What a gorgeous read! This was definitely not your typical cosy Christmas romance novel. In The Christmas Letter, Emily Stone has written a novel that will really pull at your heartstrings.
The novel begins and ends with Christmas but it covers the events of an entire year. Holly lost her sister on Christmas Eve three years previously and ever since, has spent Christmas alone. Her friend Abi, has introduced her to the Stranger Letter club where she exchanges letters with strangers, who like her, are alone at Christmas. This year, the letter that she receives strikes a real chord in her and she tracks down the sender.
Despite a very unpromising start, Holly and Emma develop a real friendship. Like Holly, Emma is estranged from her family but Holly realises that she has actually met Emma’s Grandson Jack and determines to try and bring them both together.
I loved this story and Holly’s character really flies off the page. Her impetuous nature takes her into situations that other people would never dream of and it doesn’t always work out well.
The romance between her and Jack is developed really well but the main theme of the book for me was the friendship between her and Emma. I loved how Emma gradually opened up to Holly while still retaining her no-nonsense character.
This book brought a real lump to my throat while still being hopeful and heartwarming. I would definitely recommend it to anyone this festive season and at any other time of the year.
Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publishers, Headline, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this emotional festive read. We follow Holly a few years after a tragic accident that left her no longer speaking to her family, mainly her sister. With an underlying theme of fate, this story brings Holly back in touch with Jack, who she had met the night of the accident.

I really liked the characters in this story; I particularly feel that the characters of Holly, Emma and Jack worked well together. I loved Emma’s feisty nature and the way that she brought the others together.

I also liked the recurring idea of reigniting passion for hobbies and the way that it was laced through the story.

Overall a lovely read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Headline and Emily Stone for allowing me early access to this title.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This story will is well written as well as sad in places.

Two women who have both had incidents happen in their lives meet and as friends, they begin to get better and begin to live their lives again, to a better future, accepting what happened.

You begin to feel for the two women, and those in their lives, hoping that things will become better for them, but at the same time knowing that, that may not happen for them all.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a beautiful story of two women who have had their lives wreaked in similar ways finding each other and through their friendship finding ways to heal and move forward with their lives into a more positive future of forgiveness and acceptance.
This really will tug at your heartstrings and bring many tears to your eyes with how beautifully it is written and scripted. The story arc is one where you grow to care about these women and those around them and hope for the best for them all even when you know that isn't going to happen for some of them.
Having read a book by this author previously this has affirmed by enjoyment of her works, I look forward to reading many more by her in future also!

I have read and adored all three of Emily Stone’s novels and she is firmly planted in my list of my favourite authors. Each of her books are so very special and make you feel of so much! Her latest novel, The Christmas Letter is certainly not one to be missed.

The Christmas Letter is the most beautiful story were fate and serendipitous moments come together to create a stunning story which will have you gasping, cheering and sobbing! At its centre is Holly who, when alone at Christmas, writes and receives a Dear Stranger letter. These letters are supposed to go unanswered but when Holly receives a letter from an older lady named Emma she feels compelled to seek her out. Holly offers to help Emma reconnect with her estranged grandson. But when Holly tracks down handsome, dark-eyed Jack, she realises she's met him once before, and the connection was electric. Suddenly helping a stranger is about to get a lot more complicated...

As with her other novels Stone has written the most brilliantly real characters; they’re written with such depth and a raw humanity to them. Their sadness on some places of palpable and yet so too is their joys. The trio of Holly, Jack and Emma work so well in all their different combinations. There is so much I could say about them but I think their story works best when left to unfold for the reader.

This is an Emily Stone novel so you’re going to need your tissues! Unlike in Always, in December where the tragic heartbreak hits you like a bus (I still don’t think a book has ever made me gasp and cry as much as that one!), this is a slow and inevitable tragedy, but my goodness is it dealt with beautifully. I don’t want to say too much here but the way Stone dealt with what was happening to one of the characters was done with such care and such spirit.

It’s not Autumn/Winter without an Emily Stone book and I literally look forward to them each year.

Loved this book so much. Really invested in the characters. So much emotion , passion and second chances. Such an easy heartwarming book.

Absolutely loved this book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's such an easy read but with a beautiful heart warming story. As far as romance stories go this has quite a few parts I didn't see coming which made it even harder to put down!

Emily creates such loveable characters and the importance of family is portrayed in such a lovely way.

This is my first Emily stone read but I will definitely be adding her other books to my TBR list!

Holly is living far from home, due to a car accident which had a massive impact on her family. She is persuaded to join a group who send and receive a letter anonymously every year so they feel less alone, and that others have problems too. The only thing is that Holly realises she knows the cafe the writer mentions, and is so moved that the writer is ill and estranged from her family too, that she decides to take a trip to try and find the writer, and see if she can help.

She didn't bank on the writer becoming a close friend, or that their lives would collide in more ways than she could envisage.

A beautifully written, feel good novel, with well drawn, imperfect characters, and some gorgeous places from Devon, to London, and even Venice. Highly recommended.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5888482910

A feel good book with some heavy hitting themes. This is not your classic romcom at Christmas book as it spans more than a year. You become really invested with the characters and the believability of the storylines. I hadn’t read anything by this author before but I will definitely be looking up her other books.

The first book I’ve read by this author. A sad, but happy story about letter writing and how it connects two strangers and the events of their lives that have led them to this point and the path it takes from thereonin. A sweet, romantic novel that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

I must admit I love christmas books, they are the perfect thing to get you in the christmas spirit and I especially love it when one comes along that makes you stop and remember the story long after finishing the book.

I think the idea of a dear stranger club is really sad but lovely at the same time - writing to someone who is spending christmas alone is such a beautiful idea and then seeing people connecting because of a letter is surely what christmas is all about.

This was such a lovely read, I didnt want the story to end and know that this will be a book I read again and again.

Unfortunately one Christmas Eve, Holly and her sister Lily are involved in a car accident, causing Lily to lose her baby. Holly blames herself for all the hurt she caused and can't forgive herself,despite it not being her fault.

Emma also knows how Holly feels, for she also was involved in a car accident, whereby she blames herself for her son's death.

To combat their grief Holly and Emma write 'dear stranger' letters to each other. However Holly knows the cafe that Emma mentioned in her letters; it is the cafe she stopped off at before the accident, where she met Jack, the man who she never got to phone back.

Holly sets out on her personal quest to help Emma and relieve her of her grief and to offer support to help her deal with her recent cancer diagnosis, but it turns out that Jack is Emma's grandson, could it be fate that has brought them together and can Holly help Emma to heal.

This is a beautiful story about an unlikely friendship between two women dealing with guilt and loss, about how friendships can help heal, about most importantly about love and forgiveness.

I absolutely loved this book, it was full of pure grit, strength and love. I could not stop the tears from flowing, so heartwarming and perfect for a winters night,

Everything you'd expect from an Emily Stone novel: great writing, complex and completely loveable characters, passion, emotions and second chances.
I enjoyed it immensely

Ever since an accident 3 years ago on Christmas Eve Holly has spent Christmas alone so every December, Holly writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone. And every year she receives a letter back. It’s called the Dear Stranger club. This year however the letter Holly receives is from an older lady called Emma and Holly decides to track Emma down as the sadness that Emma writes about resonates with Holly. Emma also mentions a place that Holly remembers all too well. 

When Holly offers to track Emma’s estranged grandson things start to become a little complicated as Holly has met the handsome Jack once before. Has fate brought them all together for a reason?

Oh I loved this book. I also loved the previous 2 books by Emily Stone so I just knew that if this was in the same calibre that I would be laughing then crying at the story. I loved the characters and the storyline and I was just willing for them all to work it out. A little twist at the end as well that I didn’t see coming. Loved loved loved it!

Loved this book. So emotional. Since an accident 3 years ago Holly has spent Christmas on her own. She writes Dear Stranger letters and also gets one back each year until this year when she gets one from Emma. Holly determines to find her and then meets Jack and their lives all seem to be intertwined.

I really enjoyed this story it was a delightful read. I quickly became engrossed in the storyline and characters wanting to know what happened next, always a good sign in a book. This is a story about Fate, about taking chances and being prepared to accept and offer help. It's a lovely romance with a great storyline which is poignant at times and very moving and it brought me to tears once or twice.

Holly writes a letter each Christmas to a stranger who might need a friendly word at that time of year because she does. These letters are anonymous but the one Holly receives isn't and when she tracks down the writer her life begins to unfold. Fate takes a hand. Holly is a lovely character and I really liked her, Emma and Jack. They came to life for me and I became very invested in their stories.

This story is a must-read for all lovers of romance, mystery and holiday stories. Curl up and enjoy it, you won't be disappointed.

The Christmas Letter by Emily Stone is a heartwarming tale of fate, family and friendship. Holly and her sister Lily are driving through Devon to meet their parents for Christmas break, they stop at a cafe where Holly bumps into Jack and spills his coffee down him. Despite this, there’s an attraction and Jack writes his number on a coffee cup. Lily insists that it’s fate and Holly needs to call Jack, but Holly doesn’t believe in fate.

The story jumps ahead 3 years, Jack was never contacted and a rift between Holly and her sister has led her to join the Dear Stranger letter club. Usually the letters are anonymous, but this year the letter Holly receives is signed and mentions the cafe where she bumped into Jack. Holly decides she needs to meet this stranger and the following morning she drives down to Devon, where she quickly tracks down Emma, who is less than happy about it. What follows is a wonderful story, with a big heart.

This is the third book I have read by Emily Stone and just like her previous novels she has drawn me in,with her gift for crafting astute and witty conversations that convey a special chemistry between the characters. Another gift that Stone possesses is her ability to write about grief, she does this beautifully and with great care, never shying away from the darker side of life. This is countered by joy, love and friendship; all the small things in life that collectively make up for its hardships.

One of the highlights of this novel is Holly’s growth as a person and the lessons that she learns about herself. Hope is at the very core of The Christmas Letter, making it the perfect festive read.

Thank-you NetGalley and Headline for sending me this ARC.

This is a heartwarming five-star read that will remind you of the goodness in life. Holly will make you care about her, she will envelop you into her world and make you care about random people, people who may be alone, makes you care about others in a way that maybe you haven’t thought about before. The Dear stranger letter system seems like a great idea, and I really hope there is something out there like it for real, as there are so many people who would benefit from it, much like Holly and Emma, they both needed each other in that letter. As you get to know everyone, you feel their emotions, and they will sweep you into the story, and have you smiling with joy, and sad at times as well, but thankfully the joy out ways the sadness and it’s the way Emma shows us how to accept what we can’t change and just enjoy what we have. This is a heartwarming story, with moments of sadness, but overall, it’s a compelling read, all about love and life, and showing up.

Once again Emily is here to make me cry and I loved every minute of it. This book has romance of course but at its heart is a much needed friendship.

I loved that Holly and Emma formed a friendship quickly because time was against them but Jake and Holly were able to take their time to get to know each other and became so much stronger for it.

I also loved that I got to visit beautiful parts of the world such as Devon and Venice that I’ll probably never get to see otherwise.

Thanks for another beautiful book Emily. I’m ready for the next heartache now.

Fate, fate, fate.

Be warned: The Christmas Letter isn't one of those warm, fuzzy books set in the Christmas period. Instead, it deals with heavy issues such as grief, estrangement and starting afresh.

Holly's life changes after a car crash one Christmas eve. A couple of years later, she goes in search of the person who wrote her a Dear Stranger letter. Holly soon realises how fate has played a vital role in not only her life, but in the lives of those who she has built new relationships with.