This was charmingly heartbreaking story of friendship and moving on from grief. The title made me think it was going to be more of a romance than it was, but I enjoyed it for the uplifting story that felt like P.S. I love you, but in a totally unique way.

Natalie had everything she could ever dream of, until her husband dies in a freak accident. It’s been two years, and she cant seem to get herself out of her grief rut. The one thing she always makes time for is playing the old piano in the train station. She is sure nobody listens, but it helps her. When she gets there one day to find a piece of music on the bench, Natalie is shocked and wonders who left it. As the music keeps coming, all with an intense connection to her and her husband Russ, Natalie is sure he is somehow leaving this for her…

Oh man, Lia Louis can just pull on every single one of those heart strings. I love that all her books have a hint of romance, but there is so much story behind it, that it isn’t just a romance. I have loved her ever since I read Dear Emmie Blue and this one did not change that at all! My heart just broke for Natalie, but I also felt for everyone in her life that just wanted to help and didn’t know how. This was just such a fantastic look at grief. How everyone handles it differently, and how we learn to live with it. I recently saw a post that said “grief doesn’t get smaller, we grow around it.” I thought it was a beautiful statement, but also it fit this story so well. Lia Louis did it again!

Wow, Lia Louis grabbed me right in the heart with this gem! The Key to My Heart centers around Natalie, who struggles with overwhelming grief after the tragic lose of her husband. It’s been over two years since his passing and Natalie still finds herself unable to find her new normal. Out of blue, she gets a random, but extremely sentimental message in the most surprising place. When little unexpected things continue to happen, Natalie starts to slowly but surely find enjoyment and happiness again. The mystery of who is behind this starts to consume Natalie and I couldn’t wait to see what Lia Louis had planned for her!!

I was hooked from the very first page! The Key to My Heart had me staying up past my bedtime and reaching for the tissues all at the same time! I completely adored the entire cast of characters- so darn endearing! If you are looking for a sweet and heartfelt read to keep you entertained then I highly recommend this 5 star novel! This is the second novel I have read from Lia Louis and I’m already looking forward to her next novel!

I have yet to read a Lia Louis book that I do not love! And this one was no exception! I fell into this story with these characters so fast and easily. I have come across a lot more books with grief as the undertone and a topic of discussion and I think that’s great because it is something we all go through and may not know how to process or may feel we should be “over it” by now.
My favourite part was the “one word” part (iykyk.) I’m not going to spoil that, so I guess you will just have to read it to find out!!!!

Thank you to Lia Louis, Atria Books, and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Okay over here freaking sobbing because this was the absolutely sweetest story ever. I feel like I just got a mishmash of The Light We Lost, The Friend Zone, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird and P.S. I Love You.
Two and a half years after losing her husband in a tragic accident, Natalie is still grieving. And she’s stuck. She feels like she can’t move on from her loss and like she has to before she loses the rest of the people she loves.
But then she starts finding music at the piano in the train station she sometimes plays at. Songs she knows all too well. She is shocked but also excited. Could it be her husband, Russ, somehow? And just like that, a mysterious page of lyrics, and Natalie’s life is looking a lot different.
The characters in this book are EVERYTHING. Tom, omg!! Joe, swoon. Priya is now my bff too. Shauna must be protected at all costs.

Romcom lovers, romance lovers, people who like getting their hearts a little battered for a good love story, fans of any of the books mentioned above: this is for you.

Three words: Emotional and serendipitous

The Key To My Heart is a story about a young widow that is in the many stages of grief. To cope with her late husband, Russ’s, unexpected death, Natalie plays the piano at a train station. Then one day, someone starts leaving her sheet music that happens to be meaningful to her and Russ’s life and a small mystery evolves.

Lia Louis’ talent as a writer is beyond amazing. To say I was captivated is an understatement. As the plot came to a head, I dreaded what was to come but in a good way. I was that emotionally invested. I didn’t want Natalie to face more heartache. Sure enough, Lia Louis made this heart of stone cry.

Natalie’s grief was so well written. Watching her grow and move on was absolutely beautiful. Music and strangers - not her pushy and selfish friends - help her through it. Tom - blessed Tom
- gave her an unbiased avenue to work through her grief. He was so sweet and supportive (book boyfriend alert!) And in his own convoluted way, Notebook Guy aka Joe helped her along too.

I feel the need to clarify that The Key To My Heart is not a romance. It’s contemporary fiction. Is there a little romance? Yes. But it’s not a romance. Please don’t market it as such.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The Key to My Heart is a beautiful fun and heartbreaking book. The main character Natalie has become a young widow and after two years she still struggles with grief and guilt unable to continue making music. It’s such an emotional book that really sheds light on grief and finding happiness while trying to move on. The characters in the book were so fun and likable, I found myself laughing at their lines and little jokes. I initially picked up this book thinking it was a rom com in the beginning but it was certainly not. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and will definitely recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this book was really sweet. I absolutely loved the character development of Natalie and Tom. Their friendship and turning into more seemed realistic and I really couldn't guess the whole Joe plotline. I really enjoyed seeing Natalie work through her grief and the difficult scenarios and situations she went through as she grew. It felt realistic and believable and I could really dig into the character. My only critique would be that the beginning and ending felt a little slow to me.

Such a fun and heartbreaking read all in one. I loved the story and how it wasn't just your average love story. It was about finding ones self after loss and how to move on. The character development was one that I absolutely fell in love with. I truly hope to read more from this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary copy of this book. All comments below are my own.

Natalie Fincher’s husband, Russ, unexpectedly died a couple of years ago, and she’s been standing still in her grief. An accomplished pianist, she only plays when no one watches at the train station. When someone begins leaving her music that was special to her and her husband, it leads her to find herself again.

Moving, emotional, and ultimately a love story as much as a self-love story.

I would recommend if you’re ready to be in your feelings with tissues.

CW: spousal death, ocean death, bike death, cheating

This was a really lovely book; very emotional and sad, but in a way that tugged on your heart strings and gave you hope. I loved Tom, and Shauna, and all of Nat’s friends, and Nat herself was a great character. Really enjoyed and would recommend but you have to be in the right mindset to read it!

4 music is the key stars

Love is a wonderful thing, but what about when your partner dies too young? That is what is facing Natalie Fincher. A widow in her early 30s, she doesn’t know what to do next with her life. Music used to fill her soul, but now she can only play at a community piano in the train station for strangers.

She’s still living in the fixer-upper cottage she bought with Russ, but it hasn’t had any fixing up as that was her husband’s dream and plans. She’s drifting along through life. She’s made a few new friends at the train station coffee shop, but she has pushed away her other friends.

And now someone is leaving sheet music for Natalie at the community piano. The musical choices seem to be connected to Russ, could it be he arranged it somehow as a gesture before he died?

This is definitely a romance but there is a lot of grief to process first. It’s interesting to think about the healing effects of music. Natalie explores this through a music therapy group. It’s also a story of friendship and family.

I really liked the character of Tom. Natalie first meets him at a local pub, pushed into talking to him by her friends. They keep running into each other and Tom has a lot of clever nicknames for her – I enjoy that sort of banter in my romances! I admit that I rooted for Natalie and Tom to get together. My very favorite part of the book was near the end and a few tears just happened to fall on my Kindle as my heart melted.

I loved the author's first two books. This one was another good read - don't be confused by the cover. It isn't a light hearted romance, but more an exploration of grief and love and loss and finding yourself again. I loved the characters for her messiness and flaws.

‘Happiness is something you wear, you know. Lights up every part of you. Inside and out.’

What a book! We absolutely loved it! Lia Louis has quickly become one of our favourite authors. Her ability to deal with the most painful of human experiences, with warmth, humour, sweetness, and love that never fails to leave us emotionally invested in her wonderful stories and characters. We find ourselves smiling one minute, in tears the next. We adore everything about her stories. If you’re a fan of Colleen Hoover you will LOVE this author, so be sure to add her to your TBR’s.

Lia Louis possesses a natural talent for scratching beneath the surface of human vulnerabilities with beauty and honesty. Her humour is spot on – effortless and so funny. Her skill for knowing exactly when to lift the mood is second to none. If you read this synopsis and think ‘I can’t read a book about grief’ think again. This book isn’t a downer, in fact, just the opposite, it’s uplifting.

“You’ll be surprised what you can see when you look. It’s always in the eyes.”

In The Key to My Heart, we meet 32-year-old Natalie Fincher, a young woman who has lost her way in her grief of losing her husband Russ nearly three years earlier. Finding very little fulfilment in her life, Natalie is caught in a cycle of emptiness. She’s walking and breathing but she’s not living.

Natalie and Russ were blissfully happy. Living in their dream home, deeply in love, and looking forward to their future together, and then it all ended. Natalie’s friends think she should have moved on by now. They want the ‘old ‘Natalie back. The fun, outgoing Natalie, not the sad grieving Natalie, and constantly try to pry her out of her house for nights on the town, but Natalie isn’t ready.

‘This is what happens every single time I try to move forward. It’s like treacle. Like vines, wrapping around my ankles dragging me back.’

The highlight of Natalie’s week is playing an old piano at a London train station, gabbing with the vendors at the station, and it is here that a spark is awakened in her when someone starts mysteriously leaving sheet music at the piano. Music is a huge part of Natalie’s life, and the music all relates to important moments for her.

And so, the hunt begins to find out who is leaving the music. Along the way, Natalie meets some wonderful people, who, in their own ways, all take a part in filling her empty heart. Whilst each character plays their part, it was Tom who stole our hearts. THIS MAN! He was funny, sweet, handsome, and everything we knew Natalie needed. In Natalie’s words ‘You look positively dashing. Very Mr. Darcy. Or maybe – Mr. Darcy’s rough and rugged young brother.‘ Oh, yummy!

The ending of this story was perfection! Talk about leaving you on a high! Lia Louis has once again delivered a winner. In a story about loss, grief, and self-discovery, she brought us hope and love, reminding us to never take a day, a minute, or a moment for granted. Life is too short. Live it and love freely! We will now (im)patiently await her next book with eager hearts.

The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis

This is another sentimental story about Natalie Fincher, a young widow, who is stuck in a house she planned to rebuild with her husband but she can't bear to sell it because of her guilt feelings and emotional investment. One day she finds sheet music left in a piano bench which was her husband's favorite song. She continues to find other songs that relate to her husband and her marriage.

This is a story of her grief, the support network she has from others, with a little mystery, and there is a romance aspect. I loved seeing Natalie's journey, her struggles, the hope she has to start to rebuild her life, and her journey towards healing. The incorporation of music and music therapy is a strong aspect of the book and done in such a sweet, restorative way. I would classify as women's fiction, but there is a romance element. Lia Louis writes about compassion and grief in such a realistic way.

The Key to My Heart needs to be made into a movie. ASAP. I loved the characters, the struggles they dealt with, their families, friends and the setting(s). Its a story about loss, grief and loneliness and the people who help one get through it all. Some sad parts, some laugh out loud, and the final scenes felt like a warm hug. Recommended to fans of Rom/Com novels.

This one was a bit difficult for me to get started on. I feelblike that is a reader/me issue as I don't do well with death and sadness. As always, Lia Louis has created a wonderful, warming story. It definitely picked up for me and I am glad to have read about Natalie and Tom.

“CAN YOU REALLY EVER FIND THE ONE, AFTER “THE ONE”?

Natalie Fincher was in love with her husband, Russ and in love with their life together and then an accident took him away from her.

Two years later she has fixed up nothing in their “fixer upper” cottage, and her friends haven’t succeeded in fixing her up with any handsome strangers in Pubs, either.

The only thing that brings her any pleasure is playing the piano in the train station and her Tuesday and Thursday coffee chats, with the train station’s coffee shop manager, Shauna.

Then, someone begins leaving sheet music for her under the piano bench, and mysteriously, all of the songs were her husband’s favorites. Is this something that her husband orchestrated before his death?

This is a G rated romance story of hope after loss.

Everyone knows that romance stories are about the journey, and this one was a bit of a bumpy ride for me.

There are MANY conversations about loss and grief, and the humor especially about the about noisy, mating foxes, didn’t hit with me. Of the three Lia Louis books that I have read, this one took the longest to find its WHIMSY!

Would Natalie finally open her heart to “notebook guy”-a guy who frequents the coffee shop and is a member of the same “music therapy” group because he knows grief of his own?

Or, would it be Tom, a photographer who “played along” with her when her friends tried to set her up with him at one of the Pubs, and who ended up becoming a new friend that she could count on?

I was team “Tom”….ooh la la!

And, this 3.5 star read got rounded up after I attended his Photography exhibit.
In Fact, it was one of my FAVORITE romantic gestures, EVER!!

Find out why on December 6th, 2022.

Thank You to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for inviting me to read an early copy. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

The author's previous book Eight Perfect Hours was one I loved and recommended to everyone. This book follows in its footsteps. I was completely captivated by the mysterious sheet music (and did not guess correctly who was behind it- all I will say is I am glad it wasn't a ghost- that would have destroyed the story) There is friendship, romance, betrayal and how to move on after heartbreaking grief. A perfect read I devoured in one night. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I haven’t read anything by this author before and I was very excited to get this advanced copy from Netgalley! I really did enjoy the book overall and I’d rate it a solid 3.5 stars.

The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis was one of those books that starts off pretty slow but gradually picks up pace. The storyline hit a little close to home for me and maybe that’s why the beginning dragged on a bit. It could be a personal thing.

Natalie lost her husband her husband two and a half years ago and just wasn’t as ready to move on as her friends would’ve liked. They meant well but I was on Natalie’s side with this one. I don’t think anyone really has the right to say when the appropriate time is to move on or even really bring it up at all. That said, I do understand that her loved ones just try to look out for her.

The second half of the book really amped up and I ended up loving it so much more than the first half. I would recommend this as a cute romance read to anyone looking for something cozy.