Solar Eclipse of the Heart

Dial Delights #4

by Kate Robb

A grieving researcher finds her orderly life derailed when her aspiring musician roommate’s leather jacket sparks inexplicable visions—and an inconvenient romance that defies all logic.

Annalise Harris believes in facts and figures—her shield against a world that has thrown her too many curveballs. Raised by her uncle after her mother’s untimely death, she’s always relied on logic to avoid the unexpected. So when her uncle passes away, Annalise is left reeling. Grief doesn’t follow rules. There’s no rational explanation as to why life keeps dealing her such a brutal hand.

Luckily, she has an escape a PhD program abroad, where she can immerse herself in scientific reasoning and leave everything else behind. She’s almost packed and she’s found Mackenzis Smith—the perfect roommate to watch over the house while she’s gone. But unluckily, Mackenzie is not the female roommate she was expecting, but a leather-jacket-wearing, wannabe rockstar, extremely attractive man. At least they’ll only be sharing the space for a few months. Then she’ll be gone.

Except Mackenzie is more than he appears—and so is his jacket. When Annalise slips it on one afternoon, she’s struck by inexplicable visions that defy every law of logic she holds dear. One moment she’s standing in her apartment; the next, she’s somewhere completely different…and nobody can see her. Is she hallucinating? Has the stress of all the impending changes broken her brain? As Annalise scrambles to explain the impossible, she and Mackenzie grow closer, bonding over Hallmark Christmas movies and their neighbor’s inexplicably strange baked goods.

There’s no rational reason an old leather jacket should unlock visions—or for Annalise to fall for a musician with an uncertain future just as she’s preparing to move across an ocean. But for the first time since losing her uncle, she feels something she thought was gone for happiness. 

The question is, can she trust it? And can she follow her heart—even if it means letting go of sense?

Genres: Romance, Magical Realism, Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult Romance

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 6, 2026

Reviews

[CatsBnB]

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Solar Eclipse of the Heart was pure magic!💜💫

A story filled with romance, longing, grief, friendship, wonder, and just enough mystery to make me question whether perhaps the impossible isn't so impossible after all.

Annalise believes in facts, science, and logic. Mackenzie believes in fate, signs, and the things that can't always be explained. She is a neuroscientist who needs an explanation for everything, while he's a musician who is perfectly comfortable believing in the things that can't be explained. So when the roommate Annalise is expecting turns out to be a charming, leather jacket wearing musician, and his vintage black leather jacket begins unlocking visions that defy every ounce of her scientific reasoning, her carefully ordered world starts to shift.

And I loved every minute of it.💖

The romance between Annalise and Mackenzie was everything I wanted. A slow burn filled with yearning, longing, tenderness, banter, and just enough angst to make my heart ache. Mackenize falls first, but he never tries to rush her. He sees the walls around her heart and gives her the space to find her way through them. Their relationship felt honest, mature, and refreshingly free of unnecessary misunderstandings. I was completely, hopelessly rooting for them.🥰💕

But what makes this story so special was the way romance and grief could exist side by side without one eclipsing the other.

Annalise has endured so much loss. After losing her mother and then her beloved Uncle Larry, she has learned to move through life by holding tightly to what she can understand. Watching her slowly open herself to love, friendship, possibility, and happiness again was incredibly moving.

Her grief mattered, but it was never allowed to become the whole story. There was still room for laughter, friendship, romance, wonder, and all those little moments that make a life feel full. Watching Annalise find her people, let herself be cared for, and realize that there is still so much life waiting for her was one of my favorite parts of the book.

And then there was Uncle Larry, with his belief in shooting stars, signs, and all his wonderful little isms. I adored the way his presence lingered throughout the story. Maybe some of the things Annalise dismissed as impossible weren't so impossible after all.

I fell in love with the little things, too, the Hallmark Christmas movies that somehow began in October, the texts between Annalise and MacKenzie, the Christmas traditions, her collection of ornaments, rooftop stargazing, Coco, and Harmoney with her wonderfully questionable baked goods. Those details made the story feel warm, whimsical, and alive, and made these characters feel like people I didn't want to leave behind.🎄🍪

I was swooning, smiling, laughing, and tearing up throughout this beautiful story.🥹💓 I loved these characters, I loved their journey, and I loved the quiet reminder that sometimes we can miss life's most beautiful moments when we're too busy searching for a rational explanation.

Maybe we aren't meant to understand everything.✨ Maybe some people find us exactly when we're ready for them. 💓Maybe the universe sends us what we need, right when we need it. 🌙 And maybe, just maybe, magic does exist after all.💫💜

I've read all of Kate Robb's books, and they just keep getting better and better. I can't wait to add this one to my growing collection of her books.📚❤️

I wholeheartedly recommend this beautiful, magical, heartwarming story. It deserves every magical star!!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[BookishKB]

❤️ Solar Eclipse of the Heart ❤️

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• Magical Realism
• Opposites Attract
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Forced Roommates
• Healing After Loss
_ _ _

📅 Pub Date: October 6, 2026
Thank you to Dial Press Trade Paperback, Random House, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Kayla Moore]

Thank you NetGalley and The Dial Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 ⭐️

Kate Robb has done it again. Magical realism, complicated family dynamics, and characters you absolutely fall in love with. I love the strong and smart FMC, who sometimes has a hard time not looking for the logical and scientific explanations for everything.

Mackenzie - the hot, leather jacket wearing musician who writes his own songs. I was destined to fall in love with you the second you were introduced.

I am still picturing the stars and the solar eclipse and the magic that this book brought me.

[Annie K]

TL;DR: A slow-burn, tension-filled contemporary romance with a logical, relatable FMC, great chemistry, and a magical realism thread that didn’t fully land for me—but still a very enjoyable read overall.

I love a Kate Robb book. Her romances are always top tier, and she writes some of the best tension I’ve ever read—this one is no exception. It’s also a deliciously slow burn, which left me equal parts frustrated and enthralled. When Annalise and the MMC finally got together, I was cheering.

I really enjoyed Annalise as a character. She’s a neuroscientist who studies how addiction affects the brain, so she approaches the world from a very logical lens—something I can definitely relate to. It was fun watching her go from analyzing her feelings to actually experiencing them in real time. As a logical person myself, learning how to actually *feel* things is very real, lol.

The magical realism element of the book, however, left a little to be desired. I usually enjoy Kate Robb’s twists, but her last two ventures into magical realism have felt a bit disconnected from the storyline, and I can’t help but wonder if she might be even stronger sticking to contemporary romance.

I also always love the Canadian settings. As an American, it’s fun noticing the small cultural differences that show up in her books. In many ways we’re very similar, but her writing makes those subtle distinctions stand out.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. If you love slow burns and stories with a touch of magic or hallucination-like elements, this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Laci Rambo]

Thank you so much to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and I’m tearing up a bit at the fact that I just finished it. I love every single character. I love the plot, the magic, the “signs”, and especially Uncle Larry. I want this book on my shelf and I don’t normally do shelf trophies. This is my first Kate Robb book, but I will absolutely be reading all of her other novels asap. I also love the Easter egg list at the very end explaining some details that are connected with her other books. Ugh!! I’m just excited about this and it’s made me all happy and giddy. It was everything I wanted it to be.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️

[Sarah]

Kate Robb, you are my favorite rom-com-with-a-magical-element author!!! I was approved for this eARC 3 months ago but I saved it because I knew I would not want it to end… and I was right. I absolutely love the way Robb weaves just a tiny bit of magical realism into her books, and her characters, plots, and dialog are all TOP NOTCH. More of this, please!!! (I also LOVED the connections pointed out at the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Steph]

The book was pure magic & I fear I may never recover 😩❤️

[Jodi Schulz]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I have really enjoyed Kate Robb’s other books and this one was just okay. I will say I flew through it, reading it in just a few hours. But the story was really just okay and I never really connected with any of the characters.

[Paige Pendley]

4.5

A very cute story about love, loss and found family. I love the slow growth of Mackenzie and Annalise’s genuine friendship and then romantic connection. I love when authors tie up references and loose ends from the beginning of the story and Kate Robb does a great job! I could have used a little more magical realism but overall a very good story!

[Elizabeth]

At this point, Kate Robb has become one of those authors whose books I pick up without much hesitation. She consistently writes romances with incredible chemistry, and Solar Eclipse of the Heart is no exception. If you're a fan of slow-burn romance that makes you work for the payoff, this one absolutely delivers.

One of my favorite things about the book was Annalise. As a neuroscientist who studies addiction, she approaches life through a deeply analytical lens, always looking for a logical explanation before allowing herself to embrace uncertainty. I found her incredibly relatable. Watching her slowly move from observing her emotions to actually experiencing them was one of the strongest parts of the story for me. Her personal growth felt just as important as the romance itself.

And speaking of the romance—Kate Robb really knows how to write tension. The relationship between Annalise and Mackenzie unfolds gradually, built through friendship, banter, shared routines, and quiet moments that steadily become something more. I spent much of the book rooting for them to finally get out of their own way. The payoff felt well-earned, which is exactly what I want from a slow burn.

I also loved the found-family elements woven throughout the story. As Annalise begins opening herself up to new friendships and connections, the book develops a warmth that extends beyond the central romance. There’s a cozy, comforting quality to the story that reminded me a little of the feeling you get watching a favorite holiday movie—fitting, given all the Christmas movie references sprinkled throughout.

The magical realism element was probably the one aspect that didn't work quite as well for me. While I appreciated what it brought to Annalise's emotional journey, it sometimes felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the story. I found myself more invested in the character growth, relationships, and romance than I was in unraveling the mystery of the jacket and its unusual abilities. That's not to say it didn't add anything—I just think the contemporary romance side of the story was where the book truly shined.

I also would have loved a little more depth from Mackenzie. He's incredibly likable, supportive, and easy to root for, but there were moments where I wished we got a clearer picture of his inner world beyond how perfectly he fit into Annalise's life.

Even so, I had a great time with this book. The chemistry is excellent, the slow burn is wonderfully satisfying, and Annalise's journey of learning to embrace life instead of simply analyzing it gave the story a lot of heart. If you enjoy character-driven romances with a touch of magic, strong emotional growth, and plenty of romantic tension, Solar Eclipse of the Heart is well worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

[Jaclyn]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read the full review here: https://medium.com/@jaclyn.havington/...

Summer is the perfect time for love stories, and over the past few years there are few love stories I have enjoyed more than those written by Kate Robb.

To date, Canadian author Kate Robb has 3 books published — This Spells Love, Prime Time Romance, and Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance. Her fourth novel, Solar Eclipse of the Heart is scheduled to be released in October.

Kate’s genre is Romance, sprinkled with a bit of magic. Think Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, or Katherine Center…but with an extra bit of magical realism that really makes her stories stand out. This Spells Love involves a spell involving margaritas and chicken wings (two of my favorite things, which perhaps is what initially drew me to Kate’s writing), Prime Time Romance has a birthday cake that can transport you to your favorite teen sitcom (think Dawson’s Creek or Gilmore Girls), and Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance featured a time transporting diary. The spark of magic in Solar Eclipse of the Heart is a vintage leather jacket that that triggers magical visions.

The main characters in Solar Eclipse of the Heart are Annaliese Harris, a researcher and PhD candidate, and Mackenzie Smith, an aspiring rockstar who happens to be her new roommate. Their chemistry is electric from the second they meet(cute). Having only corresponded via email, Annaliese mistakenly believed Mackenzie was a different (female) Mackenzie Smith, and is more than a little surprised when she walks out of the bathroom in a towel to find a strange man in her apartment.

The cast of secondary characters in this novel is also excellent. Annaliese’s decease Uncle Larry, a firm believer in signs, plays a large role in the novel, as well as her friend Koko who owns the thrift shop below her apartment. Her neighbor, Harmony, who loves to bake but has questionable (at best) taste for ingredients is a fun addition to the cast.

I also delighted to see some nods to locations, characters, and in-universe pop-culture references from Kate’s previous novels show up in this book! It feels like we are starting to get a nice little Kate Robb-iverse, and I couldn’t possibly be more delighted!

This was a slow-burn romance (the best kind!) and much like Kate’s other books it was on the midly-spicy side. You can expect one or two spicier love scenes in her books. I’d rate her somewhere between Katherine Center and Emily Henry on the spice scale.

[Case]

I’ve really enjoyed every Kate Robb book I’ve picked up so far. They’re sweet, slightly magical romances that are unapologetically Canadian. As someone from Ontario, there’s something especially comforting about seeing familiar places and references woven so naturally into the setting.

More than anything, Solar Eclipse of the Heart felt like the warm hug of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Not because the story follows the same formula, but because it creates that same feeling of comfort and hope. It’s the kind of book that lets you settle in, turn your brain off for a while, and believe things might actually work out.

I loved that Mackenzie was very clearly all in from the beginning, and that the tension never came from him. He doesn’t play games, push Annalise before she’s ready, or try to bulldoze through her walls with grand romantic gestures. He likes her exactly as she is and simply gives her the space to figure things out in her own time.

I think that’s reflective of the book as a whole. It isn’t really asking anyone to change. It’s about meeting people where they are. Throughout the story, Annalise is surrounded by people who keep showing up for her without asking her to become a different version of herself first. Whether it’s Mackenzie, Larry and the mystical jacket, or her friends quietly pulling her back into their lives, everyone just keeps reminding her there’s still a place for her until she’s ready to believe it herself.

I found Annalise herself to be sort of endearing too. She’s anxious, guarded, overthinks everything, and spends so much time convincing herself she’s on the outside looking in. But she’s gone through an incredible amount of loss for someone her age, so those reactions never felt frustrating or overdone to me. There were moments where I saw parts of myself that I’m not always proud of, and instead of making me frustrated with her, they made me root for her even more.

I don’t mind books that explore grief, but I appreciated that it never became Annalise’s entire identity. It explained why she had closed herself off while leaving room for a much more hopeful message that you’re still worthy of friendship, fun, and love, even when you’re struggling to believe it yourself.

Maybe that’s why the Hallmark comparison felt so fitting. Beneath the magic and the romance, this is really a comfort read about ordinary people choosing each other, and I finished it feeling a little lighter than when I started.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book!

[Kristi Duke]

Thank you, NetGalley & Random House Publishing, for the eARC

5 starts

PhD candidate Annalise Harris lives her life following science, facts, and logic, disregarding the idea of magic and fate. When her mother dies when she is 16, she is taken in by her Uncle Larry, who is all things positivity and magic and whimsy. He's a true believer in magic and wishing on shooting stars. When her Uncle Larry dies of cancer 5 years later, she plans to escape her grief by accepting a PhD program abroad. She puts out an ad for roommate who will sublet her paid-off apartment when she's in her program for 2 years. Mackenzie Smith answers the ad, and to Annalise's surprise, Mackenzie is a hot, leather jacket wearing musician and not a girl she thought she was talking to several weeks leading up to the move in. When Annalise puts on his jacket, she is taken back through the life of the jacket's owners, casting past visions of her Uncle Larry, a current bandmate of Mackenzie's, and even her former self. As Annalise tries to figure out what the visions the jacket presents all mean, her and Mackenzie grow closer, finding happiness together and opening her to the idea that maybe magic does exist after all.

I absolutely LOVED this story. I've read 3/4 of Kate's novels (the 4th is sitting on my bookshelf that I WILL read soon!) and I've really devoured all of them. Solar Eclipse of the Heart was everything I want in a magical realism/romance book. There was angst, humorous banter between the 2 MCs, side characters that were charming/entertaining, and a FMC who slowly learned to trust her heart and believe in the magic of love. The visions Annalise experienced via the leather jackets was done in a way that was easy to follow (sometimes I feel like I can get lost in the metrics of HOW a concept works and it leaves me more confused than anything) and the grief aspect was done in a way that wasn't overwhelming. I loved the friendship that grew between Mack and Annalise, from being official taste-testers to Harmony's baking to their Netflix and chill nights in.

Overall, I loved it and I recommend it for readers who enjoy a little bit of magic coinciding with their love stories.

Pub date: 10/6/26

[Pattricia Mesa]

Solar Eclipse of the Heart is Kate Robb's fourth novel, and I just want to start by congratulating her on reaching such an incredible milestone. The story follows Annalise Harris, a woman who has always relied on logic to guide every decision she makes. But when her beloved uncle passes away, Annalise is forced to navigate both grief and the unexpected inheritance he leaves behind, one that sends her on the adventure of a lifetime and slowly begins to challenge the carefully structured way she's always viewed the world.

This book really showcases Robb's growth as a writer. While I loved the whimsical, almost teenage dream quality of her earlier books, Solar Eclipse of the Heart feels noticeably more mature, more grounded, and more reflective. I really enjoyed this shift. Rather than bouncing back and forth between a "what if" reality and the real world, we get to spend our time fully immersed in Annalise and Mackenzie's journey, allowing both their relationship and their individual growth to take center stage. Their romance is a true slow burn, one that develops naturally and feels earned every step of the way.

And then there's the ending. I honestly don't know how Kate Robb keeps doing it, but every single one of her books manages to leave me in tears. She has this rare ability to write endings that feel magical without ever losing their emotional authenticity. She has such a beautiful way of bringing her stories to a close, leaving readers with a sense of hope, wonder, and just the right amount of heartbreak. This ending felt especially special because it reminded me that the best kind of magic isn't always found in extraordinary events, but in the people who change us and the choices we're brave enough to make. I truly can't think of a better way for a story like this to end.

Now the wait for book five officially begins, and I can't wait to see where Robb takes us next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Meghan]

Solar Eclipse of the Heart was my third Kate Robb book, and at this point I know I can count on her for two things: a little bit of magic and some top-tier banter. So when I got the chance to read this one early, I was very happy to jump in. Meanwhile, book number four is still sitting on my shelf, waiting patiently for me to get my life together.

This one is set over the Christmas season, but I would not really call it a holiday romance. It feels much more like a cozy fall/winter read about grief, healing, hope, and letting people in when your instinct is to keep everything tightly controlled. And honestly, grief felt like another character in this book. So much of what Annalise does, avoids, and believes is shaped by loss.

I really liked Annalise and Mackenzie together. Annalise is awkward, analytical, and very much a women-in-STEM win, while Mackenzie is softer, social, and much more comfortable just existing in the moment. Their personalities played off each other so well, and I loved watching that dynamic develop. Harmony and Koko also added so much to the story for me. Give me found family and people who show up for each other, and I am in.

The magical element is where Kate Robb always gets me. She does such a good job of dropping something completely impossible into an otherwise grounded story and just letting the characters deal with it. The jacket visions were fun, but they also tied really nicely into the bigger themes of memory, grief, and what we think we know about the people we love.

Overall, this was warm, funny, magical, and a lot more emotional than I expected. Kate Robb continues to be very good at taking grief, romance, awkward people, and one slightly impossible thing and turning it into something incredibly readable.

Thanks to Kate Robb, Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback & NetGalley for the advance copy!
“Solar Eclipse of the Heart” is available for purchase on October 8th

[Leah]

I stayed up until 1:30am to finish Solar Eclipse of the Heart because I didn't want to put it down. Thank you Kate Robb, Dial Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy. 100% worth the lack of sleep.

First off, Solar Eclipse of the Heart made me homesick, as many books that take place in the greater Toronto and WNY area do. I love when I can visualize the real life areas that the characters are in, it adds another level to the story for me. While Solar Eclipse of the Heart isn't a Christmas book, it gives cozy-ish Christmas vibes. Classic Hallmark Christmas movie in book form and I would have thought that even if Hallmark movies weren't sprinkled throughout. I classify as cozy-ish & not cozy because I grabbed way too many tissues while reading.

I absolutely loved both Annalise (women in STEM, yay!) and Mackenzie as the main characters and how much the found family of Harmony and Koko brought to the storyline. They were all relatable in their own ways with Annalise being awkward while Mackenzie is soft and sociable. The way the two played off each other was adorable and had you rooting for them all along. Oh & you can't tell me that Philip doesn't give off Sheldon from Big Bang Theory vibes. I also feel as though grief itself was almost another main recurring character in Solar Eclipse of the Heart. Most of the actions of Annalise were driven or shaped through grief.

I can 100% say that I did not see the twist coming. Looking back I should have, there were probably signs but it was as big of a reveal to me as it was the Annalise & Mackenzie and made me laugh so hard. Having read This Spells Love, also written by Robb, I enjoyed the sprinkles from it that I caught in passing and the confirmation of them in the back of the book.

Overall rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

[Ashley White]

It is really tragic that Kate Robb has written four books now and this is the first I've picked up.
I loved this book. The magical realism romance was right up my alley and it felt nostalgic and fresh at the same time. Watching Annalise and Mackenzie's relationship develop over the course of this book made me so happy. They're great together and I loved their relationship.
Annalise is grieving from the death of her uncle when Mackenzie comes into her life. She needs a roommate and chooses a female tuba player who's looking to move to Toronto after a series of messaging back and forth, only to find out that there's been a mistake and Mackenzie is actually a male drummer and guitar player from the same town with the same name. She's hesitant at first with living with a male, but agrees to try it out. Also coming into her life at the same time is a leather jacket that may have belonged to her recently deceased uncle that Mackenzie has purchased from the second hand clothing store below Annalise's apartment. When she puts the jacket on, she gets a vision of her uncle wearing it. Annalise must find a rational explanation for the visions she gets, prepare for moving to England for her PhD program, and deal with her increasing feelings for the attractive musician living in the room next door.
The banter is great, the secondary characters are wonderful and well fleshed out and I love that it takes place in Canada.
This book takes place mostly in the fall and winter and would be a great seasonal read. It has grumpy vs sunshine, forced proximity, magical realism, healing after loss, opposites attract, he falls first.
I can't wait to own this book and I will be reading the rest of Kate Robb's books in the future.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Meredith Redding]

I loved every second of this book! I have such a soft spot for Kate Robb. I read her debut novel back when I was first starting out on NetGalley, so I was just picking up whatever books I could get access to at the time. So it was such a nice surprise when This Spells Love turned out to be such a memorable and enjoyable read! I’ve been reading everything Kate puts out ever since, just waiting for her books to gain the attention they deserve.

Back to this current story - the whole thing is like a nice warm hug of a book! All of the characters are so kind-hearted and good to each other. There’s no unnecessary drama, it’s just a story about someone muddling their way through life and grief and love, with a little help from some magic along the way.

I always look forward to seeing what new way Kate will think of to add some magic to her stories, and I enjoyed seeing how she tied all the characters together through Annalise’s uncle in this one. There have definitely been some times in my life where I’ve thought maybe things happen for a reason, or at least I’ve been either hopeless enough or optimistic enough to hope so, so it was interesting to see that play out in this story. I liked how it worked out that the characters chose their own paths, but it also still felt like it was all cosmically destined to be.

I also love when stories by the same author are all set within the same universe, so they can tie in all their previous stories through little Easter eggs. And there was even a summary of all of them at the end, which was nice to be able to see all the ones I missed, too! It makes me want to go back and read her backlist again now.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Dial Press Trade Paperback for the ARC of this book!

[Ashleigh Brown]

If you are a fan of Ashley Poston books, then you will love anything that Kate Robb writes. She is a true master in her magical realism stories. And Solar Eclipse of the Heart was an amazing story to add to my library.

This is such a beautiful story of loss, grief, yearning, and love. I was completely invested in this story from start to finish. So much of Annalise's story resonated. She was a great female main character and I loved experiencing the world through her eyes. Annalise is a neuroscientist who is about to move overseas for her doctorate program and feels alone in life after the loss of her mom and her uncle. In order to not lose her apartment while she's gone, she decides to sublet it. And in a case of mistaken identity, she inadvertently sublets to a male Mackenzie instead of a female Mackenzie. But the Mackenzie she sublets to is the one she needs in here life. It's a nice twist of fate. I really liked the relationship between Annalise and Mackenzie. It was the picture perfect slow burn of friends to lovers. I loved how their friendship and relationship developed. It never felt rushed and it built in a way that had the reader rooting for them. I spent the whole book waiting for the moment and it the pay off was worth the wait.

This story did have less magical realism elements than some of her past works. But the moments that the story did have worked within the story. It kind of told us a story within the story. I feel like there are moments we sometimes need to see and reflect on and Annalise got that throughout the story. I loved the twist at the end. It was pure perfection and a cherry on top of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press for the early ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Madisyn Ferguson]

SOLAR ECLIPSE OF THE HEART (ARC) | ★★★★☆.5 | KINDLE

annalise has found the perfect roommate and person to sublet her home while she goes off to liverpool to conduct research for scientific purposes.

mackenzie smith sounds like a dream — she’s quiet, keeps to herself — nothing over the top or out of the ordinary. except annalise google searched the wrong mackenzie and her new roommate is a brooding, want to be, leather jacket wearing drummer.

expect there is more going on than meets the eye, even with the slight mix up of mackenzie’s. there’s something strange happening to annalise and these hallucinations are starting to become a little too real.

but annalise who is grieving heavily from the loss of her uncle, larry, who always had the universe up his sleeve. it feels like maybe these hallucinations are trying to tell her something, maybe it’s a sign. as larry would say.

oh my god @kate_robb_writes this book was incredible. i absolutely fell in love with the premise of this book and was quickly swept up into annalise’s world. it was short, sweet, but tangled the ideas of the universe and maybe things are meant to happen for reasons we don’t know. i loved the way there was so much humour, symbolism and romance in this. the yearning between annalise and mackenzie was KILLING me. the amount of times i wanted to shout “YOU TWO NEED TO KISS” absolutely ridiculous.

i also adored that this was set in toronto, ontario — i loved the woven canadian features and lingo that i am very familiar with. i thought that the setting added to the overall vibes from the book itself.

thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the e-arc! this was an amazing read.

[MaKaylasJoys]

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Kate Robb has become an auto-buy author for me ever since 'This Spells Love'. I was so excited when she announced her new book, but totally bummed when I found out the release date: 10/6, this is my due date and I just knew it be awhile until I got to read this. Except, NetGalley helped me out!

I love all Kate Robb's concepts of a romance with a little bit of magic. This book however, has the least bit of magic of all her books.

Annalise is a pre-doctoral student who relevant lost her uncle, the guardian she was living with. Her uncle Larry, always encouraged her to have whimsy/magic in her life; look for signs from the universe. Once he passed, Annalise shut down and distanced herself from everything.

Annalise visits a consignment shop and comes across her uncle's old leather jacket. When she puts it on, she as a vision of one of her uncle's memories. She gets freaked out and leaves the jacket and the store. She later returns for the jacket only to find out someone has purchased it.

Mckenzie, the MMC is Annalise's new roommate and the new owner of her late uncle's jacket.

Throughout the book Annalise puts on the jacket to witness old memories, giving her glimpse to her 'red string of fate', showing how past situations and circumstances interconnect in the present.

The pacing of the story did seem a little off. The sad, depressed, recluse Annalise arc felt like it lasted forever. Then once McKenzie and Annalise shared their feelings their relationship went from 0-60: love -> 3rd act break-up -> back together -> epilogue real quick.

I do wish there was a little bit more magic in this story. But I still love it!

[Bricotta]

Shoutout to NetGalley for the ARC, wahoo!

I will say this was cute overall and I requested the ARC because I thought the cover looked cool, it's eclipse themed, and about a PhD student lol. However, it wasn't really for me. The details were just way too distracting for me and there's very little tension or conflict in the story that made me want to care about the characters. The MMC is like described as being totally perfect, but in contrast, the FMC is like a very stereotypical introverted nerd/loser/socially awkward scientist, which was just super lame to read lol.

This was an ARC so the quote might differ from the final print, but there's a part in the book where Annalise says "I have slowly morphed from a person who would turn off her phone at work and proudly declare “we are losing our humanity to screens” to someone who smiles every time a notification bubble appears." MIND YOU, this girl is addicted to watching TV, that's her whole thing. She's so introverted, she relaxes by watching TV. That's her hobby. So to throw in this boomer line was just strange to me, she's supposed to be in her 20s and talks like she's 85. There's another part where she gets so caught off guard by a notification on her phone that she throws her phone. What's going on lol

These little things in addition to how her neuroscience lab operated was just too distracting for me so ultimately not for me, but if you shut your brain off or don't know much about academia I'm sure this is a cute and cozy read. If you take fortune cookies seriously (no shade, I love a fortune) and like the concept of fated meetings, then you'll like this.

[Stella Luna]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book hit all the feels. Grief, love, yearning, heartbreak, you name it. Kate Robb has a way with her books, and although I haven’t loved any of her books more than her very first one, "This Spells Love," this was a close second for me.

I loved Annalise, our FMC. She is an introvert, but also grieving the one parent she had left, and it is heartbreaking. You can tell she has not quite dealt with her grief. But then, Mackenzie, our MMC, comes into the picture. I liked him immediately. So many green flags for this guy. And you can tell he instantly likes Annalise but is trying not to be too much too soon. He really brought her out of her shell, helped her live again.

Annalise is a very science-oriented person and loves her facts. She doesn’t like wasting time on things like wishes or luck. So when Mackenzie comes into the picture and is all about wishing on stars and good luck charms, it throws her for a loop. Especially since every time she wears his leather jacket, she is transported to a vision of the past.

I loved how they fell in love with each other. It felt like the yearning and pining buildup, then all of a sudden, they confessed their feelings and BAM, they were all in. I loved it. The scene of them going to his parents’ house for Christmas was absolutely delightful. All the cozy feels!

The third-act breakup was so ridiculous. Classic case of “I’m letting you go so you can go live your dream” when in reality, they are each other’s dreams. They do come together again in the sweetest way, and we get our lovely HEA.

Overall, a close second favorite of mine from Kate Robb. It has magical realism, cozy romance vibes, and lovable main characters.

[Kelsey]

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

3.75 stars. This was such a cute romcom with just a touch of magical realism… that maybe wasn’t magical realism at all, maybe it was just fate showing up in a funny way.

I really connected with the FMC, Annalise. Even though we have very different backgrounds and experiences, we both have very similar ways of living our lives. I immediately felt close to her and that absolutely locked me into the story so quickly.

This honestly felt almost like a Christmas novel. It gave me very similar Hallmark vibes… but more real. Maybe it has to do with the amount of Hallmark Christmas movies the characters watched, but there was a sense of magic flowing through the entire novel, similar to the kind of magic you feel during Christmas time. It just gave me warm and fuzzy feelings.

I think the only downside of the novel to me was the MMC, MacKenzie. He was great and perfect, but almost too perfect. I felt like we only got a glimpse of who he really is. It felt more like he was only half formed, and developed just enough to be the perfect partner for Annalise. But I don’t feel like I got a fully formed idea of who he truly is. It was all just a bit … too perfect. Which doesn’t help it not feel like it was made for Hallmark. I understood the character development and growth of the FMC, but it just wasn’t there for the MMC.

Super cute and enjoyable story, but definitely feels a bit more on the surface level side because half of the main characters just didn’t feel real.

[Nicole]

I love Kate Robb’s books. They’re so heartwarming with just the right touch of magical realism to feel whimsical while also staying rooted in the actual lives of her characters.

Solar Eclipse of the Heart touched me in its exploration of grief through Annalise’s eyes. It was a clear representation of how nonlinear grief can be, how sometimes it’s hard to even recognize just how stuck you are by it, and how hard it is to feel reignited even when you do recognize it. To see Annalise come alive again and open her eyes to the friends around her was a beautiful picture of healing and learning how to embrace the emotion — all while still acknowledging that everything comes and goes in waves.

Mackenzie’s place in Annalise’s life was first as a stranger, then as a friend, and then as a partner developing on a path that was gentle, earnest, and honest. The invisible string winding them together was revealed in snippets and a way that made them feel truly fated and destined, which was such an intriguing juxtaposition to Annalise’s science-focused mind and outlook on life. She lived by finite facts while Mackenzie had more of a fate-and-signs type of outlook. He allowed her to question what couldn’t be explained while she provided a steadfast support for what she believed he could accomplish.

This story made my heart ache and swell in equal measure as Annalise and Mackenzie had to really overcome some intense challenges and obstacles to determine if they were really fated for a happily ever after or if they were only ever meant to have their short moment in time together.

Thank you to The Dial Press for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristen | CozyNovelTea]

[Thanks to Dial Press/Random House for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.]

This book felt like a hug. It pulled me right out the reading slump I was in and because I couldn’t put it down, I ended up reading it in a day.

This could have just been a light book about a magical leather jacket but it ends up having a lot of depth.

Pardon my French but Annalise has gotten a shit hand in life. After losing so many people, it makes sense that she’s guarded and has become a little bit of a recluse. But the jacket helps her get out of her comfort zone. She’s still grieving but is able to slowly manages to open herself up to new people and experiences.

And when she does, she realizes that she’s not as lonely as she thought. There are people in her life who continually show up for her.

One of those people is Mackenzie who is so charming you’ll instantly love him. He never pushes Annalise, instead letting her set the boundaries of their relationship as it shifts from strangers to friends to more.

(It’s a very delicious slow burn with lots of tension.)

And listen, I *hate* a third act break up but this time it felt like the mature thing to do. Even though it’s tough, they give themselves room to grow before going all in. And some might even consider it fate, how they find their way back to each other.

This story has just a touch of magical realism but I think that the magic moments in life are really about appreciating the people you choose and choose you over and over.

[Onceuponabooktalk]

FEATURES:
-Contemporary Romance
-Roommates to Lovers
-Musician and Scientist
-Neuroscience
-Magical Realism
-Grief Journey
.
WHY 5/5:
There were so many things I loved about this one!
.
This story is really 2 stories: A journey of healing as Annalise grieves the dear uncle she lost and a slow burn romance of strangers to roommates to friends to lovers.
.
I loved seeing these two leads get to know each other and they were both so kind - they seemed to offer each other a soft place to land.
.
The touch of magical realism in this book is handled perfectly - it is really a vehicle for Annalise to heal as view memories through putting on a magical jacket. It did not feel cheesy, but added a way for the reader to see and feel what Annalise was experiencing.
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Annalise's life experiences of loss and study of neuroscience have both led her to focus on facts. This has led her to be a bit of a skeptic. I loved hearing her neuroscience insights! As she heals, she is finally open to the gifts of life that cannot always be explained.
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My one and only critique of this book (which is why I still gave this 5 stars) was that in the middle of this book the two leads take a trip that has an explosion of Christmas, not just two people having a holiday experience. It felt like a Christmas-themed book for this 3rd of the book, but not before or after the trip. This felt a bit strange.
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Thank you @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for my eARC copy. I was given this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Christina W]

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of 'Solar Eclipse of the Heart's by Kate Robb.

This is a gorgeous and heartwarming romance with a sprinkle of magical realism to keep it interesting! Robb always delivers on fun new twists to the magical realism genre, and I loved how the visions from the jacket helped guide Annalise's journey, but weren't the focal point of the story.

Annalise's character is so relatable for anyone who has ever experienced loss, or has ever felt alone or lost in their own life. I loved seeing her find herself; allowing people into her life again after shutting herself away for so long.

The winter setting was so cozy and comforting as well, truly Hallmark Movie vibes! I wouldn't have expected that from the cover or description, so it was a very fun surprise. I definitely recommend people pick this up as a cozy holiday read in November and December, as it definitely delivers on the Christmas charm.

Overall, this was another super fun and sweet story from Kate Robb. The magical realism is a lot more subtle than some of her previous work, but it is used really well as a plot device, popping up whenever needed to guide the story along. I loved Annalise and Mackenzie's relationship, it was the perfect friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first situation, with a long-awaited first move that had me giggling and kicking my feet like a teenager.

I can't wait to see what Kate Robb comes up with next, as so far all of her stories have been a hit for me!

[Amanda]

Thank you, Net Galley, for this ARC. Annalise is a researcher who studies addiction and is leaving in a few months for a graduate program in London. Annalise has kept herself isolated since the loss of her Uncle Larry, but needs a roommate to watch the house when she is gone. She thinks her new roommate is a girl and is surprised when Mackenzie is a guy. After the initial shock, Annalise and Mackenzie start to become friends. Eventually she tries on Mackenzie's jacket and is briefly transported to past memories involving her Uncle Larry. This makes Annalise question herself, but ultimately, she is drawn to this and finds ways to put on the jacket on again to see more memories. As she investigates more about the jacket, Annalise begins to step out of her comfort zone, make friends who become found family, and slowly starts to fall in love with Mackenzie. This was an engaging read as it was a sweet romance sprinkled with a dash of magical realism. I really enjoyed seeing Annalise come into herself, grow as a character, and let down her walls to make friends. Additionally, I really liked Annalise and Mackenzie's banter/friendship, reading their notes to each other about trying their neighbor's new recipes, and seeing the slow burn of their romance blossom. As someone who loves Christmas movies, I loved all the nods and references to them. I recommend this book if you want an easy read with holiday feels mixed with STEM vibes.

[SookandBooks]

Solar Eclipse of the Heart is a single POV magical realism romance. Annalise is grieving the loss of her Uncle Larry and preparing for a move overseas for a two-year PhD program. She doesn’t have time for relationships of any sort, so she focuses on finding a temporary roommate who can look after the apartment once she’s gone. But when the Mackenzie she’s been emailing shows up, Annalise is surprised that she is actually a he, and he is a musician who believes in fate and wears a suspiciously familiar leather jacket. When Annalise slips it on, she’s transported to different times and places, given visions that she can’t figure out but tries to make sense of. She and Mackenzie grow closer, but they’re on a short time schedule, and sooner or later following their dreams will drive them apart, magic or not.

This was so good! I love magical realism, and Kate Robb does it so well. I loved the roommates-to-lovers storyline. I especially enjoyed the found family; even as Annalise was determined to keep her heart shut down to avoid future grief, she had a community around her willing to patiently find their way in. I loved Mackenzie’s big heart, optimism, and enjoyment of life. And I found it sweet that practical, science-minded Annalise had a weakness for Hallmark Christmas movies (and starts watching them in October! 😱). I really enjoyed the little Easter eggs hidden throughout that were nods to other Kate Robb books too!