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apoppyinthewind's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
TW: Grief, car accident, miscarriage, death, cancer, estrangement
A bit of a heavy Christmas read that was at times quite emotional for me so heads up. If you're looking for a lighter Christmas read you might want to look elsewhere. That said, it captured the experience of grief in a compassionate, vulnerable way that balanced well with the romance plot. While I was rooting for Jack & Holly from the start the ways they separated and came back together multiple times felt organic & understandable. Both characters had to deal with trauma & grief and it made sense for them to put the breaks on their relationship multiple times to make sure each was in the best head space for pursuing each other. Especially given the bizarre twists of fate that threw them together.
If you're in the headspace for a romance that also deals with the above-mentioned aspects, I would recommend checking this one out.
A bit of a heavy Christmas read that was at times quite emotional for me so heads up. If you're looking for a lighter Christmas read you might want to look elsewhere. That said, it captured the experience of grief in a compassionate, vulnerable way that balanced well with the romance plot. While I was rooting for Jack & Holly from the start the ways they separated and came back together multiple times felt organic & understandable. Both characters had to deal with trauma & grief and it made sense for them to put the breaks on their relationship multiple times to make sure each was in the best head space for pursuing each other. Especially given the bizarre twists of fate that threw them together.
If you're in the headspace for a romance that also deals with the above-mentioned aspects, I would recommend checking this one out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Cancer, and Car accident
Moderate: Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Death, and Child death
vicyoung18's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Miscarriage
lexim's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Cancer
Moderate: Miscarriage
markedwithanm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Car accident, Infertility, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Death
cheypreston's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Miscarriage, Cancer, Death of parent, and Car accident
rachrreads's review against another edition
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
5.0
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wow this was absolutely beautiful.
Holly has felt alone ever since a car accident tore her family apart three years ago. This year she gets a letter from a woman named Emma. In the letter a cafe Holly had visited prior to her accident is mentioned, along with Emma’s full name. Holly tracks Emma down and tries to heal the rift between Emma and her family after a similar accident.
Holly tracks down Jack, Emma’s grandson, only to realize this is the same Jack she ran into— literally—at the cafe three years prior…
This was a great story of love and loss. Of healing after a horrible accident. Emma and Holly become such great friends and bond through their shared experiences.
** slow burn romance, fade to black **
Wow this was absolutely beautiful.
Holly has felt alone ever since a car accident tore her family apart three years ago. This year she gets a letter from a woman named Emma. In the letter a cafe Holly had visited prior to her accident is mentioned, along with Emma’s full name. Holly tracks Emma down and tries to heal the rift between Emma and her family after a similar accident.
Holly tracks down Jack, Emma’s grandson, only to realize this is the same Jack she ran into— literally—at the cafe three years prior…
This was a great story of love and loss. Of healing after a horrible accident. Emma and Holly become such great friends and bond through their shared experiences.
** slow burn romance, fade to black **
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Grief, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Infertility and Miscarriage
Minor: Infidelity
valerie_roller's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Miscarriage
Moderate: Cancer
abookwanderer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
If you like your heartstrings to be pulled, you can count on Emily Stone to make it happen. Love, Holly is a novel about finding forgiveness and love amid grief and estrangement, and it had me feeling all the feelings!
Holly met Jack moments before it became the worst day of her life, but she’s never forgotten the connection they made. Two years later she returns to the café where they met thanks to a letter she received from a stranger. Holly doesn’t believe in fate, but life seems determined to prove her wrong.
Don’t let the cover of this one mislead you, while the beginning and end of the novel take place over Christmas, it’s not really what I consider a full-on holiday book. It’s a nice mix, especially if you’re someone who prefers just a touch of the holiday theme, or if like me, you’re reading it months before the holidays. But I did feel like this was a cozy read, even though it deals with some tough subjects. It felt loving and compassionate. And the ending was beautiful.
Holly’s journey takes her to various places throughout the book. From London to Venice to Ireland, and I enjoyed all the different settings. Especially her time spent in Venice, with her descriptions of the canals, cafés, and shops. And while the book is mostly from Holly’s point of view, we do get some chapters with Jack’s point of view, too, which is always nice. Stone’s previous two books were closed door romances, but I would call Love, Holly a cracked-door romance. It’s not very explicit, but it’s not exactly fade-to-black, which worked nicely with her gentle writing style.
Love, Holly is primarily a book about grief, but it’s also a book about miscommunication or lack of communication. And it’s one of my least favorite tropes. It can get tedious or frustrating. But the communication issues in this novel made more sense with such a weighty subject like grief, which needs time for healing. And while I enjoy Stone’s heartrending books, I would still love for her to write a mostly happy book. She always has a few moments where I find myself laughing out loud, and I find myself wishing for more laughter!
I’ve enjoyed all Stone’s books, but her debut Always, In December remains my favorite. Maybe it’s just the nostalgia of the first book?? Although, I think Love, Holly may be her best written one yet. I can tell that she’s growing as a writer with each new book, which makes me even more excited for her future projects!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Dell and Netgalley for providing me with a copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
Holly met Jack moments before it became the worst day of her life, but she’s never forgotten the connection they made. Two years later she returns to the café where they met thanks to a letter she received from a stranger. Holly doesn’t believe in fate, but life seems determined to prove her wrong.
Don’t let the cover of this one mislead you, while the beginning and end of the novel take place over Christmas, it’s not really what I consider a full-on holiday book. It’s a nice mix, especially if you’re someone who prefers just a touch of the holiday theme, or if like me, you’re reading it months before the holidays. But I did feel like this was a cozy read, even though it deals with some tough subjects. It felt loving and compassionate. And the ending was beautiful.
Holly’s journey takes her to various places throughout the book. From London to Venice to Ireland, and I enjoyed all the different settings. Especially her time spent in Venice, with her descriptions of the canals, cafés, and shops. And while the book is mostly from Holly’s point of view, we do get some chapters with Jack’s point of view, too, which is always nice. Stone’s previous two books were closed door romances, but I would call Love, Holly a cracked-door romance. It’s not very explicit, but it’s not exactly fade-to-black, which worked nicely with her gentle writing style.
Love, Holly is primarily a book about grief, but it’s also a book about miscommunication or lack of communication. And it’s one of my least favorite tropes. It can get tedious or frustrating. But the communication issues in this novel made more sense with such a weighty subject like grief, which needs time for healing. And while I enjoy Stone’s heartrending books, I would still love for her to write a mostly happy book. She always has a few moments where I find myself laughing out loud, and I find myself wishing for more laughter!
I’ve enjoyed all Stone’s books, but her debut Always, In December remains my favorite. Maybe it’s just the nostalgia of the first book?? Although, I think Love, Holly may be her best written one yet. I can tell that she’s growing as a writer with each new book, which makes me even more excited for her future projects!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Dell and Netgalley for providing me with a copy.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Miscarriage, Car accident, and Grief
Minor: Infertility
gmarline's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
3.75
I loved this so much! I enjoyed most of the characters, especially Emma, she’s grumpy but cares so much.
Holly and her sister were heading to see their parents for Christmas. They stopped at a cafe because Holly was tired and needed caffeine there she meets a guy and there is an instant connection. He gives her his phone number. Upon leaving the cafe Holly and her sister get into a car accident which alters their lives forever.
Flash forward three years, Holly’s best friend convinced her to join a Dear Stranger group. Holly receives a letter from a stranger named Emma. In this letter Emma describes a cafe that Holly has been to before, the night of her car accident. Emma shares that she’s sick and she’s alone after the passing of her son and husband. Holly decides she’s going to track down Emma.
Holly eventually meets and befriends Emma. She learns that Emma has an estranged grandson. Holly makes it her mission to find reunite Emma with her grandson. Along the way Holly builds new relationships and finds ways to repair old ones.
Emma and Holly’s relationship grows in such a beautiful way. Going from strangers, to friends, and eventually becoming each other’s family.
Holly and her sister were heading to see their parents for Christmas. They stopped at a cafe because Holly was tired and needed caffeine there she meets a guy and there is an instant connection. He gives her his phone number. Upon leaving the cafe Holly and her sister get into a car accident which alters their lives forever.
Flash forward three years, Holly’s best friend convinced her to join a Dear Stranger group. Holly receives a letter from a stranger named Emma. In this letter Emma describes a cafe that Holly has been to before, the night of her car accident. Emma shares that she’s sick and she’s alone after the passing of her son and husband. Holly decides she’s going to track down Emma.
Holly eventually meets and befriends Emma. She learns that Emma has an estranged grandson. Holly makes it her mission to find reunite Emma with her grandson. Along the way Holly builds new relationships and finds ways to repair old ones.
Emma and Holly’s relationship grows in such a beautiful way. Going from strangers, to friends, and eventually becoming each other’s family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Miscarriage
mrscorytee's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Car accident, and Miscarriage