My rating: 4.5/5 stars

“My life has started. I’m in it. It’s not something I’m waiting for anymore. I’m here. And whatever I wanted for my life, was it this?”

Eight Perfect Hours

A snowy evening in March leads to the roads being closed off which leaves Noelle suddenly stranded: she’s got no food, she’s alone in her car, her phone is about to die and she hasn’t got a working charger with her. Luckily for her, Sam who is also stranded in a nearby car due to the blizzard knocks on her window to offer any assistance. Noelle decides to wait in Sam’s car while using his charger. The whole ordeal of being trapped with Sam in this blizzard is what leads to Noelle’s ‘Eight Perfect Hours’ – this though is just the beginning of the story.

I’m used to characters in these sort of stories bumping into each other once or twice but Sam and Noelle continue to bump into each other repeatedly that even they start to think it’s fate. However, they are both still somewhat emotionally tied to people they have been with for years but when the universe seems to continuously bring two people together surely it’s got to mean something?

The more Sam and Noelle get to know each other, the more they realize their paths may have crossed several other times and that their lives may be more intertwined than they think. Witnessing this slow budding romance unfold was so exciting and beautiful – it’s so much more than a cute love story – so many characters in this book are trying to navigate new challenges in their life and they’re each taking very small, real steps to get there.

‘Eight Perfect Hours’ was a nearly perfect read. It’s heartwarming in the best way, it’s a reminder that it’s never too late to make a change, that sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zones, that support systems matter, and that everything (if you choose to believe it) happens for a reason.