“Merlin gives off Sophie Kinsella and Emily Giffin vibes only with an execution of plots that is all her own….Beth Merlin is totally going to grow in popularity. I’m calling it.” – Book and BroadwayAfter weeks of training to whip Joanna Kitt into shape for her big day, her picture-perfect engagement to her high school sweetheart is torn in two, and Joanna is left out on her perfectly toned rear … her perfectly toned rear end. To put the past and her heartache behind her, she sets off for two weeks at the renowned Retreat House Breakup Boot Camp in Topsail Island off the coast of North Carolina.
Despite her sadness, Joanna throws herself into the experience hoping surfing, yoga, spa treatments, meditation, and talk therapy will be enough to help her get over the one man she’s ever loved. But she soon learns the Boot Camp is only the first step to healing her broken heart. Joanna will have to come to terms with the career she abandoned, the loss in her life she never fully accepted, and the role she played in the ending of her relationship.
When she meets Todd Aldrich, the handsome and mysterious hotel chef, she has the chance to take her renewed heart out for a test drive and see if she is ready for new beginnings and new love.
Will 12 steps be enough to get her life back on track? Or will her getaway to get over him prove healing the heart takes a whole lot more?
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A very unique story of break up and second chances. I loved the heroine’s personality and her determination to rebuild her life after a betrayal, but also her progress in understanding the signals she ignored with her ex. She is attracted to the hero but uncertain whether she is willing to give him a chance and risk the potential heartbreak again.
The hero was charming but didn’t feel like a solid match for the heroine, at least to me. Otherwise I’d have given this book five stars. I was entertained and would still recommend this book to romance readers.
3.5 stars
This book is about empowering women and discovering who you are and what you really want. I was hoping for a little more romance, but there was enough to at least keep me interested. I previously read Merlin’s “One S’more Summer” and enjoyed it as a light read. I’m in the middle of a long historical fiction novel, so I wanted a quick break. I finished Breakup Boot Camp in a couple bed-time reading sessions. It’s not as lighthearted as I expected because Jo is forced to confront her guilt about her family situations. But there’s also humor, friendship, and the beach. I’ve been on a “summer on the North Carolina coast” vibe with my book picks lately and honestly picked this one because of the setting. This may not be the book for you if you’re wanting a hot romance or a life-changing story, but it’s a nice beach read.
This is a 4 1/2 stars review. Insightful. A really good read.
Terrible. Sad and depressing wanting to push a social agenda on all readers. Also lacking in good moral judgment taking the Lord’s name in vain so many times.
I liked it very much, and have recommended it to others.
Great story of self discovery with a some romance chucked in to help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thoroughly enjoyable read.
Good beach read and provides some food for thought.
I found this book not only entertaining but to have some good advice
A light read that touched on what happens after a break-up.
Although its a light-hearted read, there are important lessons to be learnt from the story.
Very well-written – the story flows easily across the pages.
A great weekend read.
What a story line: a boot for all such things!
Different and interesting read
A story based in self-recovery and self-discovery, this book is full of lovable characters, funny moments, and romance. Joanna attends a breakup boot camp to recover from her broken engagement. There she makes new connections, self-discoveries about her role in her breakup, and a new love. This book was enjoyable and I look forward to reading more by this author.
I loved this story and wished that I could go to breakup boot camp too! I mean, I’m married with no sign of divorce in my future but breakup boot camp sounded like a really great getaway. I found myself able to relate to the main character on a few levels and really wanted to jump into the story and join her. I felt inspired to learn to cook, walk on the beach and visit a farmers market. I loved the ending too!
This was a fun read and I totally enjoyed it.
While it was far fetched that the average person could afford to one take off of work and two afford to go to this resort – it let me live vicariously. I appreciate that it made the characters both take accountability and see more clearly that both people in a relationship are to blame when something goes wrong. And that issues you have in one relationship can affect others in your life. Honest and inspirational.
Interesting, fun And an interesting read.
Really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
I think that this was a warm, funny page turner. We all go through stuff in our lives, some bad and some good. To me it is how you handle the situations you faced with that can make or break you. Becca took a bad situation, assessed her options, and made lemons aide out of lemons.
This book was altogether different from what I have been reading. Great storyline & unpredictable.
Enjoyed reading this book