I stopped and started this book a few times and I think it was just a matter of timing for me because the writing is good and the unrequited love premise is sweet and charming. This is one I will come back to.

Very emotional. The writing was good and entertaining but I wasn't happy with The ending. Lots of difficult but necessary topics to read about and like I said very emotional, I'd read more from this author. The heroine went through a lot and lots of people who did wrong to her had it very easily at the end I didn't like that, it is important to let go of things but it is important to learn to tell people to fuck off too

This is the story of Emmie Blue who “At sixteen stood in the field of her school and released a red balloon into the sky. Attached was her name, her email address… Weeks later, on a beach in France, Lucas Moreau discovered the balloon and immediately emailed the attached addressed, sparking an intense friendship between the two teens. Now, fourteen years later, Emmie is hiding the fact that she’s desperately in love with Lucas. This is a story that's not all that new but there were a few surprising parts. I found the characters to be a little too sweet and the plot to move too slowly for me. I think you really have to be in a feel good rom com mood for this. Overall just an ok read for me

Emmie Blue had a rough time in high school. One day, she sends a balloon off into the sky with a confession: it was her. She's the girl who got Mr. Morgan fired.

Fast forward and Emmie is now best friends (and mildly in love with) Lucas, the boy who miraculously found her balloon and contact information. When he asks her to come for dinner, she thinks he's going to propose. Instead, he breaks the news that he's marrying someone else and wants Emmie to be his "Best Woman". Emmie steps up to the plate, knowing that this is the best thing she can do for Lucas.

When his brother Eliot jumps back on the scene, Emmie is at first reluctant to be around him. He's the one who outed her secret at her 19th birthday party, causing the threesome to become just an Emmie and Lucas twosome. But Emmie soon learns that not everything is how she has always believed it to be.

I really enjoyed this book. Emmie's story is a bit heartbreaking, without being completely depressing. She grows a lot throughout the novel, overcoming her fears of returning to the school where she was once attacked. And the developing love story was adorable and kept me hooked. I definitely recommend!

Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. 

Get ready because you’re going to hear this name a lot. 

Emmie and Lucas’ friendship began with a serendipitous start. Emmie sends off a balloon with her name, email address, and big secret out into the world and it finds its way into France, to a then sixteen-year-old Lucas. From then on, they exchange many emails, letters curated CDs created by Lucas to Emmie which all cultivates into a friendship of fourteen years. 

On their shared thirtieth birthday, Lucas brings Emmie to a restaurant special to both of them where he informs her…

He’s getting married. 

Not only that, but he’s also getting married to his long-term, on and off girlfriend, Marie. Meanwhile, poor Emmie thought he would finally ask her to be his girlfriend after waiting fourteen years for him to say those words.

Instead, he asks her to be his best woman (over his half-brother, mind you). Emmie ends up running to the bathroom to throw up after agreeing. I admit, at this early point in the novel, I was shocked at her reaction, or perhaps it was the strength of her reaction. Disappointment, I understood but full-on vomiting in the bathroom? It had me asking myself “how in love is she with this man”. A part of the reason why I couldn’t feel bad for her at this moment was that she’d kept on waiting for him to make the first move, for him to speak out on his feelings, for him to choose her. She gave him the power when she had it all along. This shows throughout the book quite a bit. 

I didn’t care much for Lucas in the book, although he had his decent moments, and it is partly due to what I just mentioned. The reason why I believe it was hard for Emmie to both let go and choose Lucas was because of how Lucas oftentimes manipulated the situation and to a certain degree, Emmie herself. As the book progresses and Emmie begins spending more time with Lucas’ half brother Eliot, Lucas begins to get jealous. He gets upset that Emmie and Eliot have their own inside jokes and immediately reminds Emmie of Eliot’s “betrayal” that led to the deterioration of Emmie and Eliot’s friendship. At the rehearsal dinner, Emmie and Eliot slow dance so what does Lucas do? He goes up to her pouting and complaining about how he wishes he could’ve danced with her and that would’ve made his night.

It’s not hard to understand why she latched onto Lucas and his family and why Lucas’ friendship means so much to her. These little bits and pieces of her past help create a sense of empathy from the reader towards Emmie.

Eliot, Lucas’ older half brother, on the other hand, is completely opposite from his brother, as one can expect.  Eliot does have a girlfriend at the beginning of the novel. His (ex) therapist, Ana, who helped him during his painful divorce from his first wife. *cough* Unethical *cough*. I didn’t care much for his girlfriend which made sense since we’re not exactly supposed to be rooting for her. A

I must say, the author did a splendid job creating such charismatic, funny and larger-than-life secondary characters. I fell in love with Emmie’s colorful troupe, Rosie and Fox. They had their own unique storyline in the form of a cheeky romance blossoming between the two. It never overpowered the main storyline but was a welcome change, nonetheless. I enjoyed how much they supported Emmie in her darkest moments, they were there for her when she needed to clean out the house after xxx’s passing and continually offered her advice and support, even when it was tough love and Emmie didn’t want to hear it. I especially appreciated Rosie urging Emmie to get with Eliot. THANK YOU, ROSIE. I really hope we also get a spin-off with Rosie and Fox. I refuse to accept that their love story is finished. Emmie’s roommate xxx, was another welcome addition that I felt Emmie needed. 

The ending was...

…sigh. Have I mentioned how little I cared for Lucas? This man lied to Emmie about so much and even after finding out, she forgives him? Begrudgingly, I have to admit that I understand. This is a man she’s known for fourteen years and depended on, albeit unhealthily, for those many years.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. Emmie did aggravate me sometimes but that may be because I saw a little bit of myself in Emmie and I wanted her to wise up instead of whine. Despite this, Emmie felt like a real character that isn’t perfect and is trying to make a sense of her life and who she is. It didn't end with a perfect bow on everything in her life but it was a much-needed start to a potentially fulfilling and healthier life. That kind of theme sticks with you and the author did a good job providing that.

After an incredibly tough experience as a teenager Emmie put a note in a balloon and sent it into the air. It made it across the ocean to France where Lucas finds it and so a friendship begins which spans the next 14 years. As they turn 30 Lucas is about to get married and asks Emmie to be his best woman, but for Emmie this is devastating, as she’s completely in love with him.

Dear Emmie Blue is a beautiful, heartbreaking yet hopeful story of unrequited love and discovering that what you think you’ve always wanted isn’t necessarily what is right for you! Really enjoyed it!

What a sweet, sweet book. I can’t believe I waited so long to read this one. This is a love story, a romance, but not the steamy kind. And sometimes you just need that in life!
The themes of family and acceptance were throughout this story and I loved it.

This story captures your heart and has you rooting for the main character. It felt slow at times for me, but I enjoyed the story. Some unexpected twists and turns along the way, but an enjoyable read. I did struggle as an American reader with the heavy use of language especially the f word. That was my biggest draw back but that’s due to my culture.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Review: This book was all over bookstagram (with great review from my favorite grammers) so I was influenced get myself a copy. I wasn't sure if this was going to be one of those over hyped books that fell flat or a book I adored, but I took a chance. Thankfully I did because I absolutely adored it!

What I loved about this book:

1. The characters in this book are my absolute favorite. Emmie? Loved her. All of her friends (especially Rosie)? Adored them! Lucas? He's ok. 😂 Eliot? *swoons* He's amazing. All of the characters are well developed and immediately had me invested. I completely devoured Dear Emmie Blue because it was impossible to put down.

2. In this book there is a bit of family drama and past trauma that Emmie is trying to work through. I absolutely admired her character's ability to keep going and to find a way to heal. The author did a wonderful job of bringing her, along with all her struggles, to life. I think it would be very relatable for anyone going through a similar situation.

3. This book made me feel. It broke my heart, then gave me all the feel good vibes, then broke my heart again, and then ended with me swooning. I love when a book makes me feel what the protagonist feels and Dear Emmie Blue definitely made me feel.

If you haven't read this book yet, you definitely should. I did a combination of book/audio and found both formats equally wonderful. So grab yourself some tissues, a cozy blanket, and immerse yourself in this wonderful book ASAP

When she was 16 years old, Emmie Blue attached a message to a balloon and let it go from her home in England, hoping that someday someone would find it. As luck would have it, a British boy who recently moved to France found it and sent her an email, starting a friendship that spanned the English Channel. In the 14 years since she sent it, Emmie slowly fell in love with her balloon-finder, Lucas, and when they meet up for dinner in a seaside restaurant, she's gutted to find out that instead of returning her unspoken feelings, Lucas wants Emmie to be the "best woman" at his wedding to someone else. Emmie is suddenly thrown into wedding planning for a marriage she doesn't want to have happen, attempting to sort out her emotions while being a good friend.

This is a fun, and funny book that would make for an excellent romantic comedy movie (I'll admit I was casting it in my head as I read it). Is it completely believable? Not at all. Doesn't mean it can't be an enjoyable read though.

This book lives up to the hype! It's beautiful and well-written. I loved every minute of this read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I may be in the minority as I almost didn’t finish this story. I found that there were too many things going on with Emmie Blue that took over the plot. Too much drama for me but others should give it a read and judge it themselves.

This is one of those books where I thought it was going to go in a very different direction than it did. Emmie Blue has been through a lot in her life but her friend Lucas has been there. I loved their unique start of their friendship and Lucas was there when she needed someone the most. Her family basically tossed her to the side and she's shunned by her schoolmates for something that shouldn't have happened to her. I think this book was well written but it didn't always hold my attention, if I'm honest. It was a bit more heavier than I expected it to be so I wasn't as swept up in her tale. I'm sure there's a 'team Lucas' and 'team Eliot' but I think Lucas was too oblivious to her feelings. Despite what we're to believe what Eliot had done, I am much more invested in him than Lucas. The ending is the best and Emmie is at her strongest so you feel like a proud friend with her accomplishments. Don't pick up this book expecting it to be a light affair. There's sexual assault, death, cheating, and toxic relationships sprinkled throughout this book.

While I saw where this story was going, it truly was a joy to read. After reading epic and high fantasy it was such a wonderful palette cleanser!
A love story that starts off in the oddest of ways. It was such a pleasure to watch how Emmie worked through her emotions for Lucas and life itself, ultimately. For 14 years she pined for this boy and ultimately grew up with him via email, yet an ocean apart. It was a will-they-won't-they all the way and I found it most enjoyable.

Many thanks to Netgalley.com for providing an advanced digital copy of Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis in return for my honest review.

Dear Emmie Blue is the story of a 16 year old young woman so hopeless, confused and alone that she releases a balloon into the English sky enclosing a note containing her email address and her deepest secrets. With that one desperate act of sending off her heartbreak into the universe, her life changes, for the better. She finds a lifeline in the discoverers of the balloon, in France, Lucas, Eliot and their family.

That was then, but now Emmie is turning 30; she has had a run of bad luck and the loneliness is back, but only temporarily. With a little help from a charming cast of characters and a heart open to the possibilities, good things are coming Emmie Blue’s way, and this reader couldn’t help to root for her happiness. She deserves it.

This is the story of Emmie Blue who thought she knew what she wanted out of life, but found so much more. There were unexpected surprises that made the novel a joy to read. 4.5 stars.

Dear Emmie Blue is a very cute, quirky, and lovely contemporary romance. The premise was unique and fun and added a good touch of whimsy. A twist on the old message in a bottle, the message tied to a balloon approach was what initially drew me to try it on. The story has good writing and moves with just the right pacing. I didn't want to set this one aside and wound up finishing it in just a couple of days.

The writing style moved incredibly well and sucked me into the story quite nicely. There was a good balance of description and movement and I felt I was able to see the characters with fairly honest and clear exposition. The use of dual timeline through flashback moments was well executed and I liked seeing the bits of history and how they wove into the present. I sped through my read and really came to adore the development of the majority of the characters. It was mildly predictable, but not overly so, and even those pieces that were predictable really didn't make me that upset.

Emmie is a charming character and the romantic setup of the book was fairly well done. It was very enjoyable to read about the friendship, which mostly felt read and well done. I will admit that Lucas's side of the relationship did grow a bit overly tarnished during the movement of the plot, with his own character coming into question in a bit of a heavy-handed way. He came off as selfish and a bit creepy, which I wish wouldn't have been the case as it would have added to the need for Emmie to fully explore her feelings without having external bias based on some crap actions.

The story does have a few conceptual flaws that need mentioning. The background plots for Emmie are problematic. Sexual assault is used as a bit of an overly tropey backstory and that storyline really isn't explored well enough or dealt with in a way that felt healthy. I think the impact of this storyline could have been better done with the use of a bullying backstory for Emmie's school days instead. As it was, this felt a bit too much. Additionally, Emmie's family issues felt somewhat tacked on as pieces to simply aid the movement of the plot rather than issues that were fully impactful and important.

Despite the inclusion of these questionable characters, not all was lost. The majority of the side characters were just genuinely wonderfully well-created. I loved Rosie and wanted her to have so much more of the story. She could easily star in her very own novel as I found her quite intriguing. I felt similarly about Louise. I would have loved more of Eliot's backstory, and even could have used a bit more of the awful Ana. I suppose I just wanted more of them for a fuller picture. It's always a good sign when you even appreciate the most awful of the characters though.

Overall, my feeling with Dear Emmie Blue was a good one. It was a quick read that kept me captivated and I did find myself fairly invested in the outcome. I enjoyed myself, would recommend it to other readers, and will look for more from this author as her writing talent continues to develop.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

I loved this book! Emmie Blue is celebrating her 30th birthday with her best friend, Lucas, who also shares her birthday. They met as teenagers when he found her “message in a balloon” and she is secretly in love with him. A fantastic book about unrequited love, family, and friendship.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was a charming book the I really enjoyed. Emmie, who lives in England, develops a friendship with a French boy named Lucas after he finds a balloon she sent off. Their friendship grows over the years, and when he Lucas asks Emmie to be his best man at his wedding, she readily agrees. Unfortunately, she doesn’t realize how much her feelings have changed from friendship to romance.

This is a great read and I highly recommend it. 4 stars.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet, heart wrenching, and emotional read! This is such a sweet, memorable book that was a great antidote to the hellish year that was 2020!

Dear Emmie Blue, Lia Louis's latest release, is a charming story with a delightful protagonist who really grows throughout the story. Emmie has largely been on her own as her mother flits about the British countryside and a scandal during high school destroys any sense of community Emmie has. That is, until, she sends a balloon with a note that makes its way to France and into Lucas's hands. Lucas emails Emmie and 14 years later they are best friends and more like family. Lucas is getting married and asks Emmie to be his "best-woman"-only problem is Emmie is in love with him. But, dutiful as ever, she agrees. What ensues takes Emmie on a journey of growth while having to accept that things are not always as they seem and those we trust the most may not have always had the best intentions. Told with wit and charm, Emmie Blue is a hit!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.