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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis is a heartwarming story about one woman’s journey to deal with her grief. I loved this book that followed her journey.
Story Recap:
Natalie Fincher has it all until she doesn’t anymore. When her husband suddenly dies, all her hopes and dreams die with him. After two years, she’s still struggling with his death and barely finding time to visit with her friends. Now, the only music in her life is when she occasionally plays the piano in a London train station on her way home.
When she starts to find pieces of sheet music on the piano in the train station, she is immediately heartened as the music is all pieces that remind her of her husband and he is the only person who knows how special the music was to them. She begins to play with more enthusiasm as she starts to see light at the end of her dark tunnel. But who can be leaving the music for her? And why?
My Thoughts:
I’m a huge fan of Lia Louis and her latest book did not disappoint. I was quickly immersed in the story and I couldn’t wait to find out who left the music on the piano. Natalie has been stuck in her grief for a couple of years, and nothing seems to help her change until she finds the sheet music on the piano. There were a couple of suspects and I like how Natalie not only tried to find the person leaving the music, but also grew and began to understand that those around her were there to help.
This is a heartwarming story that tells a story of grief and friendship and taking a chance. Natalie has a wonderful group of friends who love her, but she has walls built around her to keep them out, and it isn’t until she can let them in and help her heal that she can live a full life.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Key to My Heart to anyone who enjoys heartwarming fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis is a heartwarming story about one woman’s journey to deal with her grief. I loved this book that followed her journey.
Story Recap:
Natalie Fincher has it all until she doesn’t anymore. When her husband suddenly dies, all her hopes and dreams die with him. After two years, she’s still struggling with his death and barely finding time to visit with her friends. Now, the only music in her life is when she occasionally plays the piano in a London train station on her way home.
When she starts to find pieces of sheet music on the piano in the train station, she is immediately heartened as the music is all pieces that remind her of her husband and he is the only person who knows how special the music was to them. She begins to play with more enthusiasm as she starts to see light at the end of her dark tunnel. But who can be leaving the music for her? And why?
My Thoughts:
I’m a huge fan of Lia Louis and her latest book did not disappoint. I was quickly immersed in the story and I couldn’t wait to find out who left the music on the piano. Natalie has been stuck in her grief for a couple of years, and nothing seems to help her change until she finds the sheet music on the piano. There were a couple of suspects and I like how Natalie not only tried to find the person leaving the music, but also grew and began to understand that those around her were there to help.
This is a heartwarming story that tells a story of grief and friendship and taking a chance. Natalie has a wonderful group of friends who love her, but she has walls built around her to keep them out, and it isn’t until she can let them in and help her heal that she can live a full life.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Key to My Heart to anyone who enjoys heartwarming fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a cute read! I do feel like the cover is a little misleading because it looks like a cute lighthearted romance that takes place in winter when in fact the story follows a widow who is still picking up the pieces of her life. There is a romance in the story but I wouldn’t say it's the main plot.
I thought the grief was very well written in this book and I liked that Louis showed how Natalie was flawed. I do wish she would have had Natalie get some real therapy along with the music therapy. I feel like Natalie's grief was very relatable even though I’ve never lost a partner.
I loved seeing Tom and Natalies evolving relationship throughout the book. I thought they had great banter! I really loved the slow realization of feelings Natalie had. I loved Tom’s character and I loved that he was Shauna’s son. I thought that added a fun aspect! I loved Shanua’s character!
I do think the pacing of the story could have been a little better. I struggled a little bit at the beginning to get into it but really enjoyed it by the end. I hope to check out more of Louis’s works in the future. Overall, this was a solid four stars for me.
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Holy hell this book has my whole heart.
Finished on the 18th of January at 12:14PM at my desk when I should have been studying.
Finished on the 18th of January at 12:14PM at my desk when I should have been studying.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
CW: Anxiety, car accident, cheating, depression, death
Natalie Fincher is a young widow, struggling from the loss of her husband over two years ago. She is caught between living her and Russ' dream or moving forward. She find solace playing piano in a Tube station and a nearby coffee shop. Will she be able to move forward?
This was a cute and wholesome love story that wasn't a love story. It was a sentimental discovery of grief, loss, and what happens after loss. Music was interwoven in the book and wonderful. Music is powerful and has been used through the ages to express emotions. The conversation about the manifestation of grief, and how's different for everyone, was much appreciated.
The supporting characters of Tom, "Notebook Guy", and Shauna were each special in their own right. Natalie found solace in "Notebook Guy" as he was also dealing with his own grief. It was such a special relationship where both were on their own journey through grief. Tom provided a lot of comedic relief through some more heavier topics. Shauna was the supportive mother that everyone wished they had.
If you're looking for a feel good happy book with some bits that might make you tear up, than this is the book for you!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review! This book was an achingly beautiful story of loss, grief, love, and finding a way through the pain. The writing of this one was exquisite and so moving! This one definitely made me feel all the feelings! Natalie was messy and complicated. She hurt so deeply and watching her find her way again through the story was heart wrenching. Tom was kind and funny and there for her in just the right way she needed. He was such a good friend. The secondary characters: Priya, Jodie, Shauna, Roxane, and Lucy added depth and heart. I did however sometimes get annoyed with Roxane and Lucy for constantly trying to “fix” Natalie instead of just being there for her. The mystery of the music was such an intriguing facet of the story. I loved trying to guess who it was! The plot was a little slow for my liking in the beginning. As the story unfolded, it sped up and hooked me. There were also a few details that felt scattered and didn’t piece together until later into the book that I wish had been explained earlier. The ending was pure perfection. Everything came together beautifully and left the characters in a wonderful place. I selfishly wanted more pages, so I could live in Natalie’s world just a little longer. I rounded this one up to a 4.5!
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Underwhelming. There were A LOT of emotions in this book that could have been written in a way that could bring readers to tears. Those moments/emotions were glossed over.
A widow who is still heartbroken 2 years after losing her husband finds love again.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death