Heartsick

I absolutely inhaled this book within 2 days. A raw, honest and compelling biography about 3 different people entering into the perfect relationship, living through it, and then experiencing the devastating heartbreak when it ends. There are elements of all 3 people which we all identify with. I loved the diversity of the 3 relationships and think it was wonderful to have a male perspective and to have representation from the LGBTIQ community included. Very much for fans of Three Women... but even better as the emotions pack a punch.

My choice of reading is fiction. Not normally non-fiction and definitely not what I see as self-help, yet, I spent the weekend reading this after being encouraged to read this by a colleague. I will totally admit it is not at all what I was expecting. I even had a few emotional moments as memories of my own painful, mostly forgotten (or purposely shut out) experiences that were so well described by Jessie with her characters' stories.

This is not your typical self-help book about how to get over a broken heart or how to get revenge or even worse "here are some platitudes that mean nothing at all so now buck up and get on with life". What Jessie has done is create a totally absorbing story of three people who are all different ages and in varying stages and situations in life and their very real experiences of heartbreak.

Most of the book is about Ana, Claire and Patrick and their stories but it is written so much like a fiction novel that I actually forgot I was supposedly reading a non-fiction/relationship book. It is only towards the end that Jessie pops in with her own voice and comments on love, being 'heartsick' and relationships.

There is nothing 'preachy' about this book. It doesn't give you a quick cure for that broken heart or how to find 'the one' etc etc etc. This is a book for all people of any age that helps the reader feel less alone in their experiences. It is a book about grief, loneliness, expectations, rejection and love, but mostly about being human

A truly enlightening book that everyone should read. Following three people who have loved and lost, this non-fiction book reads like fiction. I was quickly turning pages and staying up too late in order to see what was going to happen. I felt committed to each person at different times and couldn't figure out who I was most interested in. They all have compelling tales! While I've never experienced heartbreak like any of them, I could easily empathize with their situations. And the epilogue is worth the price of admission. How eloquently the author examines our need for a ritual around romantic rejection. She makes such a great point that I was shocked I'd never thought of that before. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, whether they've ever been heartsick or not.