Dearest Josephine

"Loss changes our perspective of the world, exposes its instability, and leaves us to gather the pieces of our broken selves and stick them back together."This story takes place through letters dated 200 years ago, through modern texts and emails. It brings two people together who share same grief and help them in their loneliness in such a breathtaking manner. It had so much depth to make you want to live it."Forgetting to savour life's details, such as the taste of fresh scones or the scent of books opened for the first time, is our greatest deprivation."Caroline George's writing is magical, beautiful and rich. I am in love with her words and their flawless flow. The quotes, they will just make you want to remember them. She has written well built characters and developed them to their fullest. I want to meet Elias Roch, Josephine De Clare. Faith is a best friend you will want and Oliver he is a sweetheart. He will have a special place by the end of the book."My father told me that... to live, one doesn't need to be strong and courageous, just awake."This book is plot, characters and so much more. It is about finding love in various forms, same yet different. It is about shaping our future and fighting for it. Talking more about this will be giving away the story, so you have to experience the feel of these beautiful words and let me know your thoughts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! In fact, “enjoyed” does not fully express my emotions over this book. I was ensnared by it and still feel its effects on me long after I finished the last sentence.At the start I doubted the book was going work for me, but I kept reading and soon could not put it down. I was completely captured by the prose and the characters. There are also so many wonderful quotes to be found in this book! I was moved to tears by the end. Looking forward to re-reading and marking all my favourite parts.4.5 stars ✨

This book threw me into a pool of feels and left me to drown. Okay, I’m being dramatic, but I truly did have to let Dearest Josephine sink in for nearly a week before I could form a coherent enough thought to write an actual review. This book is just so many things!The format is unlike anything I’ve read before. I do own Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, which I believe is in the same format of telling the story through emails, but I haven’t read it yet so I can’t compare it properly, which makes Dearest Josephine a first for me. HOWEVER, Dearest Josephine is so much more than just emails. It’s letters to swoon over, a freaking book written by the man who fell in love with our Josie two hundred years ago (just, ughhhhhhhh *cries*), and the text messages that interrupt Josie’s reading, which was both entertaining and super annoying (but not in a bad way, it just made you want to shut off your phone and maybe pitch it across the room to be left alone with Elias).I was concerned that this format would leave out something and that, as a reader, I would miss out on a large portion of the story, but honestly, this worked SO WELL. It gives you the feeling that you’re eves-dropping on someone else’s life and trying to piece together mysteries by reading their communication–which, I personally enjoy doing…not to sound weird or anything… For example, I’ve come across old Bibles at garage sales before and they had letters and pictures inside them, and I adore trying to weave together a story of the previous owner based on those items. So, Dearest Josephine fueled my love for mystery and storytelling by instead of telling me a story, giving me one to try to tell myself, and as a reader, that was just so special and I can’t describe how much I enjoyed it (even my husband got in on the speculations as I loudly exclaimed each new plot twist and read him snippets throughout the book).I can’t talk about the story or characters without spoiling anything (sorry, I’ve tried and it’s just not gonna happen), so I will instead talk about how I see this book to be both a swoon-worthy romance that anyone who loves romance must read, but also how Dearest Josephine is a love-letter to readers from the author. There were SO many places that I felt like the author was straight-up identifying with what it’s like to be a reader. What it’s like to fall in love with fictional characters (I now have Elias, Oliver, and Arthur on my list of fictional boyfriends, thanks Dearest Josephine). What it’s like to have a manuscript change the way you think. How a story can alter your reality. And, how connections made through literature forge unbreakable bonds. There is just so much depth in this book that would fill hours of conversation at a book club, I am simply in awe. Dearest Josephine is beautiful.To bring this obsessive rant to a close, I shall simply state that if you are a lover of romance, exquisite writing, mystery, and unpredictable plot-lines, then Dearest Josephine should be in your hands without further hesitation. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Oh, how quickly this gem of a book captured my heart! Dearest Josephine is a love letter to story, a gorgeous celebration of the safe haven stories provide in the midst of our deepest hurts, granting us space to grieve and grow before propelling us back into the world when we sense the time is right.When change upends their plans and rewrites their paths, both Josie and Elias attempt to find steady ground by pressing pause on their lives. Eventually they must discern whether such suspension is still offering space for healing or if it’s stopping them from truly living. Can they find a way to accept their reality and the potential it offers, leaving behind certain places and people so that they might fully embrace the present?As someone who has always struggled with change, especially when younger, Josie and Elias’s journeys really resonated. If often felt as if teenage me was reading alongside adult me, a sensation fuelled by the dual time narrative Caroline George so skilfully handles. Just as love transcends time and space throughout Dearest Josephine, knitting characters back together as they grieve, strengthening and shaping them as they discover who they are on the other side of tragedy, so I could sense the coming together of different ages within me, offering healing and comfort to each other with every turn of the page. Sure, this might sound a little strange(!), but it’s true to say that Dearest Josephine touched me deeply.With its cast of relatable characters, sweet romance, skilfully handled narrative spanning two time periods, story-within-a-story structure, and sensitive exploration of themes such as love, loss, grief, and identity, Dearest Josephine serves as both safe haven and springboard, offering a retreat for the weary while reminding us that there is a vibrant life to be lived beyond the page. What a gift!

Dearest Josephine--it's a good and sweet story. I couldn't put it down! I began it on a Saturday and finished it the following Wednesday (that's fast for me!) and there were several things that I could relate to in the story. Concerning Josie's texting exchange with her ex (even though it was in the beginning of the book), I was immediately drawn back to when my boyfriend and I broke up and our communication with each other afterward. Rashad's texts were very similar to my ex's. If not the same! Josie and Faith have such a strong friendship. In their arguments, I could see Josie's perspective--since I'd experienced similar--and I saw Faith's perspective (a little more strongly). Some of Josie's messages made me want to go back in time and shake some sense into my younger self.Oliver is loveable and funny dude. He's not annoying or creepy. Norman and Martha are such a sweet couple. I love how Norman says "'eye up, Josie dear!" Faith is there for Josie and notices her own faults. She also knew that she didn't HAVE to have a boyfriend at that moment. She wanted to pursue her own goals. I had a big smile as I read that part, for more people need to understand this. You don't need to be in a relationship immediately. You need room to grow and pursue your dreams.I also enjoyed the historic sections of the book. Josephine is such an interesting individual. Elias is a heartbroken and lost man. He needs help. There were times I got annoyed with him, and then times when I sympathized with him. I love the food descriptions. It all made me hungry! A quote that I definitely agree with that is unfortunate, but true--"we love to know the morbid details of what's going on in society" (or, at least, along those lines). Bad news travels fast . . . which is very accurate. Especially when you consider everything that's been going on this year and last year of 2020.There are several quotes that are very good! For one, marriage doesn't change a person--they have to change themselves (does that make you fidget?) Saying you love someone doesn't change you. You must make that choice yourself to change.The similarities between Josie De Clare past and Josie De Clare present . . . whoo! Caroline George does very well with connecting them. There are some things I wish were more resolved . . . but overall, it's a really good book! The "ba" word is said rather often. Yes, it's said in context (and who knows how often they said it then?) The romance is wholesome and the ending . . . I won't give anything away!I definitely recommend giving this book a whirl!

I get it. The hype is valid.I don’t want to ramble so I will just say that the writing is good and authentic, but here are my two main thoughts:1) Form: I love epistolaries so the form of this book was beautiful and I was enthralled. I love books that take advantage if the medium as this one has. The author used the emails, texts, letters, and novel chapters to weave a tale with skill and heart. This story could not be told any other way except on the page and I adore it, and respect the courage and risk necessary to accomplish it.2) Theme: I love how simple and subtle, yet profound this book is, without being preachy.. It started as a cozy read and by the midpoint it was a spiraling story that felt more like I was holding a mirror than a book at times. How often do we get emotionally invested in things and people which are not able to return our affections? We so desire to be fully loved for who we are that we see ourselves in the stories we read. Sometimes, we long for the lives and heroes of those stories to the point of being blinded to the goodness God gives us daily, in the special ways that each of us need.In the end, God knows how to answer our prayers in the best way - and it’s not always bringing our books to life.It’s a great reminder to rest in God’s perfect timing and live in the present!