Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell and Laura Pritchett! What a timely book about Amalie a recently widowed woman who finds herself pushing out of her comfort zones. Like life often does for us, Amalie finds herself meeting people and some animals that shape Amalie and help her growth. The biggest take away was letting go of the past to step into the future!

Three Keys was a tough book to rate. There were moments of enjoyment while reading and there were moments of “what in the heck am I reading right now”? Unfortunately, there were more what the heck thoughts than moments of enjoyment. The main character Ammalie is struggling through her own midlife crisis and has to take an actual journey to find herself which I can appreciate as a lot of women hitting this age range, becoming empty nesters, probably would love to do at some point.

I found this to be an enjoyable book, but I was more interested in the cover than the actual story. The cover is gorgeous. The MC was just okay for me. The story was hard to relate to as I fortunately am not dealing with that kind of situation, but overall it is a good story if you are looking for one about a middle-aged woman on an adventure to figure herself out.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

A very interesting story about a middle aged woman who begins an adventurous Journey to learn who she really is, not who she thinks she is. Her destinations are three places determined by three keys she has retained over the years-places her deceased husband went to alone and one place they went to together. The journey is a tremendous departure for her, very different and complicated from the life she lives.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 hero’s journey stars

Ammalie has lost quite a few things, including her job and husband, and she feels invisible as a middle-aged woman. Her situation is further complicated by her son's going off to college. She decides it’s time to hit the road and use three keys that are a legacy from her husband. The keys were always meant to be returned, but Ammalie plans to revisit some of their previous vacation destinations.

Interestingly, she’s not exactly booking the places she plans to visit. She hopes to stay at each place under the radar. The first is a cabin in Colorado, followed by a remote trailer in Arizona, and finally, a remote artist retreat in New Zealand.

Along the way, she meets quite a few people and grows in her appreciation of herself and the natural world. She’s not quite an outlaw; she leaves places better than she found them, but it catches up to her at the end.

I have always enjoyed this Colorado author’s writing, and this one is no exception.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This book was just didn’t resonate with me. The main character is on a road trip after her husband dies. She’s struggling with life and believes this trip will help. She visits places she’s been before and relives her memories there as well as having new adventures. I likes parts of the book but overall I couldn’t relate to the main character or the story.

This book was interesting. The main character is very neurotic and beyond strange. If you like characters who are mentally unstable then this book is for you. It's about an older woman who starts to lose her grip on reality after her husband passes away. She goes on a road trip and her whole existence starts to unravel over the course of this novel. I enjoyed certain parts, but sometimes the novel did drag here and there. This might be one of my favorite book covers of 2024. It's so incredibly stunning. It looks like a work of art.

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Review: Ammalie recently lost her husband, job, and role as a mother which leaves her wondering about her purpose in life. She takes three house keys that she & her husband accidentally collected over the years and goes on a squatter's adventure as she re-orients to what comes next in life.

This book was funny, quirky, and quick to read! I loved the writing style & being in Ammalie's perspective. I'm drawn to stories of adventure and this was one that was full of heart. A coming-of-middle-age story that's good for readers of any age, this really captivated me & made me giggle at several points

Late mid life crisis? Hit the road and let the adventure begin. Ammalie is the likable and relatable main character who has three keys and three destinations. Her deceased husband plays a part in her selection. She meets some interesting characters along the way and gets to know herself. A timely character for me to root for. The setting descriptions evoke feelings of wanderlust. This is my first read of this author and I look forward to her work.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

We jumped straight into the plot which was a bit abrupt, rather than giving a bit of background and easing into the story which I didn’t love. The overall story was enjoyable and I can see why others would love this one, but nothing stood out to me to make this a 4 or 5 star. I did enjoy it and would recommend, it just isn’t a favorite of mine!

Three Keys is an interesting story of Ammalie searching for purpose after the death of her husband. She also lost her job and her son in college has distanced himself from her leaving her feeling lost. She packs up her car and heads west for an adventure. She starts with visiting a place she and her husband, Vincent, had visited then moved on to two places he had been without her, first Arizona and then New
Zealand. She stays in places Vincent had stayed, without the owners knowledge.
The story was interesting and her struggles realistic. The way she goes about reaching her goals is a bit unethical and can be hurtful to others at times. I also felt the story dragged at tines but I’m glad I
finished reading it. It has a wonderful, healing ending.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

First of all, I absolutely love this cover!! The book I didn’t enjoy as much. I think it may resonate with a reader who is in the same stage of life as the main character, whereas I have a ways to go before then. I liked the general idea of the 3 keys, but sometimes it felt confusing because I didn’t know what she was talking about or it just seemed so random that I wish the author gave a little more of an explanation. I was also just a bit bored because I couldn’t relate to any of it.

I would recommend this to a reader in the same stage of life, but not really to somebody in their 20s.

Ammalie is a women of a certain age who is starting over in life. Her husband has died right before she left him, her child off to join the world. She decides to find out who she is on her own she goes on wonderful adventures. Her travels are fraught with problems, a abused stray dog who needs her to save him and laughs along the way. Her misadventures and her adventures are full of joy, heartache for her past life and the thrill of finding out who she truly is. I cheered for her bravado, for her accomplishments and for her growth as a person. A wonderful read .

Thank you to Net Galley, to the publisher and to the author for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Dell an Imprint of Random House. This story is about life, adventure, realism, truth and growth. When a family member you were very close to dies. What does it mean for a loved one left behind? How do they cope and move on. And when they move on how to know its ok. In this story you meet Ammalie will face these questions and more. How to start a new life, can wrongs be rewritten? How do you know what life is the life you truly want? And to know it's ok to find out who you really are as you not someone husband or parent. This book is for a mature audience and can be read anywhere.

I wanted to love this books. At times I liked it. Occasionally it was really inspiring. But mostly it was hard for me to follow? It felt really jumbled. I didn't understand most of Ammalie's choices and honestly, if a friend was doing the things she did, I would be staging an intervention STAT. Still, there were moments of beauty, and a quirkiness that could be enjoyable. I liked her growth.

All I can say is what a great read. All the feels. Laugh, Cry, Cheering with a ending that brings everything together. Love this read and if I can convince others to pick this up they will not regret it.

Three Keys tells the story of a woman in her 50s who goes off on a grand adventure after her husband dies. We learn that she had been planning to leave her husband, so his death leaves her with a lot of complex feelings. She takes her own 'heroine's journey' to work through her grief and guilt, and ends up finding herself along the way. I was afraid this might be a bit light for my tastes, but the writing and story were much more interesting than I expected. I was delighted to read a book about a middle-aged woman my own age and could relate to a lot of the issues brought up in the book. I found that I didn't want to put this down. I recommend it!

The second act of life, as it's sometimes called, can be more than challenging. Setting out to redefine who she is in middle age without a husband, child, or job, Ammalie is in for more than adventure.

You'll enjoy this tale of discovery, mishaps and danger, surprises and cautions. A likable character, a complex plot, and a satisfying story. What's not to love?

An interesting story of self discovery and soul-searching. Ammalie's journey was amazing and full of adventure. I enjoyed it tremendously.

Oh how I related to Ammalie. I just wish I had the courage to let myself find myself. I wish she and Richard would have reconnected, but the letter gave some closure to their story. Over all, great women's fiction and I will recommend this book to friends.