On her way home from her college reunion, 30-something Noelle Butterby is stranded on a highway in a blizzard. She's alone and is without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone. Everything seems hopeless that is 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.
Parting ways, the two strangers think they'll never never see each other again. But it seems that fate has more in store for them. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence.
Eight Perfect Hours is a fated love story that with its weightier topics of loss, grief, and mental health transcends the romance genre and becomes more of a contemporary offering.
Louis' writing is witty yet tender. She truly has an ear for dialogue and imbues the narrative with feeling and charm. This serendipitous love story has a strong and vibrant cast—Noelle and Sam's chemistry is palpable and has incredible emotional depth.
The fated lovers trope works exceptionally well as do the subplots with Noelle's mum, brother, best friends, and father. Louis fully fleshes out her characters and readers will be just as vested with the supporting cast as with the main players. It is a slow-burn romance that gains momentum as the story goes on.
Beautifully written, Eight Perfect Hours will make you believe in the power of fate.
Louis lives in the United Kingdom with her partner and three young children.