Sometimes a book comes into your life right at the right time and delivers a feel-good romance. That was Eight Perfect Hours for me. Truly, everything was perfect with respect to the serendipity that the characters experienced when meeting one another.

Noelle Butterby has just left her class reunion when she finds herself stranded on the side of the road, in the middle of a blizzard. Her phone is out of juice and so she has no way to reach out to anyone for help. Fortunately for her, there is a car that comes by that contains a handsome American stranger named Sam, who she ends up spending "eight perfect hours" with stranded in the car.

After those eight hours, Sam returned to the United States, leaving Noelle heartbroken given the connection she was feeling. Not having gotten his contact information, she figures she'll never see him again. Fast-forward a few weeks and they bump into one another again, a phenomenon that continues to happen over and over again. Are these two really destined to be soulmates?

This was such a lovely romance. It gave me Hallmark vibes along with evoking all sorts of emotions. This is one of those books that people who believe in coincidences, soulmates, and fate, are absolutely going to love. It's worth the read.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Are you a believer in fate? This book is a super cute holiday themed book centered around a chance encounter between two strangers. This book was the perfect escape and gave me all the Hallmark Christmas movie vibes!

This is a feel-good book about chance encounters, fate, and finding ones soul mate ever so unexpectedly. Noelle ends up stranded on the side of the freeway in her car during a blizzard, her phone is dead, and nothing seems to be going right for her. Then fate steps in and brings Sam to her rescue. Sam is the perfect knight in shining armor, the All-American boy.

Unforeseen circumstances have brought Noelle and Sam together for eight perfect hours. Their connection is undeniable, but Sam will be leaving, and Noelle will be left heartbroken.

Or maybe not? A magnetic force of fate keeps bringing Noelle and Sam back together again.

This book is not only a love story, a story of finding ones soulmate, but it is also a story of finding yourself, giving yourself credit, & fulfilling your dreams!

The only downside: I was a bit bored at times which is why I gave it the rating I did. I found that the characters lacked depth & connection.

I would recommend this book for lovers of adorable, lighthearted, feel good holiday books! This is such a cute & fun holiday romance that is sure to get you in the holiday spirit! This book was the perfect escape from reality and has me looking forward to the holidays

What a hug of a book. I loved it. Just a fun, sweet read. Fate and how the characters come together just made me so happy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my gifted copy.

Imagine a snowy day, snuggled up with a cozy blanket, a good book, and a cup of hot chocolate. That cozy, heartwarming feeling you’re imagining is exactly what reading this book made me feel.

This book starts with a chance encounter - Noelle and Sam spend 8 perfect hours together, stuck on the highway in a blizzard. They walk away without any way to contact each other, but somehow life keeps bringing them to the same place at the same time.

I don’t think I can adequately express how much I loved Eight Perfect Hours. This book truly gave me all the feels. Not only do we get a sweet romance, but we see two people trying to figure out life, dealing with grief, and learning to grow up and move on from things, and relationships that are no longer serving them. All while developing a friendship that seems to have been fate. It was truly a beautiful story. Between this book and Dear Emmie Blue, Lia Louis has easily become an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

"𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐'𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴?"

There's nothing I love more during the cooler months than curling up with a feel-good book and the latest from Lia Louis fit the bill perfectly!

𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦 is the story of Noelle and Sam, two strangers who meet by chance when a snowstorm closes down a British roadway. Noelle is stranded with her cell phone dying when Sam offers her help and the two spend eight perfect hours together until the roads clear. They part thinking they'll never see each other again, but fate has other plans. Despite the fact that Sam lives in America, their paths keep crossing and it soon becomes hard to ignore that they may be destined to be together.

While this book has many sweet and romantic moments, Louis also tackles some heavier topics like grief, postpartum depression, difficult family relationships, elder care, anxiety and more. Her writing is just perfection and what could have been a treacly premise is instead delightful in her skilled hands. Sam is completely swoon-worthy (don't even get me started on his Post-it!) and his meet-cute with Noelle is totally unique. I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship and the ending was the cherry on top of a terrific read.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy to review.

Thank you Atria for the gifted copy!

Imagine getting stuck on the highway in a snowstorm, with a dead cell phone, and a broken car charger. The cute guy in the car next to you witnesses your meltdown and offers you use of his charger…which turns into 8 hours spent chatting in his car. When the roads clear up, that’s it…you both leave, no exchanging of numbers or social media. Just…goodbye.

Fast forward a bit and who do you run into…but that same guy!! From then on your lives start intersecting at the weirdest times. Is it fate? Noelle thinks it is, but Sam isn’t so sure.

You do need to suspend reality about for this one because I feel like all the times their paths crossed we’re too coincidental. But if you can overlook that, it’s a sweet read that will give you some feels and make you smile at the end.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

This was such a cozy cheesy Hallmark type romance. It actually does not take place during the holidays but it definitely had that vibe.

After a miserable high school reunion, Noelle finds herself trapped in a blizzard with a perfectly gentle stranger Sam. They spend 8 perfect hours together and it seems like they could be so much more. But then the roads cleared up and Noelle went to her home in England, and Sam drove to the airport back to his home in America. Except chance kept bringing these two back together. Both of them have a complicated relationship status with other people, and Noelle especially cannot shake the feeling that her meeting Sam is not a coincidence, especially when he shows up for her time and again.

Through this romance novel, the author addresses moving forward, self-discovery, being there for family and friends where it matters, and letting go of expectations that no longer serve. I loved how the author adressed mental health issues in such a candid way and talked about families needing external support as well.

Ultimately this romantic novel reminded me very much of the Netflix "Christmas Inheritance" movie, or even "Leap Year".

If you are looking for a fluffy cozy romance I encourage you to pick this one up. It will not disappoint.

Title: Eight Perfect Dates
Author: Lia Louis
Publisher: Atria Books
@atriabooks
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pub Date: 9/28/21

Hey guys, have got a FIVE star book for you coming out in ONE WEEK! It’s from the the author Lia Louis who wrote Dear Emmie Blue.

Thank you @atriabooks for sending this one to me as a read now on @netgalley and also a #gifted finished copy.

If I had to use one word to describe Eight Perfect Dates I would use the word charming. But since I write my own reviews and make the rules I can use as many as I want so here goes: charming, delightful, happenstance, soulmates, romantic, fateful, serendipity and a book that gives a permanent smile while you are reading it! A book that you don’t want to end!

Synopsis: On a snowy evening in March, thirty-something Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone.

All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome American stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear. The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other again but fate, it seems, has a different plan. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read this in nearly one sitting and there is absolutely nothing I would change about this story. The pacing was perfect. The secondary characters were enjoyable. It was one of those books you read fast because it was so good, but at the same time you wanted to slow down because you didn’t want your time with the characters to end. I really enjoyed Noelle and Sam. Sam has excellent book boyfriend potential! Put this on your fall & winter #tbr! Out Tuesday September 28th.

**One little teensy annoyance . . . The cover looks like a Christmas book, but it absolutely is not!

Do you believe in fate?

SO charming! Noelle is such a wonderfully crafted character that you can't help rooting for her, even as you want to slap her and tell her to wake up. Noelle and Sam meet during the "eight perfect hours" they are stranded in a snowstorm together. And then they keep meeting. In inprobable locations and situations. Noelle is positive it's fate. Sam's not so sure.

Yes, I realize that reads like a cheesy romance novel, but I promise you this book is so much more than that. It's also about believing in yourself.

"On a snowy evening in March, 30-something Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone. All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome American stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear.

The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other again, but fate, it seems, has a different plan. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence."

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Eight Perfect Hours is a wonderful read. I loved this one. This is two strangers coming together and the connection that they form. Fate has dealt a hand and as this one goes on with Noelle and Sam you see everything fall into place. Noelle is a bit lost in life never had her grand adventures like she dreamed of and has been a caretaker for her mom. Sam is connecting with his dad as he finds a new adventure of his own. There is such a strong pull from the very beginning as Sam and Noelle first meet in a snow storm. I love their banter each every time they have a chance meeting. There is something special on how fate is working for them. This is a sweet read that will take your heart as the book goes on. You need to meet Sam and Noelle as they discover how fate plays her hand.

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC early! This is a fun ride very reminiscent of One Day in December or other "fate brought us together" stories. Noelle and Sam meet one night when they're both stranded in their cars due to bad roads from snow. Her phone is about to die so she sits in his car to charge it and the 2 form a friendship. The night ends and they part ways, but they keep finding their paths intertwine despite the fact that he's an American from Oregon and she's from the UK. I really liked their relationship, but I could not get behind the cheating (even if its only emotional cheating) that was all over this book. Both people have long time loves that theyre in rocky relationships with and while there were definitely gray lines, I just couldn't help but put myself in the position of the other people who would be wronged in this situation. I also felt like we got a little beaten over the head with all the connections these people had. It felt over done and unrealistic. All that to say, I loved the cast of characters and thought Noelles friends were great. I loved that the author tried to include a depiction of postpartum depression with Charlie, but I wish it would've been given a little more time and attention because it sort of felt like it just got thrown in. Overall cute read that I would recommend, but not without its flaws.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Noelle had an ex named Ed who had a terrible mother and truthfully was kind of an ass. He was a doctor who chose to go to America and leave Noelle behind. She couldn't go because her mom suffered a stroke that left her physically able but with a lot of anxiety about being alone. Noelle has always wanted to be a florist but she's a cleaner to get by and pay the bills and that leaves no time for her dreams. In this book, Ed comes back and wants to try again so she does, all the while meeting up with Sam and having overwhelming feelings. We see Noelle coming into her own and pursuing her dreams and in the end she becomes a florist, lets go of Ed and has an HEA with Sam. Sam also has a long term girlfriend that he doesn't tell Noelle about for awhile and that was annoying. We find out in the very end that (in addition to all the other connections they have) they both lost loved ones when they were teenagers to the same car accident. His cousin and her best friend were in a car (that teenage Sam and Noelle were supposed to be in) and they died. Both harbor a lot of guilt and working through that allowed them to have their HEA.

😢When life seems dire, fate kicks in😌

💐So much to think about here, and all of the emotions, packed into a poignant love story. I loved Lia Louis' "Dear Emmie Blue" and the range of emotions I experienced reading it. Louis has done it again with this story of put-upon Noelle, who's never been able to get over the guilt she associates with the tragic, premature death of her high school BFF Daisy. Noelle's tendency to be there in the background for others and suppress her own ambitions and dreams was upsetting to me. But with a seemingly chance encounter in a snowstorm, wheels turn and Noelle's life actually bit by bit starts moving in a new direction.

I loved the the cohesiveness of Sam and Noelle's story, seemingly just a set of random coincidences yet all tied together to a critical set of decisions on one fateful night. I was definitely surprised by the revelations near the story's end, and contented by the change in Noelle's mindset and fortunes.

Every secondary character is well defined and plays an important role. Charlie, Noelle's new-mother friend, has an interesting side story of her own and mental health issues are incorporated in a realistic and sensitive manner.

This book definitely lived up to the promise of "Dear Emmie Blue" and cements my high opinion of the author's storytelling and character development skills.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I absolutely loved Dear Emmie Blue, so jumped at the chance to read Eight Perfect Hours. Well, Lia Louis is on my list of auto read/buy authors. This was such a beautiful story and I absolutely loved reading about Noelle (Elle) and Sam. Noelle is on her way home from college reunion when a blizzard strikes. She is stranded on the road with many others. She needs to let her mother know what has happened and that she is going to be late, when she realizes that her phone is almost dead. Enter the American in the next car, Sam. He sees her tears and frustration and offers to let her charge her phone in his car. She accepts and until the storm clears, they spend eight perfect hours stranded together. When traffic is ready to move, Noelle heads home and Sam heads to the airport to go back to the US.

Do you believe in fate, or that there is someone out there that you are destined to be with? If so, this is definitely the book for you. If you enjoy a well written romance with some serious themes, this is also the book for you. I do not want to spoil this book for you, but I will say it is a wonderfully written story that was so real. Noelle is a sweetheart that I loved and wanted her to find her happily ever after. She is too kind for her own good. She wants to do something with flowers in her future and I was rooting for her to follow her dream. Her family is not without their issues, and Noelle tries to help and be there whenever she is needed. Most of the characters in this book had flaws, which made it more relatable and realistic. Noelle has a wonderful friend in Charlie, someone she has known for years. Charlie and Theo are married with a sweet little girl, Petal and this adds another dimension to the story, once again making it real. Although this is a romance, and a lovely one at that, there are also themes of mental health, post-partum depression, hoarding, infidelity, grief and following your dreams. I definitely recommend this story. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

4.5 / 5

On this first day of Autumn, who’s ready for a wintery read? 𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 will make you want to grab your blanket and cup of hot cocoa as you snuggle with this heartwarming story.

Noelle Butterby is on the way home from her college reunion when a blizzard hits and strands her on the road. She’s dealing with a lot; a recent break-up, the death of a friend and an ill mother, and now she’s stuck, with a dead phone and no help in sight, until a very handsome stranger comes along.

His name is Sam Attwood. Sam and Noelle spend the next eight hours together waiting until the road is clear. Not intending on ever seeing each other again, the two say their goodbyes and go their ways. But fate seems to have a different plan, as Sam and Noelle keep having chance encounters.

I loved Lia Louis’ book 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞, and although I didn’t feel this one was quite as emotional, it still had that tender, sincere quality that Louis captures so well. The story is more than just a romance, which is unhurried and very PG. It also explores caring for a parent, as well as depression and grief. I liked that we see growth in the characters as they navigate through the trials of life and give love a chance.

Thank you to @atriabooks and @simonandschuster for this digital ebook

I absolutely adored Dear Emmie Blue when I read it last year, so I was so thrilled to read Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis. And I loved it too--actually, the longer I thought about it, and it was one of those books that I couldn't stop thinking about, the more I loved it!

I'm a huge believer in fate and serendipity. I believe fate is what led me to meet my husband almost 28 years ago, so I had no problem falling super hard for this incredible love story between Noelle and Sam, two strangers thrown into each other's paths one snowy night when a blizzard shuts down the highway. They spend 8 perfect hours in each other's company only for Sam, an American, to fly home that night and for Noelle to keep thinking about him. As fate would have it, the two keep being put in each other's path but both are already in a relationship, so it seems like fate might be dealing them a cruel trick. Still, they can't help how they feel...

Louis' books are charming, heartwarming, and joyful even when the stories cover some deep topics like mental health issues (anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, postpartum depression), grief over the loss of a friend and family member, complex family dynamics, loss of self-identity, and more. She handles all these things with a deftness and charm that allows you to fall in love with the plot, characters, and narrative. I was left feeling all snuggly, warm, and cozy inside after reading this, which was a great feeling and reminiscent of the joy I felt after reading Emmie Blue. An emotional read that made me smile, laugh, and cry. I definitely recommend and can't wait to see what joyous book Louis gifts her readers with next!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

-Review posted to NetGalley, Goodreads, and Twitter on 9/22/21 and will be posted to Amazon and B&N on publication

I finished this book last night and I'm still dreaming about it. This was my first Lia Louis book and I cannot wait to read Dear Emmie Blue now. Her word choice and descriptions are unique and evoke so much emotion. Eight Perfect Hours is told from Noelle's POV; it follows her as she goes through a series of serendipitous moments beginning with being stranded on the freeway with a perfect stranger (who happens to be extremely handsome) in a snow storm.

"My life has started. I'm in it. It's not something I'm waiting for anymore. I'm here. And whatever I wanted for my life, was it this?"

This book left me with so many feelings. Happiness, peace, a hint of sadness, and a desire to reflect on my own life, a desire to live a little more loudly.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this. The opinions in this review are my own.

This is my first Lia Louis book, but after my friends RAVED about Dear Emmie Blue, I knew I had to give this one a try. It's not quite a holiday read, but with it's snowy cover and snowstorm opener, it's a nice winter read. Our heroine, Noelle, finds herself trapped on a highway home from her college reunion when a sudden storm stalls all traffic. When a stranger sees her breaking down over not being able to charge her phone (her car's a bit of a clunker) and reach her sick mother, he offers her a passenger seat in his car and a charging port. Over the next eight hours, Noelle bonds with American Sam, and has the easiest conversation with an attractive man she's had in years. But the two part without exchanging numbers, seemingly never to see each other again. Until they end up running into each other again... and again... and again...

This book is so excellently plotted, there is no irrelevant detail and everything comes together beautifully in the end. I was really shipping for Noelle and Sam and the book may have actually convinced me to root for and believe in fate, which is not something I would normally say. However, I don't think the book quite lives up to its title. The first eight hours take up only a miniscule portion of the full story, and, to be honest, are the most boring of the bunch. We get tidbits of conversation between Noelle and Sam and are told how easy Noelle feels talking to him, but I don't really feel the kismet connection between the two I think I'm supposed to. I think either or the eight hours needed to take up more of the book and show more of a connection between the two, or maybe be skipped. And we just see Noelle talking about it after the fact. I don't know, there's a high bar for those eight hours and it's difficult to meet. Maybe a title change would lower expectations for them.

Overall, I still enjoyed the book immensely, and thought it got better as it went along!

Thanks to Atria for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

DNF @ 43%. Admittedly I am not a believer in fate, and one of the reasons why shows up in this book. The characters - at least so far - are making no effort to see each other yet keep ending up in one another’s lives, and yet they’re supposed to supposedly be love interests. But furthermore, I was disappointed in how little space the eight perfect hours takes up in the book, there were a few too many ancillary characters for me, and the point where I decided to stop was when it was revealed why the MMC didn’t show any agency to pursue a relationship with Noelle. It’s something that I personally have a hard time with, even if this isn’t a traditional romance novel.

In a snow day, Noelle gets stuck in traffic and ends up spending 8 (perfect) hours with Sam, another person that was caught in the same situation while in route to the airport. She thinks she will never see or hear about him again, but then they keep bumping into each other in all sorts of situation. It's an interesting come of age story, where Noelle tries to find out more about Sam and ends up learning more about herself and about what she really wants to accomplish in life while searching for him.

Do you believe in fate?

Noelle has just been at a reunion at her college, she is on her way home, driving in the snow. The snow gets so heavy it shuts down the road and she is stuck. A nearby motorist comes and knocks on her window to make sure she is ok.

Sam is back in England after living in America for awhile. He is actually on his way back to the airport when he gets stuck in the storm. He knocks on Noelle's window and eventually Noelle makes her way over to Sam's car so she can charge her phone and wait out the storm. They spend Eight Perfect Hours together before the storm moves on and traffic starts to move.

Those eight perfect hours seem like a dream. They don't exchange phone numbers, so Noelle thinks she will never see Sam again. But fate has a way of proving them both wrong.

Lia Louis has an amazing way of telling a story, and just when you think you know everything about Sam and Noelle, she adds one more piece to the puzzle until you firmly believe that Noelle and Sam were truly meant to be together! 4⭐

Thank you to Atria Books and Lia Louis for gifting me the egalley of this book. I loved it!!