DEAR EMMIE BLUE by LIA LOUIS

“Everything is changing. Except for me.”

Beautiful! Absolutely breathtaking! Our hearts are bursting, and we can’t stop thinking about the wonderful reading experience afforded to us by Lia Louis. We weren’t sure what to expect from Dear Emmie Blue, but whatever those expectations were, this incredibly emotional, witty and sentimental story of life, love and relationships exceeded them all! An absolute 5 star favourite for 2020!

If you’re in need of a tender-hearted journey that hits every emotion, be it laughing, crying, swooning or simply filling your heart with engaging characters, we urge you to pick up this book and fall completely in love with every aspect of the exquisite romantic journey, just as we did. One thing; – Expect the unexpected and devour the surprises along the way! Dear Emmie Blue made us forget everything around us while we lost ourselves in this charming and beautifully woven story.

“Where you at, Emmie Blue?”

This isn’t merely a love story, it’s so much more. An aching story of unrequited love, of friendships, hurt, life experiences and the ways in which they mould us. Emmie Blue’s story was like opening a present with every flip of the page –eager for more and loving every surprise the author delivered. Oh, our hearts!!! They were broken, fulfilled, and overflowing in so many ways!

‘I knew I loved him; had always loved him. And there was no way I could tell him.’

Emmeline (Emmie) Blue is now thirty years old and reflecting on her life, especially now her best friend Lucas Moreau has dropped the bombshell that he is getting married and wants Emmie to be his best woman. The problem being, Emmie has been in love with Lucas for the last six years of their fourteen-year friendship. It’s a friendship that began when 16-year-old Emmie set a balloon off into the sky in England, to be discovered by 16-year-old Lucas on a beach in Boulogne-sur-Mes near his hometown of Le Touquet, France. It was the beginning of a friendship that would endure the years, surviving hope and heartache, tragedy and triumphs.

‘…it happened. It was real. The man I love told me he wanted to spend forever with someone else and wanted me to be there, right next to him, in the spotlight, as he told the world.’

Emmie, Lucas and Lucas’s older brother, Eliot were the three musketeers living and loving one another’s company until a tragic event and an act of betrayal at nineteen would see Emmie ostracise Eliot and further forge her deep friendship with Lucas. It was a friendship that would see them through many relationships, many heartbreaks and lead to Emmie’s feelings being intensified, while Lucas gave his heart to his fiancé Marie. But….there are many underlying factors to experience here!

‘Even though I know it wasn’t, the sky is always blue, the sun always shining, in those memories.’

Now, we could go into more detail but honestly, it would ruin it. To allude to anything further would impede on your enjoyment of the story. Trust us on this. We will say that the cast of characters will own your heart! Emmie’s workmates and best friends Rosie and Fox will have you giggling like crazy. The gregarious, outspoken Rosie was a delight! The setting of the seaside town in England and France added a vivid ambience to the story, with the secondary characters adding layers to this well-crafted and unforgettable experience.

“I’m made of strong stuff,” I say, and Lucas says, “Always have been.”

We must make mention of the formatting in the way the text messages were delivered. It was the best formatting of this aspect we’ve ever seen. The messages were easy to read and made you feel as though you were participating in reading the exchanges between the characters.

There isn’t anything we didn’t love about this story! Every thread woven felt magical and beautiful, the way it played out was perfection! Perfection! The whole book from start to finish enthralled us and captivated us. One for the 2020 favourite list, that’s for sure! Do not miss Dear Emmie Blue! We can’t wait to discuss it with you!

Releasing 14th July – ARC provide by Atria Books for an honest review.