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What The Heart Wants
Not yet published
Expected 13 Jul 26After the devastating and unexpected loss of her mother, Thea Calloway decides it’s time for a change. She packs up her life and moves across the country from Seattle to Driftbay - a small, serene coastal town, a far cry from the big city. Consumed with grief, Thea throws herself into her one true solace - baking. It’s through her hobby that Thea meets Graham, a cook in her aunt Beth’s successful diner.
While Beth navigates her sudden life changes, she realizes she has to face her feelings and can no longer push them aside. Even though she has poured her life into Beth Ann’s Diner, she knows something is missing. And that something just might be a tall, suave man named Charlie, who happens to be her best friend.
As Thea struggles to process her grief, and Beth grapples with her feelings, each woman must face love and loss. Can Thea bake up a love connection or does she have a recipe for disaster? Can Beth admit feelings for Charlie? Through friendship and a little flour, both women discover they have to follow exactly what their heart wants.
While Beth navigates her sudden life changes, she realizes she has to face her feelings and can no longer push them aside. Even though she has poured her life into Beth Ann’s Diner, she knows something is missing. And that something just might be a tall, suave man named Charlie, who happens to be her best friend.
As Thea struggles to process her grief, and Beth grapples with her feelings, each woman must face love and loss. Can Thea bake up a love connection or does she have a recipe for disaster? Can Beth admit feelings for Charlie? Through friendship and a little flour, both women discover they have to follow exactly what their heart wants.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 13, 2026
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March 23, 2026BETA READ
Cannot wait for this to come out.
Cannot wait for this to come out.
June 2, 2026
What the Heart Wants is such a breath of fresh air, I got so much more from this story than I expected, and feel so full after reading. I came in expecting romance, and I definitely got that (and not just one, two!!) but I also got a earnest story about processing grief and a really heart felt story about an older FMC and MMC.
Thea and Graham are sweet and loved their story, especially Thea finding herself after being dealt a really rough hand. What really stood out for me was Beth and Charlie’s story, I really enjoyed seeing an older couple, and saw a lot of myself in Beth, her journey really meant a lot to me. The whole novel has so much depth, and so many layers, definitely don’t sleep on this one.
This is a truly lovely debut, thank you to the author for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thea and Graham are sweet and loved their story, especially Thea finding herself after being dealt a really rough hand. What really stood out for me was Beth and Charlie’s story, I really enjoyed seeing an older couple, and saw a lot of myself in Beth, her journey really meant a lot to me. The whole novel has so much depth, and so many layers, definitely don’t sleep on this one.
This is a truly lovely debut, thank you to the author for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2026
A beautiful, quaint story about love and grief. Couldn’t put it down!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This story opens with Thea moving from Seattle, after the sudden and tragic death of her mum, to her aunt Beth Ann's cottage in Driftbay. There she starts to navigate her new life, while dealing with the all-encompassing grief she is feeling - and needless to say some days are better than others.
This story really captures the tumultuous, overwhelming rollercoaster ride that grief is and several times throughout the story, my heart went out to both Thea and Beth-Ann - I really appreciated how the author showcased grief for both of the main characters so that it didn't become repetitive for the reader and reflected each of their ages and life experiences. While this story is a story about grief, it is also a story about hope and finding the strength to move on, both within yourself and with the help of those around you.
This is a dual POV story with a difference, in so much as the POVs are from Thea and Beth Ann and does not include a POV from either of their love interests. I found that new and refreshing. I really enjoyed seeing the story unfold for both of these characters and, although Thea made some questionable decisions along the way, she was mature enough to realise her mistakes and deal with them in the end.
Both of the women's love interests were sweet and I enjoyed seeing each of the love stories play out. Beth Ann's story was, as you'd expect more mature and grounded, whereas Thea's was a little more rough around the edges - but what can you expect from first love? Graham was super sweet though and a solid character throughout.
I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story really captures the tumultuous, overwhelming rollercoaster ride that grief is and several times throughout the story, my heart went out to both Thea and Beth-Ann - I really appreciated how the author showcased grief for both of the main characters so that it didn't become repetitive for the reader and reflected each of their ages and life experiences. While this story is a story about grief, it is also a story about hope and finding the strength to move on, both within yourself and with the help of those around you.
This is a dual POV story with a difference, in so much as the POVs are from Thea and Beth Ann and does not include a POV from either of their love interests. I found that new and refreshing. I really enjoyed seeing the story unfold for both of these characters and, although Thea made some questionable decisions along the way, she was mature enough to realise her mistakes and deal with them in the end.
Both of the women's love interests were sweet and I enjoyed seeing each of the love stories play out. Beth Ann's story was, as you'd expect more mature and grounded, whereas Thea's was a little more rough around the edges - but what can you expect from first love? Graham was super sweet though and a solid character throughout.
I received a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2026
*review of advanced readers copy sent to me by the author*
This book is a cozy coastal read! It’s dual POV & you’re following college-aged Thea & her aunt Beth-Ann. Thea moves in with her aunt after her mother tragically passes away in a car accident. While both characters do get a love story, I find this books reads more like women’s fiction with a side of romance. The book talks a lot about grief & the struggles of losing a parent at a young age. The setting is in a coastal town & the author did an excellent job portraying that atmosphere. Reading this in the spring/summer would be ideal if you like to read seasonally. There’s no spice & I personally think this book would be suitable for YA readers if they were interested.
I think the author could have made this book longer and/or dove more into Thea’s romance story. I went into the book thinking we were going to be focused on Thea’s romance but by the end it felt like we saw a lot more of Beth-Ann’s romance story. This isn’t a bad thing, but I would have enjoyed more time building up Thea’s romance plot-line or more scenes with Thea & her love interest.
Overall, a fun & easy beach read. I kept wanting to pick it up which is always a good sign!
The cover art is also adorable!
Thank you again to the author for sending me this ARC! All opinions are my own.
This book is a cozy coastal read! It’s dual POV & you’re following college-aged Thea & her aunt Beth-Ann. Thea moves in with her aunt after her mother tragically passes away in a car accident. While both characters do get a love story, I find this books reads more like women’s fiction with a side of romance. The book talks a lot about grief & the struggles of losing a parent at a young age. The setting is in a coastal town & the author did an excellent job portraying that atmosphere. Reading this in the spring/summer would be ideal if you like to read seasonally. There’s no spice & I personally think this book would be suitable for YA readers if they were interested.
I think the author could have made this book longer and/or dove more into Thea’s romance story. I went into the book thinking we were going to be focused on Thea’s romance but by the end it felt like we saw a lot more of Beth-Ann’s romance story. This isn’t a bad thing, but I would have enjoyed more time building up Thea’s romance plot-line or more scenes with Thea & her love interest.
Overall, a fun & easy beach read. I kept wanting to pick it up which is always a good sign!
The cover art is also adorable!
Thank you again to the author for sending me this ARC! All opinions are my own.
May 22, 2026
Review of advance copy received from author.
This is a sweet story with two FMC’s (Thea and Beth Ann) and two MMC’s (Graham and Charlie), all told from the perspectives of Thea and Beth. It’s a story about family, tragedy, love, and second chances.
When Thea needs a change of pace after a life altering tragedy, she leaves Seattle and moves to the small coastal town of Driftbay to live with her Aunt Beth. Thea tries to find her way in this town while discovering herself, friendships, and dating. Meanwhile, she finds herself in trouble while dealing with her grief and anxiety. Aunt Beth is a bit worried after a couple of bad decisions and sends Thea to see a therapist. Thea and Charlie work together and hang out all summer. As the seasons change, he finally asks Thea out on a real date and picks her up on a golf cart!
Aunt Beth is trying to navigate running her diner, living with a young adult/parenting for the first time, as well as finally giving in to her feelings about a man she’s known most of her life. When Beth Ann finally tells Charlie how she feels about him, he admits his feelings for her. They have a solid relationship, stemming from years of great friendship. As everyone’s lives revolve around each other, they discover healing and second chances.
This is a sweet story with two FMC’s (Thea and Beth Ann) and two MMC’s (Graham and Charlie), all told from the perspectives of Thea and Beth. It’s a story about family, tragedy, love, and second chances.
When Thea needs a change of pace after a life altering tragedy, she leaves Seattle and moves to the small coastal town of Driftbay to live with her Aunt Beth. Thea tries to find her way in this town while discovering herself, friendships, and dating. Meanwhile, she finds herself in trouble while dealing with her grief and anxiety. Aunt Beth is a bit worried after a couple of bad decisions and sends Thea to see a therapist. Thea and Charlie work together and hang out all summer. As the seasons change, he finally asks Thea out on a real date and picks her up on a golf cart!
Aunt Beth is trying to navigate running her diner, living with a young adult/parenting for the first time, as well as finally giving in to her feelings about a man she’s known most of her life. When Beth Ann finally tells Charlie how she feels about him, he admits his feelings for her. They have a solid relationship, stemming from years of great friendship. As everyone’s lives revolve around each other, they discover healing and second chances.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC!!
3.75-4⭐️
Give me any story set in a small beachtown and I will love it. Driftbay is no exception. This story hit close to home for me while navigating my own grief. Thea tragically loses her mom in an accident and goes to live with her Aunt Beth in Driftbay. This story shows that giref is not linear and it comes in waves. It is told from dual POV from Aunt Beth’s perspective and Thea’s perspective. Thea uses her love for baking as a way to navigate through her grief, making something beautiful from something messy. In the small diner of Driftbay Beth and Thea have to navigate their feelings for their love interests. And Graham and Charlie are the cutest. Could definitely be read by young adults as well as it discusses losing a parent at an early age.
The cover art is so cute! Could definitely get away with this one as a simple and easy summer beach read!
Favorite quote: But mostly, what I write about is… following my heart. I think that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned with my mother’s passing. Life is short and tomorrow isn’t promised. Happiness can be created in the saddest of circumstances, whether it be found in a relationship or recipe. Besides, a wise old woman once told me that the heart wants what the heart wants.
3.75-4⭐️
Give me any story set in a small beachtown and I will love it. Driftbay is no exception. This story hit close to home for me while navigating my own grief. Thea tragically loses her mom in an accident and goes to live with her Aunt Beth in Driftbay. This story shows that giref is not linear and it comes in waves. It is told from dual POV from Aunt Beth’s perspective and Thea’s perspective. Thea uses her love for baking as a way to navigate through her grief, making something beautiful from something messy. In the small diner of Driftbay Beth and Thea have to navigate their feelings for their love interests. And Graham and Charlie are the cutest. Could definitely be read by young adults as well as it discusses losing a parent at an early age.
The cover art is so cute! Could definitely get away with this one as a simple and easy summer beach read!
Favorite quote: But mostly, what I write about is… following my heart. I think that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned with my mother’s passing. Life is short and tomorrow isn’t promised. Happiness can be created in the saddest of circumstances, whether it be found in a relationship or recipe. Besides, a wise old woman once told me that the heart wants what the heart wants.
Review of advance copy
I didn’t realize going in that this was sort of a half-and-half YA/adult romance and that we’d actually get two stories woven together. I ended up really enjoying that aspect. We get multiple family POVs, which lets us see not only how the characters feel themselves, but also how the people around them perceive them. Once I settled into the writing style, I found it really intriguing.
The story follows two members of the same family who are both navigating grief and falling in love, but from very different age ranges and life stages. Instead of getting the MMC POV, we get the perspectives of two female family members, which felt refreshing and different for this type of storyline.
I also liked seeing how similar the two women were despite their differences. Even with the age gap and different experiences, their family connection really shines through in the way they process emotions and relationships.
I found myself highlighting quite a bit throughout the book, and this quote was easily my favorite because it feels so undeniably true:
“I guess grief is just the price you pay for loving someone so much.”
The story follows two members of the same family who are both navigating grief and falling in love, but from very different age ranges and life stages. Instead of getting the MMC POV, we get the perspectives of two female family members, which felt refreshing and different for this type of storyline.
I also liked seeing how similar the two women were despite their differences. Even with the age gap and different experiences, their family connection really shines through in the way they process emotions and relationships.
I found myself highlighting quite a bit throughout the book, and this quote was easily my favorite because it feels so undeniably true:
“I guess grief is just the price you pay for loving someone so much.”
Review of advance copy received from Author
i loved thea and beth’s story. such a cute coastal small town with descriptive world building. i loved how there was dual pov but with thea and beth.
going through the trauma of losing a close family member is so real, and people don’t talk about the pain enough.
the story of thea and beth’s healing was very real and relatable to some.
i love that both of these characters lean on baking/ cooking when thoughts get too loud and how beth started something out of it — her diner is the cutest place.
the diner is where thea was able to spend time doing what she loved, while she healed from the grief after moving to driftbay to live with her aunt. at the diner, she met some people who turned into her close friends and one even more than a friend ( graham )
overall, such a good book that shows things that some people go through that they don’t talk about, that we should have knowledge about so we can understand and learn to console these people.
great job ellis! loved this book
going through the trauma of losing a close family member is so real, and people don’t talk about the pain enough.
the story of thea and beth’s healing was very real and relatable to some.
i love that both of these characters lean on baking/ cooking when thoughts get too loud and how beth started something out of it — her diner is the cutest place.
the diner is where thea was able to spend time doing what she loved, while she healed from the grief after moving to driftbay to live with her aunt. at the diner, she met some people who turned into her close friends and one even more than a friend ( graham )
overall, such a good book that shows things that some people go through that they don’t talk about, that we should have knowledge about so we can understand and learn to console these people.
great job ellis! loved this book
May 24, 2026
Thanks so much to the author, Ellis Darnell, for a digital ARC of What the Heart Wants!
I absolutely adored this novel so much, I read it in one day! I somehow simultaneously related to both FMCs, Beth Ann and Thea, as they navigated grief and their feelings for the men in their lives. Thea is reeling from the loss of her mother, moving across the country and trying to chart her path in her own life. Beth Ann is a successful restaurateur, learning how to be a parental figure to an adult while also grieving the loss of her sister. Every character has a clear purpose in the story (I loved Judith so much!) and I especially appreciated the prominence of therapy for both of the FMCs to help cope with and move through their grief. This was a beautiful story and I look forward to seeing more from this amazing author!
I absolutely adored this novel so much, I read it in one day! I somehow simultaneously related to both FMCs, Beth Ann and Thea, as they navigated grief and their feelings for the men in their lives. Thea is reeling from the loss of her mother, moving across the country and trying to chart her path in her own life. Beth Ann is a successful restaurateur, learning how to be a parental figure to an adult while also grieving the loss of her sister. Every character has a clear purpose in the story (I loved Judith so much!) and I especially appreciated the prominence of therapy for both of the FMCs to help cope with and move through their grief. This was a beautiful story and I look forward to seeing more from this amazing author!
Review of advance copy received from Author
BETA READER!!
This book completely wrecked me in the softest, most healing way.
What the Heart Wants is a beautifully written story about grief, starting over, and the kind of love that finds you when you least expect it. Thea’s journey felt so real, like you’re watching someone slowly piece themselves back together, one quiet moment (and baked good) at a time.
The small coastal town setting? Cozy, comforting, and the perfect backdrop for healing. The characters feel like people you know, messy, human, and full of heart. And the romance? Slow, tender, and layered with so much emotion.
This isn’t just a love story, it’s about learning to feel again after loss, and finding pieces of yourself you thought were gone forever.
I laughed, I teared up, and I didn’t want it to end.
This book completely wrecked me in the softest, most healing way.
What the Heart Wants is a beautifully written story about grief, starting over, and the kind of love that finds you when you least expect it. Thea’s journey felt so real, like you’re watching someone slowly piece themselves back together, one quiet moment (and baked good) at a time.
The small coastal town setting? Cozy, comforting, and the perfect backdrop for healing. The characters feel like people you know, messy, human, and full of heart. And the romance? Slow, tender, and layered with so much emotion.
This isn’t just a love story, it’s about learning to feel again after loss, and finding pieces of yourself you thought were gone forever.
I laughed, I teared up, and I didn’t want it to end.
May 17, 2026
Finally got to sit down to write a review :)
This book was different from my usual reads, but I had to give it a shot and signed up for an ARC. I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a romance book that I genuinely enjoyed this much, and this story became so much more than just a romance to me.
I loved everything about it; the setting, the characters, the love stories, and especially the deeper messages woven throughout the book. Thea and Beth’s relationship had me completely invested from beginning to end, and I was literally thinking about them even when I wasn’t reading.
Also…I need a Judith in my life 🥲
This book was different from my usual reads, but I had to give it a shot and signed up for an ARC. I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a romance book that I genuinely enjoyed this much, and this story became so much more than just a romance to me.
I loved everything about it; the setting, the characters, the love stories, and especially the deeper messages woven throughout the book. Thea and Beth’s relationship had me completely invested from beginning to end, and I was literally thinking about them even when I wasn’t reading.
Also…I need a Judith in my life 🥲
May 17, 2026
oh my goodness, what a sweet book 🥹. i loved every minute of this book. the writing was stellar — i loved Thea, Beth Ann, Charlie, Graham, and literally everyone at the diner! character development was good, but let’s take a minute to talk about the emotional arcs throughout the story. serious topics were explored and done masterfully. a superb job by the author talking about grief and interlacing it throughout the story. i definitely am looking forward to future projects this author is working on!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/10 stars :)
Review of advance copy received from Author
Was able to read an early copy of this story and I absolutely loved it. Just wish it was a little longer to keep learning more about the characters and their relationships. Small beach town. After Thea loses her mom in a crash in Seattle, she moves to live with her aunt Beth. Beth runs a diner and Thea uses her baking skills to start baking treats for the diner. Love develops for them both and the stories of moving on after a loss is well thought out and keeps you wanting more.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book had my attention from the beginning. It’s based in a small costal town with characters that seem so relatable. This book touches on love, grief, happiness, and healing. I absolutely loved this book.
Thank you for the early copy. I appreciate the opportunity to read this and give my personal opinion.
I definitely recommend this book!
Thank you for the early copy. I appreciate the opportunity to read this and give my personal opinion.
I definitely recommend this book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved this book! I couldn't put it down until I was done! I was 20 when my first husband died in a car wreck. Like Thea, I was in the car when it happened. I cried reading this, I laughed, but the only thing I could wish for, is the chance to read this for the 1st time again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
What The Heart Wants to such a feel good, heartfelt story. I instantly fell in love with Beth and Thea, their stories came together so smoothly. I found myself laughing, crying, swooning, and enjoying my way through this book. I can’t wait to see more books from Ellis.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A beautifully poignant story about love after loss and finding yourself amidst grief with a Gilmore Girls vibe. It was a fantastic story and I could not put it down!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Beta/ARC reader review:
This is such an incredible read. I am typically not one for romance novels, but Ellis Darnell has done such a great job with making this more than just romance with themes of grief, family, and mental health.
Thank you, Ellis, for trusting me to be a beta reader and allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.
This is such an incredible read. I am typically not one for romance novels, but Ellis Darnell has done such a great job with making this more than just romance with themes of grief, family, and mental health.
Thank you, Ellis, for trusting me to be a beta reader and allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.
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