This book was...fine. Quite predictable and really requires you to accept that despite being best friends, these two don’t tell each other some pretty major life events. Basically a book dependent on misunderstanding.

This was perfect! I’ve never read a book by Lia Louis but she’s got such talent. She had me crying but also had me laughing at points. It had so much heart and I couldn’t put this down. The flashbacks were done so perfectly and I just loved everything about this book.

Thanks to Atria Books, Lia Louis, and Netgalley for my gifted copy of Dear Emmie Blue!

Emmie Blue released a red balloon when she was 16, after a life-changing incident. It was found by a boy named Lucas, who lived in France. From there, a friendship developed as they sent each other tokens across the ocean, such as mix CDs and things Lucas missed from England. This leads to in-person meetings, and a deep friendship that culminates in Emmie being Best Woman at Lucas’s wedding 14 years after they “met”.

Y’all, I adored this sweet little book. It definitely builds up slowly, but when it hits the climax of the plot, it’ll hit you right in the feels. The book didn’t go where I expected it to, but I loved this ending so much more. Emmie, Lucas, and his brother Eliot are all such deep, complex characters, and I loved how much they supported each other throughout the book.

4.5 ⭐️

Emmie sets free a balloon with a message saying she was the girl from the Summer Ball and she was telling the truth. Lucas finds the balloon 100 miles away in France and emails Emmie which is the start of a beautiful friendship.

Fourteen years later, Lucas announces he's getting married and wants Emmie to be his best woman. Of course, she says yes while her heart is breaking...see, she's been in love with Lucas since they met. But sometimes, things aren't as they seem and it's more the idea of the person than the actual person that you're in love with.

I really enjoyed Emmie's story and agree with Lucas on one thing "she's made of strong stuff". I loved the ending and will be thinking of Emmie for a long time.

"Maybe home isn't a place. It's a feeling. Of being looked after and understood. Of being loved."

Thank you to Atria Books for the advanced copy; all opinions are my own.

I went into this book knowing very little about it, and then I flew through the first 50% in one sitting from 8-11 pm one night. I woke up and promptly finished it. This book took me completely by surprise and caused me to tear up, sob, laugh, grimace, and cheer on the inside all at once. Emmie Blue is a character who absolutely steals your heart and you want everything to work out for her against all odds.
Throughout this story, you find out about Emmie and Lucas, who have the MOST serendipitous meeting you could ever imagine at age 16. Emmie experienced a devastating situation one night and wrote a message attached to a red balloon that she let go of. Lucas, who had just moved to France from London and was desperately angsty and homesick, finds her balloon and emails her and they become best friends. Throughout the years of their friendship, it grows and changes and is ultimately put to the test when Lucas gets engaged. There's another important character in this scenario too - Lucas' older half-brother Eliot.
Emmie has unbelievably loveable friends and a landlady who unfolds as a main character throughout the book as well. This story will tug at your heartstrings and be difficult to put down. It has been months since I've read a book that made me as emotional as this one did. I absolutely loved it.

Special thanks to Atria books for the advance copy!

4.5 Stars for Emmie Blue!

Dear Emmie Blue is the quintessential feel good book of the summer. It is so crazy charming that my heart just melts thinking about it.

Emmie's story is filled to the brim with heartache caused by an absentee, narcissistic mother, an unknown father and an educational system that let her down many years ago. She's also in love with her best friend, Lucas who is engaged to another woman. Unrequited love can be nervy at times, but LIa Louis handles it so well with her wonderful writing.

Through her lonely life, Emmie Blue remains positive. She begins to learn to create her own happiness. She believes in the world and all its possibilities. She has faith that everything works out for a reason. She's loyal to herself and her friends to a fault even when no one "chooses" her. Her braveness and selflessness will make readers route for Emmie even more. Why? Because Emmie Blue is made of the good stuff.

Dear Emmie Blue is a story of fate and friendship. It is a love story, a story of life and a definite read for anyone who needs a little inspiration.

TW: Sexual abuse

I really enjoyed all the characters in this delightful novel and I had a hard time putting this book down. The writing was witty and engaging, which i love, and the characters were all ones that you felt that you knew yourself and really cared about knowing what was going to happen to them. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I adored this novel! Dear Emmie Blue will definitely be gracing my list of favorite books of 2020.

If ever a character deserved a hug, it is Emmie Blue. There were so many times that I wanted to reach through my e-reader and give Emmie a big hug. My heart broke for her. She was a kind-hearted, generous person who had been through a great deal in her young life. Between a distant, uncaring mother, an absent father, and an event from her past that changed her world, Emmie Blue has struggled with loneliness, not feeling like she’s enough, and always wondering what it’s like to be wanted, to be part of a family, and to be truly loved.

This book was so serendipitous. I wanted to believe that everything happens for a reason, that what was meant to be would be. Emmie’s balloon found its way to someone who would be a friend for life. Lucas brought her a sense of safety, of belonging, and he and his family represented everything that she had always dreamed of for her own life. Over the years, as their friendship grew, so did Emmie’s feelings for Lucas. He was a constant in her life, and he meant the world to her, but were they destined to be together as more than best friends?

While Lucas and her workmates seemed to be moving forward in their lives, Emmie felt stagnated, stuck in a rut, unable to move forward or chase the things that she wanted out of life. I was in Emmie’s corner, rooting her on from the very first page. When she was heartbroken, my heart broke along with hers. When she was feeling content and secure, I was smiling because she was so deserving of happiness. I wanted to tell her that everything would be all right, that she wasn’t alone, and that she should allow herself to be loved.

Dear Emmie Blue had everything that I look for in a novel. It had a cast of characters that I cared about, romance, angst, a couple of twists, humor, great banter, and plenty of heart. Through all of the highs and lows, the tears, the laughter, and the heart-pounding moments, my poor heart was put through an emotional wringer, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I didn’t just read this book, I experienced it right along with Emmie.

As I was nearing the end of this book, I kept checking my e-reader to see how much time I had left with these characters. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them. Dear Emmie Blue is a beautiful, well-rounded novel, rich in depth and feeling, exquisitely written, and was an absolute pleasure to read. I am looking forward to reading more books by this talented author.

*5 Stars

I really liked this one, I liked how it gave us some back story but it didn't feel so info dumpy. I just don't think friends to lovers is for me. I have tried so many different ones.

Like a message in a bottle but better! Who wouldn’t want a grand love story all because of a chance encounter with a message sent across the sky

So I totally had My Best Friend’s Wedding vibes throughout this entire book, with the cast version of I Say a Little Prayer playing on a loop in my head the whole time (I read this in 3 hours, in one sitting).

What do you do when your best friend, the boy who is always there for you, the boy to have fallen in love with over your long friendship tells you that he has a question to ask you that he cannot ask over the phone?

I loved how this story was told. I loved that you gets bits of back story sprinkled in throughout without it feeling info-dumpy. I thought the romance that unfolds in this book was fantastically written and planned out. I love the way that Em and Luke meet and how their friendship progresses over time. And I also love how some things are not how they ever seemed and the possibilities in learning the truth.

This was such a fun read! The ending made me cry, but in a good way. The conclusion of this story is exactly what I wanted it to be. I am so happy to have read this funny, feel good novel.

Dear Emmie Blue, you have stolen my heart! This book was nowhere on my radar, but when I was invited to read it from the publisher--and I saw those first few glowing reviews--I jumped at the chance to read it. I'm a sucker for romance and serendipity, and Emmie Blue did not disappoint.

Emmie has had a hard start at life. Her story slowly unfolds, gradually enveloping the reader until you can't stop reading. Even though I've read similar stories, this one was different and refreshing. I wanted to find out what happened but I also didn't want it to end.

While the premise of this one--finding a balloon with a note on the beach--may sound juvenile, it wasn't at all. It worked, and left me with all kinds of feelings. I laughed and cried along with Emmie. I wanted only the best for her.

This is a romance with depth and heart. Lia Louis has created characters that are real, flawed, and changing, something I always appreciate. I would say this one was just about perfect. My only complaint: I need the songs on those Mix CDs pronto!

• 𝙏𝙒: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚌 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢⠀
⠀
We follow Emmie Blue who at age sixteen, released a red balloon into the sky. She attached her name, email address and a secret she had been holding on to. A few weeks later, the balloon lands in France and a boy named Lucas finds it and immediately emails her starting a friendship between them. ⠀
14 years later they remain best friends. Emmie however, has fallen in love with Lucas. He invites her to dinner and says he has a question to ask her, she hopes he will say he feels the same way about her but will he? Things go on from that night and we see Emmie deal with everything that’s going on in her life, trying to build a relationship with her mom, she’s been working at a hotel after being laid off and also searching for her absent father. ⠀
This book is filled with characters you come to love and root for. It was just so heartwarming and sweet. Emmie was such a relatable character as well. Emmie is such a sweet soul, I just wanted to give her a hug and tell her it was all going to be ok. Her friends Rosie and Fox are now my favorite fictional human beings who I wish were real. *SIGH* I loved it. It was cute, sappy, and I want it to be made into a movie. ⠀

It took me a long time to get into this book and a long time to get through it. Once I did get into it, it was good, and I was glad I stuck with it. It was cute. I didn’t love it, though — I couldn’t connect to the characters or the story the way wanted to. It's just one of those books that fell a bit flat for me. With that said, I do fully believe it's worth giving this book a shot! It wasn't my cup of tea, but still something I'd give a friend to enjoy.

Thank you to Lia Louis for giving us back the joy that a red balloon can bring. Sixteen-year-old Emmie Blue releases a balloon from England with a note and gets and email from a boy named Lucas who lives in France. They establish a bond over the balloon and a shared birthday. As the book begins they are celebrating their 30th birthdays and Lucas has a big request for Emmie. He wants her to be the "best woman" for his wedding. Emmie had been hoping for a marriage proposal. Using past flashbacks along with the wedding plans, the narrative tells the story of Emmie Blue. You will root for her and weep with her as it seems like she struggles to hang onto at least one special someone in her life. Hand this to fans of Josie Silver and Beth O'Leary.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF this book at 25%.

I was really excited when this book was sent to me because it has such positive reviews! I was quickly disappointed. Maybe it’s just me but I was confused about a lot of factors from the beginning. Is the setting in England or France? Or both? How are Emmie and Lucas absolute best friends, but he doesn’t tell her about getting back with an ex and getting engaged? It just seemed so odd. To top it off, non of the characters are likeable. Emmie is just torturing herself instead of standing up for herself, Lucas is supposed to be her best friend but he makes comments she doesn’t like, leaves her hanging and out of the most important decision of her life? Also, he kind of leads her on. Her mom is horrible, her friends seem average and it goes on and on. I couldn’t even grasp what this story was about and I couldn’t keep forcing myself to read to figure it out. The back and forth from past to present to try to piece things together along with the engagement, Emmie’s overwhelming sadness and her family issues is one big mess. Thanks for giving me a chance to review this book!

DNF at 22%. I know I'm in the minority with DNG'ing this book but Emmie was getting on my nerves. I had a hard time connecting with her so I'm putting it down for now. I may revisit it some time in the future but for now it'll be a DNF. Covid-19 has but my head into a weird place and this time doesn't seem like the right one for this novel.



Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for an advanced e-copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book! Release date - July 14, 2020

I was invited to read this book, I didn't request it. I'm not sure I would have read it if not for that, but I owe Lia Louis' marketing team a HUGE thank you because I LOVED this book! It was such a wonderfully written, sweet, beautiful love story. The relationships developed so so naturally, there was definitely no instalove. The story was about family, friendship, and love. Emmie has a very unconventional and terrible relationship with her mother, and that was such an interesting dynamic, as well as the dynamic she had with Lucas' family and the search for her father. Another favorite thing about this book was the characters, they absolutely jumped off the page! Emmie and Lucas and Eliot all came to life, were real people with flaws and endearing qualities. Even the side characters were fully fleshed out people with amazing quirks and both funny and touching moments. I especially came to love Louise, but I couldn't help laughing along with Emmie at her conversations with Rosie and Fox. And then of course the best part is the love story. As I mentioned before, it was so natural, something I find so hard to do (it's easy to say these characters are in love but I want to FEEL it), and this book delivered! There were some serious swoon-worthy moments and I just connected with the characters.

This book made me feel all the feels, there were some sad moments, some touching moments, some funny moments, some sweet moments. I love love loved all the characters and the storyline was perfect. I highly recommend it to any fans of a great love story and I'm so so happy that I read it!

This book brought out all the feelings. It sat in my too read pile for too long. Emmie going through life with her crush just to find out what you think you want is not really what you need. This is a five star read. I am recommending this book to everyone who wants a good slow burn story. The laugh out loud moments add just the right amount of levity. Seriously, everyone needs to read this book.

I loved this one! Totally had me reading past my bedtime and I'm a practical person, I don't do that hardly ever, lol!

Emmie thinks her life has finally come to the moment she's been waiting for and instead it all blows up in her face when her best friend delivers a surprising question (and not the question she anticipated.) Left reeling and feeling even more like her life is in shambles she starts picking up the pieces, unknowingly putting things in the exact place they need to be. It's a story about realizations and finally taking the blinders off. A story about family, friendship, and love. A story about facing fears and finally coming into one's person. I really enjoyed the characters, the timeline, and the message. It started a little slow as I was trying to figure it all out, but very quickly I became absorbed and couldn't put it down. One of my favorites I've read this year! Highly recommend!