ARC Review: “Eight Perfect Hours” by Lia Louis

“Eight Perfect Hours” by Lia Louis

Publication Date: September 28, 2021

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Holiday

Page Length: 336 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

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. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Eight Perfect Hours is the story of Noelle who wants something more out of life. She makes a connection with Sam during a snowstorm it is the first time she’s felt alive in a while. The two quickly bond and end up going their separate ways and Noelle is left to wonder what if. Noelle feels stuck in a routine of taking care of her mother and working but doesn’t really do much for herself anymore.

Since Noelle’s brother is not helping out it causes an even heavier burden on herself. Noelle has been through a lot with the death of her best friend, becoming her mom’s caretaker, and her breakup with Ed which hurts since they were together for so long. She could really use a support system and someone to lean on. Meeting Sam is a breath of fresh air but because he’s the first person Noelle connects with on many levels.

Noelle feels conflict not only with life but with love. She feels immensely attracted to sam because he seems to see her for who she is, but she also feels comfortable with Ed because they have so much history. But comfort is the thing that led her to her current life. There is a greater discussion of mental health in the novel as Noelle deals with panic attacks, depression, and anxiety. It’s also the reason her mom can’t be left alone due to her anxiety and she needs a caregiver/doctors help.

I wish I wasn’t me. I wish I wasn’t so confused, and I wish I didn’t feel so scared. To live. Because I am I think. I’m afraid to live too loudly. And I wasn’t always like this, but I don’t know how to get back there.

Though this is marketed as a romance novel, it read more like a contemporary fiction novel. The story of Noelle is about living life to the fullest, grief, and dealing with regret. I appreciated how she navigates through obstacles and grows over the course of the story. She had strong characters development and I liked that she started to take the initiative to do something for herself. This novel reminds us to cherish those we love, take chances, and believe in ourselves. It was a nice novel and even though it discusses more serious topics I thought it was balanced out well with humorous bits.

*Trigger Warnings: Anxiety, Depression, Death

Final Verdict: