Really enjoyed this one! I enjoyed Lia Louis’ novel Eight Perfect Hours, and loved this one. This was about a women navigating her new life and dealing with her grief from her husbands passing. I loved Natalie, the MC, her friends and TOM. such a great story of starting a new chapter of life and how best to navigate that.

Thank you to Net Galley, Lia Louis, and Atria for an advanced copy!

I loved this book. Grief; pain, music, love. Another great book by Lia Louis. I loved all the characters and especially loved Natalie.

Man does Lia Louis know how to pull on those heart strings.

The Key To My Heart is about Natalie's journey through her complicated grief after the unexpected loss of her husband two and half years ago. Natalie's life came to an abrupt halt when her husband was killed in an accident. Since then she hardly gets out except to go to his gravesite and occasionally plays piano at a train station. Interestingly, someone has bee leaving sheet music on the piano which are linked to her life and her husband. Along her journeys she meets various people who become friends to help her learn to move on with life and see through the other side of her grief.

This is a beautiful story of love and loss and grief. Louis does such a great job of building this world layer by layer so when it all comes together you are so invested you can't imagine having to put the book down. I loved Natalie and her journey to healing. I also loved her interactions with Tom and their fun banter along the way.

This is such a wonderful, unique story and I highly recommend reading this one and really anything that Lia Louis writes. This one is a big 5 stars for me!

Huge thank you to Atria and Netgalley for an EARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was my second Lia Louis book after Dear Emmie Blue. And just like Emmie, The Key to My Heart is not a traditional romance story. I feel like if the readers go into the book expecting to read a swoony romance they would be disappointed. This book is about grief, about being stuck in your grief, being lonely while still surrounded by friends. But then it is also about learning to let go, about moving on, giving love another chance. It is about train stations, a coffee shop, a lovely coffee shop employee, an old house full of memories and things to be fixed. and about a piano and sheet music left for Natalie. She doesn't know who leaves the sheet music for her but the mystery slowly makes her break her shell. The story gets slightly love triangle-y. Because there are two potential love interests. I loved that Lia Louis wrote a beautiful total strangers to friends to lovers story that was full of heart and warmth and hope. While the grief was written so well and made my heartbreak for Natalie, the book was not gloomy at all. In spite of the heavy subject matter I found myself laughing in some sections, The secondary characters were all well formed. Overall this was a really satisfying read for me and it left me with a smile on my face upon finishing.

This book was cute! I feel like it dealt with grief in a really good and realistic way. Super quick read!

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Key to my Heart by Lia Louis is, in one word, perfection. I was utterly unprepared to feel all the feels but I laughed, I cried... and I felt understood. (Read the book and you'll understand immediately.)

Natalie is still reeling from the sudden loss of her husband Russ nearly three years ago. She dreads going out with her friends because she knows every outing turns into a failed attempt at matchmaking. As she works to navigate her heartbreak, she finds comfort playing the piano at her local train station. But when someone starts leaving sheet music in the piano bench that represents her special memories with Russ, Natalie is determined to find out who it could be... which is where the most beautiful cast of characters comes into play.

This is an absolute must-read and be sure to have tissues handy. Lia Louis has earned a key to my heart with this one.

Natalie had it all until her husband suddenly died. Two and a half years later, she is still lost. Then, someone starts leaving music in the bench of the piano she plays in a London train station, music that has a lot of meaning to her and her husband. Who could be leaving the music? And why? Trying to solve this mystery has her opening up to more people than the had in a long time.
This was the first book I read by this author, and definitely not my last! It was cute, heartwarming and heartbreaking, it had me smiling as much as crying. The writing was really good, and I loved the characters. I also liked the whole mystery aspect of it. Totally recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This is a well written book that deals with a widow trying to work through the grief of losing her husband. Natalie's story is a heartwarming read full of emotions. It starts out kinda slow but picks up and solving the mystery of who was leaving the sheet music was fun.
I received a complimentary copy from Atria Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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.

3.25
i always end up getting shocked if a book is british or whatever, like, it's so interesting when they start using british slang. anyways, the main character was pretty annoying at times, along with the conflicts she would get herself into and how she would lash out onto others and make stupid decisions. however, it's understandable why she acted that way. i also really loved the side characters and the energy of this book. i love a good romance book like this, especially set during the winter. the concept and idea was pretty amazing, and i loved the whole concept with music and leaving sheets. i also really liked joe (and tom) !! that ending was so sweet with tom's gift :(

I absolutely loved Dear Emmie Blue and was excited to be approved for The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis. This story was a beautiful portrayal of love and loss and how difficult it can be to move on. So many of us experience grief and I love how Natalie’s character navigates. There are adoring friendships, love, and music that made this story sweet with depth. If you like storylines like PS I love You, I think you’ll also like this book. I enjoyed Emmie Blue more but definitely can't wait to see more from Lia Louis.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the early copy

3.75 stars

Grab your copy 12/6!

4.5 Stars Rounded

Looking for a sweet, Hallmark book? This is not it. Looking for a Christmas-y book with more in depth characters (that you can fall in love with)? You've found a winner!

When I picked up The Key to My Heart, I wasn't sure what to think at first. This follows Natalie after the tragic loss of her spouse. Through the beginning of the book you can just feel the weight that is still on her after 2.5 years. However, as you continue to read the book, you feel that weight being slightly lifted. Also, the love interest that eventually comes into her life? Perfect.

Thanks, @netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I really enjoyed this novel! It was my first Lia Louis read, and now I’m working through all her other novels.

I really love the way Louis writes and develops her characters. I definitely see her becoming a favorite author of mine. The Key to My Heart is funny, heartwarming, heavy at times (trigger warning: grief/death of a loved one), and relatable. Easily one to have on your radar for December, and also one that would make a great Christmas gift!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5)
Steam Level: 🔥🔥 (kissing and mentions of closed door sex scenes)
Trigger Warning: death of a spouse, cheating (side characters)

It's been two years since Natalie Fincher lost her husband Russ, and she still feels like she can't move forward. One day, when playing piano at the train station she finds a piece of sheet music left for her: Russ's favorite song. Over time she finds more music left behind, and she begins to hope that maybe it's a sign from Russ. As she tries to solve the sheet music mystery, she slowly begins to build a friendship with Tom Madden- the son of her dear friend- who her friends initially tried to set her up with at a restaurant. She also attends music therapy and befriends Notebook Joe- a man who has experienced a tragic loss of his own. With the help of these two men, maybe Natalie can overcome her grief, find love again, and solve the beautiful mystery that has given her a spark of hope.

This was my first book by Lia Louis, and it was such a beautiful story. Since Natalie's grief journey is the main focus, it does lean much more towards women's fiction. And you'll want to have tissues ready when you get to the end! The romance doesn't come into play much until the second half of the story, but that made sense considering Natalie must first get to a place where she can even consider having feelings for someone new. This does have a love triangle, but I feel like it's obvious who she'll end up choosing. And I loved how it played out in the end- gosh, the grand gestures were beautiful. There were also some wonderful friendships and some healed relationships along the way that I adored. And I can't forget to mention the sheet music mystery! I had my guesses from the start, but there was still a twist that I never saw coming. I loved how it was woven throughout the story and connected to so many characters and events. Definitely give this one a try if you want an emotional and heartfelt story!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a lovely book. I wasn’t sure at first, but I’m glad I pushed through. It got me in all the feels.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Emily Beatles Books for providing this ARC to review. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise. ~

I absolutely ADORE this author. She balances beautiful writing with incredibly witty dialogue and slow-burn love stories that make me laugh and cry in equal measure. The Key to My Heart stole my heart with its loveable cast of characters. I'm usually not a fan of love triangles but this one really worked for me because both possible love interests were appealing in their own right. That said, I'm happy with the direction the author took. Another winner from Lia Louis. I already can't wait to read her next book.

When I first met Natalie, she was still in the throes of grief. Here she was, a young window reeling from the untimely death of the man she thought would be her forever. My heart ached for her. There was this pressure, from those who loved her, to move on, but she couldn’t. Instead, she pushed people away and abandoned all things she enjoyed.

Gosh, this was such a wonderful story! The plot was a good one, trying to figure out who was leaving the sheet music for Natalie, but the best thing about this story were the characters Louis created to be a part of Natalie’s healing journey. Shauna, Tom, Notebook guy, her sister, and college friends all formed a fantastic support group for Natalie even if she wasn’t always ready for what they had planned for her.

Lia Louis knows how to tug at my heartstrings! Packed with humor, warmth, and emotion, I absolutely loved taking this healing journey with Natalie. Losing her husband so tragically resulted in Natalie losing pieces of herself. By rekindling her love for music in a different way, she was able to heal and open her heart to new people, experiences, and possibilities. Overall, this was a perfect and beautifully told story.

Thank you so much to Lia Louis and Atria/Emily Bestler for the E arc in exchange for my honest review!

Natalie Fincher is working on navigating life nearly two years after the loss of her late husband Russ. When someone begins leaving Natalie sheet music in the piano she plays at the train station, she's determined to figure out if its a sign from Russ. With the help of her family and friends, Natalie works to solve the mystery while also navigating dating, friendships, and grief. This book takes us on Natalie's journey as she tries to figure out how to move forward after losing someone she loves.

I have to admit, in the beginning, I wasn't sure I'd finish this book, It felt super repetitive and I just wasn't sure it had the depth I really like in books. However, I'm SO SO glad I stuck it out because this is one of the best rom coms I've read in a long time. I loved that Louis focused on Natalie moving forward rather than using flashbacks of her and Russ' relationship. I felt Louis did an incredible job of describing how everyone grieves differently and how hard it can be to help someone you love who is grieving. And can we talk about Tom?! Tom was a literal angel in this book and I loved watching him and Natalie's relationship blossom. I also loved how their relationship wasn't the entire focus of the book but more how Natalie is working to overcome her grief.

If you're looking for a unique and beautifully written rom com, add this to your list on publishing day!

I was so excited to be able to read this advanced copy of Lia Louis' latest book. "Dear Emmie Blue" is one of my favorite books ever, and "Eight Perfect Hours" was good but missed some Emmie charm (at 4 stars for me) - I am happy to state that "The Key to My Heart" bumps back up to so much that I loved from Emmie Blue that I felt was missing from Hours.

This book follows the story of Natalie, who is grieving after tragically losing her husband a few years before. I found her to be an endearing character from the get-go (her friends, not so much, although most of them grew on me). I think Louis' portrayal of Natalie's grief is very genuine - having myself been lost in a world mired in grief, wondering why/how the rest of the world is acting normal when nothing is normal anymore - Natalie's grief cloud was poignant and resonated with me.

So much is woven together into this book, and bits of Natalie's past are revealed as the story carries on. While this book is being marketed as a romance, I really think it is much more than that - the focus is more on Natalie healing with a large dose of friendship and a dash of romance.

I do have to say though that the romantic gesture at the end was one of the sweetest I've ever read, and the meet cutes between Natalie and the male characters were so great.

I also love the side characters so much - Shauna the most, and also Tom and his brothers, and maybe even Joe a little bit. Natalie's girlfriends annoyed me at first but grew on me.

As a musician myself, I love how Louis wove music into this story and the power it has to touch people in so many different ways.

As someone who doesn't read open door romance novels, I especially appreciate that this one is kept fairly PG-13 - while there is discussion of innuendo, on-page is just kissing. I will also throw in a content warning for language - there is a lot of it, which was a bit much for me personally and I could've done with less of that.

While this one wasn't quite as high as Emmie Blue for me, it is for sure a 5 star and one I will read again. Highly recommend.

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for the free advanced copy - all opinions are my own. Book read for a buddy read with @thechicklitbookclub.

I was very happy to receive an ARC of The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis as I've read some of her previous work (Eight Perfect Hours) and enjoyed her writing. This book is about Natalie Fincher, an early thirties widow who seems to just go through the motions of life 2 years after losing her husband Russ. Natalie's friends try to set her up with a guy at a restaurant, Tom, and this becomes the beginning of Natalie finding the herself after so much heartbreak. We get a window into the world of Natalie, the grieving process, the feeling of stagnation, the guilt of moving forward and opening up her heart in more ways than one.

I was a little nervous to read this book given what some would say is a difficult subject, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lia Louis has a beautiful way with words and really brings depth to Natalie, Tom and all of the supporting characters. Though we deal with the loss of a loved one, this is not a tragic book. This is a hopeful view at how we work hard to put our pieces back together after a loss, how a person can break, but not be broken. As someone who is dealing with a lot of these feelings, I felt comforted by Natalie's journey and her strength. I cannot wait to read what's next for Lia Louis!