A lovely, heartbreaking (but ultimately hopeful) book. It’s about broken people searching for redemption, searching for normal, and reads quickly.

Having a sister who got to ring her own bell as a child, Casey’s POV especially resonated with me. I think I spent most of the book wishing for more of her—at 12 she felt like the most mature character out of everyone.

I have to admit that I skipped most of Andrew’s pages and felt that Gemma was weirdly obsessed with him. Far be it for me to tell people how to grow their families, but she seemed to be a bit too young (weren’t they supposed to be late 20s/early 30s and only together a few years?) to feel like he was her one and only and was at the end of the line for romance, and the desperate need to have her late husband’s baby felt weird to me…

All in all though, I did enjoy the read and would recommend it.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.

I liked this quick read, a story of heartbreak and hope. Lots of emotions, centered around sickness and loss, but in a hopeful way. Glad all three of the main characters found some happiness.

This story is told from three points of view. ⁣
⁣
Gemma, the widower, who is still trying to get her life back together after the sudden loss of her husband. She rescued a dog Bear, that she takes to an oncology unit for children to help them cope with treatment.⁣
⁣
Casey a patient at the unit, who’s dad hasn’t been in her life until now and who’s mom is beyond anxious and controlling. ⁣
⁣
Dan who is laid back, hiding a past he’s been trying to run from, when his daughter shows up with a brain tumor and he has to finally step up and become the father she needs.⁣
⁣
This was an emotional but quick story, all three of them are dealing with their own struggles but once their paths cross, they’re everything they didn’t know they all needed. ⁣Even though this deals with some heavier topics and it’s more of a slow burn, I really enjoyed it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Two lonely souls, each with their own share of problems, find grace, healing and redemption as they try to navigate change, create a new normal, and find happiness.

Gemma is all too familiar with hospitals, having spent countless hours there with her husband as his final act was played out. Adrift and alone with only her broken dreams, Gemma and her terrier, Bear, return again and again to the place that holds such devastating memories. They visit the children in the cancer ward during their school session, hoping to bring a little light into their young lives that have seen far too much darkness.

Hospitals unnerve Dan, but now that he's found out he has a twelve-year-old daughter, Charlie, he tries to set that aside. The best treatment for Charlie's brain tumor is at the facility in the same town where Dan lives, so they’ll have at least the next month to get to know each other.

Hold onto your hat, my reader friend, because this one is a wild emotional ride. Women's fiction with a touch of romance, the focus is on family relationships and human connections, with all the love, frustration, sorrows and joys they bring. While dealing with a serious subject, there are surprising flashes of wit and brilliant rays of sunshine along a dark, challenging journey.

This one is near and dear to my heart for a couple of reasons. First of all, who doesn’t love a sweet, charming, matchmaking pup? And secondly, as a lampworker who contributes to the Beads of Courage program, I loved seeing the program come alive through Charlie's eyes as she selected beads after each medical procedure and milestone to add to her collection.

These characters are so masterfully done that I felt like I could see into their hearts and minds, making me feel like a peripheral character in their poignant story. If you’re looking for something a bit different that will take you on a profound, compelling journey and leave you with a smile on your face and a happy, satisfied heart, you’ll want to start reading this remarkable story right away.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine/Dell for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
I enjoyed it and it was a quick one-sitting read but rather implausible, given the timeline. Although there are flashbacks to years ago, the main action takes place in only one month. I would have liked more from the epilogue, too, as it takes place only a few months later. I didn't understand how Gemma could trust Dan so quickly after all she learns about him and his past. I think that would have been more believable if the entire book had been spread out over a longer period of time. All in all, a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I found "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" by Eva Carter to be funny, romantic, heartfelt & sad.
This book was so much more than what I thought it was going to be & I really enjoyed it.
I would love to read what Ms. Carter decides to write next.

My first from this author and overall I enjoyed this bittersweet tale of finding love again. Gemma and Dan are very different on the surface but as Eva Carter thoughtfully gives us glimpses into their pasts, the realization that perhaps they might just be meant to be becomes clear to both of them before it's too late. Each seemingly has a simple life yet with Gemma still reeling from the loss of her beloved husband just two years prior and Dan coming to grips with being a real father to his daughter, Casey, after 12 years of silence, their worlds not only get complicated quickly but collide in the most touching of ways.

I liked both of these characters, especially Gemma, with the way she navigates through her grief with her dedicated 4-legged companion, Bear, by her side. In fact, Bear is a true scene stealer and helps his master find a way into Dan's world after their less-than-easy first meeting. Although it was Gemma who talked down a wildly nervous Dan as he couldn't find his way to his daughter's tumor treatment, Bear becomes the glue in showing that Gemma can find love again and for Dan, that he can be the father his spirited daughter so sorely needs.

Although Gemma is much more forthright in her own struggles and personal issues that could certainly make Dan run fast in the other direction, it takes Dan much of the book to finally come clean not only with his woman but with his daughter's mother and Casey, herself. The buildup made sense to me and although Dan's timing is never great, I was proud that he finally told the truth and took his chances with all the women in his life, no matter how the chips might fall.

Gemma's life with her late husband Andrew seemed ideal but it was good of the author to show that there were a few bumps and detours in their all-too-short life together. I was glad to see Gemma become more determined as the story went on to do what was right for her even when those closest to her may have thought differently. Thoughts of moving on from her life with Andrew is a huge sub storyline and it is handled well, especially with Dan becoming more important to Gemma as the pages flew by. Her growth is a huge part of this book and figures prominently in her decisions with regard to Dan and in finally letting go of the past.

I wouldn't hesitate to read more from this author as I enjoyed her writing style and the way she allowed this story to unfold in the right amount of time. With most British authors, I always want just a little bit more but I will say that Carter gave us a bonus epilogue which I enjoyed immensely, tying up a few loose ends that I was curious about. But I also wouldn't have minded a small glimpse into the future as Gemma and Dan navigate a new life together. But, in the end, it was an enjoyable read with great primary and secondary characters and I happily give Owner of a Lonely Heart a solid 4 stars.

The song from the 80s kept reverberating through my head as I read.
I liked Bear, the dog, the best. Second favorite was Casey. She is a tough kid for having to deal with all life has tossed at her.
Angelica was super paranoid, but she had a reason for being anxious and nervy.
Gemma is too trusting and honestly she could do better than Dan.
I was not keen on Dan from the beginning, but when his full character is revealed, no thanks.
The cover is great.

Owner of a Lonely Heart by Eva Carter was a beautiful emotional rollercoaster that my heart and head needed but I wasn't quite ready for. Ms. Carter wrote one of the seasons most touching relationship stories, that of Dan and Casey. And a romance between Dan and Gamma. And the emotions I went through while reading this have more to do with my personal and familial history than anything it was still quite a touching story for the every person.

Dan is a 30-something year old man who has lived a tough life, has an odd career and needs to work on himself (more so to believe in the person he has become).

Casey is a 12 year old girl who Can comes to know and eventually love. Their relationship is a bit unorthodox and Casey's mother is also quite eccentric.

Gemma is a widow and the owner of bear, a sweet pup who is often found volunteering with his owner at the local Children's hospital. Gemma has been trying IVF with embryos from her departed spouse as they always dreamed about a child. . . and then she meets Dan.

When all of these people's lives cross and relationships begin to be built there are massive life changes for each of them. Can they each make them work? Do they want them to work? How does like impact their choices and relationships?

Read this impeccably written story to find out.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I liked this novel! My heart hurt for Gemma and Casey, well actually all four of them. The story is written with tenderness but there are also things I didn't feel, like the chemistry between Dan and Gemma. I felt like they saw each other, talked a little and all of a sudden they were almost in love? Do they even get to know each other? I didn't feel Gemma evolving but Dan did.

i would like to know if Dan would have contacted Casey if she hadn't contacted him? In the beginning of the book Dan said that Angelina didn't want him involved but later on Dan said he wanted to be there but left them? Hmm.

Overall, a sweet and emotional story about grief and hope.

3,5 stars rounded up

I will publish my review on https://www.instagram.com/booklover1974/
At January 17.

The beginning of this book was really slow for me but I got more invested as it went on. It took me awhile to finish this book because at first I truly didn’t care much about the characters and didn’t really like any of them. Even though the ending was predictable, I enjoyed the story line and felt like it was a solid three stars.

This story was such a sweet, interesting read. It is a bit heavy and had more of a women's fiction feel to it than romance. However, I thought it was a different premise BECAUSE it dealt with so many issues from the characters' pasts.

Gemma lost her husband a couple of years ago and is still grieving. She's also been trying to get pregnant using her and her late husband's embryos.

Dan comes from a painful childhood, but is trying to build a new relationship with his 12-year-old daughter who is having treatment for her brain tumor.

The book is sappy, of course, but we see both Gemma and Dan grow up with each other.

The story contains a bit Insta-love, but I felt it worked because sometimes things are meant to be with love.

The topics are a lot, but there is a nice happily ever after, so it's worth a read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me an e-copy of OWNER OF A LONELY HEART to read.

I rate OWNER OF A LONELY HEART four out of five stars.

This is a quite heavy, intense women’s fiction/romance. It’s quite unique in that we get three POV: Dan, his daughter Casey, and Gemma. They are all really going through it, their own personal traumas that some have gone through more with maturity than others. Gemma and Dan have an instalove, which can sometimes annoy me but frankly I think it fits here - emotions are very high due to the context of their meetings, and they don’t really act on this lust immediately which made it feel like there was a little more tension. Dan has the most backstory that we don’t get fully until much later in the book, and he has a big redemption arc. Overall I enjoyed the story! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Gemma had recently lost her husband Andrew to cancer in their short marriage. They had always wanted children but did want to wait a little while before starting a family. They had decided to have IVF treatments if something happened to Dan. Gemma had a terrier dog named Bear that she took to the cancer center to help ease the children’s anxiety over their treatments.

Casey is a twelve year old girl with brain cancer or Bob like she named it. And, she finally meets her Dad Dan after his one night fling with her mom Angelica. Casey and her mom had traveled to Bristol and was staying with Dan so she could could have hopefully a successful cancer treatment. Dan was working in the music industry and never wanted a commitment until he accidentally ran into Gemma. Dan had a whole lotta baggage that he was hiding.

I feel in love with Casey as she really worked Gemma and Dan into a relationship but then she had the tough responsibilities of helping her mom’s anxieties issues. So many things made me smile about Casey her pink hair, eating what she wanted with Dan meeting Harrison. Can they all work out their own issues and live cohesive together in the future?

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

Wonderful! "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Eva Carter is a deep, interesting, inspiring, and heartfelt novel. Very complicated premise of a woman which recently lost her husband (Gemma), a handsome sworn bachelor -with very dysfunctional upbringing (Dan), an ex-lover (Angelica), which is also the mother of a sick teenage daughter (Casey). These fabulous characters, as well as an adorable service dog, come together in a very unexpected tangle of emotions and circumstances, learning to forgive, accept, and move forward in life. Was a great read! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the E-ARC. This book was so much more than what I thought it was going to be and I am here for it. I have called and set up Dan with a good therapist because that boy needs it. I saw so much growth in All the characters even though sometimes I wanted to bang my phone against the wall because they were so dense. But I loved Dan flaws and all.

This is a compelling story featuring some great characters. It could have been really over the top with the angst, as the plot features situations that could approach soap opera proportions: the tragic loss of a young husband, child abandonment, infertility, a brain tumor in a child, and multiple dysfunctional relationships. However, the situations are written about movingly but with some humor, and the characters are flawed and believable. Dan's immaturity and inability to step up to responsibility become more understandable as his past is revealed, Casey's preteen sullenness and hypersensitivity are magnified by her struggle with a life-threatening disease, and Gemma's grief over her loss and agony about her potential motherhood drive her towards a breakthrough as she comes to know and love Dan and Casey. Angelica is an easy character to hate, but as her situation is revealed, her nastiness becomes more forgivable. The characters make this story, and it's one well worth reading.

As a preface, I'm hoping that I don't add too much of my own personal bias into this review (single mom for years due to an absentee "partner"). To that point, it was a bit difficult to read the chapters from Dan's POV, considering he actively chose to stay out of his daughter's life. I am a romantic at heart but found it hard to root for the love brewing between him and Gemma. Beyond this, I really felt for the female MC's and all that Gemma and Casey had to go through in the times before they all met! I was so happy they were able to find their happiness, even if that included Dan the Man. I do wish that the timelines were a bit more realistic though. Four weeks just doesn't feel like a long enough time for all that our characters experienced. All in all, it was a very full and enjoyable story, though a bit slow at times.

I was able to read an uncorrected copy of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Eva Carter on NetGalley. This is the story of Gemma, a woman who recently lost her husband. And of Dan, an absentee father, who just recently met his teenage daughter, Casey, when she came to town for medical treatment of a brain tumor. This story has a lot going on but was easy to get drawn into! The back stories of both Gemma and Dan are well developed, and I really felt both of them. I would definitely read more by Eva Carter.

I'm finding something about this book off-putting. Not sure if this was just bad timing on my part. I had expected to love these characters from the get go but I'm not and it's making me feel bad considering the heavy themes and subject matter. I may come back to this one at another time but for now I'm going to set this aside.

Thank you for granting my wish to read this. I wish I could offer a better review for future readers.