I enjoyed this holiday read! It focused on multiple years during Christmas and the main characters viewpoints throughout these years. I enjoyed the romance throughout the novel as well.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

Read This Book If…you want something a little sweet and emotional.

Please note: this was an ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Love, Holly by Emily Stone

Genre: contemporary holiday romance:
Spice Level: 2/5🌶, steamy, fade to black
Setting: London and UK
POV: single, 3rd person, past tense
Tropes: one bed

What I Thought: While I really liked this one, it didn’t quite have the magic of Always in December. The romance was really sweet, but it didn’t have the emotional punch I was bracing for.

Thank you Random House/Ballantine for the gifted copy of Love, Holly.

I really enjoyed the last 2 books I read by this author, so I was so excited to receive a gifted copy of Love, Holly. This was one of the first holiday books I read this season and it didn't disappoint!

Holly stole my heart in this book. I felt so bad for her after finding out what happened and the repercussions. True, she shut herself away from her parents, but I was also mad that her parents didn't do more to bring her back to her family.

The Dear Stranger letter is an interesting concept. The letter Holly receives has a familiar location mentioned in it - the cafe Holly and her sister went to before the accident - and where she met Jack, a random man she felt a connection with after bumping into him and spilling his coffee. They were supposed to get in touch but the accident happened right after and she lost the cup with his phone number. What are the chances that Emma wrote her letter in the same cafe, and had a connection with Jack? Holly's connection with Emma was my favorite part of the book, and I loved how Emma started out as such a grump and became just as attached to Holly as Holly was to her.

Yes, you need to suspend reality a little bit but it's a fictional novel, so who cares? This book made me feel the feels, and so many emotions along with the characters - grief, joy, anger, love, etc. As always, looking forward to the next book by Emily Stone!

Always so gut-wrenching when I read one of Emily's books! Prepare the kleenex and the ugly cries because her stories are way deeper than your typical Christmas books. I can always count on this author to bring out the emotions.

Do NOT be fooled by this adorable Hallmark vibes cover. This is not some cutesy holiday Romcom.
This is a rip your heart out and step on it a few times EMOTIONAL holiday read. Filled with soooo much loss and grief. My heart hurt constantly while reading this one.
Overall it's a beautiful story.

This was a very emotional read. I went into this book blind and was really surprised with how much I enjoyed it. Holly was a sweet character, and I liked Jack and Emma’s storyline(s) as well.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I found this book charming and delightful. It has more depth than your typical holiday read (and while the book begins and ends at Christmas, most of the book is about what happens in between the two holidays). I loved the relationship between the curmudgeonly character of Emma and Holly as well as the relationship between Holly and Jack. The ways that their stories intersected and mirrored each other was well-done without feeling forced or cheesy. As mentioned, the book does deal with heavier issues than a typical holiday rom-com, but if you're in the mood for a holiday read with more heart and depth, this is a great choice.

This book was a work of art with all kinds of different feelings and emotions running through it from start to finish. Highly recommend!!

A heartwarming story of trying to help the lonely at Christmas time and in turn maybe helping yourself. Loved the hope that the characters began to feel, although everything doesn't always turn out as planned. A difficult lesson to learn.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was able to find the audio version through my local library app.
Hmm I was very excited to receive this book, the cover is very cute and just by the cover I knew it was a Christmas time book.. but I was shocked when it barely even has Christmas in it. I don't know why these authors are doing this this year to us but I have noticed a pattern. Christmas on the cover but it doesn't even take place during Christmas.
The characters themselves were very very frustrating. I think the whole drama behind all of them is just dumb for them not to be talking to each other. The main character and her accident and what came between her and her sister. Was just stupid that her sister would blame her for the accident. Then how all the characters met and is just such a very very small world. The whole story should have been cut from 10 hour audio book to 5 hours in my opinion. The story just rambled on and on. I only like the Emma character. She was the only sensible one and I honestly feel so sorry for her in her situation. My heart just went out to her. I couldn't even imagine what she went through with her ordeal.
All in all this book was frustrating, way too long and very misleading cover.

Oh my! This was such a beautifully written Christmas story. It really had me in tears, but also so many smiles. I haven't read Emily Stone before this book, but I am now a fan. The characters were everything! I loved all of the real life emotions of this one. Do yourself a favor and pick this up ASAP!

This was such an endearing and emotional holiday read. It’s the ideal book to get you in the holiday spirit but also delves into the serious matters of grief and loss. Very well written.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a beautiful book! This story gave me all the warm fuzzies of a usual holiday book, but this one was only loosely based around the Christmas season. I loved the characters, especially the spitfire Emma and the relationship between Holly and Jack. The pacing of this book was excellent and I think this is my new favorite of Emily Stone's festive books!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love, Holly is a beautifully written story centering on the themes of forgiveness, found family, and a sprinkle of romance. Even though this is a Christmas-themed book, it touches on some heavy topics. Be sure to check out the trigger warnings before reading.

A Dear Stranger letter fixes sets off a chain of events that fixes so many people’s lives.

This book was so wonderful. I enjoyed Emily Stones other Christmas novels so I was excited to read her newest one.

Holly is alone on Christmas again living with her regrets. She receives that years Dear Stranger letter and is moved by it. While the letters are meant to be anonymous, the writer mentioned key details to a place Holly knew. So on Christmas Eve she sets off to find the author of this letter. From this point it becomes a journey of second chances and second meetings, the impact of fate, and learning to forgive.

Like Stones other Christmas novels, the entire book isn’t set at Christmas. The pacing of the book is perfect.

At first I was a little confused because there’s flashbacks to memories embedded in the plot that took me a few passes to understand what was happening. It was a great addition to the story and it enhanced it.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🫑 (steamy not spicy, closed door)
TW- loss, miscarriage, car accidents

Oof… I just couldn’t get into this one. Holly was incredibly difficult to like. The romance aspect lacked chemistry. I was bored and completely unmoved and disinterested.

I truly enjoyed this book. I loved seeing how the threads pulling Holly and Jack together were woven throughout this book. I enjoyed Emma’s dry and curmudgeon caring helping Holly to heal. This was a very good Christmas cozy read.

Emily Stone's latest holiday-themed novel Love, Holly is sure to delight fans. Set against the backdrop of the UK, readers meet sisters Lily and Holly, driving to celebrate Christmas with their parents at a rental cottage. Stopping first for coffee at a cute cafe, fate intervenes. The consequences are felt three years later with the sisters estranged and Holly celebrating Christmas alone. She began to take part in Christmas letters to lonely souls facing solo holidays. Holly, a passionate artist, receives a letter that includes a reference to the same cafe from that fateful Christmas Eve. What follows is a beautiful, bittersweet holiday story that provides hope during this most hopeful season of all. WIth endearing characters and wonderful scenery, Love, Holly is one to pick up this season.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

We do not deserve Emily Stone as a writer. This book was darling, made me weepy, and gave me all the holiday vibes. I cannot recommend it enough and cannot wait to have my bookclub read it for December. Such a huge win.

I will start of by saying that Serendipity is my favorite Rom-Com and this book lived up to it.

TW
The book is grief focused and the acceptance of a car accident.

I don't want to give you a brief description of the book because I don't want to spoil anything. I went into this book completely blind. It tugged at my heart strings and I wanted to cry so much, but at the same time give all these characters a kiss and hug.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc version of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.