Dear Henry, Love Edith + Giveaway

After a short and difficult marriage, recently widowed Edith Sherman has learned her lesson. Forget love. Forget marriage. She plans to fill her thirties with adventure. As she awaits the first paperwork for a humanitarian trip to South Africa, she accepts a short-term nursing position in a small Midwestern town. The last thing she needs is a handsome local catching her eye. How inconvenient is that?

Henry Hobbes isn’t exactly thrilled to have Edith, who he assumes is an elderly widow, dumped on him as a houseguest for the summer. But he’d do almost anything for his niece, who is practically like a sister to him given how close they are in age. Especially since Edith will be working nights and Henry works most days. When he and Edith keep missing each other in person, they begin exchanging notes — short messages at first, then longer letters, sharing increasingly personal parts of their lives.

By the time Henry realizes his mistake — that Edith is actually the brown-eyed beauty he keeps bumping into around town — their hearts are so intertwined he hopes they never unravel. But with her departure rapidly approaching, and Henry’s roots firmly planted at home, Edith must ultimately decide if the adventure of her dreams is the one right in front of her.

My Review:

I’m flabbergasted! And gobsmacked. And besotted over Becca Kinzer’s incredible comedic gift. She gets the ‘beats’ just right and the way she creates mass confusion out of a simple sentence uttered by the hapless Edith…or Henry…reaches new levels of hilarity. Helped, I think, by the sublime performance of narrator Liam DiCosimo. He gets all the voices right — and there are a ton of small town neighbours who aren’t shy about sticking their oar in at the most inopportune time. I laughed so hard! Hardy guffaws in the grocery store which got me all kinds of wary looks. (I usually stop listening to an audio book when I’m out in the masses but I couldn’t leave myself dangling at a pertinent point in the story.)

So, if you are looking for a light-hearted read, this is it. But there’s depth too. In the characters and their situations. Their back stories and the issues they wrestle with. But it’s the kind of angst you can chuckle through as well as wince over.

I thought the faith thread was so relatable. Edith is searching for an adventure through mission work. She’s determined to make a difference, do something significant with her life only to discover that those she serves actually serve her best. Henry is battling with feelings of not measuring up to his family name. He’s significantly younger than his older brother, hence the niece who is a mere two years younger than him. Both hero and heroine battle with self-doubt and their journey towards trusting God…and themselves…with the future He plans for them is inspiring.

And then there’s romance and witty banter and toe-curling kisses. I mean, really, can you ask for anything more from a rom/com?!

GIVEAWAY OPPORUNTITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy, winner’s choice.

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Dear Henry, Love Edith, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you leave your email in a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw vie email, please add the book title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 11 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

32 thoughts on “Dear Henry, Love Edith + Giveaway”

  2. I’ve been hearing about this book but have been on the fence about reading it since I didn’t know anyone who recommended it. I do like books with letters/notes involved, but romcoms can be tricky and sometimes too silly for me. If you say she has a comedic gift, I say who doesn’t need more laughs in their life?

    This is the first new author that’s caught my eye this year and I’m behind on my goal of reading at least one a month. Your glowing review has me jumping in with both feet.

    *And while we’re in comedy mode discussion,
    in IRN (Intrepid reporter news) I just finished an early copy of Courtney Walsh’s upcoming romcom and I really did laugh out loud!!! It does go deeper as the book progresses and introverts or anyone who’s ever felt like “odd man out” in life will see the effect it has on Isadora. Really good, so jot down The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley for June 13th!

    Thanks for the giveaway Kav! (I love being back on Kav’s Best Reads and saying that! 🙂
    tracey14567 at gmail dot com

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    1. Oohhh — a Reader’s Choice Spring Edition Sneak Preview!!!! You’ve got me all excited now!!!!

      This one is definitely not silly — and I know what you mean about rom/coms sometimes going in that direction. It feels like the comedy is being forced. This is NOT that book — at least not for me. And, while the back and forth letter writing is fun, there’s also ‘real life’ scenes as well which makes for a nice balance. Good luck, Tracey!

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  3. WOW! Sounds like “Dear Henry, Love Edith” has everything I’m looking for all rolled into one fabulous read. Definitely a book I’d love to read. Think we all are ready for a good laugh – a maybe a message or two along the way.

    Thank you for the wonderful chance to win a copy of this book and for your fabulous review which has me, once again, adding it to my TBR list.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  5. This was also just highly recommended by an up-and-coming author, Rebekah Millet, on FB. I normally don’t care for rom-com either, but just finished A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter & it felt good to spontaneously laugh out loud! As long as its not too silly, I like funny! 😂

    dianalflowers (at) aol (dot) com

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      1. Kav, her name is Rebekah Millet & she just signed on with Bethany House for a rom-com set in New Orleans. It’s called Julia Monroe Begins Again. Cover reveal Fri & releasing in Oct. It’s all things cajun, beignets, and creole cuisine, as she is a native of New Orleans.

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  6. Oh I have been watching this one to snap up for my TBR pile. The premise is so intriguing and I love books that make me laugh out loud (or even giggle). Thanks for the review and giveaway Kav. I’m loving your new site by the way. 🙂

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  8. I almost missed this one. New author and not so enticing book cover, so I passed it by without reading your review, and now it seems I almost missed a good one. Never judge a book by its cover.
    rrwalter34
    atGMAILDotcom

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    1. It’s an oddish book cover but makes sense when you read the book. Though I do like the bold colours. Maybe I just need an extra shot of sunshiny yellow in the middle of winter. lol Good luck, Becky!

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  9. I am really looking forward to reading this book. The author’s blog posts are worth reading also. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. She certainly has a gift for comedic writing.

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    1. I think it’s being well received which isn’t always the case when it comes to rom/coms since we all have different ideas of what is humorous so comedy doesn’t always work for everyone. Good luck, Elizabeth.

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  13. I think your review is as much of a riot as the book sounds! Guffawing in the middle of a grocery store?? Now THAT would be a sight to see 😂 You got me hooked just by your review….. well truthfully, I already want to read it, so you sealed the deal 😁

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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