I loved the premise of this story and while the cover DOES make it seem like a love story its more than that. It is a beautiful tale of healing the past and beginning again and the power of love. But trigger warning for loss/cancer/death. A great book but bring tissues and be ready. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Her books take part during Christmas and throughout the year. They also have sadness in them. Good to know for those of you with triggers. It is a novel so readers should always look for that callout on book covers. I know readers feel tricked in thinking it’s a romance book because they don’t notice the callout. I liked the letter writing and art aspect.

"Love, Holly" by Emily Stone tells the heartwarming story of Holly, a young woman who finds solace in writing letters to strangers during the holiday season as part of a lonely-hearts holiday letter-writing club. Each December, Holly exchanges letters with another lonely soul, sharing their thoughts and feelings anonymously.

However, this year, Holly receives a letter that touches her deeply, as it reflects the grief she herself has experienced since a car accident tore her family apart. The letter is from Emma, who expresses a desire to reconnect with her estranged grandson, Jack. Intrigued by the possibility of reuniting Emma with Jack, Holly sets out to find him.

When Holly tracks down Jack, she discovers that they have met once before, and there is an undeniable spark between them. As their romance blossoms, Holly becomes determined to mend the rift between Jack and Emma, hoping to bring them back together as a family. But misunderstandings and complications arise, putting their budding relationship and Jack's strained relationship with Emma at risk.

Despite the challenges, Holly remains determined to bring joy and healing to Emma's family, believing that in doing so, she may also find the closure and happiness she seeks for herself. As she navigates the complexities of love, family, and forgiveness, Holly realizes that time may be running out, urging her to seize the opportunity to make things right while she still can.

"Love, Holly" is a touching and uplifting tale of love, redemption, and the power of human connection to heal past wounds and forge new beginnings, making it a perfect read for the holiday season.

I'm usually a fan of emily stone but this one did not hit for me. I unfortunately did not feel any connection to the characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Holy Cow did this book take me by surprise! Grant it, I went into it blind, but I have never read such a poignant, sad but also beautiful Christmas book before! Love, Holly is not your typical happy go lucky holiday read… but it sure does pack a punch and pull at your heart strings. I think the romance aspect was definitely second to everything else going on, but it wasn’t lost in the story, so that didn’t bother me. The narrator’s voice was perfect for this book in my opinion, and made the audio one I didn’t want to stop listening to.

There are some substantial trigger warnings to be mindful of (traumatic miscarriage, death of a loved one, cancer) so be mindful before reading ❤️

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the renewed holiday vibe it had. This is definitely one to pick up for a story that will tug at your heart!

Love, Holly is out now and is a very unique and beautifully written holiday story that you should go check out this season!

Thank you @prhaudio for the complimentary audiobook, all opinions are my own!

I had a hard time getting through this one. It was a bit too melodramatic and predictable for me. But there's nothing wrong with that! I found the writing to be competent but not extraordinary. The story is predictable: she looses her love and is grief stricken but finds love again. I know a lot of people will love it, but it wasn't for me. As I said, it's a fine book, just not right for me personally.

This was definitely not your typical light hearted holiday romance. It was far more emotional than I expected it to be. I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if it wasn’t for the buddy read I participated in.
The lonely-hearts holiday letters are quite an unusual concept. I’m not sure how I would feel about receiving a letter from a stranger attempting to connect with me over mutual mourning during the holidays. And for Holly to track down Emma seems even more wild to me. Even though Emma doesn’t want to talk to Holly, they find out they are connected in more ways than simply the letters.
The love story between Jack and Holly definitely adds to the story. I spent the whole book wondering if their feelings could survive all the obstacles this book presented them.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for my ARC of this book.

Love, Holly tells the story of love, loss, grief, blame, and forgiveness all wrapped up in a holiday themed package. We are following a young women named Holly, who following a tragic car accident has taken to communicating with fellow grieving people in a pen pal style fashion. After enough letters, Holly decides to go visit her pen pal - Emma, and help make her holiday a little less lonely.

I really loved the message of this story and the way the story unfolded in learning that forgiveness is not only needed externally, but also internally in order to truly feel the relief of it. It also gets into some great threads about trusting the people you love most again after they've hurt you (on both sides of conflict).

However, I was not a huge fan of Holly's character and her tactics. I felt she was extremely pushy in delving into people's personal lives, slightly judgmental, and all while she was harboring her own secrets. I felt myself getting irritated with her at times. That is the reason this book wasn't a full 5 stars for me.

My favorite part of the book was in a scene with Emma and Jack (minor spoilers ahead) following an apology from Jack, Emma claims that it's okay - he got through the grief how we needed to. I think that is such a powerful way to forgive someone for how they treated in you under the circumstances and that is definitely a lesson I will be taking with me for the future.

Overall, a very good story and I would recommend if you're looking for a good holiday read.

This was an interesting read.

I liked Holly's character. She was a strong MC who continued in life even after a tragedy.

I really enjoyed reading this book.
I read it over a few days, and couldn't wait till I got free time to read it more.

What a beautifully written book! I literally shed happy and sad tears while reading this. This is a very charming read. . Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The dynamic between Holly and Emma was wonderful, and I wish that there had been more of that throughout the book. An easy read for year round (despite the Christmas-y cover).

You can count on Emily Stone to pen a Christmas story that isn’t afraid to tackle hard content. As with her other books, this is a heavier read. However, while it starts out somber, the reoccurring theme of fate helps lighten the overall tone.

As someone who has always felt I communicate better through writing, I appreciate that Stone uses letters in every one of her books. These letters serve as a cathartic way for her character’s to work through their pain. Only after processing their past through written word, are they able to move on.

Stone brilliantly drew a comparison between the main characters. Holly/ Lilly and Jack/ Emma’s stories were pretty parallel to one another. Fortunately they were removed enough from the situation that we’re able to help one another see things in a new/ different perspective. Without their insight we wouldn’t have the beautiful ending we do.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group- Ballentine, and Emily Stone for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

f anyone who's looking for a fluffy holiday romance,this is book for you. Love, Holly is a beautiful, poignant book that discusses grief, healing and fate. It also speaks of forgiveness and second chances.

This story was incredibly sweet, cozy, and emotional - the perfect holiday read in my books. I love when books can seamlessly work in heavier topics, like this one does so elegantly with the complexities of grief, which adds an important layer to all the relationships.

A car accident tore apart Holly’s family years ago. Ever since, the holidays have been hard and she is in the Lonely Hearts Holiday Letter Club. Each person sends another lonely person a letter pouring out their sadness, grief, and regret. It all works because it is anonymous.

This year Holly receives a letter from Emma, a lonely older woman desperate to reconnect with her grandson. In Emma’s letter, Holly finds a clue to her location and sets out to find and help her. But is Holly’s help welcome?

I really enjoyed Emily Stone’s “Love Holly". The characters were interesting and there was the suspense of Holly being found out. The only part I thought was odd was the reason for Holly’s estrangement from her family. While horrible, If it truly was an accident I am surprised at the way it played out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for granting me the opportunity to read this novel before its official publication date in exchange for my honest review.

Is it a rom-com, is it a second chance romance, is it a missed connection? I think it’s all of the above. Loved really about Holly and her wanting to help one of pen pals, who turns out to be someone she needed in her life.
Holly’s new relationship with her own pal was so fun and entertaining, the love story was the cherry on top.

Love, Holly is not your typical fluffy, Hallmark version of a Christmas love story. It was full of depth and emotion, and had me near tears more than once. It’s a lovely story of friendship, love, forgiveness and hope. Definitely recommend this one.

TW: Fatal car accident, loss of a child, cancer

A story about fate, grief, family, and love; Love, Holly is a story about Holly after she gets into a car accident that disconnects her from her family and leaves her isolated for years, until her best friend encourages her to write her feelings down into a Dear Stranger letter.
Upon receiving a Dear Stranger letter that Holly can relate to, Holly takes it upon herself to find the letters writer and to try and fix the writers situation with their family. In doing this Holly finds herself in the middle of another family's drama while contemplating fixing her relationship with her own family.
in this touching story of two families that dealt with similar tragedies, Emily Stone showcases the grief and suffering that can happen around the most wonderful time of the year while maintaining a sense of hope. I loved the underlying sense of everything happens for a reason and the overarching lesson of forgiveness and compassion towards those you love.
I would so recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartfelt read that encourages taking a chance and beautifully covers the importance of familial, friend, and romantic relationships.