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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I was so intrigued by the blurb that I dove in via the audiobook that I won in a giveaway.
Overall this romance is so sweet and the setting so idyllic. (I drank a lot of tea listening to this!) And I left the pages craving scones and tarts.
With heavy doses of modern day and 18th century nostalgia, this book will make you want to move to the countryside.
Just saying, this will possibly be your next go to for a cozy read.
Overall this romance is so sweet and the setting so idyllic. (I drank a lot of tea listening to this!) And I left the pages craving scones and tarts.
With heavy doses of modern day and 18th century nostalgia, this book will make you want to move to the countryside.
Just saying, this will possibly be your next go to for a cozy read.
I fell in love with this book. I fell in love with Elias and Oliver and I think Josephine, Faith and I would be really good friends! My heart ached with these characters as I read their inner thoughts, their feelings, their hopes, and their dreams. It was like living in another person’s body. I cannot explain to you how transported I felt by this book. The twists this book took shook my very being as though I was living these events myself. I’m certain this book will make my top 10 this year. It was an absolute dream! Thank you Caroline George for writing a love story about someone so much like me (Josephine).
"Hearts are muscles, and muscles have memory."
At her father's house after his death, Josie discovers some hidden letters addressed to her—except that they're 200 years old! Reading through them, she develops an attachment to Elias, the man who wrote them. When she finds the start of a manuscript he wrote about Josephine, she's determined to find out how his story ends.
This is a story of heartbreak and healing, of words that stretch across time to connect with a soul who needs them. It's romantic and engrossing, poetic and emotional. Readers of YA romance, contemporary romance, and Regency romance will all find something to love about this book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
At her father's house after his death, Josie discovers some hidden letters addressed to her—except that they're 200 years old! Reading through them, she develops an attachment to Elias, the man who wrote them. When she finds the start of a manuscript he wrote about Josephine, she's determined to find out how his story ends.
This is a story of heartbreak and healing, of words that stretch across time to connect with a soul who needs them. It's romantic and engrossing, poetic and emotional. Readers of YA romance, contemporary romance, and Regency romance will all find something to love about this book.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
My review: 4 out of 5 stars
I had heard so many good things about this book before starting it. I was a little disappointed that it didn't meet my expectations, at first.
The first time I started it I made it about 20 pages in before stopping, as I thought it was kinda boring. A month later I started reading it again and I continued to find myself detached from the story, until around the 100 page mark. From there the story really picked up and started getting very interesting!
My favorite thing about this book ended up being that it makes the reader second guess what is real and what is not. Is Elias really writing to and about Josephine, or is it all just a big coincidence? Are supernatural things at play or is it all explainable? These are questions I constantly asked myself as I read "Dearest Josephine".
The way the mystery unravels is wonderful and so well done (I won't say anything else, because spoilers).
Another thing I liked about "Dearest Josephine," are its main characters. I think Elias and Josephine are a wonderful example of Parallel protagonists. They both deal with grief and conflict by self isolating, to the detriment of themselves. Their journeys mirror each other, as they learn to heal and love again. The end of their journeys, or really the start of their new beginnings, are bittersweet, yet lovely.
I'm glad that I persevered and finished "Dearest Josephine,". I now want to read this author's other works!
I had heard so many good things about this book before starting it. I was a little disappointed that it didn't meet my expectations, at first.
The first time I started it I made it about 20 pages in before stopping, as I thought it was kinda boring. A month later I started reading it again and I continued to find myself detached from the story, until around the 100 page mark. From there the story really picked up and started getting very interesting!
My favorite thing about this book ended up being that it makes the reader second guess what is real and what is not. Is Elias really writing to and about Josephine, or is it all just a big coincidence? Are supernatural things at play or is it all explainable? These are questions I constantly asked myself as I read "Dearest Josephine".
The way the mystery unravels is wonderful and so well done (I won't say anything else, because spoilers).
Another thing I liked about "Dearest Josephine," are its main characters. I think Elias and Josephine are a wonderful example of Parallel protagonists. They both deal with grief and conflict by self isolating, to the detriment of themselves. Their journeys mirror each other, as they learn to heal and love again. The end of their journeys, or really the start of their new beginnings, are bittersweet, yet lovely.
I'm glad that I persevered and finished "Dearest Josephine,". I now want to read this author's other works!
2.5 stars
This whole book is written mostly in letter form, as emails or texts from Josie to her friend Faith and from Faith to Josie; as the letters from Elias to Josephine; as other texts interspersed to and from Josie’s mother, her ex, and a young man she’s befriending in the town next to the manor. The remainder is the novel written by Elias, and they’re all mixed up together. The novel and the letters from Elias are the heftiest part of the book; Josie’s emails and texts take up less space in the book and are not as well-written, considering they’re by a modern-day 18-year-old and the words from Elias are created by someone in a past era where missives were given more thought and heft. I’ve found that the method of crafting a novel exclusively through letters is a challenging one; the writer really has to do it well to make it work, and many authors simply don’t. That’s the case here. The story feels choppy and lopsided. It could have used a lot more work with a talented editor to make it flow better.
I could appreciate the “moral of the story” once the book concluded, but it felt tacked on, rather than being a truly natural conclusion of the narrative. And while I have no problem suspending belief for any kind of magical stories or stories that have some element of fantasy, this didn’t work for me because, even within the fantasy, it didn’t make sense. There still has to be some internal logic, and I never found any explanation for Elias somehow having met Josie, while she never met him.
All in all, this one fell flat.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/dearest-josephine-clean-young-adult-book-review/
This whole book is written mostly in letter form, as emails or texts from Josie to her friend Faith and from Faith to Josie; as the letters from Elias to Josephine; as other texts interspersed to and from Josie’s mother, her ex, and a young man she’s befriending in the town next to the manor. The remainder is the novel written by Elias, and they’re all mixed up together. The novel and the letters from Elias are the heftiest part of the book; Josie’s emails and texts take up less space in the book and are not as well-written, considering they’re by a modern-day 18-year-old and the words from Elias are created by someone in a past era where missives were given more thought and heft. I’ve found that the method of crafting a novel exclusively through letters is a challenging one; the writer really has to do it well to make it work, and many authors simply don’t. That’s the case here. The story feels choppy and lopsided. It could have used a lot more work with a talented editor to make it flow better.
I could appreciate the “moral of the story” once the book concluded, but it felt tacked on, rather than being a truly natural conclusion of the narrative. And while I have no problem suspending belief for any kind of magical stories or stories that have some element of fantasy, this didn’t work for me because, even within the fantasy, it didn’t make sense. There still has to be some internal logic, and I never found any explanation for Elias somehow having met Josie, while she never met him.
All in all, this one fell flat.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/dearest-josephine-clean-young-adult-book-review/
I'm helping run a YA book club at a nearby high school. Instead of everyone reading the same book, we decided to all pick a different book, but read from the same genre. Our first genre pick was romance.
I'm not the type of reader that gravitates toward romance YA (or adult fiction for that matter). I find many YA romances to be somewhat repulsive and toxic, not to mention formulaic. So, when the genre was announced, I guess you could say I was less than thrilled. However, I didn't want to dread reading a book I normally don't go for. I wanted to use this as an experience to break out of my comfort zone. I decided to try and find a historical fiction YA book with a heavy romance plot instead, just because the romances I prefer are set in different time periods. I chose this book knowing only the basic plot summary.
I AM SO GLAD I PICKED IT UP!
It varied from the stereotypical YA romance in that there were essentially three different narratives: there was Josie De Clare's contemporary story told through emails and texts, Elias Roch's historical story told through old letters, and Elias Welby's story told through a novel (which, you may be wondering why there are two Eliases, but I assure you that is not a mistake and if you read it, you will find out why). As I read other reviews about this book, I do disagree with some opinions. To me, the texts interspersed throughout the book wasn't distracting. I liked where they were placed because it reminded me that the main narrative, Josie's contemporary narrative, surrounded and looked at Elias's inner frame narrative.
Some reviews also criticized how overdramatic Elias was. I thought it made sense because many Regency romances are, well, dramatic. I do agree that he did become overly emotional at points, but at the same time, it was refreshing to see a male character show his feelings outwardly and openly. It made me care for him more because his struggle was a tough one, especially with how judgmental society could be at that point in time. Status was everything back then.
The romance wasn't embarrassing nor graphic anywhere in the book. The characters expressed a lot of admiration, affection, and passion for one another. I was happy with each narrative's ending. So, if you're looking for a YA romance that isn't quite like the others, I strongly suggest you pick up this title.
I'm not the type of reader that gravitates toward romance YA (or adult fiction for that matter). I find many YA romances to be somewhat repulsive and toxic, not to mention formulaic. So, when the genre was announced, I guess you could say I was less than thrilled. However, I didn't want to dread reading a book I normally don't go for. I wanted to use this as an experience to break out of my comfort zone. I decided to try and find a historical fiction YA book with a heavy romance plot instead, just because the romances I prefer are set in different time periods. I chose this book knowing only the basic plot summary.
I AM SO GLAD I PICKED IT UP!
It varied from the stereotypical YA romance in that there were essentially three different narratives: there was Josie De Clare's contemporary story told through emails and texts, Elias Roch's historical story told through old letters, and Elias Welby's story told through a novel (which, you may be wondering why there are two Eliases, but I assure you that is not a mistake and if you read it, you will find out why). As I read other reviews about this book, I do disagree with some opinions. To me, the texts interspersed throughout the book wasn't distracting. I liked where they were placed because it reminded me that the main narrative, Josie's contemporary narrative, surrounded and looked at Elias's inner frame narrative.
Some reviews also criticized how overdramatic Elias was. I thought it made sense because many Regency romances are, well, dramatic. I do agree that he did become overly emotional at points, but at the same time, it was refreshing to see a male character show his feelings outwardly and openly. It made me care for him more because his struggle was a tough one, especially with how judgmental society could be at that point in time. Status was everything back then.
The romance wasn't embarrassing nor graphic anywhere in the book. The characters expressed a lot of admiration, affection, and passion for one another. I was happy with each narrative's ending. So, if you're looking for a YA romance that isn't quite like the others, I strongly suggest you pick up this title.
writing was good objectively, but this really didn’t feel like the exploration this concept deserved? an appalling lack of time travel. I was kinda disappointed. :( guess I gotta write my own time travel romance, I’m 0 for 2 now
The tale of love over two different centuries intertwined forever.
1821 Elias Roch is a bastard born son raised by the staff he grew up with until he took his fathers name and got the education he deserved. Elias falls madly in love with Josephine De Clare and when unable to locate her begins penning love letters to her that tune into so much more. Alongside the letters he also begins writing the fictional love story he wish they had.
Fast forward to 2021 and Josie has just been dumped by her loser boyfriend, her best friend still isn’t speaking to her after she all but ruined their friendship and he fathers dead. Josie’s whole worlds come crumbling down right when she finds Elias’s letters.
Their worlds couldn’t be more different yet so very the same. Josie falls in love with Elias’s letters and begins finding herself. Such a super sweet and uplifting romance novel.
1821 Elias Roch is a bastard born son raised by the staff he grew up with until he took his fathers name and got the education he deserved. Elias falls madly in love with Josephine De Clare and when unable to locate her begins penning love letters to her that tune into so much more. Alongside the letters he also begins writing the fictional love story he wish they had.
Fast forward to 2021 and Josie has just been dumped by her loser boyfriend, her best friend still isn’t speaking to her after she all but ruined their friendship and he fathers dead. Josie’s whole worlds come crumbling down right when she finds Elias’s letters.
Their worlds couldn’t be more different yet so very the same. Josie falls in love with Elias’s letters and begins finding herself. Such a super sweet and uplifting romance novel.
Such a cozy book — like being wrapped in a blanket and handed a cup of tea while you listen to the wind across the moors outside your country estate. The ending was different than I expected (I would have swore on my life it was another character writing Elias’s letters and novel) but it was a lovely ending nonetheless. Perfect for anyone who likes Jane Austen, books about books and love stories.
I’m still not sure I have the words to describe how I feel about this book, but here it goes…
This book took bookstagram by storm last year (at least in my circle!), and all I can say is, “Wow!” Was it worth the hype? Yes. Yes, it was.
I fell in love with this book for so many reasons:
1) Caroline George’s voice and style is mesmerizing. I’m finding I rather enjoy epistolary books, and the use of letters, texts, and emails in addition to prose was well done!
2) The characters are raw and authentic. I’m sympathetic towards Josie, Elias is a sweetheart, Faith a good friend, and Oliver…he’s ah-mazing! Also I love Norm and Martha; they’re the perfect grandparents next-door!
3) The English setting gives me all the feels. I’m partial to books set in England so this is a bonus! :)
4) The ending! Without going into spoilers, I loved the ending. I hoped it would end that way, and it did! And for what’s it worth, while Elias is a dear, I prefer Oliver so much more; he is an absolute gem! Unpopular opinion perhaps, but that’s my realistic romance view, haha!
While in the end, I still couldn’t figure out how Elias could have possibly known and written about Josie 200 years prior; that’s okay because it’s fiction, and things are possible in fiction. :)
Content: consumption of alcohol; mention of buying bras and tampons; use of word bas***d to refer to an illegitimate son; a couple nondescriptive kisses; pop culture references; text abbreviation of “oh my gosh”
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October 2023 Re-Read
Every bit as lovely the second time around! And it’s a perfect companion for a blustery autumn day.
This book took bookstagram by storm last year (at least in my circle!), and all I can say is, “Wow!” Was it worth the hype? Yes. Yes, it was.
I fell in love with this book for so many reasons:
1) Caroline George’s voice and style is mesmerizing. I’m finding I rather enjoy epistolary books, and the use of letters, texts, and emails in addition to prose was well done!
2) The characters are raw and authentic. I’m sympathetic towards Josie, Elias is a sweetheart, Faith a good friend, and Oliver…he’s ah-mazing! Also I love Norm and Martha; they’re the perfect grandparents next-door!
3) The English setting gives me all the feels. I’m partial to books set in England so this is a bonus! :)
4) The ending! Without going into spoilers, I loved the ending. I hoped it would end that way, and it did! And for what’s it worth, while Elias is a dear, I prefer Oliver so much more; he is an absolute gem! Unpopular opinion perhaps, but that’s my realistic romance view, haha!
While in the end, I still couldn’t figure out how Elias could have possibly known and written about Josie 200 years prior; that’s okay because it’s fiction, and things are possible in fiction. :)
Content: consumption of alcohol; mention of buying bras and tampons; use of word bas***d to refer to an illegitimate son; a couple nondescriptive kisses; pop culture references; text abbreviation of “oh my gosh”
____
October 2023 Re-Read
Every bit as lovely the second time around! And it’s a perfect companion for a blustery autumn day.