Queen of Broken Hearts
Free Book Review

Free Book Review: Queen of Broken Hearts

No one would expect the esteemed Dr. Clare Ballenger, the Queen of Broken Hearts, to have any trouble with love in her personal life. But trouble is what she's got ranging from her own, to her daughter Hayley's, and her best friend Dory's.

As Clare plans for the opening of her very own retreat spot, Wayfarer's Landing, for women suffering from post traumatic divorce issues, she is also juggling a very busy practice, the affection of two eligible bachelors, a best friend who is possibly going to reunite with her estranged husband - and renew her wedding vows, and a daughter whose world appears to be ripping apart at the seams.

In the midst of all this turmoil Clare must find a way to make peace with herself and her lifetime love, Mack, before she can learn to move on.

A cast of very colorful characters accompanies the story, the most outlandish being Zoe Catherine who is Clare's mother-in-law and a certified "bird woman." Readers will find themselves knee-deep in Southern grit, ensconced in this beautiful coast town of Fairhope, Alabama and it's inhabitants.

A novel about standing up for yourself in the face of all odds, how far a woman will go in her quest to love a man, and how we can find ourselves right-smack in the middle of the labyrinth we call life with only one way out - acceptance of our biggest fear - ourselves.

Free Book Review: Queen of Broken Hearts Opinion

This book is both enlightening, uplifting, and depressing all at once. I know it doesn't seem possible for one story to encompass such a wide range of emotion, but it does.

The enlightening part comes from Clare's realization that we must "practice what we preach" or in other words, she has to learn to let go of her past, the negative feelings and the guilt, in order to move forward. Whether it's a marriage, a friendship, a parental relationship, this is a lesson in humanity that we can all stand to learn.

Queen of Broken Hearts is uplifting because each character we meet is, in some way, willing to take a chance in their lives. For Lex, it's letting go of Elinor to love Clare. For Hayley, it's letting go of her guilt over Austin's infidelity to raise her children in a happy home. For Dory it's allowing herself to believe that her husband can truly make a positive change in their relationship. Even for Zoe Catherine, it's allowing Cooter to take a place in her life and heart. Each stands to lose something but they are still willing to try.

On the downside, I finished feeling confused because I was still depressed by the story. Upon reflection I realized this is because at the root of all the uplifting, humanistic behavior, there is also deep pain and sadness. Many of the characters had to suffer through an extreme heartbreak at the hands of a person whom they thought truly loved them. The astonishing amount of women in this country, in this world, who struggle through a bitter divorce, or divorce of any kind, is alarming. At the end of the book I almost felt like it was hopeless - that we should all just throw in our wedding rings now because one day we'll probably be forced to do just that.

But then I remembered that at it's heart, this book is meant to show us vulnerability and how we can learn from it. Loss is part of life and the sooner we can figure out how to deal with our emotions over great loss, the better off our lives will become. A very powerful message.

A discussion over this book has many different avenues to pursue and for an all female book club, could produce your best discussion yet.

Free Book Review: Queen of Broken Hearts Discussion Questions

1. Can a retreat, fully equipped with an "unmarriage" ceremony really help a woman along the path to healing?
2. Is Clare oblivious to Lex and Rye's feelings honestly? Or is she too scared to move beyond Mack?
3. Is there a point in any marriage where divorce seems inevitable? Can strong relationships survive this?

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