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votesforwomen's review
5.0
What a book.
This is not my genre. This is not my kind of story. I went in expecting a rom-com, something historical fantasy-ish, which I've come to realize is actually one of my least favorite genres.
This wasn't.
It wasn't historical fantasy. It wasn't a rom-com. It was serious. It had depth and beauty and so so so much to it that made me almost cry multiple times.
It was a story of lost and found, breaking and putting back together, the stories we write for ourselves and the stories we must live out. It was about defining our futures and our loves. It was about how to love well, how to get oneself out of the rut you've gotten yourself into, how to fight to find love but also for your love once it is found.
The characters made this.
Josephine and her spicy comments, her certainty about what she wanted while at the same time being so brutally uncertain, her heart on her sleeve as a fresh response to heartbreak. She reminded me so much of myself, a girl who wondered what she was doing and yet knew. She was beautiful in her chaos. She was amazing and I loved her.
Faith was such a wonderful best friend, with her own agency. So practical and so beautiful. Her story with Noah is amazing, and I just...loved her.
OLIVER OH MY GOSH. I'll marry Oliver. Haha. What a sweet boy, so dry and yet hilarious.
Elias in the novel was much better than actual letters Elias. Letter Elias got a man-cold, pined and moped, and led girls on. Novel Elias was a heartthrob from Regency times. So hot. I loved him, and all his desperate attempts to please everyone while also knowing for a fact that he literally could not. He was awesome.
The rest of the cast was decent, but nothing terribly memorable. It was the symphony they created that was beautiful and made the book amazing.
I loved it. So, so very much.
This was a buddy read with my bestie Brooke and it was so much fun. Josie and Faith were so relatable, the story was so good, the writing, all of it.
Go read this book.
This is not my genre. This is not my kind of story. I went in expecting a rom-com, something historical fantasy-ish, which I've come to realize is actually one of my least favorite genres.
This wasn't.
It wasn't historical fantasy. It wasn't a rom-com. It was serious. It had depth and beauty and so so so much to it that made me almost cry multiple times.
It was a story of lost and found, breaking and putting back together, the stories we write for ourselves and the stories we must live out. It was about defining our futures and our loves. It was about how to love well, how to get oneself out of the rut you've gotten yourself into, how to fight to find love but also for your love once it is found.
The characters made this.
Josephine and her spicy comments, her certainty about what she wanted while at the same time being so brutally uncertain, her heart on her sleeve as a fresh response to heartbreak. She reminded me so much of myself, a girl who wondered what she was doing and yet knew. She was beautiful in her chaos. She was amazing and I loved her.
Faith was such a wonderful best friend, with her own agency. So practical and so beautiful. Her story with Noah is amazing, and I just...loved her.
OLIVER OH MY GOSH. I'll marry Oliver. Haha. What a sweet boy, so dry and yet hilarious.
Elias in the novel was much better than actual letters Elias. Letter Elias got a man-cold, pined and moped, and led girls on. Novel Elias was a heartthrob from Regency times. So hot. I loved him, and all his desperate attempts to please everyone while also knowing for a fact that he literally could not. He was awesome.
The rest of the cast was decent, but nothing terribly memorable. It was the symphony they created that was beautiful and made the book amazing.
I loved it. So, so very much.
This was a buddy read with my bestie Brooke and it was so much fun. Josie and Faith were so relatable, the story was so good, the writing, all of it.
Go read this book.
mayala6's review
emotional
reflective
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
3.0
luccinda's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.0
srm401's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.5
allie_hilleson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Told through emails, texts, and letters, Dearest Josephine is the story of a girl who finds centuries old letters written to a girl with her name.
I liked how book deals with themes of family problems, friendship reconciliation, communication, and falling in love without really knowing a person.
It is very clean: only a couple short kisses and almost no language. The word for an illegitimate son is used a lot in the historical portion of the story which initially took me off guard.
I liked the characters, the story, and—to my surprise—the letter writing format.
I liked how book deals with themes of family problems, friendship reconciliation, communication, and falling in love without really knowing a person.
It is very clean: only a couple short kisses and almost no language. The word for an illegitimate son is used a lot in the historical portion of the story which initially took me off guard.
I liked the characters, the story, and—to my surprise—the letter writing format.
blackarrow16's review
emotional
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
mybookishaffair's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.5
ashattacc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
A fast read that will have you devouring the entire book as fast as possible. It’s written as correspondence between the main character, her friends, and a gentleman from 1800s England. Its twist and turns leave you on the edge of your seat, trying to guess what’s going to happen next. It delves deep into the topics of love, grief, and what it is to be a young adult. The ending will have you “aw-ing” and feeling well contented.
alannar2422's review
5.0
Ok so while I was waiting for this to release, I had no idea what to expect. To say this novel was extraordinary wouldn't do it justice. It was poetic in the best ways, demonstrated love in such a beautiful agonizing light and overall opened imaginations. First off, the way it was written was so unique and I loved it. The modern text messages, the letters from Elias, and the emails between Josie and Faith. I have never liked stories written that way but this one was so special and I could still connect with the characters and understand the plot through all of those elements. I have read Pride & Prejudice and I do not say this lightly that this novel surpasses Jane Austen's best-selling novel. The speech was enthralling, the way Elias spoke of Josephine and how he loved her. Quite frankly it outshone Pride & Prejudice that I realized how unromantic it was compared to this. Dearest Josephine fully captured love in all its beauty and imperfections. There was always a sentence in every chapter or paragraph that just blew me away. It is clear George has a way with words that is rarely seen and should be appreciated. I hope this book can get the recognition it deserves. Josephine was an amazing character (both Josephine's) and the plot was magical. I found it so sad that in the 1800's there were societal expectations that prevented people from loving one another without living in complete poverty. Elias was a dream guy with the way he spoke of love, his complete devotion to Josephine and his personality. Faith was such a good friend to Josie and their friendship was a delight!
I was so surprised that Elias had ended up with Lorelai and in a way it made me sad he had never found Josephine. But Lorelai was correct when she said Elias could love her in a different way. (I am a bit confused on where Josephine had went and whether or not she was reincarnated in 2021) I absolutely love Oliver and his devotion to Josephine and love for her that was so beautiful. He was another swoon-worthy character and the way the book ended was just *chefs kiss*.
This book was really good, loved it!
P.S. If you see a ton of new quotes added recently that was totally not me :)
I was so surprised that Elias had ended up with Lorelai and in a way it made me sad he had never found Josephine. But Lorelai was correct when she said Elias could love her in a different way. (I am a bit confused on where Josephine had went and whether or not she was reincarnated in 2021) I absolutely love Oliver and his devotion to Josephine and love for her that was so beautiful. He was another swoon-worthy character and the way the book ended was just *chefs kiss*.
This book was really good, loved it!
P.S. If you see a ton of new quotes added recently that was totally not me :)