This coming-into-herself story is charming, emotional and heart wrenching for anyone who has every felt lonely and disconnected.

From the blurb for Dear Emmie Blue, you may assume this is a romance, but it’s so much more than that since the romance stays in the periphery most of the time. This is a story about friendship, self-discovery and family and author Lia Louis includes a few topics (neglect, loneliness, anxiety, redefining the idea of family ..) which add an unexpected, but welcomed depth to the story. But the strength of this story is in its characters. Particularly Emmie who is someone readers will cheer for and empathize with. She’s looking for her people. She wants to be loved. Seen. Valued. And through some mishaps and re-evaluations, she learns that she’s not as alone as she thought, and that family isn’t restricted to who we’re born to. It’s the people who build us up, care for us and value us that make them family. Totally delicious mushy feels, this book is.

The story goes along at a good pace and even though I could see the ending a mile away, I still found the story compelling and I connect with Emmie on a few levels. And there were some Kleenex-worthy moments, for sure. Emmie’s story is supported by a cast of well-developed secondary characters who evolve with Emmie and the emotional bits are balanced with delightful sprinklings of humour (particularly by Emmie’s friend Rosie Kalwar whose quips had me giggling out loud).

Dear Emmie Blue is a sweet, poignant and utterly captivating story that will put you through all the feels and give you a character you can root for. The buzz surrounding this book is warranted so put this book on hold at WPL today!

— Laurie P.