This was such a beautiful novel! I was a bit skeptical at first that it was going to be overrun with quirky side characters but every guest at the inn was so lovable. Louisa and Henry had my whole heart and their journey was everything. Highly recommend!

what a book oh my god. i’ve heard a lot about this one going into it but didn’t know much about and it hit me hard tbh. grief, in all its various forms, was the biggest theme of this book and it really was just written so well

lou’s story was a lot even just with nate, but with her mom and goldie came into the picture, it got so brutal. lou thinking that she would never be enough and would always have something broken inside of her GOD reading that just hit so hard i almost had to stop for a bit. and henry, his backstory was SO brutal too and him revealing everything about molly got me so bad. there were multiple times throughout the book that had me tearing up a bit but especially at the end with the picture frame and how broken hearts keep beating and the theme of healing and gah i just loved how this was written!!!

overall, this book was definitely a little heavy so keep that in mind!! but the romance was so good, henry and lou fit so well! henry was such a dependable, sweet guy that is DEFINITELY a quiet acts of service kinda man, and someone who gave lou exactly what she deserved!! i loved their relationship and how it developed and it just made so much sense the whole way through. anyway such a good book, i loved how it was written and how grief and healing were portrayed so so well <3

When Louisa's singer/musician boyfriend breaks up with her after a six year relationship, she's
determined to hold onto the rented house in Colorado. She convinces her landlord veterinarian Henry
Rhodes to let her run the place as a bed and breakfast where all the income would be his for allowing
her to live there rent free while running the place. When the house is marketed as a retreat for those
dealing with heartbreak, Henry is not happy but allows her to continue. As Louisa offers ways for
guests to deal with their issues, she is also confronted with dealing with her own. As her relationship
with Henry changes, how will his past impact their lives?
#TheHeartbreakHotel #Berkley #NetGalley

This book is so incredibly emotionally devastating in the best way. My favorite kind of book. ‘Heartbreak’ in the title really means HEARTBREAK. Oh henryhenryhenry. I am such a sucker for a heartbroken man and this book served that completely. Louisa also had her fair share of distress- some that really really hit close to home for me- though I do wish her breakup was explored more, or Nate was punished more for what he did. The added element of a hotel (or inn) gave opportunity for so many side characters that added so much to the story. This was my first book by this author and I will certainly be looking into their backlog after this!

4.5 rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Ellen for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Lou rents a beautiful house in Estes Park, CO with her rockstar boyfriend. Well he pays the rent because, she has yet to get her counseling license. And he's never three, because he is rockstar.

He's finally back in town and she's there to see his show, but she accidentally also sees him with his new girlfriend. Now she's heartbroken and desperate to stay in this house that finally feels like home to her.

Henry, the cute landlord, agrees to let her turn it into a bed and breakfast where she'll manage it. She ends up marketing it as a place for heartbreak. Henry's around a lot, fixing what needs to be fixing and possibly, because he wants to spend more time with Lou.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! This was a very heartfelt and emotional romance that focused on Louisa, recently single after a long/long-distance relationship with famous ex, and Henry, her veterinarian landlord who has his own difficult past. These two characters were very well-written and I loved the friendship between Lou and her best friend Mei. The women supported one another, as well as the guests of Lou’s Comeback Inn, her house - turned- B & B focused on helping guests heal. All the side characters, like Lou’s sister, the guests, and the gardener Joss, added to the story and were delightful to read about. This novel deals with some tough topics but it’s rewarding to see how things play out as the story progresses and builds towards a happy ending.

Thank you to Ellen O'Clover and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC!

4.5 stars

The Heartbreak Hotel is so much more than just a romance - it is a beautiful, heartfelt story, an ode to grief, and loss, and everything that comes with those feelings and the struggle to overcome them. It's a story about finding oneself after such a major life change, and learning to open yourself up to others and let them in to help deal with your feelings appropriately instead of shutting everyone out and lettings things fester. It also deals with heavy topics like complicated family dynamics, alcohol abuse, and cheating, among others. This book will make you feel, deeply, achingly, and is full of heavy and tender feelings, like a sucker punch to the heart.

Ellen's writing in this book is fantastic. Her descriptions feel different than other romance books, not relying on the same lines that other authors might to describe the usual scenes - instead, her descriptions feel unique, and seem to speak so clearly to the reader, describing the minute motions or actions of each character that provide direct insight to that person's inner thoughts, which helps to enhance these scenes and in some cases heighten the tension... like the instant chemistry going on between Lou and Henry (despite what Lou thinks Henry thinks of her in the beginning).

I love how the story opens directly into the catalyst of the whole plot - when Nate breaks up with Lou - and how it flows so easily into the conceptualization of The Comeback Inn, while you also slowly gain more and more details and insight to both Lou, and later Henry's, backstories and internal issues. The side characters were great: Mei's antics, Nan's motherly vibes, Joss's levelheadedness, Quinn's innocence, and all the guests that rotate through the Inn, how each of them had a backstory that was clearly rooted in grief or loss and watching all of them bloom as the story develops.

Reading about how Lou and Henry's connection grows and evolves throughout the book was quite lovely, despite the issues that each of them runs into and works to resolve, and I loved the character growth as they each overcome their personal boundaries and come to terms with each of their losses in their own way. Overall, this story was wonderful and inspiring and full of heartfelt moments, and it's definitely a book that I would recommend to others!

4.25⭐️ When it says heartbreak, it means it! The emotional roller coaster this takes you on, but it actually felt really good to go through all the motions.

Louisa, an aspiring therapist, breaks up with her pop star boyfriend but doesn’t want to lose their house, so she ends up making a deal with her (hot) landlord to open the house up as a getaway retreat for the heartbroken.

Due to the nature of The Comeback Inn, there is lots of emotional discussions. The camaraderie between everyone is a great found family story, everyone is likable and she does a great job at writing about people talking through their different experiences with grief.

There is a decent romance. Henry is quiet and gentle in a cinnamon roll kind of way. There is some spice and the tension is great. That said, there is a lot of trauma with all parties to unpack. So it’s definitely not a light hearted romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This is an absolutely beautiful story!
I was blown away by the Character growth and depth. I was so invested in the outcome for Louisa and Henry!
This book does cover some heavier themes such as loss, grief, and heartbreak. There is also healing, and growth, and hope! It will have you all in your feels! There may have been actual tears shed by me at one point!
Read if you love slow burn, age gap, tensionnnn, love after loss, friendships, first person POV.

Huge thanks to the author and publisher for this early copy!

I absolutely loved the concept of this book—a cozy B&B that becomes a sanctuary for people nursing a broken heart? Sign me up. But more than that, this story delivers so much emotional depth.

Ellen O’Clover beautifully explores grief in all its forms—whether from a breakup, death, or the slow ache of growing apart. It also touches on the realities of living with or loving someone with mental illness, and how that shapes who you become.

The FMC is a standout: strong, self-aware, and emotionally mature in a way that felt both inspiring and real. The character arcs and plot are incredibly well-paced, with a message that really stuck with me:

“There’s power in being the person someone needs—but there’s power in accepting what you need, too.”

And the romance? Beautiful. Louisa and Henry have such genuine chemistry. I loved watching them slowly open up to one another, navigating their past wounds with honesty, patience, and understanding. Their relationship felt grounded and real: a true highlight of the story.

This book was a delight to read! It was a slow burn. The characters will steal your heart! Louisa is scrambling to stay in her home after breaking up with her rocker boyfriend, Nate, who she caught cheating on her. She is a therapist who just lacks passing her exam to be certified. So she and her best friend come up with the idea to make her home a bed and breakfast for the brokenhearted. The home is located just outside of Denver in Estes Park. Now Lou has to convince Henry, her grumpy landlord/vet, to agree to her proposal. I cannot say enough about this book! I did not want to leave this world the author created! Henry and Louisa are #couple goals! Come inside this book’s pages and stay awhile at the Comeback Inn! I absolutely loved this book! 5 amazing stars

This was my first book by Ellen O’Clover and I had such a good time with it!

This story had a wonderful balance - some heavy topics are discussed (check content warnings!) but it’s written so beautifully and is so healing. There was the perfect touch of humor sprinkled into this one as well. The characters (even minor characters just “passing through”) had so much depth.

I adored our main characters, Lou and Henry, so much. The yearning in this story is exactly what I needed. I was rooting for them the whole time and every time they interacted I was kicking my feet. I loved the romance, it felt so real.

What you’ll find in this one:
Slight age gap (26/34)
Colorado setting
Vet MMC/bed & breakfast owner FMC
Found family & female friendships
Love after loss
Slow burn
LOW spice (the door is open but we kinda just walked past and caught a glimpse)

I feel like fans of Emily Henry and/or Tarah DeWitt would really enjoy this one!

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for an early copy of this one!

Reeling from the loss of the only boyfriend she'd ever been with and facing the possible loss of the one place that's ever felt like home, Louisa pitches a crazy idea to Henry, the landlord of her house and a man she had never met. She'll run a bed and breakfast for those who are seeking a quiet place to process their heartbreak in return for being able to continue to live there. While he's not overly thrilled with the idea, he feels a connection to Louisa and wants to help, so he agrees on a trial basis.

Though he had asked not to be involved with the day-to-day operation of the B&B, Henry soon finds himself along for the ride as guests come and go. And as Louisa and Henry grow closer and as the two reveal more about their own grief to each other, they slowly find a place of healing, and maybe ultimately, someone new to love.

This is full of interesting characters, especially as the guests of the B&B check in and leave. While this is a fun contemporary romance with the standard HEA readers expect, this is also an introspective look at heartache and loss in many forms and the different ways people process their feelings. Both MCs have a lot of baggage to unpack before they can move forward with each other, but it was done in a way that was realistic and encouraged personal growth.

This was a cozy and heartfelt read - I really enjoyed this one!

Louisa finds herself cheated on and dumped by her long-term rockstar boyfriend, Nate. They'd shared a beautiful home in Colorado's Estes Park, which Louisa can no longer afford on her own. But she loves this house and won't give it up, so she ends up working out a deal with her reclusive (and hot) veterinary landlord, Henry. Louisa will stay for free while she rents out the rest of the rooms and runs the Comeback Inn, a place for weary hearts to heal.

One of the best parts of this book was all the different characters that came to stay at the Comeback Inn. Rashad, please diva, can we be friends?? The house is very much a central part of this story, and I enjoyed hearing all the guests' stories and seeing how they navigated heartbreak. Louisa and Henry find themselves becoming closer and we learn more about their own heartbreaks. They were both very human and realistic characters, and some of their decisions and actions were a CHOICE. Louisa's relationship with her mother and Goldie was also tough to read about and a reminder that family dynamics can be incredibly nuanced to navigate.

Overall, this was a cozy and heartfelt read with very real characters set in beautiful Colorado. What to expect from The Heartbreak Hotel:
- Colorado setting
- He falls first
- Small town romance
- Power of friendships
- Slow burn
- Spice: chapters: 21, 24, 27 - mostly fade to black

The romance in this book started off a little slow, but once it picked up, I was super invested in the story. I love a romance novel that also deals with grief. Love and grief can be so deeply interwoven and I think that this book did a great job showing that.

This was a really cute book. I was kicking my feet and giggling at every Louisa and Henry interaction. The romance was a good mix of being realistic and believable. I wasn't honestly sure what the plot was supposed to be, is it Louisa's struggles with her mom? or her own internal struggles? It felt like there really wasn't much of a plot, other than being a cute book (which it did achieve that part, at least in my opinion). This is a solid 3 starts and it got me out of a slump, so props to the book for that.

Gorgeously written, heartfelt and emotional. A complex, beautiful book. I was a fan of the author from her YA books, and we are so lucky to have her writing adult books now too.

4.5. This book was beautifully written, and it really put me through the emotional ringer. My heart feels raw in a way I was definitely not prepared for when I first picked it up. It has some elements - like the lovable characters and the welcoming, idyllic setting - that create such a cozy, heartwarming reading experience. However, it also explores some very difficult topics, including past trauma and grief. Be ready with the tissues!

There is so much to love in this story. I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the beautiful mountain setting, and I could perfectly visualize the beautiful house. I relate to Louisa finding the first place that felt like home as an adult, so I instantly felt that special connection to her home as well. Even more, I absolutely loved all of the wonderful friends and guests who came to stay at the inn - especially Mei, Rashad, and Nan. My only complaint is that it made me sad when guests checked out, because I wanted them to continue being part of the story!

Of course, the development of Louisa and Henry’s relationship tugged at my heartstrings as well. Henry was a fantastic mmc, and I adored him right away, even in his grumpy stage. I love slow burn, so watching them carefully dance around each other and slowly fall in love was so much fun. However, I can’t say that I loved every aspect of their relationship. There were some major communication issues on both of their parts, and I was pretty shocked by their behavior at times. They mislead each other, lied by omission, purposefully withheld the truth, flat out didn’t respond to texts for days… I understand that they were both trying to overcome issues stemming from extremely difficult pasts. However, it was still frustrating to read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it to friends! It was my first book by Ellen O’Clover, and I immediately checked to see what else I could read by her. I will definitely be rereading The Heartbreak Hotel when it releases. Expected September 23rd, 2025.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley Romance, and Ellen O’Clover for providing me with a copy of this arc in exchange for my review.

4.5 stars!

What a lovely and beautiful book! I had such a great time reading this, it was a heartwarming romance story that highlights grief, love after loss, and how to move on and overcome some of life’s most difficult moments. I absolutely adored both the fmc and mmc, their relationship was so fun to witness and they truly are a wonderful couple that came together after their own individual losses to love each other!! I adored it! I highly recommend everyone pick up this book when it releases 9/23!! <3

4 ⭐️ 🌶️🌶️
“Every broken heart keeps beating, in the end. So will mine; so will his. So will yours.”
The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover is a story that will leave you both heartbroken and healed.
The story follows Louisa’s “Lou” journey of healing after being cheated on and dumped by her long-term boyfriend. Lou is a soon-to-be therapist with an overachieving and overbearing older sister, Goldie; a best friend we all adore, Mei; and a mother who struggles with borderline personality disorder. Despite not having a job or her therapist license yet, Lou can’t afford the home she loves, which she rents. Determined to help others overcome their heartbreak and grief & help with rent, she decides to open a bed and breakfast. She pitches her idea to her landlord, Henry, and this is where the story truly begins.
On the surface, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Ellen O’Clover does an exceptional job of capturing the various stages of heartbreak, grief, and healing. She also highlights the significance of having a strong support system, the courage to be vulnerable and honest with oneself and others, and cutting off ties with dead weight. The found family and all the delightful side characters are also a highlight of the book.
BUT, I must admit that I found Lou’s character a bit lacking, preventing me from giving this book a five-star rating. I was disappointed with Lou’s lack of self-awareness regarding her own emotions and those of others especially since she is a therapist! She took everything too personally and her emotions then spiraled. Lou’s character was not as well-developed as I would have liked, especially considering her profession as a therapist.
However, Lou’s character didn’t overshadow my overall enjoyment of the book. I thoroughly loved Henry, Mei, and Goldie, and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a women’s fiction novel with a touch of romance/spice and a hint of fall vibes.
Thank you, BERKLEY ROMANCE & NetGalley for my gifted advanced book copy. All my reviews are my own opinion. 💕