The Home For Broken Hearts by Rowan Coleman Blog Tour

From the back of the book:

THE DOOR IS OPEN . . . For young widow Ellen Wood, her Victorian home is a refuge—a place to feel safe with her eleven-year-old son, Charlie. But when money grows so tight that Ellen could lose the house, her sister, Hannah, makes a radical suggestion . . . rent out some of the rooms. Soon Ellen has three lodgers: Sabine, a German coworker of Hannah’s, recently separated from her husband; Allegra, an eccentric but wise novelist; and Matt, an up-and-coming young journalist in search of his voice, who has just landed a plum job in London. Ellen thinks three strangers are the last complication she needs, but they make her realize just how isolated she has become. Their presence exposes a secret she’s been keeping hidden, as well as a conflict with her sister that is both shocking and revealing. And while a love affair with a younger man seems like a fantasy powered by her imagination, Ellen can’t deny her deep connection to Matt, or the changes he inspires in her and her relationship with Charlie. Outside her home’s sheltering walls lies a world of opportunity as well as danger. Now that she’s had the courage to open the door, does Ellen dare step through?Witty, moving, and deeply insightful, The Home for Broken Hearts celebrates everything that makes life worth living, from an author who knows just how to speak to the heart.

My take on this book: Ellen Wood is coming to the one year anniversary of the death of her husband. She had always depended on him, really built her world around him and their 12 yr old son, so when she realizes that his life insurance isn't going to pay off she knows she is in financial jeopardy. So in order to keep her house she takes her sister Hannah's advice and opens her home to boarders.
Once deciding to do this she soon has three people move into her home, the three come with their own problems. Allegra is an older romance novelist who in the beginning with all her demands seemed a bit hoity toity. but soon became a lovable character with a lot of wisdom to impart. Sabine, a co worker of Hannah's is in the midst of sorting out her marriage, and Matt well he is a hunky man, who writes for a living, lands his dream job writing for a smutty men's magazine.
Ellen is grieving the loss of her husband, and what she considered her perfect marriage, but as more is revealed you soon  come to the conclusion that her marriage wasn't what she thought it was. Her husband Nick becomes a very real character in the story, and a secret is revealed that makes Ellen realize she needs to let the past go.The people whom Ellen opens her home to, stand by her and become true friends, they become a sympathetic ear but also aren't afraid to tell her the truth when she needs to hear it.
I really enjoyed this book, the characters were great and you really felt Ellen was truly coming into her own by the end of the story. My favorite secondary character had to be Allegrea, I loved her quick wit and she was good for a few laughs.A book well worth reading. I look forward to reading more by this new to me author.


I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review!