Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

Dear Lily is a funny, quirky story that brought out all of the emotions from me (funny, sad, heartwarming and everything inbetween). Great for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. The epistolary format really worked for me and the novel was beautifully written. Look forward to reading more of the author’s work! Definitely recommend the book

Thank you to #Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I saw this book very last minute and I am really glad that i did because this book was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. I liked it a lot. Davies writing was amazing too. I liked Joy because she was real. She wanted to change her life, she didn't want to change her life and she didn't know what to do with her life. Just like me. In the end i was so happy for her. She had an amazing journey. I cried and laugh a lot and wanted to go to Denmark. It was a really lovely read.

I loved this book. There was something about Joy. She poured her heart out to Lily, the good and the bad stuff. Her letters were sad, funny, heartwarming- pretty much every emotion. I laughed and cried. I felt like I really got to know Joy and her whole family. I didn't mind that the story was told through letters. I wasn't too shocked when the truth about Lily was finally revealed. I sort of figured that part out but I'm still a little confused how. It was sort of explained at one point but I wanted to know the exact reason. Loved all the the minor characters. Especially Minnie!!! No one can resist a cat!!! When Jakob revealed why he was in therapy, I about died. I was on the same lines as Joy, thinking he was a stalker, arsonist, gambler, killer...something really horrible. I would have never guessed the reason, but it made me laugh.

Definitely recommend the book. It was beautifully written and you get to read all about Denmark. I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a beautiful book written completely in letters. It made me laugh, and cry. I enjoyed the journey with Lily. Fans of Elinor Opheliant is completely fine will enjoy this book.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I struggled with this book. The essays to her sister made it difficult to read. Had the story been told in a different way I think I would have enjoyed it much more. At times Joy was frustrating and somewhat flighty to me.

Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

This book caught my eye with the description "for anyone who has ever hit rock bottom, longed for a fresh start, or needed to heal a broken, aching heart" and it certainly is a decent story about a young woman looking for a new beginning. If you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine you will like this book.

Dear Lily was a wonderfully powerful book. It reminded me a lot of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Lily is a beautifully complicated character and I especially loved her roommate Greta, who became a close confidant. I loved the way the book was all letters, mostly to Lily, but sometimes to others. I did not see the twist with Lily coming and it was a twist that made the story even more emotional. I enjoyed this novel and will recommend it to friends and family.

Dear Lily was exactly the read I was looking for. A flawed but lovable main character with an interesting family makes a new start in a foreign country, meeting new people and experiencing a new culture. This book is told via the medium of letters to her sister and is funny, heartwarming with just the right amount of sadness thrown in too. Thanks NetGalley!

I love epistolary books and I was hoping this would be a ggod one. Not so much for me. Joy kept doing the same things and making the same stupid mistakes. I was hoping she would redeem herself, but after getting 65% of the way through I gave up.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to try this book, but it just wasn’t one I cared for.

Oh what a touching story. The way it begins is that Joy is writing to her younger sister Lily. The book consists of thirty-three letters from Joy to Lily. As each letter is composed, Joy relates her life's experiences to Lily.

Joy has left her home in the UK and has moved to Denmark to take on a new job. She has completely uprooted her life, and in so doing, hopes to find happiness again and might even see if she can find a someone to share her life with.

As we read the letters, it is sad to see some of the experiences that Joy has lived through. It is also sad because she misses Lily, and her mother, so very much. But, Joy needed this break. She needed this change. Will she find something different in her life? Will she find the way to heal her broken heart?

I loved this story so very much. As each chapter was an individual letter, it was very engaging, often quite sad, albeit some humorous moments that struck a fine balance, and eventually became quite inspiring. I rooted for Joy the entire way through. There were times when her thoughts and decisions were a bit daunting. This was especially the case when she traveled back to the UK and felt there was something she needed to share with her mother. I was so moved by that entire exchange.

Drew Davies delivered a wonderful book to his readers. I love this style of book and cannot remember reading anything written in this format. I look forward to reading much more by this talented author.

Many thanks to #booksontour, Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to exchange for my honest opinion.

What a unique and beautiful read this book is.

Written in the form of letters, Joy tells the story of her move to Denmark. These letters are funny, quite hilarious in fact, descriptive, and also poignant at times.

I grew very fond of Joy, she’s so funny and so quirky. She has moved to Denmark on a bit of whim, and it’s both hilarious and heartwarming to hear her tales of settling in and meeting people.

I’ve never been to Denmark, but I could picture it so well from the descriptions, and would really love to go there after reading the book.

At the heart of the story there is sadness, but also hope and love. I loved the depictions of the special relationship between sisters.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, really wonderful. I think this book will be huge this year, deservedly so.

This book is written in letters from Joy to her sister Lily. Joy has just moved from the UK to Denmark and is having a hard time adjusting.
I had a hard time getting into this book. Joy was funny at times and other times you could not believe what she did.

I needed a break from reading thriller type books. This book was very good in my opinion. I like books that are written through letters. I was really drawn to Lily and fell in love with her. I recommend this book and will order it for the library. Good book!

Joy is desperately in need of a fresh start so when the opportunity arises to move to Denmark for work she hops on a plane with barely a second thought and embarks on what she hopes will be a life changing adventure. The book is written as a series of letters to her sister Lily, and each letter charts the highs and lows of her new life. The author writes with an impressively vivid and real voice, and the letters manage to be a blend of funny, self deprecating and even melancholic at times. Reading Joy's account of her struggles to fit in to the Danish way of life and make friends will strike a chord with anyone who has made a similar move, and watching the development of a budding romance between Joy and her colleague is both charming and heart warming. While the "twist" of the story may not be hard to guess, that does not lessen the impact of the book in the slightest. This is the perfect book to while away a rainy day, or peruse poolside as a holiday read.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I really enjoyed the first book, The Shape of Us and was really looking forward to this one. The whole story is told in the format of letters from two sisters Joy and Lily. Joy has moved away from home for a new start and writes to her younger sister, Lily. They are obviously very close and the content of the letters covers everything from really personal topics such as love and health right through to work and, of course, the reason why Joy moved away from home. Reading a book completely formed of letters is an unusual format and one that does take a bit of getting used to! Once I had though, the book flowed really well and the author manages to get right inside the head (and heart!) of a woman so perfectly!

The characters are very likeable, and I imagine that many readers could relate to their stories, particularly Joy’s. I was curious as to why Joy had left home, but this is all revealed throughout the course of the letter as the book moves forward. The writing is very witty and emotional all in one go! I admire any author who can have me wiping away tears of sadness one moment and tears of laughter the next!

Completely unlike the chick-lit story that I was expecting, this turned out to be a heartwarming and affectionate story of the relationship between the two sisters. It was funny and loving, with a little twist towards the end, which for me made the whole story understandable and endearing! Really enjoyable and would definitely recommend!

Dear Lily is an absolute delight to read! I picked it up expecting a funny rom com type of book but it has so much more depth. This book took me through such a wide array of emotions- I was laughing one minute and practically crying the next.

Joy decides to suddenly up and move to Denmark from London. In her mid 30's she is leaving behind her family and her long time boyfriend. We gradually learn more and more of Joy's life through the letters she writes to her sister Lily. In fact Joy is so darned candid that it leaves little to the imagination. She is obviously very comfortable sharing her every thought with her little sister. Really she does tell her every single thing that pops into her head, no filter here!

When Joy arrives in Denmark she is the definition of the hot mess express! This girl is on a self destructive path to nowhere. As the story progresses we get to watch her grow, mature and flourish in her environment. I felt the whole time that her sister Lily may be a bit judgemental of her behavior, as I gathered that she is the more reserved and responsible of the two sisters. Although this is told through Joy's point of view so we are unsure how reliable of a narrator she may be.

As I got to know Joy and her witty personality I felt myself become completely absorbed and invested into her character. I turned into her biggest cheerleader, I wanted Joy to succeed and find happiness. Is it in the cards for Joy?

I was so excited to get a chance to be on this Books on Tour for this lovely book. A roller coaster ride of emotions and very surprising twist left me loving Lily and Joy. Entertaining, fun and able to make you shed a few tears, you need to get your hands on this fab book!

We follow Joy, who in the middle of a mid-30's life crisis has decided to upend her life and move to Denmark and is chronicling her journey through letters to her younger sister. I love books written in different ways and so the fact that this book is written entirely in letters get's a big thumbs up from me.

Drew Davies does a tremendous job with this book. I was worried due to the epistolary style of the book, especially as they were one sided letters, that we wouldn't be able to get the full depth of the character and I wouldn't feel any connection to her journey. Boy, was I wrong. I loved the character of Joy, she was funny and relatable and flawed. She makes so many mistakes, smokes too many cigarettes and is pretty judgy at times but that's what makes her a great well rounded character. I already have two sisters but I'd love to add Joy to the craziness that is my family to keep me laughing and join me on spontaneously booked trips. I have a feeling she's be a great travelling companion and there wouldn't be a dull moment on a holiday with her.

It's a sweet, summery book that'll be perfect for readers looking for something a little lighter. The writing style is humorous and there are so many relatable moments, the funny and the more serious. The book also handles grief very well, it's portrayed realistically and depicts a modern day look at the bond between sisters and family.

I now have another country to add to my travel bucket list. I loved that this book was set in Denmark as I enjoy reading about places i've never visited before, it helps to fill a desperate urge to go off travelling that I can't fulfill due to being a broke student. The city was written with such vibrance and Davies makes it sound like such a friendly, upbeat place to live. Be right back, just moving to Denmark.

I did have one problem with this book though. It kept being reiterated that Joy hadn't read Harry Potter (or seen the films!) and had no intention of doing so. How could she have not read Harry Potter?? I felt personally offended every time it got brought up.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

Read if you like: foreign settings, books about sisters, journeys of self discovery.

I just didn't really enjoy this book. I had heard good feedback and wanted to give it a try, but then it just felt like Joy was droning on and on to her sister - who by the way we have very little insight into. Is her sister even alive or is this a figment of her imagination? A journal entry? It seemed cliched. I almost had the idea to write this same book when I was like 12. So I just didn't enjoy it the way I had hoped.

Every once in awhile I stumble across a book that is like a breathe of fresh air, and that was the case with this gem. It was beautifully unique and extremely touching and way more emotional that I was expecting, I just adored it!

The entire story is told via letters from Joy to her sister Lily and I really enjoyed the intimacy this structure provided. At the start Joy leaves her whole life back in England to take a new job in Denmark, it’s clear she’s looking for a fresh start after some big changes in her life and you slowly find out what she’s been through throughout the book. I connected to Joy immediately, she was raw and vulnerable in her letters to Lily but she was also incredibly funny and I got a real Bridget Jones vibe from some of her humor.

This really had it all, it was funny and charming, warm and wise and also heartbreaking at times. Joy was quirky and relatable and you can’t help but want the best for her, I was cheering her on the whole way. Totally recommend this one as a mostly feel good novel, it is sad at times but it’s ultimately uplifting and sweet.

Dear Lily in three words: Warm, Delightful and Touching.