3.69 AVERAGE


DNF at 61%

To be honest, I don't typically read many YA books, but every once in awhile a story will catch my eye and I'll give them a shot. Dearest Josephine was one of those stories. I was intrigued by this unique star crossed love between the years concept. Aside from that, many of my favorite books as a kid and teen were those written in letter form, so that aspect interested me as well. I had high hopes for this book, and couldn't wait to check it out.

I must admit, for me, it was a little bit of a letdown. I discovered that perhaps my taste in writing styles has changed more than I'd realized as I didn't find myself being drawn into the story as it was being told through emails, text, etc. That being said, the book still had a lot going for it. First and foremost, the story itself is quite unique both in it's content and how it was told... definitely not your typical love story or like any YA fiction I've read. And while I may not have connected with the story, I could appreciate that it was well written as well. Honestly, I found myself thinking that this was just the type of story that I would have enjoyed when I was younger, even if it wasn't for me now.

Overall while it wasn't my personal favorite read, this was a well written and unique story that I think younger readers and those who enjoy stories written in this format will enjoy. It's definitely worth giving a shot!

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Dearest Josephine follows recent high-school graduate Josie who's last year of high school was filled of turmoil and grief, especially after the death of her father. While she figures out what she wants to do next, she travels to the manor her father had purchased before his death, and while there she discovers letters and a novel written by one of the previous owners, Elias Roch, who lived there in 1820. She starts reading these items and instantly feels a connection with someone who lived 200 years ago, especially since the letters were written to someone who was her namesake. Will she finally come to terms with her grief? Or will she forever feel a deep connection who has long since died?

I had mixed feelings about Dearest Josephine. It had a lot of elements that I really liked, but it also had some flaws that made me not like it as much as I thought I would.

Some of the elements I liked was that it was told in epistolary style, and it was set against the backdrop of the British moors. Also, it dealt with the topic of grief really well. I also liked getting to know Josie, Oliver and Elias Roch, a man from 1820 who used to live in the manor that Josie is living in. I also liked how she discovered his letters and novel, and it added another dimension to the plot.

However, some of the elements I didn't like is that in some ways is that the dual timelines never really seemed connected to each other, except for the fact that Josie is reading Elias' letters to someone named Josephine. Also, I felt like I'd been teased that something paranormal would happen…and it didn't, which was a let down. I get why the author chose to end the book the way she did and what she was trying to accomplish, but it was still a let down. Something else that I didn't like was the format, although granted, I did read it as an eARC, so that could have been the reason why it was weird. I didn't like how I would be reading a passage from Elias' novel and then in the middle of it there was a text exchange between Josie and her friend Faith, or Oliver. The same would happen in the middle of his letters. I get that the intention was that we are seeing Josie react to what she is reading, but it made the story feel disjointed.

Overall, this was just okay. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it and I would definitely be interested in trying something else out by the author. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Edelweiss for providing me a copy of Dearest Josephine in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This read as bad fanfiction. I appreciated that it was clean, but beyond that had a lot of issues with the plotting, timeline, plot holes, format etc.
I didn't understand why we had to read so much of a novel within a novel when it really had no point...like why were we reading characters reading a fake book????????
I liked most of the "present day" stuff... but overall this book was pretty annoying and just had me asking whyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for a copy of this book.

Dearest Josephine is written in such a unique way! I loved discovering the story along with Josephine and her friends Faith and Oliver.

Caroline did a wonderful job at juggling the different stories though it did take me a moment to get everything set straight it culminates into a gorgeous story. Also this was perfect to read after watching Bridgerton.

Dearest Josephine has all the components that should make me love it: a split-time epistolary, told through emails, text messages, letters, and a manuscript. But the more I read, the more questions I had--and the more concerned I was about the choice our heroine would make in the end. The writing itself was lovely, and the story even rather suspenseful, but I'm still trying to understand parts of the plot.

If you're not afraid of a bit of fantasy mixed in with your romance, and if you don't mind a tale where all the loose ends aren't tied up, Dearest Josephine is an epistolary you should add to your TBR. (And once you've read it, maybe we can chat about your thoughts and how kind and patient the real hero of the story was!)

(I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

OMG
hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

oh this was a wiiiild one