Book Review of 'Journaled with Love' by Erma M. Ullrey

Hello Bookworms!

I have been journaling pretty much my entire life. Sadly, I do not have my journals from my earlier years due to a tragedy that made me lose a lot of my personal items, but I do have all of my journals from the past few decades, which has become some of my most cherished possessions. One thing that's always been a fear is the thought of those private thoughts landing in the wrong hands, which is truly terrifying to me and is a big plot point in the novel I am featuring today.

Let me know in the comments if you keep a personal journal and, if so, how long have you been writing. I have a digital journal that I write in on a fairly consistent basis and a physical journal that I will occasionally write in when I am craving that pen-to-paper feel. Sometimes a girl just needs to write...

Welcome to the Reviewer Tour for Journaled with Love by Erma M. Ullrey, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Journaled with Love
Author: Erma M. Ullrey
Publisher: Merry Heart Ink
Release Date: July 16, 2025
Genre: Clean & Wholesome Romance

Lost words, found love - a misplaced journal may spark a happily-ever-after in this You’ve Got Mail-style Rom-Com

Macie Grammerly’s mother delivers an ultimatum—come home and work for the family business, or forfeit further financial support. Booted from her privileged jet-set life, Macie leaves sun-soaked Hawaii for Idaho. On her unglamorous bus ride to and from work, she pours her heart into her journal, writing about her dreams and the love she longs for.

Focused on his career, Ryan Tiggs’s five-year plan includes climbing to the top of a family-owned business. Then he can buy a car and move out of the garage apartment at his sister’s home. When he’s assigned the boss’s spoiled daughter as his intern, and they’re tasked with saving the floundering company, Ryan wonders if his days are numbered.

Everything changes when he finds a journal left on the bus. The anonymous writer’s vulnerability captivates him and sparks a secret email exchange that soon feels more real than anything else in his life.

As Macie and Ryan continue to work together, an undeniable attraction grows. Yet things are complicated by their individual online correspondence. When the truth is revealed, will they fight for the love they never saw coming or walk away from the one person who has always been there for them?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub

My Review

What do you think would happen if your journal, the place where you pour out your heart, was lost? Does that thought strike fear in anyone else, or is it just me? It was this pondering that initially drew me to Journaled with Love.

I immediately felt the You’ve Got Mail vibes, but instead of a random chat room on AOL bringing two people together, it’s a precious journal that led to the email exchanges. A very nice twist to one of my all-time favorite movies.

The first thing that caught my attention was how astute Ryan is. He’s also very focused, driven, and clearly a caring individual, particularly when it comes to his family, but the more I read, the more I struggled with his attitude towards Macie. Despite my qualms, Ryan ended up winning me over in the end, particularly with his friendship with dear, sweet Lila. This is seriously one of the sweetest friendships I’ve read in a while and was so heartwarming to see the pair interact.

Macie was a character that was easy to get behind and root for to succeed, and watching the character growth of both Ryan and Macie was a nice progression. While it is a sweet read, there was so much more of a struggle than I was expecting as far as plot points, and there were moments that did tend to drag with this heavier weight. I also felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but it was also so dreamy I couldn’t be mad about it. I just wasn’t ready to let this sweet story go yet!

My Rating: ★★★★

About the Author

Erma M. Ullrey is a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ and author. She worked in the medical field for over twenty-five years. After completing her B.S.H.S., she became a health educator and received international credentials as a childbirth educator and lactation consultant. She has served as a women’s Bible study leader and participates in local and online writers’ groups and book clubs.

In the past few years, Erma has won several writing awards. Her first published work was “A Snowflake's Adventure,” a children's picture book about God's love and exciting purpose for each child. Erma's latest publication is "Journaled with Love," a clean and wholesome light-hearted Rom-Com in the style of "You've Got Mail."

Connect with Erma by visiting merryheartink.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.