This book was a DNF THREE times but I keep trying because there were so many good reviews! I guess I'll have to be the outlier here. The writing style is just not for me and I couldn’t connect with the characters, which I found self-centered and judgmental. Their story has too much drama to be NA.

I've always heard people say that I'm not perfect, but we're perfect for each other. This is what I walked away from a God-Shaped Hole. Jacob and Trixie had the perfect romance and I will never forget this story - ever.

This book has affected me deeply. Simply amazing. Tiffanie build characters until you know them, feel them and need them. This was one of those rare books where I caught my self staring off into space just feeling. Feeling what the words mean, what they mean for these characters I've come to love, and knowing that I'll carry them away with me long after I read this.
This is a 5 Star from me me because, while I loved the story, it was Tiffanies writing that drew me in.

When Beatrice (Trixie) Jordan answers a personal ad in the paper - “If your intentions are pure I’m seeking a friend for the end of the world.” – she doesn’t know that her whole world is about to change. In Jacob Grace, she finds what she didn’t know what she was looking for: a friend, an ally, a lover. These two creative souls – Trixie makes jewelry, Jacob is a writer – join together so they don’t have to face their demons alone.

I really liked this book, a lot more than I would have thought. It’s not something I normally read – I usually (not always) don’t read books categorized as “romance” or “chick lit” – and honestly, I chose it because I’m a sucker for a beautiful (especially colorful) cover. But this book was different. On the surface, it was a love story between Trixie and Jacob: how they met, fell in love, and helped each other through tough times.

But underneath, it was so much more.

God-Shaped Hole is about the journey we each take to fill that “god-shaped hole” (which doesn’t necessarily need to be filled by God) to make our lives feel complete. "We’re all searching for something to fill up what I like to call that big, God-shaped hold in our souls. Some people use alcohol, or sex, or their children, or food, or money, or music, or heroin. A lot of people even use the concept of God itself."

This book was both laugh-out-loud funny and serious, often in the same breath. The characters were well-developed and complex. I loved both Trixie and Jacob – their insecurities, their idiosyncrasies, their personalities. I enjoyed watching the progression of their relationship, from the honeymoon phase to the deep, long-lasting love phase. I actually also liked Trixie’s mother, who had always seemed uptight to Trixie, but really had so much more depth than her daughter ever realized.

The writing itself was beautiful – both subtle and powerful. There were so many great quotes, both beautiful imagery and questions to provoke deep thought. This book would be a great pick for a book club because there are so many layers there to dissect. It’s beautiful, poignant, joyous, uproarious, deep, all mixed into one. It really was a great book.

Thank you to NetGalley and to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review!

It took me over two weeks to finish God-Shaped Hole. That's unusual for me, especially with a book I'm loving. And it all started with the newly added foreword from the author about her inspiration for the book which came from an album called Grace by Jeff Buckley. "Lover, You Should've Come over" being one of my favorite songs EVER and having an intimate connection to that album as well I knew I was in for quite a journey with this book. When the foreword moves you, well....

Alas, I'd pick God-Shaped Hole up, read a chapter here and there always getting that gut feeling something big was looming and the same temperate undercurrent of pleasure in truth I get when listening to the Buckley album. I just wasn't convinced I wanted to know what that something was. An instinctual buzz kept nagging at me to pace myself and think over the story and really understand on a deeper level. It worked for me as I wanted to bask in the richness of the words and glory of Tiffanie DeBartolo's sublime story-telling.

I'm saying nothing about plot. I will say the Jacob and Trixie are two of the most connected and passionate characters I've had the pleasure of reading. Their connection transcends time. The character development of these two on this journey both intriguing and heart-breaking. These made me laugh, they made me cry, they made me angry, they made me smile. It's a truly inspiring reading experience.

It'll gut you. Their relationship, their story. DeBartolo's powerful words. It's designed perfectly to make you feel everything. It's honest and raw - open and vulnerable in a way that makes you think and re-evaluate your own purpose, your own life. It's amazing to me, the poetic and thoughtful parallels between the inspiration for the story and the story itself. It's awe-inspiring they way I feel Tiffanie DeBartolo reaches into the very souls of her readers, this reader for sure, and pulls some darkness out only to shine some light on it. I'm not sure ever felt such a deep connection to a story and the songs surrounding it on such a deeply personal level. God-Shaped Hole is a book I'll never, ever forget; Jacob and Trixie are characters that will live forever in my heart.

God-Shaped Hole was first released in 2002, but has recently been re-released by Sourcebooks Landmark. It's quite an amazing book. The story is told by Beatrice and it begins when she is 12 years old. She's at a party where an old fortune teller foretells that she will have great love, but he will die young and leave her alone. From here, we jump to Beatrice in her 20's, answering a personal ad from someone "seeking a friend for the end of the world". That someone is Jacob Grace, and after reading their love story, you simply won't be the same.

I loved this book. That's the simplest way I can say it. I laughed, I cried, I yelled, and I giggled. I read beautiful words of wisdom, and detailed sex scenes. I fell in love with these characters, and fell a little out of love, and then we reconciled. Beatrice and Jacob are both enthralling characters. They share issues surrounding their fathers from childhood, which realistically impacts their relationship as it develops. As they fall in love, it was hard not to smile at their relationship. Jacob is goofy, interesting, and a writer. He does ridiculously romantic things without trying to be romantic. He's one of a kind, and you can't help but want to be friends with him. Beatrice is taken aback by him, and she's not sure what to do with him. She herself is an artist, but she can be a little neurotic, and a bit of an overthinker when it comes to Jacob, something I could totally relate to...even if it made me yell at her sometimes. The prose really helps here, too. It's beautiful and lyrical, doesn't shy away from sex, and the descriptions are such that you can play a movie in your mind and see the two of them falling for each other quickly, almost effortlessly, but also realistically. I've had friends who met their significant others and fallen hard and been engaged within six months--and this was like seeing their relationship begin from the inside.

Despite the beautiful nature of the love story, including philosophical conversations between Beatrice and Jacob, the whole novel also manages to have a sense of foreboding laying over it. The fortune teller set up begins it, but Beatrice's insecurities also fill in shades of uncertainty tinging their happiness. This uncertainty hits home the message that happiness and love are both tenuous, fleeting concepts. Something bad can happen at any time, to any one...and you're left wondering if tragedy will somehow impact this fragile young beautiful thing that Beatrice and Jacob are building. Such is life. This fear of something tragic compelled me to keep reading, and made the novel very hard to put down. It's a novel that will perhaps change your life, or at least your outlook on life. It's a novel that I know I will revisit, once I'm ready, and maybe only in pieces, but one I will continue to value. I highly recommend it, especially to those of us in our late 20s and early 30s.

I flew through this book when I really wanted to read slowly and savor. But I couldn't stop turning the pages needing to know what was going to come next. And then what came next required a box of Kleenex. Normally I would hate that, but I didn't feel that way this time. There was a sweetness and depth of emotion here that I rarely find in a book. A true connection between two people that was beautiful to watch unfold. And I so enjoyed watching it unfold.

This is one of my favorite books ever so of course when I saw that there was a new cover and extra content I couldn’t wait to grab my hands on it. This was such a wonderfully done book. I was engrossed on every word and moment that Jacob and Trixie went through. It was heartbreaking, heartwarming, sweet, magnificent. It will lift your spirits but also bring you down to earth. Though I read it again for the countless time, it still felt like a brand-new book that I just opened. I felt everything in that story. This book will forever hold a special place in my heart. God-Shaped Hole is a story that needs to be experienced and a reader making their own assumption based on what they read. My personal opinion is that this is one of the greatest!

God-Shaped Hole is a book that came highly recommended to me by a number of friends. The cover is phenomenal and the authors prose is amazing. The characters are real life people. I didn't find myself trying to picture famous actresses or actors but my friends falling in love. And that is what made this book unique for me. It was real on every level. Just real.

I have to admit that with a title like God-Shaped Hole I hoped for and expected a bit more of a positive religious, potentially even Christian, book. This was not that. There was nothing in the description to indicate that would be the case, but there was nothing to indicate it would not be as well. So just in case the title gives you any misconceptions, now you know.

Beatrice uncharacteristically answers a personal ad in the newspaper that was uncharacteristically placed by Jacob. Beatrice couldn't imagine any of the guys she's dated in the past placing anything remotely similar to Jacob's ad. The two hit it off immediately. Some might take issue with the insta-love-ish vibe. Granted time does pass before the two claim those feelings, but there's definitely an insta-connection. Things definitely get physical quickly.

I kept forgetting that Beatrice and Jacob were essentially 30 years old. Their behavior reminded me more of late teens/early 20s for sure. Especially Beatrice's thought processes as she's the narrator. Speaking of...both are flawed characters, but Beatrice kind of got on my nerves. She didn't bother me as much while I was reading, but when I would put the book down and think about it I realized how frequently she irked me. She has a tendency to see mostly negative in other people, and even though I've been that way at one point in my life, I've learned that it's so much happier for me and for others to offer grace to others for things that might get on my nerves. I realized that I didn't want others to think of me the way I often thought about them. I wish Beatrice had learned that lesson because it was draining to read so much negativity. She was also highly irrational at times. And the emotional and mental games that she would play with Jacob were immature and exhausting at best. Her issues were understandable and felt real given her background, but still draining. Jacob wasn't without issues as well, but he didn't bug me as much. Perhaps this is because he wasn't the narrator, and I wasn't subjected to his thought processes.

Considering I expected The God-Shaped Hole to have some spiritual message, you can imagine my disappointment when Beatrice has nothing but contempt for God. Her view of Him is so incredibly small. If God were truly as she saw Him, I could understand her feelings, but He is so much more. The idea that the characters (or author) put forth that everyone has a "God-shaped hole" that they try to fill with anything and everything yet it has nothing to do with God goes against my core beliefs as a Christian. Of course, a "God-shaped hole" could only be filled by God Himself. And not the mini-unGod-like version that Beatrice imagines.

Despite my frustrations with Beatrice as a character and my issues with the weak vision of God, I read this book extremely quickly--especially considering I've been in a reading slump. Another bonus was that God-Shaped Hole did make me cry.

Favorite quotes:
-Sometimes the most consequential moments in my life originate from a state of completely witless human auto-pilot.

-"It's not a good sign when your girlfriend's a heroin addict and you don't even know it."

-"Don't waste your time with fear," Jacob said calmly. "Fear won't keep you safe from being hurt."

-"Henry Miller wrote something about fear making you fearless. It's a very powerful emotion. Use it to get what you want. I mean if it's going to rule your life, it might as well rule you to freedom, right?"

-"Committing suicide so as not to be murdered is the worst reason I've ever heard of to die."

God-Shaped Hole wasn't at all what I was expecting. The writing was pretty great, but I struggled a little with Beatrice as a character as well as her view of God. Yet at the same time, I couldn't seem to put it down. I was leaning toward 3 Stars until the ending had me all in tears. God-Shaped Hole gets 4 Stars. Have you read God-Shaped Hole? What did you think? Let me know!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

In the forward, the author stated that she was deeply affected by listening to Jeff Buckley's album, Grace. She goes into detail about how emotional she was the first time she heard it and how she listened to it on repeat while she wrote this book. Of course I had heard of Jeff Buckley, but I really didn't know his music. So, I set aside the book and spent the next few days listening to Grace. I'm so grateful that I did. I love the album and I did feel strong emotions the first time I listened. If nothing else, I'm grateful to the author for introducing me to a new favourite album. Knowing this music and knowing about Buckley's death had a positive impact on my appreciation of this story.

The writing is incredible. It's very fluid and creative. There were many times when I'd stop and reread a sentence just to admire how it was written. I never do that, by the way. This was very rare.

I had a little trouble with the pace of the story. There were some obvious clues to the direction that the story was going to take and I felt like the took a long time to build to that moment and then rapidly came to an end. I would have liked a little more balance and a bit more attention given to a pivotal point of the story.

**Live 5/15**

In 2013 I discovered Tiffanie DeBartolo when a friend convinced me to read How to Kill a Rock Star. It ended up being one of the most complicated relationships I’ve ever had with a book. I tell people, when it comes up, I both hated it and love it with equal levels of passion. When I finished it I wanted to chuck the book across the room or light it on fire, but there is larger part of me that looks back and feels so much emotion and attachment to the story and characters. HtKaRS didn’t just leave an impression, it branded me despite my initial anger and now I’ll never be able to forget it. I’ll also never reread it. See, how complicated my feelings are!.

Anyway, it was during that read four years ago I learned about God-Shaped Hole. Obviously after reading the other book first, and feeling all types of ways, I didn’t have it in me to go down the rabbit hole again. Instead, God-Shaped Hole sat on my To Read shelf until NetGalley featured it for the 15th anniversary rerelease. I figured it presented a great opportunity to finally tackle it, plus I thought enough time had passed to give me a fresh perspective that wasn’t clouded by my feelings on How to Kill a Rock Star.

Wrong!

In the beginning it was spectacular! It’s really not a surprise because Tiffanie DeBartolo is a phenomenal writer. I don’t think I’ve read another author who has DeBartolo’s talent for imbuing her characters with so much passion. It’s insane, brilliant, and magical to read. The characters are deeply flawed, but in the most beautiful way. It’s true of the women, but it’s especially true of the men. Paul Hudson in HtKaRS is still one of my favorite characters of all time, and Jacob Grace from God-Shaped Hole was just as imperfectly perfect. There’s something seriously attractive about the introspective, sensitive, artist type heroes in DeBartolo’s romance novels that stands out from anything else I’ve ever read. I can’t say it enough… Tiffanie knocks her love interests out of the park.

I was absolutely crazy about God-Shaped Hole for the first half of the story. Then… then, when I figured it alllll out, it went downhill for me. I know now I anticipated everything because I actually didn’t have the fresh perspective needed. And when I did guess the ending I proceeded to guard my heart and my emotions. I refused to let these characters affect me, because I refused to feel the inevitable pain that is a Tiffanie DeBartolo book.

So, if you’re looking for whether or not you should read this book, I’m a bad bet. I guarantee I’ll probably hate and love this book in balance, and the events that unfolded will probably haunt me forever.

Yes you should read it because it’s stunning and powerful and full of emotion – and no… you should run as far away from it as possible for all the same reasons. You pick.

Apparently this is a reprint from a book published in 2002. I did not read it then. This is the first book that I have read by this author.

From the reviews that I read, I was supposed to be mesmerized. It was supposed to be the love story to end all love stories. Well, that's not what happened to me.

I thought it was a decent read and a nice love story. I remember thinking that after I read it and was at a loss as to how to review this book. All these raving reviews, and I thought it was okay. To be honest, I finished this book 12 days ago and I remember parts of it, like the Craigslist ad, but that's about it. I've written reviews today for books I've read as far back as 17 days ago and I remembered all of them except this one.

Thanks Sourcebooks and Net Galley for approving and allowing me to read and review this book.

All the stars in this galaxy and any other!

Trixie's story is immeasurably heartbreaking. I mean, even after I was pretty sure that fateful fortune would prove true, I had begun to convince myself it was wrong. I believed Jacob would live.

I hate that I was wrong.

The writing is incomparably beautiful. Absolutely stunning. Perfection.

And I think their odd romance and the unique writing style only endeared me to them even more.

I don't think I can ever recover from this one.

Part of me wants to say so much about this book but the other part of me doesn't know where to start. I'll start by saying that this book is absolutely amazing... duh. I have to say that aside from the "love story of our generation" the writing really did things to me. Made me feel all sorts of warmth, anger, happiness, devastation, and just every emotion that made me reflect on my personal life. That right there alone is worth 5* with a hig-five on the side. I mean seriously, "I could taste my heart in my throat...." fudge!
"Siamese soul lovers" OH MY GOD, she touches MY SOUL. It's hard to say whether the author made up the characters' views on God and fate and what not or if it was her views, either way it made real logical fricken sense.

Maybe the fact that i know LA made me love this book. I was really in there. They were my friends.

I fell in love with the characters as quick as they fell in love with each other. While 'insta love' is usually a deal breaker for me because its so cheesy and predictable, Beatrice and Jacob's quick dive into love hit that perfect spot in me that made me feel content, I really felt so light and happy. What's really funny to me is that it wasn't even their love story that hooked me, but their own personalities. Beatrice was so lost, so alone and I could really relate to that in some ways. I was so happy that such a guy could save her. He really really did. Around the middle, when things went a little south, I was really angry with Jacob. I thought, "This isn't my Jacob" I hurt for both of them and I wanted to fix them too. The ending, while somewhat predictable (i mean hello, the cover gives it away) still shocked the hell out of me. I was... no I AM so damn sad. I didn't care for the 'message' because im so damn angry too. It's true, life kind of sucks and lie Beatrice im a little bitter too.

Also, now im obsessed with J.B. and want to hear and know all about him. What a senseless, tragic story.

Tiffany DeBartolo is the author of one of my all time favorite books, How to Kill a Rockstar. I read it years ago and every once in a while I dust it off for a re-read. I don't know what took me so long to read God-Shaped Hole given I loved her other book so much. Fifteen years ago, when this book was published, I was a young, exhausted mother, so it probably wouldn't have had the impact or punch to the gut emotions I had just reading it this week. I don't think I would have appreciated the story or the words as my younger self. 

I've only read two of this author's books, but they are both exceptional. Deep with meaning and poignant. Her words are woven with such purpose. It's hard not to become intrigued by these characters, their lives, their connections. God-Shaped Hole is one of those books that's just too hard to break down and describe because it's so meaty and deep. At its heart is a love story, but there's so much more to it than that. It's one of those books you just have to read for yourself, I suspect everyone will walk away with a different perspective on it. 

I'm hopeful that the re-release of this book for its fifteen year anniversary means there may be even more books from this author on the horizon. I'd read anything she wrote at this point, I am desperate for more. This book will make you think, win your heart and then break it. It's beautiful. A masterpiece. 

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 5 Stars

Enjoyable read, will post full review near release date.

4★★★★Stars

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Female

"If your intentions are pure I'm seeking a friend for the end of the world."

Beatrice aka "Trixie" Jordan was a free spirit kind of person; an artist at heart. She occupied her time making and designing her own jewelry and she made it from the heart. They were precious to her. Her talent was well known and very fast her business bloom big time. Trixie loved music and wasn't the type of person that could deal with peoples crap. She just didn't feel that she had time to deal with people if she didn't have to and so she focus on what she liked best, books, music, making jewelry and having sex. The essentials of course (my type of girl) hehe.

Jacob Grace was a writer with dreams and super cool character. He was simple yet complicated because he knew what he liked and he was extremely honest. He spoke his mind and heart and that's why his circle of friends adored him. He was also a free spirit that loved to live in the moment making memories.

One silly newspaper add changed both of these two forever. They knew from the first day they met that they were meant for each other; they have found their soul mates in each other. Their relationship was super cool, fun, hot, real, and adventurous.

“Here’s the thing. I feel like we grew in the same womb or something. Like we’ve been connected from the beginning by blood and veins. Someone soul lovers, if there could ever be such a thing.”

I really liked all the side characters from heroine best friend who was hilarious and hero's circle of friends. Jacob struggle internally for not growing up with a father; things happened and he felt he couldn't opened up so he leaves Trixie for few weeks without telling her. Oh boy was she angry and was I pissed off?! Hell to the yes. I was so angry at him it really upset me. However when he comes back it was hard not to forgive him, still he left a sour taste in my mouth because I don't forget easily haha. The words he said; the things he did though made him so unique and special.

“We’re all searching for something to fill up what I like to call that big, God-shaped hole in our souls."

The end; well ever since the beginning and based on blurb and title I already knew how this was going to end. So when it happened I didn't cry; however the aftershocks effects were painful, the memories, what could have been gutted me till no end. I kid you not I cried in the shower for an hour, I cried myself to sleep that night and I'm crying as I'm typing this right now…but Shhh don't judge whatever. Haha!

"Everyone feels that void. Everyone who has the balls to look inside themselves, anyway. It's what life's all about…A search."

This book is unique, the writing is phenomenal, the characters are awesome, there are sexy times, hilarious stuff I laughed so hard reading this book. I can honestly say it is not for everyone though because if you are looking for a "HEA" you best stay away from this book. One thing I know for sure is that this story will stay with me forever.

When I saw that God-Shaped Hole was being reissued for it's 15 year anniversary, I knew I had to read it. I have heard many people say it's not only a good book, but one of their top reads EVER! So going into this book I had very high expectations and I literally want to shout from the top of my lungs THEY. WERE. SO. RIGHT!!!! The first word that comes to mind to describe this novel is In-freaking-credible!!! Honestly, the characters were completely endearing because they are perfectly imperfect and from the very beginning I was drawn to their story like a moth to a flame. I have read How to Kill a Rock Star (and loved it), so I knew Tiffanie DeBartolo was a fantastic author, but after reading God-Shaped Hole I know Ms. DeBartolo is a PHENOMENAL author!! The entire time I was reading I think what surprised me the most was the fact that this 15 year old novel is still so very accurate and relevant--truly a timeless novel!! God-Shaped Hole is the total and complete 5 star book!! If you are an avid reader or a reader that reads a book or 2 a year, you need to check out God-Shaped Hole--this novel is an absolute must for EVERYONE!!