Thanks to Avon for the copy of this book!

I love debuts and books with kooky aunts, so even though coming-of-age stories aren't always for me, I decided to give this one a try. While it's cute, I did find that it dragged quite a bit for me, and I found Rosie frustrating. I'm more of a "take control of your life and do the best you can" kind of person, so the thought of going to college for veterinary school and then flunking out of basic classes really took me aback. That, combined with Rosie just giving up on doing something that she wanted to do because her brother's always better than her was just a little annoying. Also, how do you not realize you're on a performance improvement plan until you're fired?! She did start to turn it around after Dotty died, and I liked her trajectory in that sense, but just found this one a little too slow-moving and Rosie too infuriating.

Wow. What a beautiful read. The start was slow, but I fell in love. With Rosie. With Dotty. With the beautiful community that Dotty built for herself in a “nontraditional” fashion. As a somewhat aimless 20s person, I related so deeply to the pressures Rosie faced and the clumsiness of finding herself. I didn’t want this book to end.

Thank you Netgalley for a digital ARC of this heartfelt, cute story. Life can be tricky and just when things seem stable for Rosie, Dotty passes and the chain of events after leave her struggling to find her way. The book follows her as she learns to love herself and how to live and enjoy life on her terms while learning more about her aunt Dotty. Great story for young women, very relatable and a fun story that will make you smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book was so cute and adorable. I just loved it. It made my heart happy, yet I was also sobbing. What a beautiful book that tears at your heartstrings. I think this book especially hit close to home because sometimes I feel like Rosie. Additionally, my only living grandparent, my grandmother has been going through dementia the last few years, and I feel like I've lost her before she's even truly gone. What a beautiful book that makes you appreciate the little moments in life. <3

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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Excuse me while I go cry in a corner. This book came out of nowhere, and hit me like a punch to the chest. The message of being who you are and not caring what people think about became so big, and I loved how Rosie finally figured that out. I think what really made me cry was the letter and conversation between Rosie and her mom. I think that was when I truly started to see that Rosie could be a little bit like my mom. Trying to fit into a box that people expected from her, but it backfires and puts you in a mentality of sadness. You don't like your life. You feel like you are behind in life, and just don't feel like this is your life.

This novel is about two different things, in my opinion. Rosie dealing with the loss of Dotty, and Rosie dealing with her life. She tries so hard to do what everyone expects of her and it just blows up in her face. It hurts and she feels so lost. I relate so much to that aspect.

I highly recommend this book when it comes out. Once I got to a certain point, the tears just wouldn't stop coming.

A lol, tender story about a young woman who struggles to find her way. She learns how to love herself and live happily on her terms without regrets while learning about who her aunt was and how she impacted others lives.
Definitely recommend to all women and animal lovers.
I received an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rosie Benson does not have it all together.

She is particularly close with her Aunt Dotty who's wisdom has guided her through her life. As her touchstones change she reaches out to Dotty even after she dies in a unique way.

She finds new sources of inspiration and guidance for her life from the notes shared with her by Dotty's friends.

This was a great read.

"When life rains lemons, it pours," goes the saying, and that's exactly what happens to our protagonist, Rosie.

Rosie works a sales job at a tech start-up. Sure, she doesn't love her job of two years, but as long as she's living with her best friend Marcia and spending time with her favorite great aunt Dotty, things aren't so bad. Right? Wrong!

Things take a turn for the worse when Rosie finds herself out of a job, and her once-solid friendship with Marcia becomes entangled in the chaos. Then, suddenly, Dotty passes away, leaving Rosie all alone to figure things out for herself.

The story takes you on Rosie's journey of self-discovery, and let me tell you, it's quite the ride! What I really appreciated about the book was that things don't magically resolve themselves; Rosie takes her time navigating through it all. For example, she struggles to forgive Marcia for what happens in the book, but she eventually works through her feelings.

Rosie truly stands out as one of the most refreshingly unique characters I've encountered this year.

I had a great time reading this book! Solid 3.5 Stars

rosie is just like the rest of us twenty-somethings trying to find her way in this thing we call life. she experiences a series of unfortunate events, including the death of her beloved and kooky aunt, dotty. after dotty’s death, rosie is left picking up the pieces of her life and rediscovering who she is - and who dotty was.

occasionally i found myself annoyed at rosie and the decisions she made, but i understand that the through line was grief. sprinkled with a bit of naïveté.

this was a quick read and a wonderfully written story. i also found myself missing dotty. i was longing for someone i had never met. her absence was palpable.

this book was a great debut for jaclyn westlake and will encourage you to follow your heart, not what everyone else wants you to do.

i received an advanced readers copy of this novel, courtesy of netgalley, avon, and harper voyager. all opinions expressed are my own.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This charming debute from Jaclyn Westlake follows the trials and tribulations of Rosie Benson. Rosie is the epitome of the young twenty-something trying to keep it all together by pretending to know how to adult. She’s struggling with herself identity, job, friendships, and a suddenly dysfunctional family. Thankfully, Rosie always has someone to turn to for advice - her quirky and free spirited great aunt Dotty. Just when Rosie needs Dotty the most, she dies. And Rosie’s life spirals. As new details of Dotty's past emerge through revelatory emails from her many friends, Rosie learns what it means to pursue her dreams, break free from the pressures of other’s ideas of us, and find a life she’s happy with.

I didn’t expect to find myself weeping throughout most of this book! This sweet story was an easy and face paced read, and just what I needed to get out of a reading slump! I just adored the character development and the way Westlake created Dotty through the memories of others. Fans of “One Italian Summer” by Rebecca Serle and “The People We Keep” by Allison Larkin would certainly enjoy this book!

— 3 stars ★

Thoughts Ꮺ
— This book follows Rosie Benson and what I like to call, a quarter life crisis (don't worry, I'm almost there too)! Between family deaths, divorces, betrayals, bad jobs and a general identity crisis - Rosie still tries to keep her head above the water.

The story started a little slow but once things started happening, they just kept happening. It was back to back plotlines and revelations where I felt a bit whiplashed. I do appreciate how Jaclyn Westlake tackled the internal struggles of being in your 20's and feeling stuck while watching others around you proceed in life at a rapid pace. I feel that constantly as someone who is almost in her mid 20's and is in an entry level job, single and has no idea what she's really doing in life.

While the situations felt real(ish), there were a few scenes that just felt forced and overly dramatic. I think some of the plotlines did not fit with some character's arcs and were placed more for the immediate reaction.

Overall Ꮺ
— I think this was a good coming of age story about a woman who lived her life the way others wanted her to live it and not herself. The progression and growth within Rosie was lovely to see and gives me hope for my own growth!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC! Rosie Benson's life is kind of a mess: she loses her job, experiences a betrayal from her best friend and roommate, and worst of all, her favorite aunt and biggest supporter passes away. Rosie has always felt like she wasn't enough for her family - especially after she dropped out of college, but her aunt Dotty always encouraged her to follow her heart. As Rosie embarks on a personal journey to discover her own path, she is guided by stories of Dotty sent to her from Dotty's friends, lovers, and family. How Dotty lived her life, might just inspire Rosie to live her own. Dear Dotty is an emotional read that explores family, friendship and romantic relationships and how they all help to shape who we are.

As a girl in her 20’s trying to figure out life, it’s beyond comforting to read about a fellow girlie in her 20’s also trying to figure out life. This book had me crying, laughing, and feeling seen. Thankful for Dotty and all of the other Dotties in our lives that teach & love us and continue to do so even after our shared time is up. Wonderful book & can't wait for more!

As a childfree woman, "Dear Dotty" made my heart so happy.
I fell in love with Dotty from the moment she was introduced and couldn't wait to know everything their was to know about her story.
The main character, Rosie, is such a relatable women. She's unsure, searching for answers, and learning who she is.
Without giving anything away, I thoroughly enjoyed the way Dotty was able to help Rosie come in to her own.
This book was heartwarming, tear-jerking, and felt like a hug.

3.25 ⭐️
I thought this was a very easy, quick read! Fun for the summer. I like how Jaclyn Westlake tackles what it can look like for 20 something’s to navigate finding what they are passionate about, looking for jobs, and navigating relationship. There wasn’t anything crazy groundbreaking or or incredible about the book but it was good! I’d recommend to a friend if they’re wanting something fast pace and summery.
There is minimal romance - mostly addresses Rosie figuring out what her dreams are and how to have healthy relationships with her friends and family. And she is navigating grief of the person she felt most connected with.
There were a few things that I didn’t overly appreciate about how topics were talked about like pregnancy. Felt clique and judgmental maybe?

I wish I could give Dear Dotty more than 5 stars. I finished a few days ago and have been sitting with my thoughts, trying to find words for how much I adore this book. I cried, I laughed, and I related to the main character, Rosie, so much. Oh to be 24 again, never quite living up to your brother’s success or your family’s expectations.

About halfway through the book, I searched Jacyln’s name to immediately add her other works to my TBR and was so surprised to see Dear Dotty was her first novel. I knew from the prologue that I loved her writing style and had a feeling I’d enjoy this book. I had no idea just how much.

Dear Dotty deserves all the praise. Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the privilege of reading an advanced copy. Publication date June 4, 2024.

Dear Dotty is a sweet coming-of-age story with the predictable plot of a woman whose life begins to come apart at the seams, only to be sewn back together after learning about her recently deceased aunt's life story.
This started out slow for me, but about a third of the way through, I was surprised at how much I was enjoying the story. It's well-written debut novel with all the right elements - love, guilt, betrayal, friendship. The romance was minimal, which is unusual for these types of books, and the plot really focused on the main character, Rosie's, self-development. Rosie has been passive for many years, and she learns to take the bull by the horns and figure out what would actually make her happy rather than taking everyone else's cues.
This was a light read with a happy ending, nice for a lazy summer day.
3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

After losing her Great Aunt Dotty, Rosie's life is upended. Realizing that she is unhappy trying to live her life fitting into the box her family wants her to, she makes a series of bad decisions that lead to some pretty major life consequences. All the while chasing the real stories of her Aunt that she has always looked up to.

This book was a very heartwarming story that reminds readers of that period in their lives where they didn't have anything figured out. Such likeable characters, that will stay with the reader even after the last page is turned.

Rosie Benson’s life is falling apart. In the span of a couple of weeks, Rosie gets fired from her job, finds out her parents are getting divorced, learns her best friend is dating the ex-boss that fired her, and her favorite person, her great-aunt Dotty, dies. Feeling lost and still making mistakes (taking the wrong job, dating the wrong guy, etc.), Rosie emails her aunt’s contact list letting them know that Dotty passed away and requesting stories about her aunt. Rosie learns that there was so much about her aunt she didn’t know, including that her name wasn’t actually Dotty, and how important it is to build a life that makes you happy, not just accepting what life hands you, even if it means you don’t live up to other people’s measurements of success.

I really loved this book.

The characters were all so complex and realistic. There were points where I wanted to slap Rosie upside the head for her dumb decisions and other times I wanted to hug and cry with her.

The book was so relatable, showing how beautiful and complex life can be. That there can be joy alongside grief and how important it is to ask for help when we are struggling.

When I grow up, I want to be Dotty. I want to live a life so full of love and adventure that the people I leave behind come together to celebrate my life and find comfort and friendship in one another. What a gift Dotty gave to all of her people!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading Dear Dotty by Jaclyn Westlake. I loved how real and honest it was and following along as Rosie grew and changed. I mean, who really has their life together anyway?! It was such a good book and I loved every minute of it.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Jaclyn Westlake for the advanced readers copy in exchange of my honest review.