Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me an advance copy of 'Dear Emmie Blue' in exchange for an honest review.

'Dear Emmie Blue' is one of those books which completely shook me by surprise, in a pleasant way. I was not expecting so much love, cuteness and hopefulness from this book. And here I am, wanting this book to go on and on. Some books should never finish. I just loved this book so much! I bet you'll fall in love with Emmie Blue.

'Dear Emmie Blue' is a poignant and charming story of Emmie. Emmie, at the age of sixteen, releases a red balloon with her name and email on it from her school field in the UK. Lucas finds that balloon some 100 miles away in France and becomes her best friend. They share the same birthdays as well. After fourteen years, Emmie realizes that she is in love with her best friend. She has a feeling that Lucas is going to propose to her on their thirtieth birthday. But nothing in life goes as planned, right?

I loved Emmie's character. She is so likeable and relatable. After having a rough past, she comes out as a strong character and finds her love. Her road to self-reflection and love is motivating. I love all the secondary characters in the book. They provide depth and support to Emmie's character and contribute towards her journey to self-discovery. I want Rosie to be my best friend.

Lia Louis is a brilliant story-teller. She handles the serious issue of sexual assault so graciously in her story without overwhelming the reader. The end is not rushed at all and probably my favourite part of the book. The story flows smoothly and is fast-paced with short chapters. The switch in the timelines is a smart move from the author as well. The book will make you laugh, smile, a bit heart-broken and mend it with joy. I want a sequel to this book already.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves to read contemporary romance, friends-to-lovers reads and women's fiction.

I feel like we’ve all been in a place in our lives where we have just felt so confident about something. Something that we think is “meant to be” or simply just ‘feels right’. How many times have we been proven wrong? I know I personally have a few dozen times in my life.. (maybe more).

Emmie and Lucas have been best friends.. and I really mean BEST FRIENDS for 14 years. It’s only a matter of time before Lucas and Emmie become official right? I mean of course, they only have EVERYTHING in common.. they are perfect for each other.. or so Emmie believes. But Emmie has never told him how she feels about him, and now Lucas has something very important he needs to ask her.

Can it be?💍

I grew up in the 90’s a decade of all the fun/cheesy romantic comedies that include ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ ‘The Wedding Singer’ ‘You’ve got Mail’ ‘My Best Friends Wedding’ to name a few. The unrequited love stories were there to give us some hope, when our own lives were not reflecting what we wanted so badly.

I rooted for Emmie from the very first pages. The characters in this story fill your heart, it’s so easy to get attached to them.. Emmie’s friends, Lucas’ family.. you almost want to meet them all and become part of their group!

Written in first person, the novel guarantees an instant connection to the main character. (This is why I prefer first person novels). The novel is also beautifully laid out, with unique instant message, and email format where needed. It made me feel like I was part of a more intimate conversation. It took me on a journey I didn’t know I needed.

I recommend it to anyone in need of a story that will fill your heart whole, and make you feel all the feels, with an ending that you didn’t expect, but welcomed with open arms (and a few tears).

I LOVED this novel, and I know you will too.

This was a cute book with lots of heart that went a lot deeper than I expected it to. There were even little twists written in that I enjoyed even thought the book was pretty predictable, I still found when it was over that enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy.

5 "Red Balloon" Stars!!

Oh Dear Emmie Blue.....you pulled me in and made me fall in love with you! This book caught me totally by surprise and I'm so glad it did. I feel like I've been enriched by these words. Lia Louis...you impressed me.

Our main character is, of course, Emmie Blue. She's turning thirty and feels very insecure about where her future is headed. Things with her best friend, Lucas aren't exactly what she thought they'd be, she's in a rut with her job and events from her past are still haunting her.

Lucas and Emmie became friends when they were sixteen. It was a difficult time in Emmie's life and led her to release a balloon into the world. She was hoping to find a friend and the note attached to it provided her email for whoever found it. The balloon travelled from the UK to France.where Lucas retrieved it. The rest is history. Lucas and Emmie, who discover they share the same birthday, become fast friends. The stay close their entire lives with Lucas always being the one Emmie can depend on when things get rough. Over the years, Emmie spends each birthday with Lucas and his family who she is also quite close to. Sadly for Emmie, her relationship with her own mother is not a good one and she's never met her own father. Lucas' family quickly becomes almost as special to Emmie as Lucas himself. The only one she seems to have a disjointed relationship with is Lucas' brother, Eliot. Apparently she was close with both Eliott and Lucas in the past but something happened which altered her and Eliot's connection.

I really enjoyed Dear Emmie Blue. It managed to blend a romantic storyline with some other more sensitive topics, such as a history of abuse, . The characters did a few things that frustrated me, but their actions and responses demonstrated their "human" insecurities and tendencies. The very things that sometimes annoyed me may have very well been the situations that made the book most realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lia Louis for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Do you ever find yourself sitting down to read your current read and then get up a few hours later with the book finished? Well that was exactly what happened this morning with Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis.
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Emmie at age sixteen let go of a red balloon 🎈 as a lifeline. Looking for someone to talk to. When Lucas finds the balloon, Emmie believes its all fate and their friendship is unbreakable. He's the family she always wanted.
Fourteen years pass and Emmie is still waiting for life to fall into place. But the one thing she always wanted can't happen because Lucas is getting married.
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I looked up to my husband when reading this morning and told him not to dare make fun of me when I start to cry. Of course, he asked why I'm gonna cry 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ I told him, this book will be a book that makes me cry. I could tell --and-- I was right. The story is beautiful and so well written. The story talks of love, relationships, heartbreak and figuring out life. Emmie has had continued disappointment and yet, she doesn't break. Instead, Emmie slowly starts to build her own expectations of life by rebuilding relationships and making herself happy. I loved watching Emmie as she was a supportive "best woman" and as she reluctantly reconnects with Eliot whom she hasn't quite forgiven for the events of her nineteenth birthday party.
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There is so much i want to say but I don't want to give anything away on the plot. If this book is not on your radar, it needs to be. Send me a DM if you have read this stunning book and want to talk without giving away spoilers!!
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Hopeful, gut-wrenching, inspirational, tear-jerker, Emmie Blue gave me all of that and more with her incredible journey. As a teenager, Emmie released a balloon into the sky which gave her Lucas, her best friend, the person she leans on. Her life has been full of challenges which have caused her to exist from day to day and essential hide from the world. When Lucas needs to ask her an important question, she believes all her dreams are coming true, she has loved Lucas since she was 14. But that doesn’t happen and Emmie is forced to reevaluate her life and what she thinks she knows. Eliot is Lucas’ brother and he had been friend too but an event pushed him away from her. As Emmie and Eilot work together to plan an event, Emmie is reminded of the fun and comfort she has with Eliot. The one thing Emmie longs for is family and having someone care about her life. We get to meet Rosie and Fox, co-workers that have become friends and confidants. She rents a room from Louise, who doesn’t talk much until Eliot starts to visit and this opens up a new friendship for Emmie. It’s like she found a grandmother she never had. Her mother isn’t involved in her life and would leave her alone when she was a teenager. And for years, she tried to find her father without any luck but maybe, there is a chance that she will. There is so much to enjoy with this story that I don’t want to reveal. I was immersed in Emmie’s life and felt every up and down she experienced as a laughed and cried along with her. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved Emmie Blue! I really could relate to Emmie, with all her quirks and fears. She was real and sometimes it’s just nice to read a book and say, hey...I can really see myself in this character.

This book was an easy read, once I started I didn’t want to finish until I got to the end. There were a few times my heartstrings were pulled too. It was just an all around feel good book. And I was incredibly happy with the ending, it was perfect!

If you’re looking for an easy read or just want to read a feel good book I would highly recommend Emmie Blue.

Emmie is shocked when her best friend Lucas tells her he’s getting married. Especially since she thought he was going to ask her to date him that night. Instead he asks her to be his best woman at his wedding. What could go wrong?

I thought this was a good book but it had the potential to be a great book. The story had a lot going on but did not follow any storyline deep enough.

I was not emotionally ready for this book. Dear Emmie Blue is a love story, but it’s so much more than that. First off, the concept is adorable: Emmie sends a red balloon with a note on it up into the sky when she is struggling deeply as a teenager. When Lucas finds the balloon and emails her, he becomes her ‘Balloon Boy’ and thus begins a lifelong friendship. Adorable. Before you decide you have the plot entirely figured out from the synopsis: you don’t.

Lia Louis is an incredibly talented writer. Her descriptive language lit up my senses, I could practically feel, smell, and hear the scenes she depicted. The way she captures falling in love, through Emmie, was incredibly relatable and real. I don’t know if there’s a word like ‘tearjerker’ but about feeling butterflies in your stomach, but that’s what this book did for me. That being said, it is also a tearjerker. This isn’t a fluffy romance. Emmie’s past haunts her heartbreakingly through her story, and the losses she experiences in the present are painful. Louis does such an incredible job of creating unique, detailed characters, that a loss of one of them to Emmie felt like a loss to me as well. I was also obsessed with the dialogue in this story. The banter and cheeky comments between friends and love interests had me fully smiling as I read.

I think I’m still reeling a little from this book, as I’m having trouble consolidating all my thoughts. It is, overall, a beautiful story. The theme of finding your own chosen family was such a unique and wonderful addition to the book. This type of love further bolsters its classification as a ‘love story.’ To summarize, I fell in love with this book: the writing, the characters, the dialogue, the complex and bittersweet storyline. It made me actually feel a wide range of emotions in a way that books are rarely able to do. Grab some tissues, read this book, and then let me know so we can gush about it more.

Review to be posted on July 14 and links added then

I wanted to like this book because I liked the premise a lot, and I especially like epistolary concepts in books. The cover is great too. I didn’t feel compelled to finish it though.

This was one of those unexpected reads. You know, the ones you decide to pick up because it was not the norm of what you usually read but then ended up planning out who you want to play the actors in the movie. I hope that one day I can see this on the big screen because it was made for it. Excellent character development and a way of writing I have not read before.
This book was about love and finding yourself with some great surprises along the way.

When Emmie was 16 years old and feeling lonely, she released a balloon into the sky with her big secret and her email address never thinking anyone would respond but to her surprise Lucas did and a friendship blossoms. We jump forward to present time (14 years) and the friendship is still going strong. Emmie is secretly in love with Lucas and during their mutual 30th birthday dinner; Lucas has a question to ask her. Will this be the night Lucas proposes to her?

This was a wonderful story. I enjoyed the characters, the humor and romance. The story gave a glimpse of the past mixed within the present story line. This book had me laughing and tearing up at the same time. I Loved it.

I loved this book! Emmie is trying to make the best of her life. It’s not exactly what she hoped it would be- a traumatic experience in school has cast a shadow that continues to impact her. The silver lining of that shadow is her 14 year friendship with Lucas. He found a balloon with a message from Emmie, and this initiated a strong friendship that has sustained her over the years. They share a birthday and celebrate together every year. This year Emmie thinks Lucas is going to propose they shift their relationship to something more romantic, and she’s all in. No spoilers, except that’s not what happened and it spurred Emmie to reflect about and make some changes in her life.

I found Emmie to be a likable character, and I was rooting for her to realize she is enough and find herself. She has great friends in her co-workers, and their connection was lovely. Also, watching her growing friendship with her landlady was really nice. I enjoyed the dialogue, and the full emotional experience. This was a really satisfying read! i will read more by Lia Louis.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A real pleasure to read🎈 My heartfelt recommendation📀

The story is a real heartbreaker in so many ways and Emmeline Blue is a rather tragic hero(ine). From her traumatic school years to her messed up family to her unrequited feelings for her long-time best friend and her financial woes, Emmie has alot to endure. But I could not put her story away until I'd reached the last word.

I loved this emotional rollercoaster of a book but Lucas, Emmie's cross-channel BFF, not so much. Landlady Louise and the relationship they forged really touched me. Her friend Rosie and co-worker Fox added a humorous touch and Eliot, who knew he was such a stand-up guy?!

I would love to read more by Lia Louis; this is an author who, like Amanda Prowse, is not afraid to make you feel it all, joy, love, friendship, humiliation, loss and sorrow and so much more.

Thanks to publisher Atria and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Dear Emmie Blue,

When I met you I didn't like you. You were boring and living your life for others. You didn't exist without the people you defined yourself by. You fell apart immediately.

I am glad I gave you time. I'm glad I watched you go from self-centered lodger to friend. I'm glad I saw you go from lovesick to strong. I'm glad I saw you find family and others with whom you were yourself and not just a version of yourself that you thought you should be around different people.

Yes, your story was a bit predictable and formulaic and, yes, I am not overly fond of romance novels. Your growth and your voice made it more than that for me. I laughed and cried with you and I really enjoyed more than I knew I would.

So, thank you, Ellie Blue, NetGalley, Lia Louis, and Atria Books.

The writing in this book is not great, especially for the first third of the book or so. The author is relying on the readers having read the back cover copy to understand the set up of the book instead of actually putting useful stage-setting information in the narrative. She also didn't end the book well. The last line of the last chapter was a great ender, but was then ruined by tacking on an unnecessary epilogue. Story-wise the book is incredibly predictable. It's easy to figure out both who dies & who winds up together very early on. Despite this, it did get more enjoyable as it went on & the writing wasn't as bad in the latter parts of the book.

The story of Emmie Blue who at the start is celebrating her 30th birthday with her best friend Lucas who also shares the same birthday. Emmie has been holding a longtime secret, she is in love with Lucas. She is hoping this is night that Lucas will profess his love for her. Instead he tells her he is getting married to an ex-girlfriend, and he wants her to be his best-woman. At this point you think this has all the plot points of My Best Friend’s Wedding, however this turns into a much deeper story.

Emmie meets Lucas, by chance, when she releases a balloon with a secret and her contact information. Lucas is the one the finds the balloon and what blossoms is a beautiful friendship over many years.

This book transitions to more about Emmie. We know she is grappling with something from her past, but you will not find out exactly what it is until much later in the book. You will feel her anxiety and pain throughout the novel. This made me personally feel that we had moved from a superficial novel, to a much more profound story and I wasn’t wrong.

Lia Louis wrote a beautiful story about a broken woman who definitely comes out stronger at the other end. I really learned to love Emmie, but Eliot (Lucas’ Brother) will win you over from the beginning. Have a few tissues ready, but I think you will love Emmie Blue as much as me.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Maybe home isn’t a place. It’s a feeling. Of being looked after and understood. Of being loved.”

Dear Emmie Blue is the only book I’ve read all year that had me straight up bawling. It’s the story of a girl who grows into a woman and the boy who becomes the man who loves her.

Emmie’s best friend Lucas was the person who got her through a horrific childhood trauma. Fourteen years later, she meets him to discuss a question he must ask in person. She assumes he wants to tell her he loves her but actually it’s to be his best man. Yikes.

There are many songs about unanswered prayers being a blessing and this novel gets you there eventually but good lord does the path there require passing through some heartbreaking moments.

This is such a sweet story, in the end. For all the tears on the way there, the payoff at the end is worth it.

Trigger warning: child rape and neglect.

I am so glad that the publisher reached out to me and suggested this book. I loved it.

Emmie releases a balloon into the sky at the age of sixteen years old. Who finds it? Lucas, who is the same age and has the same birthday as her. It's fate that they would become best friends for the last fourteen years and that Emmie would fall in love with him. So...on their thirtieth birthday dinner, she knows that he is going to ask her to marry him. But, he doesn't. Instead, he asks her to be his "Best Woman." And she is crushed.

Emmie is a woman who just wants to be loved. Her relationship with her mother is lacking, she has never known who her father is, and she is in a dead-end job. She starts spending more time with Eliot, Lucas' step-brother, who she was close to until a misunderstanding at age nineteen.

I enjoyed this emotional and heartwarming read. I read it rather quickly as I got sucked into the sweet story with the added text messages and mixed CD messages. I am not always a fan of epilogues as I don't think they are always necessary to the story, but this one was just wonderful. It added something special to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an electronic advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fourteen years ago, Emmie Blue released a balloon into the sky. Lucas Moreau discovered Emmie's balloon at the end of its journey and immediately contacted her. What blossomed is a friendship for the ages. Luke gave Emmie something she sorely needed: love and family.

Now, on their thirtieth birthdays (yes they also share a birthday!), Emmie anticipates the exciting news that Luke says he has for her. Emmie knows that he's finally going to reveal that he's desperately in love with her, which is perfect because Emmie has been desperately in love with Luke for years now.

But Luke's news is not what Emmie is expecting, yes Luke is in love, but with someone else. Completely oblivious to Emmie's feelings Luke asks her to be his best woman in his wedding. With the inevitable change on the horizon, Emmie begins looking at her life, and the past trauma that keeps her a closed book.

Emmie Blue completely stole my heart. I absolutely loved this story. While it wasn't without its fair share of tears and heartbreak, I loved the overall sense of hope and happiness I felt while reading. Like I knew, despite things not going to plan for Emmie, everything was going to out for her in the end, even if I didn't know exactly how that might be. I was excited to see the story progress with each new step that Emmie took on her own, not to distance herself from Luke, but to fully embrace her own changes in her own way.

For so long Luke has been Emmie's steadfast companion. I loved that Luke and Emmie's relationship is so strong and even with the unrequited feelings it doesn't falter. That's due in large part to Emmie's strength of character. It would be easy to cut ties with the man who broke her heart, but then what of the man she calls friend? I loved seeing how enmeshed Emmie is with Luke's family. I love the acceptance they have for her over the years when her own mother was mainly absent and she knows nothing about her father except the sparing details her mother deigns to give her.

Found family is a big proponent of the story and I loved the complexities it presented. How it's something Emmie always strived for, the stability, the love, that it was almost unbeknownst to her that she already had that, and she was already building that, with Luke, his brother Elliot, her co-workers Rosie and Fox, and even her flatmate Louise. We see Emmie casually adding all these people into her life with love and caring not realizing that they love and care for her back. That they will stand by her, that they will believe in her.

If you can't already tell, this story was perfect for me. I want to go back and read it again and live in it basically. If you're in need of a read that's full of heart, Dear Emmie Blue delivers.