Book Review: The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover

“Giving people we care about space to be themselves, instead of the people we want them to be, is a skill, too.”

Ellen O’Clover, The Heartbreak Hotel

Review:

This book started off strong for me. I loved the vibes, the setting, and even the setup. By the halfway point, I felt like I was in reader limbo. 

After being dumped by her famous boyfriend, Louisa (Lou) has only one demand: that she’s allowed to keep the house. Unfortunately, without Nate’s money and without a job as she waits to take the test for her license in psychology, she decides to open the house as a bed and breakfast, inviting other people going through breakups and offering them counseling. But before she can do this, she has to get permission from the landlord, Henry… and for her rent to be waived while she runs the place. 

I wasn’t put off straight away by the concept of her working as an unlicensed therapist, given my mother works in the field, and while it is technically legal, Lou’s glaring lack of experience and disclosure made the entire situation feel off. As the story went on, it was clear that Lou wasn’t emotionally capable of helping anyone at this time. I personally found the concept uncomfortable and impractical. 

Murky ethics aside, what I struggled with the most were the characters. I could not take Lou seriously as an adult. She presented like someone in her late teens, which, okay, can be explained by her traumatic/dysfunctional childhood and having been taken care of in a six-year relationship throughout her adulthood, but I didn’t find any redeeming qualities that made me particularly care about her story. She became downright obnoxious in response to events later on in the book. As for Henry, he was fine, I guess, but I found he lacked a distinguishable personality. I think he made some weird decisions regarding Lou, but that’s neither here nor there at this point. 

Needless to say, I found this book to be an accumulation of irritations and question marks. Again, the setting was nice and cozy, but that was about it. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• I loved the idea of an old house being turned into a bed & breakfast.

What I didn’t like:

• The side characters had all the personality.
• I didn’t see the chemistry between Lou and Henry.
• Lou’s ethics were questionable.
• When Henry (finally) begins telling Lou about his past in the house… why the heck did that lead into a romantic moment? I cringed so hard.

Afterthoughts:

I think it’s going to be a little while before I pick another romcom from Book of the Month unless I’m familiar with the author.

Where to buy the book: