Holly's life is upended when she is in a car accident during the holidays. She loses part of her family, her joy of art and confidence.

She joins a Dear Stranger writing program to connect with others and meets Emma, a lonely, dying curmudgeon. Holly is determined to patch up family issues in Emma's life. Unexpectedly, it also helps Holly heal her wounds.

Not a total light-hearted read (it's a little heavier than most rom-coms) but definitely worth the read!

This is a lovely story about fate, family, and forgiveness. If you like your holiday romances with a bit of an emotionally heavy side, this is for you. After a chance meeting in a coffee shop, Holly and Jack don’t meet up again for much longer than planned. Happenstance brings them together again and pushes Holly to work harder on her own journey with her immediate family and her found family. Overall I enjoyed this book, I struggled with a bit of the pacing from time to time but aside from that, this was a a charming read

Tw: infertility, pregnancy loss, car accidents,

I began reading this book thinking it would be a typical romantic comedy set at Christmas book. I could not have been more wrong. This book has a depth that I did not expect. The characters are easy to love, flaws and all, and the plot is very different from your typical romcom. There were many times this book made me cry, but the whole last chapter had me sobbing happy and sad tears for the life Holly had at that moment and for the way the three years covered in the book changed her and molded her into a better person. I recommend this book, but I also recommend grabbing some tissue.

Love, Holly is a delightful Christmas novel that truly lets the reader feel the spirit of the holiday. After a tragic Christmas, Holly writes a lonely hearts letter anonymously every Christmas and receives one in return. After receiving one back, she realizes she might know how to find the sender, and does, setting off a series of events that no one, especially not Holly expects. A truly endearing story, just in time for the holidays, you won't be disappointed!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Emily Stone’s work, and I was delighted to receive an ARC of “Love Holly” to review. As in all of Stone’s previous works, a story that you would expect to be fluffy and light winds up being heartbreaking and nuanced. This is a wonderful story that beautifully intertwines loss, grief, healing and love.

This was such a sweet story of grief and recovery, and finding yourself along the way. Holly had my heart right away- she’s sweet and clumsy and made me laugh and cry- and I loved watching her grow and come through her tragedy. This is a romance, but I really felt that the strength of this book was the growth of the characters throughout the year we get to be with them. I loved that Holly and Jack were able to overcome their past and work through their grief together. Holly’s relationship with her sister struck me the most deeply, as I’m very very close to my sisters, and the pain I felt with Holly’s loss of their relationship was intense. This is technically a Christmas story, but I don’t think it really needs to be relegated to just a holiday read- if your heart needs a good story, pick this one up.

Emily Stone books always make me cry and this was no exception. The first cry is usually a really sad cry and then the second one is a cathartic cry. I love a good cry and I love a good book.

Holly is estranged from her family and she connects to Emma, also estranged from her family. Holly thinks she can help Emma and in enters Jack, Emma’s grandson she hasn’t seen in years, someone Holly shockingly already knows from a past encounter.

Fate brought these three individuals together. Their lives intertwined in unimaginable ways. They help each other. They change each other. They love each other.

This book was a cozy night on the couch under your favorite blanket. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC I throughly loved it.

Love, Holly by Emily Stone
In this story, Holly and her sister are driving to see her parents, when they stop to get a coffee, meet some interesting people and are on there way again. An accident happens, soon after they leavr the coffee shop, which will change all of these peoples lives.
It's a story of fate, a chance at reconnecting. It's about love, guilt, commitment and undoing misunderstandings. It's about different generations, and connections made, to get to a place of love and acceptance.
This story has many different working parts, that keep us guessing at times frustrating us at times, but always in my opinion, making us want to read more to see how all of these parts bring everyone together.

I have read all of the authors book and have loved everyone of them. Each are love stories, but each with there own unique twists.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for a copy of this books.

A young woman tries to heal a rift in her elderly pen pal’s family in time for Christmas, all while falling in love—and maybe even reuniting with her own family—in this dazzling romance from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift

Sometimes it takes a stranger to bring you back to yourself.

That is the publishers blurb that caught my eye and attention and so I requested this book and am grateful for the opportunity to read it and then give my unbiased and honest review..

Love, Holly by Emily Shore is one of the absolute best Christmas love story’s. Shore is an amazing writer that knows how to develop her characters to make the flawed, honest, and raw. This book is no exception. I love how you have no preconceived ideas about how the ending will be or what you will expect when you turn the page and that, to me, makes for a great read. This one will make you cry tears of happiness. I read this at the Drs. Office so it probably was not the best place but hey, I had everyone wanting to read it so that was a plus! Emily Shore….you ROCK and I can’t wait to read more by you…..if of course you are reading this……


5 out of 5 stars 💕💕💕💕💕

I really enjoyed this. I jumped in thinking it was going to be a fluffy holiday romance and it was quite the opposite. There was romance and it was originally set during the winter holiday, but it spanned over a year and was quite deep.

This is more than just a love story. It’s about sisters. Grief. Misunderstandings. Fear. Forgiveness. Family dynamics. Romance. Pursuing a dream. I loved it!

Thank you, Random House and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Emily Stone’s writing and will definitely be adding this book to my collection when it releases. Stone has given us another beautiful, emotional love story. It has just enough heartbreak to bring depth and nuance to the characters lives without being overly dramatic. Holly and Jack meet unexpectedly one Christmas Eve, but tragedy prevents her from connecting with him afterward. Fast forward a few years and Holly’s life is not what she expected - or wanted - it to be. One seemingly small decision leads to another and all of a sudden she’s standing in front of Jack in the lobby of his office building. It would be so easy for them to fall for each other, but life isn’t going to make it easy. Holly has personal and family issues she needs to work through, and, honestly, so does Jack. They are both mature enough to admit that the timing isn’t really right. The reader gets the glorious gift of walking hard roads with each of them, crossing paths along the way, until finally the timing might be good enough. Even if it’s never going to be perfect. Holly and Jack are mature, honest, and caring. They don’t have life figured out but sure are going to try their best - for themselves, for their loved ones, and for each other. What a gorgeous literary romance that is sure to be one of my favorite books of the year.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I love Emily Stone books. Her books are not predictable and don’t always have the ending you are expecting, which I love. Her books are a nice escape, but don’t feel cheesy or fake. Love, Holly did not disappoint. I loved everything about it. It was a beautiful story about family, love, and forgiveness. Of course there is romance, my favorite part. I highly recommend this book and I’m so thankful I had the chance to read it I will read anything written by Emily Stone.

This is an incredible read. It brought tears to my eyes many times. The characters are so well developed. Their feelings are honest and so very relatable. Love, Holly will stick with me for a long time. This is a book that I will recommend to others and buy as gifts.

A wonderful novel set around multiple Christmas times. A novel full of family, tragedy, hooe, redemption, art, love and the power or letter writing. Not to be missed!

I received a free copy of, Love, Holly by Emily Stone, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to like this book, but I could not. I did not like Holly, in trying to help she just interfered with other people lives, it was annoying an unnecessary.

This is definitely Emily Stone’s best book!!

After a Christmas Eve car crash, Holly’s life is turned upside-down. Little did she know that joining a Dear Stranger letter writing program would be just what she needs to bring a joy, happiness and fate into her life.

If you are looking for a heartwarming and emotional Christmas book that will probably make you cry both sad and happy tears, do not skip on Love, Holly. It is a story about accidents, blame and grief and finding yourself as you learn to accept and forgive. Emily Stone does a great job exploring the power of fate, which is one of my favorite themes, as well as second chances not only with love but also with family. The main characters, as well as the supporting, were multi-dimensional and complex, with flaws that felt authentic and allowed for great character growth. Also, all the letters written throughout the story melted my heart.

Read if you like:
-Raw and emotional romances
-UK setting
-Timelines that span across a year
-Stories about fate and timing
-Holiday reads
-The process of grief, acceptance and forgiveness

Thank you Random House for the ARC. Pub date 6/26!

Marvelous read - heartfelt, raw, emotional, romantic, Consider me a convert to all things Emily Stone from here on out! In the hands of someone less skilled, this premise could have been maudlin or trite, but Stone combines the right mix of humor, reality, gentleness, and heart to make the whole thing work.

I loved Holly, as the broken but not defeated FMC. After being the driver in a car accident that injured her sister (and caused her to miscarry), Holly has spent three years estranged from her sister and feeling like she doesn't deserve her family or real happiness. She's teaching art, instead of making it, and finding solace in writing a Dear Stranger letter each year at Christmas to another lonely soul in Britain. When she receives her Dear Stranger letter from Emma, a curmudgeonly grandma, Holly can't help but attempt to find this Emma. Turns out - Holly may already have a connection to Emma, via her estranged grandson Jack, whom Holly met briefly minutes before her car accident, and who feels like the one who could have been...

I loved all of these characters so much. Emma as the unfiltered and cantankerous old woman, Jack with his random bursts of confidence and spontaneity when Holly is involved, and all of the other side characters that fill out this book. There were times I laughed out loud and other times when my heart ached. This has a romance element to it, but it's definitely a slow moving relationship, and the romantic relationship is not the only focus of the book.

The pacing of the book is great, spreading the action across four sections of a year. Christmastime is a theme, but the book can definitely be read any time of year. (The amount of "holiday-ness" in it reminded me of Jenny Bayliss' book A Season for Second Chances.) The ending is so bittersweet but perfect. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys:

-books with themes of love, forgiveness, and grief
- stories about family, and the bonds that can't be broken
- a bit of found family and opening your heart to let new people and experiences in
- raw and emotional stories of real people

“Love, Holly” was beautiful and sad. Emma’s pushy but well-meaning friend, Pam, had convinced her to send a Dear Stranger letter at Christmas, in which she talked about her recent cancer diagnosis, as well as her grief and loneliness. Years ago, her son died in a car accident, and in the aftermath of the accident, she became estranged from her daughter-in-law and grandson, a rift that has never been healed. The “Dear Stranger” letter program is designed so that the sender’s contact information is not shared with the recipient, who is seemingly chosen at random. However, Emma included her last name, Tooley, which is not normally done. In addition, Holly, the recipient of the letter, recognizes the Impression Sunrise Cafe referenced in the letter. Three years earlier, Holly and her sister Lily stopped at the cafe on their way to the holiday cottage their parents had rented to celebrate Christmas. The cafe was especially memorable because of the beautiful artwork by a local artist displayed on the walls, Holly's eventful meeting with a handsome stranger, Jack, and the life altering car accident that happened soon afterward, in which Lily, pregnant with her first child, miscarried. Grieving the loss of her baby, Lily blamed Holly, who was driving, for the accident, and they had not spoken since.

After reading Emma's letter, Holly decides she is going to help her, and show her that she is not alone. Emma is surprised and upset when Holly appears on her doorstep, but given that it is Christmas Eve and storming, she begrudgingly allows Holly to stay. Emma is not as gruff and curmudgeonly as she acts. Emma and Holly will form a friendship, which is one of the best aspects of the story. However, it is not without its difficulties, as Holly continues to pry. She decides that she is going to track down Emma's grandson, Jack, and reunite them. Imagine Holly's surprise when she realizes that Emma's Jack is also her Jack, the guy she met at the cafe three years ago. This will cause problems, as there is an attraction between Holly and Jack that will be rekindled, and Holly cannot find the right opportunity to reveal to Jack that she knows his grandmother. When that information is finally revealed, Jack does not take it well.

In addition to her efforts to reunite Emma and Jack, Holly's friendship with Emma will force her to reconsider decisions she made after the accident, especially giving up her efforts to be a sculptor. Holly's intervention in Jack's life will also lead to him rekindling family relationships and rethinking his career.

This is my first read by this author. I was surprised by how heartbreaking yet hopeful this one was as the characters dealt with tragedy, grief, and relationships. The situations the characters are working through are far more complex than you might think at first and I enjoyed reading how it played out. The romance wasn't the main focus of the book, but it also didn't detract and paced along well with the rest of the story.