Dearest Josephine by Caroline George {Book Review}

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

Love arrives at the most unexpected time . . . 

1821: Elias Roch has ghastly luck with women. He met Josephine De Clare once and penned dozens of letters hoping to find her again.

2021: Josie De Clare has questionable taste in boyfriends. The last one nearly ruined her friendship with her best friend.

Now, in the wake of her father's death, Josie finds Elias's letters. Suddenly she's falling in love with a guy who lived two hundred years ago. And star-crossed doesn't even begin to cover it . . . 




Caroline George is a multi-award-winning author of YA speculative fiction. She graduated from Belmont University with a degree in publishing and public relations, and now travels the country, speaking at conferences and writing full-time. A Georgia native, Caroline aspires to one day host The Great British Baking Show and delights in being best known for writing the phrase, “Coffee first. Save the world later.” Find her on Instagram @authorcarolinegeorge and Twitter @CarolineGeorge_. 



To be honest, I don't typically read many YA books, but every once in awhile a story will catch my eye and I'll give them a shot. Dearest Josephine was one of those stories. I was intrigued by this unique star crossed love between the years concept. Aside from that, many of my favorite books as a kid and teen were those written in letter form, so that aspect interested me as well. I had high hopes for this book, and couldn't wait to check it out. 

I must admit, for me, it was a little bit of a letdown. I discovered that perhaps my taste in writing styles has changed more than I'd realized as I didn't find myself being drawn into the story as it was being told through emails, text, etc. That being said, the book still had a lot going for it. First and foremost, the story itself is quite unique both in it's content and how it was told... definitely not your typical love story or like any YA fiction I've read. And while I may not have connected with the story, I could appreciate that it was well written as well. Honestly, I found myself thinking that this was just the type of story that I would have enjoyed when I was younger, even if it wasn't for me now.

Overall while it wasn't my personal favorite read, this was a well written and unique story that I think younger readers and those who enjoy stories written in this format will enjoy. It's definitely worth giving a shot!