I love Ellen’s YA books, and damn, she’s just as incredible at writing for adults! I was rooting for the MC and LI the entire story. This book broke me and stitched me back together. I couldn’t put it down and now want to move to a haven in the woods (minus wolf spiders).

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC.

Boy, did I enjoy this lil emotional book.

It definitely gave off cozy fall Colorado vibes and I was here for it.

Lou gets dumped by her long term boyfriend and feels like her life is falling apart. She wants to stay in her (too big) house, but does not currently have a job to support that lifestyle. She gets the idea to open a B&B, with a side of healing. Guests start to come and stay and find themselves along the way.

This one had me all in my feels- the family trauma, the relationships, the female bonds we create through shared experiences. This story had it all. This book hit in all the right ways- if you want an emotional, smart, healing book, look no further than "The Heartbreak Hotel."

Review posted to Goodreads on 8/25/25- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7703109882

This was being raved about so I was interested. Unclear what we were raving about, unfortunately. The story and the characters don’t feel fully fleshed out to me. If we had dug deeper into even a quarter of the things this book touches on, it would’ve improved immensely. I wanted to be emotionally moved, and I wasn’t. I wanted a romance, and I didn’t get one. Instead, I got a lot of family trauma (that’s never resolved by the way) and the beginning of a love story that should take more than a few months to work itself out.

For the fans of Beach Read and Promise Me Sunshine!!!

This one is for the Emily Henry and Jessica Joyce girlies:)

God, what a fantastic debut from Ellen!!! I truly love love loved this one.

The Heartbreak Hotel is filled to the brim with heart, found family, and the pain that comes with loss and grief. This book heals the soul and puts your broken heart back together.

The character growth in this one is so satisfying. I was rooting for Lou the entire time and was so proud how she stood up for herself.

I simply cannot wait to read more from Ellen:)

Thank you Berkley Publishing and Ellen O'Clover for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Umm yes yes yes! This is the perfect book for fall, are you kidding! It was exactly what I’d hoped for in a romance with emotional depth, tension and yearning. This is my first book by this author and was shocked to find a new favorite author of mine!

This book is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant story that delves into the themes of grief, healing and the transformative power of love. Set in the mountains of Colorado, we follow Louisa, a nearly counsellor, who, after being heartbroken by her long-term boyfriend, transforms her home into a bed and breakfast for the brokenhearted. Her landlord, Henry, a reclusive veterinarian with his own past, reluctantly agrees to her plan, leading to a journey of self-discovery and unexpected romance.

This book was so good. Ellen O’Clover’s writing was beautiful, and the characters were complex with a compelling storyline. I will admit that I was enjoying the book from the start, but it wasn’t until about halfway through that I connected and had tears, feeling along with the characters.

Henry was the perfect hero, gruff and guarded at first, but with so much depth and heart once you get to know him. Watching Louisa and Henry’s connection grow was honestly one of my favourite parts of the story. Their romance feels real and tender. The way they both navigate their past wounds while opening up to each other made the book feel emotionally satisfying.

I also loved the setting of The Comeback Inn, with its cozy mountain town vibes that made me wish I could actually check it out for a weekend. The supporting characters added even more warmth and heart, giving the sense of found family.

Ellen O’Clover managed to make me smile, tear up and swoon all in one read. I could not believe this was a debut novel. The story is emotional, uplifting and full of hope. If you have ever been heartbroken or just love a slow burn romance, this book is a must-read! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

The first half of this was so cozy and the healing vibes were everything. The second half felt emotional chaotic and messy at times. Some of the characters has me questioning, is this fair? Is this healthy or even professional?

The romance was powerful but it burned really intensely, going from 20-80 pretty quickly, but when you know you know right?

Overall, I liked and appreciated aspects of this as the perspective and validation was on point, but it was a bit too chaotic at times, which did effect the pacing and overall enjoyment of the plot for me.

That being said, lovely debut and I will definitely be picking up more by the author in the future!

Thank you so much to Berkley for my ARC!

3.25/5⭐️

I read this basically in one sitting, so it’s safe to say I was hooked 💓

I loved Louisa’s story and her growth. So many of us out there have struggled to get back on our feet after a big break up. This book embraces the fact we need a village to help us get through our tough times. I was so sad that both Lou and Henry had to endure such hard times but was so glad to watch them come together in a beautiful way and work towards recovery.

This was a comforting yet emotional read.

Check it out if you’re looking for:
❤️‍🩹 grief, healing
❤️‍🩹 landlord x tenant
❤️‍🩹 leaning on your bffs

🏨 “You get to keep all of those things. How much better you know yourself now. That’s yours forever, and it’s so valuable.”
🏨 “I’ve been inside out, with wanting you.”
🏨 “I can hardly think about anything, anymore, that isn’t you.”
🏨 Every broken heart keeps beating, in the end.

Cried three times so obviously 5 stars. This was everything I wanted and more 😭💛

I truly believe there are books that we read that either found us at the right time or we found it when we needed to. The Heartbreak Hotel was that for me and it will haunt me with how beautiful and tragic it was. I had no clue what to expect when I started this and I was blown away. Of course there is romance and a happily ever after, but this also leans a little towards women's fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed the tender writing and Louisa's journey through her heartbreak and helping others. She is an extremely selfless character and there were plenty of moments where I resonated with her and not only felt called out, but comforted. And Henry?? Yeah I love that man. He is Louisa's rock and supporter through the hard moments, even when he's dealing with his own dark days.

Both Louisa and Henry have experienced heartbreak and traumatic events that has left them bruised and guarded (definitely check content warnings beforehand!) and I wish I could give them a big hug. Their connection and understanding of each other was a beautiful thing to read and I will be thinking about them for a long time. If you loved Beach Read, I highly recommend this one! It hurts so good.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my review!

This book pulled on all my heart strings. The slow burn relationship between Louisa and Henry and all the heartbreak they were working through really hit for me. My only slight criticism is that I would have really enjoyed to see things from Henry's POV. I highly recommend this sweet story.

This story was beautiful and heartbreaking. It was full of therapy, feelings, grief and family trauma. It felt very real. I loved the collection of people who come through the b&b. It felt like such an interesting collection of people. I adored Henry. I was begging for his POV though! There were so many moments were it was really hard to tell how interested he was. Lou was a great character with a lot of depth to her. I was frustrated by the sister and the situation with the mom. Overall, it will make you cry and probably heal a little part of you in the process.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts a little slow but it picks up after the first few chapters. I am unsure when I stopped thinking it was slow and became invested because the story kind of snuck up on me and got me hooked. I literally read this book in one sitting. I loved our characters and I was fully invested in all of the stuff happening to them. I like how there is no real mistakes made in the romance, more that its just the characters having to process their trauma and their responses to things in order to work their way back to each other. This book is not closed door spice but it is close. The few scenes are fairly vague (at least in comparison with most romance these days). The most detailed scene was just foreplay. I think that this worked for this story though because it wasn't about the characters sexual relationship but their emotional one. This book had some angsty moments but I don't know if I would call it a slow burn. They acknowledge their attraction to each other fairly early on in my opinion. I think it could be described as an emotional slow burn just because of how much they have to work through in order to be together. I enjoyed it and I found myself kicking my feet a few times while reading this.

I feel like it’s been so long since I’ve had a five star read. I’ve been on the struggle bus when it comes to reading lately. Nothing was hitting right but this book pulled me right out of my reading slump. When I say I’m gonna need you all to go read this immediately when it’s out next month… I mean it. This was so damn good and tugged at all my heartstrings. I laughed and I cried and it was exactly what I needed. Loved these characters, they were all so special. The character depth was great. And the premise of the book was so unique. This is a story about healing and it is written so beautifully. And It goes so much deeper than just healing from a breakup. It goes into themes of grief and complicated family dynamics and trauma. But it’s also not written so heavy that it’s too hard to read. And the thing I loved most was that it felt very relatable. As a Colorado girlie my heart also LOVED that this is based in Estes Park, my favorite mountain town here.

Ellen O’Clover has written a book about heartbroken people that feels hopeful and inspired. She does this by giving us a main character that reflects positive vibes and imagines good outcomes. The story immediately drops us into her very public break up with her singer artist boyfriend and her desperate desire to keep the house the live in that she spent time fixing up. There’s a romance that sits below the surface of her healing other people’s heartbreak. It’s written in such a way that you can feel the grief in Henry and in other visitors of the Comeback Inn.

I would say my only complaint is Louisa’s mother just didn’t elicit the sympathy I think the writer may have wanted me to feel. I just saw her illness as a missed opportunity for her to seek proper help. Maybe I’ve not personally had this situation to know how it would be handled but I didn’t really feel any sympathy. That said, the epilogue didn’t shed light on what became of her mom.


I highly recommend this one.

I’m about to say something and I want you to know I mean it with my whole chest: @ellenoclover wrote a book that should be mandatory reading for any romance fan. It’s a masterclass in the type of books that I’m absolutely gravitating towards these days - character driven, full of growth, and the most beautiful cast of characters. This is like if Emily Henry, Jessica Joyce and BK Borison had a baby (I don’t know the logistics of that either, leave me alone). It’s pure magic. (And I am always so grateful for @berkleyromance and this early copy!)

This comes out in a month and a bit and I started my edits but have so many things I want to say about this book. So I will say this: the way grief and heartbreak is dealt with is so beautiful, it literally hurts. What Ellen’s managed to do with Henry and Louisa is show two broken people at varying stages of their healing journeys, finding each other amidst the pain.

But what really sticks with me is the time in my life when I read this. The Comeback Inn itself becomes a place to heal and grow and move on. Not just for Louisa and, ultimately, Henry, but for all those that stayed there. And as I’m getting ready to leave our first home as a family togetjer, I feel that deep in my bones. How you can feel unmoored but with the right place and people surrounding you, you can find your way back to shore.

There will be more from me on this but if you love beautiful writing, amazing characters, a sweet hurt man who is the prototype (a lil grumpy and a lil brawny and a lil/lot sweet), a woman who I feel like I know and would be so happy to have in my real life, PLUS enough tension to make it so worthwhile…this is the book for you.

Ellen, I adore them - where you lead, I will follow. Immediately yes to anything you do in the future.

I haven’t read a story this emotionally driven and so eloquently written in a very long time. You feel each word this author writes because of how well the characters express every emotion. I loved how the characters are the drivers of the story. Louisa and Henry had depth to their personality and felt like they were actual people rather than fictional characters. Instead of reading Louisa and Henry’s story, I felt engulfed by their journey and the moments they shared together.

Overall this was beautifully tragic and utterly heartbreaking while also healing your heart in the process. It was poetic and emotional without being too dramatic or exaggerated. I loved the mixture of relatable humor with swoon worthy moments and having side characters feel as important as the two main characters. I was pleasantly surprised by this author and cannot wait to read more.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC

this book was SO BEAUTIFUL. I loved it. 5 stars.

thanks to Berkley Romance for the earc! these are my honest thoughts!

This is bound to be in my top romances of the year (I don't know how many I'll have, but this will be one of them). I could NOT put it down. I woke up and read it at 3am because I just neeeeeeded to know what was going to happen to our duo, Louisa and Henry.

Gosh. Louisa's life is publicly falling apart. Her famous rock star boyfriend has been cheating on her for months (and lying to her face about it), but at their hometown(ish) show, she sees him with her, and everything comes crashing down around her. And her only thought is, "I get to keep the house."

Lou's childhood SUCKED. Her mom was the least stable person in her life, leaving her older sister to literally raise her, move Louisa with her when she went to college... the whole nine yards. Except Goldie lives across the country and is raising a son by herself, and when things get hard, Goldie and Louisa struggle to agree on how to handle drama with their mama. And that always hurts.

Moving into this Estes Park home with Nate was the first time Lou felt home, in the deepest sense of the word. Nate went off on tour, and Lou stayed. She made the four walls into something that moved her. It changed her. And with the threat of losing the house because she literally has no money (see rock star boyfriend Nate), she has to come up with a way to keep it.

The Comeback Inn. Where folks can come and stay, get some (unlicensed) therapy (from a wannabe therapist (Lou)), get away from the heartbreak, and connect in community with others who know what it feels like to go through what you're going through. When Lou presents this business plan to her landlord in exchange for staying for free in the house, she's shocked to find that the landlord is the town's (hot) vet who is a little hard to read but also so compassionate when she starts to cry... he says yes. "There's no space for my heartbreak in this room," Lou thinks, her presentation going down the drain, but then she allows her heart to spill out onto the floor:

"I love your house. It's the first place that's ever felt like home to me. The attic office, and the garden, and the window in the upstairs bedroom that overlooks the street - where sometimes I can see Custard the St. Bernard in Bill and Martina's yard."

And from one moment to the next, Henry says yes.

And their relationship... it BLOSSOMS. Henry has to show up randomly when things go wrong, Lou accidentally lets Henry see her in some vulnerable moments, there are some many slow burn moments that just... ugh. And? There's heartbreak. Everyone Lou encounters has heartbreak of some kind. And through this experience, she realizes she really does want to become a counselor, to help people heal and see the good and the bad that's right in front of them.

This book was like therapy. For me. For every reader. And I can't wait until it's out in the world - look for it September 23rd everywhere books are sold!

Louise “Lou” Walsh thought she had her life figured out. She’d been with Nate since college, cheering him on at his shows and feeling special because of the song he once wrote about her, Purple Girl. But when a photo surfaces of him with another woman, Lou’s world comes crashing down. Now she’s stuck in a big, beautiful house she adores, but can’t afford without Nate.

Her solution? Turn heartbreak into hope by opening a bed-and-breakfast for the brokenhearted. With her landlord Henry’s reluctant blessing, Lou launches the Comeback Inn as a trial run. What starts as a risky idea quickly becomes something more, especially when Lou discovers an undeniable spark with Henry.

I loved the cozy and heartfelt setting, the layered family dynamics, and the perfectly timed bombshell twist. Just when it feels like everything is about to unravel, the story pieces itself back together into a tender, uplifting exploration of loss, healing, and unexpected love.

2.5 stars. This started off so good. I laughed a lot and was really wrapped up in the whole career transformation cute house stuff. But around the 50% mark things just got too dark. There are so many heavy topics in this (what I thought was a rom-com) romance and the levity and fun of the first half just disappears. O'Clover also seems overly concerned with LGBT representation and it's distracting. There's also no way that a veterinarian has so much free time to stop working and go help his tenant fix shit. The cover art is cute. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC! What an un-put-downable read. Lou has recently been dumped by her famous singer college sweetheart boyfriend. All she needs is some space and quiet, so she retreats to their mountain escape. When she discovers she now must support herself while studying for her counseling license, she seizes the opportunity to offer respite for others like her who are looking for a break after heartbreak. She decides to start the Comeback Inn and proposes the idea to her mysterious landlord, Henry. While he is hesitant, the income potential convinces Henry to allow Lou to test run her plan. Together they learn about life, loss and love. Heartbreaking and mending all in one!