Jaclyn Westlake delivers a charming debut that blends humor and heart in all the best ways. When a struggling woman unexpectedly becomes the voice behind a beloved advice column, she embarks on a journey of healing, growth, and rediscovering her worth. The letters to Dotty add so much personality and insight—they’re funny, wise, and often moving.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! I just couldn't get in the mood for this one, but I do love this author!

This book was not at all what I expected and I love it. First of all, this is not a romance book AT ALL and I just want to put out that disclaimer for anyone.
This is a story about a woman who fails and finds herself and experiences life in all its forms: love, grief, loss, failure, success, friendship, family... I love it. It was so relatable and sad and inspiring.
I loved our main character, she was flawed, she was awesome and she was relatable. She had people who loved her and called her out on her bs. She had people who supported her when she fell. And she was someone who didn't want what is expected of a woman even in this day and age, and had to realize that for herself and see herself in other women to accept that and love that for herself.
I loved that particularly, just as much as I loved the character of Dotty and her relationship with her niece. I'm not sure if we all have a Dotty, but I wish we all did. It made me think of a couple of Dotty's in my life, some who are gone and some who are not. It brought them to me through this character and that was a huge gift.

A thoroughly enjoyable read that I didn’t expect to like quite so much.

Great characters, great storyline. I’ll definitely read more from this author.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy.

Dear Dotty by Jaclyn Westlake is a witty and heartfelt debut that follows Rosie Benson, a twenty-something struggling to meet everyone else’s expectations. When her life unravels—her parents divorce, her best friend betrays her, and she’s fired from her job—Rosie finds comfort in a series of posthumous emails from her free-spirited great-aunt Dotty. Through these emails, Dotty encourages Rosie to pursue her long-buried dreams, free from societal pressures.
As Rosie unravels Dotty’s past, she realizes that true fulfillment comes from living authentically, not perfectly. With humor and heart, this novel explores self-discovery, the messiness of adulthood, and the power of embracing your own path.
Dear Dotty is a charming, relatable read about finding yourself in the chaos of life. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Beth O’Leary, this debut is full of humor, wisdom, and heartfelt moments. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a refreshing, feel-good story.

I didn’t know what to expect from this one as I’ve never ready this author’s works but it was just SO SWEET. It became a tad slow in the middle but overall it was just straight serotonin.

The most beautiful book about grief and finding yourself. I was drawn in by the cover, but the words on the page kept me stuck inside the book long after I was finished. Please do yourself a favour and read this. It’s incredible.

A moving women's fiction story about family, life and love and learning to follow what makes you happy and not try to live up to society's unrealistic expectations. I liked the email component of this story and the great mental health rep. A standout new author perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary and Jojo Moyes. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Rosie Benson's life is falling apart. She feels like a failure in every way when she's constantly compared to her successful best friend and brother and nothing seems to work out for her. The only person on her side is her great aunt Dotty, always there to give her a pep talk and tell it like it is. When tragedy strikes and Dotty passes away, Rosie must learn to navigate life on her own terms, even if figuring that out might just take some timely interventions from Dotty and those who loved her.

This book is a salve in a way that I was not expecting from the cover and the blurb. I came in expecting an airhead rom-com and walked away a tiny bit healed and with a lot to think about. It's about tackling loss while accepting the changes that life brings even as we're fighting for things to stay the same. Rosie goes through so much and is carrying so much from the way her family treats her that the loss of the one person she always knew would be on her side is a massive hit. She learns to differentiate between the life she wants for herself and the life people tell her she should want in a process that is painfully relatable. Dotty is only in the book for a few chapters, but her influence and her voice are always there to help Rosie figure herself out, and it worms its way into how this reader thought of situations.
It's emotional and heartfelt yet maintains fun moments throughout that overtake the sadness to show that laughter will always have a place. I greatly appreciated that.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the excellent read!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a joy to read. Dotty lived a wild, free, loving life and and I found inspiration in her lessons, learning them along with Rosie. With an adorable, chubby pug by her side, Rosie ends up, not with a perfect life, but with a life that is imperfect in the best ways.

Rosie Benson doesn't have it all together. Like most twenty-somethings, she struggles to figure out life and turns to her late great-aunt Dotty for advice!
When she gets fired from her job, Dotty is the only person Rosie can confide in, especially after her parents announce their divorce after thirty years of marriage, which leaves the whole family in shock....and then she has a falling out with her best friend who just HAPPENED to cozy up to her arch nemesis. When Dotty suddenly dies, Rosie loses the only person she believed had been in her corner and who understood her.
The stories shared by Dotty’s friends/acquaintances not only shed light on aspects of Dotty’s life that Rosie never knew, but also inspired her to take stock in her life and follow her heart to her true calling. I loved how realistic all of the characters were and how we see so much growth from Rosie from the beginning of the book to the very ending of the book. I loved the segments with the animals at the sanctuary and wished we could have had more of that throughout the book..
Thanks to William Morrow & NetGalley for the digital copy for me to review. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I loved this heartfelt journey of self discovery… It was a delightful debut that captures the essence of navigating life’s uncertainties in your twenties. The writing is both humorous and poignant with emotional depth. I rooted for Rosie all along her journey.
Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and to Kensington for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was weary to read this book because I knew it would be sad, and it absolutely was sad. The scene with Bug crying for Dotty had me wondering if I could keep reading. But this book has heart and I’m glad I prevailed! It was a breath of fresh air and a good take on the grieving process. Not to mention being a 25 year old and not having your crap together while all your friends seem to. How relatable!

One of my favorite books of 2024! This is for all the single, child-free ladies out there. Dotty is a role model for the ages.

This book is exactly as described, nothing more, nothing less. Adulting is hard, and the main character figures this out amidst a few tragedies. I enjoyed the parts of the book that took place in her workplace and some with her best friend the most. The rest was just okay. It would make a good read for those looking for a read about life discovery.

Rosie is a 24 year old still figuring life out. When her life seems to be falling apart, she turns to her great-aunt Dotty for advice. But when Dotty suddenly dies, Rosie doesn’t know who to turn to or how to move through her grief. She emails everyone in Dotty’s contact list, asking them to respond with a memory of Dotty. As she learns more about her great-aunt, Rosie also begins to learn more about herself and what she wants out of life.
I picked this book up initially because my mom’s name is Dotty, and I was not ready for the emotional journey this book took me on. I adored seeing Rosie find herself and learn how to cope without her beloved great-aunt. This book made me laugh at times and made me cry at others, but was truly a beautiful and heartwarming story. I look forward to reading more from Jaclyn Westlake.
Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

A moving story about losing a loved one but finding yourself. Rosie’s life is full of struggles. Job issues, relationship struggles, financial woes, and a constant feeling of familial inadequacy. The only person who always makes Rosie feel whole is her great aunt Dotty. When Dotty passes away Rosie is thrown into spiral that leads to major life changes and choices to be made. I loved the relationship between Rosie and Dotty and the use of emails to help Rosie learn more about her beloved Aunt. This story is sweet and humorous, though I wished the MC was a little more likable. Overall a good read!

2.5 rounded to 3. This book fell a bit flat for me. The relationship between the MC and her aunt was sweet. There were some funny snd cute parts, but overall didn’t keep me wanting to come back for more. Not too exciting- extremely predictable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was too sweet! I found there to be quite a few laugh out loud moments that really added to how enjoyable the book was. Perfect if you're looking for a feel-good read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Dotty is such a joy! Jaclyn's debut captures the quarter-life crisis so well: Rosie is a protagonist we can all relate to. Between getting fired from her tech sales job to being ambushed by her parents' sudden divorce, her life is a bit of a mess, so it's no wonder that the death of her beloved great-aunt Dotty sends her into a tailspin.

There's so much packed in these pages that hit me right in the feels. Dealing with family dysfunction, trying to figure out this whole adulting thing, and constantly juggling what society tells you should want vs. what you actually want all deeply resonated with me. And Dotty is the perfect reminder to live life abundantly and authentically as your true self.

That said, this book isn't all serious! If you're an animal lover, you're gonna love Bug the Pug and all the barnyard mischief at Happy Hooves. With major Sophie Kinsella vibes, Dear Dotty is a hilarious and heartfelt story about building a happily ever after for you and nobody else.