Such a sweet book. It’s all about love and loss and what could have been. Definitely a must read for any type of romantic. Give it a read.

Is this a real job, being a lost letter detective at London's Dead Letters Depot? It sounds so cool and quirky English that it should be real, even if it isn't. The idea that people's correspondence is so important that it must arrive is wonderful, and that's what I would have loved to know more about. William Woolf is one of thirty such detectives, sort of mooching through life, not expressive enough to communicate his way out of problems with his marriage. He finds letters addressed to "my first love" and begins to believe that these were actually written to him. He puts all his skills as a letter detective to work to find the writer of these letters.

The deal is that the letter-detecting is much more interesting than William's quest. Finding the real destination for packages and letters with names of streets that no longer exist or with addresses so smeared that only a few letters or numbers. The postal detectives actually deliver these in person! As you might expect, there are a lot of characters in this office, which is fun.

The story rushes to a conclusion with too many coincidences to satisfy the reader. But this is a gentle, charming novel that will delight anyone who is in the mood for just that.

~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

Thanks to Netgalley, Graydon House and Helen Cullen for this ARC.
This was a good book. I found the beginning boring, put it down and didn’t think I would pick it up again,. Then I decided to give it another shot. and I’m glad I persisted. The Middle was much better and kept me interested. ..Clare and William are both likeable and you root for them. But then again I’m also rooting for Winter. William's obsession with her is a bit weird. But then again he's going through a rough patch his marriage. William's job is pretty cool though and he did get a book out of it, so there’s that. But the last two chapters which are the endings of William's story in this book are so vague. "Their eyes meet." That phrase is used in both of them and nothing else is shared. I assume I understand what happened in the last chapter called "A year and a day later," but i"m not sure. I don't like the vague ending.

I thought this book would focus more on the Dead Letters Depot and the letters they found there, so I was a little disappointed that the story focused so much on William and Clare's strained marriage. I enjoyed the story but didn't really like the ending. I didn't regret reading it, I just had different hopes for the book.

William Woolf works in the lost parcels and letters division of the postal service in London. His marriage is losing steam, as is his dream of writing. As he discovers a series of letters from a woman named Winter addressed to her Great Love, William begins a search for signs of life within himself.

William's job was fascinating to me. That alone made this an interesting book. I enjoyed how he and his colleagues pieced together clues from letters and packages in an attempt to get them to their recipients.

Most of the chapters focused on William with a handful focused on his wife Clare, and although having her perspective on her marriage was somewhat interesting, I didn't feel like her character was as well fleshed out as William's. I appreciate what the author was trying to do by giving both sides of their story, but I think it missed the mark in Clare's case.

All in all, I think The Lost Letters of William Woolf is a good story -- not great, but good.

Loved this story although I didn't particularly love the open-ended conclusion. Who doesn't enjoy a good love story? This one has it all. Love, loss, longing, reflection, hope. Great book.

The book starts off a little slow and I was considering DNF-ing a few times, but ultimately I'm glad I didn't. Although I wouldn't say that I was totally sucked into the story, it did keep me engaged in the plot and the small main cast. It's a very thoughtfully crafted narrative.

I was not anticipating the love triangle that takes up the majority of this book, since the synopsis fails to mention that William is married. Not very happily, but they haven't quite given up on each other, and that's a huge source of tension as William agonizes over whether this mysterious letter writer might be his Great Love, or perhaps he's already met and married his Great Love, or perhaps his wife Clare <i>used</i> to be his Great Love but they've grown apart now, or ...

Despite my fairly strong dislike of the love triangle, this one felt more genuinely conflicted than the "oh no two people like me what do" that I've seen all too frequently. Both women are shown respect, as are the potential relationships William could have with each of them. Getting to witness William's thought process and emotions: his very relatable desire to love and be loved by someone "worthy" (for lack of a better word), his worries about the ethics of the whole situation ... though it was sometimes frustrating waiting to see what he would ultimately choose, the messiness and uncertainty felt incredibly true to life.

I loved the premise of this book. The idea that there are people who are hired to get lost post back to the rightful owners and it would be wonderful if there really were a Dead Letters depot somewhere. Some of the personal stories behind the letters and packages were beautiful and emotional. With the world using email and text to communicate today, it was beautiful to read these letters, many from the past. When there was a connection made, it was sweet and emotional to hear the reactions of the intended recipient. My big complaint is that I would have liked more letters, more mysteries being solved.

William is an interesting character. He is a bit of a loner and a dreamer. He is also a bit of a geek and quite happy with his job. He wants to write a book and that is a motivator for him. He loves the happy endings when he can return a letter to its proper recipient and learn a bit more. He is a bit closed off with his emotions in real life though and that causes problems in his personal life. His obsession with finding Winter when he has a wife who loves him was also a bit frustrating for me, especially since that might have exacerbated the situation at home. I enjoyed getting to know William, his wife and her sister Florence. The secondary characters added much to the story and I loved their stories. The inner turmoil that William struggled with slowed the story quite a bit. All in all, I enjoyed this story, but it moved slowly and meandered a bit more than I would have liked.

When I first read the synopsis for <i>The Lost Letters of William Woolf</i>, I was absolutely enchanted by the idea of a dead letter depot. It sounded like the kind of place that would make for a wonderfully quirky and imaginative novel. However, this book wasn't really either of those things. Instead, <i>The Lost Letters of William Woolf</i> is a story about the slow dissolution of William's marriage and his desire to find a mysterious letter writer known only to him as "Winter." Overall, the storyline just did not work for me, particularly toward the end.

I really wish that the story had focused more on the letters, it felt like there was so much untapped potential there. This definitely wasn't the novel I expected to read but if you're looking for a story more focused on relationships, communication, and second chances, consider checking this one out.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I loved the idea of this book and all of the characters; however, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I felt like it was much longer than it needed to be and yet would have appreciated a bit more to the ending. While many parts felt like they stretched on, the last 30 or so pages felt extremely rushed.

Ahh this book was just an emotional ride for me because I really fell in love with William Woolf and all of the characters, especially Clare. The concept of the story was brilliant and I was hooked from the first page. The writing was so beautiful and I was surprised when I finished this book in just one evening. One of my favorite reads so far this year! If you are looking for a beautiful and realistic love story, look no further!

5 out of 5 stars for The Lost Letter of William Woolf by Helen Cullen.

Loved the premise, but there was not nearly enough information about the "lost letters". I wanted to know more!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Lost Letters Of William Woolf is the debut book of author Helen Cullen, available through booksellers on 6-4-19. Ms. Cullen has a terrific writing style and will, I'm sure, go far.

William Woolf is a "Letter Detective" for the postal service in London. For 11 years he's worked to reunite damaged or misdirected letters with their rightful intended. He's intrigued by his work, it's not always mundane, there's joy in being successful. William is a writer turned postal worker and his wife Claire is a painter turned lawyer. That's two frustrated, unfulfilled lives. The meat of the book becomes their dying marriage, can it be saved? Do they want to save it? It's all gone wrong and both are feeling old and used up. I never became invested in either character.

Lost Letters is essentially two books in one. There's the lost letters and the damaged marriage. The only thing I see that connected them is loss, of all kinds. Romance is only found in long ago letters. I preferred the lighthearted postal detective story. It's my kind of read. The blurb for this book was misleading. If you're looking for a serious story about a serious subject then this is definitely the one for you. Happy reading.

#HelenCullen #Netgalley #Harlequin #GardenHouseBooks

I was entertained by The Lost Letters of William Woolf. The premise of a worker (William) tasked with directing letters to their proper recipients and becoming personally invested in the endeavor was encouraging. There are many touching and intriguing letter success stories, and I really found those stories the most compelling pieces of the novel. Helen Cullen also includes the background story of William's marriage. I must confess that William's personal life was not as interesting to me as the letters. Cullen's characters are layered and well drawn. She weaves a mystery letter writer into the plot, and it adds an element of suspense. I would read more from Helen Cullen.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

I wavered between a 3.5 and 4 ⭐️ rating. I thought it was well written. Ultimately, I decided on a 3.5 rating based on both my opinion and other factors. Let me give you 3 reasons why.

First, I would have loved to hear more about the Lost Letters Depot. The whole thing sounds so interesting, and I wanted to hear all the stories that could come out of a place like that. While some of those stories were included, this book focuses on the romantic aspect.

Second, I am not a huge fan of books that undermine a marriage. This book was about a man intrigued by another woman, and I felt sorry for his wife most of the time, although, I did struggle with her character at times.

Lastly, the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying.

Overall, I think the concept was intriguing. If you like romance, you may enjoy this one. This is a story about a strained marriage and is told in alternating perspectives between Clare and William. It also made me appreciate the dying (or mostly dead) art of letter writing.

3.5 stars
This book was actually better than I was expecting. It's definitely an introspective book, more about the expectations we have in marriage and what we do when those expectations aren't met. It's about keeping secrets and trying to uncover what is really important.
I loved the lost letters and the snippets of stories we got, I wished for more. It would have made the book that much better if the portions from William's book were entwined with the story of William and Clare.
I found this book to be a worthwhile read if you are in a contemplative mood.

*Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary:
William has a job sorting through your lost mail. He gets bags of letters and packages and enjoys solving the mysteries. But more importantly, his marriage is failing. Will he fix things with his wife before she takes a powder? Who’s the mysterious woman writing to her “Great Love?” Is it secretly his wife? It’s not. I just really wanted that to be the twist.

I reread the official summary and there is no mention of William being married. Had I known this focused primarily on his marriage, I wouldn’t have requested an early copy.
It’s written perfectly fine. Lackluster in parts but the letters William read were given extra attention and life. There were great visuals and feelings expressed throughout. I just don’t think this was the right story to go with the writing.
Early on we find out William had a wonderful romance with his wife and they were IT. Then the breakdown happened and in the present we see them spending less time together and tiptoeing around sensitive issues. It took me a couple months to read so I’m a little hazy on what they thought the problems with the marriage were. I’m not married but my best guess is they resigned themselves to their current lives and didn’t think change was possible. Dreams were given up and the grind of paying rent set in. Resentment grew and neither took the time or had the guts to sit down and work it out. But something happens and it forces them reevaluate what they want and the story goes from there.
The Dead Letters Depot needed more page time. It’s a fascinating place with endless paths to explore. We’re given side quests and montages of what the Depot’s found instead of seeing a grand journey to discover the intended recipient of this intriguing letter. The summary made it sound more heartwarming and whimsical than the sad truth.
Because William and his wife Clare could not talk to each without storming out, it was hard for me to care about their marriage. When people actively fail to communicate, when they won’t listen, it drives me crazy. I don’t understand why it’s hard for people to allow others to talk. William and Clare spend almost the entire book failing to get anything done during their conversations and in the end it’s still not resolved. And the epilogue is a copout.
Here’s what the book should have been about: William is single and he finds these letters written by a girl seeking her “Great Love.” After using the skills he’s acquired as a letter detective he finds her and they spend time together. She helps him delivering misplaced packages and discover his true calling, and he gives her courage to do that thing she’s always wanted to do. In the end they realize the friendship mended their souls and they’re ready to face the world. It’s an ending open to speculation.
OR
William and Clare want to find a new course for their lives and use the Depot to have an adventure to rekindle their love and purpose. The end.
Overall this book had the skill to be good but the wrong idea. I forgot to mention how forgettable it is and the convenient and hasty final 10%. There. Done.

I loved this book. I am partial to books which feature letters, particularly those which will tell a story as the book unfolds. I was not disappointed with this title. It was poignant and reduced me to tears more than once. A perfect read!

This gentle novel is really about the slow disintegration of the marriage of William and Claire. William, however, finds more than he expects when he begins his search for Winter, the author of one awesome love letter that's landed in the Dead Letter Depot in East London where he works. The letters William deals with are charming (and sometimes quite poignant). What an interesting job he has. This never becomes twee but it does occasionally get a tad predictable. I wasn't a fan of the ending but that's over to you to judge for yourself. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. It's a good read.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

Sadly this was another case of not what I was expecting 🤷.

It was cute! It definitely had those cute elements! But I read this for the initial plot which was Williams job and the lost letters. That completely drew me in. The book however is more so about his marriage and I just couldn't get into that over the whole work aspect.

I think if pitched differently this probably would've worked better.