Eight Perfect Hours

Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis

Expected publication: September 28th 2021 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

About the Book: 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.

Eight Perfect Hours

5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I absolutely loved Dear Emmie Blue, so jumped at the chance to read Eight Perfect Hours. Well, Lia Louis is on my list of auto read/buy authors. This was such a beautiful story and I absolutely loved reading about Noelle (Elle) and Sam. Noelle is on her way home from college reunion when a blizzard strikes. She is stranded on the road with many others. She needs to let her mother know what has happened and that she is going to be late, when she realizes that her phone is almost dead. Enter the American in the next car, Sam. He sees her tears and frustration and offers to let her charge her phone in his car. She accepts and until the storm clears, they spend eight perfect hours stranded together. When traffic is ready to move, Noelle heads home and Sam heads to the airport to go back to the US.

Do you believe in fate, or that there is someone out there that you are destined to be with? If so, this is definitely the book for you. If you enjoy a well written romance with some serious themes, this is also the book for you. I do not want to spoil this book for you, but I will say it is a wonderfully written story that was so real. Noelle is a sweetheart that I loved and wanted her to find her happily ever after. She is too kind for her own good. She wants to do something with flowers in her future and I was rooting for her to follow her dream. Her family is not without their issues, and Noelle tries to help and be there whenever she is needed. Most of the characters in this book had flaws, which made it more relatable and realistic. Noelle has a wonderful friend in Charlie, someone she has known for years. Charlie and Theo are married with a sweet little girl, Petal and this adds another dimension to the story, once again making it real. Although this is a romance, and a lovely one at that, there are also themes of mental health, post-partum depression, hoarding, infidelity, grief and following your dreams. I definitely recommend this story. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.