A heartbreaking yet heartwarming story that will make you cry ugly tears in parts and make you smile in others.

In Owner of a Lonely Heart, we meet three characters: Gemma, Dan and Casey.

Gemma has recently lost her husband and so fills her days with work and taking her dog, Bear, to comfort young patients at the local hospital.

Dan is scared of anyone getting to know the real him. He’s the life and soul of every party, but he’s certain that if people find out what he’s done, everything will fall apart.

Casey is Dan’s twelve year old daughter – though they barely know each other. She’s starting four weeks of treatment for a benign tumour, and is scared this summer could be her last.

I first discovered Eva Carter when I read How to Save a Life last year, and what struck me with her writing then is her ability to really get inside the inner workings of her characters, there’s a deep understanding of what makes each one tick. They’re believable and loveable and you want them to get everything they want out of life.

This latest novel is no different. While exploring grief and loss, it manages to remain hopeful and uplifting throughout. If I had one criticism it would be that it’s a bit long, and I think certain elements could have been removed. I wanted to stay with the three central characters and sometimes felt the inclusion of supporting characters was more of a distraction from the main action. Take me back to Gemma and Dan please!

Overall though, it’s an easy, enjoyable read that you’ll fly through over a weekend.

Owner of a Lonely Heart is out now. My thanks to Pan MacMillan, Mantle Press Books & NetGalley for my copy. This is, as always, an honest review.

This was a quite an emotional book.

The charaters were likeable and I liked the way each charcter had their own stories.

I really enjoyed this book

After loving How To Save A Life, I was so pleased to see that Eva Carter was releasing a second book. Although the blurb sounded good, I perhaps wasn’t as desperate to read it as I was her first book but thought I’d give it a go regardless.

I’m so pleased I did, Carter is a wonderful story teller and I really loved the underlying life mottos that ran through the course of the book. I thought the characters were both likeable and relatable and I really enjoyed seeing their progression throughout the book. I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 as I found a couple of bits a bit cheesy and it took away from the story slightly but overall a really good enjoyable read and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Gemma is a young widow who takes her therapy dog into a local hospital to help support young patients. Dan is surprised when his 12 year old daughter Casey, a result of a one night fling at a music festival and had never met, asks him if she and her mother could stay with him for a month whilst she undergoes treatment at that same hospital.
This is a very moving story with flawed, but likeable, characters. Casey shows so much courage having this horrible illness at such a young age, Gemma is still mourning the loss of her husband from cancer and Dan struggles to make meaningful relationships due to his upbringing. The common thread holding them together is Bear, the therapy dog, that I'd love to meet. It isn't over sentimental, does cover some sad topics but overall has a warm, positive outlook that does help cheer up a dull, dreary day.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Gemma is busy, busy, busy - trying both to rebuild her life after a personal tragedy and to start a family. She'd never admit how lonely she feels inside.

Dan is attractive, laid=back and terrified of anyone getting to know the real him. He's lonely too - not that you'd know it if you saw him out with his mates.

Casey 'is Dan's twelve year old daughter - though they barely know each other. She's undergoing treatment for a benign tumour, and is lonely and scared but desperately trying to pretend otherwise.

When Gemma, Ben and Casey's paths cross one scorching July, they all have their reasons for being wary.

What a quick and emotional read this was. The characters are well developed and likeable. It did take me a few chapters to get into the story. It covers some sensitive issues: complex relationships, cancer, fertility. The issues are handled well. This is an intricately crafted character driven story. The pace is on the slow side and I did feel that the story could have been a bit shorter, Overall, this is an enjoyable read;

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PanMacmillan and the author #EvaCarter for my ARC of #OwnerofALonelyHeart in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!

It was as if these “Owners of Lonely Hearts” emerged from the book and gave me the warmest, sweetest hugs, melting my own poor heart!

I read How To Save A Life by this author and loved it. I was thrilled at opportunity to read her newest – thanks NetGalley and Pan Macmillan!

Bringing together three very different individuals, each of them at a unique juncture of their lives and most importantly lonely in their own way, the book gives us an intricately crafted character driven story about finding love and how a family needn’t be just connected by blood.

Character introduction –

Gemma is a freelance artist. While still grieving her husband’s loss, she is about to go on a life-changing journey. Kind and caring, she always knows to say the right things at the right time.

12 year old Casey is currently being treated for a benign tumor at the hospital where Gemma volunteers with her therapy dog Bear. Raised by her mom, she is a bubbly pre-teen who craves normalcy and to belong to a family.

Dan is a handsome charmer. Although an introvert, he is “Dan the Man” and has a great social life. Except, deep at heart he is wary of letting anyone get close to him and is now terrified to meet his daughter after 12 years, while she undergoes treatment in his beloved city of Bristol.

Review –

If a book can give you “all the feels” then this was certainly one such. The narrative moves back and forth between our protagonists Gemma, Dan and Casey and I enjoyed the seamless transitions with their distinct voices.

When fate intertwines their paths, a friendship is kindled and a delicate bond is formed. There is a loving tenderness to each of these characters and it was a pleasure getting to know them. Imperfect and flawed, they were simply being human.

I loved how Gemma approaches Casey. Despite her cautiousness about her being a patient, Casey worms her way into Gemma’s life. And oh! bear was such an endearing character in his own right. Even me not being a dog-person came to adore him.

The best part here is how the author explores the novelty of a father – daughter relationship. I empathized with Dan who has never been in his daughter’s life until now and struggles to impress her. Having come from a troubled past, he is scared of failure and commitment.

I enjoyed the slow burn budding romance between Dan and Gemma. There was just so much depth to their relationship as they battled with grief, loss and guilt. I was amazed at their maturity in the end and appreciated how things played out with them.

Casey, Gemma and Dan soon discover their sense of belonging and their lives are interconnected in an indispensable and intangible manner.

As I cried, laughed, marveled and cheered for these three, they were not just characters, but also my friends for life.

Highly recommend this heart-warming and poignant read!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Although the characters weren't immediately endearing, I enjoyed this book. The individual voices were clear and the story was engaging.

Such a heartfelt, heartbreaking story told wonderfully by author Eva.
I absolutely adored her previous novel 'How to Save a Life' and Owner of a Lonely Heart is no exception.
Gemma is thirty two years old and has just lost her husband to cancer but before he passed away they both decided that Gemma should have IVF so see could have the children that they both desperately wanted.

The main characters in the story is told by Gemma herself, also twelve year old Casey and her father Dan.
Dan has never met Casey before but when he received word that Casey is recovering from a brain tumour he agrees to let Casey and her mother live with him whilst she is in recovery.

The novel makes you cry in places but also makes you smile in others.
All of the characters have complexed backgrounds especially Dan's childhood which is seemingly tragic.
Fantastically written.

Eva Carter’s books never fail to disappoint! They knock you for six in the best way possible.

Owner of a lonely heart is the story of Dan, Casey and Gemma. Three people whose lives are about to intertwine. Dan is a committed balchelor, Gemma is his daughter who he has never met until she messages to say he has a brain tumour and needs somewhere to stay while having treatment. And Gemma is a volunteer at the hospital who is still grieving her husband.

The storyline is complex and beautiful and keeps you interested the whole way through. The past keeps being revealed bit by bit and each time it creates a cliffhanger for the characters to deal with.

The characters are beautifully developed and so real. I was right there in Bristol with them all. The depth of the characters is wonderful.

An absolute triumph, a rollercoaster of emotion that you don’t want to miss!

A really poignant story, told from different perspectives. All the characters were very relatable, all with their own issues and all were handled with sensitivity. Some tricky subjects were aired in the book which was both happy and sad but very enjoyable.

Another giid book by Eva. Serious messages with a background of oncology, IVF and family relationships. The issues are handled well, the characters likeable . Tge backdrop is Bristol and the West country.
Some niggles with decusions of some of the charavters, eg. Dan letting his ex and daughter believe he lived in the penthouse, but all in all a great read.
Thanks to Net Galley for tge ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book is definitely worth a read. It is funny, sad, endearing and eye opening. Gemma is 32 years old and is a illustrator. The love of her life has passed away with cancer when they had only been married a short time. She is completely struggling to come to terms that she is alone and has decided this will be forever as he cannot be replaced other than by Bear her therapy dog Gemma takes Bear into the local hospital once a week to help the children with cancer. Here she meets Casey a 12 year old who has a brain tumour. Casey is not interested in Bear or anything particularly other than to get her treatment over and done with and she is hoping that the proton therapy will shrink Bob (the name she has given the tumour) so she can get home. Angelica, Casey’s mom is disgusted that a dog is allowed into the hospital due to germs and her and Gemma’s relationship does not start off at all well. Casey has just met her father when she asks him if she and her mom can stay with him while she has her treatment. He did know about his daughter but had no contact due to several circumstances. Things do not go well as Dan finds if difficult to be honest with them i.e the penthouse they are staying in is not his although Casey and Angelica think it is. Dan offers to go and pick up Casey after a treatment to give Angelica a break. He meets Gemma who helps him to get into the hospital as he has a complete phobia about the whole thing. There is an instant attraction but the timing for both of them is way off. Dan is struggling to grow up and Gemma is struggling to decide whether to have her husband’s baby without him having eggs frozen before he got real sick. The books continues – Angelica is frosty and a complete clean freak due to the brain tumour and always cross with Dan, Casey mellows towards her dad and Gemma and it is her mission to get them together. She also wants her mom to be happy and not so stressed and she absolutely adores Bear. The story mixes between these dynamics which I really enjoyed. Happy with the storyline which is sensitive as well as a good read

Eva Carter is very good writer. This book is highly emotional and will make you think and be really grateful for what you have in life.. It is not to be missed and is a gorgeous emotional and beautiful book.

I truly enjoy Eva Carter's books. This was an engaging and heartwarming read dealing with some heavy issues but with a realistic and happy ending. Good writing.

I read this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I must admit it's not my normal go to. I normally head for something a bit more on the naughty side! However, I did love it.

It really was an emotional roller coaster. The characters were likeable (even Angelica in the end).

The subject matters were sensitively written too. Weirdly, the thing I liked the most is I could connect to the places. I live in South Wales, but know Bristol and Weston so that was nice too! It's always really lovely to find a nice British book, written by a British author in a world that is swamped with authors from other countries.

Well done Eva! This was my first book by you, but won't be my last.

This is posted on good reads

I really enjoyed Eva Carter's previous book How to Save a Life, so was looking forward to reading her latest novel, however it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Even though the topics covered weren't all sunshine and rainbows, it didn't feel very real and I didn't feel a connection with any of the character. It just felt a bit bland unfortunately but it was an easy read and I didn't hate it, just didn't love it either.

I loved this book. Such beautifully written characters and a great storyline. It deals with some difficult issues in a really empathetic way. One of my favourites this year.

An emotional read but at the same time, heartwarming. A roller coaster book covering many issues which are all intertwined through the excellently drawn characters set in Bristol. Written from the view points of three of the main characters featuring the anguish they're feeling at the time. A little busy sometimes with too many unwilling to share moments coupled with predictable misunderstandings. Uplifting and positive undercurrents throughout make this a fairly light read.

Thank you netgalley and Publisher for the arc. All thoughts are my own.

Owner of a lonely heart is such an emotional and vulnerable story.
It was heartbreaking, uplifting and raw. So many emotions I couldn't describe. I was a sobbing mess throughout.

Thanks again for the arc!