Review: Dearest Milton James by N.R. Walker

Rating: 4.75🌈

I just love this story! It just ticks so many of the “make me gush out loud” boxes when I think of stories that just hit me right in the heart.

Starting with the fact that, yeah, it’s N.R.Walker, who’s able to do that book after book.

Then it’s that dead letter theme. Beautifully written, emotionally fraught messages from the past that emerge, lightly dust laden, to prompt an incredible journey , one that also turns into one of self discovery and often love. Whether it ends in a bittersweet , heartbreaking revelation or one of heart-stopping joy, those letters from the past represent a haunting mystery that grabs both at your mind and heart.

I can name movies, tv series, novels,…and this theme never becomes tired or shallow. Because the potential for pain and for hope is too huge here no matter the media. Our minds are already reaching out for the ending, we want to know what happens….

In Walker’s hands, we’re in for an emotional, heartwarming journey. Our introduction to the “dead letter office “ is through the amazing, delightful, effervescent character, Malachi Keogh as he’s being ushered onto its premises and his first day on the job by his father.

I’ll not go into the details as I’ll leave that to Malachi and the story to relate. It’s a gem by the way.

There, Malachi meets his boss, Julian Pollard, all sexy and well, beige. Then a cast of characters to charm your socks off, co workers you will become so intimately familiar with as to feel they are part of your regular lives. Much as they become a deep part of Malachi’s.

Julian’s , eyes gleaming with quiet humor and enjoyment, is an absolute jewel of a man and character. Such a memorable Walker personality in a ocean of them! He’s so perfect for Malachi!

I love that their romance proceeds with communication, humor to go with outstanding chemistry and off the charts dynamics! Love this couple.

The letters at the heart of the mystery and story title grabs your heart and rattles poignantly to get your attention . You can easily imagine the era they were written in and the couple involved.

And like Malachi, you fear for the outcome and the revelation as you get closer to finding the person who wrote them.

No spoilers here. But this romance is all about finding your place and true love as Malachi does.

It’s a story you will want to put under comfort reads. And recommend to others.

That’s exactly what I’m doing now. Beautifully written, memorable characters, incredible story. Pick it up and read it now.

Just a small picky note: one thing that is sure to get me is the disappearing animal character in a story, it sort of happens here. It surprised me because Walker is huge with her animals in books. So when Buster is a fun, very much alive animal character I was disappointed not to see that Malachi hadn’t in some way appropriated him for themselves because clearly he was theirs and not the neighbors.

I imagine him still waiting by that window door for it to be opened and I’m so sad.