Eight Perfect Hours follows Noelle as she gets trapped in a snowstorm on the highway home from her old college and meets Sam. They share eight perfect hours riding out the storm together and then go their separate ways. Fate, of course, brought them together for a reason, and you'll have to read more to find out what that is!

I thought this was a great book. A good holiday read without being based around the holidays. By that I mean it was in-depth enough to really fall in love with the main characters, while also being a happy feel-good book. It struck a good balance for me. Definitely recommend if you're looking for something happy, but not over the top cheesy this holiday season.

Eight Perfect Hours is Lia Louis' sophomore novel. This contemporary romance novel explores friendship, destiny/fate, second changes, and new beginnings. The author addresses some heavy subjects such as death of a close friend, mental health, infidelity, strained family relationships, and suicide. Overall, I had mixed feelings about this book. Even though it was a nice listen, I still preferred Dear Emmie Blue over Eight Perfect Hours. The storyline was cute, however, it was a bit too cheesy and unbelievable for me. I had a difficult time believing this insta-love and 'great love' between Noelle and Sam when they barely spend time with each other. A few of the supporting characters are highly unlikable which I didn't mind, but I felt that all the characters needed to be fleshed out more. The one aspect I really liked about this novel was how the author discusses the loss of a best friend and strained familial relationships. If you love fate/destiny type romance novels, Eight Perfect Hours may be up your alley.

Generally I read these fluffy romances, especially holiday ones as palate cleansers and never expect to be wow-ed or really love a story. But this one really hit all the marks for me. I loved the weaving of the story and while you knew at times where it was headed, the journey to that point was quite lovely.

Noelle and Sam meet when they are stranded on the highway in the middle of a snow storm overnight. They have that instant chemistry that is like lightning in a bottle but they both have their lives and go back to them when the snow is cleared. Noelle is a thirty something with a dream that she just can't seem to reach with all of the obligations in her life. Her best friend's death and her mother's illness have her dealing with mental health issues and have just slowed her momentum. Sam seems to have it all together but is a bit of a mystery. I generally don't love a female protagonist who can't seem to get her stuff together but in this case, she was really trying and had viable reasons why things weren't working out for her. Both have relationship baggage and so despite the sparks they feel every time they happen to cross each other's path (more frequently than you'd imagine for two strangers) they don't act on them.

The author does a fabulous job of demonstrating how fate works in both Noelle and Sam's lives. I really loved that the secondary characters were so well fleshed out and had strong arcs as well. Sam was finally a real swoon-worthy beau who was morally sound and kind. Mental illness was dealt with in such a thorough way and was portrayed honestly with healthy solutions offered and taken.

Again could have done without the epilogue, but I'm starting to think that is just me...

Thanks to Netgalley for access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.

Cute, light hearted read! I loved the way Noelle and Sam kept connecting throughout their lives. It was more emotional/sad than the cover leads on. It dealt with quite a bit of grief, but it stayed hopeful.

This sounds like a plot we've all read before, but somehow Lia Louis takes it and makes it her own. I love the whole handsome stranger rescues the damsel in distress type troupe. I loved how perfect those 8 hours were.

This is the perfect book to cuddle up to and read in one sitting.

Fate is at the forefront of Lia Louis’ new wintertime novel, Eight Perfect Hours. This cute, yet thought-provoking story will have you pondering if we are in control of our lives or if we are we all just travelers of destiny.

It starts when Noelle Butterby is stranded on the highway amidst a major snowstorm. Marooned alongside of her is Sam Attwood, who invites her into his car to use his phone charger when he sees that she needs help. The two strike up conversation and chemistry ensues, but at the end of their “eight perfect hours,” they both drive off toward the horizon without each other’s contact information. Serendipity is on their side, however, and these two may just be seeing more of each other in the future if fate has any say in the matter …

There’s so much to spoil in Lia Louis’ latest book, so I won’t do that here; however, know that this book is all about serendipitous circumstances. If it sounds like this could be the plot of a Hallmark movie, it’s possible, but there are also a lot of heavy topics covered here, including death and grief, caring for ill parents, and gaining adult independence, making Eight Perfect Hours a book that is pretty balanced when it comes to light and dark.

I personally thought that this story would focus more of the plot on the “eight perfect hours,” and was disappointed to find that not only did the time spent in the car encompass only a small fraction of this novel, but that it was also fairly uneventful. Those eight perfect hours didn’t feel “perfect” to me. There was no chemistry between Noelle and Sam, and nothing swoon-worthy happened either. Because those eight hours actually felt less than perfect, I didn’t get the set-up I needed to fall in love with the rest of the story. That’s not to say that others won’t absolutely love this novel, however, and by looking at the reviews, it seems that many do. I just needed that initial connection between Noelle and Sam to go deeper than it did to make me feel completely invested and engaged in this story.

I loved this tale of fate, living your life and making every moment and day count! It is such a feel good story that I would recommend for anyone!

Noelle Butterby was trying to go to a college reunion to reconnect with the memories of a friend that she lost a long time ago, but on her way she gets stuck in a snow storm and American Sam Attwood ends up helping her. Sam is able to calm down Noelle and one evening sets their lives off in different directions. As said above, fate will set them on a course where they will question what is next for each of them, both personally and professionally.

For some reason when I have gone to talk about this book with friends in my life, I have had a hard time telling them anything because I just don't want to spoil a thing about this one. Of course, I can say that this is a romance book and if you are a reader of this genre, then you know where it will end, but this journey is so worth the ride. I can say that I loved these two main characters - they each had things going on in their life beyond each other, so they felt like really good well rounded humans! I don't love it when a book only has romance in a character's life because it just doesn't feel right.

While the book does take place in a town in England, if you are an American reader that doesn't tend to read the books set across the pond, I can say this book is too sweet to miss and I would recommend you read this one this winter season. Maybe not a holiday romance, but with a car stuck in snow to start the book, this is a great romance to curl up with under a blanket!

Two strangers meet during a blizzard and spend eight perfect hours together. They’ll never see one another again…or will they?

The perfect, heartwarming winter read. I loved it.

Coincidence? Fate? Pre-destined? No matter what you call it, Noelle and Sam keep running into one another. Noelle is out in the bad weather to rescue her best friend's final letter and camera from their high school's time capsule. Her best friend, Daisy, was the dreamer, the believer, the doer and yet she's been gone for quite a while. Noelle knows the words and the pictures in the time capsule hold her future, but she doesn't yet know how true that is. Stranded with a dead phone, Noelle leans on stranger Sam and his warm car. What starts as time to charge her phone turns into eight perfect hours. Then, the highway opens and life moves on, except Sam keeps turning up and Noelle is starting to believe in fate.

Eight Perfect Hours is a feel good romance with a holiday themed cover. While the snow may be falling in the story, this one isn't centered around the holidays and that sort of feels nice. It's got all the makings, without being Christmas focused and honestly, I read those for the romance anyhow. It's the spirit that I like and Lia Louis captures it perfectly. Noelle is pragmatic, she cares for her mother and everything she does, except for this one trip, is connected to her mom and the care she gives. Eight hours stranded in a car after reading her best friend's final words seems the worst thing ever, but then there's Sam and there's a spark. I loved Noelle, she goes to great lengths for others, but we get to see her finally go after something for herself. Sam, meanwhile, is sort of this dream man for her that feels impossible, and yet he keeps showing up. They share stories, valuable honest words, and small bits of time. Their connection is immediate, but is treated as though it could never happen. Of course, it wouldn't be a romance novel if it was that easy!

Eight Perfect Hours is such a good book, it really has all the makings of a perfect romance. It isn't straight fluff, in fact there's some serious soul searching on the pages, and the romance isn't easy to get to, but it's worth it. Noelle and Sam come to life with Louis' writing and I could not stop reading this for anything, even desperately needed sleep. This is a cuddle up with a blanket, tune everything out and just read kind of novel.

Well, this was just delightful. Heartfelt, warm, and an excellent reminder that we only get one life so we should go for what we want.

This was my first Lia Louis book and I really enjoyed her characters. I found Nellie and Sam to be so charming and loved the ensemble of secondary characters, too (Ian! So cute.)

If you’re looking for a heart warming and emotional love story, this one is for you. I think fans of Rebecca Serle’s <I>In Five Years</I> and Beth O’Leary’s work would enjoy this one.

I loved everything about this book.

The premise was unique. The characters were relatable and lovable. I was invested in their stories and rooting for them all the way.

I really appreciated how it came full circle at the end. Perfect book to give you all the warm and fuzzies.

I consider myself to be a (non) certified holidays specialist. I love the Christmas season. I love every movie, song and story. Therefore I was 100% ready to dive right into Eight Hours, a book that promised all the feel-good stuff.

It’s about Noelle Butterby, a girl who’s spend all her life putting herself last, who suddenly finds herself in a traffic jam that lasts eight hours, where she meets the guy in the neighboring car, Sam Atwood.

This seemingly random encounter starts a chain of events in Noelle’s life that makes her reconsider all the aspects of her life she has been neglecting. She was a really likable main character, grounded and loving, you can’t help but root for her.

The book is full of “too good to be true” encounters and accidental meet-ups, but hey, that’s all part of the magic, isn’t it? *wink*. Although I do confess that I felt it was a little slow in the middle, but the romantic aspect of it was fantastic and it kept me going. The pieces falling into place were the best part for me, really gave you that “it was FATED” feeling.

Eight Perfect Hours tells the story of how Noelle and Sam meet on the side of the road during a blizzard. The road is closed and Noelle’s phone is low on battery. Sam offers to let her charge her phone in his car and they enjoy 8 perfect hours together.

I have to laugh here because this recently happened to me. I drove to NJ with my BFF for a memorial of our friend’s fathers. We knew there was going to be heavy rain, but we had no idea how bad. Luckily we were in my husband’s jeep which is tall, because we saw so much flooding. We were parked on the highway for about 4 hours and it took around 7 hours to get home.

Anyway, back to the book. Sam and Noelle never exchange contact info. Sam is American and Noelle is from England so they never thought they would see each other again. They constantly keep running into each other when they least expect it.

This was a truly adorable story. Both MCs had such flaws that made them still lovable, but well rounded characters. This definitely felt like a warm hug perfect for colder weather!

An enjoyable read that encompasses love, loss, grief, and so much more. Noelle has given up a lot to care for her mother, who is agoraphobic and suffers from anxiety. When attending her college reunion, she is stranded in her car on a snowy highway. Next to her is Sam, an American also stranded on his way to the airport. That meeting begins a series of coincidences, or is it fate, during which Noelle and Sam keep bumping into each other. Both are getting over failed romances, and have not had their closure. There are some twists that were unexpected. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this lively story.

Eight Perfect Hours is a story about love, friendship and fate. It was a lovely and deeply enjoyable read.
I do not usually think much about fate and love but when it comes to books sometimes is irresistible. The way the author approaches this topic is amazing. She builds a story that is filled with great scenes, awesome dialogues and good characters. It is very fast-paced and easy to read, it was a page-turner for me!
The dialogues are well thought, they feel natural and they are fun to read. There were some lovely scenes and even some that astounded me. The characters were well developed and they all added something to the story. Noelle was very relatable and I felt and instant connection with her, which made everything better.
This was a remarkable read for me, I felt deeply connected to the story; it spoke to me and even made me reflect about some things. That is not always easy to find in a book especially in contemporary romance books but Eight Perfect Hours manages to combine all those elements in the best possible way.
It will definitely go to the top of my list of favorite reads, so I highly recommend it.

I was really let down by this book. The characters were incredibly one-dimensional and I never felt an inkling of desire to get to know them better. The dialogue was stilted and there was nothing exciting about the plot. Even the set-up - stranded in traffic in a snowstorm - felt off. I've read Lia Louis before so I was disappointed with this book that I had been looking forward to.

I absolutely loved "Dear Emmie Blue," by Lia Louis so I was set to devour her new book, Eight Perfect Hours. Sam and Noelle meet on the highway when it's shut down one blizzardy night. They spend eight perfect hours together, and then go their separate ways. Little do they know that this one instance will set them on a Hallmark-movie-esque collision course of serendipitous meetings.

This book was great to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and indulge in the witty banter and coincidences the characters find themselves in. Sprinkle in a mix of secondary characters and you have a sweet holiday book that is light on the romance and heavy on the fact that it is a small world after all.

I wasn't as emotionally connected to this one as Louis' first book, so I'm giving it 3.5 stars. I look forward to seeing what Louis has up her sleeve next!

Thank you to Netgally, Atria/Emily Bestler books and Lia Louis for an advanced copy of this book.

Noelle Butterby had a bad evening. She had traveled all the way to where she went to college for the opening of the time capsule she and her friends had put items in ten years ago. But when she gets there, not only has the surprise snowstorm prevented them from digging up all the time capsules, but Noelle saw her ex-boyfriend across the room, and he didn’t even acknowledge him.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, Noelle got stuck on the highway on her way home, the traffic stopped for miles because of that snowstorm that already ruined her evening, so unusual for England in late March. Her phone is almost of battery, and her charging cord stopped working, and she needs to call home, but she can’t. She’s stuck.

Enter Sam. A tall, handsome American knocks on Noelle’s car window and asks if he can help. He offers her the charging cord in his warm rental car, along with his kindness, great smile, and shining smile. For eight hours, they spend time together in Sam’s car, talking and laughing, getting help and snacks from others on the highway, and offering first aid to a woman who slid and hit her head on her own car’s bumper.

And then it’s over.

The highway opens again, Sam heads back to America, and Noelle goes back to her life. She lives with her mother, who has never been quite the same since her stroke. She recovered physically, but it broke her spirit and now she needs to have someone around her or she falls apart. So Noelle has put her dreams of being a florist on hold, working as a cleaner so she can have a flexible schedule for when her mother needs her.

She does have a younger brother, but when he’s not out on the road with his band, he’s not entirely reliable. Like when he was he was at home with his mother, and she had decided to get something out of the attic, and she got her foot caught in the ladder. When Noelle got home, her mother was sitting down and her brother had put ice on it, but when it was still painful and swollen in the middle of the night, it was Noelle who had taken her to the hospital to see if the leg was broken.

Noelle sat in the hospital hallway in the middle of the night, basically still in her pajamas, not at all sure of what was going on and then she sees the door open. Noelle thought it might be her ex-boyfriend Ed, the one who ignored her at the reunion, the one she had bumped into on the street and had a pleasant chat with, the one who is a doctor, but it wasn’t Ed she saw. Somehow, it was Sam.

She and Sam sit in the hallway of the hospital talking like old friends. It turns out his father had fallen, and he had brought him to the hospital to get him checked out. Is it just a coincidence, or is it something more?

When she was in school, Noelle’s best friend was Daisy. She had gone to that reunion to get the camera Daisy had put in the time capsule, because it was shorty after that that she had been killed in a tragic car accident. A car accident that Noelle had almost been in too, except that Ed asked her to go home with him. Daisy had talked about the red thread, a thread of fate that ties you to the person you’re supposed to be with. It can get tangled but it cannot break. Could Sam be Noelle’s red thread? Or is that just a fantasy about a handsome stranger who oddly keeps showing up when she needs someone the most?

As Noelle figures out what it is she really wants from her life, how to be the person Daisy always thought her friend would grow up to be, she has to face the feelings she’d been pushing away since her mom got sick. Will she figure out what her red thread is and follow it to true love, or will she stay tangled up and alone?

Eight Perfect Hours is a heart-warming story of a woman trying to find her way in life. Author Lia Louis has crafted a lovely story of self-realization and love, with characters who feel like friends. There is a lot of heartbreak in this story, but there is also a lot of heart and joy and friendship. Watching Noelle find her way is a lovely journey, and I hope everyone who reads this book finds the same enjoyment I did with it.

I really loved the idea of the red thread, and watching the thread’s knots unravel throughout this story was the uplifting experience I needed right now. Being there with Noelle as she figured out what it was she really wanted, and seeing her joy as she got to take steps towards her dreams made my heart open up for her. The grief in this book is very real, but so is the pure happiness of being true to yourself.

Egalleys for Eight Perfect Hours were provided by Atria Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Lia Louis does it again! If you enjoyed Dear Emmie Blue, I'm sure you'll enjoy Eight Perfect Hours. This was a sweet, funny, slow-burn romance story.

While it does contain some sad plot points, overall, I found it to be a light, enjoyable read. I was able to devour it pretty quickly and I thought it was a fund and unique plot. There were definitely some interesting behaviors from one of the main characters that kept me guessing, and I liked that it wasn't all predictable and obvious. There was one little twist that I figured out very early on, but this is a romance, not a mystery, so I would expect that most readers will pick up on that little twist.

There were minor aspects of the story that got a little repetitive and a bit drawn out, but not so much as to make the story unenjoyable.

This book made me laugh out loud on several occasions, and it's not often that a book elicits that kind of response from me. If you enjoy light, fun romance reads, I have no doubt you'll enjoy Eight Perfect Hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the e-arc of this one!