Unexpectedly brilliant book. When I started this a saw it was in letter format I thought I’d not get on with it but it was brilliant!

4.5 but rounding to 5 stars. I love when I find an ARC on NetGalley that I know nothing about with an author I have never heard of but the synopsis just sounds perfect. Sometimes it works out for me and sometimes it doesn't and I am happy to say that, this time, it worked out wonderfully.

Epistolary novels can be difficult to write in a way that's successful as the pacing has to be perfect and you have to create entire scenes with very little dialogue. Dear Lily was one of the best examples of a well done epistolary novel that i have found. Not only does the story carry the reader along effortlessly, but the letters are just so funny sometimes! They allow Joy's personality to shine through while emitting her emotions. I loved that they actually showed the crossouts of certain words and that some of the letters were simply just drafts for her to pore through her thoughts.

When heartfelt, heavy moments occur, they are understated yet carry a certain weight to them when you relate them to all the letters that came before. The "twist" isn't really any surprise, as it can be divulged just from the description of the book but everything leading up to it was realistic, entertaining, and painted a picture of a woman trying to come to grips with everything that has happened in her life and where it has led her.

I really enjoyed this one and read it straight through in just 3 hours. Every character was well developed and overall, it was just a really fulfilling read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I got this from Netgalley, thanks! So I'm not usually a fan of letter books, but I enjoyed this one. It moved along pretty smoothly. Even though I haven't had a sibling die, I know what's it like to not know where you stand in life, and how hard it is to find yourself. I'm very glad it had a happy ending, and felt it was still realistic. 3.75/5

I absolutely loved this book! From start to finish. It is written in letter format, which is generally my least favorite format, but it is essential in this book and wasn't at all clunky (as I often find it).

I just adored the main character. She made me laugh out loud many times and wish I was her best friend, even while she struggled.

This book was such an unexpected gem! It so seamlessly covers love and loss, grieving and guilt, family dynamics and life's unexpected heartaches. I am sad to say goodbye to these vibrant characters. I will miss them.

I received and advanced copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a really good read, made me laugh out loud but also cry. I would recommend. Real pick me up.

This book was so good!

Joy is a single woman who moves from England to Copenhagen for a fresh start. We learn all about Joy, her struggles, her family, and her new life in Copenhagen through a series of letters to her sister Lily.

This book was laugh-out-loud hilarious and give-me-a-box-of-tissues heartbreaking. I loved it so much! It’s unique because the story is told entirely through a series of letters. I really liked that format! It was also a smooth read. Joy was a funny, relatable, and witty character.

This book is about family love and relationships, how we deal with grief, and figuring out who you are and what you want in life. I literally went back and reread some parts a few times just because they were so funny! It’s a beautiful story and I’m sure it’ll stick with me. I’ll be checking out Drew Davies’ other book and keeping an eye out for more from him!

Joy moves to Copenhagen after a break up and writes to Lily, her sister all about her new life, how she is settling in, the locals, her colleagues. It’s all very one sided , just joys point of view. And nothing happens. Literally nothing happens. Today I woke up late and had to cycle to work having missed breakfast but I had lunch with my colleagues and my flat mate was out when I got in.

I know some readers will love it and really like hearing joys voice. But I didnt really enjoy it

Unfortunately i only got about a quarter through this book and just couldn't finish it, it is very rarely that i have to stop a book halfway through but i just found it monotonous with the letters, you are only hearing one side of the story and it just wasn't for me.

I found the format of this book really hard to enjoy. The letter writing element felt very stilted and thus it was difficult to warm to the characters or get to know them because it lacked fluidity. I really wanted to enjoy this book but it felt like a chore rather than an enjoyment.

While Dear Lilky is interesting novel in the vibe of Bridget Jones Diary or Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine, it is also quite predictable.

The prose is in the form of letters from main character - Joy to her sister. She tells her about her life after moving to Denmark. There's a lot about family and love and all this coziness. I would say that it's good read on Sunday afternoon, but nothing to invest your heart for longer.

I didn't particularly enjoy the format of the book, Joy writes letters to her younger sister Lily so it's all very one sided and a bit stilted. Joy has moved to Copenhagen for a fresh start and finds it a comfort writing to her sister. There's a twist in the book which I saw coming and I found the novel ended quite abruptly. It's a quick enough read and pretty inoffensive but not something I would really recommend.

Dear Lily by Drew Davies is a charming read that will warm your heart and then turn around and break it. Laugh out loud funny and heartachingly sad, this is one that will play on all of your emotions.

Joy is a single woman from England who accepts a job in Copenhagen in the hope of making a fresh start. We learn of Joy's experiences in Denmark through a series of letters addressed to her sister, Lily. As Joy negotiates her new life, her letters to Lily provide an honest and hilarious account in a way that brings to mind the style in which Bridget Jones confides to her diary. The novel relies exclusively on the use of letters, and I found this to be a most effective format as it is accessible and intimately engages the reader.

Ultimately, this novel is about the love of family, and negotiating your own way in the world following some of life's toughest blows. Will joy, in the end, be rediscovered in the life of our aptly named heroine? Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for ths ARC.