Love Unlocked: Roman | Von der Weltbestsellerautorin | Warmherzig-humorvolle Liebesgeschichte mit Dublin-Flair

by Cecelia Ahern, Carola Fischer (Translator), Ute Brammertz (Translator)

Manchmal ist Loslassen der Schlüssel zu allem

»Love Unlocked«, der neue gefühlvolle Roman der Weltbestsellerautorin Cecelia Ahern, ist eine wunderbar warmherzige Geschichte über die Liebe, heiter, klug und voller Dublin-Flair. 

Von Brücken, Schlössern und dem Gewicht der Liebe

Melody und die Liebe – das ist bisher eine Geschichte ohne Happy End. Zu unsicher ist ihr die Sache mit den Gefühlen, zu wenig vertraut sie ihrem eigenen Herzen. Al und die Liebe – das war ein »match made in heaven«. Bis eine tiefe Enttäuschung auch ihn zum Liebesskeptiker werden lässt. Doch dann passiert die Sache mit den Liebesschlö Eine Brücke in Dublin droht unter ihrem Gewicht nachzugeben, Al lässt sie entfernen, und eine Welle von Trennungen ist die Folge. Melody macht die Sache in ihrem Podcast zur Sensation. Doch je mehr sie recherchiert, desto näher kommt sie Al. Aus Recherche wird Flirt, aus Flirt wird Nähe. Doch wird aus Nähe am Schluss auch Liebe? 

Ein Buch für alle, die mit dem Herzen lesen

Mit Melody und Al schafft SPIEGEL-Bestsellerautorin Cecelia Ahern in »Love Unlocked« zwei sympathische Hauptfiguren, die man beim Lesen von Anfang an ins Herz schließt. Ihr Weg zur Liebe ist lebensecht, voller Humor und mit einem beinahe magischen Twist..

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary

Kindle Edition

Expected publication October 30, 2026

About the author

Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries, and has sold over twenty-five million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series.

Reviews

[Christy fictional_traits · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘What's the psychology around it? Is it for people who had fragile relationships and needed this thing to strengthen them? Is a PDA a sign of a strong relationship or a vulnerable one?’

What happens when the symbols we attach to love break?

In 'Love Unlocked', Cecilia Ahern takes the familiar phenomenon of love locks on bridges and spins it into a charming, magical tale about commitment, vulnerability, and the stories we tell ourselves about lasting love.

Melody has always loved the idea of romance, but the thought of lifelong commitment leaves her feeling claustrophobic. Al, on the other hand, is a hopeless romantic whose faith in love has been betrayed by both his fiancée and his best friend. When couples across Dublin inexplicably begin ending their relationships on the very same day, Melody and Al discover they may all have one thing in common: the removal of the love locks from the Grace Gifford Bridge.

As they search for answers, Ahern gently explores not only why people publicly declare their love, but what those declarations are really saying. Do they celebrate solid relationships, or do they symbolise a hope that love itself can somehow be secured?

As Melody and Al uncover the history of the bridge and the enduring love story of its namesake, Grace Gifford, and Joseph Plunkett, they begin to wonder whether it is the locks—or the legend itself—that has held these relationships together.

‘Maybe this isn't just about love locks, it's about Grace and Joseph, it's about their love story. Maybe it's their everlasting love, and not just the padlocks, that was the glue that held everyone together.’
Like much of Ahern's work, the magical premise isn't there to be explained so much as experienced. It provides a whimsical backdrop for a story that is ultimately about taking emotional risks, confronting our fears, and discovering that love isn't something that can be locked away, but something we choose every day.

Predictable in places but full of warmth, humour, and optimism, 'Love Unlocked' is a thoroughly enjoyable read that invites you to reflect on what commitment really means.

‘This bridge, these locks, meeting Al has brought about a rebirth and reinvention of her own.’

[Jannelies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always looking forward to a new book by Caecilia Ahern, ever since I read A Place Called Here (2006). I love her writing style and her ability to tell stories that lean heavily on love in all its forms, without becoming soppy too soon in the story. And even then, the endings always make me feel lighter somehow, without having to grasp a tissue.
Love Unlocked is such a story. It all starts when Melody Yates discovers several people in her surroundings broke up at the same day. How strange! Well, Melody hosts a podcast (besides owning half of a food truck together with her ex-boyfriend and being a well-known DJ too) so in the next instalment of the podcast she talks about this with her co-host, one Prunella. She also tells Prunella – and their large amount of listeners – that she doesn’t believe in love and she shares details about the time her ex-boyfriend wanted to propose to her.

Al, on the other hand, is still believing in love although his wife just left him for his best friend and now he’s forced out of the home they shared. The best friend was living with them and Al is spending time to wreak havoc in their home because he still has a key. Al is a civil servant responsible for the maintenance of bridges and slowly we begin to understand what this must be leading to.

Although the story is in places rather funny, it is not just a funny book. The main characters all have their own interesting background that ultimately made them think about love the way they do. And don’t we all? To both Melody and Al’s surprise, it seems that they may be falling in love. But oh no! That can’t be happening, can it? How will this end? Will the locks be reinstalled and all the broken relationships healed? Will Melody and Al find each other? Of course they do. The outcome is inevitable, but not always the reader would have guessed.

A lovely book full of wisdom.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Grace Plunkett Bridge near Kilmainham Jail in Dublin is under attack. However the reason for the concern is nothing shady - it is the love locks that have been placed there by couples. Unfortunately the practice has become so popular that the bridge is becoming unsafe.

Enter Al Collins, the bridge guy, who has just had his heart broken. Given the task of removing the locks Al is all too happy to comply. The bridge is important, the locks are not. Melody Yates would agree. She thinks love and commitment are overrated and is happy to share her thoughts with everyone via her podcast.

Unfortunately for both of them, the removal of the locks has caused something strange to occur. People with solid relationships are splitting up. And not just that - they split up on the exact day their lock was removed from the Grace Plunkett Bridge.

Now both Melody and Al have to live with the consequences but will they be able to find a solution? And what will happen to all the unhappy people whose love has disappeared?

Can I just say that I don't like soppy romance novels. This is not a soppy romance - it is about love. And I'm all in favour of true love.

Love Unlocked is the story of Al and Melody but its also about Grace and Joseph Plunkett who are referenced throughout. It is also the story of love in all its forms and stages and it is about recognising who we really are.

Both Al and Melody are delightful characters. There are plenty of laughs and plenty of situations that anyone who has ever been in and fallen out of love will recognise.

I loved this book. It did make me laugh (and cry quite a bit) and the only fault I could find was it got a bit too mushy a few pages from the end. Otherwise it is the best Cecelia Ahern has produced in a while. The highest praise I can give (and apologies to the author for comparing) is that it reminded me of Marian Keyes at her finest.

Very highly recommended. A great page turner. Make sure you've got a handkerchief nearby though.

Thankyou very much to the HarperFiction team and Netgalley for the digital review copy. Most appreciated.

[Naylaaa_Storyyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Ms Putri and Timesread for ARC

What if a tiny metal lock could hold the fate of a relationship?

Melody Yates has made peace with the idea that love simply isn’t for her. She prefers her independence and is perfectly happy keeping romance at a safe distance. Meanwhile, Al Collins is the kind of man who believes in grand gestures, forever promises and happily-ever-afters—until his own love story ends in heartbreak. (Like seriously Walter? I hate you 🙂‍↔️☝🏻)

Then something strange happens in Dublin.

After Al is involved in removing thousands of love locks from a bridge, couples connected to those locks begin breaking up. Coincidence? Curse? Or is there something more behind this bizarre chain of heartbreaks?

Melody, who hosts a podcast, becomes fascinated by the phenomenon and decides to investigate. Her search eventually leads her straight to Al and their first encounter is about as subtle as you’d expect when two people with completely opposite views on love literally collide. 😂

“You don’t believe in love?”
“I believe in plenty of things. I just don’t think love needs me.”

What I really enjoyed about Love Unlocked is that it isn’t simply a story about two people falling for each other. Beneath the quirky premise is a thoughtful exploration of why we love, why we fear it, and what happens when heartbreak changes the way we see ourselves.

Melody and Al couldn’t be more different. She has built walls around her heart, while Al has spent much of his life believing in the beauty of romance. Yet both of them are carrying wounds from their pasts. Watching them slowly confront those wounds made their individual journeys just as interesting as their relationship.

I also loved the idea behind the love locks. Something that initially looks like an ordinary romantic tradition becomes a symbol of promises, memories and the stories people attach to their relationships. It made me wonder:

If you remove the lock, do you remove the love too?

The mystery surrounding the broken relationships kept me curious, while the humour gave the story plenty of lighter moments. There are also family relationships, friendships, old wounds and stories from the past woven throughout, giving the novel more emotional layers than I initially expected. 🤭

And of course, Cecelia Ahern’s writing brings that lovely combination of romance, humour, tenderness and a sprinkle of the unexpected. ✨

One thing I particularly appreciated was the way the story reminds us that love isn’t always about finding someone and holding on forever. Sometimes it is about learning to let go of what hurt you, understanding yourself better and allowing yourself to be open to something new. 🥹

“Maybe love isn’t something you lock away. Maybe it’s something you choose, again and again.”

By the end, I felt that Love Unlocked was less about the mystery of the disappearing love locks and more about unlocking the parts of ourselves that heartbreak taught us to hide.

It is a sweet and thoughtful read for anyone who enjoys romance with a little mystery, a touch of magic and plenty of heart. 💗🔐

Sometimes, the thing keeping us from love isn’t the absence of a key—it’s the fear of turning the lock. 🥹

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn’t read a book by Cecelia Ahern in a while, and I have to say I missed this feeling of joy after finishing Love Unlocked.
I think it was a very unique story, not only about Melody and Al and the development of their relationship, but also about the locks and the secondary characters’ stories.
It’s nice to read a book set in Dublin, something different from what I regularly read. The story and characters were refreshing, and it was fast-paced. I started reading, and without realizing it, I was about to finish the book.
Cecelia Ahern has such a gift for creating stories that are captivating, and she proves it once more with Love Unlocked. I deeply enjoyed reading it.

[Sarah Witcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first audio book! Easy listening, distracted me perfectly on the long runs.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel opens with two chapters that are barely a page each. In the first, a woman lying awake in a flat beside a railway line replays the moment she stopped her boyfriend's hand across a restaurant table before he could ask the question. It is titled with a single word: no. In the second, a man drops to one knee in a Cork hallway strung with Christmas lights, in front of everyone he loves, and recites a proposal stitched together from her favourite film quotes. That one is titled yes. Then the page turns and it says: two years later. Both of those relationships are over. Love Unlocked by Cecelia Ahern spends the next four hundred pages working out why, and it is much more carefully engineered than the premise suggests.

How Love Unlocked Is Built

Thirty-six chapters, alternating strictly between two people who do not meet until roughly a fifth of the way in.

Melody Yates is a well-known Dublin dance DJ, half of a hit podcast in which she argues the anti-love case against a glossy daytime television star who collects meet-cutes. Al Collins is head of bridge maintenance for Leinster, and two weeks before Christmas his fiancée left him for the best friend who lived in their spare room and works four desks away.

Al's professional judgement is that the Grace Plunkett footbridge cannot carry twenty thousand padlocks. He has them cut off on a wet Thursday in January. Melody, chasing a podcast segment, notices that every couple she knows who broke up that week broke up on the same day, and that all of them had a lock on that bridge.

The Letters Between the Chapters

The best formal decision in the book is the one that has nothing to do with either of them.

Five times, the narrative stops and gives you a real letter from Joseph Plunkett to Grace Gifford, transcribed from the National Library of Ireland. They are not summarised or fictionalised. They are simply printed, in his repetitive, breathless, unembarrassed voice, and each is followed by a line stating how many days remain before he is executed by firing squad in Kilmainham Gaol.

The bridge is named for Grace Gifford, who married him in the prison chapel hours before that happened. Placing those letters against a novel about people who cannot commit to a joint mortgage is a bold move, and Love Unlocked by Cecelia Ahern mostly earns it.

Melody and Al, and Two Kinds of Fear

The two leads have symmetrical damage, which is neat but not glib.

Al is a grand-gesture man, a former competitive rower who bent his whole personality around a woman and a friendship and cannot understand how he missed what was happening in his own house. His grief is written without dignity and is much better for it: the crying in the office toilets, the frozen mice, the buttons cut off shirts, the spare key he had copied.

Melody is the harder character and the more interesting one. She does not fear love. She fears the lift rather than the stairs, the closed door, the thing with no way out. And she also cannot spend a night alone in her own flat without a panic attack, and Love Unlocked by Cecelia Ahern is quietly excellent on how those two things are the same wound viewed from opposite sides.

Al's Song of the Day

One small device does a surprising amount of work.

Each day Al picks one song and plays it on repeat, at volume, all day, as a mood he has decided to inhabit. Joy Division on the worst day. Simon and Garfunkel on the emptiest. Alanis Morissette when he wants the fury of a wronged woman on his side. The novel takes each one seriously enough to tell you its release year and what he thinks it means.

It is a device that could have been twee and instead becomes the most efficient emotional shorthand in the book. You always know exactly where he is before he says a word.

Where Love Unlocked Strains

Four things stop it being top-tier Ahern.

The middle sags. There is a long stretch of podcast meetings, office politics and repeated conversations about whether the theory is real.
The revenge comedy sits oddly. Some of it is genuinely funny; some of it lands as cruelty played for laughs, and the tonal join shows.
Coincidence carries a lot. People bump into precisely the right person at precisely the right moment more than once.
The final movement is very fast. After a slow, careful build, the last stretch resolves several large problems in very few pages.

Even so, Love Unlocked by Cecelia Ahern is her most structurally ambitious book in a while, and the ambition pays off far more often than not.

Is Love Unlocked a Standalone?

Yes, completely.

There is no series and nothing you need to have read first. The acknowledgements do reveal that the idea came out of research for Into the Storm, when the author read about the padlocks removed from the Pont des Arts in Paris and wondered what happened to all those couples afterwards. Readers who know her back catalogue will spot the family resemblance to her debut, but Love Unlocked by Cecelia Ahern stands entirely on its own.

Content Notes for Love Unlocked

Infidelity and betrayal by a close friend, sustained across the book. Panic attacks and claustrophobia, described from inside. Explicit sex. An extended sequence of domestic rage in which a man throws his wife's belongings into the street and breaks glass in a house with children asleep upstairs. Parental abandonment and neglect of a teenager. Historical execution and imprisonment. Drug use in the backstory. Divorce and separation throughout, including of long marriages. Suicidal thinking, briefly and obliquely.

Read it if / Skip it if

Read it if you want a romance with a real idea underneath it; if you like a novel whose shape is doing the arguing; if the phrase "Dublin bridge engineering" makes you curious rather than tired.

Skip it if you need a tight plot; if petty revenge as comedy is not for you; if you would rather the historical material stayed out of the love story.

What Stays With You

Go back to those letters. Each one is followed by a flat editorial line telling you how long the writer has left: a hundred and fifty-four days, then ninety-four, then twelve, then five. He does not know. He is complaining that he misses her, asking her to say she loves him, sending her money and a small gun and telling her how to use it. The countdown is entirely for the reader's benefit, and it is merciless.

That is the argument Love Unlocked by Cecelia Ahern is quietly making underneath the padlocks and the podcast and the frozen mice. Nobody gets told how many days they have. The couples in this novel behave as though a symbol bolted to a footbridge is what holds them together, and the man in the letters had no symbol at all, ninety minutes of marriage, and a love people are still tying metal to a bridge over a century later. The book is funnier than that makes it sound and messier than it needed to be. It is also the only romance this year that made me want to go and stand on a specific bridge.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Unlocked is a delightful blend of mystery, magic, and modern love, wrapped in Ahern’s signature warmth. Melody—firmly sworn off romance—and Al, a hopeless romantic nursing fresh heartbreak, make an unexpectedly perfect pair. Their literal bump‑in sets off a story that feels both playful and meaningful, especially as the world around them begins to unravel in the strangest way: couples everywhere are breaking up after the lovers’ padlocks are removed from a Dublin bridge.

The premise is irresistible, and Ahern leans into it with charm and humour. Melody’s podcast investigation adds a fun, contemporary angle, and watching her and Al team up—reluctantly at first, then with growing tenderness—makes the story feel hopeful even as it explores the fragility of relationships. The thread involving Grace Gifford and Joseph Plunkett adds emotional depth and a lovely historical resonance that enriches the modern storyline.

What stands out most is the balance of whimsy and sincerity. Ahern captures the small, aching truths of love—why we fear it, why we chase it, and why we sometimes need to let go before we can hold on. Melody and Al’s journey is sweet, funny, and quietly moving, with just enough magical sparkle to make the whole thing feel special.

A heartwarming, feel‑good read perfect for summer. Fans of Ahern will adore it, and newcomers will find plenty to fall for.

With thanks to Cecelia Ahern, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Emerley · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

3.25 stars (ha! Hilarious that I can add decimals!)
This was a better book than Ahern's more recent offerings. Loved the premise of the padlocks. Loved the connection to Grace Plunket, I wasn't familiar with that so it was cool to learn some history. Some great humour!
Things that rankled? Al laughing uproariously at things that aren't funny. That's MY idiosyncrasy and I hated seeing it in a love interest. Eew. New ick unlocked.
I was irritated by how many times the Grace Plunket story was explained in exposition when it's already covered in dialogue and then becomes a main, detailed feature of the podcast as well as the letters. Felt overkill.
But overall a very thoughtful and entertaining book albeit slightly predictable.
Rating: 12+ for sex references. Poss language but can't remember...

[Lynne Diamond · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ This is best Cecelia Ahern book I have read in a long time!
I did enjoy the story but both Al and Melody could be quite annoying at times!
There were a few laugh out loud lines which was good!
I hope to see more writing like this from this author in the future!

[Allanah Scully · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC of the novel. I think this was my favourite Cecilia Ahern book to date! So much of the story was focused around the idea of love and the concept of it, while also showing us a couple falling in love, even though the spent most of the story apart!
I loved the style of writing and found this to be truly un-put-down able! I was truly hooked on the honest writing of characters and loved getting a deep insight into who they are as people. A definite must read for fans of Ahern!

[bookmehnia · Rating 4 out of 5]

(52/2026) 3.5/5🌟 General (Fiction) | 344 pages

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜.”

It happened one Thursday. Everyone broke up - in their relationships. The ‘outbreak’ happened after all the lovelocks at the well-known Grace Plunkett Bridge in Dublin, were taken off, for safety reasons.

It didn’t happen relatively to Melody, though she was the one who somehow discovered the massive break-ups point. One, because Melody was not in a relationship; and, two, because she didn’t believe in love. Melody was intrigued enough to investigate the situation for her podcast listeners.

Funnily how the world work it out. Fate had other plans of making Melody stumble into the life of a man, who was also responsible for all the lovelocks to be taken off, the ‘bridge guy’ (as how we was addressed) Al, who also didn’t believe in love no longer after a very messy heartbreak.

Many of Melody fans had been sending letters to the ‘bridge guy’ as how she urged them in her last podcast, telling them to demand for an explanation of what was happening to their love lives after the removal of their lovelocks.

Could two people who no longer believe in love help those who think that love would always prevail and win?

Let me be frank, and let me be the one who burst your bubble. Despite of the setting of the story, do not expect any fantasy or magical realism kind of plots in the storyline (though I wished the author would use that to advantage) because there isn’t any.

The focal of the story is centred towards the two main characters who were particularly dealing with heartbreaks which somehow made them not to believe in love anymore, and how they were dealing it despite the biggest mystery ever to happen in Dublin.

Readers would be brought along the journeys of Melody and Al, and what could have made them to not believe in love again.Melody was such a funky character - she was a DJ with a cool fashion sense, claustrophobic, afraid of being alone, afraid of commitment and despite of her principle, she craved for someone to love her, but at the same time she was afraid of commitment. Al, on the other hand, was a guy next door, visionary, love to please others, quite vindictive and had so much love to give anyone who knew how to reciprocate them. So, what happened when these two met?

It was quite a straightforward read for me, without too much complicated plot. Personally, I think the story is very much character-driven as we would explore Melody and Al’s feelings - because, believe it or not, any of us could be Melody or Al. Sometimes, what hinders us to move on is because of our inability to let go. Of course we are allowed to feel the remorse or go through grieve, but what happens when the people who hurt us are able to go through their lives like nothing ever happens? Do we deserve to bear the pain the whole time?

Probably, not one of Cecelia Ahern’s bests nor was it my personal favourite, but it is a light story that gives us that timely reminder that we are allowed to move on, and nobody could judge us for that. We just need to find the key and lock everything in the past and look forward to new things in the future.

Read this if you are a fan of Cecelia Ahern, or you need the signs to tell you that now it is the right time for you to move on. Thank you #timesreads for this uncorrected proof copy in exchange with my honest personal opinion.

#justreaddontbawang #bookmehnia #August2026 #2026reads #AugustTBRs #bookstagrammalaysia #bookstagrammy #malaysiamembaca #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bibliophile #bibliophilemy #bookish #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #readersofinstagram #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookworm #loveunlocked #ceceliaahern

[Lisa (Two Bookish Brits) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely read. I loved the whole aspect of this book.

Love locks on a bridge and the eternal meaning behind them and what people believe can happen when those locks are broken.

I loved the mystery surrounding the relationships that broke on the same day the locks were broken. On a certain Thursday over silly things.

I loved getting to see both Melody and Al’s story, the heartbreak their both feeling, the way each of them are managing through and the ways they cope, they’re both so different and it’s been wonderful.

I also loved the family aspect and the friendships that were clear throughout.

Cecelia did a brilliant job with this book, I can’t wait to read more of her other books.

[Abbie Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5!

When I got the invitation to read this I was so excited and it went straight to the top of the TBR.

Cecelia is once again wonderful, the characters were funny and rich, the story was engaging and interesting.

There were a couple of cringy moments but it’s a romance what do you expect!!!

I had a great time, just enough magic to keep you guessing at the end. Great work.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishing team, and CA for the advanced copy!

[Malvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cecilia Ahern just grabs you with her usual mix of pretty much the whole gamut of emotions here, lots of laugh out loud moments and some very sad and lonely moments. I have also walked the streets of Dublin and been to Kilmainham Gaol, which is very sobering indeed. Just really enjoyed the whole concept of the book and its setting. Of particular note was Natasha, Al’s assistant. Extremely bad ass office assistant and fabulous character. This was a terrific holiday read for me.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for books by Cecelia Ahern. Her romances are always unique and this one was no different. When the love locks are removed from a bridge in Dublin, couples begin splitting up. And they ALL have previously locked their love onto said bridge. Is it a coincidence? And can the situation be rectified?

Al and Melody together were such a fun pairing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading their unexpected romance and loved the idea of the locks causing such havoc across the world. This was cleverly written and a book I'll be thinking about for a long time.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say... It's Cecelia Ahern.

I laughed, I cried, I smiled so much my jaw hurt at times. And the joy I felt at the end... *sigh

Beautiful, just beautiful. 💜

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! I read it in almost one seating. It is just a perfect light read and I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. Cecelia Ahern is just magic.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐ Standard Cecelia Ahern, have a random thought about a random item and craft a decent story out of it.

[Maha · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Cecelia, no matter how much I age or grow, I will always love your writing and your novels🥹

[Jayne Southern · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what will happen, but never quite sure how. Filled with human experience and genuine emotion, unusual and fascinating characters, the pages are alive with humour and insight.
An utterly delightful read.

[book_lover_kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melody has vowed never to fall in love again.
Al is a hopeless romantic.

When Al authorises the removal of thousands of love locks from a bridge in Dublin something strange happens and couples around the world start to suddenly break up.

He and Melody’s paths cross when she starts to investigate the strange phenomenon for her podcast and, despite their different outlooks, sparks fly between the two.

The two main characters are likeable, with interesting back stories, especially Al with his playlists and revenge stories, and the slightly magical concept of the book an intriguing one.

I’ve enjoyed this author’s whimsical romances for a long time and this uplifting read certainly lived up to my expectations.

[Megan Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Love Unlocked' is Ahern's usual gorgeous, emotional and slightly magical read. I did enjoy it but some of the actions are unbelievable. It was sweet but also unbelievable and made me cringe a little at times. I also thought the middle section of the plot was far too long and then the ending was incredibly rushed. It would have been nicer to have more of a balance between the two plot stages.
The characters are gorgeous; I really liked Melody and Al and the fact that they are both damaged and need healing in some way. Yes, they are at times ridiculous but they made me smile. Without giving anything away, I loved the parallel story of Grace and Joseph's letters, their story is incredibly emotional and proved to be the perfect backdrop for Ahern's story.
This book warmed my heart.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

When two unlikely strangers Melody and Al cross paths, they don't realise what it could entail for either of them. Melody has had her heart broken and enough is enough and Al wants to find love but can't. When couples start splitting up around the world, Al knows it is because of him but how can he put it right? with the help of Melody, will they both be able to mend each other's heart? it was a enjoyable read, people will find it relatable. I liked seeing how they both start opening up to each other and how it blossoms. It taught me sometimes letting go is the best way even if it hurts at the time, you know down the line it was the best thing to do. I found it quite a moving and uplifting story with a touch of Cecelia's magic and charm that she adds to her stories.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al is a classic romantic, Melody fears commitment. When their paths cross it forces them both to look deep within themselves as to what truly makes them happy,

I loved this book, as usual theres an air of supernatural mystery as an undertone however this story explores so much, I loved Al! In touch with his emotions, not afraid to show them, it was refreshing to see a male character depicted like this and then the female more of a commitment phobe,

Relationships shouldn’t mean giving up who you truly are or what you like, what exactly is compromise?

Highly recommend this book!

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Unlocked by Cecelia Ahern publishes with Harper Collins August 27th and is described as an ’emotional and uplifting love story.’

Like many of you I have heard of the Pont des Arts in Paris which had to have over a million ‘love locks’ removed in 2015 due to their weight and the potential impact they were having on the stability and safety of the bridge. These padlocks were placed there by couples wishing to mark their relationship, as a romantic gesture of forever. Cecelia Ahern took this concept and considered what might have happened to all the couples after the padlocks were removed. Did their relationships fall apart, as Cecelia puts it ‘as if a spell had been broken'?

‘It got me thinking about the immense weight of love, how relationships can crumble under its load, how – much like a bridge’s metal railings – the shape of the relationships can be bent and altered. Love is strong and yet is so fragile; after holding on for so long, being seemingly indestructible, what is the one small – or large – thing that finally causes it to break…’
– Cecelia Ahern

Melody is a DJ and podcaster with commitment issues. For some time now Melody has forged her own path, steering clear of any romantic connections that could lead to complications in her life. With an unresolved fear of being alone at nighttime, her nightlife career suits her. From 5am Melody feels safe and assured that all is as it should be. On her podcast she delves into life issues with Prunella, her on air partner, with Melody always being the more cynical of the two.

Al works for the Bridges Department for Dublin city. A sentimental romantic, he thought his life was sorted until the day his world came crashing down. He just about manages to get into work every morning, facing the hours ahead while leaving a permanent sense of gloom in his wake. When asked to check out a bridge in Dublin that has become a shrine to love adorned with love locks, Al has no compunction in having them removed. The bridge is named after Grace Plunkett, the wife of executed 1916 republican Joseph Plunkett, drawing many couples to the bridge to mark their love with padlocks. Once the padlock is in position, the couple then throw the key into the river. [Note – this bridge is fictional but the story of Grace and Joseph Plunkett is tragic and so very true, with their love immortalised over the years in both story and song]

Melody starts to piece a story together for the podcast when she hears about the bridge and the coincidence of couples breaking up across the globe. She raises the topic with her listeners and is soon inundated with messages of distraught individuals left in bits after their partners finished with them. Is there a connection? Have these locks become a symbol of something more? Is there some kind of magic at work here?

Melody sets off to investigate, while simultaneously being faced with challenging issues in her own life. She meets Al to question him more but he is very sceptical of her take, especially in view of his own recent upheaval. As the days pass both start to ask questions and explore the possibility of alternative perspectives. They reconsider the many different kinds of relationships that exist and are faced with some challenging home truths about themselves and the choices they have made to date in their lives.

There is a real sense of sincerity running through this novel, with a host of individuals that come alive on the pages. Cecelia Ahern plays around with these two wonderfully flawed characters presenting their imperfections and humanity with her now recognisable spark of magic weaving through the story. A gorgeous romantic story Love Unlocked is imbued with the perfect peppering of emotional turmoil blended with self-discovery and reflection. A tender tale, an uplifting story and one I heartily recommend.

[Eve Tsak · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️

I was so excited to pick this one up because Love Rosie remains one of my all-time favourite romances, and I was immediately intrigued by the premise. Both Melody and Al begin the story with disastrous experiences of love behind them, making them equally cynical about relationships. I also loved how the novel opened, it almost felt like a classic 2000s romantic comedy, complete with failed engagements and heartbreak setting the stage for an unlikely romance. The inclusion of Ireland’s history, particularly references to the 1916 Rising, was another element I really enjoyed. It wasn’t a historical romance by any means, but I liked how those moments were woven into the story and reflected the many forms love can take throughout generations.

The concept itself was incredibly unique. When locks are removed from Dublin’s famous love lock bridge and couples across the city suddenly begin breaking up, Melody becomes convinced there’s a connection. As a podcaster, she develops a theory around the phenomenon, which eventually leads her to Al, the man responsible for removing the locks as part of his job. By around the 30% mark I was completely invested and excited to see where the story would go, especially because both characters were so firmly against the idea of love. It felt like there was so much potential for tension, angst, and slow-burn development between them.

Unfortunately, this is where the story started to lose me a little. While I genuinely liked Melody and Al as individual characters, I never fully connected to their romance. Once they met, everything seemed to move very quickly, and I felt like the relationship development happened largely off-page. As the novel progressed, the focus shifted more towards their families, ex-partners, friendships, and personal journeys. Those storylines weren’t bad—I actually found many of them quite engaging—but I often felt like the central romance became secondary in its own book. By the second half, I was far more emotionally invested in the individual character arcs than I was in Melody and Al’s relationship together.

That said, there were still plenty of moments I enjoyed. Al in particular made me laugh more than once, especially his petty revenge against his cheating best friend, which was both ridiculous and hilarious. The writing itself was also a major highlight. Cecelia Ahern has such an engaging style that even when the story wasn’t completely working for me, I still found myself wanting to keep reading. Her ability to balance humour, emotion, and reflection is something I’ve always appreciated.

♡ “When she was with him she didn’t realise how alone she was, his sudden absence causes her to feel the cold, and plummets her into quiet. Her hand throbs for his.”

♡ “If love is imperfect, and it is, this story, Prunella’s story, Al’s story and even Melody’s own experience all tell her that she will fit right in.”

♡ Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC. ♡

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every book that I have read by Cecelia Ahern has a touch of magic in and Love Unlocked is no exception. I think Love Unlocked could be my favourite Cecelia Ahern book! It has everything you could want in a book, filled with romance, humour, emotion, warmth and that special magic that only Cecelia Ahern's books have.

This is a book of two halves - past and present. We find out all about Grace Plunkett & Joseph Plunkett and their very poignant and emotional love story. This then ties into to the present day. Here we meet Melody, a DJ and podcaster and Al, an engineer. Two people carrying their own heartbreak and trying to move forward in their own different ways. I really enjoyed seeing Melody and Al’s relationship unravel and then lock perfectly into place exactly where it was meant to be.

As you can see from the cover, this is a story built around padlocks, who they represent, their secrets, and the love they were meant to hold. I have seen the padlocks that once covered the bridges in Paris, but I never really thought more about the stories behind them.

Love Unlocked brings the people behind those padlocks vividly to life. We find out what those padlocks truly meant to the people who placed them. We find out their hopes, their memories and their hidden stories behind those padlocks. I loved the podcast element. I thought this was really clever and a modern addition to the story, which really really worked.

The way the book takes this idea and builds a story so clever from it is absolutely brilliant. I loved the unique plot, I loved the Dublin setting, I loved the characters and the different relationships. I loved how we slowly discover what each padlock stands for. It is incredible how something so small can hold so much.

Love Unlocked shows real human connection, of wanting to leave a trace of love in the world, wherever you go. It is not about the padlocks themselves as the metal is only the surface, and what lies beneath is where the real meaning lies. It is about the people who placed them there and the emotion they wanted to keep safe. Watching Melody's investigations uncover so much was just wonderful and added such depth to the story.

This book will make you smile, will make you cry and will make you laugh. It is such an emotional but uplifting read with romance, family, friendship and healing at its core. A truly lock‑solid read, firmly secured in my heart and absolutely worthy of 5 stars.

Thank you very much HarperCollins UK for my advanced copy. This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Literary Nomadd | Cidy]

Cecelia Ahern has long excelled at taking a whimsical premise and uncovering the very human truths beneath it, and Love Unlocked is a wonderful example of that gift.

At first glance, a story about the removal of lovers’ padlocks causing relationships around the world to unravel feels delightfully magical. Yet beneath its charm, this novel asks a surprisingly profound question: how much of love rests in symbols, and how much survives when those symbols are taken away?

What fascinated me most was the novel’s exploration of the stories we attach to love. The padlocks become more than romantic gestures; they represent promises, expectations, memories, and, in some cases, illusions. As relationships begin to fracture, Ahern gently but incisively examines whether love can truly be secured by rituals and grand declarations, or whether it must be continually chosen long after the gestures have faded.

Melody and Al make compelling guides through this exploration because they approach love from opposite directions. One has retreated from it, the other still believes wholeheartedly in it, yet both are forced to confront the gap between the romantic narratives they have inherited and the messier realities of human connection. Their individual journeys are just as engaging as their romance, allowing the novel to explore not only falling in love, but relearning what love means.

I particularly appreciated how Ahern broadens the scope of the story beyond its central couple. Through families, friendships, former partners, and the historical thread woven throughout the novel, she creates a rich portrait of love in its many forms. The inclusion of Grace Gifford and Joseph Plunkett’s story adds emotional resonance, reminding readers that love stories are always shaped by the times in which they exist and that even brief love can leave a lasting legacy.

There is warmth, humour, and Ahern’s signature touch of magic throughout, but what lingered with me most was the novel’s insistence that love is not something that can be locked in place. It evolves, falters, deepens, and sometimes asks us to let go of old versions of ourselves in order to move forward.

Ultimately, Love Unlocked suggests that love was never contained within the padlocks at all. The true act of commitment lies not in attaching a symbol to a bridge, but in the quieter, daily choice to remain open—to another person, to change, and to the possibility of beginning again.

[Ananya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely not a regular romance book with swoon moments or protective/possessive/jealous MMC who will do anything for his girl.
Was there atleast some romantic part? YES! For me this book felt like it was based on the idea of how when you find the right love in your life, you feel uplifted and joyful despite all the demons of your past.
That one love will be enough for you when you find and rest all will be your past.
This book is going to change your perspective of Love. This was bit of everything- romance, mystery, history.
I'll tell what this book is about-
The MMC (Al Collins) removed all the love locks from the bridge and suddenly all the couples across the world who had their locks on that bridge broke up. This issue was noticed by FMC(Melody Yates) who is a podcaster. Then both of them sets on a journey of mystery, love, rediscovering which in turn involved building up their own love story and also many other love stories cross the world.

The best thing about this book was the maturity with which this characters were written, they were both 38 years old. They both came from a broken past, they were trying to break free from the chains of there pasts. When they both first met i immediately felt the chemistry between them. The maturity and easiness between them stole my heart. They took inspiration from each other and set on to find the real purpose of their individual life. In fact around 50% mark, the book entirely deflected from the romantic point. But by that time I was more interest in their character growth individually than their love story. And i actually loved that tbh.
While reading i was not tracing any plot or storyline (like how will they solve the problems of lock) but i wanted to read more into the characters about how they manage to move on in their life and finally break fee from the past demons and see better things in life. And till the end they got over individually using the inspiration of some romantic moments they shared together.
This one was genuinely an uplifting story to read.
The only thing i didn't like was there was too much historic reference i know it was necessary to move forward in story but idk i found myself skimming through it.

Overall 3.25 ~ 3 stars!

What to expect-
~ Broken lover boy x Anti-love girl
~ MCs in their late 30s
~ She is afraid to sleep alone at night
~ Bit of mystery
~ 3rd person POV