I received an advanced copy through NetGalley. This was a delightful quarter-life crisis story.
Honestly, Rosie drove me a bit nuts at times, but her growth and honesty was admirable. Her great aunt Dotty's legacy is revealed little by little, woven throughout Rosie's struggles as a twenty-something dealing with loss, family tension, and toxic workplaces. It was relatable and inspiring without being too heavy- most often a surprisingly light and humorous read. I am looking forward to reading more by Jaclyn Westlake!

This was the emotional yet uplifting book that I was craving!

Rosie is a twenty-something who's trying to find her way in adulthood. She is drowning in a sea of competing priorities and expectations from friends, family, work and romantic relationships. Worst of all, she lost the one person she could always confide in, her great-aunt Dotty. After a series of missteps, Rosie begins a journey to find out more about Dotty and what makes a good life.

I love when a book takes me through a journey of emotions with the main character. I laughed, I cried, I got frustrated with bad decisions, but I walked away from this one feeling satisfied and hopeful. Bug and Barb are the icing on the cake of this sweet book!

This book was one of these sweetest books I’ve ever read!! If you are at a crossroads in your life then you need to read this book!! I love Aunt Dotty’s perspective on life and there are many lessons to be learned here. I LOVED IT!!

Rosie leads an interesting life and has an eccentric aunt named Dotty. Travel along with Rosie as she deals with many of the same ups and downs we all face. Each character Dotty encounters on her journey to find herself play a major role in the story line. The authors develops the characters in a way that keeps the reader hooked.

Dear Dotty made me laugh, cry, and really think about life. This book is like a cozy warm hug. Highly recommend you snag Dear Dotty for yourself.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC!

i had the chance to read an advanced copy of this book and i what can i say this has been such a lovely experience.

the story of rosie dealing with her life while grieving, dealing with the mess has her life become and rediscovering her family has been such a pleasure to read about. i have loved every single character in this book which doesn’t happen often and it is genuinely one of the best books i’ve read so far this year.

i recommend everyone to pick this book up if they are looking for a true heartfelt story about life.

I was given and Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher and Net Galley, so thank you!!

Dear Dotty follows our main character around the time of her Aunt’s death. The two of them were very close (they wrote emails back and forth, joked around, confused in each other, etc) so her death hit our MC very hard.

We get to see the way Dotty’s death has impacted her, both good and bad.

Dotty reminded me a lot of my own grandmother (who unfortunately passed away) making it an incredibly emotional read. That is mainly why it took me so long to finish! The book was well written and easy to read, but the grief hit home in a couple places so I took breaks.

Thank you again for the ARC, Net Galley!

***I received an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own***

Highly recommend this multi-faceted women's fiction book!

**SPOILERS AHEAD**
This book gave me chills, made me laugh, cry, and get mad. The way Rosie's family treats her in the first 80% of the book made me so mad. She is just trying her best the whole time, and things keep piling up for her.
I love how much the characters grow in the book, and I think it's worth mentioning that it is due to the fact that Dotty passes away. It's crazy what can happen when a family loses someone so dear to them.

I cannot believe the Marcia/Raj situation, I would be livid if it was my best friend. I'm glad they end up as friends though. I feel like Raj is just a different person at his job, and we get to see that he is very kindhearted outside of work.
I love Bug so much! She is the glue in the book that holds everyone together.

I really thought Donovan and Rosie would stay together, I think I felt how she did in the end though- they were perfect on the outside, but she didn't feel that type of passion with him, how it feels to truly be in love. Page 260, "Dotty always said love wasn't logical."

I love women's fiction books, and I'm so thoroughly impressed that this is Jaclyn's first book, it is AMAZING. I hope it will sell tons of copies; I can't wait to get mine officially. I would read anything else Jaclyn releases!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book. All opinions in my review are myol own.

I really enjoyed this one but it was not what I expected. I think I was anticipating a light rom com with some lessons learned from Rosie's Great Aunt,Dotty. What I got was not light enough fluffy and was more a book about a journey of self discovery and learning what matters in life and how to be yourself. Rosie is in her mid twenties and living in the rat race that is the SF Bay Area Tech Industry. She doesn't enjoy it but it seems like she feels like it is what her she SHOULD be doing. After a series of bad things happen to her, including the death of her great aunt, she begins a journey is self discovery aided on by Dotty and the people that were important in Dotty's life. It was sweet and I enjoyed the ending. Would recommend!

A charming novel about family, foibles and all. The twenties can be a turbulent time for anyone. Growing up is a challenge. Sometimes we have good examples and others not. Enjoyable reading. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I received an advanced copy of this book.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book touched me in ways I didn’t expect. It is a beautiful survey of grief and how it can hurt but ultimately water your roots and help you grow. The overarching message of learning to be yourself and not what you or anyone else thinks you should be was so well done.
I loved every page of this book.

This is a fun and charming read that should appeal to younger readers just starting out in life and trying to figure out what they want their life to look like. Poor Rosie has been through a lot. Many readers will relate to what she's going through and how she questions what is next. Her relationship with Dotty is a thing of beauty, and it is both realistic and touching how she learns more about Dotty's life from her friends after she dies. This is ultimately a story about self discovery -- a coming of age, narrative for a young adult.

At times the plot developments seemed forced and not quite believable. I do prefer it when authors try to stick to what seems realistic -- things that could happen in everyday life versus trying to be overly dramatic.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and look forward to more from this author.

I received this e-galley from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start out by saying, I LOVED DEAR DOTTY! It’s such a fun read and the perfect summer book. There’s lots to love but it’s not too heavy and enough real life to keep you hooked..

Rosie is a bit of a mess, or at least she seems to be, when we meet her. We follow her through some life hard moments and get to know her, and her circle, as the book progresses. The storylines are fairly predictable, yet totally enjoyable. I couldn’t put it down, I cried and the ending felt just right. Those are the criteria for a really good book.

Advance reader copy provided by NetGalley + Avon Books but all opinions are my own.

This book perfectly encapsulated the experience of being a 20-something and navigating a turbulent time in life. I loved the relationship between Rosie and Dottie, the way Rosie grew after Dotty was gone, and the way working through grief and navigating the other interpersonal relationships in her life helped her grow. You fall in love so easily with Rosie, rooting for her the whole way.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an eARC of this title. These are my honest thoughts.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cozy, heartwarming, wonderful book. I enjoyed it from the very first page!

This book felt like a warm hug from a loved one and I absolutely loved it. I definitely see my patrons at the library loving this book just as much as I did. The story, the characters, and the book overall are lovable and enjoyable and just AMAZING.

What a fantastic debut! Hilarious, comforting, and emotional, DEAR DOTTY follows Rosie Benson, who's never felt like she could quite relate to the aspirations of her high-achieving family, perfectionistic roommate/best friend, and workaholic boss. Luckily, there's one person who has always understood Rosie better than anyone else has: her free-spirited, fun-loving, and fabulous great-aunt, Dotty. But then Dotty passes away, and Rosie feels completely lost. She decides to take on a new project, where she sends emails to all of Dotty's family members and friends, encouraging them to share their stories of the special memories they had with Dotty. Through these messages, Rosie learns that Dotty might not be the person Rosie thought she was...and that amidst her struggles with grieving, navigating her career goals, and juggling complicated family relationships and friendships, Rosie must block out all of the outside noise telling her who she should be, and finally start living for herself.

DEAR DOTTY warmed my heart! While I always would've enjoyed this book, I feel like it found me at a particularly perfect time. Rosie's experiences of being a twenty-something trying to figure out what she wanted, even when the world (and maybe even some of the people around her) might be telling her she should aspire to something different, were so relatable and well-depicted. However, I think her story will even resonate with people of all different demographics and life stages! Rosie was the perfect lead, but I also enjoyed following the other core characters in her life. It was such a blast to read about Rosie's family members, friends, coworkers, pets (I loved Bug so much!)—they all felt so real, and their voices practically jumped off the page. Of course, I would be remiss to talk about the stars of DEAR DOTTY without talking about Dotty herself. She was just so special, and I loved her relationship with Rosie, how no matter what, Rosie always knew she had Dotty in her corner somehow. It made me think about my own great-aunt (who is so similar to Dotty in so many ways!) and how lucky my family and I are to have her. I also really appreciated how even though the story tackles some heavy topics, Westlake makes it feel lighthearted throughout. The story will bring tears to your eyes, but also make you feel comforted and uplifted by the time you finish. Needless to say, I loved DEAR DOTTY, and can't wait to see what Jaclyn Westlake writes next! Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

Rosie Benson is twenty something and life is a bit chaotic. Her parents have announced the are divorcing after 30 years of marriage. Rosie struggles with dating and keeping a job. She is also having problems with her best friend. Rosie adores her Aunt Dotty who has recently passed away. She is devastated. She decides to send an email out to all her Aunt’s friends letting them know she has passed away. She then receives many emails back about her Aunt. After reading all these emails she determines that she really didn’t know her aunt. Rosie keeps writing emails addressed to her aunt about her chaotic life. This is healing for Rosie and she slowly realizes that she can lover herself and open her heart to love again.

Rosie Benson is in her twenties and struggles to fit in. Her parents are getting a divorce, her friends are accomplished , she is fired from her job and she is with the wrong guy. So she turns to her Aunt Dotty for advice. Then Dotty dies and her world is turned upside down. She emails Dotty's friend to let them know of her passing and receives many replies. These replies paint a whole new picture of Dotty for Rosie. Rosie must now figure out what she actually wants in life.

I am fully obsessed with this book. The character development of Rosie is everything I needed it to be. Dotty and Rosie have such a special relationship, but watching the relationship grow after she is gone is so special. Dotty is able to continue giving Rosie advice after she has passed because Rosie has asked everyone is Dotty's life to email their connection to Dotty. She is able to learn so much about Dotty's life this way and learn more about herself. She makes her own new rules for what life is about and what is important and not important. She works on her romantic, platonic, and professional relationships, her career, her family, and what she really wants out of life. This book is a hug and so easy to fall in love with Rosie as she tackles life.

This book is good for lovers of life lessons, determining the meaning of life, grandmother-granddaughter relationship, untraditional life accomplishments, family dynamics, and lovable main characters.

A twenty-something faces the upheaval of her parents' divorce, a betrayed friendship, and a regrettable encounter. Seeking guidance from her vibrant great-aunt, Rosie Benson grapples with fitting into her accomplished family, a demanding roommate, and a work-centric boss. Her illusion of having life figured out shatters after an abrupt job loss. Inspired by her late aunt Dotty, Rosie embarks on a journey to pursue a long-buried dream, ignoring societal expectations.

In a heartfelt exploration of grief, self-discovery, and family dynamics, Rosie, perennially trying to please others, realizes the absence of joy in her life. As work troubles, family events, and romantic entanglements unfold, Rosie yearns for Dotty's advice. Collecting letters from Dotty's friends reveals a past that guides Rosie toward proving herself to the only person that truly matters – herself.

Gratitude to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Avon for this digital ARC.