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Love, Holly
by Emily Stone
Love, Holly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Emily Stone
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Ever since a car accident tore her family apart, Holly has been part of a lonely-hearts holiday letter–writing club. Each December, she writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone, and receives a letter from another lonely person in return.
Usually, the letters go unanswered. That’s the point—the letters are anonymous, and the senders write whatever is in their heart. But this year, the letter Holly receives is different; not only is the letter full of a grief she knows all too well, but its writer, Emma, mentions a place that Holly has visited. When she realizes that she might actually be able to find the letter’s author, Holly becomes determined to reunite Emma with the estranged grandson, Jack, with whom Emma is desperate to reconnect.
When Holly finally tracks him down, she remembers that she’s met Jack once before . . . and the connection was electric. The spark between the two of them is still there—until a misunderstanding risks their burgeoning romance and his strained relationship with Emma, too. But Holly is determined; if she can fix Emma’s family, she might also be able to fix her own. Though as it turns out, Holly might have less time to put things right than she thought.
My Thoughts: This was such a heartfelt book. Along with being romance, it is also contemporary. I love Stone’s prior works and this was no different. Holly is involved in a terrible car accident around Christmas and since, her family has been estranged. Right before this car accident, she ran into a guy and sparred with him a little and lost his number in the accident and did not think much about it over the three years that passed. Since Holly is now alone on Christmas, each year, she writes a Dear Stranger letter to an anonymous person. This year, the anonymous letter she gets really strikes at her heart. Emma, an older woman, is also alone at Christmas, also estranged from her family, and is gravely ill. Holly recognizes the name of the cafe that Emma writes about and decides to befriend Emma and try to reunite her with her family. When Holly tracked Jack down, she realizes that she met him before her accident. This follows the tropes of second chances romance and friends to lovers.
The story is a dual narration between Holly and Jack with flashbacks of three years ago etched in. Holly is engulfed in grief, she is a caring and kind person, who will go out of her way to help others. Jack is charming, funny, and has also dealt with deep grief. Then there is Emma, who is very stubborn, stuck in her ways, but makes an excellent supporting character. The characters were well fleshed out, had depth, were witty, amazing chemistry, and intriguing. The characters were authentic, very likable, relatable, and I was absolutely invested from the first word. The author’s writing style was complex, clean, slightly humorous, poignant, thought-provoking, and just beautifully done. One moment in life can alter the course of your life forever, in both good and bad ways, just like one letter can impact a person’s life to change course. When a person enters your life, it can be for a moment, to help you through something, or for a lifetime. Those lifetime connections are rare and cherished.
Trigger warnings of cancer, grief/loss, and miscarriage. I read three Christmas stories back to back and this by far is my favorite. This story is full of love, compassion, grief, loss, growth, being true to thyself, and forgiveness, and of course, the romance. I loved that this was more than the romance, it focuses on healing from grief, forming friendships, and forgiving, not only others, but yourself. The authenticity and rawness that Stone embeds into this novel will have you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed, I cried (sad and happy tears), I was sad, and I was joyous at various times of the story. Stone delivers the perfect holiday romance read that will evoke all of the emotions and warm your heart from the inside out. I highly recommend picking this up for a Christmas escape.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Emily Stone
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Ever since a car accident tore her family apart, Holly has been part of a lonely-hearts holiday letter–writing club. Each December, she writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone, and receives a letter from another lonely person in return.
Usually, the letters go unanswered. That’s the point—the letters are anonymous, and the senders write whatever is in their heart. But this year, the letter Holly receives is different; not only is the letter full of a grief she knows all too well, but its writer, Emma, mentions a place that Holly has visited. When she realizes that she might actually be able to find the letter’s author, Holly becomes determined to reunite Emma with the estranged grandson, Jack, with whom Emma is desperate to reconnect.
When Holly finally tracks him down, she remembers that she’s met Jack once before . . . and the connection was electric. The spark between the two of them is still there—until a misunderstanding risks their burgeoning romance and his strained relationship with Emma, too. But Holly is determined; if she can fix Emma’s family, she might also be able to fix her own. Though as it turns out, Holly might have less time to put things right than she thought.
My Thoughts: This was such a heartfelt book. Along with being romance, it is also contemporary. I love Stone’s prior works and this was no different. Holly is involved in a terrible car accident around Christmas and since, her family has been estranged. Right before this car accident, she ran into a guy and sparred with him a little and lost his number in the accident and did not think much about it over the three years that passed. Since Holly is now alone on Christmas, each year, she writes a Dear Stranger letter to an anonymous person. This year, the anonymous letter she gets really strikes at her heart. Emma, an older woman, is also alone at Christmas, also estranged from her family, and is gravely ill. Holly recognizes the name of the cafe that Emma writes about and decides to befriend Emma and try to reunite her with her family. When Holly tracked Jack down, she realizes that she met him before her accident. This follows the tropes of second chances romance and friends to lovers.
The story is a dual narration between Holly and Jack with flashbacks of three years ago etched in. Holly is engulfed in grief, she is a caring and kind person, who will go out of her way to help others. Jack is charming, funny, and has also dealt with deep grief. Then there is Emma, who is very stubborn, stuck in her ways, but makes an excellent supporting character. The characters were well fleshed out, had depth, were witty, amazing chemistry, and intriguing. The characters were authentic, very likable, relatable, and I was absolutely invested from the first word. The author’s writing style was complex, clean, slightly humorous, poignant, thought-provoking, and just beautifully done. One moment in life can alter the course of your life forever, in both good and bad ways, just like one letter can impact a person’s life to change course. When a person enters your life, it can be for a moment, to help you through something, or for a lifetime. Those lifetime connections are rare and cherished.
Trigger warnings of cancer, grief/loss, and miscarriage. I read three Christmas stories back to back and this by far is my favorite. This story is full of love, compassion, grief, loss, growth, being true to thyself, and forgiveness, and of course, the romance. I loved that this was more than the romance, it focuses on healing from grief, forming friendships, and forgiving, not only others, but yourself. The authenticity and rawness that Stone embeds into this novel will have you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed, I cried (sad and happy tears), I was sad, and I was joyous at various times of the story. Stone delivers the perfect holiday romance read that will evoke all of the emotions and warm your heart from the inside out. I highly recommend picking this up for a Christmas escape.