Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣

Book Summary:

In this charming and poignant novel, teenager Emmie Blue releases a balloon with her email address and a big secret into the sky, only to fall head-over-heels for the boy who finds it; now, fourteen years later, the one thing Emmie has been counting on is gone for good, and everything she planned is up in the air.

At sixteen, Emmie Blue stood in the fields of her school and released a red balloon into the sky. Attached was her name, her email address…and a secret she desperately wanted to be free of. Weeks later, on a beach in France, Lucas Moreau discovered the balloon and immediately emailed the attached addressed, sparking an intense friendship between the two teens.

Now, fourteen years later, Emmie is hiding the fact that she’s desperately in love with Lucas. She has pinned all her hopes on him and waits patiently for him to finally admit that she’s the one for him. So dedicated to her love for Lucas, Emmie has all but neglected her life outside of this relationship—she’s given up the search for her absentee father, no longer tries to build bridges with her distant mother, and lives as a lodger to an old lady she barely knows after being laid off from her job. And when Lucas tells Emmie he has a big question to ask her, she’s convinced this is the moment he’ll reveal his feelings for her. But nothing in life ever quite goes as planned, does it?

Emmie Blue is about to learn everything she thinks she knows about life (and love) is just that: what she thinks she knows. Is there such thing as meant to be? Or is it true when they say that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans? A story filled with heart and humor, Dear Emmie Blue is perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Evvie Drake Starts Over.

Publication Date:

July 14th, 2020

Genre:

Contemporary Fiction

Purchase Your Copy:

Amazon Link | LibroFM Bookstore Link

My Review:

I had a tougher time with light-hearted reads this last month but this one ended up really working for me. It was heartwarming while also being entertaining, unique, and with more substance, than I originally expected. The characters were well developed and I connected with the storyline right from the start.

During a tough time in her life, Emmie releases a balloon with a note. The balloon is found by Lucas, who quickly becomes a lifeline for Emmie, and over time her best friend. While their friendship seems almost too good to be true, the writer slowly shares its complexities.

Beyond Lucas and Emmie, there are some additional characters who added so much to the story…my favorite being between Emmie and her elderly landlady. There was so much to love about this book- friendship, love, loss, secrets, and reminders about what matters most in life.

Thank you to Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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