A review by thereadingraccoon
The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-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

5.0

Book Review: The Key To My Heart by Lia Louis 

The Key To My Heart is a contemporary romance and women’s fiction novel about a young woman navigating grief and starting over after losing her husband unexpectedly. 

I never start a review this way but I’m just going to say right off the bat…Lia Louis has done it again. She has written another beautiful novel with unforgettable characters and a sweet slow burn romance. 

Natalie Fincher lost her husband after a tragic accident and two and a half years later she’s still struggling to move forward. Her friends are encouraging her to date again, she’s been unable to create music, she had a falling out with her best friend and the home she was supposed to fix up with her husband is falling apart around her. The only thing that brings her any kind of joy and excitement is the appearance of sheet music personal to her that mysteriously shows up on the community piano inside the train station. Suddenly everything is changing and two new men enter her orbit and push her out of her comfort zone. 

Just like her previous novels The Key To My Heart is about more than just romance. Natalie has to navigate friendships, career and her own grief and feelings while she tries to move forward. The addition of these other characters and personalities add a richness and depth to the story along with a lot of humor and wit. 

Books about grief and loss are usually a struggle for me. But Lia Louis found a way to portray the heartbreak of losing a spouse without it becoming a dreary and depressing slog. But she also writes an angsty slow burn romance that will have the reader rooting for Natalie and her second chance at love. I recommend this one to anyone that likes sweet romance novels that are about finding love and yourself after a setback.