Dear Eliza by Andrea J. Stein is a humorous and heartfelt novel.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found it entertaining and turning the pages quickly.

Thank You NetGalley and Flashpoint for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I enjoyed reading Dear Eliza by Andrea J. Stein. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

Dear Eliza is Andrea Stein’s second novel and just as with Typecast, it’s a winner from me. If I read a book fast, it means I’m loving it and I read this one, oh so fast!

Eliza is twenty-six, and ten years ago, when she was sixteen, her world was upended when her Mum died. Now it’s being upended again, in more ways than one! Eliza went through a whirlwind of emotions during this book, her and me both! Grief, anger, acceptance and love. For me, Dear Eliza focuses on the importance of family and friendship and the people you can count on in life.

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you enjoy contemporary fiction with amazing characters, which is full of heartfelt emotion and a beautiful story, then pop along to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of Andrea’s new book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrea Stein for the opportunity to read and review Dear Eliza.

This book completely captivated me!
It’s a compelling story of loss and the beautiful healing journey after it. It’s a story about family, friendships, finding yourself and second chances. I was engaged since the first chapters and ended up with a smile.

𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗘𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮 by Andrea J Stein releases tomorrow October 8, 2024.

Eliza has built a life for herself as the director of a successful nonprofit. After her father’s death, her Aunt Claude gives her a letter from her mom, who died ten years earlier, to be opened upon her dad’s death. The contents of the letter catapult Eliza into a world of uncertainty. Who is she really? What should be do with this new knowledge? Sharing her news with her brother and step mother present a whole new series of issues. This is a sensitive look at what happens when worlds are turned on their sides. The characters were likable and the story believable. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I like how beautifully Eliza's life is written in this book. The slow burn in the narration, the quite yet loud voices inside her head, as if I was living life through Eliza's eyes. Again beautiful and poignant. I enjoy books where multiple genres are mixed together yet each strikes a different chord. I found something like that in this book. It has pain, love, loss, grief all encompassing into a spellbinding literary fiction. Very well done.

I found this to be a quick read due to the reliability and likeability of Eliza's character, and I was desperate to see the conclusion. This is an incredibly emotive read that I was able to absorb quickly. The grief process is a complex yet personal one; however, due to this author's excellent writing style, I empathised entirely with Eliza.

The pace of the storyline is engaging, and the secondary characters are equally well crafted. 'Dear Eliza' would be ideal for a book club read because it will likely promote deep-rooted conversations and meaningful discussions.

I look forward to reading more by this author in the future and am intrigued to discover more of her writing talents.

After Eliza's father dies, her hand hands her a sealed letter from her mother, who died when Eliza was much younger. What's in the letter makes things more difficult for Eliza's already fraught relationship with her stepmother, jeopardizes her inheritance, and drives a wedge between Eliza and her brother. Only her brother's best friend Josh seems to support her, although he's an inconsistent character in this novel. I feel like this premise had so much promise, but most of this novel was the angst-ridden thoughts of Eliza. There is the tease that a relationship between her and Josh will develop, but we don't get to see it develop over the pages. Overall it just missed the depth I was hoping for.

This is such a beautiful story about grief and family dynamics. After Eliza’s father passes away, Eliza’s aunt gives her a letter from her mother who passed away when Eliza was 16. This letter changes Eliza’s life forever.

This is the second book I read by Andrea Stein and I loved it so much. The characters are all amazing, complex, and relatable. The story touches upon grief, forgiveness, self growth, and romance. The NYC setting was an added bonus.

This made me cry.
I can’t imagine my mom dying especially at 16.
Eliza’s development was great. Loved the slow burn romance with her brothers friend.

Dear Eliza by Andrea J. Stein was such an emotional read. Eliza receives a letter from her mother. The family drama, grief, hurt and anger were written quite well in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK TOUR BOOK REVIEW 📚

Dear Eliza By Andrea J. Stein
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Publisher: Girl Friday Productions | Flashpoint

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

Dear Eliza was a heart-warming story about the ways that unexpected tragedies can up-end our lives... And how we can find the resilience to make our lives into the story we envision, not just the story we've been given.

Eliza, our female main character, is a loveable twenty-something living in New York City and grappling with a lot of challenging emotions all at once. This book presented really heavy emotional topics within a storyline that dealt with them in a touching and authentic way. Grief, loss, parent-child relationships, regrets, betrayals, secrets, romantic relationships, and family dynamics all played a part in the pages of this book. Most predominantly featured in this story, however, was Eliza's revelation that our parents are people too -- people with their own pasts, choices, emotions, and mistakes. The book lovingly showcased Eliza's journey as she came to this realization and began learning how to integrate that knowledge into her own life, without allowing it to remain a burden or barrier to hold her back.

All of the characters in Dear Eliza are so richly developed, I felt like I was intricately connected to the emotional struggles of each one as the story unfolded. At the book's end, I was really sad to know it was the end of my time with all of them -- and I truly didn't want the book to end. I feel like I need a sequel, just so I can continue watching everyone's growth and be sure they're all okay.

Dear Eliza was a beautiful book and I genuinely loved reading it! If you've had to grapple with your own grief journeys in life, this book will probably imprint its emotional impact on you too. I highly recommend this read and I hope you will fall in love with Eliza and the whole cast of characters in the same beautiful way I did. A huge thank you to Kate Rock Book Tours, NetGalley, and Andrea J. Stein for sending me an e-copy of this book in exchange for my participation in the book tour and my honest review.

#DearEliza #AndreaJStein #booktour #KateRockBookTours #NetGalley #NetGalletReviews #ARC #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #bookaddict #booknerd

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dear Eliza
Author: Andrea J. Stein
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: October 8, 2024

Ten years after her divorced mother died and then very shortly after her father died, our lead protagonist, Eliza, gets a letter from the grave. Well, not exactly the grave, but written by her mother, and held securely by her Aunt with instructions to give it to Eliza when her Dad died. Of course, this letter has a whopper of a confession that throws Eliza’s life into turmoil. Having loved her mother and seen her through her loss to cancer, her mom was suddenly someone she didn’t know fully. Her siblings don’t take this disclosure well, although, in honesty, Eliza didn’t take the news well and acted inappropriately. I think it is true that sometimes you learn things about your folks after they are gone. I believe there is a point where you must cut them some slack and move on with your life like a mature person. This is a book about grief and loss and new beginnings. Eliza doesn’t handle these things well in real life without the shocking twist thrown in for good measure. Honestly, it wasn’t romantic, and it was a long, angst-filled remembrance by all involved: more family fiction or coming-of-age storyline. We don’t see much growth with Eliza; the romance is weak and rushed. It’s an interesting concept, but it could have been developed more. #DearEliza #family #life #lies #cheating #hurt #anxiousness #excessivedrinking #familyFights #contemporaryFiction #flashpointbook @netgalley #octoberRead #pubDateTuesdayOct8
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
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#book #books #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookreviewer

This was a complex story and very difficult to read if you don’t have a good relationship with your mother.

I thought Eliza was a bit immature at times, also we didn’t really get to know Scott as much as I wanted to!
I thought the story was interesting.

Spoiler!!!!
My other criticism is we didn’t have enough chapters on her and joshes relationship!

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of this book! I was a little apprehensive to read it. Obviously we all will unfortunately lose our parents so that made me put off this book for a while, but once I started reading it was very good. This book is a great reminder that while lose and grief are awful it is something we all will go through, and the romance in this book showed me at least that while grief can feel all consuming it isn't/

Maybe because parental death is something I don’t love to read about, but this one wasn’t truly for me. At times I skimmed because the plot was….soft? It wasn’t doing too much and it wasn’t over dramatic, but there were places where it was just flat. Eliza as a main was fine, her relationship arc was predictable (is this a romance?) and the revelation she receives after her father’s death is a big one. I don’t know, it wasn’t great but it wasn’t awful - I read it in one sitting and it took about 5 hours so I wouldn’t say it was a dense read and compelling enough to continue with. This one is just a soft book. That’s all.

Life is complicated.

Grief, a combative stepparent, and a strained sibling relationship are all exacerbated when an explosive secret is exposed. Eliza is left reeling, unsure as to whether she can trust her own emotions.

DEAR ELIZA is an insightful look at the complexities of family and friendships, at the ways we fail and the ways we heal, and how we can love someone even when—or, maybe, especially when—we know their flaws.

Stein weaves a relatable story that tackles difficult topics, while always maintaining that thread of hope we all need.

I have never read an Andrea J Stein novel before, but I’m sure glad I read DEAR ELIZA! What a beautiful story! I’m very excited to read her previous book now. This absorbing story combines both the beautiful sensory details of heartfelt characters, a moving plot, and a story with so much depth. DEAR ELIZA is an emotional read with characters I rooted for, and some lovely details that brought the city of New York City to life. I highly recommend this story if you need a complete escape from life. It will also give you all the feels!

DEAR ELIZA explores family dynamics, loss, secrets, and a new romance! Andrea J Stein handles difficult topics and has the reader cheering for everyone to succeed. When I started reading DEAR ELIZA, I didn’t know I’d come to love it this much. Where to start? Eliza is such a great character, full of life and warmth. I loved how she didn’t let her past troubles destroy herself completely. Ten years after her mother died and her father just passing away, Eliza is struggling. She received a letter that her mother wrote to her from her aunt that wasnt to be opened until the death of her father, and Eliza’s world turns upside down. While all of this is going on she leans on her old friend, Josh. Oh and I have to mention that Eliza has a step mother, Carol who married her dad and never quite fit in with Eliza’s family! She has a very big part in this story!

I don’t want to say too much for fear of giving away too much of DEAR ELIZA but once I started reading this beautiful and heart breaking story, I could not stop! Everyone should have this unforgettable book on their fall reading list. After the letter is opened, Eliza’s older brother is mad at her and Carol was to disinherit her. The dialogue between Eliza and Josh is sometimes funny and other times frustrating! They both have secrets and without letting them out, they will not be able to move forward. I was instantly emotionally invested in all of the characters from page one and I can not wait to read more by this wonderful and heart tugging author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

How do you remember people you’ve lost in your life? I like to reread old letters from my grandmothers that I received in the past. It’s fun to “hear” their voices again. I also love looking at old pictures.

In Dear Eliza, Eliza Levinger receives a letter ten years after her mother died of cancer that rocks her world. Her mother, Laura, had given the letter to her sister, Claude, to give to Eliza after her father’s death. In it, she discovers a shocking revelation. It rocks Eliza’s world, and she has to deal with the fallout. How will she move forward with this new knowledge? What is holding her back in life?

My thoughts on this novel:
• I greatly enjoyed this book and all the characters. I loved Eliza, her brother Scott, sister-in-law Maren, best friend Mo, and her brother Scott’s life long best friend Josh. I enjoyed their friendships, relationships, and wanted to read more about them. I was sad when this book ended as I wanted to spend more time in their world.

• I loved the friends to lovers, slow burn, and kind of second chance romance between Eliza and Josh. I loved how supportive Josh was to Eliza, but wondered why he wasn’t there during her time of need after Eliza’s mother’s death. Josh and Eliza had wonderful interactions.

• This novel deals with grief in many ways. After Laura’s death when Eliza was 16, Eliza was floundering with no help. Her father married not long afterwards, and Eliza did not have a good relationship with her stepmother Carol. Eliza never was able to properly grieve. Her relationship with her father never was the same and was distant. When he dies, Eliza feels terrible for what was and what could have been.

• Although Laura was not alive in this novel, she made me angry. I didn’t like the bombshell that she had her sister give to Eliza right after her father’s death. It was a time of intense grief and not a time for Eliza to have to deal with a whole new set of problems. I wish she would have left positive messages that Eliza could have gotten after her death. I guess if I were Eliza, I would have liked to know what Laura had to say, but there could have been a better time for it.

• I liked the New York City setting.

• I like how Eliza was able to reset her life after the news. She realized that her relationships were not the best with her family or in her love life. I like how she was able to make a change for the better.

• I want to talk about this book more, but I don’t want to give away the details and ruin it for anyone else. I think this would be a great book club selection. I would also like to watch a movie based on this novel.

Overall, Dear Eliza by Andrea J. Stein is a beautifully written novel of self-discovery, grief, love, forgiveness, family and starting over again. I enjoyed this novel, and I can’t wait to see what Stein writes next!

Book Source: Review copy from author Andrea J. Stein. Thank-you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Conflicted on how to review this one.

I think the author accurately depicted the way grief affects someone in all aspects and changes them forever, while also changing family dynamics at times. Losing a parent when you’re still a teen without a fully developed brain and realizing in adulthood that someone you miss so deeply was in fact human and not perfect, is difficult. Eliza’s experience with all of this truly showed the reader how many emotional whirlwinds happen, even years into grief.

However, I only gave 3 stars as I found it difficult to find the characters believable and find myself wanting to root for them. Even the side love interest felt forced and just done out of convenience. Honestly, there weren’t any dynamics between characters I truly loved fully which unfortunately made it difficult to rate this higher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flashpoint Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review!