Dearest Josephine

GIVEAWAY

GEORGE, CAROLINE

DEAREST JOSEPHINE

Caroline George sweeps readers up into two different time periods with an unexpected love story that prompts us to reimagine what it means to be present with the people we love.

2020: Chocolate and Earl Grey tea can't fix Josie De Clare's horrible year. She mourned the death of her father and suffered a teen-life crisis, which delayed her university plans. But when her father's will reveals a family-owned property, in Northern England, Josie leaves London to find clarity at the secluded manor house. 

While exploring the estate, she discovers two-hundred-year-old love letters written by an elusive novelist, all addressed to someone named Josephine. And then she discovers a novel in which it seems like she's the heroine...

1820: Novelist Elias Roch loves a woman he can never be with. Born the bastard son to a nobleman and cast out from society, Elias seeks refuge in his mind with the quirky heroine who draws him into a fantasy world of scandal, betrayal, and unconditional love. Convinced she's his soulmate, Elias writes letters to her, all of which divulge the tragedy and trials of his personal life. 

As fiction blurs into reality, Josie and Elias must decide: How does one live if love can't wait? Separated by two hundred years, they fight against time to find each other in a story of her, him and the novel written by the man who loves her.

My Review:

Wow!

Wooooowwwwwwww!

I mean, really, wwwwwwoooooowwww!!!!

That surpassed all expectations...not surprising since I went into this read not really knowing what to expect. :-) Is it romance? Contemporary? Historical? Epistolary? Dual Timeline? YA? Um...short answer: yes. But Dearest Josephine is so much more besides. 

This is the kind of novel that's easier to book club chat then review because of the way the story evolves and I need to be careful about not posting spoilers. So this is going to be a review made up of random impressions in indiscriminate order. Hope I make sense. 

That cover!!!!! Made me want to read it the second I saw it. It's kinda campy and I love the colour contrasts. I know we're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover but this one definitely sold me on a new-to-me-author.

The whole story is ingenuously told through correspondence -- letters, emails and text messages as well as an old manuscript. I listened to the audible edition which was largely fun but listening to the narrator recite each email address (to and from), time sent etc got to be annoying. It would have been just as clear (more so, really) if they'd left it at "to Faith, from Josie" and got on with the body of the email. Those other details are the kind of thing readers would skim over anyway. 

The way the author ebbs in and out of timelines is really well done. Amazing since it's all correspondence (punctuated by snippets of the novel manuscript), but each character's voice is unique. Brilliantly done.

A desperately beautiful love story ensues. But it's more than that. It's about finding a way out of grief and learning to be present and thankful in each moment with the people we love. Honestly, if I had been reading the book instead of listening to it I would have filled notebook pages with incredible 'life' and 'love' quotes. Seriously heady stuff.

And I'm going out on a limb here to say that one of my takeaways from this novel is that book boyfriends are crucial to our mental health. :-)

If you're looking for an absorbing read that will keep you on tenterhooks until the very last page, look no further. I've come away a little teary and slightly off-kilter because I'm still thinking...wait, what about...and how did...and does that mean....Yeah -- definitely the kind of story that lingers in your mind and heart for a while after you reach the end.

Please note: while this is a Thomas Nelson book, it's one of their general market selections so there isn't a faith thread, but there's tons of astute life wisdoms and it's a clean read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Dearest Josephine, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday May 8  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!