I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could nor put the book down once I began reading it. I cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

How To Fix A Broken Heart written by Nicola May was definitely very heart breaking, raw, real, gut wrenching, powerful, and deeply emotional. When I first saw that beautiful cover, I thought this book was going to be cute and silly, but boy was I completely wrong, it completely changed my life. How To Fix A Broken Heart is a life affirming novel of love, grief, sorrow, and loss from Nicola May. I know the pregnancy trope isn't very popular, but I wish fertility was talked about a lot more in books. This book does deal with very heavy topics, so please check the trigger warning's before picking this one up, they will also be listed in my review, so if any of them are triggering for some readers, please read this book at your own caution. First and foremost, after reading Nicola May's author note, I just want to send you all of my love, thank you for sharing your powerful and personal story with all of us. This story touched my heart in a way that's never been done before, it's the type of emotional turmoil that will leave a lasting impact on you. I thought chocolate and tubs of ice cream were always the remedy for a broken heart, but this book taught me that there's always going to be people in your corner no matter how alone you feel. For anyone struggling with fertility issues, I hear you, I see you, you are NOT alone, I love you.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND STORM PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!!

TRIGGER WARNING'S
Miscarriage
Cheating
Fertility Issues
Mentions of Rape

"Motherhood is not just a title; it is a force, a calling, a bond that goes beyond biology and beyond boundaries".

"It's my body, it's my problem. If I don't want to lose weight, then I won't".

"Daffodils- they are just such a bright and happy flower. They make me think of spring, of new beginnings".

"It's hard when you lose little souls that you didn't even meet. It's not like you can miss them as people because you never knew them, touched them, and smelt them. They were just inside me, little bundles of energy that I knew were there, but weren't".

"Your heart is bruised at the moment, but someone will come along and fill it with love again one day".

"Tears are words that have been trapped in your heart".

"Men can't deal with irrational women at the best of times".

"Did you need to have anything in common to be in love with someone?"

Gracie Davies and Lewis Blair have been together for seven years and have been trying to get pregnant. It took three rounds of IVF for Gracie to get pregnant, at five months pregnant with twins, Gracie has a miscarriage. It was so bad and horrific that Gracie had to have a hysterectomy and now she can't have babies anymore. Gracie has been through hell and back after suffering from a miscarriage, she now has a hysterectomy scar across her stomach and doesn't feel pretty anymore, and now Lewis is finding it difficult to love Gracie as she was because they don't have sex anymore. If you were to look up the definition of "dick", you would see Lewis Blair's picture. One night after an argument and telling Gracie to lose her baby weight, Lewis decides to go out and have an affair with Annalize Good. Annalize and Gracie worked together at Lemon Aid which organizes charity events. Lewis used being drunk as an excuse for having an affair with "Madame Perfect". After Lewis cheated, Gracie decided to call it quits on their relationship and move in with her sister, Naomi. I absolutely love Naomi for being so sweet and taking Gracie under her wings. Lewis deserves to be single for the rest of his life, there's no need to cheat on your significant other just because they won't have sex with you.

Gracie decides to go to therapy so she can talk about how she's feeling and she also joins a running group where she meets other kind hearted women. Gracie decides to move in with her sister Naomi and her nephew, Jack. After a few months, Naomi and Gracie take a nine day vacation in St. Lucia where it's tropical,there's beautiful beaches, happy people everywhere, a never ending supply of cocktails, together Naomi and Gracie tan in the sun and read on the beach. My heart goes out to Gracie, she struggles with the thought of never being able to get pregnant again. Gracie is the type of person who always runs away when she has to face confrontation. After a few more months pass, Gracie meets Ed. Edward Duke is a thirty two year old landscaper that works at Wimbledon Common. Edward and Gracie met at a dog park and continue to be each other's sexual fling. Gracie wants to be more, but when she learns Edward is being wrongly accused of rape, everything changes. Edward is a charmer that has a big heart, but Gracie only uses him as an escape from the real world. Edward is always so gentle with Gracie, he always surprises her with flowers before their dates, so why does Gracie only want to have a sexual fling with him? I adored Gracie, but some of the choices she made just didn't sit right with me. I appreciate Edward for treating Gracie with so much care and gentleness, but I also think they could have gone without their sexual fling, but that's just my opinion.

*How to Fix a Broken Heart* by Nicola May is a poignant yet uplifting story about love, loss, and the healing journey. Gracie Davies, after experiencing a miscarriage and a hysterectomy, is emotionally shattered. She faces the added blow of her boyfriend's betrayal. As she begins to rebuild her life with the support of her free-spirited sister Naomi, a quirky therapist, and a lively new friend, Gracie slowly starts to regain her confidence and sense of purpose.

Throughout her journey, she navigates grief, finds new relationships, including a passionate fling with landscaper Ed, and unexpectedly encounters a Hollywood film star. These experiences lead her to discover that community and love can be the key to mending a broken heart.

While the book tackles heavy themes, it maintains a light-hearted tone, mixing humour with heartfelt moments. Though some characters felt unnecessary or confusing, the bond between Gracie and her sister Naomi stood out. The ending, while seen as predictable by some, left the reviewer dissatisfied as it didn’t match their expectations of a happy conclusion. Despite this, they appreciated Nicola May’s writing style and the thoughtful exploration of sensitive topics.

Overall, *How to Fix a Broken Heart* is a heartfelt and engaging read, though it left the reviewer wishing for a more fulfilling resolution to Gracie’s journey.

Thank you to Net Galley, Storm Publishing, and author Nicola May for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I had high hopes for this book when I began! I really enjoyed Nicola May's writing style and enjoyed a lot of the banter between the characters throughout the book.

This story follows Gracie who has recently experienced a miscarriage and a hysterectomy. Gracie is navigating this journey and finding new ways to process her grief through friendship, dating, and sisterhood. Nicola May was very intentional in the way she wrote about such sensitive topics. While heavy topics were a theme throughout this book, Nicola May was somehow still able to make this a "light-hearted" read.

As I mentioned before, when I first began this book I had high hopes. I found myself laughing out loud at various points throughout the beginning of the book. There are many different characters introduced throughout, however I did not enjoy many of these new characters. As I was reading I often found myself getting lost in some of the plot points, I wasn't always sure where things were headed or why some of these characters were relevant to the story. I loved Gracie's relationship with her sister Naomi specifically, and enjoyed reading about Gracie finding community to help navigate her grief.

While others may say that the ending of the story seemed predictable, I was frustrated with the way it ended. I was not anticipating it ending that way, I personally wanted Gracie's end of her journey to look different. It wasn't my version of a happy ending, but I can see why it would be for others.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and Nicola May's writing! There were just parts of this book that fell flat to me and had me wanting more from some of the characters.

Thank you to Net Galley, Storm Publishing, and author Nicola May for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was a heartfelt, touching read to a point. I liked the overall message of the plot but there was too much cheating for my taste and the plot was kind of everywhere at times.

The beginning had me interested in. It was a hard topic as I had a hard time conceiving, so I was able to connect on that sense. It was an easy read and enjoyed it. There were certain parts that I feel weren't needed there like the little crush the Hollywood star and since it was the sister BD I thought that was not necessary. For her to end with the ex was just like what all that for her to just be like yes. Idk I was expecting something else. I wanted her to discover herself I'm not sure. I needed more.

This is a heartfelt and uplifting novel about Gracie’s journey to heal after a devastating miscarriage, betrayal, and the loss of her dreams of motherhood. After losing twins halfway through her pregnancy and undergoing an emergency hysterectomy, Gracie is consumed by grief. Her pain deepens when she discovers her partner, Lewis, has been unfaithful. Determined to reclaim her life, she leaves him and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and renewal.

As Gracie navigates her new reality, she throws herself into building a business, forming new friendships, and even exploring romantic possibilities. While none of her love interests feel like the perfect match, her most meaningful relationships are with those who truly support her, especially her sister. Their bond is one of the highlights of the novel, offering warmth and humor amid the heavier themes.

Despite its serious subject matter, the book maintains a light and hopeful tone, making it an engaging and relatable read for anyone who has faced loss, heartbreak, or unexpected life changes. While some subplots involving minor characters may feel less compelling, the core of the story—Gracie’s resilience and personal growth—shines through. This novel is a touching exploration of rebuilding after tragedy, proving that even after the darkest times, happiness and new beginnings are possible.

I rarely give 1-star ratings, but How to Fix a Broken Heart was deeply disappointing. What could have been a moving story of self-discovery and healing instead promotes a reductive and outdated message: that a woman’s road to recovery is only complete with men and motherhood.

Rather than focusing on Gracie’s personal growth, the narrative centres on her entanglements with deeply flawed, often misogynistic men. From cheating to emotionally manipulative behaviour, nearly every male character displays red flags — yet the story continually frames romantic relationships with them as part of Gracie’s “healing.” Even Lewis, who betrayed her, is rewarded with a second chance he didn’t deserve.

More jarring, however, was the false rape accusation subplot. Depicting such a rare and serious issue so carelessly — especially in today’s #MeToo era — felt tone-deaf and insensitive. It added nothing meaningful to the narrative and instead detracted from any attempt at genuine emotional depth.

The overwhelmingly child-centric narrative added to my frustration. The plot is saturated with pregnancies, miscarriages, and fertility struggles, which are discussed at length but with little sensitivity or nuance. It became overwhelmingly focused on motherhood as the ultimate marker of fulfilment, which made the portrayal of womanhood feel somewhat narrow and outdated. The absence of any content warnings in the blurb was irresponsible, as readers grappling with fertility issues or pregnancy-related trauma could find these themes unexpectedly painful.

On top of the problematic themes, the writing style itself felt rushed and disjointed. The narrative skips over significant time periods, making it hard to connect with the characters’ emotional journeys. The rushed epilogue crams in two major life events, reducing what should have been meaningful moments to mere afterthoughts.

While the bond between Gracie and her sister offered brief glimmers of warmth, it wasn’t enough to redeem the book.

Ultimately, How to Fix a Broken Heart felt reductive and out of touch, with damaging messaging, unlikeable characters, insensitive plot choices, and a shallow portrayal of healing that made it a deeply unsatisfying read.

A moving, emotional filled story with several characters and I liked how their stories merged together. There are several good spicy scenes in the book and it was a fun weekend read!

3.25*.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book.

I liked the humour of this book but didn't understand some slang and terminology as I am Australian. There were a couple of spelling and grammatical errors throughout. The story follows the plot of many different characters, plot seemed abrupt at times and it felt like everyone was either getting pregnant or miscarrying. there's a lot of cheating in this book which isn't something I support. overall, it was filled with drama and I did feel that I kept wanting to read the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

Gracie Davies, 38, has lost twin babies with her partner of seven years Lewis. He then does something unforgivable and cheats on her with her colleague Annalize. Gracie moves in with her sister Naomi, a newly figured out lesbian who is single mother to a little boy with the father being a Hollywood star who paid her off. Then we have Gracie's therapist Scott, who is an adulterer professor with a horse racing addiction. His kinky lover is young sex worker and barista Maya, new friend to Gracie.

Gracie meets landscape gardener Ed, a right charmer who is up for a rape charge, defended by Scott's lawyer wife Cynthia. No idea why everyone has to have a connection to everybody else! I intensely disliked the subplot with Ed being falsely accused of rape. This scenario is incredibly rare and in today's #MeToo generation, astonishingly tone deaf.

Almost all the men behave despicably, cheating or talking about women in a derogatory way. Ed and Scott displayed lots of red flags and Lewis, while contrite, didn't deserve a second chance in my opinion. Gracie and the other women in the story make lots of questionable choices so after a while I didn't care anymore.

But the thing I disliked the most, and that's a huge content warning, was how child-centric the storyline is, whether someone's pregnant (several), has had a miscarriage (several!) or contemplates abortion or adoption, it's all endlessly discussed. I am a happily childfree woman and that was just too much. It can also be a big trigger for many women grappling with those issues but it wasn't even mentioned in the blurb, so be warned.

I'm afraid this book wasn't for me. The writing style felt hurried, skipping months at a time, and two very big events were squeezed into a short epilogue. I barely liked anyone, and as happy I was for Gracie at the end, I had to get through a lot of questionable plot for it.

A heartfelt, enjoyable read, I loved it!

‘A beautiful chick lit with depth… uplifting while full of tears, romance and heartbreaking sadness.
I loved seeing Grace's growth as she lifts herself from the depths of sadness. The relationships she has -both platonic and romantic- contribute to her emotional growth, and I was delighted with the ending.
I will be looking for more Nicola May books!
Highly recommended,

How to fix a broken heart could be a maudlin depressing read as it covers infidelity, grief, miscarriages and loss, but it also tells of positivity, second chances, forgiveness and healing which makes it an uplifting, inspiring read that I really enjoyed and could certainly relate to certain aspects.
Gracie the main character was easy to identify with and love due to her personality and how she turned her life around,after suffering miscarrying her twins and her husband’s infidelity,Gracie uses her insight and knowledge to help others in similar situations and in doing so helps herself too as she discovers her real self through her journey of self discovery and healing with a few little indiscretions along the way!
Thank you NetGalley for this heartwarming uplifting read

This one hurt my heart and was heartwarming at the same time
A healing journey worth the read
I would recommend this to some of my friends

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of How to Fix a Broken Heart by Nicola May, in exchange for my honest review.

3 1/2 stars...

This story was a bit confusing for me at first, as there were so many people introduced in the beginning; however, they all (most all) tied together nicely.

This is a story of heartbreak and healing, betrayal and forgiveness, and love and growth.

I enjoyed Gracie's journey and admire her bravery and determination.

I look forward to reading more by Nicola May.

<spoiler>What happened to the bouncer?</spoiler>

This books a hugely important point. That pregnancy matters, especially when it is lost. Too many times it seems having a miscarriage, failed IVF, ectopic pregnancy can be swept under the carpet and dismissed lightly. Nothing can be further from the truth, for women in particular but also men. For that, I was privileged to read this book. The plot line to me though was slightly disappointing. Too many coincidences meant it felt like a plot in a soap opera. Add to that, the lead character was pictured as having a lot of emotional intelligence, yet could not apply that to her personal love life where she seemed to make some unwise choices. I suppose today people think you can have a sexual encounter with no emotional connection. I think that this is rarely the case, whether you are male or female and that people should be careful about entering into a sexual relationship until they are sure there is a sense of mutual trust and responsibility.

What a fantastic read! I loved this book from the first page to the last.
Gracie’s story starts with the heartbreaking loss of a twin pregnancy, followed by a hysterectomy. What follows is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and not just Gracie’s. There are many relatable characters and there is a genuine deep understanding of different people’s situations and struggles, as well as exciting sex, embarrassing scenes and laugh out loud situations.
Above all is the strength and resilience of women at their most vulnerable.
This story is cleverly written, with several possible endings, keeping you guessing till the last, but the final scenario is just perfect.

This is a new author for me and I was glad that at the end she included a sample of another of her books, How do I Tell You. I bought it at once and am now reading it with pleasure.

How to Fix a Broken Heart had an interesting premise, but unfortunately, the execution fell short for me. While I appreciate stories about resilience and self-discovery, this book felt rushed, making it difficult to connect with the characters and their emotional journeys.

From the very beginning, the pacing felt too fast—scenes flew by without giving the characters or their emotions room to breathe. As a result, many of the interactions, especially the dialogue, felt unnatural and overly scripted. Instead of an organic development of relationships, everything either happened too perfectly or too dramatically, making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story.

The protagonist’s struggles were undeniably heavy, but her emotional responses often felt frustrating. Rather than engaging in meaningful conversations, she tended to avoid difficult discussions, which made her growth feel stagnant for most of the book. Additionally, a central aspect of her journey—tied to her identity and self-worth—had the potential to be explored in a deep and meaningful way, but instead, it remained surface-level. I kept waiting for more introspection and personal growth, but it never fully materialized.

A particular situation involving Ed (one of the key characters) was also handled in a way that felt insensitive and out of place, especially considering the book’s lighter tone. Some themes require a more thoughtful and nuanced approach, and that wasn’t quite achieved here. This specific issue was the reason I took a whole star off my rating, as it significantly impacted my experience with the book.

That said, for readers who enjoy a light, emotional read without focusing too much on deep character development, this book might still be enjoyable. The story wraps up in a predictable yet cohesive way, making it a quick and easy read. However, for those looking for a more emotionally rich and authentic journey, this one may not fully deliver. Sorry, but this is not my cup of tea!

2.5 / 5 Stars

This book had some really amazing themes, but there were other aspects that were just not for me. I think the writing about Gracie’s pregnancy loss, hysterectomy, and connection with other women who have miscarried or lost their pregnancies was incredibly beautiful. I think it will resonate with a lot of people dealing with fertility issues and make them feel really seen. I think that is an incredible gift.

However, other parts of the book were just hard for me to get over. There were three separate men who cheated on their partners and for me, that is just an irredeemable action, so I wasn’t interested or rooting for any of their relationships or connections. And the storyline involving Ed was hard for me to read. Without spoiling anything, Ed is accused of a crime and I wished that there was a discussion of how men are not falsely accused of this crime very often and how they are more likely to be victims of the crime instead of falsely accused. I just wasn’t sure why this was a part of his storyline and maybe fed into that discourse around the crime in a potentially negative way.

I enjoyed that the characters had shades of grey and that their storylines intertwined in a really interesting way.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

Fantastic. After the first few chapters, I was a little unsure of where the story was going as there are a lot of connections between the core group of characters. But it all works out beautifully and, in a way, those connections are vital to the story. Gracie and her partner well and truly lose their way after Gracie's miscarriage. Both of them hurting and lashing out. Gracie ultimately draws strength from her loss through the help of some amazing friends, her wonderful sister, a change of direction in her career, and a Hollywood hottie! Once again the author has dealt with a very difficult subject with sensitivity and compassion. A wonderfully told story.
Thsnks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Nicola May for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.