Dearest Josephine ARC Review

Dearest Josephine by Caroline George

Publication Date: February 2, 2021

Young Adult Historical Fiction/Contemporary

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy publication day to Dearest Josephine!

Dearest Josephine follows Josie as she moves into a northern English manor left to her by her father before he died of cancer. While cleaning the rooms, she discovers letters and an unfinished manuscript written by a young man named Elias Roch in 1820. As Josie reads the letters addressed to a mysterious Josephine de Clare (Josie’s full name), she begins to fall for Elias. Told in the form of letters, emails, text messages, and a manuscript, Dearest Josephine makes for an incredibly unique read, a love story unlike any other.

While the style of the novel didn’t allow for Josie’s daily or inner thoughts to be told, I found that her emails and text messages developed her character so she didn’t fall flat. Elias was equally interesting and his letters written to Josephine de Clare were romance goals. I love the fact that Josie and Elias are only illustrated through their personal correspondence because it allows us to question their identity. Anyone can write anything about themselves, and I think not having any third person narration helps to develop the uncertain connection between Josie and Elias.

I found the writing and pacing of Dearest Josephine to be pretty good. The chapters are either written from Josie’s perspective through emails, from Elias’s perspective through letters, or through the manuscript. The parts that were supposed to take place in 1820, though, were my least favourite to read because the writing lacked the vibrancy of the personal correspondence. As a result, the middle chapters of the novel that included the manuscript felt like they dragged on. I found I most looked forward to the emails between Josie and her friend Faith.

As for the romance, I like how the star-crossed lovers concept is completely up to reader interpretation. For me, Josie and Elias at the beginning of the story are flawed and hurting after the death of their fathers, so I interpret their fixations on one another as a way to cope with their grief. While their love is slightly unrealistic, I think it makes for a new way of writing about grief, love, and understanding ourselves. Furthermore, the relationship that Josie has with Elias, which is only through writing, is a relatable concept for many avid readers. We fall in love with our favourite characters through words on a page, not through any tangible means, which is why I find the concept of Dearest Josephine so well executed.

Rating 4/5: The concept and plot of Dearest Josephine make this novel a great addition for your 2021 TBR, or the perfect book to pick up as a Valentine’s day read!