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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you, Atria Books, for the gifted copy of The Key to My Heart 🎹 {partner}
Genre: Romance
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 12.6.2022
Pages: 352
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Genre: Romance
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 12.6.2022
Pages: 352
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
“It’s not selfish to want something, but what I often forget is that we can’t really expect other people to know what we want without saying it out loud. People are barely tuned into what they want from themselves, let alone what other people want.”
This makes my second book from Lia Louis - my first was Dear Emmie Blue and, my gosh, I love that book! Sometimes I find that authors will change their writing styles slowly with each book that they write. But Louis is a constant. She writes each book with so much heart and her books are always filled with characters to love and cheer on.
The Key to My Heart was a beautiful story about dealing with the pain of navigating grief, but also learning how to live and, possibly, love again. I loved reaching and listening along as Natalie’s character grew. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely times that I was left sad, but the beauty of Louis’ writing is that the sadness is never for long.
🚫 Not a holiday book
🎧 Love that audiobook narrator
💞 Story about friendship
🐌 A bit slow in places
🤭 Fun character banter
I recommend reading The Key to My Heart if you enjoy reading character driven stories.
______
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funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
One of the most tender-hearted stories of grief and second chances I've ever read. In THE KEY TO MY HEART widow Natalie Fincher is still aching the death of her husband Russ, but finds surprising solace in the unexplained sheet music left at the public piano she plays in the train station. Lia Louis has an extraordinary ability to write a character you will root for, through the pain of loss, through the relationship confrontations, through the guilt and the shame that comes with falling in love again. Full of music, and coffee shops, and a cottage outside of London that is just falling apart, THE KEY TO MY HEART will be the perfect heartfelt & cozy read this winter.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
A young widow feels stuck, and then starts finding what may be messages from her dead husband...or a new admirer? This novel is a wonderful blend of romance, humor, and poignant sadness. I wanted the best for Natalie, I wanted a new love and a wonderful life. And I also grieved with her for the man who had loved her so well, and who was gone too soon. Lia Louis has a lovely sense of how to make a slow-burn feel just right. I will read whatever she writes next!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ah! I loved this one so much - thank you Atria for the gifted copy!
.
This is my first Lia Louis book but it will not be my last - I loved this one from start to finish!
.
Natalie lost her husband two years ago in an accident and is still deeply mourning his absence - gliding through life pretending to be okay around her friends and self-medicating with music. Natalie plays the piano at the station two days a week and all of a sudden, mysterious music sheets are left for and the station piano her by an unknown, but this unknown is someone who seems to know personal details of her life.
.
This book gave me Flatshare/Love Actually vibes and I really loved it. Lia Louis endeared me to her characters and left me smitten with the friends-to-lovers romance. While the topic of grief hit a serious note, the humor of our MC Natalie worked to lighten the tone creating a nice mix - just the type of emotional book that I truly enjoy reading.
.
I love finding new authors (new to me!) so now I can explore Louis' backlist. I rec this book to those that love:
- Emo romances
- British romances
- Witty humor
- Friends-to-lovers
.
This is my first Lia Louis book but it will not be my last - I loved this one from start to finish!
.
Natalie lost her husband two years ago in an accident and is still deeply mourning his absence - gliding through life pretending to be okay around her friends and self-medicating with music. Natalie plays the piano at the station two days a week and all of a sudden, mysterious music sheets are left for and the station piano her by an unknown, but this unknown is someone who seems to know personal details of her life.
.
This book gave me Flatshare/Love Actually vibes and I really loved it. Lia Louis endeared me to her characters and left me smitten with the friends-to-lovers romance. While the topic of grief hit a serious note, the humor of our MC Natalie worked to lighten the tone creating a nice mix - just the type of emotional book that I truly enjoy reading.
.
I love finding new authors (new to me!) so now I can explore Louis' backlist. I rec this book to those that love:
- Emo romances
- British romances
- Witty humor
- Friends-to-lovers
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Do not expect a holiday rom com!! This was a beautiful story about grief and how to start living again. We meet Natalie, who lost her husband unexpectedly and has been struggling to move forward. We see her progress in the story through her the use of music therapy and meeting friends along the way. Tom who she has bumped into several times and is the son of her beloved coffee shop becomes her friend. I love their relationship and how it slowly turned into more.
emotional
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
Her hands glided along the black and white keys as the music flowed through her veins and transported her back to a time where her heart was most content. People bustled around her as her music filled the place. Each person with their own troubles and problems. She hoped the music could soothe whatever ailed them, as it was for her.
The Key to My Heart is a heavy journey of a romance that follows Natalie, a woman who lost her husband in an accident and is still reeling with grief. Music is her connection to the past with Russ, but also hopefully a spark to help her move forward.
Despite what this cover depicts, this is not a holiday/winter themed romance (it’s honestly barely set in winter), so know that before you go into it if that’s what you were expecting. It is also dealing heavily with grief and loss, so this is not a lighthearted romance to escape in. What this book is though, is a beautifully written journey of what it’s like to lose someone and navigate the grief that comes with their disappearance in one’s life. How feelings of grief manifest as guilt and fear, as well as the weight of being stuck. How none of those feelings are wrong. Lia has a way with crafting words that just make you FEEL as a reader. And while I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle in this story, I loved watching Natalie grow as a person, while still validating her feelings of loss and heartbreak.
Read this if you want a romance that really dives into the darkness of loss and how it’s okay to be in those feelings while still moving forward in life and finding joy in the small and big things.
The Key to My Heart is a heavy journey of a romance that follows Natalie, a woman who lost her husband in an accident and is still reeling with grief. Music is her connection to the past with Russ, but also hopefully a spark to help her move forward.
Despite what this cover depicts, this is not a holiday/winter themed romance (it’s honestly barely set in winter), so know that before you go into it if that’s what you were expecting. It is also dealing heavily with grief and loss, so this is not a lighthearted romance to escape in. What this book is though, is a beautifully written journey of what it’s like to lose someone and navigate the grief that comes with their disappearance in one’s life. How feelings of grief manifest as guilt and fear, as well as the weight of being stuck. How none of those feelings are wrong. Lia has a way with crafting words that just make you FEEL as a reader. And while I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle in this story, I loved watching Natalie grow as a person, while still validating her feelings of loss and heartbreak.
Read this if you want a romance that really dives into the darkness of loss and how it’s okay to be in those feelings while still moving forward in life and finding joy in the small and big things.