REVIEW: Owner of a Lonely Heart by Eva Carter

In Owner of a Lonely Heart by Eva Carter, The last few years haven’t been entirely kind to Gemma, since losing her husband to illness not long after they married. But lately she’s been toying with the idea of making a new(ish) start. It’s when she’s on the way to a weekly appointment with her beloved dog Bear by her side that she finds a new purpose. Helping Dan through his anxiety and doubts over his twelve-year-old daughter Casey’s treatments to shrink a brain tumor is definitely in Gemma’s wheelhouse considering the time she spent in the hospital with her own beloved husband a couple of years ago. But it’s her attraction to Dan that unsettles her. Her life is complicated enough already. Is she really ready to try dating again?

‘For so long I’ve believed that my husband would forever be the man I saw when I shut my eyes. But maybe what I need is someone who can also be there when I open them.’

Dan feels like he’s floundering since finding out his daughter Casey, whom he’s never met, wants to stay with him in Bristol while she’s going through treatments. His history with her mum, Angelica, is not something he’s proud of. Actually, there’s a lot of Dan’s past that he’d rather put behind him. But he’s not going to pass up the opportunity to get to know Casey. Even if it’s only for a month. Surprisingly, father and daughter form a tenuous bond at first that soon turns into genuine affection and respect. Dan is afraid, though, that if Casey and Gemma find out about his background–and a few details about his current life–he’ll lose out on what could be the best thing(s) to ever happen to him.

I wrap my arms around her, and after a second’s tense hesitation, she lets herself sink into me and her chest begins to heave, but she stays silent. Even now, this brave girl can’t quite let herself go.
“Oh, Casey,” I whisper into the top of her head…and I feel her tears rolling down my chest.

The emotional story of three lonely people and the trauma that brought them to their present circumstances, Owner of a Lonely Heart explored families–specifically the dynamic between fathers and their children–grief, letting go of fear, redemption and hope.

‘Families can be a puzzle, but they don’t have to rely on blood, or genes. They’re formed by trust and truth and love. And once you’ve found yours, it will always carry you home.’

Owner of a Lonely Heart was a poignant novel that had tears streaming down my face by the satisfying, albeit quick, ending. Told from three POVs: Gemma, Dan, and Casey, mostly during the month of July in Bristol, England, each of them was about to embark on steps in their lives that would not only take courage, but that would also change them in monumental ways. I won’t give away the specifics as that will ruin how author Eva Carter wove their personal stories together. But when fate intervened and threw Gemma and Dan on the same path at the local cancer center–well, fate and a loveable terrier pup named Bear–their connection was instantaneous. Although the timing was less than ideal.

Widow Gemma was still coming to terms with the death of her husband a couple of years prior and was thinking of setting into motion a plan they’d made together. In some ways it felt like she was stuck in a holding pattern. In other ways it seemed like Gemma was on the verge of being ready to truly start living again. Then Dan entered the picture. He was a man that while charming and constantly trying to help those around him realize their own worth, had some deep-seated issues from his childhood. He made choices that I wasn’t entirely on board with which made it take some time (and learning his backstory) before I could warm up to him.

But I did love watching Dan meet his twelve-year-old daughter Casey for the first time. After the initial expected awkwardness, it was completely heartwarming with how amazed he was at her bravery. Casey and Dan formed a unique bond together as well as one with Gemma (and Bear). It was smile-worthy and touching. But it was the lies of omission by a couple of the characters that made me pause. As a reader, it was easy to see that things would blow up in their faces. Although how it was handled after all the truths came out was well worth the drama, with a conclusion that was fast but left everyone in a good place.

QOTD: Do you prefer novels told from single, dual, or multiple points of view?

Book Info:

Publication: Published January 17, 2023 | by Dell |

From the author of How to Save a Life comes a heartfelt story of two people finding the courage to choose love, no matter how hard it may be.

Gemma thought she had her future all mapped out. She had a wonderful husband, a cute apartment, and plans to start a family. But just months after their wedding, illness took her husband from her. And now she finds herself trying to think up new dreams, when all she really wants are her old ones back.

Across town, Dan’s also rethinking his life. He’s about to meet his twelve-year-old daughter, Casey, for the very first time. She’s tracked him down because she needs a place to stay for the summer while she receives treatment for a brain tumor at the city hospital, and Dan is terrified he won’t be up to the task of taking care of her; after all, he’s structured his entire life so that no one has to rely on him.

But when fate (with the help of Gemma’s scruffy terrier, Bear) brings these three strangers together one scorching July morning, there’s an instant connection among them. And it soon becomes clear that this summer could change everything–if only they’ll let it.

Will Gemma, Dan, and Casey be brave enough to let love in and build a new life together? Or will they let fear keep everything they’ve ever wanted just out of reach?