The Breakup Doctor
The Breakup Doctor by Phoebe Fox
Series: The Breakup Doctor Series #1
Paperback and e-book, 310 pages
Published June 10th 2014 by Henery Press
Call Brook Ogden a matchmaker-in-reverse. Let others bring people together; Brook, licensed mental health counselor, picks up the pieces after things come apart. When her own therapy practice collapses, she maintains perfect control: landing on her feet with a weekly advice-to-the-lovelorn column and a successful consulting service as the Breakup Doctor: on call to help you shape up after you breakup.
But when her own relationship suddenly crumbles, Brook finds herself engaging in almost every bad-breakup behavior she preaches against. And worse, she starts a rebound relationship with the most inappropriate of men: a dangerously sexy bartender with anger-management issues—who also happens to be a former patient.
As her increasingly out-of-control behavior lands her at rock-bottom, Brook realizes you can’t always handle a messy breakup neatly—and that sometimes you can’t pull yourself together until you let yourself fall apart.
My thoughts about The Breakup Doctor ~~
Okay, so I have to admit, when I saw this cover, I was thinking this was going to be a fun chick-lit type of story. It would be pretty predictible and a fun read. The Breakup Doctor is so much more than that. It is the story of Brook's journey down a new career path after the clinic she is working in closes. She sort of stumbles into a job writing a relationship column and becomes the Breakup Doctor, giving advice to readers, acquaintances, and eventually clients, as they go through their rough spots. But it is also a wonderful look at all kinds of relationships; parents and children, best friends, lovers, you name it.
'I was styling myself as a confindent, knowledgeable relationship expert, and here I was craving resassurance like a child.'
Brook has a wonderful best friend, Sasha, who she counsels and tries to keep from making a fool of herself when she gets dumped. When a breakup happens to Brook, can she take her own advice and keep her self-respect? Or is she going to be just like everyone else, and go a little nuts?
'Don't drink and dial, and don't drink and email.' Great advice, Brook!
It was wonderful, and sometimes a little frustrating, to see the antics that Brook attempted, all in the name of love when she was supposed to know better. But you know what, she is only human, just like the rest of us. And her feelings are just as real as anyone elses.
'..somehow I had to figure out how to advise someone else on their own broken relationship when I was proving to be such a complete failure at handling my own.'
Like I said, this story turned out to be so much more than I was expecting. It was entertaining and humorous in places, as well as touching on more serious and deeper relationship topics. It was very enjoyable to read and I truly came to care about Brook and her life. I especially loved the relationship that Brook and Sasha had. They seemed to always be there for each other. When it was needed, one of them could be the strong, wise one when the other one was struggling and doing stupid stuff. They had each other's back. What a great friendship!
And did you see that this is book #1 is The Breakup Doctor series? Whoo hoo! I am so excited that I will be able to go back to see what Brook and Sasha are up to. I can't wait to visit them again!
About the author
I love that Phoebe shares her 'official' bio with us but then also shares the 'real stuff' about herself. It made me smile.
The bio I’d tell you over coffee and doughnuts: My earliest memories are words: sounding them out with the characters on The Electric Company and Sesame Street; trying to decipher signs as my mom drove me and my brother and sister around town; using (and misusing) new words I’d seen in magazines or advertisements or on TV. The first failure I remember is blowing the third-grade spelling bee when I got to the finals (“analyze”—I spelled it with an i instead of a y). Words and language have fascinated me as long as I can remember—and even more so, the worlds that can be created with them. Nearly every childhood picture of me shows me with my nose in a book. Stories were my sanctuary, my fantasy life, my dreams, and my escape from childhood sorrows. As I got older, I realized that what I loved most was reading about people, and how they think, what they do, and why. Shoot-’em-ups didn't grab me, and neither did mysteries or thrillers or horror. I wanted to examine people’s actions, and the psychology behind why we do what we do, and when I started writing (another earliest memory—as soon as I knew how, I had a pen in my hand), those were the kinds of tales I wanted to create.
Connect with Phoebe
Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!
Hi phoebe, your book sound great, I would like to read it. Thank you susan, I love your blog.
ReplyDeleteI really think this book sounds like fun and also analytical at the same time! I wonder how Brooke ends up now! Thank you for the giveaways on this blog, I enter almost all!
ReplyDeleteI could really use a breakup doctor. I love fun reads like this!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read, hope to win this !
ReplyDeleteLooooove hahah x
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