Noelle Butterby had a bad evening. She had traveled all the way to where she went to college for the opening of the time capsule she and her friends had put items in ten years ago. But when she gets there, not only has the surprise snowstorm prevented them from digging up all the time capsules, but Noelle saw her ex-boyfriend across the room, and he didn’t even acknowledge him.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, Noelle got stuck on the highway on her way home, the traffic stopped for miles because of that snowstorm that already ruined her evening, so unusual for England in late March. Her phone is almost of battery, and her charging cord stopped working, and she needs to call home, but she can’t. She’s stuck.

Enter Sam. A tall, handsome American knocks on Noelle’s car window and asks if he can help. He offers her the charging cord in his warm rental car, along with his kindness, great smile, and shining smile. For eight hours, they spend time together in Sam’s car, talking and laughing, getting help and snacks from others on the highway, and offering first aid to a woman who slid and hit her head on her own car’s bumper.

And then it’s over.

The highway opens again, Sam heads back to America, and Noelle goes back to her life. She lives with her mother, who has never been quite the same since her stroke. She recovered physically, but it broke her spirit and now she needs to have someone around her or she falls apart. So Noelle has put her dreams of being a florist on hold, working as a cleaner so she can have a flexible schedule for when her mother needs her.

She does have a younger brother, but when he’s not out on the road with his band, he’s not entirely reliable. Like when he was he was at home with his mother, and she had decided to get something out of the attic, and she got her foot caught in the ladder. When Noelle got home, her mother was sitting down and her brother had put ice on it, but when it was still painful and swollen in the middle of the night, it was Noelle who had taken her to the hospital to see if the leg was broken.

Noelle sat in the hospital hallway in the middle of the night, basically still in her pajamas, not at all sure of what was going on and then she sees the door open. Noelle thought it might be her ex-boyfriend Ed, the one who ignored her at the reunion, the one she had bumped into on the street and had a pleasant chat with, the one who is a doctor, but it wasn’t Ed she saw. Somehow, it was Sam.

She and Sam sit in the hallway of the hospital talking like old friends. It turns out his father had fallen, and he had brought him to the hospital to get him checked out. Is it just a coincidence, or is it something more?

When she was in school, Noelle’s best friend was Daisy. She had gone to that reunion to get the camera Daisy had put in the time capsule, because it was shorty after that that she had been killed in a tragic car accident. A car accident that Noelle had almost been in too, except that Ed asked her to go home with him. Daisy had talked about the red thread, a thread of fate that ties you to the person you’re supposed to be with. It can get tangled but it cannot break. Could Sam be Noelle’s red thread? Or is that just a fantasy about a handsome stranger who oddly keeps showing up when she needs someone the most?

As Noelle figures out what it is she really wants from her life, how to be the person Daisy always thought her friend would grow up to be, she has to face the feelings she’d been pushing away since her mom got sick. Will she figure out what her red thread is and follow it to true love, or will she stay tangled up and alone?

Eight Perfect Hours is a heart-warming story of a woman trying to find her way in life. Author Lia Louis has crafted a lovely story of self-realization and love, with characters who feel like friends. There is a lot of heartbreak in this story, but there is also a lot of heart and joy and friendship. Watching Noelle find her way is a lovely journey, and I hope everyone who reads this book finds the same enjoyment I did with it.

I really loved the idea of the red thread, and watching the thread’s knots unravel throughout this story was the uplifting experience I needed right now. Being there with Noelle as she figured out what it was she really wanted, and seeing her joy as she got to take steps towards her dreams made my heart open up for her. The grief in this book is very real, but so is the pure happiness of being true to yourself.

Egalleys for Eight Perfect Hours were provided by Atria Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Lia Louis does it again! If you enjoyed Dear Emmie Blue, I'm sure you'll enjoy Eight Perfect Hours. This was a sweet, funny, slow-burn romance story.

While it does contain some sad plot points, overall, I found it to be a light, enjoyable read. I was able to devour it pretty quickly and I thought it was a fund and unique plot. There were definitely some interesting behaviors from one of the main characters that kept me guessing, and I liked that it wasn't all predictable and obvious. There was one little twist that I figured out very early on, but this is a romance, not a mystery, so I would expect that most readers will pick up on that little twist.

There were minor aspects of the story that got a little repetitive and a bit drawn out, but not so much as to make the story unenjoyable.

This book made me laugh out loud on several occasions, and it's not often that a book elicits that kind of response from me. If you enjoy light, fun romance reads, I have no doubt you'll enjoy Eight Perfect Hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the e-arc of this one!

This is a sweet book about Noelle whose life is basically on pause right now. She’s working, taking care of her mother and is still upset about her breakup with her boyfriend Ed.

The story starts with Noelle leaving her class reunion and ends up stranded on the motorway, with everyone else out on the roads, due to a bad snowstorm. She needs to call home but her cell phone is dead and doesn’t know what to do. Enter Sam, who is American and on his way out of town. He invites her into his car to charge her phone and they end up spending the entire time together. I do wish this part was longer, but I understand they were only doing so much during a blizzard while trapped on the motorway and I loved it all!

Once the road is cleared and they are free to leave, Noelle and Sam say goodbye and assume they will never see each other again. Noelle thinks she feels something for Sam after these few hours together, but she doesn’t act on it. She goes home and continues on. Now fast forward, and she is at the hospital and Sam shows up. They keep bumping into each other in the most random of places and it makes Noelle start to rethink things in her life and wonder if this is fate that is trying to bring them together.

I really liked how Noelle and Sam would always find their way back to one another even when they were trying not to. It gives you those warm fuzzy feelings that there really is such a thing as true love and that fate will bring you together!

Thank you to Atria Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story of a girl and boy that meet trapped in a car during a snowstorm. I really think the story could have been improved if they had met again later and not at literally the end of the book, Just took way too long for them to meet back up and get together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my copy of Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis in exchange for an honest review. It published September 28, 2021.
What a perfect holiday book! At first I wasn’t sure if this was actually a holiday book, but I loved the fact that it was through the year. I had predictions that were so wrong, and that makes me happy!
The only thing I didn’t really like about it is that there was a lot of cussing throughout, but that is a personal preference.
Great character growth and development throughout and you won’t want to put this down!

In this novel, Noelle and Sam meet when their cars are stopped next to each other on a completely blocked highway in a snow storm. After the eight hours of the title which they spend together, they don’t end up exchanging information when they part ways, but after that meet cute, you know they’re going to run into each other again. It’s a slow burn romance, but there is also a lot of other stuff going on in this book, including Noelle’s relationship with her ex-boyfriend, her family, her friends, her grief over her friend who died when they were teenagers, and her own journey of self-discovery.

Like Lia Louis’s Dear Emmie Blue which I also loved, this book is much more emotional and less fluffy than the cover and description might make you think - think something like 3 parts Jojo Moyes, one part Sophie Kinsella. Indeed, I spent the last few chapters with tears quietly rolling down my face.

Also note that despite the cover, this is not a holiday book nor even a particularly wintery book other than the snowstorm at the beginning. So it’s not something you need to save for December, but approriate any time you’re looking for a read that is cute but emotional at the same time.

I'm in love this was such a heartwarming read perfect to cozy up by the fire in winter and binge. The only thing I will say is that it does mention Suicide and Death, just to keep in mind if that's triggering.

This book was not for me. The title seems extremely misleading for the actual plot of the book. Neither of the main characters were likeable, nor were any of the minor characters. I’m also not a fan of the down-on-luck character anymore. I need a character with a backbone and some substance.

Also, the writing was a problem. Throughout there were asides that threw me off the actual storyline. The jumping back and forth was a huge turnoff because it was not at all well done.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy for review, all opinions are my own.

Let me preface by saying this is not a fluffy, entirely happy romance. I thought it was going on, but there are many heavy topics in this. Even with all the heaviness, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read more from Lia Louis!

Eight Perfect Hours tells the story of how Noelle and Sam meet on the side of the road during a blizzard. The road is closed and Noelle’s phone is low on battery. Sam offers to let her charge her phone in his car and they enjoy 8 perfect hours together.

Sam and Noelle never exchange contact info. Sam is American and Noelle is from England so they never thought they would see each other again. They constantly keep running into each other when they least expect it.

This was a truly adorable story. Both MCs had such flaws that made them still lovable, but well rounded characters. This definitely felt like a warm hug perfect for colder weather!

loved this book. In a year where I read very little, this book stood out. I couldn’t put down this charming, sweet, lovely story. I adored Noelle and Sam and I couldn’t wait to find out how their story ended, but I was sorry when it did. This is a feel-good book with substance and characters to fall in love with. The only thing that didn’t work for me was that Noelle and Sam’s chance meetings became a bit repetitive. This is a lovely book to pick up if you find you have a few hours to yourself during this busy holiday season..

I liked the premise of this book, but it fell flat for me. I read the first third, which included the "eight perfect hours," and they were quite boring. There was no spark. I didn't finish it. My patrons want it though so our library ordered a copy.

Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis is a bit more of a serious romance but that just makes the love more compelling to experience.

Englishwoman Noelle is stranded in her car during a blizzard when a knock on her window reveals the very handsome American Sam who is stuck too. He provides her with food, warmth and the perfect eight hours. They think they will never meet again but fate has other ideas.

I really enjoyed how this wasn't just a love story. There were complicated family and friend dynamics that added to both Noelle and Sam fearing a relationship.

Narrator Emma Powell's ability to switch accents during dialogues was pure listening entertainment. I read the book too and both were worthy of my romance time.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you believe that people are put into our lives for a reason and those that are meant to stay are tied together by a red thread, this book is for you. More serious than I expected, Louis has crafted a meaningful book about fate and sometime what we think is best really isn’t.

If you're in the mood for a fluffy Hallmark type romance, you will surely hit it off with this cheerful read.

Chance encounters and a freak of nature blizzard help to drive the hand of fate. Who doesn't want to meet their handsome soul mate on a snowy highway?

This was such a good story. I absolutely loved Noelle and Sam’s characters. There was a lot going on with the plot, but it flowed so perfectly, although the romance could have hurried up, my one personal preference, but the slow burn was well worth the wait. There is no steamy parts in this book just a really great romance.

DNF at 12%. I thought the premise of this one sounded good - I love an interesting meet cute. Unfortunately I’m not getting drawn in and find the heroine annoying. I am also not getting any chemistry between the two of them. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

I absolutely loved this book! I went into it thinking it was a Christmas rom-com but it's not. Apart from a very important '8 perfect hours' spent in a snowstorm the book isn't very holiday-y or winter-y but it didn't even matter because it was romantic perfection. If you love a love story about fate and missed connections that span years you will love this book too! The character development was great and the chemistry was perfect. Aside from not being an intentionally holiday themed book - it is absolutely the perfect romance book to curl up in a blanket with while the snow is coming down outside this winter and read for a few perfect hours.

The CUTEST holiday romance book. I definitely plan to read this again during this holiday season. I love a quick and easy read that you can cuddle up to and get lost in. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Loved loved this, Lia Louis writes the perfect emotional and sweet romances. Thank you so much Atria and Netgalley. Yet again, i can recommend a great read for a cozy day.

This story follows Noelle, and a chance encounter in a traffic jam that brings her and Sam together for perfect 8 hrs, what happens after?? I loved piecing the story of these two together. Pulled my heartstrings and made me all cozy inside.