Q: Why did you choose to start the book with Daisy’s time capsule letter to Noelle? What about that letter helps sets the stage for what’s to come? Noelle is returning from the class reunion that she attended despite the weather advisories which implored that you stay at home, because she was desperate to retrieve the camera and the letter that accompanied it. Although she was given the letter, it turns out that the camera remained buried for now-the earth still too solid for digging-due to the blizzard like conditions! 🌨❄️🌬 Eight Perfect Hours is my second book by Lia Louis and she definitely has a distinct writing style. I loved the premise of this book and especially enjoyed the way that Noelle and Sam met. They had the perfect evening together amidst the bad situation they found themselves in. After that night, Sam stayed on Noelle's mind, even though the likelihood of her seeing him again was low. Or so she thought. Then fate steps in (or is it coincidence?) and the two meet again at the hospital. I really enjoyed this romantic story of Noelle and Sam although it took a while for this one to really get going for me. I thought it took several realistic turns. It did make me think more about fate, love at first sight, etc. and whether you are meant to be with someone. Noelle seemed to run into Sam time after time, almost like it was meant to be. There were a few minor twists in this story, some I saw coming, some I didn't, and overall I enjoyed it a lot. Like the first Lia Louis book I read I was frustrated that The couple didn't get together until the last 5% of the book and they were kind of sort of dating other people throughout the whole story. So frustrating.... it's such a pet peeve of mine. But aside from that, I really enjoyed this one!

Now that I’ve got the gushing over, here are some non-spoilery thoughts to encourage in new and those who are already Lia Louis fans. Noelle Butterby was one of the most relatable heroines I’ve ever read. Noelle would call herself boring and insignificant but this story was anything but. It started with a snowed up stationery motorway and a circumstantial meeting with Sam. Then they kept meeting one another. Now I want to say this is not some prolonged missed opportunities trope (which I do not gel with) it was something else. The characters in Eight Perfect Hours are so vibrant that you could easily imagine their story played out on the screen. Who would be your dream cast for the characters in the book? I read Dear Emmie Blue earlier this year and became utterly besotted with both Emmie and the book! So any Lia Louis book became a must read for me. And I’ll admit that I went into this book with extremely high expectations…probably unreasonably high. While this book did not charm me exactly the way Emmie Blue did (I am forever an Emmie fan!), I still adored it. In last year’s breakout hit, “Dear Emmie Blue”, Emmie releases a balloon into the sky, containing her biggest secret. 🎈 The author opens the book with the proverb regarding the invisible red thread. (Are you familiar with it?)

Will Noelle and Sam ever see each other again? Did fate bring them together? Or was this just a chance meeting… like two ships passing in the night? Noelle tells us she initially didn’t give her number to Sam because he would just be one more person to miss. Over the course of the story, we also learn that she misses Ed, Daisy, and her dad. How does this loss of the people who could have been huge figures in her life inform the way Noelle interacts with the world and how she meets new people? If you don’t believe in simple twists of fate or never having any belief in soul mates, or if you are skeptic about any romantic cliches and any kind of meant to be conclusions: stop reading this and start to run away: this book is not for skeptics, enemies of great romcoms or pessimist, moody, grumpy souls who cannot differentiate something heartfelt, unique, extraordinary from regular reads!

In this lovely, heart-warming, and romantic novel we meet Noelle, our flower-loving heroine, who is very likable but clearly struggling. She has been forced to put herself last, taking care of her mother to the detriment of a long-term relationship. She’s also still mourning the loss of her best friend when she was a teenager. This is the state we meet Elle in when she finds herself stranded on the highway during a worsening snowstorm, desperate to get home to her mother. But it’s also here she meets Sam, an American mountaineer and fellow strand-ee. And suddenly being stranded isn’t so bad. The road opens and the two carry on with their lives. But fate has other plans for this couple, as serendipity throws them together again and again. Perhaps there is something more in play here besides mere coincidence? Book Review

Table of Contents

Eight Perfect hours to meet someone, eight perfect hours to feel a spark, eight perfect hours then you go your separate ways.... This one didn’t quite have the same emotional punch for me, as DEAR EMMIE BLUE, maybe because I didn’t feel as much spark (it could be rated G) or maybe because much of the book takes place while the characters are apart, but the author does a fantastic job of coming full circle and returning to the secret held within the camera, much as she did, with the secret associated with the balloon in the last book.