I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley- thank you.

Phew, this book. I thought it was a Christmas story and a romance, but it wasn't either. It was deep, heartbreaking, and beautiful. It was a story of coming to terms with your past and healing and looking towards the future. It's a great read, though it was hard to read at times.

I love all of Emily Stone’s books and this one was no exception! She always finds the perfect balance of heartfelt and emotional and I devour them. I loved the characters in this story, too!

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Stone's writing is touching, capturing the complexities of family relationships, the power of forgiveness, and the enduring spirit of the time of year that we all know can be hard. "Love, Holly" is a story that reminds us of the importance of family, the strength of forgiveness, and the magic of the holiday season. It is a heartwarming tale that will leave readers with hope and a renewed appreciation for the love surrounding them.

Tropes:
-Second Chances
-Only one Bed
-Dual POV
-Fate

if you are looking for a heartwarming and christmasish novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading, I highly recommend Love, Holly by Emily Stone.

What a beautiful and emotional story. Holly and her sister are very close until a tragic accident breaks their close bond. And accident it was and yet both her sister and mother spewed such hatred and venom at Holly that she started questioning herself, her worth and trying to figure out to navigate the world without her family that she no longer feels welcome in or even a part of. Thankfully her dear and loving friend is there for her and has signed her up for for a service that is part pen pal, part writing exercise to help her exorcise her demons. It is supposed to be anonymous. When she receives her letter she recognizes some things and makes it her mission to help the writer/sender. She embarks on a journey to help someone else and yet winds up changing her own life for the better as well. It’s a sweet, loving, sad, romantic, story that had me from chapter one wanting all the best for Holly.

This was an extremely emotional read. If you're looking for happy holiday feels, this is not it. If you want a good cry, read immediately.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy.

Oh my, I cried throughout this one so badly that I had to cover my head with my scarf so the random man next to me on my plane wouldn’t think I was crazy. Emily Stone knows how to write to mess up your emotions. This was a beautiful story that covered so many topics. The relationship between Holly and Emma was so lovely and real. If you haven’t read Stone’s Always, in December I highly recommend it!

Emily Stone is quickly becoming the queen of tear jerkers at Christmastime. Her books are full of major emotion and heart. Holly has been estranged from her family since a terrible accident. She is incredibly lonely and becomes a pen pal in a lonely hearts holiday letter writing club. She matches up with Emma and soon becomes determined to reunite Emma with her estranged grandson. This is a lovely story full of emotion. I’m not sure if there is an actual letter writing club like this but I hope there is!

Thank you #randomhouse and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange kfor an honest review.

Touching, tragic & hopeful holiday read.

Holly hasn't been in touch with her sister for 3 years and has been writing letters through the "Dear Stranger" program. Each year around Christmas she writes a letter to a stranger and receives one in return.

This year, she recognizes a place the writer mentions in her letter that Holly is familiar with and although the letters are supposed to be anonymous, this writer signed her name. Holly decides in her loneliness and grief to go back to the cafe in search of the woman who wrote the letter.

There's heartache, romance, holiday scenes, family strain, new friends, time jumps/reminiscent thoughts & tears!

I enjoyed this novel a bit more than One Last Gift by Emily. I thought it was heartfelt. It wasn’t too overly “holiday”, so it would be a great read for anytime of the year. I liked how the romance wasn’t the main focus of the book, but that their own journeys of forgiveness were.

I love love love love Emily Stone! Emily is definitely one of my favorite romance authors. Her books are an annual tradition for the Holidays (or any season really). Emily’s books have a way of tugging on all of the heartstrings. Be forewarned, this will emotionally destroy you…in all the best ways.

While Holly and her sister are traveling to meet their parents for Christmas, they stop to get coffee at a coffee shop. Holly then experiences an adorable meet-cute with Jack and takes a chance on grabbing his phone number. Upon leaving the coffee shop Holly and her sister get into a car accident right after that eventually causes her family to break apart. Ever since then Holly has been writing letters in a ‘Dear Stranger’ program to bring lonely strangers companionship. Until Holly reads one letter that connects her to an elderly woman who she ends up tracking down.

Love, Holly touches on tragedy, grief, and loneliness. Of course Emily adds some heartwarming moments as the characters embark on a journey toward forgiveness and second chances. Although I loved the romance, I’d say what truly made me happy was the bond between Emma and Holly.

trigger warnings: cancer, death, miscarriage

Love, Holly by Emily Stone

The writing is well done, the storytelling first-rate, the pacing perfection, and the overall vibes ideal to curl up under a blanket with. There is heartache and longing, fulfillment and charm. I have never enjoyed crying more than I did reading this book.

The characters, you guys, the characters. Each one expertly crafted. I’m in love. Jack? Are you kidding me?? Was there ever a more perfect book boyfriend? Holly is endearing and sweet with the most amazing character arc. Her growth is chef’s kiss.

I’m sorry this turned out less of a review and more of me just gushing but these are the only words I have to describe this book. This was my first time reading Emily Stone and I can’t wait to devour more.

Love Holly is Emily Stone at her best! From the very first page I was pulled in to Holly’s story and in true Emily Stone style, it pulled at my heart strings.

After an accident a few years prior on Christmas Eve Holly no longer spends Christmas with her family. After joining a Dear Stranger anonymous letter group to deal with grief Holly feels a pull to figure out who one of the letters is from.

Love Holly is not your average Christmas book, but instead a deeply emotional book about grief and fate. Emily Stone captures the essence of the Christmas spirit and makes you cry from the beginning. I’ve read and loved all of Emily Stone’s books and I look forward to reading what she writes next!

If you’re looking for something more emotional this Christmas, pick up Love Holly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a charming, classic Emily Stone novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. While I don't think it quite lived up to the success of her first book, Always in December, this was a close runner up. I will always pick up an Emily Stone novel - she manages to write about deep sorrow and massive joy without getting cliched.

Emily Stone doesn't write lighthearted Christmas Tales. Her novels are about the loneliness and heartbreak people that can surround people during the holidays. And, as always, there is the threads of fate that help bring hope back into their lives.

Holly hasn't spent time with her family in three years after a car accident tore them apart. As part of a writing club she sends letters to other lonely people at Christmas but when she receives one herself she recognizes the place where her letter came from, and how easily she could find the author. Holly sets out to find Emma, and in a moment of serendipity, perhaps find Jack, the handsome stranger she met at the cafe in town three years earlier.

While I enjoyed uncovering the threads binding these three together I felt like Holly and Jack's self-imposed isolation from their families dragged on too long. I found myself skimming parts of it because I was losing patience with the three of them.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much! I've enjoyed Emily Stone's past books and this one was just as good.

Holly is estranged from her family when she receives a letter from a stranger named Emma. On a whim she decides to find Emma, which launches her in to unexpected places. I think this is one book that the less you know going in to it, the better.

I loved all the characters, even if I felt so frustrated by some of their choices. The build- up of suspense was great, and I loved the way the story unfolded.

Emily Stone has such a lovely way of writing, and I especially loved her descriptions of locations in this one. I could picture the coffee shop, and Emma's house, and Venice so vividly.

The depictions of family and the ways that miscommunications and assumptions can hurt people was very real and authentic. I could understand everyone's motivations and why they thought it was the right thing, and I know how easily that happens in families.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a feel-good holiday read. It feels warm and cozy and it's impossible not to fall in love with all of the characters.

Emily Stone will be an auto-read for me and I cannot wait to see what's next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

While I wouldn’t necessarily call this a Christmas story, it is a very emotional tale that does eventually tie back to Christmas. I am a sucker for grumpy older people in stories and Emma was no exception. The romance was just meh for me. This was more about the family relationships and friendships.

Oh my goodness, the way I wanted to love this book! It started so strong! A chance encounter in a coffee shop on Christmas Eve. An accident. Three years of regret. A chance encounter shakes things up again.
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I just…if we kept the story focused on family and friendships it works for me. The romance fell so flat. For a right person/wrong time trope to work, I feel like the relationship has to be super strong, and Jack and Holly’s just wasn’t. I also thought the grudge Holly’s family held against her was completely ridiculous and unbelievable.
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I settled on three stars for this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

Fate. Friendships. Family. This book will tug at your heartstrings and what better time to grow our grinchy hearts (that are two sizes too small anyway) but at Christmas! This is a precious Christmas book that makes you cheer for Holly and Jack but you will want to shake them for their poor communication skills! A car accident changes Holly’s life as she knows it. A car accident has also changed Jack’s life. With a host of coincidences, some letters, a few small town friendships plus some good old Christmas magic, these two might figure out that forgiveness cures everything. Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the book! I just reviewed Love, Holly by Emily Stone. #LoveHolly #NetGalley

Love, Holly by Emily Stone looks and sounds like a perfect Hallmark Christmas story. It is not exactly what it seems, but I still think it’s perfect for the holidays. While the story is not light and perfect, there is still plenty of hope and redemption. The characters have adorable meet cute moments. The book will capture your attention throughout with various plot twists you may not see coming. There are elements of charming romance novels included for readers of that genre. But readers of more serious women’s fiction will also really enjoy this book. It is a unique hybrid and I really enjoyed it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Thank you to PRHAudio for the ALC! Thank you to Netgalley, Emily Stone and Randomhouse/Ballantine for the ARC.

And Every year at Christmas, Holly writes a letter to someone in a lonely hearts’ pen pal program. The letters go answered; the whole point is for the lonely person to just pour out their heart to someone. But this year, the letter Holly receives comes from a woman named Emma, who mentions a place Holly herself has visited. From that point on, Holly is determined to reunite Emma with her estranged grandson, Jack, whom she desperately wants to reunite with. When she tracks him down, she realizes she’s met him before - and there was a spark of chemistry between them that was unforgettable.

Once again, Emily Stone delivers! My favorite thing about this author’s books are that she manages to mix the warm and cozy holiday feelings with the complex emotions that we often experience around the holidays. For as merry and bright as they can be, sometimes the holidays can also be painful, and a reminder of something (or someone) lost. Emily Stone is wonderful at putting all of those emotions into words. If you have enjoyed her previous books, you will enjoy this one too.

“Love, Holly” is out now. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.