Review: Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis

Thank you Atria Books for my copy of Eight Perfect Hours. All thoughts are my own.

This was 100% a cover that pulled me in. But sadly, this book didn’t work for me. I think if you really liked stories like One Day in December, In Five Years, and Dear Emmie Blue. It just wasn’t a contemporary that I vibed with and that’s okay!

Synopsis:

EightPerfectHours.jpeg

“On a snowy evening in March, thirty-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.”

What I Liked:

  1. The Setting—I love a book set in England! I thought the setting was very atmospheric and brought to light well.

  2. The Focus on Mental Health—I think this was done so well! It might be because it was such a personal story line, but watching a loved one recover from a major health issue is HARD. Being the one responsible for their care and reentry into the world is so hard. The toll it takes on the patient and their caregiver was well represented in this book.

What Didn’t Work:

  1. Too Sugary Sweet for Me—I don’t mind when books are cozy and sweet, but I just didn’t vibe with this. I’m starting to think books that focus on “Fate” aren’t for me. (Like One Day in December, In Five Years, etc).

  2. Lacked the “Can’t Put It Down Factor” For Me—100% personal preference! It does not mean it’s a bad book, it just wasn’t the book for me.

  3. The Romance—I wasn’t swept up in this romance and just didn’t find it believable, but I think it’s 100% the fate trope!

Content Warnings:

Stroke, Anxiety, Depression

Character Authenticity: 2.5/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 2.75/5

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