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Dearest Josephine Hardcover – February 2, 2021

by Caroline George (Author)

4.3 320 ratings

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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 . . .

“Dearest Josephine is the type of story that becomes your own. The characters’ heartaches worked their way into my own chest until I hurt with them, hoped with them, and dared to dream with them. This book is teeming with swoon-worthy prose, adorable humor, and an expert delivery of ‘Will they end up together?’ I guarantee you’ll be burning the midnight candle to a stub to get answers. Step aside Pride and Prejudice, there’s a new romance on the English moors.” —Nadine Brandes, author of Romanov

“Caroline George infuses an epistolary love story with a romance and charm that crosses centuries. Touching and inventive, it bursts with wit, warmth, and a blending of classic and contemporary that goes together like scones and clotted cream. Dearest Josephine is a delight.” —Emily Bain Murphy, author of The Disappearances

“Dearest Josephine is more than an immersive read. It is a book lover’s dream experience. Josie’s residence in a gothic English manor and her deeply romantic connection to Elias, who lived years in the past, is as chillingly atmospheric as Rochester calling across the moors. This story is George’s treatise on the power of books and character to creep across centuries, to pull us close and invite us to live in a fantasy where we find love—literally—in the kinship of ink and binding. But it also acknowledges the dangers of letting ourselves fall too deeply when sometimes an equally powerful connection is waiting next door. This love letter to books, and the readers who exist in and for them, is a wondrously singular escape.” —Rachel McMillan, author of The London Restoration and The Mozart Code

Romantic and evocative read in both contemporary and historical time periods
Stand-alone novel
Book length: 86,000 words
Includes discussion questions for book clubs

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From the Publisher

Q & A with Author Caroline George

Romance across time seems to be popular in YA at the moment. What do you think makes Dearest Josephine different from other books in the genre?

Dearest Josephine bloomed from my love for historical books and period films, and a revelation. While walking my street one afternoon, I thought about the YA readers on social media who gushed about their newfound love for Mr. Darcy and Jane Austen, their desire to be loved by heroes from popular series. “Boys in books are just better.” I had seen that statement plastered across Instagram. I’d thought it myself on occasion. Love sounded more beautiful on the page. Men from the past, wearing cravats and carrying letters, seemed more swoon-worthy.

So, what would it be like to find love letters addressed to me from a man two hundred years in the past?

How would it feel to learn he wrote a novel about our life together?

These questions sparked Dearest Josephine. I wanted the novel to be more than a time-travel romance, rather a story about how words transcend centuries, literature brings people together.

Dearest Josephine doesn’t revolve around escaping to the past. It explores the romance we fantasize about and the romance worth having, the belonging found within literature, and the power of living in the present with adoration for our own stories.

What will readers of authors like Alix E. Harrow and E. Lockhart love about Dearest Josephine?

Old manors and time-crossed love. A stack of letters. A novel long forgotten.

Dearest Josephine harnesses unconventional mediums (i.e., texts, emails, letters, and a novel styled after Regency romance novels) to explore themes of love and time, healing, belonging, and finding one’s place. I believe readers of Harrow and Lockhart will appreciate Dearest Josephine’s experimental storytelling, fantastical elements, and deeper messages of letting go and living now.

Why did you choose to have Josie and Elias connect through letters? What is it that you think makes the epistolary format so compelling to readers?

Years ago, I grabbed a copy of The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society from an airport bookstore. I read the book within a few hours, gripped by its epistolary format. I felt as though I’d been given a stack of letters and welcomed into the narrative. For me, the experience was intimate and immersive, a canvas permitting my imagination to fill in the gaps.

Fast forward to 2019, when I got the idea for Dearest Josephine, I realized the story needed to be told in letters, and not just letters—I wanted to use modern forms of communication to show we’re all living stories. Our words are important. They survive centuries. They leave a legacy.

Dearest Josephine, at its core, is a love letter to the written word. For that reason, I could see no other way to tell Josie and Elias’s story than to bring them together with words. They needed to connect and find themselves both on and off the page.

Although the epistolary format isn’t commonplace within the YA genre, I believe readers will find it offers a new level of access to the heart of the book.

Designed by Claudia George, this Dearest Josephine artwork shows characters Josie and Elias drawn together by letters.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up—Eighteen-year-old Josie De Clare leaves London, as well as her insufferable mother and ex-boyfriend Rashad, to spend time alone at the estate her father purchased before his death. Through email, she reconnects with Faith, her Italian American best friend. Alone in the run-down estate, Josie describes to Faith the steps she's taking to fix it up. Stumbling upon a packet of letters from 1820 addressed to a Josephine De Clare from pale-skinned, hazel-eyed Elias, whose portrait peers down from above the desk, Josie and Faith, along with handsome local boy Oliver, dig deeper. Josie discovers that Elias, who met Josephine at a dance only once, is infatuated and determined to locate her. He describes Josephine, who with her personality, blonde hair, and slate blue eyes resembles Josie in so many ways that she is certain that they have a connection. Readers follow the story through Elias's letters to Josephine, interspersed with texts from Josie to Faith and Oliver, as well as an unfinished manuscript Elias wrote about his love for the mysterious Josephine. With Josie becoming more convinced that she and Elias are meant to be together, Faith and Oliver are there to remind her that love comes in many forms. VERDICT The overlong passages and jumps from today's texts to Elias's letters and novel do little to move the story forward, but there will be readers for whom this flowery story of star-crossed love, friendship, and angst works well.—Connie Williams, Petaluma, CA

About the Author

Caroline George is the multi-award-winning author of Dearest Josephine, The Summer We Forgot, and other YA novels. She graduated from Belmont University with a degree in publishing and public relations and now dedicates her time to storytelling in its many forms.

From a small town in Georgia, Caroline now resides in an even smaller town in Wyoming, where she works for a ranch. When she’s not glued to her laptop or filming cowboys, she can be found hiking, sipping a lavender latte, or practicing her horsemanship. Find her on Instagram: @authorcarolinegeorge; Twitter: @CarolineGeorge_; TikTok: @authorcarolinegeorge.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Nelson (February 2, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 078523618X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0785236184
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 16 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.85 x 1.5 x 8.7 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #471,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #235 in Teen & Young Adult Clean & Wholesome Romance
- #1,520 in Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction & Dystopian Romance
- #2,404 in Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Customer Reviews:
4.3 320 ratings

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Caroline George

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Caroline George is the multi-award-winning author of Dearest Josephine (HarperCollins), The Vestige (Evernight Teen), and other YA fiction titles. Her first book released when she was fifteen years old, a feat which led to more publications and internships with HarperCollins and Hillsong in Sydney, Australia. 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.” When she’s not glued to her laptop, she can be found hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, sipping a lavender latte, or chatting with young writers. Find her on Instagram @authorcarolinegeorge and Twitter @CarolineGeorge_

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R.J. Setser

If you are a lover of romance & exquisite writing, then this should be in your hands!

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2021

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This book threw me into a pool of feels and left me to drown. Okay, I’m being dramatic, but I truly did have to let Dearest Josephine sink in for nearly a week before I could form a coherent enough thought to write an actual review. This book is just so many things!

The format is unlike anything I’ve read before. I do own Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, which I believe is in the same format of telling the story through emails, but I haven’t read it yet so I can’t compare it properly, which makes Dearest Josephine a first for me. HOWEVER, Dearest Josephine is so much more than just emails. It’s letters to swoon over, a freaking book written by the man who fell in love with our Josie two hundred years ago (just, ughhhhhhhh *cries*), and the text messages that interrupt Josie’s reading, which was both entertaining and super annoying (but not in a bad way, it just made you want to shut off your phone and maybe pitch it across the room to be left alone with Elias).

I was concerned that this format would leave out something and that, as a reader, I would miss out on a large portion of the story, but honestly, this worked SO WELL. It gives you the feeling that you’re eves-dropping on someone else’s life and trying to piece together mysteries by reading their communication–which, I personally enjoy doing…not to sound weird or anything… For example, I’ve come across old Bibles at garage sales before and they had letters and pictures inside them, and I adore trying to weave together a story of the previous owner based on those items. So, Dearest Josephine fueled my love for mystery and storytelling by instead of telling me a story, giving me one to try to tell myself, and as a reader, that was just so special and I can’t describe how much I enjoyed it (even my husband got in on the speculations as I loudly exclaimed each new plot twist and read him snippets throughout the book).

I can’t talk about the story or characters without spoiling anything (sorry, I’ve tried and it’s just not gonna happen), so I will instead talk about how I see this book to be both a swoon-worthy romance that anyone who loves romance must read, but also how Dearest Josephine is a love-letter to readers from the author. There were SO many places that I felt like the author was straight-up identifying with what it’s like to be a reader. What it’s like to fall in love with fictional characters (I now have Elias, Oliver, and Arthur on my list of fictional boyfriends, thanks Dearest Josephine). What it’s like to have a manuscript change the way you think. How a story can alter your reality. And, how connections made through literature forge unbreakable bonds. There is just so much depth in this book that would fill hours of conversation at a book club, I am simply in awe. Dearest Josephine is beautiful.

To bring this obsessive rant to a close, I shall simply state that if you are a lover of romance, exquisite writing, mystery, and unpredictable plot-lines, then Dearest Josephine should be in your hands without further hesitation. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

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Kerry Frye

Unique Premise with a Sweet Romance

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2021

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Dearest Josephine’s synopsis and cover had me hook, line, and sinker.

This book is three stories rolled into one. We follow Josie De Clare, who is dealing with the death of her father, she retreats to an old English estate that her father had bought before his death in hopes of restoring it. She continues on with his plans and discovers letters from Elias Roch to a Josephine De Clare in 1820. This Josephine De Clare is the inspiration for Elias’s unpublished manuscript. Josie and Elias are both lost and unsure of how to proceed in their lives.

Dearest Josephine is told in an interesting way. You get Josie’s emails back and forth to her best friend, Elias’s unmailed letters to Josephine De Clare and also Elias’s unpublished manuscript. I loved how the story unfolded and it made the book hard to put down. This book also deals with grief in a beautiful way. Both Josie and Elias are dealing with loss in very different ways. This book also features super sweet romances. If you love historical romances, I definitely think you should check this book out. Dearest Josephine is the perfect book to curl up with on a cool rainy day with your hot chocolate.

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2021

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Dearest Josephine--it's a good and sweet story. I couldn't put it down! I began it on a Saturday and finished it the following Wednesday (that's fast for me!) and there were several things that I could relate to in the story. Concerning Josie's texting exchange with her ex (even though it was in the beginning of the book), I was immediately drawn back to when my boyfriend and I broke up and our communication with each other afterward. Rashad's texts were very similar to my ex's. If not the same! Josie and Faith have such a strong friendship. In their arguments, I could see Josie's perspective--since I'd experienced similar--and I saw Faith's perspective (a little more strongly). Some of Josie's messages made me want to go back in time and shake some sense into my younger self.

Oliver is loveable and funny dude. He's not annoying or creepy. Norman and Martha are such a sweet couple. I love how Norman says "'eye up, Josie dear!" Faith is there for Josie and notices her own faults. She also knew that she didn't HAVE to have a boyfriend at that moment. She wanted to pursue her own goals. I had a big smile as I read that part, for more people need to understand this. You don't need to be in a relationship immediately. You need room to grow and pursue your dreams.
I also enjoyed the historic sections of the book. Josephine is such an interesting individual. Elias is a heartbroken and lost man. He needs help. There were times I got annoyed with him, and then times when I sympathized with him. I love the food descriptions. It all made me hungry! A quote that I definitely agree with that is unfortunate, but true--"we love to know the morbid details of what's going on in society" (or, at least, along those lines). Bad news travels fast . . . which is very accurate. Especially when you consider everything that's been going on this year and last year of 2020.

There are several quotes that are very good! For one, marriage doesn't change a person--they have to change themselves (does that make you fidget?) Saying you love someone doesn't change you. You must make that choice yourself to change.

The similarities between Josie De Clare past and Josie De Clare present . . . whoo! Caroline George does very well with connecting them. There are some things I wish were more resolved . . . but overall, it's a really good book! The "ba" word is said rather often. Yes, it's said in context (and who knows how often they said it then?) The romance is wholesome and the ending . . . I won't give anything away!

I definitely recommend giving this book a whirl!

3 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Oh, The High School...

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2021

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Really??? Three story lines was just too much. I guess someone must like schmaltz. Too bad for me, I don't care for it.

2 people found this helpful

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Kysa Johnson

Beautiful Story

Reviewed in Canada on April 27, 2021

Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! In fact, “enjoyed” does not fully express my emotions over this book. I was ensnared by it and still feel its effects on me long after I finished the last sentence.
At the start I doubted the book was going work for me, but I kept reading and soon could not put it down. I was completely captured by the prose and the characters. There are also so many wonderful quotes to be found in this book! I was moved to tears by the end. Looking forward to re-reading and marking all my favourite parts.

4.5 stars ✨

Imogen Elizabeth

An enchanting and deeply moving exploration of grief, love, and the power of story to help us heal

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2022

Verified Purchase

Oh, how quickly this gem of a book captured my heart! Dearest Josephine is a love letter to story, a gorgeous celebration of the safe haven stories provide in the midst of our deepest hurts, granting us space to grieve and grow before propelling us back into the world when we sense the time is right.

When change upends their plans and rewrites their paths, both Josie and Elias attempt to find steady ground by pressing pause on their lives. Eventually they must discern whether such suspension is still offering space for healing or if it’s stopping them from truly living. Can they find a way to accept their reality and the potential it offers, leaving behind certain places and people so that they might fully embrace the present?

As someone who has always struggled with change, especially when younger, Josie and Elias’s journeys really resonated. If often felt as if teenage me was reading alongside adult me, a sensation fuelled by the dual time narrative Caroline George so skilfully handles. Just as love transcends time and space throughout Dearest Josephine, knitting characters back together as they grieve, strengthening and shaping them as they discover who they are on the other side of tragedy, so I could sense the coming together of different ages within me, offering healing and comfort to each other with every turn of the page. Sure, this might sound a little strange(!), but it’s true to say that Dearest Josephine touched me deeply.

With its cast of relatable characters, sweet romance, skilfully handled narrative spanning two time periods, story-within-a-story structure, and sensitive exploration of themes such as love, loss, grief, and identity, Dearest Josephine serves as both safe haven and springboard, offering a retreat for the weary while reminding us that there is a vibrant life to be lived beyond the page. What a gift!

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Dearest Josephine Hardcover – February 2, 2021

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Caroline George

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