I was expecting to get into and that kind of disappointed me.
One Christmas Eve, Holly gets into a car accident that will tear her family apart for years to come. Feeling lonely, she decides to join a lonely-hearts holiday letter writing club. Even though the letters are anonymous, one Christmas Eve she decides to track down the woman who wrote a letter that she received because she feels connected to her situation. The woman that Holly tracked down, Emma, was also in a car accident that caused her to lose her son and lose her connection with her grandson as well. Now with a cancer diagnosis, Emma is feeling more alone than ever. While getting to know Emma, Holly finds out that she had met Emma's grandson (Jack) the night of her car accident. Determined to resolve their family situation instead of her own Holly decides to reunite these two people and in the process, help heal her own grief as well.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I didn't dislike it but I felt very misguided from what I originally thought this book was going to be about. I thought this was going to be a fun little Christmas themed romance book and in some ways it was but in a lot of ways it was not. This book was a lot more about grief than I was initially expecting and in a lot of ways I think the grief part of the story took precedence over the love story part of the book. I also thought it was kind of comedic how a significant part of the story didn't actually take place during Christmastime? Additionally, I never totally understood Holly and Emma's relationship but I understood the purpose. I also never really felt the chemistry between Holly and Jack but you gotta love a good dramatic hospital scene though. (It gave me major Fangirl vibes because that book has like three different dramatic hospital scenes in it). In the end, I didn't really dislike the book but it was definitely not what I was expecting to get into and that kind of disappointed me.
This is a wonderfully rich story, one that hovers on the edges of sadness but that is also filled with hope, love, and second chances. Sentimental themes abound but also ones about how grief is ever present and how families are complicated. What stood out to me was the idea of recognizing grief during the holiday season, the idea of strangers writing letters to each other to affirm and support that the holidays can be painful for some, as well as the idea that through pain can come chances for connection, hope, and love. The end had my eyes a bit misty in a good way and I appreciated the way that Emily Stone gave space for growth, reconciliation, and then a nicely written ending.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.
I was a bit nervous to read this novel as I’ve read a previous Emily Stone novel and while I enjoyed that one, I was not prepared for the level of hurt the story put me through. While this story does deal with deep and tragic elements and is not a light hearted romance, it was very well written. I loved all of the characters, as grumpy and imperfect as they were. There were some actions I disagreed with due to extreme lack of communication between the said parties, but everyone handles grief differently so I found a way to respect each characters actions. The ending was one that the reader sees coming, but it is so well executed and leaves the reader feeling hopeful instead of hopeless.
Yes, this story takes place around Christmas, but I would not categorize this as a holiday novel in general. Please take note of trigger warnings for off page infertility and miscarriage occurences. The references are not extremely detailed or graphic but there are references to both throughout the story.
Overall I really enjoyed the story and how it was told, especially getting the dual POV of both the main male character and the main female character.
I was a bit nervous to read this novel as I’ve read a previous Emily Stone novel and while I enjoyed that one, I was not prepared for the level of hurt the story put me through. While this story does deal with deep and tragic elements and is not a light hearted romance, it was very well written. I loved all of the characters, as grumpy and imperfect as they were. There were some actions I disagreed with due to extreme lack of communication between the said parties, but everyone handles grief differently so I found a way to respect each characters actions. The ending was one that the reader sees coming, but it is so well executed and leaves the reader feeling hopeful instead of hopeless.
Yes, this story takes place around Christmas, but I would not categorize this as a holiday novel in general. Please take note of trigger warnings for off page infertility and miscarriage occurences. The references are not extremely detailed or graphic but there are references to both throughout the story.
Overall I really enjoyed the story and how it was told, especially getting the dual POV of both the main male character and the main female character.
Holly and her sister Lilly are traveling right before the holidays, but since Lilly is pregnant, Holly insists that she does all the driving. Holly also insists that she needs to be heavily caffeinated for this drive and when she stops by a little cafe with beautiful paintings from a local artist. When Holly is walking to the order line, she bumps into a man named Jack. They really hit it off and there's so much chemistry that he even buys her coffee and shares a treat with her. Jack insists on leaving her his number on the coffee cup and it is her decisions to call him.
When Holly and Lilly are in the car, Holly is distracted by her phone and it causes a car accident. She has obviously lost that number on the coffee cup, lost her family, and has torn her family apart. To make matters worse, Lilly has lost the baby and she has blamed Holly for it.
Being alone, Holly decides to write to a stranger in the "Hello Stranger" program. It is all anonymous and Holly even receives a letter from an older woman having cancer, but her husband is no longer alive and her only grandson doesn't talk to her anymore. Even though it is supposed to anonymous, a return address is on the envelope and Holly feels the need to make sure this woman, Emma, is okay.
With this Holly befriends Emma and when she is invited over to Emma's house, she notices that Emma has pictures of her grandson, who happens to be Jack! Holly tries not to meddle in Emma's life, but she can't help herself either.
Will Jack and Emma's relationship heal? Will Holly ever talk to her sister again? Will Jack and Holly reconnect like they did at the coffee shop?
This was a cute book, but I thought some parts were unnecessary or just didn't flow as well as other parts. I really liked the relationship between Emma and Holly.
When Holly and Lilly are in the car, Holly is distracted by her phone and it causes a car accident. She has obviously lost that number on the coffee cup, lost her family, and has torn her family apart. To make matters worse, Lilly has lost the baby and she has blamed Holly for it.
Being alone, Holly decides to write to a stranger in the "Hello Stranger" program. It is all anonymous and Holly even receives a letter from an older woman having cancer, but her husband is no longer alive and her only grandson doesn't talk to her anymore. Even though it is supposed to anonymous, a return address is on the envelope and Holly feels the need to make sure this woman, Emma, is okay.
With this Holly befriends Emma and when she is invited over to Emma's house, she notices that Emma has pictures of her grandson, who happens to be Jack! Holly tries not to meddle in Emma's life, but she can't help herself either.
Will Jack and Emma's relationship heal? Will Holly ever talk to her sister again? Will Jack and Holly reconnect like they did at the coffee shop?
This was a cute book, but I thought some parts were unnecessary or just didn't flow as well as other parts. I really liked the relationship between Emma and Holly.
One letter can change everything.
✉️
A car accident tore Holly’s life apart three years ago at Christmas. Now she is a part of the lonely-hearts letter writing club. Every December she writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone so that they feel a little less lonely, but this year Holly gets a letter from a woman, Emma, that leads her back to the place that ruined everything for her. Emma’s grandson, Jack, was a man she met on that fateful day and Holly is desperate to reconnect with him, but when she shares information about his family with him, will he still want her?
✉️
A car accident tore Holly’s life apart three years ago at Christmas. Now she is a part of the lonely-hearts letter writing club. Every December she writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone so that they feel a little less lonely, but this year Holly gets a letter from a woman, Emma, that leads her back to the place that ruined everything for her. Emma’s grandson, Jack, was a man she met on that fateful day and Holly is desperate to reconnect with him, but when she shares information about his family with him, will he still want her?
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
FFS I should not be choked up in the middle of the night bc I could not stop reading this book. It was so lovely, and while yes - the crossed paths so many times was a bit heavy handed, I don't care - fate wanted it that way. So beautiful.