Lia Louis writes beautiful and emotional romances and Dear Emmie Blue is no exception. The story is a wonderful tale filled with real emotions, some humour, and two great characters. Lucas and Emmie were standouts and I highly recommend!

I loved the whole premise of this story. It reminded me of back in my days as a kid and how we used to have balloon launches in elementary school.

This was just the kind of cute, feel-good read I needed.

Sadly, I did not manage to read this book, but I still believe it's worth reading!

Thank you @simonandschustercanada and #netgalley for this e-ARC in return for my honest review.

This book is so sweet and lovely! Very much an emotional roller coaster for me. Every character felt fully realized and whole, Emmie herself is so likable, I found myself eager to sit her down for a coffee and give her a hug, I identified with her so much!

Would love to read more by this author, absolutely smitten with Emmie and her story.

On the weekend of her 30th birthday, Emmie has a special dinner planned with Lucas. After going through a difficult period when she was 16, Emmie released a balloon with a note in England, that was later found by Lucas in France. The two have been best friends since, but Emmie thinks that tonight is the night he will finally ask her to be more. However that's not what he asks her. He asks her to be his "best woman" because he's getting married to someone else!

Though Emmie accepts, she struggles with her feelings and with being there for Lucas. She is also reconsidering her career, her relationship with her mother, and is looking into finding her father. I loved the writing and was sucked in right away! It is an emotional story with cute, quirky characters and some fun subplots! It's predictable fairly early on, but sometimes its still satisfying to see it all play out!

There is a recurring theme of sexual abuse, and learning to overcome fears and reservations due to trauma. I was hoping there would be some mention of seeking therapy or professional guidance! However, I still truly enjoyed this and was routing for Emmie the entire time!

Dear Emmie Blue is a cute, clever, heart-warming contemporary romance that I would recommend! I will admit I am more critical of this genre (and still couldn't put this down!) so please do give this fun story a chance!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was hands down, one of the best books I read in all of 2020. I just adored Emmie and her story was unlike one I've ever read before. It was a bit heartbreaking, but also hopeful and just sweet. The male characters in her story were lovely as well, and I was not expecting the book to take the twists and turns it did. I was engrossed with it from the get-go, I cried at the end and this will be one book that will stay with me for a very long time.

There were many beautiful learnings swirling on the pages of this book. It was a little hard to read at times—I found it very hard to learn about the way Emmie’s mother treated her. And while the ending was predictable pretty early on in the book, what mattered really was the journey that Emmie went through, a journey many of us can relate to even if it begins with something quite improbable—girl launches balloon, boy finds balloon, girl and boy become good friends. The power of relationships, the importance of opening up to new friends despite terrible experiences in the past, and the resilience of the human spirit are the most important themes and let’s just say that in 2020, we need all of the above to make it through what has easily been a pretty terrible year. Dear Emmie Blue will leave you uplifted and hopeful that things will get better, however terrible they may be at the moment.

Ahhhh this book was everything, I went into this book not knowing anything about it. I was so pleasantly surprised. It’s a story about unrequited love, about being bought together by fate and then learning that everything you thought you knew is wrong but what it really is, is so much better if you let it be. An absolute top read for this year and EXACTLY what I needed

Dear Emmie Blue was totally unexpected. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but this book was so much more than a simple romance or book about friendship. Emmie Blue is in love. She is in love with her best friend of 14 years, but it seems he is in love with someone else. Emmie has been there for Lucas for years, through broken hearts and all sorts of problems. What he doesn't realize is that Emmie doesn't just want to be his friend, she is in love with him. He is getting married and has asked Emmie to be his Best Woman. Of course she says yes, because she would do anything for Lucas.

This story was about friendship, loyalty, family, secrets and more. It is full of emotions and had me getting teary often. The characters in this book were well developed and had me wanting to react with them, not always in a good way. I do not want to spoil this story for anyone, so will not tell you much more about this story, but I will say that this is not only a sad story. There are some wonderful aspects and there is a happy ending, as well as a huge twist, so take a chance on this one and curl up with Emmie, Lucas and the rest of the characters that inhabit this story.

I did a read/listen with this book. I started listening to the audiobook and switched over to read the book and after several chapters I was hooked. I actually started the audiobook over again and loved it. I say this because I had expectations about what this story was about, so I missed some of the small details and emotions that are so important to this story. Narrator Katy Sobey, does a great job. Her accents (both British and French) were well done. Her expression, pacing and tone were perfect and changed as needed throughout the story. A pleasure to listen to this one.

Oh, Emmie. You randomly came across my reading pile and quickly found your way into my heart. The cover of Lia Louis's second novel was what originally caught my eye but then one of my favourite authors mentioned she had read, and loved, Dear Emmie Blue. I figured, what the heck. I'd request it from NetGalley and see what it was like. And oh my word, I fell head over heels for this story. It was a surprise, not that it was great, exactly, but that I was so completely, totally in love.

Here's the synopsis:
At sixteen, Emmie Blue stood in the fields of her school and released a red balloon into the sky. Attached was her name, her email address…and a secret she desperately wanted to be free of. 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. She has pinned all her hopes on him and waits patiently for him to finally admit that she’s the one for him. So dedicated to her love for Lucas, Emmie has all but neglected her life outside of this relationship—she’s given up the search for her absentee father, no longer tries to build bridges with her distant mother, and lives as a lodger to an old lady she barely knows after being laid off from her job. And when Lucas tells Emmie he has a big question to ask her, she’s convinced this is the moment he’ll reveal his feelings for her. But nothing in life ever quite goes as planned, does it?

Emmie Blue is about to learn everything she thinks she knows about life (and love) is just that: what she thinks she knows. Is there such thing as meant to be? Or is it true when they say that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans?
Emmie is a huge reason why I loved this book. She's just turning 30 when we meet her (as is Lucas - they share a birthday) and feels like she should have her life more "together" than it is. That is something I most definitely can relate to. Sometimes I'm still surprised that I'm supposed to be a real adult. She also has a lot of pain in her past, especially from when she was a teen, that she's never really dealt with. Until she realizes she has to work through what happened to her, she can't quite move on and isn't aware of some of the really wonderful things, and people, in her life.

You may think that it would be frustrating for the reader when it's so clear that Emmie needs to face her past head on so she can move forward. That she's putting walls up and not fully allowing people in who the reader can see would be so good for her. I wasn't frustrated. I actually felt some of the pain right along with Emmie and was surprised at how emotional I was getting while reading the book. Louis makes the reader feel all the feels with this novel so be prepared. It's hard sometimes but it's part of what makes this book so magical.

When I first started the book, it reminded me a lot of the movie Love, Rosie which is based on Cecelia Ahern's novel Where Rainbows End. This was a rare case of not having read the book before the movie so I don't know how much was changed in the adaptation, but the similarities between this book and the movie were strong. The storylines eventually diverged and become more dissimilar as time went on but the feeling I was left with after finishing both Dear Emmie Blue and Love, Rosie was really similar and I was glad to have found another story that made my heart warm (after making it hurt).

While the majority of the novel's plot is about family, friends, and professional issues, a good chunk of it is also about a romance. Emmie's realized she's completely hung up on Lucas, who she's known for 14 years. Like, full blown, hopelessly devoted in love with him. The reader has a clearer view than Emmie of how the romance should play out and I was thrilled when she finally caught up to what I was seeing.

Dear Emmie Blue is full of every emotion you can imagine. Some good, some bad, but that's life and Lia Louis has written a novel that is so lovely and realistic and heartwarming that you can forgive the bad because the good is so, so wonderful. This novel gave me a major book hangover and it will stick with me for a long, long time. I highly recommend it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

“Where are you at, Emmie Blue?”

Emmie Blue loves Lucas. I guess you
can say she's loved him since they were 16, when she released a red balloon with her email and a written secret inside. Ever since Lucas found it on a French beach and immediately emailed her.
Fourteen years later, they’ve been the best of friends. He’d make her mixed tapes and, they shared all of life’s events - good and bad.

So, when Lucas tells her he has an important question to ask her, Emmie really thinks it’s THE question. Sorry to tell you dear reader, it is not. Lucas has asked Emmie Blue to be his “Best Woman” as he's marrying his ex-girlfriend. Emmie is devastated, actually, beyond DEVASTATED - her heart has been broken in a million pieces. But like a true friend, she does all that is required of a Best Woman - even though the pain is agonizing.

Now she has to look to the future without Lucas, and try to focus on everything she's been ignoring for years.

Dear Emmie Blue is a lovely book. As a reader, you can't help but feel all her pain and joy as she lives it.

A big thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced copy. Emmie's story was such a pleasure to read.

So much more than a romance story!

Yes, for sure, the love story was cute and I got chills when Emmie finally kissed *the one I was rooting for*. But it was also a deeper story about friendship, about finding who we are, about family and even about abuse. I fell for these characters and already miss them.

The writing flowed easily and I could see the story playing in my head like a movie. It was better than I expected! Thanks to my GR friends who gave it 5 stars, it's because I saw all your good reviews that I requested it on Netgalley!

4.5 rounded up

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC.

This little book was a treat, but more than just a snack. ⁣It was a weightier. Woven within the lighter content were heavier topics dealing with sexual assault, bullying and complicated family relations. For a little book, it packed a lot of punch.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
During a difficult time in her life, Emmie releases a balloon with a note and it is found on the other side of the sea. From there, Emmie and Lucas become quick friends. Fourteen years later, Emmie is desperately in love with Lucas and prioritizes him and their friendship above all else. This is complicated by the fact that Lucas has recently proposed to his on/off again girlfriend and asked Emmie to be his best-woman. ⁣I physically felt Emmie’s heart break and wanted to soothe her soul with cheap wine and ice cream. ⁣
⁣⁣
I was captivated by Emmie Blue very quickly. She had a steadfast friend in me, as I cheered for her to achieve happiness from the sidelines. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her come in to her own. As she evolved, you watched the relationships around her change too. Emmie was a prime example of needing to take care of yourself in order to do a good job of taking care of others. We all have a bit of Emmie in us. She was relatable, she was loveable, and in turn, so was her story. ⁣⁣

Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis is a unique contemporary romance that has a mix of sweet and hard-hitting moments. Also, Emmie is a compelling character that will grow on you as her story is slowly revealed. This is one book that you will want to try if you are a fan of the genre.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the story is the simple balloon with a note attached that sparks a friendship between Emmie and Lucas. It has The Red Balloon movie vibes, as the balloon Emmie releases is one that also signifies hope, friendship, and love. It is such a wonderful and lovely part of the novel.

❀ ADMIRABLE AND DETERMINED MAIN CHARACTER

It is not all happy-go-lucky for Emmie and Lucas, though. Once the story moves along through the use of flashbacks, it really starts to get rolling. Some of the hardships that Emmie has faced are quite difficult and her character is very admirable and determined. She has some interesting friends as well that add some light-hearted moments to the novel.

❀ A FANTASTIC PREMISE

While I did find Dear Emmie Blue to be slow-going at first, it does deliver in the end. It has such a fantastic premise and the characters are very intriguing. I look forward to reading more of the author’s books.

This is a SUPER CUTE and uplifting love story! This book made me feel the feels and I'm so glad I was given an ARC. Such a fun concept for a book. The character development in this book was wonderful and you really understood the characters!!!

Thank you to Emily Bestler Books, and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lonely and vulnerable following a traumatic event, sixteen-year-old Emmie Blue reaches out to her neglectful mother in the hopes of finding support and comfort. Her mother's response is harsh, critical and she ends up siding with everyone else on the issue. In an effort to rid of herself of this terrible secret, and hoping for a friend, Emmie lets a red balloon go with her secret and her email attached. Enter Lucas, who finds her balloon on a beach in France, and there begins a life-changing friendship.

Fourteen years later, Lucas has always been there for Emmie, and she is hopelessly in love with him. She has all but abandoned trying to connect with her mom, searching for her father, or developing relationships with others in her life. When Lucas tells Emmie he has something to ask her, something he can't do over the phone, she desperately hopes he is about to reveal his true feelings. What comes next shocks Emmie. Will her happily ever come true? Or will secrets lead her down a different path?

I couldn't help but fall in love with Emmie Blue! She felt so relatable, most likely because I too have felt alone and undeserving of happiness at times throughout my life. At various points throughout the book all I wanted to do was give her a hug. I thought Lia Louis did a wonderful job in creating a ensemble of characters, each very different from the other. My favourite relationship had to have been the one between Emmie and her landlady Louise. The transformation of their relationship from start to finish was heartwarming, and it drove home the notion that we don't always know what someone else has been through. The wit and humour provided by her friends Rosie and Fox was an added bonus. The narration involves flashbacks to different points throughout their friendship, and I thought it worked perfectly for this story in order to piece everything together. The writing flowed easily, and made for light reading.

An uplifting story of friendship, family, love, resilience, and learning that life doesn't always turn out the way we plan, Dear Emmie Blue is the perfect summer read. I will admit I was pleasantly surprised how much I ended up enjoying this book. It's perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, those looking for a light, heartwarming read, and anyone who likes a story of resilience.

Content Warnings: strained parental relationship, sexual assault

This was a total cover request! It immediately caught my eye and after reading the synopsis I had to have it. So thankful I was approved for this one, thanks so much Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley!

You guys! I'm finally coming around to enjoying love stories ... like SO MUCH! It's ok ... I'm beginning to question who I am too. Ha!

Oh Emmie Blue, you completely stole my heart! Sooo many emotions ... I laughed, I cried, I gasped. I really adored this book! Such an easy 5 stars! This book was so well written and so heartwarming. I really enjoyed the storyline, the characters (well most of them anyways - you'll see) and the writing. I would love a follow up book actually ... can this be arranged? Hehe!!

I highly recommend this lovely story!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC to read and review.

First, I want to give a trigger warning for this book for sexual assault.

Second. I almost stopped reading it BUT I am so happy that I didn't give up on it. At first, I could not understand how Emmie could be so immature as to think that her longtime best friend summoned her to France to ask her to be boyfriend/girlfriend. Emmie was shockingly naive at the start of the book and it really put me off. However, as the story moves forward we get to see how Emmie evolves and matures as a person. I'm not one to cry at a book - especially not a romance, but I did when this one was over.

I also appreciate how the author shows Emmie's changes without the typical disasters that I find are so common in romance - trouble at work, big mistakes in her personal life, etc. Those scenarios are always unrealistic and cause me to have a lot of angst as a reader. Apart from the first few chapters, where Emmie is very much like a teenager when it comes to a crush on Lucas, most of the events in the book are pretty realistic for how a normal person would react. I am so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. This will be an author to watch for sure!

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.

Thanks to Netgallry and Simon and Schuster Canada I had the chance to read this book. Lia Louis has made me a fan! This is such a great summer read and a story with a lot of heart. It was light, fun and a quick read that also had a lot of emotion behind it. What a great story!

As a teenager, Emmie Blue felt utterly alone. After experiencing a traumatic event in high school she didn't feel like she had anyone to turn to. Her single mother was neglectful and provided no support. So one day Emmie released a balloon into the sky with her email address and her big secret attached to it. It was found by a boy named Lucas who promptly emailed her back. The two began a friendship. They seemed to be just what each other needed at that point in their lives. As they got closer, Emmie found herself falling totally in love with him. Now years later as adults, and still friends, Emmie thinks he may finally feel the same way. But of course, life isn't always quite that simple.

This novel is both charming and cute. It's a very easy read and I really loved the plot. I also totally love Emmie! I think she is a great character and a fierce friend. She is loyal, almost to a fault, and someone you could see yourself being real life friends with! I love a good, strong female lead and Emmie is just that. If you havn't read this one yet I would definately recommend checking it out. I look forward to reading more from Lia Louis in the future!