Noelle meets Sam by chance while the two are stuck in traffic during a snowstorm. After spending eight perfect hours together they part ways. But fate has other ideas as the two keep randomly bumping into each other. Little do they know that they were meant to meet years ago and their past is just as tied together as their present seems to be.

After reading Dear Emmie Blue I knew that any Lia Louis book would be a must read for me and this one was just as wonderfully sweet and magical! Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Eight Perfect Hours tuggedddd at my heartstrings. It opens with an eight-hour traffic jam in the midst of a blizzard during which Noelle meets Sam, who offers to let her use his phone charger. During the storm, Louis crafts a perfect little utopia for the two of them with palpable chemistry. They’re both truly lovable and quirky characters.

When the two of them went their separate ways without exchanging contact information, I was just holding my breath to see how they would meet again next. It turns out, there would be lots of surreptitious ‘nexts’ in their futures.

The detailed backstory about both main characters, most notably, the loss of loved ones when they were teenagers, created really believable and well-rounded narrators who I believed in wholeheartedly. Noelle finds herself constantly torn between caring for her mother and wanting to pursue her career ambitions. It was heartbreaking to see her struggle and how she’d held herself back for so long.

This story goes far beyond mere missed connections. The twists thrown into the storyline took my breath away, but were so seamlessly integrated that looking back I couldn't believe I didn’t see them coming. This whole book gave me butterflies and I couldn't look away.

4.5 fairytale feel good stars!

Feel good alert! If you don't have all the feel good feelings after reading this one you're either a Grumpus or in a terrible mood and should probably go back to bed and try again tomorrow!

Noelle and Sam meet while stranded on a snowy motorway one night and ride out 8 hours of a closed road together and then go their separate ways. But fate isn't done with these two because they are brought together again and again and again. Destiny is not the only premise at work here because both Noelle and Sam are stuck. Their lives are in kind of a rut and they can't seem to move forward and start living again due to circumstances they believe are out of their control and being fearful of taking a chance.

I fell head over heels for Dear Emmie Blue and was so very excited to read this newest book by this author and it didn't disappoint! Lots of character growth throughout the story, great side characters, and this almost wistful fairy-tale type feeling as the pieces of Sam and Noelle are slotted together in a way that convinces you it's kismet. Overall a sweet, warm, and fluffy story but plenty of personal growth and challenges to overcome to keep this from being 100% Hallmark. Enjoyed it very much!

Though this story reminded me of One Night in December, it had a much quieter feel to it that I preferred. Sam and Noelle’s way of handling grief were different yet the same and they way they found each other was lovely.

Thank you to @Atria Books and @netgalley for the eARC of Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis in exchange for an honest review.

It's a fact, I'm not a fan of the romance genre. But, I loved this book!

Do you believe in fate!? This book will make you a fan of serendipity and fate. When Sam and and Noelle met in a snowstorm and spend time in together, they don't expect to ever see one another again. But, they do! Both are trying to move on with their lives but somehow they both feel stuck. But these two keep running into each other. Is just coincidence or is there any such thing?

This is just an overall feel good read. I was rooting for Sam and Noelle throughout the entire story and hoping they would end up together. There's only one way for you to find out....... read this book!

From the author that brought you Dear Emmie Blue, Lia Louis has written another wonderful book!

This one releases on September 28, 2021

Thank you Atria Books for my copy of Eight Perfect Hours. All thoughts are my own.

This was 100% a cover that pulled me in. But sadly, this book didn’t work for me. I think if you really liked stories like One Day in December, In Five Years, and Dear Emmie Blue. It just wasn’t a contemporary that I vibed with and that’s okay!

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.”

What I Liked:

The Setting—I love a book set in England! I thought the setting was very atmospheric and brought to light well.

The Focus on Mental Health—I think this was done so well! It might be because it was such a personal story line, but watching a loved one recover from a major health issue is HARD. Being the one responsible for their care and reentry into the world is so hard. The toll it takes on the patient and their caregiver was well represented in this book.

What Didn’t Work:

Too Sugary Sweet for Me—I don’t mind when books are cozy and sweet, but I just didn’t vibe with this. I’m starting to think books that focus on “Fate” aren’t for me. (Like One Day in December, In Five Years, etc).

Lacked the “Can’t Put It Down Factor” For Me—100% personal preference! It does not mean it’s a bad book, it just wasn’t the book for me.

The Romance—I wasn’t swept up in this romance and just didn’t find it believable, but I think it’s 100% the fate trope!

Content Warnings:

Stroke, Anxiety, Depression

Character Authenticity: 2.5/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 2.75/5

Eight Perfect Hours is a super cute rom-com that I would love to see as a movie! I would have liked to get the story from multiple perspectives, but that is my only criticism.

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

Lia Louis has done it again! Like her 2020 novel, Dear Emmie Blue, Eight Perfect Hours is a charming, feel-good relationship story. The author knows how to write loveable characters dealing with self-acceptance, doubt, friendship, and life-changing moments. I loved Noelle, the main character, and Sam, her love interest and the building of their relationship. The secondary characters were very engaging and were a great part of the story. Reading it felt like being wrapped in a warm comforting blanket. I loved it! 5 stars! Can’t wait for Lia’s next novel!

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

CW: Depression, anxiety, panic attacks (on page), discussion and mentions of death of loved ones (automobile accident, suicide), stroke, strained parental relationships, possible postpartum depression, grief

Eight Perfect Hours was one of my most anticipated 2021 reads. Lia Louis truly has a gift for transporting the reader right into the story. I started this one before bed (big mistake) and couldn’t put it down. The characters and feelings were so relatable and raw. I didn’t realize the novel would be so heavy emotionally at times, so readers should definitely check the CW’s before starting.

I love the premise of Eight Perfect Hours and the idea that fate and destiny guide our lives in subtle and sometimes tragic ways. The meet cute between Sam and Noelle was so wonderfully unique and set the book up perfectly. I loved their banter and how they truly saw and accepted the other just as they were. I feel the book can fall into both the romance (kissing only) and women’s fiction genres, since Noelle's journey and growth are such a central part of the story. Her character arc is one of the most satisfying I’ve read in a while. The epilogue was just the right amount of sweet and left my heart so full. I loved how Lia Louis wove everything together in the end.

As much as I loved Eight Perfect Hours, sometimes the coincidences felt a bit heavy handed and some plot points were very predictable. I think my biggest issue, however, is that for a large portion of the novel, both Sam and Noelle have significant others/complicated relationships with exes. The emotional cheating bothered me and there is a shared kiss while the two are still tangled up with other people. The reasoning and history behind these complicated relationships is explained and made a lot of sense for the characters and their own journeys, but I still would have preferred a clearer and definitive separation before things shifted.

Fans of Dear Emmie Blue will love Eight Perfect Hours and I'm excited to see what Lia Louis writes next.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

I loved Dear Emmie Blue so much it became a comfort reread for me during quarantine. I mean, Eliot, amiright?! Lia Louis's latest novel, Eight Perfect Hours, introduces us to two star crossed characters whose chance meetings are the stuff of a Hallmark movie but with so much more depth and heart.

Noelle & Sam meet as they are both stuck in a snowstorm and pass the hours talking and getting to know one another and when the storm clears it's clear there's a spark between the two. Their continued chance encounters get a bit predictable but the story is sweet and charming and full of heart.

The thing I love best about Lia Louis's characters is that they seem so real. They're flawed and have messy relationships but that's what I connect with most. Her secondary characters too are always well formed and so rich with detail. They aren't just there to move the plot along and could easily have novels of their own (still waiting for the Rosie & Fox love story!). For me, it lacks the emotional punch that Emmie had but you'll root for these characters and hope for your own snowy rendezvous with a handsome stranger.
Many thanks to Atria Books & Netgalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars Noelle and Sam meet when they are stranded on the highway during a snowstorm, and they spend those eight perfect hours together. They part ways, and Noelle is sad they haven't given each other a way to keep in touch. Fate intervenes, and they run into each other again multiple times.
I wish the book had moved more quickly. I wish Noelle had been brave enough to choose what she wanted sooner. The book is totally told from her POV, but some chapters from Sam's would have been nice also.

Well that was a gut punch of a book. The story of Noelle and Sam broke my heart over and over again. Other reviewers have likened it to a Hallmark movie, but I think it’s much more weighted than that. This is a beautiful story that will stick with me for some time.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

This is my second book from Lia Louis and it definitely won't be my last! There is something so comforting and real about her writing, it really makes you lose yourself in her stories so quickly.

I liked the premise of this one a lot - although for whatever reason I misread the synopsis and thought the entire book took place within the 8 hours - whoops. I love the ideas of friendship, family, responsibilities, love, fate, and duty explored in this book (although Noelle's brother drove me bonkers and that was never really addressed).

There were a couple of parts that kind of dragged for me in the middle, hence the drop from 5 star to 4 star, but I would still definitely recommend this book - especially if you liked Dear Emmie Blue!

A brilliant treatise on fate and serendipity as rendered by Louis whose pen eases through with the wisdom of casual philosophy and a deep comprehension of all forms of love. Vulnerable and heart-wrenching, fans of Louis' previous novels will identify some of the hallmarks of her work: a woman torn between chasing dreams and the safety of living in the box life has built for her; the slow and careful seep of colour --here through flowers and random occurrences that toss her in the path of a wonderful hero who is like her in vulnerability, passion, humour and dreams.

And, of course, a deep sense of loss only fulfilled by the heroine finally stepping into the sunlight, opening her arms and accepting that which she deserves.

This is a book that tugs tightly and weaves your heartstrings into a knot as each careful revelation builds to a satisfying end to fate's mystery and will have you flipping back through the pages again to see exactly how clever Louis is. A most anticipated read for me by an autobuy author.


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First off thank you Atria books for the eARC of this.
I totally forgot I had this on Netgalley and I was looking for something to read the other day that would be a quick, cute read and I found it.
Eight Perfect Hours was just the right amount of love but also a quick read to fill my time. I really enjoyed this book.

Man I loved this book. Every page. Noelle and her guilt and dedication to her family. Sam and his. The fate and universe. Beautiful story lovely characters. Might just be my favorite this year so far.

Where has Lia Louis been all my life and why am I just now reading a book by her??? I was completely swept away by Eight Perfect Hours! I didn't want it to end and I just wanted to know more and more...and more...

The story of a random meeting on the motorway closed due to snow was just so perfect! I felt like I was in the story, enjoying the conversation in the nice warm car, while charging my phone.

This is a delicious story of fate, star-crossed lovers, moving on, and second chances. *whew* That sounds like a lot, but it's absolutely the perfect amount of everything.

If you are looking for a wonderful, uplifting read (even though some tough issues are explored), pick this book up sooner rather than later! Read it, share it, review it, and lose yourself in the hand of fate.

I received an ARC at my request and thank the author, publisher, and Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

I absolutely adored Dear Emmie Blue so I was so excited for the opportunity to read an early copy of Eight Perfect Hours. This book, like Emmie Blue, weaves a love story between two people who never saw it coming.

Noelle is 32 years old, cleaning houses and offices, and living at home as the primary caretaker for her mother whose suffered a stroke. One night on the way home from a class reunion, she’s stuck in a traffic jam in a blizzard with a dead phone battery. She meets Sam and bums a car charger off him. They end up spending eight hours together before the highway reopens and they both go their separate ways. Fast forward and Noelle and Sam keep serendipitously bumping into each other. They’ve got a spark between them but other responsibilities and relationships pulling them apart.

I enjoyed seeing Noelle come into her own and find a way to live life on her own terms. The author weaves the lives of Sam and Noelle together in a beautiful way that creates a bit of a tear jerker of an ending. I wish we would have seen more of their time together play out on the page because I had a hard time feeling their chemistry. It got there eventually but wasn’t undeniable for me from the beginning the way most fated mates romances are. It was still a sweet and tender story that I will definitely recommend.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

Do you believe in fate? Kismet?

Lia Louis, author of Dear Emmie Blue, has written a wonderful book about the importance of grabbing life’s opportunities when they’re sent our way.

Synopsis:
What if you fell in love … and then he disappeared?
When Noelle and Sam’s lives collide one snowy evening, they spend eight perfect hours stuck side by side believing that they’ll never see each other again. But soon their lives become entangled in ways they never expected – and it’s going to change everything…

My thoughts:
The idea for this book came to Louis one particularly snowy evening as she was washing up dinner dishes…what if you met someone in standstill traffic? What if after spending hours together, you had to go in opposite directions and say goodbye? She took this idea and paired it with an ancient Chinese proverb about a red thread and the result is a book with a hug between the pages featuring finding love, finding oneself, dealing with grief and mental health issues, dealing with insecurities, and coping with agoraphobia and postpartum depression. It’s an amazing story filled with fantastic character growth and relatable characters with real issues.

“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break.” – ancient Chinese proverb

Despite experiencing her fair share of disappointments recently, Noelle Butterby shows us what happens when we put others needs before our own…100% of the time. It’s not healthy. Nor is making excuses for those who can help themselves but choose not to. Dr. Ed McDonnell, on the other hand, shows us what happens when we only put ourselves first. Louis highlights the importance of taking care of ourselves so that there is something left with which to help another.

Louis writes so that her readers experience the narrative. I felt like I was sitting in the backseat of Sam Attwood’s rental car, stranded, experiencing the connection between these two strangers. I felt like I was “wading through treacle” with her characters in awkward situations. Louis also knows exactly the right amount of cuteness to add so that readers like me don’t gag.

Publishes September 28, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Lia Louis, Atria Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Ok it's official. Lia Louis writes a contemporary romance twist the way most thriller authors could only dream! She leaves delicious breadcrumbs along the way too!

I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I yelled at my Kindle, I hugged my Kindle and I didn't want it to end!

Wonderfully told in the present with flashbacks that just give the reader enough information to connect with the main character on a deeper level, Eight Perfect Hours was a delight to read.

What I like about Louis is that she has her characters disappoint rather than anger. And in some ways that's even more powerful. That probably doesn't make sense but it will if you read this... or if you have read Dear Emmie Blue! She also offers up possibilities that pull your heart in different directions, even though it's probably pulling harder in one more than the other!

A definite winner about how fate sometimes takes your plans and dashes them in ways you could never imagine.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.





TW
Death of a friend (off page), grief, death of family, suicide (off page and not described)