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eesh25's review against another edition
3.0
N.R. Walker writes several sub-genres, with romance being the primary one. And when it comes to her contemporary books, especially the light-hearted ones, they're pretty light on plot. And your enjoyment of them depends heavily on how much you like and care for the characters.
I mention this because I didn't enjoy this book a lot, but I don't want that to dissuade anyone from reading it. I didn't feel much for the characters, and that made it a lukewarm read for me.
The protagonists are Malachi and Julian. Malachi can seem flighty, primarily because his father keeps trying to find him a stable job, and Malachi never lasts at any of them. The lastest attempt sends him to The Dead Letter Office, where he meets his stoic boss, Julian. And for once, Malachi finds himself enjoying his job and liking the people he's working with. They're a strange bunch, kinda like him. And he likes Julian.
I might have said this before, but N.R. Walker writes some of the best jobs for her characters. And we actually get to learn about what those jobs entail, which is always interesting. And this was no different. I found The Dead Letter Office to be super cool. I honestly want to try working at a place like it.
Anyways, the title of the book comes into play in the form of letters addressed to 'Dearest Milton James.' They've been lying around for decades. And the plot is supposed to be Malachi and Julian working together to find the sender and return the letters. But the letters kinda come and go. They're never a consistent or important enough part of the book, and I wasn't overly invested in them. Because of that, the book's climax, which is linked to them, didn't have the impact the book wanted. Though I did love finding out about the letters, and I wish they'd been a bigger part of the story.
Finally, the reason I couldn't quite get behind Malachi and Julian was... Part of it was Malachi's rambling. You know, the nervous word-vomit that's cute but only to a certain point. For me, Malachi went way past that point, and I wanted him to stop talking. The relationship itself was also missing something.
Overall, not a book I regret reading, but also not one I see myself coming back to. Walker has a lot of great books, but this was a miss for me.
I mention this because I didn't enjoy this book a lot, but I don't want that to dissuade anyone from reading it. I didn't feel much for the characters, and that made it a lukewarm read for me.
The protagonists are Malachi and Julian. Malachi can seem flighty, primarily because his father keeps trying to find him a stable job, and Malachi never lasts at any of them. The lastest attempt sends him to The Dead Letter Office, where he meets his stoic boss, Julian. And for once, Malachi finds himself enjoying his job and liking the people he's working with. They're a strange bunch, kinda like him. And he likes Julian.
I might have said this before, but N.R. Walker writes some of the best jobs for her characters. And we actually get to learn about what those jobs entail, which is always interesting. And this was no different. I found The Dead Letter Office to be super cool. I honestly want to try working at a place like it.
Anyways, the title of the book comes into play in the form of letters addressed to 'Dearest Milton James.' They've been lying around for decades. And the plot is supposed to be Malachi and Julian working together to find the sender and return the letters. But the letters kinda come and go. They're never a consistent or important enough part of the book, and I wasn't overly invested in them. Because of that, the book's climax, which is linked to them, didn't have the impact the book wanted. Though I did love finding out about the letters, and I wish they'd been a bigger part of the story.
Finally, the reason I couldn't quite get behind Malachi and Julian was... Part of it was Malachi's rambling. You know, the nervous word-vomit that's cute but only to a certain point. For me, Malachi went way past that point, and I wanted him to stop talking. The relationship itself was also missing something.
Overall, not a book I regret reading, but also not one I see myself coming back to. Walker has a lot of great books, but this was a miss for me.
ravenk28's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book had me crying of laughter at times but also ugly crying at others.
This book will have you at the edge of your seat at the main characters detective work. Because trust me at times I was thinking the worst.
This is a lovely read with found family, budding romance and the reconnection of lost letters to their rightful owners.
This book will have you at the edge of your seat at the main characters detective work. Because trust me at times I was thinking the worst.
This is a lovely read with found family, budding romance and the reconnection of lost letters to their rightful owners.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia
kerithesmutslut's review against another edition
5.0
Seriously one of the cutest books I’ve ever read.
zaza_bdp's review against another edition
4.0
Alors les amis, ce petit bouquin de N.R Walker, c'est du pur fluff, du swoon et du bonheur livresque en barres !! Voilà typiquement le genre de livre qui nous enveloppe dans une bulle de douceur et d'évasion pleine de tendresse, ce genre de livre qui fait le même effet aux adultes qu'un bon sniff de doudou à un petit bout !
C'est marrant, parce que le début m'a vachement penser au (superbe !) dessin animé Klaus, avec ce héros envoyé au rebut des services postaux par son père, un jeune homme qui au début paraît très superficiel, et qui ensuite va complètement changer au contact de son nouveau milieu et des gens qu'il va rencontrer. Malachi ne fait pas la meilleure des premières impressions, mais on va très vite le découvrir sous un autre jour, on va vite s'apercevoir qu'il a un cœur gros comme ça, une sacrée sensibilité, et une absence TOTALE de filtre doublée d'une fâcheuse tendance à beaucoup trop parler dès qu'il est stressé, ce qui rend certains moments très drôles à lire (mais très embarrassants pour lui !). Julian est tout à fait irrésistible, c'est un vrai gentleman, quelqu'un d'attachant et de très séduisant. La romance est top, à la fois très romantique et très drôle (ah les métaphores ménagères ... ^^).
Les collègues de Julian & Malachi forment une bande absolument géniale, j'ai adoré les voir dans leur quotidien, puis les voir unir leurs compétences et leurs forces pour résoudre ce mystère si émouvant ! C'est une sacrée bande de bras cassés, et c'est Malachi qui va fédérer tout ça, ce qui est assez curieux quand on y pense, car au départ, il ne voulait surtout pas s'impliquer, mais il a vraiment trouvé sa place avec ces gens, dans ce service tout à fait spécial de la poste australienne.
Eh oui, il y a bien un mystère à résoudre, qui tourne autour de vieilles lettres, et comme je suis vraiment très friande d'histoires de correspondance, c'est vraiment quelque chose qui m'a plu, m'a touchée, et tenue en haleine jusqu'au bout ! Je pense que j'étais à peu près dans le même état émotionnel que Malachi lors de la résolution finale (rien que d'y penser, j'ai le cœur qui bat la chamade).
Un très joli moment de lecture feel-good donc !
C'est marrant, parce que le début m'a vachement penser au (superbe !) dessin animé Klaus, avec ce héros envoyé au rebut des services postaux par son père, un jeune homme qui au début paraît très superficiel, et qui ensuite va complètement changer au contact de son nouveau milieu et des gens qu'il va rencontrer. Malachi ne fait pas la meilleure des premières impressions, mais on va très vite le découvrir sous un autre jour, on va vite s'apercevoir qu'il a un cœur gros comme ça, une sacrée sensibilité, et une absence TOTALE de filtre doublée d'une fâcheuse tendance à beaucoup trop parler dès qu'il est stressé, ce qui rend certains moments très drôles à lire (mais très embarrassants pour lui !). Julian est tout à fait irrésistible, c'est un vrai gentleman, quelqu'un d'attachant et de très séduisant. La romance est top, à la fois très romantique et très drôle (ah les métaphores ménagères ... ^^).
Les collègues de Julian & Malachi forment une bande absolument géniale, j'ai adoré les voir dans leur quotidien, puis les voir unir leurs compétences et leurs forces pour résoudre ce mystère si émouvant ! C'est une sacrée bande de bras cassés, et c'est Malachi qui va fédérer tout ça, ce qui est assez curieux quand on y pense, car au départ, il ne voulait surtout pas s'impliquer, mais il a vraiment trouvé sa place avec ces gens, dans ce service tout à fait spécial de la poste australienne.
Eh oui, il y a bien un mystère à résoudre, qui tourne autour de vieilles lettres, et comme je suis vraiment très friande d'histoires de correspondance, c'est vraiment quelque chose qui m'a plu, m'a touchée, et tenue en haleine jusqu'au bout ! Je pense que j'étais à peu près dans le même état émotionnel que Malachi lors de la résolution finale (rien que d'y penser, j'ai le cœur qui bat la chamade).
Un très joli moment de lecture feel-good donc !
blackrox1411's review against another edition
5.0
Exceptional story
This story is the perfect balance of hilarious and heartwarming. A quirky sidecast and a beautiful lovestory. Definitely 5 stars
This story is the perfect balance of hilarious and heartwarming. A quirky sidecast and a beautiful lovestory. Definitely 5 stars
wertzuio's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nanimao's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
secret_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
Rating: 5
Steam: 3
PoV: single, 1st person
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Main tropes: boss / employee, opposites attract, age gap
Oh wow, N.R. Walker totally blew my mind with this book! Dearest Milton James was a fantastic read, with an intriguing and moving story that I didn’t want to put down once I started reading.
I loved Malachi and his nervous ramblings and thoughts, his PoV was a lot of fun and he was just so sweet. He and Julian seemed like an unlikely pairing at first, but the more time they spent together, the clearer it became that they were a great match.
The plot felt refreshingly original and I loved the investigation that went into the old letters and trying to find the person who wrote them. I liked how it ended up involving the whole office and the found family feeling it added. Seeing Malachi finding his space and happiness was so wholesome, and I loved the cast of characters.
Dearest Milton James was just such a sweet and heartfelt story that had me both giggling and crying. I adored both of the love stories in the book, and this sweet, angst free read was exactly what I needed! Definitely the kind of story that will stay with me for a while - and I honestly can’t believe I let this one sit unread on my Kindle for years…
Steam: 3
PoV: single, 1st person
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Main tropes: boss / employee, opposites attract, age gap
Oh wow, N.R. Walker totally blew my mind with this book! Dearest Milton James was a fantastic read, with an intriguing and moving story that I didn’t want to put down once I started reading.
I loved Malachi and his nervous ramblings and thoughts, his PoV was a lot of fun and he was just so sweet. He and Julian seemed like an unlikely pairing at first, but the more time they spent together, the clearer it became that they were a great match.
The plot felt refreshingly original and I loved the investigation that went into the old letters and trying to find the person who wrote them. I liked how it ended up involving the whole office and the found family feeling it added. Seeing Malachi finding his space and happiness was so wholesome, and I loved the cast of characters.
Dearest Milton James was just such a sweet and heartfelt story that had me both giggling and crying. I adored both of the love stories in the book, and this sweet, angst free read was exactly what I needed! Definitely the kind of story that will stay with me for a while - and I honestly can’t believe I let this one sit unread on my Kindle for years…
nenolove's review against another edition
5.0
Omg
To say I was feeling so emotional while reading this was an understatement. The couple is too cute for words and the journey of them finding their forever is so sweet. This is definitely a story with a HEA for all.
To say I was feeling so emotional while reading this was an understatement. The couple is too cute for words and the journey of them finding their forever is so sweet. This is definitely a story with a HEA for all.
a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
I’m just going to reiterate what others are saying.
This really was a joy to read.
Malachi was fun and funny with his no filter personality, who constantly wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s always for the underdog, always for those who are treated unkindly or unfair. It will come as no surprise that he finally finds a place in his dad’s postal company, working in the Dead Letter department, trying to find the rightful destinations of the lost mail that comes through. When Malachi takes an avid interest in decades old love letters who have never found their recipient, he sets out to find some answers and hopefully a happy ending.
Leading the investigation is Julian, Malachi’s boss. As he and Malachi start working together to figure out the mystery, they inevitably grow closer resulting in some very sweet and steamy interactions.
Though Malachi is top entertainment value here, it’s Julian who stole my heart elevating himself to book boyfriend status. He's quite the yummy character in his understated serious but sexy way that really melted my heart among other things. Unf.
Overall, a very feel good Walker with a happy ending on both fronts!
I’m just going to reiterate what others are saying.
This really was a joy to read.
Malachi was fun and funny with his no filter personality, who constantly wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s always for the underdog, always for those who are treated unkindly or unfair. It will come as no surprise that he finally finds a place in his dad’s postal company, working in the Dead Letter department, trying to find the rightful destinations of the lost mail that comes through. When Malachi takes an avid interest in decades old love letters who have never found their recipient, he sets out to find some answers and hopefully a happy ending.
Leading the investigation is Julian, Malachi’s boss. As he and Malachi start working together to figure out the mystery, they inevitably grow closer resulting in some very sweet and steamy interactions.
Though Malachi is top entertainment value here, it’s Julian who stole my heart elevating himself to book boyfriend status. He's quite the yummy character in his understated serious but sexy way that really melted my heart among other things. Unf.
Overall, a very feel good Walker with a happy ending on both fronts!