Beautiful story


Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

What a fun read this is. I found I simply could not put it down. It begin when two anonymous penpals connect at Christmas time and find that they have common threads throughout their lives even though one is a young woman and the other an elderly one. My favorite quote in the book is “Some people you know for a lifetime, but they never really imprint on your soul – and some people you only have to know for an instant, to know they will be part of you forever.” This story is one that will remain in my heart for a long time. Strangers can sometimes help you heal your heart more than lifelong friends or family. I highly recommend this book for all age groups and book clubs. Some say this is a Christmas story but I feel it is a timeless one good for any time of the year.


I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When your name is Holly, why not read a Christmas book in July? This one is scheduled to be published on September 26 but I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Netgalley (this did not impact my review).

I haven’t previously read a book where the main character shares my name (Holly), so this was a fun first (even if I didn’t want to shake her sometimes 😆). Holly the book character was an interesting mix of contradictions. She was stubborn, yet tender hearted. She wanted to help others but had no idea what to do with her own life. Now that I think about it, that also describes me at around the same age.

Even though this is a holiday-oriented read, there are some serious topics so check the triggers below. Without spoiling things- this was a touching story about forgiveness, found families, and of course a bit of romance.

Trigger warnings (some of these are spoilers):
death, miscarriage, fertility issues, cancer, car accident

Emily Stone is a Christmas genius! Another beautiful book that will make my Christmas reading rotation every year. A story that will tear at your heartstrings but leave you filled with hope.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this! Will definitely be shouting from the rooftops that everyone should read it!

A charming Christmas story that gives you hope that relationships can be fixed, especially during the holidays. When Emily Stone writes a book, I immediately want to read it. This book kept me reading and I couldn't put it down. There was a romantic aspect to the book as well, and I loved the real-world parts of that, it kept me turning the pages. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC of this book. 5 stars.

Oooooh, this story. Lots of both happy and sad tears on Christmas Eve, after Christmas Eve, years past Christmas Eves. It takes a lot for me to shed actual tears while reading a book and LOVE, HOLLY did me in.

There are so many threads that tie Holly and Jack together - and for me to try to explain them would end up being spoilers. I will say LOVE, HOLLY focuses on grief and loneliness. It's something all the main characters experience throughout the years.

I'm not sure what I thought this book would be. Something along the lines of a Christmas coziness romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Randome House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an e-copy of LOVE, HOLLY to review.

I rate LOVE, HOLLY four out of five stars.

After an accident tears Holly's family apart, she participates in anonymous lonely hearts letters to soothe her heartache. Then, a few years on, she finds a connection that has the potential to bring her true friendship, a reunion with her family, and even love.

Love, Holly has an emotional resonance I have come to expect of Emily Stone's novels. It was a lovely, heart-warming story, and while parts of it dragged, overall I found it to be a beautiful tribute to friendship, found family, and forgiveness where the romance felt secondary. Also, while parts are set around Christmas, I wouldn't describe it as a holiday-themed book but being more Christmas-adjacent.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC to review! I enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC copy of Love, Holly by Emily Stone.

This could be considered a Christmasy read, the timeline is year round. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this story and wanted to keep reading.

Fate and timing, friendship and family, grief and sickness. I think it is Emily Stone’s best book yet.

3.5 ⭐️

Oh boy, this book is sad. But it leaves you feeling all happy inside, too.

I went into this thinking it would be a cutesy little rom-com during Christmas. WRONG! This book explores lots of complex emotions, stages of grieving, relationships in the face of tragedy, and occurs over several years during multiple seasons. The book was well written and kept me engaged for the most part. I found the third person narrating a bit detached at time. I think it’s more of a literary fiction work with a romantic subplot than a full out romance.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Spice: 3 The scenes were behind closed doors
Sexual Tension: 3 There was a definite connection, but it was more sweet than spice, which in this book really worked.

Would you like this book? You might if you like:

Christmas romances
Cranky old ladies hiding secrets
Second chances for both romance and family
Epistolary novels
A really good cry

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for this ARC.

Look, come July I think it is ok if my playlist has a few Christmas songs thrown in the mix. I am happy to contemplate the coming of fall and the holiday season. So for me, Christmas romances in July, lovely, sign me up. And I have been meaning to read an Emma Stone book for awhile, I’ve seen Always in December and always mean to pick it up. I was not disappointed in my first book by Stone and I will definitely be reading her other two books this holiday season.

The novel opens with a prologue and we see Holly, our FMC, heading to Devon with her sister for Christmas. They will meet their parents and spend the holiday together. At a brief stop in a cafe, we meet a handsome stranger, a total meet-cute happens and we see the possibility of a romance. The prologue ends and the reader finds themselves a few years in the future. Holly is writing a Lonely Hears- type letter to a stranger at Christmas, as she is now estranged from her family. And then she receives her own Dear Stranger letter, and it sets her off on a mission to find the author and connect. I don’t want to give too much away, so I will stop with the plot outline there.

This book is a romance novel, obviously, but it is also a love letter to sisters and grandparents. It is a story about how influential our siblings and grandparents can be in our lives and how much it hurts to have that love and support taken away. It is a story about second chances and forgiveness, about letting go of the past but also realizing its impact on you. It is, in essence, the perfect holiday book. And though the book starts around the holidays, it does jump through time. Sometimes I want all the action to happen in a short period of time, in other books, I like that things unfold over months. Again, this is a romance novel, so I was expecting the ending, but I was very pleased to go on the journey with Holly, Jack, and the whole crew.

This book comes out in September and I think it makes for a cozy, Christmas read.

This is a highly satisfying, wonderful love story.

Even before it starts, one word sets the pace: serendipity. An image comes to mind of some handsome guy that finds a beautiful girl and fate brings them together. Needless to say, that’s not exactly what happens.

However, if I was single, I would want to meet Jack, a tall, good-looking catch with a great job in a management position. He stumbles upon Holly in a coffee shop. He sees her red hair all over the place. She’s a little off balance but has a kind heart and sweet smile. There’s an instant attraction. But, there’s also family drama. Lots of it.

Holly is a want-to-be artist and Jack has always had a passion for landscaping. However, it's his grandmother that makes them both find their way with a little holiday cheer and a lot of love.

To me, it was predictable but so much fun to read about the story that brings sweetness into life. It’s an easy read that goes by in a hurry like being immersed in a beautiful heart-felt movie – one which you don’t want to end.

My thanks to Dell Publishing Company and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of September 26, 2023.

A good Christmas book with some heavier topics. I thought this one was going to be a little more light hearted than it was. The characters were good and I enjoyed the setting.

I’m not a fan of cheesy holiday romcoms and this was absolutely not that. This was a heartbreaking story, but not in an overwhelmingly depressing way. It certainly has its moments but Stone added moments of levity to keep it from being too melancholic. As someone who is estranged from a close family member, I felt this book on a personal level. I think Stone did a great job digging into both sides of what drives loved ones apart. If you haven’t been personally through that, you might find several character’s actions annoying. And it is annoying! That’s just the thing! So in my opinion, that was well depicted. My favorite part about the book is the found family aspect. The bond between Emma and Holly was so sweet. I think my only gripe is the pacing was a bit slow in the middle of the book. Overall, I’d recommend if you’re looking for a book about forgiveness, grief, and found family.

An enjoyable, and pretty cute holiday read. I felt like the pacing was a little off and had a hard time connecting with the main character. She seemed to insert herself into others lives. I liked this books, but didn’t love it.

4.75 out of 5. I am obsessed with Emily stone books. They are Christmas tear jerkers that pull at your heartstrings in all the best ways. Just when you think she could not pull it off again, as here previous two books Always in December and One Last Gift were stellar, here is this book that wrecked me. Trust me there was a lot of crying in the plane whilst I was reading it. It is the perfect mix of devastation and hope, of loss and renewal of serendipity and hope. Here books are not happy Christmas tales, but they use the spirit of Christmas to heal which is a beautiful thing.

Also how can you not like a book that starts with this definition: Serendipity: (noun) finding something good without looking for it.

Another great quote: Some people you know for a lifetime, but they never really make an imprint on your soul - and some people, you only have to know for an instant, to know they will be part of you forever.

You need to pick this book up for the Christmas season, trust me

I've been sitting and thinking about this book for awhile now, trying to come up with a review. I have no idea why I find this book so difficult to review, but I do.

I originally decided to read this one because I was in the mood for a light contemporary romance. That is not what this book is. This book is heavy. It has a lot of heavy topics, especially dealing with car accidents, grief, and forgiveness. Yes, this is a romance; however, it's more about forgiveness and dealing with guilt.

I really enjoyed this book. It was such an interesting read and was well written. I have never read any books by this author before, but I will definitely check out more books by her.

While this book looks Christmasy, and it does occur on Christmas several times, there is a large portion of the book that is not during Christmas. If you are looking for a book specifically about Christmas, then this is not the book. However, if you are looking for an emotional found family book, this book is for you. As I said, I did enjoy this book a lot. I thought the storyline and plot were good, and I liked the characters. The letters were interesting, and I enjoyed reading them. I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Dell for this ARC. I read Always in December when it was released 2 years ago and it was one of my favorites of that year. When I got approved for this ARC, I was quite excited and I was not let down! I want to point out that not all of this book takes place at Christmas, so you can really read it anytime! It was such a heartfelt, beautiful read! @emstonewrites has this way to really tug at the heartstrings! I know most love a precocious child in a book but I LOVE a semi grumpy old woman/man. They are truly my favorites and Emma was just a delight! I absolutely adored the relationship between her and Holly. I also enjoyed the theme of family- particularly that of found family. The romance was really special too. This does deal with terminal cancer and infertility, so I would issue that trigger warning. Make sure to have tissues handy for this ad well, but trust me, it’ll really make you feel both sad and happy at the end. I love books where the MC does soul searching but when both do, that’s even better! If you love romance, add this to your list!

I was confused for a bit, because the arc I received was Love, Holly. From my understanding, the name has changed. By the way, I preferred Love, Holly as the title. I don't pick up Christmas books. If I saw "The Christmas Letter" I would not have picked it up to read.
What I love about Emily Stone is she writes romance novels with a plot. The plot also has some twists and turns.I loved the characters in this story, especially the side characters. It wove together a story about friendship, family, and love. She masterfully fit all three relationships successfully into one book. I loved it!

Here’s the truth: I’m pretty sure [a:Emily Stone|21887652] doesn’t consider her work done until she’s made her readers ugly cry at least 3 times a book.

Holly is an artist, headed home for Christmas with her beloved big sister Lily. They stop into a charming cafe covered in amazing paintings, and Holly — literally — runs right into Jack. He seems annoyed, but then… is this her meet cute? Holly leaves with Jack’s number, it starts to snow (could it be any more perfect?!) and then… slide… crunch… Holly’s life is turned upside down by a car accident.

[b:Love, Holly|78299277] is about what happens after the worst thing you can imagine. About managing guilt and finding peace. With letting people <i>truly</i> see who you are, even if it’s scary, and knowing that you are worth forgiveness, and capable of forgiving.

Holly and Jack have a ton of chemistry – it practically leaps off the page when they first meet – but the real cracker is the relationship between Holly and Emma, the elderly widow dying of cancer – who just happens to know about the cafe with the paintings – and whose anonymous “Dear Stranger” letter somehow finds its way to Holly three Christmases after the crash.

There’s maybe one too many coincidences that keep bringing together Holly and Jack. Maybe the author should have leaned all the way into it and made this magical realism? And I wanted to grab Holly’s parents by the shoulders and shake them for the way they handled the fallout of the crash. But, they’re only human. And so are Emma and Jack’s mom. Their choices, while frustrating, are so very believable.

[b:Love, Holly|78299277] by [a:Emily Stone|21887652]
⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 4.5 stars rounded up
🌶️ Plenty of sexy hotel rooms, but the doors are closed
🖼️🎨 Would that all roadside cafes had the charm of Impression Sunrise
🍦Ice cream is definitely a winter treat
🛶 Venice in August? Ugh. No thanks.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine/Dell for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Love love loved!
Emily Stone is magnificent at 1.) putting you in the holiday spirit while 2.) simultaneously breaking your heart. I will say, she also repairs it.
The relationship between Holly and Emma was really sweet. The love story was sweet. It was just, so stinking sweet!