This book had so many really lovely and heartfelt moments. The writing was also incredible.

However, this quickly became repetitive, on top of the fact that it was incredibly depressing.

The twist and the epliogue infuriated me beyond belief.

4 star, 2 spice

<I>[He] strikes me as a broken soul, much like myself, only he’s broken in a different way. Longer, maybe. His pieces are scattered in the wind, some long gone. But broken is broken, and we cut ourselves the same.</I>

If you are looking for a book that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, look no further.

Melody thinks she is just at the beginning of her forever with her husband when he is killed on their 5th year wedding anniversary. While suffocating in grief she anonymously reaches out to the man who received her husband’s heart.

Parker is a lost and broken soul. Because of a tragic childhood, he has no trust for women, and is extremely detached from his emotions.

These total opposites have a run in at a suicide prevention group… she used to be sunshine and he is all brooding and darkness.
Melody’s journey is all about her grief, and learning to live and love again. Parker’s is more about learning how to live for the first time.

<b>“What did it feel like?” […]
Then I hold my arm out as I follow his stare. My jagged scar is on full display, bathed in dusk.
“The knife?” […]
Parker’s eyebrows dip, but his gaze slides back up to mine.
“To love someone that much.”
</b>

Ah. I don’t want to say too much more. But the emotions? It is so raw.
The grief was portrayed so well I was tearing up literally in the first chapter and several more times later.
The discussions around suicide and when they start getting vulnerable with each other!! Ahhh.
[I do think she added that epilogue just for cause extra turmoil.}

One thing I did not like was the repetitiveness of Parker thinking ‘I don’t even like women’, and for how much we saw of Parker’s job I felt that Melody’s baking job may have been a little bit forgotten.

If you are looking for your next emotional contemporary romance, check this out!

<I>
“You and your smiles…”
“I know they’re growing on you.”
“Like fungus, maybe.”
“But the good kind of fungus.”
“No, like ringworm.” </i>




Trope some people are some are averse to, and triggers listed below






Trope Beware: Accidental Pregnant in last 10%
Triggers:
- Death of spouse (on page)
- Suicide
- Suicide Ideation & Attempt(s)
- Self Harm
- Child neglect and abuse (on page, character backstory)
- Grief/Mourning

I feel as if there should have been a trigger warning for this book. Even though the description hints at this being an emotional book, it doesn't give warning about the amount of times suicide is mentioned (also multiple attempts and success in people ending their lives). Sometimes I enjoy these kind of things, however, when it comes up unexpectedly it could be triggering for people.

Other than that, I enjoyed the story.

This book had me in a chokehold. The way Jennifer Hartmann writes such beautiful and emotional connections between her characters astounds me. This is a must read for sure.

Phew!! This book almost took me down. It was devastating and also full of hope. The mental health representation was pretty good. I really appreciated the different perspectives and the acknowledgment of needing outside help and support. The epilogues (yes! Two!) really did it for me. Absolute perfection for the wrapping up of this story and these characters!! Please make sure to check your trigger warnings because there are a lot.

"I'm Charlie's sun, and I'm Parker's moon.
I can be both.
I'm an eclipse."

I first read The Wrong Heart back in April 2022 and it has stuck with me since then. This is one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read. I am so happy for Jennifer that it's being published so more people can experience the magic of this story. Melody and Parker's story is one that deserves to be shared with the world. It's one of the books that has made me the most emotional and I shed several tears while reading it. The ending was perfect.

-grumpy/sunshine
-trauma/healing
-second chance at love

GRAB TISSUES. YOU'LL NEED THEM!

Congratulations Jennifer, on an amazing accomplisment!

This book covers some very heavy and difficult topics, but I felt like the author handled it so well and wrote the characters with so much depth that helped contribute to this being such a well written story. The characters have both been through significant traumas so the story is very emotional but there is also a lot of beauty in reading their healing journey. Their happily ever after was hard earned and kept me hooked from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Jennifer Hartmann is the queen at making romances that make you feel and shake your existence. The Wrong Heart is a novel with dual POV featuring Parker and Melody.

Melody has recently lost her husband due to an unfortunate incident during their anniversary celebration, which sets the tone for sadness. We meet Parker as he is waking up feeling ungrateful for still being alive. Their stories intersect as Melody writes an email to a stranger who has her husband’s heart and starts attending a suicide prevention meeting. Their interaction during those meetings starts to drive peace into the other’s life.

This story is so beautifully written that you won’t want it to end. It is so emotional and the characters are so complex that their story feels so realistic. The ending broke me and left me crying for a while but it’s so perfect.

Overall all emotions were felt in this novel and Jennifer Hartman wrote another great

Just wow. This book had all the feels! I really enjoyed reading The Wrong Heart by Jennifer Heartmann. The author captured my attention from the very beginning and I was engrossed in the story.

Bloom is releasing The Wrong Heart by Jennifer Hartmann on December 31, 2024 and this is not a story you want to miss. The perfect mix of sadness and hope, Melody and Parker are both lost in their pain trying to find a reason to keep fighting. To find their starting points. Melody is battling the grief of losing her husband and Parker is hiding from the world. When they finally catch a glimpse of each other, their lives are forever changed. Be prepared to cry and smile.

Ahhh. Jennifer Hartmann books always know how to bring the feels.

This book is so emotional, but so good.
I love Grumpy Parker. He is troubled, but finds his way and the journey is beautiful.

Melody is like the sun. But she is also broken after her husband dies. Her path to find herself is hard, but worth it.

Together their love is healing and I so enjoyed watching it unfold.

I am not sure there are adequate words for how much I loved this.
This is a romance, yes, and I'll get to that. But at its heart, this is a story about grief and how to re-claim love with LIFE, less love with a person. It's incredibly dark, angsty, touches on topics like suicide, rage, violence, abuse: if those topics aren't for you, this may not be the right person for this. But if those things are the depths you need in a good story...PLEASE pick this up.
Melody, a woman grieving the death of her husband in a freak accident, joins a suicide support group and meets Parker, a man with deep trauma tied to parental abuse. This follows their journey to find healing in dual POV. They are inexplicably drawn to each other despite everything on paper suggesting they don't belong together, and their healing journeys coupled with their chemistry is some of the strongest tension I've ever felt in a story. In a side plot, Melody is also emailing the man who received her husband's heart through organ donation, and the dichotomy of her feelings for these two men is done really beautifully. When these plot lines intersect, and they do pretty powerfully, its a whirlwind to the end of the book.
I think I have to mention: Parker is written SO well. He's messy and emotion-less and struggling and man...I don't know what research she did to write him so well, but he's one of the most layered male characters I've seen in a long time. Serious kudos.
When it comes to the romance: the spice is top notch and SO well done, the emotional back and forth is completely believable, the third act breakup and twist (and its a GOOD one, cause you are definitely red-herring-ed the whole way) is just brilliant, and then the way in which these two get their happy ending: chef's kiss.
I finished this in 12 hours and would have been less if I could keep my eyes open. It made me want to cry numerous times, which is probably the highest praise I could give a romance. 5/5, no notes, bravo.

This book was such an emotional read. I felt for both of the characters and found myself sobbing quite often while reading this. I found myself not wanting to put it down because I had to see how things would continue to develop between the two main characters.

It was such a heartbreakingly beautiful story and I highly recommend everyone read it. This author always manages to impress me and this book was no different.

Many tears were shed

I finished this book the same way I started it, crying. Don’t worry though, I cried in the middle of the book too. I may have been a tad emotional.

The book is just beautifully written. I loved the storytelling and I was so engrossed that I finished it in one sitting. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and I couldn’t get off the ride. There are some parts of the story I could have done without, but it was an enjoyable read overall.

I’d rather not spoil it so if you are looking for an emotional, tragic yet sweet and happy love story, take a chance on this book.

4.5/5

Melody just experienced the worst tragedy of her life; her husband Charlie died in front of her. As an organ donor, Charlie was the unspoken hero of the person that now has his heart and Melody is struggling to move past her own heartbreak. She knows she shouldn't be trying to get in contact with this person, but she can't seem to stay away.
Review:
Wow!! This book is heavy! Check all the trigger warnings before reading. But, this is absolutely beautiful as well. Jennifer Hartmann has a way of tearing your heart into a million pieces and then slowly and carefully putting it back together again. She has earned a spot as one of my favorite authors! Melody's story is tragic, heartbreaking, and unfathomable. Parker's story is tragic, shattering, and unbelievably painful. But, the character development of Melody and Parker as individuals and together is inspiring. Their story and this book is an incredible full circle moment. The beginning, the middle, and the ending are all impactful and meaningful. Every single moment has importance. The hamster and the dog; heartbreaking!
The Wrong Heart is being republished by Bloom Books on 12/31. Be sure to pick this one up, it is worth every single second!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Hartmann, and Bloom Books for this ARC of The Wrong Heart in exchange for an honest review!

I cried so much like this broke my heart so many times while reading this. But it was so beautiful at the same time. 100/10

The way Jennifer manages to rip your heart out, stomp on it, spit on it, laugh at it and then heal it all in one book… needs to be studied.

This was truly a heart wrenching morality rollercoaster, so dark and suffocating but uplifting in the end. So many beautiful metaphors and some just in your face realities.

I enjoyed this book even though enjoyment is not the word you would come out of it thinking! It’s dark, raw and real. Full of trauma, grief and at its core—love!

I’ll always be seated for a Jennifer Hartmann novel.

Oh my goodness, this book has emotionally put me through it. This one is for the angst lovers, the readers who love an emotional love story, & the ones who love to have their hearts ripped out. This story was tragic and beautiful. This HEA was definitely earned.

I wanted to pick this up because the summary sounded devastating and I was in the mood for some heartbreak. Hartmann delivered on that front, let me tell ya! My heart broke for Melody. My heart broke for Parker. My heart broke for both of them so much throughout the book. The angst here was soooo good y'all. I mean holy moly good. These two fight their feelings for so many reasons and once they finally get over the last hurdle you're gonna scream halleluiah. I really liked how Hartmann developed the relationship between Melody and Parker. It didn't feel rushed and actually felt genuine and natural. The romance was as tragic and it was beautiful. I absolutely fell head over heels for these two.

Not only a wonderful romance, but book about grief. Would absolutely recommend!

First of all, thank you for the arc - which I believe this is a republish book from Bloom Books for this December.

This is such a beautiful story, sad as well, yet still beautifully shine through. I can relate to most that are included throughout the story, as the plot taps into mental health, suicidal tendencies, trauma, psychology, love, marriage, relationships, family, yeah basically, life. I admired how strong / determined the fmc are in pursuing the mmc at first, since the mmc is the really grumpy, broken, emotionally unavailable one (with no experience in love etc) hence their relationship definitely are not in a normal / traditional way, as they both are broken in some way, different, but the feeling is there. I think if you only face the type of love where you fully feel loved all your life, you might not understand or fully get their relationship are. I understand it might seems as toxic, but that’s just how people with trauma & broken inside deal with their life and feelings. They can’t help it, often times they do sabotaging themselves unknowingly. Yet I’m glad that the mmc does takes steps and fights, as well as how the fmc finally calm down and assess the bigger picture.

The ending is HEA for me, even though it’s not the usual type of HEA. Imo, the fmc is the luckiest woman since she got fully and truly loved, obsessed with even, by both husbands in her lifetime, not to mention parents (as well as sibling and friends) that wanted and love her unconditionally too. That’s rare for me, hence, yeah, heart warming to read their whole story. I also love the other supporting characters such as Amelia, Ms Katherine etc, they are beautifully included indeed. As in suicidal / mental health taps in this, I think it does help someway, at least might put you still on hold or something. It does make you ponder about life and people around you. Yet most importantly, try to love yourself more and stay strong - perhaps can start your own starting point as well while trying your best to go on and stay.

Overall, I enjoy reading this book, such a good read indeed especially for those whom are as broken as well. 🖤

I'm so thankful to be approved for this ARC!
4 ☆

I'm not sure how Jen Hartmann keeps doing this, but she manages to make me cry with every book of hers that I've picked up!
Be mindful this book does have some emotionally heavy themes, and I was grabbing the Kleenex from the first few chapters. Completely gripping and handled topics around love, grief and loss very well.

I very much enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend Jen's writing. I will also be picking up a physical copy of this for my shelf :)