Another uplifting and heart warming novel from Lia Louis.
Noelle Butterby is in her way back from a cancelled college reunion when a snow storm leaves her stuck on the motorway for eight hours. Her unwell mum is home alone, she's had an awkward non-encounter with her ex, and her phone is out of charge. When a man in the next car offers to let her charge her phone in his car, she expects excruciating silence and a quick getaway, but instead has one of the best nights of her life. Then the motorway reopens and they go their separate ways - only to find strange twists of fate keep bringing them back together.
Noelle is a character you can't help but warm to. This is a love story which goes far beyond romance and romantic relationships - it's about being there for your friends and family when they need you, recovering from mental illness and making positive choices for the future. Eight Perfect Hours champions valuing yourself enough to live your life for you - but not at the expense of others.
But that doesn't mean the romantic plot line isn't also superbly well done - the romance of this novel sweeps you up and doesn't let go.
I loved how the idea of fate is woven throughout. Noelle and Sam's lives intersect in surprising and interesting ways, and there are plenty of almost-meetings too, which will have readers thinking about 'what-ifs' alongside Louis' characters.
Eight Perfect Hours also contains a side plot about post natal depression, which is sensitively handled and something I would love to see more of in novels. I read Eight Perfect Hours while awake for night feeds with my newborn and really appreciated the inclusion of Charlie's storyline and the realistic and helpful way in which it is portrayed.
Thank you Orion for giving me the opportunity to review Eight Perfect Hours through NetGalley.
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