The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom by Beth Miller is a book that I find difficult to review. At first, I admit that I was drawn in by the synopsis and the adorable cover. As the book progresses, it becomes evident that there are some problematic elements to the story that are hard to overlook.
Title: The Two Hearts of Eliza BloomAuthor: Beth Miller
Publisher: Bookouture
Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Publication Date: March 1, 2019
Rating:
Meet Eliza Bloom: She likes to live life by the rules: long, blue skirt on Thursdays, dinner with mother on Fridays and if someone tells you a Valentine should be anonymous, give your new husband a blank card. Nothing is out of place in her ordered life…
But last night her teenage daughter found something in a hidden shoebox that no-one was supposed to see and started asking questions. Questions that might just change everything in Eliza’s carefully constructed world.
Join Eliza as she shows you how to run away with the love of your life (quite fast actually, as your family are coming after you), how to make your grandfather happy (this might involve a little bit of lying), how to let someone you love go (actually, this never gets easier) and how (now, this is a bad idea) to keep secrets from your new husband.
The only way to truly live is to learn how to open your heart.
An uplifting and heartbreaking novel about finding yourself, perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Keeper of Lost Things and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom by Beth Miller
At first glance, The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom does appear to be a book that is going to be charming and bring out all the feels. The comparison to one of my favourite reads, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine had me super excited to give this book a try. Unfortunately, the two books are not similar at all. Where Honeyman’s Eleanor is quirky and adorable, Miller’s Aliza is annoying and frustrating.
❀ Lots of Drama
Eliza breaks free from her life as an Orthodox Jew because she falls in love with a man from “the real world.” Her actions become aggravating to read, as she weaves a web of lies that she hides from her husband, friend, and family. It is hard to empathize with this character because she seems to create so much unnecessary drama.
❀ Trigger Warnings
It is not easy to review some aspects of this book without giving away the plot. However, there are quite a few trigger warnings to point out, including physical and emotional abuse. While these issues are ones that appear in quite a few contemporary novels, they are handled poorly in this particular book.
❀ Falls Short
The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom by Beth Miller seems to be a feel-good contemporary, it falls short, however. The main character is annoying and the story does not deal with issues of abuse appropriately. Unfortunately, it didn’t charm me as much as I had hoped.
About Lori
Avid reader. Contributor to The Candid Cover. Educator.
Too bad this wasn’t what you were hoping it would be. Eleanor Oliphant is one of my favorites.
Same! I was really excited about the comparison.
Very glad to read your review. I would have checked this out just because I like the title.
I haven’t read Eleanor Oliphant yet — it’s on my list!
Dianna recently posted…What Lies Below by Barbara Taylor Sissel #WhatLiesBelow #NetGalley
There is a lot on the surface that I like about this one. I hope that you enjoy Eleanor when you get the chance to read it! 🙂
It does sound good from the synopsis and has such a fun cover and title. Too bad it wasn’t what you were hoping it would be.
Laura Thomas recently posted…Saturday Screams #62 ~ Dark Corners Three Times Around
It does sound like it is going to be a fun read. I think that there will be some who do enjoy it. Just not for me. 😉
Great honest review! Annoying and frustrating heroines are the worst! I’m sorry this book didn’t meet your expectations!
Raven @ Dreamy Addictions recently posted…Stolen Time (Dark Stars #1) By Danielle Rollins [Review]
Thanks, Raven! I couldn’t agree with you more. 😉
Great review, but I have to admit that it bummed me out. I hadn’t heard of this book before, but was immediately won over the the blurb. As I read your review, I started to lose interest because it sounds like the author really needed to up the game on the abuse situation. I think I’ll pass on this one now. Thanks for writing such a nice, honest review.
Exactly. I think that if there was a bit more discussion on how to make things better it would have really changed a lot about how I feel about the book.
Thanks for your honest review.