I have to say that although I thoroughly enjoyed the main story/romance all the miscommunications were a bit much. Henry and Edith did crack me up on numerous occasions though. This was a cute and sweet read that made me smile and who can really ask for anything more than that?

This book could have earned a higher rating, but all of the silly nicknames and townspeople misunderstandings got a bit ridiculous. After the first one or two, the eye rolling got to be a little much. It could have been a much cuter story without all the silliness.

Kind of a typical story. Nothing spectacular, and I knew what was going to happen, but still cute. Took it a long time to get to the end, though.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance e-copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

In search of adventure and a new start, Edith finds herself staying in the upstairs of what she believes to be a disabled old man's house. Meanwhile, the homeowner, Henry, is under the impression that an elderly widow, who's a retired nurse, is occupying his upstairs apartment. Through a series of letters and unrelated interactions, they find themselves drawn to two separate people, for very different reasons, without knowing it's the same person. When they do finally "meet," how will they reconcile their impressions and their wildly different visions for their futures?

In the end, this book turned out cute, but in the beginning I mostly found myself wishing for an extended version of the mistaken identities and written communication. Once they found out the truth, the book took several rabbit trails with a variety of plots and more miscommunication that were less unique. The twists seemed to cloud what could have been a very strong message from the story; both Edith and Henry needed to find that what they thought was God's calling could end up different than they originally thought, and through their journey find that they were loved and cherished. The journey to those realizations is one that many readers likely find themselves taking.

I give this book 3 stars; I enjoyed the initial premise and the concluding wrap-up, it just got too messy for me in the middle.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute book. I liked Henry and Edith, though I didn't buy into Henry's reason for keeping his identity a secret as long as he did. Also, sometimes the townspeople were too much. They went beyond funny to annoying. I loved the ending. I loved the letters. Overall, a great story.

After enjoying a couple novellas from this author I was excited to get to read her debut novel and started in at the first chance I got.
The premise was cute and it got off to a fair start. The characters were likable and I especially loved that Edith came from my home city!
Unfortunately things began to rapidly fall apart the more I read. The mistaking each other as elderly people went on just a little longer than was feasible or comfortable but thankfully got sorted out before it crossed into creepy. I wanted a little more romance though after they did realize who each other was-because they went from exchanging non-romantic notes under mistaken identity and awkwardly bumping into each other a few times to making out and being in love awfully fast for it to be believable. They were a cute couple though so I was happy they got together, I just wanted to get to experience more of it. And I know the author was giving them some old people quirks to perpetuate the misconception but I have never in my life heard anyone who wasn’t born before the Second World War use phrases like hubba-hubba, yowza, or smooching and if I never see/hear those words again it will be too soon-it just felt so weird, cringey, and not even remotely realistic.
The townspeople were a lot. I think she was going for quirky small town charm but they were just a tornado of chaos in every public scene, jumping to crazy conclusions and making wild accusations at every single turn. I’m guessing it was supposed to be funny and entertaining but it just felt forced and a little ridiculous.
So while I didn’t end up loving this one it did have some cute moments and I feel like the author has some potential so I might be checking out her future offerings!

In Dear Henry, Love Edith, Becca Kinzer marvelously toys with favorite romance tropes such as mistaken identity, love at first sight, fake relationship, and May-December romance to create a fun romp full of heart and humor. With pop culture references and values from bygone eras, readers of all generations are sure to fall in love with Henry’s charm and Edith’s passion for helping those near and far.

The author writes very well. The overall tone is light, even though it deals with some heavy backstory. The towns people are hilarious and the banter between the romantic leads is top notch. The plot meandered a little bit. I think some tighter editing would have helped propel the story along. It got a bit muddled and repetitive in the middle and third quarter of the book. Overall, it was a read that library patrons should enjoy.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. The story sounded intriguing and in a similar vain to The Flat Share, but it fell flat.

I'm always a fan of epistolary style and this book was no exception...at first. But the storyline got too convoluted and kind of absurd so I lost patience and moved on to another book. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance e-copy.

This contemporary Christian romance is a gentle read about a case of mistaken identity. En route to South Africa for work she feels called to, widowed Edith needs a temporary job and housing, and a friend suggests that her brother Henry, recovering from an injury, has room to spare. Henry agrees, Edith agrees, and they two never meet but as ships passing in the night, commuting through notes and baked goods, each assuming the other is elderly and could not possibly be that cute person they keep bumping into around town…

The usual deceits and miscommunications ensue. Messaging about spirituality is light enough to gloss over for non-believers, generic enough for most faiths, and maybe not strong enough for faithful observers or fundamentalists, who might find the very conceited of unmarried people house-sharing downright scandalous. A steady, sweet, small town read about true love, a true path, and God’s work in the world.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #DearHenryLoveEdith from #NetGalley.

This book is a big yikes moment! I’m curious as to why, in our current political climate where people are starting to dissect white supremacy, would you choose to write about a character engaging in white saviorism? This was so tone deaf.

DEAR HENRY, LOVE EDITH by BECCA KINZER is an amusing romantce novel, with great characters, quite a bit of depth, and a subtle Christian message running through it.
When Edith Sherman, the widow that is sharing Henry Hobbes’ house, realises that the man she is living with and to whom she has been writing letters, baring her soul, is not the elderly invalid she imagines him to be, she is not sure if she is so keen to escape to do humanitarian work in a rural hospital in South Africa after all, and when Henry realizes that his tenant and pen pal is not ancient and is the Goldie Hawn look alike he has seen around town, he is terrified of losing her….
It is a story about mistaken identity, unfulfilled dreams and second chances. I love the descriptions of the gossips in the small Midwestern town who are very similar to those in the rural village in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. I like the author’s authentic.description of life in this part.of the wrorld.
Dear Henry, Love Edith is a fun read that I really enjoyed.
I was given a free copy:of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This book book struck me as very 1950s does romance. The amount of miscommunication both between the characters and then with the community at large is almost too much. I found the town's involvement endearing and generally funny but that neither Henry nor Edith could properly communicate (as in not form full sentences) in any interaction got really old really quick.

The main issue I have with this is that it is Christian Fiction, which is a personal no-no, and while that is my personal preference, that it wasn't mentioned in the blurb or in categorization makes it feel like they were trying to hide that which rubs me the wrong way.

I'm sure within the genre these are fine, but the plots about going to South Africa to volunteer as well as the foster care plot lines both felt tone deaf in the current landscape (as both institutions are rife with colonization and white supremacy overtones that aren't really addressed). There are other problems, but those felt intrinsic to the genre rather than this book.

ARC ebook via NetGalley
Provided by Tyndale House Publishers
Publication: 31 January 2023

In my opinion, this was not ready to be a final book. Lots of meandering info, the language and characters felt very 'old-timey', and (my own fault) I had not realized when I requested it that this was categorized as Christian fiction (not my cup of tea).

I originally requested it because the premise of letters back and forth while Edith and Henry don't actually meet, though living under the same roof, appealed as it reminded me of The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. This seemed cute to start but then the slapstick comedy of errors and over the top silly misunderstandings and aw-shucks townsfolk got tiresome, and I would have DNFed if it weren't a book I'd requested on NetGalley.

It is a charming book and quite humourous in places. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it.
It's a light hearted read and if you just want to enjoy a book that is clean. This is the one!

Dear Henry, Love Edith was a sweet and quick reading. The book wasn't nothing extraordinary, but it was the perfect story when you want an easy read with likable characters.

I loved this book. It is a classic misunderstanding/assumption trope, but it seemed so fresh. I adored the characters, even Kat and couldn't wait to see what happened next. There is definitely room for spin-offs from this title. If you are looking for a feel-good weekend read, this is your title!

Becca Kinzer can write! I liked her style and her dialogue sounds good to my reading ears. I was reminded of Hallmark romcoms. Which I find slightly over the top at times, and there were a couple of such scenes in this book.

I was surprised to read the remarks made about a bride being possibly pregnant - didn't expect that in Christian fiction.

I don't know why I requested for this book because I am less interested in stories that revolve around a romance. But the author writes well and I hope she continues to write. Fans of romcoms will enjoy!

This was sweet and cute read. The main characters and supporting characters drove me crazy though. Lots of “golly” “smooching” word that felt like I was reading something from the 1930’s. This also had a little religious vibe to it. It was cute and I’m glad I read it, just not my type of book though.