This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

This was a cute love story. I love the characters and the setting it was funny in some parts too especially in the bar scene when they're playing darts. If you like a good love story you will enjoy this book. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review.

This is a lovely novel about grief and loss and how one woman is able to slowly move past the utter debilitating effect they can have on your life.

Maggie O'Malley is stuck in a quagmire after the death of her young husband, her childhood sweetheart, her everything. She wants nothing to change, comforted by the familiar, and not ready to feel anything outside of her cocoon of sorrow. Then, a new neighbor moves in and she can't avoid the changes that come with him.

Lydia Michaels did a stellar job of portraying a widow's grief. It is raw and unapologetic. It does get a bit long and repetitive in some parts and hinders the storytelling a bit - but guess what? That's what it feels like to go through it, too!

Ryan McCollough, our MMC, is a unicorn of a man! He's sweet and caring without being domineering. He's incredibly patient and kind without being a pushover. He's a family guy without being a momma's boy. He knows how to have fun and knows how to be serious. He's a perfect complement to Maggie, and their love story is poignant and really apparent on the page.

This novel is filled with a whole cast of characters. I read it quickly, so I didn't struggle to keep everyone straight, but I could see that being a concern for some readers. Ryan's family is a large Irish Catholic one, and some of the characterizations and descriptions seemed a bit too old-fashioned - bordering on misogynistic - for my taste. It was light enough that I could sort of roll my eyes and move on. It didn't ruin the story for me.

Overall, this read felt like an affirmation of parts of my own experience as a widow. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others! I'll look forward to picking up future books in the series, too.

CW Major - Car Accident, Death, Grief
CW Moderate - Misogyny, Sexism
CW Minor - Infidelity, Toxic Relationship

This is the first book in a series that is spun off the author's McCullough series which I very much enjoyed. Having read all those books made it easy for me to follow all the side characters in this book. Wake My Heart is a very well written, highly emotional book that I could not put down. I loved how we see the grief process that Maggie goes through when she becomes a widow at a very young age. The rituals she goes through everyday to ensure she doesn't give up on living is heartbreaking but so understandable. Ryan is a wonderful, sensitive hero who is looking for his own "HEA" after seeing almost all his friends/family pair off and begin families of their own. He is attracted to Maggie from the start but knows to give Maggie plenty of space and time and becomes a great friend before anything else. It was nice to catch up with all the McCullough characters and see how their families have now grown (their children are now teens, etc.). A special mention goes to Dr. Alcex who is Sheilagh McCullough's husband. He was a great therapist and I was glad to get a better understanding of his character.

I highly recommend this, especially if you have read her previous series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Before I write the a review I would like to thank Lydia Michaels for sharing her stories with us.

My Review:
The book is set in a fictional small town, Jasper Falls , previously known as Center County, where Maggie O’Malley, our heroine is dealing with aftermath of the death of her husband. We are told about how she tries to navigate through her grief. Our hero, Ryan Clooney her recently moved in neighbour, plays a role in helping her deal with this.

The book is well written and the author explained beautifully about the process of grief.
However, I feel that the ending was rushed and the resolution just came so suddenly.
Also, I was kind of overwhelmed by the many side characters mentioned in the story. I know that these were main characters from previous books but as a person who only read this book, I felt confused and I had to keep going back to understand how they are related to the main characters.