Title: Eight Perfect Hours
Author: Lia Louis
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published On: September 28, 2021
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Source: ebook
Pages: 336
Synopsis:
In this romantic and heartwarming novel, two strangers meet in chance circumstances during a blizzard and spend one perfect evening together, thinking they’ll never see each other again. But fate seems to have different plans.
From the acclaimed author of the “swoon-worthy…rom-com” (The Washington Post) Dear Emmie Blue.
On a snowy evening in March, 30-something Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone. All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome American stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear.
The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other again, but fate, it seems, has a different plan. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence. With plenty of charming twists and turns and Lia Louis’s “bold, standout voice” (Gillian McAllister, author of The Good Sister), Eight Perfect Hours is a gorgeously crafted novel that will make you believe in the power of fate.
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
I didn’t know if Lia Lous could replicate the emotional journey I had with her previous novel Dear Emmie Blue, but she did. Eight Perfect Hours gave me all the feelings, and I relished every minute.
“I swear my whole body feels like it’s alive, and I’m nothing now but stars.”
Lia Louis, Eight Perfect Hours
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.
In fact, once she knows her mother is okay, she doesn’t want to be rescued. Not only is she sharing great conversation, she has time to just be. Be herself. For the first time in a very long time. And they share eight perfect hours.
Louis has a way of making all her characters human. They’re layered, and even when unbelievable things happen, Louis makes them believable. And oh so charming. My heart ached for Elle. Her loneliness, her wistful hope.
“I wish things were simple. I wish I wasn’t me. I wish I wasn’t so confused, and I wish I didn’t feel so scared. To live. Because I am I think. I’m afraid to live too loudly. And I wasn’t always like this, but I don’t know how to get back there.”
Lia Louis, Eight Perfect Hours
Even the antagonists have likable characteristics. I still want to chuck them, but they’re real. Their actions make sense because even though their reasons may be wrong, Louis does such a good job creating these believable characters, I can understand most of their choices.
I also enjoyed the side story of Elle’s friends, Charlie and Theo. Once again, very believable characters, and theirs is an important and timely story I was excited to see represented.
I was pulling for these characters, not wanting to set the book down. And I would have happily stayed with them longer. Eight Perfect Hours has firmly secured Lia Louis a spot on my list of auto-read authors.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating:
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About the Author
Lia Louis
Lia Louis lives in the United Kingdom with her partner and three young children. Before raising a family, she worked as a freelance copywriter and proofreader. She was the 2015 winner of Elle magazine’s annual writing competition and has been a contributor for Bloomsbury’s Writers and Artist’s blog for aspiring writers. She is the author of Somewhere Close to Happy and Dear Emmie Blue. (Photograph by Patrick Harboun)
A Song For A Book
Lia Louis mentioned a few songs and artists throughout Eight Perfect Hours, so of course I had to make a playlist on Spotify (included below). I’ve included those songs as well as adding some of my own choosing. I’ll be highlighting “Flowers in the Window” by Travis. The lyrics from this song are just too perfect for Noelle and Sam. And if you want to laugh at clothes from the early 2000s, check out the video for the song below. 😉
When I first held you, I was cold
A melting snowman, I was told
But there was no one there to hold
Before I swore
That I would be alone for ever more
Wow, look at you now
Flowers in the window
It’s such a lovely day
And I’m glad you feel the same
‘Cause to stand up out in the crowd
You are one in a million
And I love you so
Let’s watch the flowers grow…
Have you read Eight Perfect Hours? Did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I read and loved it so much I immediately bought Dear Emmy Blue to read later this year.
Oh yay!! You will love Dear Emmy Blue if you enjoyed this one. <3
Yeah! I also loved this one. I did appreciate Charlie’s bit of the story. It was done very well in my opinion. I loved all the side characters. They brought so much to the table. I could not get enough of the ways Sam and Noelle’s lives were connected. Just when I thought Louis exhausted her arsenal, she would surprise me with another point of connection. Absolutely fantastic.
Yes to all the above! Louis is so great at connections. And making them natural and not forced. Now the wait begins for her next book. Haha!
You sold me! Putting the book on hold now!
Yay!! I would love to hear what you think once you get to read it. <3
YAY! Another book I need to give a chance! 🙂
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! <3