Dear Emmie Blue, Lia Louis's latest release, is a charming story with a delightful protagonist who really grows throughout the story. Emmie has largely been on her own as her mother flits about the British countryside and a scandal during high school destroys any sense of community Emmie has. That is, until, she sends a balloon with a note that makes its way to France and into Lucas's hands. Lucas emails Emmie and 14 years later they are best friends and more like family. Lucas is getting married and asks Emmie to be his "best-woman"-only problem is Emmie is in love with him. But, dutiful as ever, she agrees. What ensues takes Emmie on a journey of growth while having to accept that things are not always as they seem and those we trust the most may not have always had the best intentions. Told with wit and charm, Emmie Blue is a hit!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I got this book a few months ago when I was just not able to concentrate and somehow this adorable romance got put in my TBR stack.  Well, I picked it up at the perfect time!  I have been having trouble reading and concentrating and this adorable romance was the PERFECT book for the season.  When 16 year old Emmie sends her name and email address attached to a red balloon, it travels over 100 miles and leads her to Lucas.  Now 14 years later, Lucas is getting married.  The problem? Lucas is her best friend who she is also in love with.  This adorable romance is the perfect book to sit and snuggle with this holiday season.  Thank you so much to Atria and Netgalley for my copy of this book.   4 stars

I absolutely adored this book and Emmie Blue. Emotional, hopeful, and joyful. Emmie Blue is beautiful written and was an enjoyable read.

“Do you ever feel like everyone has it together and you just don’t?”

Poor Emmie Blue can’t catch a break! On top of not having her life together, her best friend who she’s in love with asks her to be the best woman in his wedding. She was certain that they were meant to be together but now she realizes she may have been wrong this whole time as her 30th birthday draws near. This was the only thing I knew about this book going into it so I’m going to leave it at that so that others can be surprised too. I will say that the focus is not solely on romance but also on family, friendships, and trying to find a place for yourself in this world.

Emmie struggles with herself and her future. She is always feeling misplaced or uncertain with herself, since childhood and into adulthood. Not only did I see myself in Emmie but I also saw someone I would be friends with. I felt like I wanted to protect her even when she stressed me out. The side characters were funny, with great personalities and an even better support group for Emmie. I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did and am pleasantly surprised. Thank you so much to Atria books and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say I loved Dear Emmie Blue from the moment I began reading straight to the end. This sweet romance was so much more than I expected--and a bit unexpected to boot. The novel opens with Emmie Blue sick in the bathroom of a restaurant having just learned that the crush of her life is engaged to someone else. And will she be the best woman? Of course, she will, but will it rip her heart out in the process? Sound a bit like My Best Friend's Wedding? Well, it's not.

When Emmie was sixteen she was feeling lost and alone when she released that balloon with a message into the sky over England. Little did she know, it would be caught by a boy her age in France. The two became fast friends, sharing their hopes and dreams and worst fears. Fourteen years of friendship, and the two are the best of friends.

Emmie has long loved Lucas but been afraid to tell him. His life seems so together while hers seems to be going nowhere. Her relationship with her mother is in tatters and she's almost given up on finding her absentee father. She rents a room from an elderly woman she barely talks to.

I adored Emmie. She is such a bright spot in the novel. For everything she has been through and will go through, she has such a positive outlook on life and sees the best in people. And yet, when it comes to her own life, she does not always see what she has right in front of her. Besides Emmie, Louise, Emmie's landlady, was my most favorite character in the novel. She has been through a lot herself over the years.

Dear Emmie Blue is a novel of self-discovery, letting go and taking chances. It is full of heart, at times bittersweet, and, when I reached the end, I was reminded of why I love to read so much.

FULL DISCLAIMER - I DID NOT READ THIS BOOK. This was graciously provided to me but was not a book I would have requested on my own. After this long, I do not see myself picking this up to read it. I felt a three star paint was neutral.

Dear Emmie Blue is such a charming and heartfelt read! It has such a lightness, just like Emmie's balloon and there are so many good and kind characters that it warms my heart.
Much more than a romance novel, this is a story of unexpected things giving us far more than the plans we have in mind.
Many thanks to Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was such a cute book! I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. Emmie releases a balloon with her email and a note on it. Lucas finds the balloon, while on the beach in France, and emails Emmie. The two of them are instantly connected! They’re the same age, and they even share the same birthday. They’ve been friends for years, but now Emmie wants more.

Oh I just loved this book. I loved Emmie and all the other characters as well. She was just so sweet and lovable. She continues to hope, believe, and see the positive in everything. I think we could all learn a lesson from her. This is such a great story on love and friendship. I would say though this book is best going into blind, I don’t want to say anymore and give anything away. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it!

At some point in our lives I think we've all been a bit in love with our best friend. Emmie is no different and has to learn how to navigate a difficult time in her life. She's been asked to be the best "woman" in her best friends wedding. Only problem is that Emmie's in love with Lucas. This book had raw emotions and explored real life issues. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This book is lovely and tragic, heartbreaking and full of love.

Emmie Blue just turned thirty on a day she shares with her best friend Lucas. A best friend she met because of a single red balloon. For their annual birthday dinner, Lucas has to tell her something. Emmie is hoping he finally says he wants to be with her and leave the “friend zone” after all these years. This has the movie My Best Friends Wedding written all over it.

Emmie Blue grew up in a house hold of a flighty mother and no father. She is simply searching for happiness and to be loved. She lives simply and has had more than her fair-share of misfortune in her life. Currently she is trying to regroup her life and is living with a woman who teaches her that she is loved, Emmie just needs to look in the right places.

I found this book impossible to put down. Yes, parts of the ending were predictable, but most of all, I wanted Emmie to finally discover peace and!

4 Star read for me!

Thank you to Atria books via NetGalley for a copy to read and review.

TL;DR REVIEW:

Dear Emmie Blue is a delightful, well-paced little hug of a novel with characters that will capture your heart.

For you if: You like a contemporary romance — or you don’t usually read that genre but enjoy the occasional really *good* one.

FULL REVIEW:

First, big thanks to Atria Books for sending a review copy of this book my way!

I don’t read very many books in the genre that Dear Emmie Blue falls into — a sort of contemporary commercial romantic fiction. But something about it caught my eye, so I accepted the review copy and added it to my list. There it sat for several months — which now feels almost meant to be, because this book came to me at the perfect time. I had been feeling overwhelmed and anxious for a couple of weeks, and this book was like a hug.

It’s obviously about a young woman named Emmie Blue. When Emmie was a teenager, alone in the world and incredibly hurting, she released a note on a balloon, and a boy named Lucas found it on a beach across the ocean. For most of her life, he was her only constant. The book starts on the eve of her and Lucas’ shared 30th birthday. She thinks he’s finally going to ask her to be his girlfriend, but instead, he tells her he’s marrying his ex and asks her to be in the wedding. Heartbroken, she nevertheless agrees.

I never really enjoy books in this genre unless they do something with the story, as I’ve come to phrase it in my mind. Does the book say something worth saying? Does it look something hard in the face? Is it brave? The answer to these questions for Emmie Blue is definitely yes.

And I think that what’s so impressive about this book — that it feels light and warm and like a hug while dealing with some heavy, human topics; in this case, statutory sexual assault and parental neglect. Throw some classism in there, too, while you’re at it. There are a lot of things going on beneath the surface, and yet it never feels like too much. It just feels like really real, really lovable characters who struggle with real things and have real faults, all entwined in a charming story.

I recommend this one as a lighthearted read, even if it’s genre isn’t normally your thing!



TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Statutory sexual assault; Victim-blaming/accusations of lying about sexual assault; Parental neglect

This is a SUPER CUTE and uplifting love story! This book made me feel the feels and I'm so glad I was given an ARC. Such a fun concept for a book. The character development in this book was wonderful and you really understood the characters!!!

I tried reading it but couldn't connect with the book. The characters were very bland and the storyline was very dull.

I loved this book, I just wanted to connect to the characters more. The storyline is GREAT! It’s unique, and I loved the characters. I just wish there was more of a personal connection between Elliot and Emmie

This book has so much to offer. It was full of love, longing, and so many feelings, and some heartbreak too. All around it was one of these love stories that stick with you.

My most favorite thing about this story were the characters and their interactions. There was so much heart in everything they did and said to each other. Truly, the friendships were everything in this novel.

Rosie, Emmie’s best female friend was HILARIOUS!!!! OMG she made my day. And her and Fox (Emmie and Rosie’s colleague) are probably my favorites besides Lucas and Elliot. The dialogues between them all were so open, funny, and endearing. Also the narrator did a fantastic job by hitting all the different nuances, and delivered vibrant dialogues.

Honestly the entire novel was enchanting, especially the last half of the book.

This is told in first person- Emmie's POV.
It starts off in present day with Emmie and Lucas at dinner. Lucas has a big question to ask her.
Emmie and Lucas have been the closest of friends over the years- since they were 16 years old.
Lucas doesn't propose to Emmie. He asks her to be his "Best Woman" at his wedding to Marie. Another woman! Wow, how could she miss that?! Emmie lives in England, taking the ferry over to France when she visits Lucas. She sure did miss something.
Emmie has never let on how she feels about Lucas. She's very shy and soft-spoken.
She'd been traumatized by an incident when she was 16-just before she met Lucas.
Emmie is determined to stand up for Lucas, no matter how much it hurts her inside.
I had so much empathy for Emmie. I was so angry at those who showed no compassion, and were down-right cruel to her. Emmie's mother was such a cold bitch. Emmie was very smart to move on from her & not expect any love or emotional support. I think that it was a miracle that Emmie wanted to keep on trying to have a good life. She really had so many bad breaks. I wanted to kick some asses on her behalf.
Lucas' parents were the exact opposite of Emmie's mother. She loved being around thiem when she visited.
Lucas' brother Elliott seemed to have some animosity toward Emmie. While Emmie helped coordinate Lucas' pre-wedding events, Emmie and Elliott spend more and more time together
This very well written. There were quite a few flashbacks to Emmie's teen years. This was very painful for me to read.
Lucas' fiance', Marie was very nice to Emmie. That may have made things a little easier. Emmie still felt like the outsider during the time leading up to the wedding day.
Emmie has to cope with her mother never revealing who her father is. Emmie's trauma at 16, was a result of her following a wrong lead on finding her dad. There's a twist that happens in present day, that I thought was very realistic and quite ironic. Emmie is turning 30 y/o but has been stalled in dealing with adult life.
Around the 1/2 way point, I loved that Emmie's life was finally moving forward in a positive way. I did wish that she could have had some justice in how she was treated in her teen years. I wanted the bullies to pay. Emmie's mom was terrible. There's not really a explanation of why.
Emmie faces up to the fact that she needs to open herself up to love and not pine for someone that isn't available. Emmie is surprised when she finally admits her feelings.
I liked the ending, but I wanted a longer epilogue. This is Women's Fiction, with a little romance when Emmie least expects it.

Emmie has absolutely destroyed me!!!!! This book was the most amazing story of love and friendship I have had the pleasure of reading. Why did I put this off for so long? I felt like Lia Louis brought Emmie to life so well and could vividly picture her story. Now, when can we get a movie adaptation??!

I just did not connect to this book or the characters. It’s slow and pretty depressing, which is not what I was looking for. I read to escape and wasn’t looking for really heavy topics in my current mood.

This endearing and beautiful book came to me just when I needed it most. Emmie Blue is not a character I will soon forget. This is a thoroughly character driven book and I loved everything about it. It would be nearly impossible not to love and care for Emmie. At age 16, she releases a balloon with a very private message inside. The balloon travels from the UK all the way to France and a teen named Lucas discovers it. Lucas becomes a lifeline to Emmie; her best friend and supporter when she feels completely alone in the world. Much of the book is told in Emmie's voice at age 30 but the reader travels back and forth from when Emmie and Lucas initially connect to 14 years later. Emmie, Lucas and his brother, Eliot remain intertwined in each other's lives. Emmie continues to be the kind and loving soul she has always been, despite life circumstances. If you need a reminder that there is goodness in the world, settle in and get cozy with this soul-stirring book. Thank you to @netgalley @atriabooks & @lialouisauthor for the free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#dearemmieblue #atriabooks #netgalley #lialouis #bookstagrammer #bookreviewer #booksandmrdarcy #withhernosestuckinabook❤️📚

This book will make my Best of 2020 books!

This book has popped up in my feed a few times and I am so glad I finally jumped in.

I read this book with a constant lump in my throat. Emmie was such a beautiful soul and just wanted love and companionship and family...she thought she would have all of that with Lucas but once he makes the decision to marry Marie, Emmie wants to be happy for Lucas but she's just so sad and lost. This is an emotionally filled book and I want everyone to experience the beauty of Emmie Blue

As I read this I just kept thinking, I NEED THIS AS A MOVIE.  I was imagining the ferry rides, the suit fittings/dress shopping in the streets of France.  I am so invested in these characters and their lives that I just want to see it in all its glory on screen!