3.25 ⭐️
I thought this was a very easy, quick read! Fun for the summer. I like how Jaclyn Westlake tackles what it can look like for 20 something’s to navigate finding what they are passionate about, looking for jobs, and navigating relationship. There wasn’t anything crazy groundbreaking or or incredible about the book but it was good! I’d recommend to a friend if they’re wanting something fast pace and summery.
There is minimal romance - mostly addresses Rosie figuring out what her dreams are and how to have healthy relationships with her friends and family. And she is navigating grief of the person she felt most connected with.
There were a few things that I didn’t overly appreciate about how topics were talked about like pregnancy. Felt clique and judgmental maybe?

I wish I could give Dear Dotty more than 5 stars. I finished a few days ago and have been sitting with my thoughts, trying to find words for how much I adore this book. I cried, I laughed, and I related to the main character, Rosie, so much. Oh to be 24 again, never quite living up to your brother’s success or your family’s expectations.

About halfway through the book, I searched Jacyln’s name to immediately add her other works to my TBR and was so surprised to see Dear Dotty was her first novel. I knew from the prologue that I loved her writing style and had a feeling I’d enjoy this book. I had no idea just how much.

Dear Dotty deserves all the praise. Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the privilege of reading an advanced copy. Publication date June 4, 2024.

Dear Dotty is a sweet coming-of-age story with the predictable plot of a woman whose life begins to come apart at the seams, only to be sewn back together after learning about her recently deceased aunt's life story.
This started out slow for me, but about a third of the way through, I was surprised at how much I was enjoying the story. It's well-written debut novel with all the right elements - love, guilt, betrayal, friendship. The romance was minimal, which is unusual for these types of books, and the plot really focused on the main character, Rosie's, self-development. Rosie has been passive for many years, and she learns to take the bull by the horns and figure out what would actually make her happy rather than taking everyone else's cues.
This was a light read with a happy ending, nice for a lazy summer day.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

After losing her Great Aunt Dotty, Rosie's life is upended. Realizing that she is unhappy trying to live her life fitting into the box her family wants her to, she makes a series of bad decisions that lead to some pretty major life consequences. All the while chasing the real stories of her Aunt that she has always looked up to.

This book was a very heartwarming story that reminds readers of that period in their lives where they didn't have anything figured out. Such likeable characters, that will stay with the reader even after the last page is turned.

Rosie Benson’s life is falling apart. In the span of a couple of weeks, Rosie gets fired from her job, finds out her parents are getting divorced, learns her best friend is dating the ex-boss that fired her, and her favorite person, her great-aunt Dotty, dies. Feeling lost and still making mistakes (taking the wrong job, dating the wrong guy, etc.), Rosie emails her aunt’s contact list letting them know that Dotty passed away and requesting stories about her aunt. Rosie learns that there was so much about her aunt she didn’t know, including that her name wasn’t actually Dotty, and how important it is to build a life that makes you happy, not just accepting what life hands you, even if it means you don’t live up to other people’s measurements of success.

I really loved this book.

The characters were all so complex and realistic. There were points where I wanted to slap Rosie upside the head for her dumb decisions and other times I wanted to hug and cry with her.

The book was so relatable, showing how beautiful and complex life can be. That there can be joy alongside grief and how important it is to ask for help when we are struggling.

When I grow up, I want to be Dotty. I want to live a life so full of love and adventure that the people I leave behind come together to celebrate my life and find comfort and friendship in one another. What a gift Dotty gave to all of her people!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading Dear Dotty by Jaclyn Westlake. I loved how real and honest it was and following along as Rosie grew and changed. I mean, who really has their life together anyway?! It was such a good book and I loved every minute of it.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Jaclyn Westlake for the advanced readers copy in exchange of my honest review.

I received an advanced copy through NetGalley. This was a delightful quarter-life crisis story.
Honestly, Rosie drove me a bit nuts at times, but her growth and honesty was admirable. Her great aunt Dotty's legacy is revealed little by little, woven throughout Rosie's struggles as a twenty-something dealing with loss, family tension, and toxic workplaces. It was relatable and inspiring without being too heavy- most often a surprisingly light and humorous read. I am looking forward to reading more by Jaclyn Westlake!

This was the emotional yet uplifting book that I was craving!

Rosie is a twenty-something who's trying to find her way in adulthood. She is drowning in a sea of competing priorities and expectations from friends, family, work and romantic relationships. Worst of all, she lost the one person she could always confide in, her great-aunt Dotty. After a series of missteps, Rosie begins a journey to find out more about Dotty and what makes a good life.

I love when a book takes me through a journey of emotions with the main character. I laughed, I cried, I got frustrated with bad decisions, but I walked away from this one feeling satisfied and hopeful. Bug and Barb are the icing on the cake of this sweet book!

This book was one of these sweetest books I’ve ever read!! If you are at a crossroads in your life then you need to read this book!! I love Aunt Dotty’s perspective on life and there are many lessons to be learned here. I LOVED IT!!

Rosie leads an interesting life and has an eccentric aunt named Dotty. Travel along with Rosie as she deals with many of the same ups and downs we all face. Each character Dotty encounters on her journey to find herself play a major role in the story line. The authors develops the characters in a way that keeps the reader hooked.

Dear Dotty made me laugh, cry, and really think about life. This book is like a cozy warm hug. Highly recommend you snag Dear Dotty for yourself.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC!

i had the chance to read an advanced copy of this book and i what can i say this has been such a lovely experience.

the story of rosie dealing with her life while grieving, dealing with the mess has her life become and rediscovering her family has been such a pleasure to read about. i have loved every single character in this book which doesn’t happen often and it is genuinely one of the best books i’ve read so far this year.

i recommend everyone to pick this book up if they are looking for a true heartfelt story about life.

I was given and Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher and Net Galley, so thank you!!

Dear Dotty follows our main character around the time of her Aunt’s death. The two of them were very close (they wrote emails back and forth, joked around, confused in each other, etc) so her death hit our MC very hard.

We get to see the way Dotty’s death has impacted her, both good and bad.

Dotty reminded me a lot of my own grandmother (who unfortunately passed away) making it an incredibly emotional read. That is mainly why it took me so long to finish! The book was well written and easy to read, but the grief hit home in a couple places so I took breaks.

Thank you again for the ARC, Net Galley!

***I received an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own***

Highly recommend this multi-faceted women's fiction book!

**SPOILERS AHEAD**
This book gave me chills, made me laugh, cry, and get mad. The way Rosie's family treats her in the first 80% of the book made me so mad. She is just trying her best the whole time, and things keep piling up for her.
I love how much the characters grow in the book, and I think it's worth mentioning that it is due to the fact that Dotty passes away. It's crazy what can happen when a family loses someone so dear to them.

I cannot believe the Marcia/Raj situation, I would be livid if it was my best friend. I'm glad they end up as friends though. I feel like Raj is just a different person at his job, and we get to see that he is very kindhearted outside of work.
I love Bug so much! She is the glue in the book that holds everyone together.

I really thought Donovan and Rosie would stay together, I think I felt how she did in the end though- they were perfect on the outside, but she didn't feel that type of passion with him, how it feels to truly be in love. Page 260, "Dotty always said love wasn't logical."

I love women's fiction books, and I'm so thoroughly impressed that this is Jaclyn's first book, it is AMAZING. I hope it will sell tons of copies; I can't wait to get mine officially. I would read anything else Jaclyn releases!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book. All opinions in my review are myol own.

I really enjoyed this one but it was not what I expected. I think I was anticipating a light rom com with some lessons learned from Rosie's Great Aunt,Dotty. What I got was not light enough fluffy and was more a book about a journey of self discovery and learning what matters in life and how to be yourself. Rosie is in her mid twenties and living in the rat race that is the SF Bay Area Tech Industry. She doesn't enjoy it but it seems like she feels like it is what her she SHOULD be doing. After a series of bad things happen to her, including the death of her great aunt, she begins a journey is self discovery aided on by Dotty and the people that were important in Dotty's life. It was sweet and I enjoyed the ending. Would recommend!

A charming novel about family, foibles and all. The twenties can be a turbulent time for anyone. Growing up is a challenge. Sometimes we have good examples and others not. Enjoyable reading. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I received an advanced copy of this book.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book touched me in ways I didn’t expect. It is a beautiful survey of grief and how it can hurt but ultimately water your roots and help you grow. The overarching message of learning to be yourself and not what you or anyone else thinks you should be was so well done.
I loved every page of this book.

This is a fun and charming read that should appeal to younger readers just starting out in life and trying to figure out what they want their life to look like. Poor Rosie has been through a lot. Many readers will relate to what she's going through and how she questions what is next. Her relationship with Dotty is a thing of beauty, and it is both realistic and touching how she learns more about Dotty's life from her friends after she dies. This is ultimately a story about self discovery -- a coming of age, narrative for a young adult.

At times the plot developments seemed forced and not quite believable. I do prefer it when authors try to stick to what seems realistic -- things that could happen in everyday life versus trying to be overly dramatic.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and look forward to more from this author.

I received this e-galley from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start out by saying, I LOVED DEAR DOTTY! It’s such a fun read and the perfect summer book. There’s lots to love but it’s not too heavy and enough real life to keep you hooked..

Rosie is a bit of a mess, or at least she seems to be, when we meet her. We follow her through some life hard moments and get to know her, and her circle, as the book progresses. The storylines are fairly predictable, yet totally enjoyable. I couldn’t put it down, I cried and the ending felt just right. Those are the criteria for a really good book.

Advance reader copy provided by NetGalley + Avon Books but all opinions are my own.

This book perfectly encapsulated the experience of being a 20-something and navigating a turbulent time in life. I loved the relationship between Rosie and Dottie, the way Rosie grew after Dotty was gone, and the way working through grief and navigating the other interpersonal relationships in her life helped her grow. You fall in love so easily with Rosie, rooting for her the whole way.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an eARC of this title. These are my honest thoughts.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cozy, heartwarming, wonderful book. I enjoyed it from the very first page!