Dearest Josephine: Book Review

Dearest Josephine by Caroline George tells the story of a young woman, Josephine De Clare, who finds historical letters in the old house left to her by her father. The letters are written by an Elias Roch…to a Josephine De Clare that not only had the same name as her, but had many strange similarities in personality, gestures, and idiosyncrasies.

“Love and loss coincide, I suppose. Love teaches us how to live with, and loss forces us to live without. We love so we can lose.”

The story is told in a unique way, through emails & texts (by Josie and the people in her life) and letters & a novel by Elias. I loved that style in Dracula, and really enjoyed it here as well. It isn’t easy to tell a story like that and George did an excellent job.

If you’ve followed my reviews for any amount of time, you know that I hate romance. *gags* I dislike the predictable love story: Girl meets Boy, Girl falls for Boy, Boy has another girl or a traumatic past or whatever that keeps him from Main Girl, they overcome the obstacle and are about to kiss when something dramatic happens, they part ways broken-hearted because they will never be together, they dash into each other’s arms and live happily ever after. THE END.

It gives people the totally wrong, stupid idea that romance is simple and easy and after the wedding there are no problems. Relationships are some of the toughest things in life and the people in them are often battered, broken and bloodied before they come to understand what TRUE love is. Hint: it’s not the mushy, gushy, gaggy feelings like stupid books say. (I’m in a mood, forgive my cynicism).

In any case, I loved this story. Much to my shock and surprise, I’ll add. I had problems with somethings, but I’ll start off sharing what I loved (I’ll try to avoid spoilers).

1) As mentioned, I enjoyed epistolary way that the novel was told.
“A book is but a stack of paper until someone reads it. And when someone reads it, they build a house within its pages so whenever they return to that book, they feel right at home.”

2) Oliver! Boys in these types of books are normally gag worthy, but he was so genuine, so sweet and so thoughtful. I’d like to have him as a friend.

3) I loved how sweet Norm & Martha were. Also the knitting group!! *heart eyes* Love it!

4) THE ENDING AHH. No spoilers, but I was so pleased that it didn’t end like I thought it would. *heart eyes*

5) IT WAS CLEAN!!! I’m thankful that George didn’t include a bunch of junk in her story.

6) The novel was more than romance. Josie was grieving the loss of her father and trying to mend her relationship with her best friend. I enjoyed the deeper themes there.

“Nobody talks about the other loss, the loss that happens within us. We lose people and things, but we also lose parts of ourselves. We grieve those missing parts too. We grieve them, and we grieve us. But I think losing those parts creates space. For newness. For understanding others’ hurts and welcoming them into our free spaces.”

“The missing comes in waves, some more intense than others. I miss the toothpaste globs he left in the sink, how he’d watch the morning news while I ate breakfast. I miss crying on his shoulder, talking his ears off, being the first person to hear about his good days and the first to embrace him on his bad ones. I miss the small things more than the big things because the small things proved he was mine.”

Now to be critical…

1) Josie’s best friend, Faith, is in love with her boyfriend, Noah. There is CONSTANT drama throughout the book. They break up, they get back together, he proposes, they break up again. It made Faith seem like she unable to grow up or make any decisions for herself. It took away from her character and lowered her in my eyes to a frivolous, unreliable, silly girl.

2) The hints of feminism as well as other modern ideas that I don’t agree with.

“GOOD shouldn’t be used to describe a girl in any way. There are good books, good food, but not good girls.”

“All pains are equal and valid, and deserving of attention.”
No, all pains are not equal. Are they valid? Yes, but seriously, some people suffer insane pain and it doesn’t compare to you not being able to find your true love.

3) The delusions! Oh my goodness, you guys. Josie finds letters written 200 years ago and thinks that they are to her. It’s a little weird, but fine, whatever. However, she falls head over heels IN LOVE with Elias simply by reading his letters and his novel. *face plant* This screams needy, clingy, love-starved girl ready to attach onto the first thing that comes in reach.

To fall desperately in love with a man who has been dead 200 years and to go searching all over the house, trying to find him, trying to smell him, trying to call him back…it’s…she needs help. To shun your best friend because you need space to figure out your relationship with a dead guy… I’d recommend therapy, but the therapists would probably just encourage her delusions (again, I’m in a mood, forgive).

4) The insta love. I wish that for once someone would write a novel where the characters didn’t fall in love at first sight (or first letter in this case). It’s not realistic and it bothers me that these books make it seem like it can happen to anyone.

Elias is just as bad as Josie in this respect. He saw a girl named Josephine and spent a few hours with her, then she disappeared. He spends the rest of the book searching for her and writing mushy love letters to her. I didn’t find him particularly dashing, handsome, or romantic, just creepy. I’ll include some great quotes.

“You have haunted my thoughts for months. I think about your wild hair and your ridiculous laugh, how you spoke as though we have been friends since childhood.”

“I need a day with you, then another. I need an infinite amount of last days with you because none of them, no matter what we do, will be good enough to encapsulate how much I love you.”

“Josephine, regardless of my faults, I have one detail in my favour. I love you most ardently.”
YOU DON’T KNOW HER AHHHHH!

“Until my last breath, I promise my arms will always welcome you. My soul will never grow cold toward you. My safe place, my home, is yours also, and regardless of where you go, who you love, I will adore you endlessly.”
*pastes last comment here*

“[…] I must confess that I miss you, perhaps more than one should have such a brief encounter.”
Yes. I agree. It is not proper, young man.

“Then, I met you, and my heart was yours. Completely. In a moment, I was yours.”
Might want to be careful there, buddy. Get to know her a tad bit more before going off the deep end.

“I wish to be content and loved, yet I find it poetic, even romantic at times, to be sad and alone. Truly, despair adds intrigue to my otherwise dull existence.”
That’s a healthy way to think. *glares* Stay away and don’t marry someone with that ideology, Josephine.

“Do you make sense of these scribbles, Josephine? Have I indeed lost my mind?”
Yes, sir, you have. You saw a girl for a few hours, you don’t know her, stop writing like you’ve been friends for all of eternity.

“I’ll cling to the hope that one day, after such a strenuous wait, I shall hold you in my arms and whisper against your lips, “My dearest, you were worth every second.”

Men are creeps. (Not all men, fine, whatever, I’m still moody and grumpy).

If anyone in real life were to come up to me and say those things, I’d get a restraining order and probably move to another country. Change my name, my identity, and probably my face with plastic surgery.

All in all, I did enjoy this book very much. Dearest Josephine is a sweet, clean little romance that is perfect for a snowy day. I can see this becoming one of my comfort stories. Isn’t it amazing? I’m giving a romance four stars. I’m shocked. Good job, George. *bows*

CW: death, grief, affairs