Thank you so much @AtriaBooks & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 14 July 2020)

SYNOPSIS | Emmie Blue releases a balloon into the sky containing her email address & a secret. Lucas Moreau finds it in France on his local beach and this is the beginning of their friendship except 14 years later and Emmie is hiding that she is in love with Lucas.

WHAT I LIKED:
- oh gosh everything
- I laughed, I cried, I shook my head in despair, I shouted "NOOOOOO"... I felt all the feels
- second chance romance
- I thought I was over love triangles (thanks to Edward & Jacob) but this just reaffirmed that I am still totally a sucker for them

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- nothing. Everyone needs to read this book. Now.

Such an incredible read. If you're going to buy any book for the summer-this is the one to buy. The characters are so well written, the plot is sweet and funny, and the writing is great. The best part of the book is that it's set in England and France so the characters have such a fun way of talking and the voices come alive in your head, accents and all. Lia Louis is definitely an author to watch!

Dear Emmie Blue is the love child of 13 Going On 30, Love Rosie and My Best Friend’s Wedding that I never knew I needed! Now, it’d been a while since I picked up a romance, but I’m so glad I did. This book is chock full of the typical second-hand embarrassment from unrequited love stories, but it’s story goes so much deeper than that. Emmie goes through the struggles of being an independent adult, addressing multiple layers of adolescent trauma, confronting her feelings, experiencing joy and grief, and falling in love. What I particularly enjoyed about this book is that it wasn’t just about the main romantic love story, it was also about love as it relates to friendship and family and loving oneself. The main character was flawed and authentic — she made mistakes, and she lived a difficult life, but she also persevered and found confidence and strength. Additionally, I love the way Lia Louis fleshed out the side and background characters and (particularly Fox and Rosie). Dear Emmie Blue is the romance story of love and loss and life and laughter, and all those L-words, that we didn’t know we needed. Now all I need is a sequel!

Break out the tissue box! I ripped through Dear Emmie Blue in a day. At turns charming and devastatingly sad, it follows Emmie Blue who released a balloon with her email address on a card and found a friend an ocean away. What starts as a lifelong friendship and lifeline for Emmie turns into unrequited love. She's wrecked in the opening pages when Lucas asks her to France, she assumes to reveal his feelings and maybe even propose. Instead, he announces he's getting married and asks her to be Best Woman.

It leaves Emmie at loose ends. Between her absentee mother, the lingering trauma of sexual assault by a teacher in high school, and her lack of career, she's adrift. As she turns 30 her life is nothing like what she'd hoped for.

It's hard to put into words why I loved this story as much as I did. Maybe it's because Emmie isn't as alone as she thinks she is or that the realization is, sometimes you can't see what's right in front of your face. While there were a lot of tears for me with this one, in the end, they were happy ones. I just wish Emmie would have gotten some therapy.

Ideal for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, especially if you loved Don't You Forget About Me.

CW: sexual assault, victim blaming, narcissistic absentee parent, character with cancer

“Everything is changing. Except for me.”

Beautiful! Absolutely breathtaking! Our hearts are bursting, and we can’t stop thinking about the wonderful reading experience afforded to us by Lia Louis. We weren’t sure what to expect from Dear Emmie Blue, but whatever those expectations were, this incredibly emotional, witty and sentimental story of life, love and relationships exceeded them all! An absolute 5 star favourite for 2020!

If you’re in need of a tender-hearted journey that hits every emotion, be it laughing, crying, swooning or simply filling your heart with engaging characters, we urge you to pick up this book and fall completely in love with every aspect of the exquisite romantic journey, just as we did. One thing; – Expect the unexpected and devour the surprises along the way! Dear Emmie Blue made us forget everything around us while we lost ourselves in this charming and beautifully woven story.

“Where you at, Emmie Blue?”

This isn’t merely a love story, it’s so much more. An aching story of unrequited love, of friendships, hurt, life experiences and the ways in which they mould us. Emmie Blue’s story was like opening a present with every flip of the page –eager for more and loving every surprise the author delivered. Oh, our hearts!!! They were broken, fulfilled, and overflowing in so many ways!

‘I knew I loved him; had always loved him. And there was no way I could tell him.’

Emmeline (Emmie) Blue is now thirty years old and reflecting on her life, especially now her best friend Lucas Moreau has dropped the bombshell that he is getting married and wants Emmie to be his best woman. The problem being, Emmie has been in love with Lucas for the last six years of their fourteen-year friendship. It’s a friendship that began when 16-year-old Emmie set a balloon off into the sky in England, to be discovered by 16-year-old Lucas on a beach in Boulogne-sur-Mes near his hometown of Le Touquet, France. It was the beginning of a friendship that would endure the years, surviving hope and heartache, tragedy and triumphs.

‘…it happened. It was real. The man I love told me he wanted to spend forever with someone else and wanted me to be there, right next to him, in the spotlight, as he told the world.’

Emmie, Lucas and Lucas’s older brother, Eliot were the three musketeers living and loving one another’s company until a tragic event and an act of betrayal at nineteen would see Emmie ostracise Eliot and further forge her deep friendship with Lucas. It was a friendship that would see them through many relationships, many heartbreaks and lead to Emmie’s feelings being intensified, while Lucas gave his heart to his fiancé Marie. But….there are many underlying factors to experience here!

‘Even though I know it wasn’t, the sky is always blue, the sun always shining, in those memories.’

Now, we could go into more detail but honestly, it would ruin it. To allude to anything further would impede on your enjoyment of the story. Trust us on this. We will say that the cast of characters will own your heart! Emmie’s workmates and best friends Rosie and Fox will have you giggling like crazy. The gregarious, outspoken Rosie was a delight! The setting of the seaside town in England and France added a vivid ambience to the story, with the secondary characters adding layers to this well-crafted and unforgettable experience.

“I’m made of strong stuff,” I say, and Lucas says, “Always have been.”

We must make mention of the formatting in the way the text messages were delivered. It was the best formatting of this aspect we’ve ever seen. The messages were easy to read and made you feel as though you were participating in reading the exchanges between the characters.

There isn’t anything we didn’t love about this story! Every thread woven felt magical and beautiful, the way it played out was perfection! Perfection! The whole book from start to finish enthralled us and captivated us. One for the 2020 favourite list, that’s for sure! Do not miss Dear Emmie Blue! We can’t wait to discuss it with you!

4.5 ⭐️‘s
Dear Emmie Blue is a delightful debut. A story of loneliness, deep friendships, of love and hope. Fourteen years ago, lost and alone, Emmie Blue lets a balloon go with a note attached. It ends up an ocean and 100 miles away in the hands of Lucas. From there a friendship blossoms that spans both time and distance. A friendship that Emmie is hoping turns into much more. This is that story. A story that will touch your heart and leave you feeling all the feels as you walk this journey of self discovery along with Emmie Blue🎈

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. I thought this was an adorable fun read. I love the characters and the story. I will absolutely be looking for more books by this author and I will be recommending this one to my friends and family.

I started off thinking I would read a chapter or two of Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis and then get on with my day. That did not happen as I could not put it down. I kept thinking about Emmie, Lucas and Elliot when I wasn't with the book. They were on my mind. A little Best Friend's Wedding, a little Jane Green, this book was "bangin'" from start to finish.

Following a high school trauma, Emmie in England attaches a note to a balloon and lets it sail away to be found by Lucas Moreau on a beach in France. They begin a friendship that is different from all others. Emmie finds a family with the Moreaus and Lucas, and Elliot, his brother, When Lucas asks Emmie to be "best woman" at his wedding to the kind and lovely Marie - Emmie begins to see the friendship is about to change in a way she might not be ready to accept. This is a fun, quick read with a few twists and turns and lot of tender moments about friendship, growing up and finding love in unexpected places.

I loved this book too much and Lia Louis might just be my new favorite author. There were so many things I loved about the language in this book, but one quote in particular stuck with me during these crazy times. Emmie says:
"I really miss it, The surmising. The dreaming." When there is nothing to dream about, nothing to plan or hope for, life is pretty sad. Also - if anyone has to give a speech at a wedding this summer - take note of the speech Emmie gives at Lucas and Marie's wedding and steal things from it!

Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis , what a wonderful story! Emmie Blue releases a balloon when she is a teenager and the balloon has a note inside. Lucas, finds this balloon on a beach and the two become fast friends. Emmie falls for Lucas but when Lucas asks another woman to marry him and asks Emmie to stand up for him, her world turns upside down. Enter Elliot, Lucas' half brother and a friend to Emmie. He helps Emmie discover who she is and along the way figure out that she is pretty amazing! This book was a little predictable, BUT it added to the story, and made it a great summer read! 4⭐

I absolutely loved this! It was such a great adult contemporary. There was so much character depth and development. I love when a book is both heartwarming AND heartbreaking, and this book was definitely that! There were some great twists and turns mixed in as well. This one touched on so many hard-hitting topics. I loved that about it. I can't wait to buy a finished copy of this when it comes out.

I don’t consider myself the intended reader (demographic) for this novel but I love a good RomCom so accepted the offer to read – and I’m so glad I did. I thought the start was a bit slow but maybe that was just me getting to know several characters. The novel picked up speed as I got to know Emmie, Lucas, and his brother. By the end I really cared about these characters. A plus was that I loved most of the supporting characters and I’d truly love to know what happens with Emmie’s work friends!

Lia Louis’ novel is full of hopes and dreams and written with so much heart. I love turning the last page of a novel while smiling and knowing I’m going to miss these people.

Absolutely stunning and breathtaking. Easily my favorite book of 2020 and in my top five of all time. I was hooked from the very first page. The emotion that this story evokes is there with every turn of the page, from beginning to end. I laughed and cried and felt all the feelings. My heart broke for Emmie. You can’t help but root for her. Just read this story. If it’s the only book you read this year, let it be this one.

The early reviews on this one are all so positive, but I found it to not quite live up to expectations. Dear Emmie Blue had all the potential to be an emotional and heart-warming story, but I found it hard to connect to the characters (even though they were mostly likeable and easy to root for).

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was not immediately drawn to Dear Emmie Blue, but I want to thank Atria Books/Simon and Schuster for bringing it to my attention, and for the early access via NetGalley. I decided to give it a try and in the first few pages, I thought this was a new version of ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding.’ However, that initial judgment could not be further from the truth. Dear Emmie Blue is a complex story about a remarkable woman, who overcame significant trauma in her childhood and teen years. As she continues to face loss and loneliness, she maintains her ability to seek love. The story is one of resilience and realizing that good intentions do not always equal good outcomes, but forgiveness is often worth it when it allows you to move forward. I would highly recommend this book to nearly any reader. There is some sensitive content (especially related to assault) and the first few chapters can take a little time to settle into as you get to know Emmie, but if you stick with it, the read will be very rewarding.

Honestly, I read this book such a long time ago that I can’t write as detailed as I would like.

I love the idea of this story. A lonely girl sending a balloon with her contact information and darkest secret into the world. Only to be found by someone who becomes her best friend in the whole world. While I don’t condone releasing balloons into the sky, I can appreciate the sentimentality in this book. It was a good idea and the author made it work in the long hall.

I found myself at time a bit aggravated with Emmie. She was a good character, but she was a doormat. Personally, I really hate that kind of flaw in a female protagonist. It has the potential to ruin a story for me. But Emmie isn’t a dumb character. So while I found her frustrating throughout, she does redeem herself to some extent by the end. But her obsession with Lucas wore me down.

My very favorite portions of the novel were spent with Lucas’ brother. He was my saving grace from all the Lucas obsessing. He was one of the most genuine characters in this story. It is a shame that he let life go on as it did without speaking up himself. A common theme of characters who refuse to speak their truth. But I suppose it is a novel and we need some drama.

Overall, I think this is a wholesome, cute kind of story. It is a pretty typical story too. Nothing profound or original. Personally, it feels like reading a paperback of My Best Friend’s Wedding. Which is definitely dating me, but to be fair, I was just a kid in single digits! While this was a meh read for me, I know that the right audience is going to go nuts for this story. So we will conclude this is more a me thing and not a Dear Emmie Blue thing.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the read!

4.5 Stars. Fourteen years ago, sixteen-year-old Emmie Blue released a balloon into the sky with her name, e-mail address, and a tragic secret. When Lucas Moreau finds the balloon, he begins to e-mail Emmie, and so begins their inseparable friendship. Emmie has fallen in love with Lucas over the course of their friendship, so when Lucas announces he is getting married, she is heartbroken. However, Emmie has spent so much of her life focused on her relationship with Lucas, that it seems she has neglected her own life. Throughout this beautiful story, Emmie begins to find herself as she learns about life, love, and happiness.

“Dear Emmie Blue” is an uplifting, refreshing story. In our current times of stress and uncertainty, this feel-good novel is exactly what everyone needs. While the book was a bit predictable, it was in a good way, so I’d prefer to call it “reliable”. My only small complaint was that the beginning of the novel was a little all over the place, but shortly into the book I felt that it started to flow better. The story is incredibly sweet and I appreciated the different and deeply developed relationships the author created between Emmie and other characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a heartwarming, sweet, and occasionally infuriating book. (Infuriating because I want the characters to hurry up and be happy together LOL.)

But seriously, this was definitely not what I expected, in all the right ways. It's a very sweet, sometimes heartbreaking book that explores the shared past of Emmie and brothers Lucas and Eliot--three friends bound together after Lucas found Emmie's balloon fourteen years ago--and their future after a major life upheaval that will change their dynamic forever.

I've come to love books about women in their 20s or 30s who either feel like they have everything *except* for that one thing, or women who have pinned their whole lives on something that never happened. Emmie is one of those characters who builds up a fantasy future on someone she's loved for years, only for him to announce his engagement to someone else--and then she has to deal with the fallout. It's so easy to feel for her and want her to get her happy ending. And all the supporting characters--Rosie, Fox, Louise, and of course Eliot--were my absolute favourites.

At the core, the story about relationships--how we build love up in our heads, how we might neglect everything else for that love, and how maybe what we're looking for is actually right in front of us the entire time. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was nervous to read this book because unrequited love sounds so sad but I had a feeling I would love this book so I decided to pick it up. Well, I stayed up til 1am reading because I just couldn't get enough of Emmie's story and Lia Louis' writing. The flashbacks were done so beautifully to add background and depth to the characters and their various relationships. This story is heart wrenching, but uplifting; tear jerking but also humorous. Emmie is a little bit of a lost soul and I wanted to reach into the pages to give her a big hug. It's really admirable how she could stay so devoted to Lucas for so many years. Also, the side characters are stupendous, especially Rosie, who made me laugh out loud so many times.

Overall, it's a really sweet story with a very serendipitous ending (that epilogue!!) and I'm just in love with the whole dang book. If you are a Josie Silver or Rebecca Serle fan, I think you will really enjoy this one!

TW - sexual assault

Oh this is a winner!! Such a beautiful book about lovely, broken Emmie Blue. This girl has had it rough, school bullying, family issues, abandonment. She has no one to pick her up, to love her, to show her her worth. Or so she thought.

This book is a journey of finding yourself, letting go of your fears and embracing love and opening your eyes to what was always right in front of you.

It is a sweet book, wonderfully written. I fell in love with Emmie and wanted only the very best for her. I was worried for a bit about where this story would go, but I really loved how it turned out.

Fabulous story, lovely writing. This is a great by the pool summer read!!

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is about Emmie blue and when she was 16 she put her information in a blue and a secret in a balloon and let it go, A guy named Lucas finds it a few weeks later and then he emails Emmie and years later she loves him but is afraid to tell him. I really enjoyed this I read it quickly I felt like Emmie was kind of relatable I feel like everyone should read this book it was that good.