RED HEADED BOOK LOVER

The Lonely Hearts Hotel, Heather O’Neill

The Lonely Hearts Hotel is a love story with a difference. Set throughout the roaring twenties, it is a wicked fairytale of circus tricks and child prodigies, radical chorus girls, drug-addicted musicians and brooding clowns, set in an underworld whose economy hinges on the price of a kiss.

It is the tale of two dreamers, abandoned in an orphanage where they were fated to meet. Here, in the face of cold, hunger and unpredictable beatings, Rose and Pierrot create a world of their own, shielding the spark of their curiosity from those whose jealousy will eventually tear them apart.

When they meet again, each will have changed, having struggled through the Depression, through what they have done to fill the absence of the other. But their childhood vision remains – a dream to storm the world, a spectacle, an extravaganza that will lift them out of the gutter and onto a glittering stage.

The Lonely Hearts Hotel is a novel unlike anything I have read before; It is a dark, gritty, mysterious story but it is also a story of love and overcoming your past. It is a modern, twisted fairy tale about what love is and what love means and it is poetically beautiful to read. This novel is a novel that has to be experienced and it is so wonderful to do that seeing as it is set in the 1920’s which so happens to be my favorite second era – after the 1950’s of course! It truly is a stunning novel that transports the reader to an era that is so very different to our own and I cannot help right now but express how much I loved it! Here is a little bit more about this spellbinding novel.

The Lonely Hearts Hotel tells the story of two young orphans who grew up together in a run down, cruel orphanage in Montreal, Circa in 1914. Their names are Rose and Pierrot. They are two souls that quickly bond over their love of performing. Pierrot is a piano prodigy with an undying love for music and its beauty and Rose is a young woman who loves the art of performing and she will do so for anyone at any place at any time. Together they dream of creating the most enticing, spellbinding circus in the world, however, the two are sadly separated as they age and so this novel becomes a story of their individual journeys and eventually their journey back to each other and their exciting futures as performers.

This novel is quite simply stunning, it is a novel that features heavily on the art of performing, the mafia, drugs, prostitution and finding yourself. All of these themes combined make it an unforgettable story, unlike anything the reading world has ever seen. It is a novel that can be very hard hitting at times but I think as a reader it is important to read these kinds of novels, it is important to read about themes that happen in our world today so that we can learn what happens and what to do about it. My point is that I really did adore how this was a gritty, hard-hitting novel all whilst being a stunning novel set in the roaring 1920’s and I have to say now… if you adore that era then you will adore this novel! It is a spectacle and its novels words play out in your mind like a movie so you can’t help but feel as a reader that you are in Montreal in the 1920’s, it is quite simply breathtaking!

Whilst I was reading this novel I was truly shocked by our author’s incredible vision for this story. It reads beautifully and the writing was very poetic and beautifully descriptive. Our author O’Neill immediately made me fall in love with every aspect of this story – the setting, the characters, the story… I was instantly sold and reveled in its beauty.

To conclude my thoughts on this beautiful, charming, elegant story I would say if you love the art of performing, historical fiction, the 1920’s, or reading about the great depression then you will love this story! It is a novel full of heartache, love and hopes all at the same time and it quite simply is stunning.  This enchanting novel gets Five Stars from me!

Thank you so much as ever for reading book lovers I appreciate it so much! Please do let me know your wonderful thoughts below; I would love to know! Could you see yourself reading this novel? Do you love historical fiction? Do you adore the 1920’s just like me?! Let me know below! Thank you so much again for reading!

Goodbye for now book lovers,

P.S. Here is a preview of the book for all of you lovely readers to enjoy! Please have a read of the preview and if you find that you have loved what you have read then all you need to do is click the Buy on Amazon button and it will take you straight to the book on Amazon USA! If you are in the U.K. then below I have attached a link to the book for the Amazon U.K. website. Thank you so much again for reading book lovers, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this book!   

Amazon U.K. / Goodreads / Book Depository / Publisher; Quercus – Riverrun

Thank you so much for reading!

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bibliobeth

Fantastic review! I bought this book a couple of months ago and REALLY need to get to it now!!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  Aimee Ann

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

bibliobeth
Reply to  Aimee Ann

I used to devour them along with thrillers but now I’ve just got SO many books to get to they tend to get forgotten about at the back of my shelves which is a shame! ☹️

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  Aimee Ann

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

bibliobeth
Reply to  Aimee Ann

Definitely not! My TBR is SO huge!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  bibliobeth

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  bibliobeth

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

watchingthedaisies

Sounds like a very unique read.

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  Aimee Ann

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

watchingthedaisies

I know very little about the 1920s. 😊

booksrock2017
booksrock2017

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

watchingthedaisies
Reply to  booksrock2017

Many thanks. I love your positive feedback. Welcome to the blogging community.🌼🌼🌼

seeliepages

This book has been sitting on my shelf for
a while now, you just reminded me why I wanted to read it so bad in the first place!!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  Aimee Ann

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

I haven’t read very much from that era but I’ve loved everything that I have read! Maybe this book will make me obsessed with it too! 😊

seeliepages
Reply to  seeliepages

I love historical fiction, it’s one of my favourite genres! I think it’s so incredible how you can step into someone else’s life or view a time and place that doesn’t exist anymore. I believe strongly that remembering things is how they continue to exist once they’re gone, so it’s almost a treasure to be able to read books from or set in the past

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

Two that I really loved are called The Dovekeepers and The Red Tent and both are set in biblical times but they surround women in that time period and they’re really interesting! And my favourites from the world war 2 era are The Book Thief, All the Light We Cannot See, and The Nightingale! 😊 do you have any recommendations?

seeliepages
Reply to  seeliepages

You should read it, it’s one of my favourites! I think the writing style is part of what makes it so great, it’s narrated by death in a really unique way! It’s definitely worth the read and I think it will live up to the hype!

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

No problem, I’m excited to hear what you think!!

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

No I haven’t I was too afraid that it wouldn’t live up to the book!

seeliepages
Reply to  seeliepages

Well I’ve heard that for the death narration parts they show the clouds moving … so I don’t know lol … it might not be bad but I haven’t heard anyone say they loved it either so!

seeliepages
Reply to  seeliepages

I haven’t read those but A Gentleman in Moscow is on my tbr list already! I’ll check them out for sure though, thank you!!

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

Ooh I love additional things like transcripts!

seeliepages
Reply to  seeliepages

It sounds really good!! Just from the synopsis it sounds like it’s written beautifully! And it’s a really intriguing concept! But on Goodreads it had no reviews or even ratings? Is it new?

seeliepages
Reply to  seeliepages

I bet! I’ll definitely get it! 😊

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

I will for sure!

seeliepages
Reply to  seeliepages

No problem! I do too! I haven’t seen the tv series yet but I’m definitely intrigued to since the book was so good

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

Well idk how much you know about the bible but basically Jacob is an important figure in it and he has 12 sons and a daughter and the daughters story is briefly touched on in the bible about a tragedy that happened to her but this author gives light to that event and to the daughters whole life through her own perspective rather than the men who wrote the bible, so the daughter tells us her mothers story and then her own and it’s written beautifully! I’m not even very religious and I loved it

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

Yay!! I love spreading great book love! Let me know when you read it, I’d love to hear what you think 😊

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

No I haven’t but I really want to! Have you read and watched it?

seeliepages
Reply to  Aimee Ann

I’ve heard the actor for the main guy looks very different than he’s supposed to! But I think I’ll start with the book!

seeliepages
Reply to  seeliepages

I will for sure! I can’t wait to 😁

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  seeliepages

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

Vijayalakshmi Harish
Vijayalakshmi Harish

Love the cover!

Vijayalakshmi Harish
Vijayalakshmi Harish
Reply to  Aimee Ann

I have no particular liking for any particular era 😊

booksrock2017
booksrock2017

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

Vijayalakshmi Harish
Vijayalakshmi Harish
Reply to  booksrock2017

Thank you!

Annie

You’ve convinced me, because I love all those ingredients you said, especially the 20s! Great review 😀

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  Annie

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  Annie

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

keeperofliterature

This book looks like my kind of novel. I love the 1920s, and individual journeys of protagonists that make their way back to each other. Yet another book to add to my reading list. Thanks for the great review and recommendation!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

mybookinggreatblog

I absolutely adored this book!!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017
Reply to  Aimee Ann

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

mybookinggreatblog
Reply to  Aimee Ann

I loved how the love story developed! I wrote a review on it on my blog: https://mybookinggreatblog.com/2017/03/29/book-review-the-lonely-hearts-hotel-by-heather-oneill/

mybookinggreatblog

Currently reading Do Not Say We Have Nothing although it’s taking me an age to read it!! Thanks for all your love on my blog btw!!

mybookinggreatblog

Bit of both really! It was shortlisted for the Baileys prize for women fiction and also for man Booker. It’s a hard book to summarise but I’ll give it a go once I finally finish it for the review!

mybookinggreatblog

I haven’t yet read it but I’m slowly going to work my way through that shortlist!!

mybookinggreatblog
Reply to  Aimee Ann

Awww great! I would for sure read The Power again! That was great!

booksrock2017
booksrock2017

New to wordpress and had to say that your blog is awesome and so is this comment! Agree with what you said 100%. follow my blog for when its ready. Keep BOOK ROCKING!

mybookinggreatblog
Reply to  booksrock2017

Why thanks!! I’ve been a bit quiet over the summer!

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