Todays review is of Letters to Eloise by Emily Williams.

When post-graduate student Flora falls unexpectedly pregnant during her final year studies she hits a huge predicament; continue a recent affair with her handsome but mysterious lecturer who dazzles her with love letters taken from the ancient tale of ‘Abelard and Heloise’, or chase after the past with her estranged first love?
But will either man be there to support her during the turmoil ahead? (Thanks Amazon)

As you may have noticed, I do not regularly give 5 star reviews.  This is not because I don’t love the books that I read, I just have a habit of comparing all books (even when it is not necessarily right to do so) which means that very few get that coveted 5 stars.  I am going to go big (spoiler alert) and let you know at the beginning of this review that this novel will be getting 5 stars.  That’s right – 5 stars.

So I am ashamed to say that I have had this novel sat in my ‘to be read’ pile for far too long.  Having now read it, I am so annoyed that it took me so long to pick it up!  You know how it is – sometimes it’s a reading deadline for another novel, sometimes the kids won’t let you sit down, sometimes you just pick up another book.  Well quite frankly I am irritated that it took me so long to pick up this book, because once I did, I could not put it down.

Firstly, I feel that I must acknowledge that this was Emily Williams’ debut novel. Debut! If this is what she produces for her first published work, then honestly I will be devouring anything and everything she writes in the future!

I don’t really want to tell you very much about this novel if I’m completely honest because I’m rather hoping that you will pick it up and read it yourself.  However, as the title implies, this novel is a series of letters to Eloise.  It is not about Eloise though.  It is about Flora, a young woman who is at the most pivotal moment in her life.  This is a story almost entirely about love.  Sometimes the love of a man, but ultimately it is a novel about a mothers unwavering love for her child.  Emily William’s captures a mothers love perfectly; the love that sprouts from nothing the moment you realise you are growing another person inside you.  The moment you realise that you would do anything to keep them safe and give them the life they deserve. I unashamedly laughed and cried in public reading this book (my eleven year old sons will confirm this if required!) – I know you will too.  So, I insist that you go and get yourself a copy of this book, a glass of wine and big bar of chocolate, then settle in and read it from cover to cover.  You won’t regret it.

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to Emily William’s for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.