THE HEARTBREAK HOTEL by Ellen O’Clover

This charming book is an achingly tender, cozy and warm retreat.

Louisa and Henry — their love is as inevitable as the grief they both carry. I can still feel the pull in my chest, a desperate need to know they’ll be okay.

Ellen O’Clover’s writing heals you in ways you cannot anticipate. And much like the promise of Louisa’s Inn, it provides you with a soft place to land.

To say that I loved this book would be a gross understatement. Something in me shifted while reading it. I will be thinking about Louisa and Henry for a long, long time.

And more than that — I have never finished a book and felt so unbelievably cared for. I’d like to thank Louisa and Henry for that, but that’s all Ellen.

A huge thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Heartbreak Hotel comes out 9/23.

FIVE EMOTIONAL STARS!! An unputdownable story that will stay in your heart forever. An all consuming romance that is so phenomenal. I loved EVERY single thing about this book.

After a break up Louisa wants to keep the house. But she doesn’t have an income and comes up with a plan to maybe be able to keep it. When she meets Henry and lays her plan out…he says okay. As the Comeback Inn comes to fruition, Lou and Henry grow closer and Lou helps the heartbroken find their way again. Amazing characters. The story flows smoothly and a love that will last a lifetime is formed.

Highly highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for my advanced copy of this book. All thought and opinions are solely mine.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE HEARTBREAK HOTEL was an unexpected delight. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this contemporary romance with the cute cartoon cover was brimming, of course, with heartbreak, to be expected given the title, but not simply the kind related to romantic relationships that we’re used to in romance. The book does feature those—people going through breakups and learning how to deal and move on from that—but also the pain of losing a loved one to death.

The characters were so multifaceted which made me want to keep reading to find out what might happen next. I absolutely loved Henry, the grieving veterinarian landlord who allows the main female character, Louisa, to turn his rental home she can no longer afford by herself into a place for those hoping to recover from whatever heartbreak they’re going through. The guests were each fun and I liked that, despite their shared reason for visiting the inn, each had their own personalities and didn’t feel like just another character thrown in to show that time was moving on and people were taking part in Louisa’s project.

The exploration of grief in all its forms wasn’t as heavy as you might expect for the topic. Ellen O’Clover writes it in such a beautiful way that so many readers will find it relatable and thought-provoking, yet also see that grief often goes hand in hand with hope.

This book was cute and heartwarming. It shows the importance of human connection and allowing yourself the space to grieve and heal as you need, which I love.

I resonated with the main character a lot. She has a need to put others before herself and you can see how that plays out in different relationships in her life as well as her relationship with herself.

The pacing was a little off for me and I’m not sure I can really explain why? But that is the reason for the 4 star rating.

If you’re someone who is healing from heartbreak or feeling stuck in life, this is a great book to read to not feel alone.

The Heartbreak Hotel centers on Louisa, who must figure out how to keep her home after her rockstar boyfriend cheats on her. As the summary indicates, she opens The Comeback Inn and markets her B&B as a place for the brokenhearted to heal. While Louisa runs the business, she gets increasingly closer to her landlord, Henry, and the two become romantically involved.

This is my first book from this author, and I am very impressed. The writing flows nicely, and I adored the descriptions of the home and the setting in Colorado. I also enjoyed the cast of characters who transit through the hotel; for such heavy subject matter, the secondary characters are much needed for some brevity.

The two leads, Louisa and Henry, unite in their heartbreak, though for different reasons. The way that the author describes grief is top tier; it reminded me a little of the way that Poston writes about grief. You really can't help but empathize with the characters and feel it, even if you haven't necessarily been in that specific character's situation before.

The minor drawback to this book is that Louisa tends to demonstrate some major emotional intelligence UNTIL it comes to her family. She seems to fall back into am "assigned role" that her mother and sister long ago designated for her, so the scenes between Louisa and her mother and/or sister are a little grating to me. Additionally, I wish that the trigger warnings were available before you could access the ARC. Henry especially is dealing with some heavy stuff, and I would have wanted to know about it before discovering his secret around halfway through the book.

All in all, this is a fantastic love story that explores grief and recovery, demonstrating the messiness of it along the way. Very well done.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to access this early!

ARC read is in and this was adorably soft and plainly lovely while giving sad moments of grieving and loss.

I enjoyed the easy read and simple design of this small town feel. Certainly be aware of the liar liar cheater, and child loss themes going into this read, and be ready to heal a few hearts.

'every broken heart keeps beating, in the end. so will mine; so will his. so will yours.'

this one’s for the fixers; for the ones who would give all of themselves to make sure those around them are okay, without ever asking for anything back.

this might have been my first book by the author, but it certainly won't be the last. The Heartbreak Hotel was such a tender, emotional story about healing — about inspecting your broken, jagged pieces and putting them back together.

I loved how the book emphasised the importance of found family and friendships that fill your cup instead of emptying it. the powerful way it dealt with the ugly truth — that family members can cause a lot of damage, and just because you’re related by blood, it doesn’t mean they deserve you.

Louisa and Henry’s dynamic and their evolving relationship were beautiful to follow. the only reason it’s not five stars for me is because, at times, I felt frustrated with the miscommunication between them — the lies by omission and leaving each other without a response for days. I understand that they were both trying to deal with things within themselves, but it just didn’t always sit right with me.

you'll find some heavy topics within these pages, so please check the content warnings if you know certain things might be triggering for you.

thank you so much to Ellen O'Clover, Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a sweet, cozy slow burn romance that tackled grief, loss, mental illness and family drama. Lou is dealing with a heartbreak after her boyfriend of six years cheats on her and breaks up with her. She asks her landlord if she can turn the house into a B&B lovingly called the heartbreak hotel, and he obliges as he is clearly going through his own stuff. They start spending a lot of time together.

I enjoyed this, but it felt like the romance was really secondary in this book, but it was marketed as a romance. While it was rewarding seeing both of them grow and change, I needed more kicking my feet feelings.

My feelings about The Heartbreak Hotel are complicated at best and border on absolute boredom at worst. Despite the ease of reading this novel (truly, I paid little attention to the percentage read or page count because I was sucked into the story as a whole), the execution of the development of the characters and themes presented in O’Clover’s first foray into romance/women’s fiction (YA notwithstanding) fell incredibly flat. In my estimation, O’Clover began writing the novel with the hope that it would feel transformative for the readers, especially for those who are experiencing grief, or contending with their own familial trauma. Such a lofty goal made, however, was not well planned, for The Heartbreak Hotel is plagued with a myriad of issues, of which a few are explained below.

1. Though O’Clover established a set of characters with an incredible amount of emotional depth (apart from perhaps Goldie; I suspect she needed more time to tap into it), there was a distinct lack of chemistry between them. The descriptions of Lou’s and Henry’s encounters lend themselves to the idea of their chemistry. However, O’Clover leaned too far into their preoccupations and baggage— so much so that any glimmers of their personalities felt as though they were afterthoughts, instead of the very basis of their personas. Indeed, Lou was given nothing with respect to her personality that didn’t directly correlate with her childhood trauma or her personal heartbreak. Henry’s introduction and interactions with the guests during the hike were decent, but the traits presented during those scenes were quickly forgone for the sake of his anguish and pain. Honestly, I experienced more joy and connection during the few scenes with Rashad, as he possessed the levity necessary to explore the gravity of each character’s heartbreak.

2. While Lou shares some wonderful insights with her guests during their ‘therapy’ sessions, overall, she experiences little growth. Perhaps it’s because I have my own history dealing with a parent who expects their children to help them whenever warranted (and thus, because I’ve already come to the realization that this is rather toxic behavior), but I found Goldie’s choice to be honest with and cut off their mother to be healthier (though she is completely in the wrong for continuously using Lou as the scapegoat/fallback person). Lou is emotionally intelligent in every situation, except with respect to the relationship she has with her mother. I can’t pinpoint if this is just due to her reluctance to tackle her trauma, or simply a byproduct of the wisdom she has yet to gain. Consequently, O’Clover wraps up the novel too quickly, absolving Lou of all her faults/shortcomings and tries to dupe the readers into believing she made progress/learned a lesson.

3. Though this may be a minor issue for most, there were certain expressions used multiple times and awkward phrases/uses of grammar that took me completely out of the novel a few times. I am assuming they were due to the author’s writing style, rather than a conscientious decision with respect to Lou’s voice and perspective.

That said, The Heartbreak Hotel definitely has its moments. The interactions between Quinn, Lou, and later, Henry, were adorable and I admired the way Henry approached his relationship with Lou (the brief periods of miscommunication notwithstanding). The LGBTQIA+ representation was decent too.

O’Clover’s work would be best suited for someone who has experienced similar situations— loss, heartbreak, and mental health struggles.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

I had seen this book all over social media and people recommending it so when I got a copy I was so excited!

I loved this book so much! Henry is truly the sweetest and I saw a lot of myself in Louisa. I also loved all the side characters especially Mei! “We’re going to see about a guy!”

I can’t wait to buy a copy for myself when it publishes. Thanks for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for an Arc copy! This story follows a woman through her heart break and healing of others. It also follows others characters grief and loss; showing that loss is different for everyone. As a therapist I understood the need to take care of others and put ourselves on the back burner. Lou and Henry go through learning about each other and falling in love, sharing the darkest parts of themselves. I enjoyed reading and the storyline.

Louisa Walsh’s life is a bit of a mess - her long term partner cheated, she does not have a steady job and she cannot afford to stay in her home - so she comes up with a plan to transform her home into an inn designed as a soft place for those dealing with heartbreak.
I loved the first 50% of the book as it explored different relationships and our individual response to grief. It was warm and funny and so unbelievably sweet. However, at approximately the 60% mark, we discover that Henry, the MMC, has lost a daughter due to a heart condition. The main characters go from sharing this tender moment of grief and loss and human connection to immediately aggressively making out (first time!) and it just ruined the book for me. The complete tone shift took me out of the story.

The Heartbreak Hotel
ARC 3⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I was eager to read this but my new job left me no time. It took me way longer than expected to finish which I think also impacted my view of the book. I did a lot of rereading to refresh my memory on the characters and the plot. I enjoyed the side characters visiting the Inn but I wasn’t ready for all the emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The Heartbreak Hotel is an emotional, beautifully written tearjerker. It will rip you open and stitch you back up, right until the very last page. The author handles heavy topics of heartbreak, grief, and loss with such sensitivity and care. Ultimately, this is a story about healing. And equally as important as the romance is the story of found family and friendship that permeates its pages.

The cast of side characters and inn guests were delightful and really rounded out the book. Rashad and Nan in particular were my favorites.

I did suspect the “twist” near the end and while I’m not surprised it led to the classic third-act breakup, it felt a little forced. I was ultimately a little surprised by how the author chose to leave things in the brief glimpse at their future in the last chapter. It is of course a HEA, but it wasn’t exactly what I expected!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing Group, and Ellen O’Clover for the ARC! This story follows FMC Louisa after a sudden breakup from her musician boyfriend. Lou finds herself stuck without a job and at risk of losing her safe space, her rental home in the mountains. She makes a bold proposal to the landlord of the house to turn it into an inn and he surprisingly agrees. The story follows multiple character’s grief journeys and showcases the importance of connection through loss with ample humour to keep the story fast paced and enjoyable.

Things we love:
- The side characters who all have unique backstories and not only get the love they deserve but give our FMC the support she doesn’t realize she needs (shoutout to Nan, she’s an icon)
- A storyline that highlights grief in terms of lost relationships and death and the different “recipes” to live life while grieving (like getting outside and talking openly, being angry vs. sad)
- The vivid imagery throughout the book is perfect, so easy to imagine the inn and the mountains and feel like you’re one of the guests

Things we hate:
- That there weren’t more pages to devour

Things we wish we got more of:
- The Louisa, Henry and Mei dynamic together (especially another drunken chapter)
- Rashad’s character! He was the perfect side character and truly set the tone for the book at the start and we need more of his story!

Where to even begin… Ellen O’Clover has penned one of the most gorgeous, poetic, deeply human, and vulnerable stories on grief and carrying that love with us and moving forward after experiencing significant loss. To say my heart is tender is an understatement. I think it would be most accurate to say I’m dehydrated and I really should have worn waterproof mascara because now I have dark smudges under my eyes.

There were so many times where I felt like I was robbed of the breath from my lungs because of the intensity of the characters’ loss and grief, but was a gift it is to feel so deeply and walk alongside others in their time of need. I had to pause on several occasions at the incredible reminders O’Connor included throughout and how at the core of the story, we’re reminded of the importance of showing up for each other because we don’t know what others are going through and how offering support can make a tremendous impact in someone else’s life.

I was struck by how O’Connor offers hope and healing, but there’s never a place where the characters reach that “finish line” in their journey. There’s never an end point in our journeys of healing and everyone’s experience with grief looks different. I’m grateful for the soft place O’Connor has given our hearts to land and a safe place where we can belong within the pages of this book.

The Heartbreak Hotel is a warm, comforting hug of a romance novel, the kind that invites you inside and says "Stay awhile, I have what you need."

Heartbreak Hotel follows Lou, a recently single (unlicensed) therapist who is desperate to hold onto the gorgeous mountain home where she lived with her ex. After appealing to Henry, the hot veterinarian who also happens to be her landlord, she works out a deal: She can turn her home into a bed & breakfast and use the profits to pay Henry instead of paying rent. Soon, her plan evolves into a business that caters to the recently brokenhearted, and Lou uses her counseling experience to help build a soft place to land for her guests—all the while spending more and more time with Henry, and learning that a broken heart doesn't mean love can't find her again in the future.

This book is a love story, yes, and Lou and Henry's journey together was beautifully put together, but what I really loved about Heartbreak Hotel was the way the author wove the romance in with a story of found family, friendship, and sisterhood. The side characters in this book were fantastic, and Lou's personal journey of growth (especially with her sister, Goldie) was so well done.

And can we have a moment for the setting?? From tiny mentions of elk and aspens and even the notorious jingle of the Denver airport train—Colorado is a setting that lives and breathes and comes alive on the page, with little details that grounded the story and made it feel that much more real.

5 stars, would definitely recommend!

This story is for the ones who hold everyone else together. For the rocks of the family and the glue of the friend groups. For the people who pick up on the first ring, and have a cup of tea made just the way you like it by the time you pull into the drive.

I highly recommend getting your tissues out and sitting down to read The Heartbreak Hotel. It is definitely one of my favourite romances of the year. Lou is a beautifully written character and I immediately connected with her voice. She is both soft and strong, and she is learning how to prioritize herself. Her willingness to grow and her insight were some of my favourite parts of the book.

Louisa is a soon-to-be counsellor going through a breakup with her long term rockstar boyfriend. The worst part? With him out of the picture she can no longer afford to live in the gorgeous house that she calls home. Shockingly her landlord Henry agrees to allow her to trial her solution— running a B&B out of the house. With her professional background and life experience, it’s only natural that she gravitates to running a retreat for the brokenhearted. The messy work of healing ensues with a healthy dose of love, laughter, and community.

The entertaining cast of side characters, and the heart wrenching history of the house come together to complete a beautiful, heartfelt story that will stay with you long after the last page.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for this ARC. This review is an honest reflection of my thoughts.

This book had such an interesting premise! A heartbreak hotel to help ease the troubles of the guests? It's so wholesome. I guess I should have expected some real emotion and sadness when the book centers around helping people in pain, but I was so surprised at how deep this was. It was truly an exploration into grief and moving on. I related hard to Lou's feelings on never being enough. This book felt like a therapy session, which was really good but not what I was expecting! Either way, I really enjoyed it and who doesn't love a hot veterinarian?

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Heartbreak Hotel is a book that’s gentle in all the ways grief isn’t. It explores heartbreak in all its forms - not just the romantic kind, but the heavy, complicated kind that comes with family, loss, and growing up too fast.
Louisa is a fixer, a caretaker. Someone who puts others first and who’s always had to clean up the emotional messes left behind. Her story hit me hard, especially her relationship with her mother. One line I’ll probably never forget: Lou says she knows heartbreak best and Henry assumes it’s about her ex. But she thinks, because of my mother. That moment honestly broke me and I could feel it so deep in my heart.
Her idea of creating a safe space for the brokenhearted - the Comeback Inn - was really unique and beautiful. It becomes a metaphor, a place of healing not just for Louisa, but for Henry and every guest who walks through its doors. I loved the supporting cast, the found family feels, and the little moments of community that brought so much warmth to the story.
The romance between Louisa and Henry is so tender and full of comfort. I loved the way they slowly open up to each other, not trying to fix one another but offering quiet understanding, support, and simply being there.
Despite the heavy topics this book touches on, it's full of hope and feels like a warm hug. It will stay with me for a long time. I can’t wait to read more from Ellen O’Clover!
—Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!