Dear Dolly
Beautiful
Meaningful
Candid

Dear Dolly On Love, Life and Friendship, Collected Wisdom from Her Sunday Times Style Column

Since early 2020, Dolly Alderton has been sharing her wisdom, warmth and wit with the countless people who have written in to her Dear Dolly agony aunt column in The Sunday Times Style. Their questions range from the painfully - and sometimes hilariously - relatable to the occasionally bizarre. They include breakups and body issues, families, friendships, dating, divorce, the pleasures and pitfalls of social media, sex, loneliness, longing, love and everything in between. Without judgement, and with deep empathy informed by her own, much-chronicled adventures in love, friendship and dating, Dolly leads us by the hand through the various labyrinths of life, proving that a problem shared is truly a problem halved.
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Reviews

Photo of Teresa Bonifácio
Teresa Bonifácio@teresabonifacio
4 stars
Apr 2, 2024

I wish Dolly was my friend. This collection of Q&A’s is a very good example why Dolly feels so empathic. She can truly understand people’s problems and tries to help them the best she can and with good advices.

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ara@anguloa
5 stars
Apr 1, 2024

i love her :~(

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p.@softrosemint
4 stars
Jul 15, 2023

While I enjoyed "Everything I Know About Love", I was surprised to get through this in a single sitting. It is a lovely little collection from Dolly Alderton's column full of compassion and wisedom (as wise as someone in their 30's can be); it is comforting. It may not lead to some great revelations but it does make you feel less alone.

Photo of Erica N
Erica N@erkie
4 stars
Apr 7, 2023

Just when I thought advice columns are outdated, “Dear Dolly” puts together some of the most relatable perils that keep you up at night and Dolly gives out advice that is sympathetic and practical. She serves the cold hard truth on one hand but readily has a warm comforting mug with the other. Dolly Alderton is truly the big sister everyone needs to navigate modern day girlhood.

+1
Photo of Joana da Silva
Joana da Silva@julesdsilva
5 stars
Mar 5, 2023

Reading this book feels like having a long coffee with Dolly herself. Although I didn't love Everything I Know About Love at the time I read it (and have already reached the conclusion that it was a matter of right book-wrong time), I really like Dolly's writing. I see myself coming back to this one in the future and re-reading some of the entries. Funny how I found the most relatable advice on the questions that didn't strike me as so at first.

Photo of Victoria Justice
Victoria Justice@litatori
5 stars
Nov 4, 2022

Dear Dolly is a heartfelt collection of Dolly Alderton's favourite questions from her Dear Dolly column.

Its passionate. Its reflective. Its intimate. Its laugh out loud funny. It's honest. Its insightful. And it's everything you may need to read but don't want to admit to.

While none of the questions selected for this book was really compatible with my life right now, I still found reading her replies empathetic and friendly. Almost like listening to a close friend give advice, or an older sister comforting her sibling. There was a reassurance and a natural warmth through her words.

I devoured this book, as I have all her books because her writing style really connects home for me.

I only really have one thing left to say:

Dear Dolly: Please write another book soon, I need more of your wonderful way with words. Thank you for everything you've written so far.

+4
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Carli McNaught@theteessider
1 star
Mar 17, 2025
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Sila Baykal@silabaykal
2 stars
Feb 15, 2025
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Lynn@lynnchen
4 stars
Feb 7, 2025
Photo of Liv Harman
Liv Harman @liv_harman7
5 stars
Dec 6, 2024
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Laurel S.@palefire
5 stars
Oct 26, 2024
+2
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Lili V Guba@liligubav
3.5 stars
Aug 4, 2024
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Lena Köninger@larouge
3 stars
Jun 16, 2024
+1
Photo of Lindsey Barnett
Lindsey Barnett@lindseybarnett
5 stars
Mar 3, 2024
+3
Photo of Leo Renee
Leo Renee@leonierenees
3.5 stars
Feb 9, 2024
Photo of Kelly Westraat
Kelly Westraat @kelly
2 stars
Nov 28, 2023
Photo of Fortune Atuakpoho
Fortune Atuakpoho@oldmateforty
5 stars
Nov 5, 2023
+1
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Emma@eak43
3.5 stars
Oct 2, 2023
Photo of Laura Kurth
Laura Kurth@laaurakur
3.5 stars
Sep 17, 2023
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Laura@lauramargaretha
4 stars
Sep 12, 2023
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Viktoria A@viktoriaslibrary
5 stars
Aug 5, 2023
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mariola@florsgrogues
4 stars
Mar 15, 2023
+4
Photo of Anushree Taparia
Anushree Taparia@anushree
4 stars
Mar 15, 2023
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ale@alexaandraaem
4 stars
Jan 14, 2023

Highlights

Photo of Anushree Taparia
Anushree Taparia@anushree

March 10, 2023

“realize that reality is disappointing”

Is that why you romanticize

Photo of Anushree Taparia
Anushree Taparia@anushree

March 10, 2023

“ a man who is almost impossible to emasculate”

There’s nothing wrong with a masculine man, it’s just that people are too chronically online and sensitive to understand masculine and feminine

Excerpt from:
Dear Dolly
Dolly Alderton
https://books.apple.com/it/book/dear-dolly/id6443018650?l=en
This
material may be protected by copyright.

Photo of Anushree Taparia
Anushree Taparia@anushree

March 10, 2023

“male approval, some girls look for it at every turn”



I know, no matter how much you love yourself; if you’re a woman you are bound to find yourself seeking validation and approval from men. I wonder if men ever need to seek female approval apart from when it’s about the size of their dick

Photo of Anushree Taparia
Anushree Taparia@anushree

March 10, 2023

“some of the most important relationships of your teenage life will take place in your head”



How can she have such good thoughts come to her mind and string them out into such beautiful words