See how much you may receive: THE KEY TO MY HEART.

The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Natalie Fincher has spent the last two and a half years in a daze. And for perfectly good reason--she unexpectedly lost her husband, leaving her in a pool of grief. She remains behind in their fixer-upper cottage, her career in shambles, and her sister and friends constantly encouraging her to "get out there." Her one bit of joy comes with occasionally playing piano music at a London tube station and getting coffee nearby after. But when someone begins to leave sheet music at the station--music that seems so connected to her late husband--Natalie cannot help but feel hopeful for the first time in ages. Is this music a message from Russ?

I loved this book so much I finished it with only one eye thanks to an unfortunate incident with my dog and a garage door-frame. I am becoming quite the fan of Lia Louis and her lovely books. This was a sadder and quieter tale than I expected. It's a book about grief and getting over (or perhaps through) a loss. Still, it is also a romance with fun banter and hope. Louis writes romantic and friendly chatter so well.

In HEART we actually have two romantic prospects for Natalie--Joe, a man she meets at a grief music support class, and Tom, who is the son of Shauna, who runs the coffee shop where Natalie hangs out. Honestly, it stressed me out a little wondering who might win her heart--if at all--because I had a clear favorite.

Natalie is not a perfect heroine and that's quite nice and refreshing. She's learning to get out in the world again and she misses her husband. She's frustrated with her friends sometimes for pushing too hard, yet recognizes that maybe she may need that push. HEART handles grief very honestly and realistically. I enjoyed Natalie's kind, fashionable sister, and the wonderful strong character of Shauna, who is a tough cookie, even if she couldn't always acknowledge it. She has her own well-deserved subplot.

Overall, this is a sometimes serious but quite enjoyable read. While it touches on sad subject matter, it's often very funny. Louis writes with a such a great voice that she truly brings these characters to life. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Atria Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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