About the Book:
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.
My Review:
“In nine months, my best friend of fourteen years, the man I am in love with, is getting married to a woman he loves. A woman who isn’t me. And I am to stand right there, at the altar, beside him, as his best woman.”
This was such a lovely contemporary story! I loved the cute background and just thoroughly enjoyed this modern and witty read. And I try not to judge a book by its cover but hello, I LOVED this adorable and whimsical cover!
Emmie lets a balloon go years before the story begins. It found its way to France and into the hands of Lucas. Emmie and Lucas became best friends and Emmie is absolutely devoted to him. Just when she thinks he is about to propose marriage to her, he…doesn’t. Instead he asks her to be his “best man” at his wedding to another woman! Emmie is, understandably, crushed.
I loved the characters in this book and the delightful graphics and epistolary format. This book was especially fun to read now because of the British and French settings of the book. There is definitely a serious undertone to this book which balanced out the romance and funny moments.
Emmie’s struggles to find direction in her life felt very real to me. She is 30 years old and does not have everything all figured out yet. This story is both romantic and bittersweet, and very heartwarming in the end. If you need a story about friendship, family and love, definitely pick this one up. ‘Dear Emmie Blue’ is a lovely summer read!
(Thank you to the publisher for the finished copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.)
