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A review by adogmomsbookishlife
Love, Holly by Emily Stone
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.
I was a bit nervous to read this novel as I’ve read a previous Emily Stone novel and while I enjoyed that one, I was not prepared for the level of hurt the story put me through. While this story does deal with deep and tragic elements and is not a light hearted romance, it was very well written. I loved all of the characters, as grumpy and imperfect as they were. There were some actions I disagreed with due to extreme lack of communication between the said parties, but everyone handles grief differently so I found a way to respect each characters actions. The ending was one that the reader sees coming, but it is so well executed and leaves the reader feeling hopeful instead of hopeless.
Yes, this story takes place around Christmas, but I would not categorize this as a holiday novel in general. Please take note of trigger warnings for off page infertility and miscarriage occurences. The references are not extremely detailed or graphic but there are references to both throughout the story.
Overall I really enjoyed the story and how it was told, especially getting the dual POV of both the main male character and the main female character.
I was a bit nervous to read this novel as I’ve read a previous Emily Stone novel and while I enjoyed that one, I was not prepared for the level of hurt the story put me through. While this story does deal with deep and tragic elements and is not a light hearted romance, it was very well written. I loved all of the characters, as grumpy and imperfect as they were. There were some actions I disagreed with due to extreme lack of communication between the said parties, but everyone handles grief differently so I found a way to respect each characters actions. The ending was one that the reader sees coming, but it is so well executed and leaves the reader feeling hopeful instead of hopeless.
Yes, this story takes place around Christmas, but I would not categorize this as a holiday novel in general. Please take note of trigger warnings for off page infertility and miscarriage occurences. The references are not extremely detailed or graphic but there are references to both throughout the story.
Overall I really enjoyed the story and how it was told, especially getting the dual POV of both the main male character and the main female character.