If you’re looking for a cozy yet emotional fall read, look no further! I absolutely loved the idea of an inn for people dealing with heartbreak to connect with others going through the same thing. Not to mention the beautiful Colorado mountains setting. Lou and Henry were both great and it was really fun to meet all of the inn’s different guests.

This made me laugh a lot at the beginning and it was looking like a five star read. However I was a little surprised by how quickly the romance developed. I really appreciated all of the emotional/healing aspects, but there were kind of a lot of heavy things going on at once. All in all I did really enjoy this and it had me getting teary-eyed multiple times. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Ellen in the future!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.✨ (4.5 stars)

What a beautifully written and moving debut novel by Ellen O’Clover, The Heartbreak Hotel was simply stirring in the way it evoked so many feelings while reading it. Lou has just been dumped by her somewhat famous boyfriend, and in the break-up demands she keep their house they’ve rented together. However, there’s one little problem – she can’t necessarily afford the rent on her own, so she comes up with an idea to rent out the rooms in the house to others that are going through heartbreaks and struggles of their own. Henry is her very delectable landlord, who is also going through his own problems and past.

Oooooof the way these two slowly tiptoe around each other, and the combustion we get from the slow burn was *chef’s kiss* – really perfect pacing in the development of their friendship and then relationship. The cast of characters who come to the Comeback Inn to stay each bring their own different heartaches and issues, which ultimately help Lou and Henry to work towards their own growth and healing. Overall, I really loved how the theme of everyone handles things in their own way and no one way is right – applied to break-ups, family issues, lost loves and was just really well handled. I’m ready to pack my bags and head to Estes Park to stay at the Comeback Inn, and look forward to seeing what other books the author writes in the future.

I’d definitely say this one is a must read! My only gripe is the 3rd act breakup, but everything was just soooo good!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Ellen O'Clover and Berkley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

This is such a beautiful book 🧡 i went in expecting more of a romcom, and it gave me hope and tears (which i loved). Lou was an easy character to love and understand, and would love to give her a hug and get to stay at that beautiful inn.
I would just have really appreciated the trigger warnings being mentioned in the beginning, but other than that it’s a great book and I’m happy I got to read it.

This book was fine but it had potential to be so much better. Each chapter felt so stilted and like a bunch of little stories that the book didn’t flow. The side characters were better than the main characters and it wasn’t a strong romance but not a strong literary fiction either it just fell flat. It had the potential for so much depth and to be such a beautiful story and romance and it was just very meh.

Louisa is reeling from a painful breakup with her famous musician boyfriend. While heartbreak alone is devastating, the greater loss looms in the form of her beloved home. Unable to afford it on her own, Louisa pitches an idea to her landlord: transform the sprawling manse into a bed-and-breakfast. With her counseling background, the B&B soon evolves into The Comeback Inn - a retreat for those nursing broken hearts. Though Henry isn’t entirely convinced of the plan, his growing presence at the inn helps both him and Louisa find unexpected healing.

This romance/women’s fiction novel explores grief in many forms, woven through an ensemble cast set against the cozy, Gilmore Girls-esque backdrop of an inn. Readers will enjoy watching Louisa rediscover her strength post-breakup, while also being charmed by the rotating cast of heartbroken guests. The story balances heaviness with heart, and a touch of humor softens its themes of loss and renewal. While a few plot turns stretch believability, the strong writing and sense of community at the inn shine.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 perfect stars!

OH MY was there anything about this book I didn’t love? It was damn near perfect! This was such a unique concept and story.

I loved the writing style. It was an easy read but covered so many different topics from grief to career challenges to finding your place and of course all types of love. All of these topics (and more) were handled so delicately but warmly and I flew through this! I loved the author’s descriptions of the setting; from the town to the inn and the nature around them. It was so easy to see why Louisa would love that place. I didn’t want the book to end but I was so swept up I had to keep reading.

I loved all of the characters from different walks of life and all of their stories. The overarching theme of “everyone handles things differently” was so well done and handled beautifully with the inn! All of the friendships and love that came from Louisa’s time running the inn made the story that much better.

I loved the pacing of the romance. I don’t think I’d categorize it as a slow burn because it just felt so perfect? Definitely not rushed. Also not slow. Just right in time for these two perfectly imperfect humans. The romance was so tender and felt so real, the chemistry flew right off the page and into my hopelessly romantic heart.

I love a cover that reflects the book and this cover is not only gorgeous, but gives the perfect image of Louisa and Henry in the cozy inn in the woods!

I want to pack my bags and head to the heartbreak hotel IMMEDIATELY. I am not heartbroken or sad but to be clear.. If I ever get the chance I’m there!

Definitely recommend picking this one up when it releases on September 23!

Thanks so much NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the e-ARC in exchange my honest review!

3.5 stars

I loved the concept. A girl opens a retreat for the heartbroken, whether from a breakup or grief, after going through her own heartbreak. Meeting all the different characters and personalities passing through the inn was really enjoyable. The overall story was intriguing and kept me engaged. Lou’s family situation was definitely aggravating. I was frustrated for her but glad it was resolved in a satisfying way. I was absolutely rooting for Lou to find happiness after everything she had been through.

I really liked learning about Henry through the trust that slowly built between him and Lou. That said, Henry’s feelings for Lou kind of came out of nowhere, even though the build-up of the romance itself was well done. I just couldn’t quite figure out what made him so attracted to her. He says he liked her from when they first met to sign the rental agreement, but that wasn’t really expanded on and felt a bit random to me. Maybe adding his point of view would have helped explain it, though I understand that might have spoiled some of what he was going through.

I also felt like the author was trying to juggle too much in the second half, which made the ending feel rushed. My biggest gripe, though, was definitely the miscommunication, which felt handled in the worst way possible. It seemed like it was added just for the sake of conflict, which I thought was unnecessary. It was frustrating to see Lou overreact and freak out for no real reason. Considering she is supposed to be a therapist, it just didn’t feel believable. I wish there had been more healthy communication between Lou and Henry.

Overall, I enjoyed the emotional core of the story and the cast of diverse characters, but some of the pacing and romance choices left me a bit frustrated. If you like contemporary romances with heart and a mix of emotional moments, this one could be worth checking out.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful! Heartbreak Hotel is a story about grief, friendship, and the messy, nonlinear process of moving on. The characters feel truly authentic, and I appreciated how all the relationships (romantic and platonic) were given equal care and attention. I loved that Lou and Mei’s BFFL moments were just as compelling as Lou and Henry’s storyline - both relationships were rewarding to read.

☆ ☆ ☆

“Because that’s the thing, about hearts — broken or aching or otherwise. They don’t belong to any one time or place. We carry them with us: bruise and scabbed over, healing and changing, always and inherently our own… Every broken heart keeps beating, in the end.”


Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the e-arc!

The Heartbreak Hotel was such a lovely story!

Louisa has just gone through a breakup, has put her therapy career on hold, and is now grieving and needs a place to go, but doesn't want to leave the rental house she loves so much. She can't afford the rent alone though, so on a whim, she has a brilliant idea to turn it into a bed and breakfast for the brokenhearted. She will rent out rooms to those going through loss or a breakup, have therapy sessions, nature walks and coffee talks...the only catch is she has to get her grumpy landlord Henry on board. When she pitches her idea to him, he is hesitant because he doesn't want the quiet neighborhood infiltrated with strangers. But Louisa is insistent and Henry eventually relents.

As Louisa welcomes her first guests, she begins to see this crazy idea could work! As Henry watches Louisa help her guests deal with and work on healing from their heartbreak, his tough facade begins to crack, and little by little Louisa is able to see inside his hard exterior. What she finds is not only is SHE going through heartbreak, but Henry has suffered tragic loss as well.

Can her little Comeback Inn help heal her broken heart and the broken heart of her landlord?

A beautifully heartfelt and resonant romance about finding hope beyond grief. O’Clover delivers a story that balances Louisa’s inner journey of healing with a tender, swoony romance—and for readers who like depth woven into their love stories, this one absolutely fits the bill.

The supporting cast creates a cozy backdrop reminiscent of found-family. Some characters linger longer than others, but each one feels essential to the story. I also appreciated the casual, effortless diversity represented here—it made the story feel that much richer. O’Clover’s prose and the characterization of Louisa and Henry were so successful that their story brought tears to my eyes. (If I hadn’t been reading on my lunch break, I would have fully cried.)

As a Coloradoan, I have to say: the setting felt delightfully spot-on. I’m always a sucker for Colorado stories, but I especially love when it’s clear the author has done the work to render the setting authentically. That extra attention to detail really shines through here.

The only element keeping this from being a perfect five-star read for me was Louisa’s relationship with her mom. I kept waiting for a conversation—fraught or imperfect though it might be—where Louisa drew a clear boundary, saying she couldn’t keep swooping in to fix her mother’s mistakes. That moment never came. We did get a touching reconciliation with Goldie, but even though her mom checks into a treatment clinic for a month, nothing was meaningfully discussed about how they’d move forward, not even in the epilogue. The closest we get is a soft acknowledgment that “it’s too hard” to talk about. While I respect that growth and treatment aren’t linear and it might be more realistic to leave it open-ended, in a book centered on breaking cycles, healing trauma, and building new ways of being, it felt incongruent.

The long and short of it is this is a phenomenal read I will easily recommend to anyone looking for a romance with quality prose, compelling characters, and emotional depth.

4.75 Stars

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Connor is a charming, heartfelt story filled with emotion, second chances, and a touch of humor. As an ARC, it’s clear this book will resonate with readers who love character-driven romance and stories about healing. It’s sweet, uplifting, and full of heart.

Easy 5 stars, what a beautiful debut novel by Ellen O’Clover! This is one of those books that is going to touch so many people. When I finished, I was in tears (in a good way) As the title hints, this book is about heartbreak, but it’s really about the power of friends, family, time and love to heal wounds. I love books about grief, and I found the many different explorations of loss be so engaging that it was hard to put this one down.

Our FMC, Louisa, is lost in a way I think many people in their 20’s can relate to: when your career and relationships aren’t panning out how you expect them to, and one thing happens that pulls the rug out from under your feet. I loved how she had a priority, staying in her house in Estes Park, CO, and with the help of her awesome BFF, she got creative to make it happen. She came out of her comfort zone, and in turning her house into a bed and breakfast for the broken hearted, touched the lives of all of her guests so deeply. One of the people who she helped is, of course, our MMC Henry. Henry was EVERYTHING! Like truly I wish Henry was my landlord LOL. Henry has his own way of caring for people (and animals, hello hot veterinarian), and he really shows up when Louisa needs him, and even when she doesn’t.

I loved both the family and found family developed in this book. Honestly, the entire story felt like a warm hug. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes that sums up so much of this book:

“… I know now that home isn’t a place; it’s a feeling. It’s a rootedness that we make for ourselves. The deep knowing that no matter where we go, we belong.”

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A cozy read for the hopeless romantics. Be prepared to want to check in at the "Heartbreak Hotel" yourself, with the vibrant descriptions of the Estes Park home. With a story line that doesn't feel forced, unrealistic, or too farfetched, its the perfect comfort read.

4.25 stars for this sad-girl romance.

Strong character development not only in the MCs but in many of the side characters as well. The house becomes a character of its own and O'Clover's scene and setting development allows the reader to picture each room in the now B&B with clarity. O'Clover also does well in her treatment of the struggles of each character and their personal heartbreaks.

Overall a great fall read!

I absolutely loved this book. The writing, the trauma, the characters, the love and the healing was beautiful. Reading about Molly had me crying into my pillow and watching Lou crave for acceptance and just want to be told that she’s going a good job struck a chord in me I didn’t realize. While i felt like the second half was a little rushed with one problem after another occurring and I would’ve loved another 30-50 pages to smooth the plot out a bit, this book is an absolute must read for anyone struggling with their feelings for any reason.

What a beautiful, cozy book about learning how to love yourself
Blurb: Louisa experiences a breakup with her long term famous band boyfriend. Realizing she has been coasting through their relationship, and that she really doesn't want to give up her beloved rental home in the Colorado woods, She makes a deal with her handsome landlord to rent it out as a retreat for the newly heartbroken.
Review:
These characters were oh so lovely!
Rashad was the spicy, strong retreat patron Louisa needed to get her confidence going!
Nan was the unexpected mother figure she needed.
Also, Can we all be like her in our 70s?
Mei and Goldie, loved them learning how their own life lessons along the way too
Henry is the secretive landlord, with a heart of gold!
The perfect handyman, landlord, vet and getaway for Louisa to finding herself! One big surprise twist caught me off guard when reading, but it totally made sense in hindsight! The sprinkle of spice was just what this book needed!
This book really resonates with me, as a people pleaser and giver. A very quirky but accurate quote from the book I found was 'I think it's like on airplanes", "You have to put your own oxygen mask on first-even if other people are struggling around you"' A good reminder to 'Take care of yourself first’.
Thank you to the Author, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me the pleasure of reading this lovely book!

Tender, heartfelt and beautifully poignant ✨

The Heartbreak Hotel is a stunning addition to what has become a a personal favorite genre of mine: sad girl romance :)

Ellen O’Clover‘s writing style is so fitting to readers who love Jessica Joyce, Cara Bastone and London Sperry. Her delivery puts emphasis on self reflection & growth surrounding real life issues as the story unfolds and that’s sometimes where I find myself being impacted by most while reading.

This story highlights characters dealing with a parent diagnosed with BPD which is very personal to me. Scenes & dialogue are depicted very realistically but handled delicately and with so much grace. I really appreciated how the author approached this and hope readers who can relate to this experience will resonate with these characters as positively as I did.

I think the romance could’ve been introduced a bit earlier on as I didn’t feel entirely sold on their chemistry but still enjoyed some of those tension building moments.

Thank you to PRH Audio for a gifted listening copy! Brittney Pressley did a fantastic job giving voice to this story.

And of course my thanks to Berkley Romance 🫶🏻

The Heartbreak Hotel is a tender, emotional love story for the broken hearted. This novel is steeped in the longings we dream of sharing with family and friends...and sometimes complete strangers.

Henry and Lou's connection was pulsating. These two meet at a time when both are reeling with an ache in their chest. They reach for each other to help the other heal.

I enjoyed this read very much as it tackled tough topics such as loss of a child, infidelity and trust. Together, Henry and Lou learn to love again for a special happily ever after.

Highly recommend this read for the lovers of this genre.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

When Lou's famous boyfriend cheats on her, she only wants one thing from him: the house. After a rocky childhood, the beautiful house in Estes Park, Colorado is the only place that's felt like home to Lou, and she'll stop at nothing to keep it....including hatching a scheme to turn the house into a B&B in return for free room and board. Henry, her landlord, isn't hard to convince, but does get very upset when he learns it will be a B&B for those who've suffered heartbreak. The Comeback Inn starts welcoming guests into its beautiful halls, and Henry and Lou grow closer, but both have things in their past that are keeping them from relationships, and they'll have to break old patterns and let go of the past to be together.

I really enjoyed this book. All of the characters were so delightful (besides the ones that are supposed to be awful) and the setting is amazing. I wasn't familiar with Ellen O'Clover's work - this is her adult romance debut and she has quite the task trying to beat The Heartbreak Hotel.

I loved this book! It had such wonderful emotional depth and the pacing felt very consistent. I really enjoyed the characters and how they interacted; the guests brought some fresh personalities every so often and I liked how each one taught Lou something different. And Henry!!!!! What a sweet, sweet man. He was so grumpy at first but Lou so quickly broke through his tough exterior and found that soft, loving center. I always say that I love it most when a book makes me feel like I've been punched in the stomach and this one did that over and over. The slow reveals of details and the characters' reactions, the depiction of different kinds of dysfunctional families, etc. I felt that the epilogue wrapped things up so nicely and the happily ever after certainly felt earned.