This sweet book was emotional and touching. Couldn’t put it down! So many layers to this one. Also, tons of wit and charm!

I settled into read a few chapters and just couldn't stop chomping my way through this book. I read it all in one go and cried at the right moment and felt joy and hope at the right moments too. This is a book that takes a topic - miscarriage - and makes a book out of all the people that touch those involved and builds the story by weaving the broader impact on those around Gracie. Gracie is flattened by bad news, and the book shows her slowly refilling with air and getting herself onto her new road with effort and care.

Unfortunately had to DNF this book. I will not put myself through reading a book where one of the MMCs has rape allegations. I totally see where May was going with this story of female empowerment and new beginnings, unfortunately I just couldn’t get past the strange male POVs and underlying misogynistic tone.

This book may be good for some readers but I didn’t work for me.

Thanks to Net Galley and storm publishing for this arc.

A spicy , very sad at time but gripping story. All the characters are interconnected in a way you would not believe . I loved it. Some amazing twists and I loved how love can conquer all. A brilliant ending. So much I can’t say, it is sad at times Read it . You will love it . I can’t wait for friends to read it to see if they think as I do re the ending .

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.

Nothing in this book makes sense. It starts out quite heartbreaking but I thought this would grow to be something heartwarming, and cute. However, that's not what we're getting.

I did not finish at 20% after waiting for the story to begin. All the characters apparently get their chapter but it's all a mess with no real structure. All the characters are horrible.

Gracie was thinking about having sex with her husband after his horrible, red-flag comments? Wtf, throw the whole man out immediately. And then saying she still loved him even after he cheated on her with her COWORKER? both horrible.

The professor? Horrible. The barrista? horrible.

I knew I had to stop reading when she continued glorifying pregnancy as a woman's only purpose. The entire thing was misogynistic, and I get it, there are some women who want kids, but guess what, your life doesn't stop at them.

Saying she wasn't a woman anymore because she couldn't have kids was infuriating. Also, what's with the false rape accusation subplot? It came out of nowhere, the barrister knew the person was randomly innocent, with absolutely no details about the case.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced e-book copy.

Absolutely brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending it.

How to Fix a Broken Heart is a great read.
Please read the trigger warnings for this book! T

he cover looks cute, The story is emotion, heartbreaking, gut retching even. I did enjoy this read but it will be a very hard read for some readers with topics of pregnancy loss and loss of fertility. How much heart break can one person go through is how you feel reading this but this is the very sad reality for lots of women. I enjoy reading this book that's relatable as far as having trouble getting pregnant and loss. Also the BF is a POS.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced e-book copy.

Trigger warnings: How to Fix a Broken Heart revolves heavily around miscarriage and infertility.

Gracie Davies's life turns upside down when she loses her twins. Gracie’s boyfriend, Lewis, commits the ultimate betrayal, which leads to the demise of their relationship, making everything so much worse. She tries to rebuild her life, but is healing possible for her when she’s gone through so much trauma?

I overall enjoyed this story despite the difficult subject matter. There was drama happening left and right, and it felt like I was getting whiplash. I think it would have been better if the story focused on the main plot vs. adding multiple subplots.

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* 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,