This book felt like a warm hug from a loved one and I absolutely loved it. I definitely see my patrons at the library loving this book just as much as I did. The story, the characters, and the book overall are lovable and enjoyable and just AMAZING.

What a fantastic debut! Hilarious, comforting, and emotional, DEAR DOTTY follows Rosie Benson, who's never felt like she could quite relate to the aspirations of her high-achieving family, perfectionistic roommate/best friend, and workaholic boss. Luckily, there's one person who has always understood Rosie better than anyone else has: her free-spirited, fun-loving, and fabulous great-aunt, Dotty. But then Dotty passes away, and Rosie feels completely lost. She decides to take on a new project, where she sends emails to all of Dotty's family members and friends, encouraging them to share their stories of the special memories they had with Dotty. Through these messages, Rosie learns that Dotty might not be the person Rosie thought she was...and that amidst her struggles with grieving, navigating her career goals, and juggling complicated family relationships and friendships, Rosie must block out all of the outside noise telling her who she should be, and finally start living for herself.

DEAR DOTTY warmed my heart! While I always would've enjoyed this book, I feel like it found me at a particularly perfect time. Rosie's experiences of being a twenty-something trying to figure out what she wanted, even when the world (and maybe even some of the people around her) might be telling her she should aspire to something different, were so relatable and well-depicted. However, I think her story will even resonate with people of all different demographics and life stages! Rosie was the perfect lead, but I also enjoyed following the other core characters in her life. It was such a blast to read about Rosie's family members, friends, coworkers, pets (I loved Bug so much!)—they all felt so real, and their voices practically jumped off the page. Of course, I would be remiss to talk about the stars of DEAR DOTTY without talking about Dotty herself. She was just so special, and I loved her relationship with Rosie, how no matter what, Rosie always knew she had Dotty in her corner somehow. It made me think about my own great-aunt (who is so similar to Dotty in so many ways!) and how lucky my family and I are to have her. I also really appreciated how even though the story tackles some heavy topics, Westlake makes it feel lighthearted throughout. The story will bring tears to your eyes, but also make you feel comforted and uplifted by the time you finish. Needless to say, I loved DEAR DOTTY, and can't wait to see what Jaclyn Westlake writes next! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

Rosie Benson is twenty something and life is a bit chaotic. Her parents have announced the are divorcing after 30 years of marriage. Rosie struggles with dating and keeping a job. She is also having problems with her best friend. Rosie adores her Aunt Dotty who has recently passed away. She is devastated. She decides to send an email out to all her Aunt’s friends letting them know she has passed away. She then receives many emails back about her Aunt. After reading all these emails she determines that she really didn’t know her aunt. Rosie keeps writing emails addressed to her aunt about her chaotic life. This is healing for Rosie and she slowly realizes that she can lover herself and open her heart to love again.

Rosie Benson is in her twenties and struggles to fit in. Her parents are getting a divorce, her friends are accomplished , she is fired from her job and she is with the wrong guy. So she turns to her Aunt Dotty for advice. Then Dotty dies and her world is turned upside down. She emails Dotty's friend to let them know of her passing and receives many replies. These replies paint a whole new picture of Dotty for Rosie. Rosie must now figure out what she actually wants in life.

I am fully obsessed with this book. The character development of Rosie is everything I needed it to be. Dotty and Rosie have such a special relationship, but watching the relationship grow after she is gone is so special. Dotty is able to continue giving Rosie advice after she has passed because Rosie has asked everyone is Dotty's life to email their connection to Dotty. She is able to learn so much about Dotty's life this way and learn more about herself. She makes her own new rules for what life is about and what is important and not important. She works on her romantic, platonic, and professional relationships, her career, her family, and what she really wants out of life. This book is a hug and so easy to fall in love with Rosie as she tackles life.

This book is good for lovers of life lessons, determining the meaning of life, grandmother-granddaughter relationship, untraditional life accomplishments, family dynamics, and lovable main characters.

A twenty-something faces the upheaval of her parents' divorce, a betrayed friendship, and a regrettable encounter. Seeking guidance from her vibrant great-aunt, Rosie Benson grapples with fitting into her accomplished family, a demanding roommate, and a work-centric boss. Her illusion of having life figured out shatters after an abrupt job loss. Inspired by her late aunt Dotty, Rosie embarks on a journey to pursue a long-buried dream, ignoring societal expectations.

In a heartfelt exploration of grief, self-discovery, and family dynamics, Rosie, perennially trying to please others, realizes the absence of joy in her life. As work troubles, family events, and romantic entanglements unfold, Rosie yearns for Dotty's advice. Collecting letters from Dotty's friends reveals a past that guides Rosie toward proving herself to the only person that truly matters – herself.

Gratitude to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Avon for this digital ARC.

I received an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A funny, touching story about a young woman who struggles to find her way. She learns how to love herself and live happily on her terms without regrets while learning about who her aunt was and how she impacted others lives.
Definitely recommend to all women and animal lovers.

Thank you Netgalley & Avon Publishing for an eARC ♥️

Meet Rosie Benson, a twenty-something sweetpea who's trying to puzzle out this crazy thing called life! 🤔 With a gentle nudge from her fabulous great-aunt Dotty, Rosie embarks on a journey to dump the shoulds and follow her sparkly heart. ❤️ You'll squeal with delight over the email exchanges between Rosie and Dotty - it's like getting advice from your wisest, most loving BFF! 📨 This book is like a cozy hug in a cup: warm, fuzzy, and full of giggles and sniffles. ☕️ Rosie's story is a reminder that it's totes okay to stumble and learn as you go. So grab a comfy blankie, snuggle up in your fave reading nook, and get ready to fall head over heels for Rosie's adventure! 💕 It's like a big hug in a book, and you won't want it to end!"

The first thing I thought after tearing through this spectacular debut novel at warp speed: I wish this book had been around in my 20's, like the main character Rosie! It is THAT good and poses the ultimate life question (in the most funny, warm, hilarious and heartfelt manner): what is it I should be doing with my life vs. what is it I NEED to do with my life?

Literal laugh out loud dialogue, romance that will give you tingles, family dynamics that leap off the page in the most genuine fashion, an unforgettable octogenarian who steals any scene she's in, and last but not least a cast of lovable animals that will melt you! (Especially Bug the Pug, I'm still swooning over her!)

This is Jaclyn Westlake's debut but it sure seems like an effortlessly crafted story from a seasoned author! And no doubt this is the first of many from this immensely talented writer!

Dear Dotty is an amazing family story about a young woman’s coming of age as she mourns the death of her favorite Aunt Dotty along with her father, mother, brother and pregnant sister-in-law amidst their family troubles.

Rosie also tries to juggle her dating life and her up and down employment life and her best friend troubles, as well as figure out who she really is and wants to be without the help and advice of free spirit Aunt Dotty.

Rosie who finds out although she loved and admired Dotty she really didn’t know her all that well, sends an email to Aunt Dotty’s contact list on her computer to tell them Dotty has passed away. The young woman is incredulous when she reads the emails returned to find out who Aunt Dotty really was and all the wonderful things she’d done and people she’d known and loved and helped.

Rosie also keeps on writing emails to Dotty hoping she can read them from heaven or wherever she is now. Dear Dotty, she writes, asking for help or advice when she messes up in her life again and again.

But she continues on until she finally gets it right. You’ll definitely want to read this lovely story to see how she does it. It may involve goats and chickens and a cow and a sweet little dog named Bug after an entomologist. You’ll absolutely be glad you did. Rosie is a sweetheart and you’ll like the rest of her quirky family and friends, too.

Thank you Natgalley for the ARC. My Grandma always told me that you can only go up once you hit rock bottom. And rock bottom is what has happen to Rosie, She does't know where to go or being. She starts finding her confidence through her late great Aunt Dotty, This book was perfect and a must read.

Sometimes when it rains, it pours. That's what happens to Rosie in Dear Dotty. Through a series of unfortunate events, Rosie finds herself at rock bottom leaving her to question where to go. As we follow Rosie, we see her grow in confidence and learn who she and how to follow her dreams through the guidance of her late great aunt, Dotty. In life and death, their relationship drives the story along and helps Rosie on her path of self discovery.

I enjoyed reading about Rosie because she felt real. She struggled with the same emotions I've faced in similar situations. There were some scenes that felt forced and dramatic that didn't fit the natural flow/progression of the story. Sometimes writing awful characters or plotlines for shock and awe and to drive sympathy for the main character can seem too forced.

Overall, I loved Rosie and Dotty's relationship. Sometimes you just need someone in your corner to help you realize your potential, and Dotty was that and more. I think Dotty will live on in me for a long time.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think we all can learn a lesson from Dotty is that she was unabashedly herself. She did what made her happy and she refused to be pigeonholed into what others expected her to be. As she told her lawyer, she wouldn't have changed a damn thing. The emails sent to Rosie as a result of her death were testament to this philosophy. Rosie thought that if she was the correct interpretation of "adult" that she would be happy. The right job and boyfriend would be the right path for her. However, in tampering her free spirit, she found herself miserable and alone with only Bug as a source of comfort. She missed important events such as the birth of her niece in trying to please Nadine. She isolated herself from her family in Dotty's house and was truly in despair. I was so glad she took the job at Happy Hooves and decided to find what made her happy. It brought her closer to Lily, Tommy and her parents and reinvigorated her friendships. I thought it fitting that her birthday was the so long party for Dotty. They both had chosen to move forward.

This book was unique, and I really enjoyed the first half and the ending! It did kinda fall a bit flat there for a while but still enjoyed.

Occasionally a writer will craft a character that’s so vibrant, so fascinating, and so just darn interesting that you wish they existed in real life. Jaclyn Westlake has done that with Dotty. I think we could be besties.

Dotty, in her role as great and greatest aunt, has been a fixture in Rosie Benson’s life; the one she turns to for advice and inspiration. Rosie is adrift. She is trying to live up to everyone’s expectations and has lost sight of who she is and wants to be. When Dotty dies, Rosie is lost without her sounding board until she discovers that Dotty lives on through a series of emails and recollections from people who knew and loved her.

I LOVED this book. It’s got a quirky octogenarian, a young adult at a crossroads, realistic family issues, workplace drama, and plenty of entertaining critters. It’s lighthearted and poignant; full of self-discovery and meaningful relationships. What a phenomenal debut! This book will be released on June 4, 2024 and should not be missed.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Avon for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.