Dearest Josephine

I enjoyed Dearest Josephine much more than I expected!

Josie De Clare's father recently passed away, and she's still reeling from his loss. After finding out about a house he bought to renovate, Josie retreats to the secluded manor to try to fix it up and figure out her next steps.

The story unfolds through emails, texts, letters, and excerpts from a novel by one of the manor's previous tenants. Not my favorite format for a book, so it's extra impressive that I enjoyed it!

Throughout the book, Josie is working her way through grief. She's fixing the house, reconnecting with her friend Faith, making new friends, and falling in love with a man who lived 200 years ago. Did she have the healthiest coping mechanisms? No. Were they heartfelt and authentic? Yes.
I was most invested in Josie and Faith's relationship and the rocky path of mending it again because that was the relationship I could relate to the most.

Did I swoon at some of Elias's letters? Yes, yes, I did. I adored the Pride & Prejudice references, and the beautiful, pure emotion of the letters got to me a little more than I expected (even considering they were written to a woman that he only knew for a few hours). Honestly, I can't blame Josie for falling in love with him because I would have too.

I enjoyed the little bit of mystery, as well: is there actually time travel? Do they somehow end up together? How does Elias know so much about Josie?


Audiobook Review: I enjoyed the narrator! She did a great job considering the book's format, which seems like it would be awkward for this format. I liked the addition of text chimes, which helped differentiate the communication type as you're listening.

My only complaint is Faith's emails. The American accent was just not quite right. It sounded Australian most of the time and “Emma Watson in Perks of Being a Wallflower” the rest of the time.

Second Complaint: The over-emphasis of LOL. It always felt very forceful, plus I tend to make fun of people who say it out loud, not to mention if they pronounce it as “lull” instead of saying the letters – that's probably more of a personal nitpick though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.