“Dear Amelia” by Asia Monique was my very first book by her, and I’m so glad I picked it up—I really, really enjoyed it.

The story follows Amelia and Israel, childhood friends who’ve grown even closer over the past two years after Amelia’s mom passed away. Her mother wasn’t just a huge part of Amelia’s life—she also helped raise Israel, so the loss hit them both deeply. They’ve leaned on each other ever since. What starts off as a strong friendship quickly turns into something more, and I loved watching that shift unfold.

This is book one in the Love in Seattle series, and it totally hooked me. Amelia works as an advice columnist and shares glimpses of her relationship on her blog, which made things feel super personal. Israel works with his dad and brothers running their real estate company—and wow, I adored him.

Let’s be honest: Israel had me from the jump. The moment he rolled up his sleeves and showed off those tattoos? Yep, I was gone. Completely smitten. And when he told Amelia he’d follow her anywhere, even into the dark, and give her all the love and softness he had? Ugh, my heart. That man was everything. Truly swoonworthy.

This was a beautiful, sweet, and romantic read that made me feeling the feelings, especially the Dear Amelia emais from the Holloway brothers! I’ll definitely be reading more from Asia Monique!