Dear Love by Grant Gosch is one of those books that sounds like it’s going to sweep you off your feet, make you cry in public, and maybe even inspire you to write a love letter to your dog. And honestly, I was ready for it. I mean, love letters to pets? That’s uncharted territory, and I was intrigued.

But somewhere between the premise and the execution, things went sideways. The idea—curated love letters spanning different relationships—is undeniably unique and full of potential. Love letters have this raw, personal charm that can make you feel like you're holding someone else's heart in your hands. Unfortunately, the letters here didn’t always feel intimate or profound. Instead of feeling like I’d stumbled into someone’s beautifully messy, real love story, a lot of it felt... manufactured? Almost like it was trying too hard to be meaningful rather than just letting the emotion speak for itself.

The tone wavered in ways that didn’t always work. Some letters went for sensual and poetic but ended up reading like they were drafted after a second glass of wine and a Pinterest quote binge. Others that tried to be playful or funny sometimes fell flat or felt out of place. And while the concept of including letters to oneself or pets could’ve added some charm, those sections felt more like filler than something truly profound.

I wanted to be moved. I wanted my cold, skeptical heart to crack open a little. Instead, I kept feeling disconnected. A love letter, at its best, should make you feel something—yearning, nostalgia, secondhand joy—but many of these letters just drifted by without impact. The sincerity was there in spirit, but the execution didn’t always follow through.

It’s not a total miss. There are a few moments where the writing hits its stride, and you catch glimpses of what this collection could’ve been—a beautiful patchwork of human connection. But overall, it’s like that romantic movie you start watching with tissues ready, only to realize halfway through that it’s not going to hit you in the feels the way you’d hoped.

Two stars, but only because I still think writing love letters is a great idea—and maybe this book will inspire someone else to write one that actually makes their recipient ugly cry. Otherwise, I’ll stick to texting heartfelt memes.

Dear Love is a collection of 52 letters from people across the globe, each reflecting on various facets of love. The concept is undoubtedly touching, but the execution felt uneven. Some letters truly struck a chord with me, delivering poignant and heartfelt moments, while others were less impactful. I occasionally found myself confused by the context of certain letters and wished the author had provided some background or framing for each one. Additionally, the overall organization of the book could have been improved to create a more cohesive reading experience.

Dear Love is a collection of 52 letters from people around the world, each exploring different sides of love. While the concept is beautiful, I found the book to be a mixed bag. Some letters resonated, offering heartfelt moments, while others were less memorable. That said, it turned out to be the perfect palate cleanser between my long fantasy read. Its structure made it easy to dip in and out of.
My absolute favorite letter was the one about the bookstore and books-no surprises there!

Overall, while Dear Love may not have been groundbreaking, it was a charming detour into the universal and diverse experiences of love.

I’m not one to read poetry but for the new year, I wanted to try different books so I decided to start with this one. I loved the idea of anonymous love letters!
Even though I didn’t connect with quite a few of them, I found them beautiful.
My biggest issue was that there wasn’t any clear separation from one poem to the next, so it was really hard to tell when one poem ended and the other began.

I liked this! if I could specifically give this 3.75 stars I would, to be more exact. I enjoyed the concept and truthfully enjoy anything like this, I just would like it to be more in depth, detailed, I want to know the lives of who we discuss!

I went into this thinking it would be a singular type of love or an address to a singular person. With the book showing love in a kaleidoscope fashion, Gosch invites the reader into bed, so to speak, with the speaker. The reader witnesses the giving and receiving of different types of love. This was very refreshing in terms of the genre of love poems. Reading this makes me feel loved even thought I exist in a different context than the works does.

ARC Review!
Thank you NetGalley for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am really sorry but I don’t think this is for me. I read the letters but found myself zoning out. I think it’s one of those that the setting would really make a difference.

This book needed to be written!! What an amazing idea, it’s truly heartwarming. How often are we given the opportunity to observe communications between loved ones all around the world?

Thanks to netgalley and Grant Gosch for sharing this ARC with me. Due to be published 07/01/2025

I wasn't sure whether these would be a sort of to and fro collection of love letters or individual letters. I remember reading the love letters of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning at university and I found that somewhat intrusive and voyeuristic. Dear Love is very different and I definitely prefer the format this comes in - with snapshots of love from unnamed rivers to the ones they love. I like that it isn't limited to one form of love either and you get to explore/view from first greetings, pets, a child, ex- love and lovers. There's a little spice in one of the chapters but it doesn't dominate the book so you could skip those letters if you don't like that kind of intimacy.

There's around 130 pages so it's a quick read.

I was intrigued at the idea of sharing anonymous love letters. I enjoyed reading the different letters. Although there were some that I couldn't relate to, I was still interested. I also liked that the letters were separated by sections.

I truly enjoyed the writing of this short story. I also enjoyed the concept of anonymous letter. Although I enjoyed the writing most of the time it could be hard to read.

It was a collection of diary entry talking about intimate moments between the poet and their partner. These were so cute i enjoyed reading it

I love the concept of this book – sharing anonymous love letter from all around the world.

However, I couldn't really connect with them. I could relate to some of them and really enjoyed reading them, but overall I found myself fighting to stay focused page after page.

I still think it's a beautiful idea and a tribute to these people and their loved ones.

la verdad es que no me gusta demasiado cuando los versos ocupan toda la página, cosa que sucede acá. No me deja disfrutar la lectura. Y que fuera en formato cartas/diario, tampoco ayuda

<i>ARC Review!</i>
Thank you NetGalley for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The English lover in me is thriving. Each letter capturing such depth and feeling. I loved how it tapped into universal emotions so elegantly. As someone who enjoys breaking down prose like this, I found myself savoring every word and nuance.

I feel bad only giving 2 stars because it was closer to a 2.5 for sure. I didn't hate it - the idea behind anonymous letters collected was brilliant. The cohesiveness of the book is where I kind of lost focus. It was difficult to sit and read through it all. I found myself getting distracted with how different each page was. Again, the idea was impeccable but the execution was a stretch. Thank you Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing for this ARC!

While the writing could’ve been very lyrical and beautiful at times, I had trouble really connecting to these letters and stories.

Grant gosch takes the reader on a delicious journey as we foray the many different ways love is shown, felt, and expressed.

Where do I begin? I thought the writing was beautiful. I wanted to branch out what I read and went in to this one not knowing what to expect. I loved Dear Love. The writing is so eloquent and there’s so many quotes I wish to remember for a long time. I really enjoyed the end and how different aspects of love were incorporated. I think this encapsulates love in so many different ways and made me feel so many emotions. Definitely recommend this one.

A different book from the novels I usually read. The cover captivated me and I needed to see what the author would convey inside! I enjoyed reading the intimate letters he crafted about love in various forms. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.