Dear Dotty: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Rosie Benson does not have it all together. Like most twenty-somethings, she struggles to figure out life and soon finds herself following the advice of her late great-aunt through a series of revelatory emails about pursuing long-buried dreams rather than societys idea of perfect in this fun, highly relatable debut. Perfect for fans of Beth OLeary, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, and Sophie Kinsella.

Compelling characters, a page-turning plot, and laugh-out-loud humor...A remarkable debut! Stacey Swann, author of GMA Book Club PickOlympus, Texas

Whats a twenty-something gal to do when her parents announce a divorce after thirty years of marriage, she finds out her best friend has cozied up to her archnemesis, and she accidentally sleeps with the Wrong Guy Turn to her great-aunt for advice, of course.

Rosie Benson has always struggled to fit in with her over-accomplished family, type-A roommate/best friend, and workaholic boss. But shes nearly losing herself as she strives to become everyone elses idea of perfect. When Rosie is abruptly fired from her job at a tech start-up where her boss was way too enthusiastic about synergy and company swag, the illusion that she has life figured out is shattered. Knowing she needs a push, her great-aunt Dottya globe-trotting, martini-swilling occasional nudist, and the only person Rosie has ever truly felt herself aroundchallenges her to pursue a long-buried dream, others expectations be damned.

But then Dotty dies.

And Rosie spirals.

As new details of Dottys past emerge through revelatory emails from her many friends, Rosie realizes that maybe her aunts life wasnt as charmed as she thought. With her career, friendships, and family unraveling, Rosie must drown out the noise of the world telling her what she should pursueboyfriend, babies, boss-babe role at a corporate joband finally focus on what she actually wants.

Reviews

Dear Dotty is a joy to devour! Westlake gives us compelling characters, a page-turning plot, and laugh-out-loud humor. But its also a novel with a huge heart, thoughtfully exploring the difficulty in finding our authentic way in the world and the power of our chosen communities. A remarkable debut! Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas Rosie Benson is one of the most relatable heroines Ive read in a long time I loved spending time with her on the page and in my head. Dear Dotty is charming, heartfelt and utterly absorbing. Suzanne Park, author of One Last Word "Dear Dotty is a delightfully layered story of grief, love, and self-discovery. A charming debut that is sure to keep readers turning the pages as they fall in love with these wonderfully quirky characters!" Zara Raheem, author of The Marriage Clock and The Retreat "I loved this funny, thoughtful, tender story about growing up and growing into yourself. Rosie Benson is all of us in our shaky, uncertain early twenties, and Dotty is the ruthlessly honest, unconditionally loving mentor we wish we'd had." Sarah Chamberlain, author of The Slowest Burn "Equal parts heart and humor, Dear Dottyis a tribute to family, friendship, and becoming the person you were always meant to be. It reminded me of Taylor Swift's song "marjorie" in the best way: learning to say goodbye to someone who will never truly leave you. What an emotional joyride!" Swati Hegde, author of Match Me If You Can

Author Bio

Jaclyn Westlake is a debut author and an alumna of the Stanford Continuing Studies novel writing program. A recruiter turned career advice columnist, her work has appeared in Forbes, Business Insider, and Inc. She lives in California with her husband and their dachshund mix, Indiana Jones (but you can call him Indy).