Rosie so related to her great aunt Dotty and was lost when Dotty passed, so she wrote her emails as a way to still connect. Meanwhile, her life was in limbo. She just didn't know what she wanted to do with her life.

Before I jump into the review, thank you to Jaclyn Westlake, Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this ARC via NetGalley! ❤️😍 Review 4.5/5!

This is a book I wish I had read 5-7 years ago as a 20-something year old, and I think every young female should. Watching Rosie's struggle felt like seeing parts of myself on a page that I really hadn't allowed myself to sit with. Dear Dotty is a beautiful story of a young girl trying to figure out who she is amidst a plethora of bad things happening to her and around her. Through it all, she's guided by learning more about her great aunt (someone who was very important to her) and how she lived a life that was full, and most importantly - hers.

I read Dear Dotty quickly, flying through it and when I finished, all I could think was: am I living a life I'm proud of? Am I living one filled with what makes me happiest and fulfilled, no matter what I *think* I'm supposed to do?

And isn't that challenge what reading is all about?

I'm so grateful I had the chance to read this book! ❤️ It's a good glimpse into the journey of finding yourself with your friends, family, relationships, career and the joy of learning to trust your own heart. If you need a little reminder about how to treat yourself with love and build a life that matters to you, pick up a copy of Dear Dotty! Book available June 4th from Avon Boks! 😍

This was a read that was engaging, thought provoking, emotional at times, and so relatable. From Rosie a woman in her twenties learning life and doing some growing up, to Dotty a woman who has lived a life she loved and was proud of. I left knowing how important this book is. Truly such an amazing read- love, forgiveness, friendship, acceptance, accountability, humor. It has it all!

3.5 stars. I loved Dotty, I found her to be such a fun and charming aunt, and reminds me a lot of my own aunt. Shes quirky, but has so many friends and lived so many lives. Learning about all of her lives through emails Rosie recieved from Dotty’s friends really added to the concept of the book.

Overall, everything felt like it tied nicely together. Rosie had an interesting coming of age story and her relationships surrounding her grew in such different ways. The only thing I didn’t love was the end. I loves how the book finished, but the last few chapters felt a bit more drawn out. However overall, I loved the book!

This story is the perfect mix of emotions. I found myself smiling, laughing out loud, tearing up and being angry. Reading this book was like a warm hug I didn't want to end.

Rosie was a very likeable character and also easy to relate to. I felt like she was a friend instead of a character in a book and I wanted the best for her. Dotty was equally likeable and I adored her personality so much. She reminded me a bit of Sophia from The Golden Girls with her wit and charm. Nadine had Miranda Priestly vibes and that's all I'll say about her.

This book was so easy to read. I had no problem getting into the story and once I started reading I didn't want to stop. The pacing of the story is excellent and made the book a quick read. The author has a great writing style and I was shocked to discover this is her debut novel. It certainly doesn't read like one.

I highly recommend this book. I can't say enough about how good it is and how it was a joy to read. I could easily see myself reading it again and again. It is one of those books that you are happy you read but are also sad because you will never be able to read it for the first time again. A definite 5 star read!

I will be looking for more of this author's work in the future!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

“I already got this book for free but I think I need to buy a physical copy.” - Me 60% through Dear Dotty.

This book is absolutely lovely. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me miss my grandma. A lot.

Dear Dotty follows 24-year-old Rosie Benson who is just trying to feel like a put together adult. But one thing after another happens and she is left feeling like her life is falling apart. The catalyst being the death of her great aunt, Dotty. While grieving Dotty, she finds herself wanting to learn more about her life.

Thi book was a beautiful story of grief, friendship, family, and young adulthood. I found myself relating to Rosie a lot. (and cringing some of the times that I did) This is a book that I definitely recommend to other fans of contemporary fiction, and is one I will re-read in the future. 5 stars.

When it rains, it pours. Rosie, a twenty something in the bay area, is going through one heck of a quarter life crisis. Getting fired, blindsided by her bestie, her parents divorcing and the death of her favorite great-aunt. This story follows her attempts at getting back on her feet snd following the path she thinks she should, higher profile new job, boyfriend, the works. But what if there's more out there and choosing what would be life giving for her would turn into better supporting her people too?

This book was a little different from my usual. I picked it up because of the perfect for fans of beth o'leary line. And at the end of the day foe me this story was just fine? The woe is me plot lime was a little overdone, the end conflict resolution felt so rushed for the pace of the rest of the book it didn't feel true to the MC. But, but Barb. Barb was my favorite part of this book. Who is Barb you might ask? Read it and find out! Because, Barb (honorable mention for sprinkles and cupcake!!!)


Thank you Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This book may have been made exactly for me. If you’re a 20-something in San Francisco that has ever wanted the cool aunt lifestyle: this one is for you.

I love the lack of judgment for people living their lives the way that makes them the happiest. And the process of mourning those you love when they die.

This was a very well done exploration of the way relationships evolve over time, especially in your 20s as those you love change and you have to figure out how to redefined your relationship with them. I love the complexity of the family dynamics where things were done out of love but it took a while for everyone to understand where the others were coming from.

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Jaclyn Westlake provided by NetGalley. The main character is a young woman floundering in her “adult life” with career, friendships and of course family. The loss of her unique Aunt Dotty leads her on a journey of self discovery that was really interesting. The novel is well written and I will look for more from this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Dear Dotty!

I enjoyed this book, as it’s a little different than my usual reads. I love reading debut novels, and this one shows great promise for this author!

With that said, the pacing felt very slow for me. It took me much longer than usual yo finish because i felt like the same things were happening over and over. I chalk some of this up to the “coming of age/figuring yourself out” phase, but it was tough at points.

Rosie was annoying at times, but again, she is young and trying to navigate grief and many changes in her life so ill give her a pass. Her relationship with Marcia was the most frustrating for me.

With the above though, Rosie does have wonderful growth through this book and i felt it was pretty realistic to how a young person navigating grief would be. I loved her dynamic with Dotty. I loved reading the emails back and forth between chapters, that was a beautiful touch.

I think everyone should give this book a chance. Especially if you are feeling stuck and dealing with grief because you may find a kindred spirit in Rosie.

For lovers of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk, and Beth O'Leary, prepare to welcome Jaclyn Westland to your list of favorites. Her novel, "Dear Dotty," written in the spirit of “coming-of-age” or “chick-lit,” offers a refreshing take on life's possibilities—whether we play by the rules or craft our own.

They say when one door shuts, a window opens. For Rosie, it seemed all doors were locked, and each window firmly nailed shut. In the span of a week, she lost her job, her best friend, and the one person on the planet who understood her. To add to that, her parents were getting a divorce after 30 years of marriage, and Rosie was ready to throw in the towel. The only sliver of good fortune was a chance encounter that seemed to finally bring good fortune where there was none. The problem is, with each new opportunity presented, Rosie feels like she is moving further and further away from who she thought she would be, in her career and in life in general. When the dreams of her old self become a possible reality, Rosie must decide if the new her is the real her or if she is ready to make the ultimate gamble, going all in on herself, like Dotty always did.

This book cleverly plays with a "sliding doors" concept. Not at the beginning, as Raj made it clear Rosie was getting fired one way or another, but when Rosie was presented with the opportunity at the start of the story. In that moment, Dotty gave Rosie one set of directions and Rosie did the complete opposite. I loved that Jaclyn allows us to see both sides of the coin, to view how life is when you live by the stipulations of others versus your own.

It is also through this narrative that we explore Rosie's preconceived notion that Dotty couldn't possibly be happy with the life she lived because she didn't follow the societal norms placed upon her. She wasn't married, didn't have kids, lived a modest lifestyle, had an unconventional job that didn't guarantee a steady income, and she always went against the grain—there was just no way it was possible that she was fulfilled. The seeds of self-discovery, independence, and acceptance are planted and nurtured continuously—for the female protagonist and possibly for the reader, who may need the gentle reminder that it's okay to "go against the grain" and live for yourself, not for others.

The friendship between Marcia and Rosie was my favorite part of this book. The ups and downs, twists and turns of these two showed the depth of love and growth. We see Marcia transform through Rosie’s eyes and how that impacted her own development. When Marcia laid down harsh truths, even I had to take a moment for self-reflection, and the rawness of her statement when it came down to the excuse “I am doing everything I can.” Applicable in different areas of our lives, are we really doing everything we can? Have we truly exhausted all options, or have we just danced up to that fine line of our comfort zones, not daring to cross it for the sake of comfort and familiarity?

Like most women's literature and coming-of-age fiction, the focus isn’t on the romance of the female protagonist; it is on the journey and transformation.

Revisiting an earlier thought, Jaclyn did an excellent job tackling the concept of heteronormative and societal ideals. If Rosie was not in a relationship that was heading towards matrimony and babies, she wasn’t considered a grown-up. If she didn’t have a career with a specific ladder to climb to demonstrate her capabilities, she wasn’t taking life seriously. She was torn between two identities: the one encouraged by Dotty to be true to yourself and live a life without regret, and one created by her mother—to be a responsible, independent adult—which meant doing what was expected by society as well as those around you. Jaclyn doesn't make it cut and dry—good vs. evil. She shows the pros and cons of both lives, but the underlying truth in each scenario is the simplest (yet somehow most difficult) question to answer—was she happy? Not happy because of something, but happy in spite of everything.

Some who read "Dear Dotty" may simply be entertained by the cute banter, witty humor, and vibrant characters. Others may find much-needed truth within the words of these pages and walk away motivated, energized, and renewed. In either case, Jaclyn has definitely left a mark with her debut novel, and I, for one, am grateful.

4.5 rounded up to 5.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Dear Dotty will always hold a very special place in my heart. I related to Rosie, the main character on such a personal level. This book is the shining star example of a story about the journey to self-discovery and realizing the importance of family.

With snippets of mixed media in the form of emails from old friends, Rosie finds out more about her favorite Aunt Dotty's life from these emails than she ever knew existed. Aunt Dotty dies very unexpectedly and it sends Rosie into a tailspin and into a string of events that might or might not be within her control. The amount of authentic growth Rosie goes through throughout this book makes this a heartfelt tribute to finding yourself and not settling for the status quo. Dear Dotty has such valuable and meaningful life lessons. It's a story for everyone.

A sweet, sometimes cheesy, book about finding yourself and learning to look at life through your own lens rather than other people's. Especially in a world where everything seems to move so fast and there seem to be all these rules about what to do and milestones to achieve to be "successful", learning to look at success in terms of what makes you happy rather than expectations is a very heart-felt sentiment .
Rosie has such an idea already embedded as to what she has to do to be successful, to be grown-up, to be happy, that she's begun pushing away practically everyone in her life and not realizing that she's also contributing to her own problems. It takes a series of shakeups, the hardest-hitting being Dotty's death, for her to start to sort out her true priorities.

There's a number of nice things in this, that sometimes people just aren't right together romantically, or at that time, and just because it's not forever doesn't mean anyone was in the wrong and you can't stay friends or appreciate the impact you had on each other, to stop chasing jobs you think you "should" have that make you miserable.

There's also some things that get on my nerves, like how Rosie never really takes responsibility for her role in her actions or choices or pushing people away, instead just wallowing in her own pity party. Also that everyone keeps bringing up the sad or struggle parts of Dotty's life, but we don't actually see any of that in the emails? We mostly see her forming life-long connections with people and collecting a family, and while yes, there are some partings beyond her control, neither she nor those involved frame those partings poorly in the emails, so it feels a little weird to see a life described as "the only regret was that she didn't start living life her way sooner" and with a central theme of making choices that make you feel fulfilled and happy as anything less.

One of the best ways to describe how I felt about this book is to use a quote from it, “ “It was cheesy and wonderful and so beautiful…”

It took about 10 pages for me to feel a kinship with these characters. And that feeling grew and grew as the story went on. I felt like I was a part of this family, this world, and all the animals in it as I read. It felt like a movie playing in my head which sure, books should be, but this took it to a higher level. Rosie was so real and flawed and reminded me so much of herself in the ways she was anxious, wanted to please everyone, and felt like she had to live her life in a way that those looking on would approve of. Her and Bug (the pug who may have been the biggest character of all outside of Barb, the cow) were so cute and adorable and reminded me of my attachment to my own boy, Macaroni.

Rosie’s character development was everything. And again, I can’t say it better than the book itself but by the end, she began following Dotty’s mindset and “spent a lot of time reflecting on what I wanted for myself - not what I’d been told I wanted - there’s a big difference.” Speaking of Dotty, talk about a character. She was huge and whole even though she had died early on, she lived on through Rosie, her emails and the emails of all those whose lives she touched.

Overall, it was a truly inspiring and heartfelt story about growing up, finding out who you are and where you fit in the world, and not being afraid to make the choices that make YOU happy. I laughed a lot, smiled and even got choked up in places because man, being an adult is hard and I GET it. What a strong debut this was for Jaclyn and I can’t wait to get more from her down the road.

What a lovely, heartwarming story of 20-something Rosie, longing to get her life together. And now, her favorite person, her greatest sounding board and cheerleader, has died - her great aunt Dotty. Dotty had always been just an email away when Rosie needed her, even when she was traveling the world. After Dotty's death, Rosie continues to be inspired and encouraged by her great aunt, now through emails from Dotty's friends, as they share their memories.
I loved the character development and their relationships. Well written, and an easy read. The emails interspersed with the chapters was an interesting touch.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

My links:
https://www.tiktok.com/@catladybooktok (posting this review on MONDAY 5/20)
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/146489580?ref=nav_profile_l

My Review:
Dear Dotty - The debut novel by Jaclyn Westlake!
Release Date - June 4, 2024,
DEAR DOTTY is a delightful coming-of-age story that strikes a perfect balance between humor and heart. As an ARC reader, I had the pleasure of diving into this fresh, relatable tale before it's release.

The story centers around ROSIE Benson, a twenty-something navigating the tumultuous waters of adulthood. Rosie’s life is far from perfect; she’s grappling with her parents’ unexpected divorce, a betrayal by her best friend, and a regrettable romantic encounter. On top of that, she’s fired from her tech start-up job, shattering her illusion of having it all together... then her Aunt passes.

DOTTY, Rosie’s late great-aunt, whose unconventional and spirited life serves as a guiding light for Rosie through a series of revelatory emails.
Dotty, a pug - loving free spirit, challenges Rosie to pursue her long-buried dreams rather than conform to society’s expectations. "DOWN WITH THE PATRIARCY!"
...
As Rosie uncovers more about Dotty’s past, she realizes that even her seemingly perfect aunt had her own struggles. (as we all do)

Westlake’s novel delves into complex themes such as grief, evolving friendships, career setbacks, and the quest for belonging. Yet, it never loses its lighthearted touch.

Dear Dotty is a testament to the idea that life’s path is rarely straightforward, and that embracing one’s true self is the key to genuine happiness. Jaclyn Westlake’s debut is a fun, heartfelt read that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt the pressure to live up to others’ expectations!

Dotty's life lessons will stick with me LONG after finishing this read!

White it means a whole lot of feels come with it, I also have come to love stories that center grief in an honest, authentic way. I also love a story that centers intergenerational connections - I think because it reminds me of my grandparents. This story is about Rosie, a twentysomething who just isn't sure we see fits. She has a special connection with her great aunt Dotty, and as of late, Rosie's life has been full of lots of "hard stuff" that has just been a lot to navigate. Then, Dotty dies. Rosie then starts exploring Dotty's life, including things she never knew. As she learns more about Dotty, she also starts to figure out what the might want/need. This was just such a beautiful read. I was rooting so hard for Rosie, and I also love learning about Dotty through her eyes. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this June 2024 release!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Jaclyn Westlake for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rosie is struggling in several aspects of her life and loses her dear Aunt Dotty who was her best friend and confidant. In her quest to learn more about Dotty, she learns about herself.

Rosie initially drove me a little nuts and felt very young/immature but as she found herself she became more enjoyable. Aunt Dotty seems like the Great-Aunt everyone needs in their life.

This was a heartwarming story about how someone can be impactful in your life - whether in it for a short time or a lifetime. And the importance of following your own dream and path.

Grief is love with nowhere to go. Such a great description.

Rose has her life turned upside down when she loses her job and then weeks later her favorite great aunt Dottie. At the reading of the will Rose realizes that she may not really know her aunt. So she sends out an email to all of her aunts contacts and asks them to tell her their stories.

This book follows Rosie learning not only about her aunt but about herself. This is a very emotional read. There were moments in the book where i wanted to shake Rose. I think that was the mother in me.

The characters were very well written and relatable. I was not a fan of her mother at all.

There were parts of the book that were a little boring and I found myself wanting to skim. This was just an ok read for me. I had trouble relating to Rose.

I think this would be a good read for a younger reader.

Thank you Harper Collin’s and NetGalley for this book in exchange for my very honest review.

"Dear Dotty" centers around Rosie, who’s had a decent life before it turned upside down - her parents are divorcing, her best friend is dating Rosie’s boss (well, before he fired her), and probably the most heartbreaking: her great Aunt Dotty died. After sending an email to Dotty’s friends informing them that she passed, Rosie started to learn so many new things about her free-spirited aunt - from how she got her nickname to her and a friend trying to befriend some wild macaws - and was surprised that she still had time for family.

Rosie’s life gets better throughout the story too: she learns that she is going to be an aunt, she has new friends from a new job (which she unfortunately hates), and she’s started seeing people. She also starts to volunteer at the same farm that her Aunt Dotty volunteered in. Every so often, she would send emails to Dotty’s old address. These emails are kind of like diary entries, sharing how she is dealing with certain events after Dotty’s death.

Overall, I like how Rosie grew as a character - in the beginning, she made quite rash decisions that I didn’t like. She seemed to have many misfortunes, but she learned to be unapologetically herself, and to be honest yet kind. Her self-discovery is admirable, and I'm glad she wasn't alone during her troubles.