When I saw this I was intrigued on two counts: first, I really enjoyed Lori Gottlieb's MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE, and GROUP seemed similar-but-different enough to be worth a try. Second, I would never, ever do group therapy—so of course I'm also desperately curious about what it's like.

I found the writing really engaging, and enjoyed the gradual piecing together of the author's life as she learns to build healthy relationships with food, friends, and men (and slogs through some really awful ones on the way). Her therapist's methods were definitely unusual and contrary to my personal sensibilities. I probably wouldn't have lasted long in one of these groups, but it seemed to work for the author and it makes for a fascinating read. The book made me think serious thoughts about how we form healthy relationships with ourselves and others, and about the amount of effort it takes to heal from trauma, but it's also dishy enough to make up for the months of missed brunches during COVID.

Meh! this book was just okay. I was hoping it would be engaging and enlightening, but it turned out to be neither.

I don't like the writing style at all.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Wow! I loved following the progression of Christie and really seeing therapy work for her. The concept of this group therapy seemed so unique! I applaude Christie and the others in the group share such personal things and to really make connections and force each other out of their comfort zone. So many things seemed so relatable about her thought process, but she trusted in the program and it ended up working for her.

Yikes. This memoir became more and more cringeworthy as it went along. At around 75%, I just put it down for good.

Some of the stories and fears shared in this was great and it definitely had some LOL moments; however, there must be some kind of rules broken by the therapist who leads the group when she starts over sharing to the participants in group. If I was going to support, I would feel creeped out when the therapist is taking over and spilling her guts. Still a worthy read for people that find comfort for their issues in a setting like this but it may not be for all.

Goof writing and some stories but taking away a star for the therapist who is crossing some unsafe boundaries, I still appreciate this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Avid Reader Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 10/6/20

I really loved this book in the beginning. But as the book went on, I found it more and more disturbing. The therapy group the author was a part of insisted that the members of the group shared everything, even intimate details about other people. It was so disturbing. But the writing style of the book was good.

This is the story of one woman's group therapy experience through decades of attending the same group(s) run by the same therapist. Patients are encouraged to share everything about themselves and their lives, confidentiality is not respected, and boundaries are unclear. The patients become involved with each other, and bring all sorts of issues to the groups.

I had conflicting feelings about the therapist and his no-holes-barred approach. Exposing everything about oneself to the group, confiding in each other during the week and socializing for years and years seems unethical and disrespectful to me. Yet the author makes enormous changes in her life, her desires, her attitudes, and after 5 years attains the type of relationship she always wanted with herself and with a man.

Engrossing read, thoughtful writing, compulsively readable.

Love memoirs, this one not so much. Felt like it was trying so hard to be what itsnot.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I was lucky enough to win a digital galley of GROUP through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you again for the early look, any distraction is more than welcome these days!

I loved the beginning of this book. The author does a great job of describing her stressors and maladaptive coping habits - binging on food, escaping into workaholic academic/professional accomplishment, dating guys who are unavailable & dysfunctional. So when she began group therapy, I was eager to see what pearls of wisdom she'd find there and how she'd apply them to her life.

As the chapters went on, I was increasingly weirded out by both the therapist and the dynamics of the group. The requirement that they share EVERYTHING with one another, including names and intimate details about other people was creepy, especially when one of her dates requested his privacy and a group member accused him of hindering her progress. Some of the advice the group gave seemed good, and it was clear that the members cared about each other - they really seemed like best friends. But it also seemed like they could have gathered at a coffee shop and had the same conversation for free. Over time, too many things the therapist said and did made me cringe,

By the end of the book, I was happy for the author, that she experienced the transformation in intimate relationships she was searching for. But I wish she'd closed the loop on the other issues she raised in the beginning, and shared how she dealt with those.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.