After never nominating books previous to this thread, I'll go crazy and nominate another. This one came to mind today when I answered a question about this book in another part of these forums.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles - Hiro Arikawa
It is a short novel, approx. 160 ADE pages, and has no direct connection to hearts, but
The Guardian review's:
The structure of The Travelling Cat Chronicles is deceptively simple. With alternating sections of third-person and Nana-the-cat narration, it consists of three journeys to friends, followed by a pilgrimage across a beautifully evoked landscape. There is then a heart-breaking last journey that left me in bits.
perhaps makes the connection. I don't think animal lovers, especially cat ones, would find it too soppy - it is very Japanese.
Again, this is a selfish nomination because we have kept cats all of our lives
.