The theme of love is a topic long since discussed but often we shy away from talking about the pain of heartbreak. Rosie Wilby, in her book The Breakup Monologues, does just that and she does it well.

Mixing pathos and humour we hear about the bad relationship experiences that Rosie Wilby has had that have led her to understand breakups and look at them with fresh eyes. What is really rather nice is that not once in the book does Wilby point blame or make her exes out to be bad people she just explains things from her perspective and how she felt during the relationships which led to the breakup. If she had become angry and showering people with blame then I feel that it would be a less enjoyable read.

Along with opinions of experts and her friends you get a multi-perspective view on what it feels like to break up with someone or be broken up with and there is comfort in knowing you aren't alone in that feeling.

The Breakup Monologues - The Unexpected Joy of Heartbreak by Rosie Wilby is available now.

For more information regarding Rosie Wilby (@rosiewilby) please visit www.rosiewilbynews.blogspot.com.

For more information regarding Bloomsbury (@BloomsburyBooks) please visit www.bloomsbury.com.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Other readers may enjoy it more, but I could not get into it and ultimately did not finish it.

I listened to the audiobook edition of this book in the end - this is an interesting idea for a book but didn't quite hit the spot for me. Maybe because I have never listened to the podcast but I didn't feel much connection to the author, and wanted some more funny moments like I was promised. The psychology facts were interesting but didn't offer anything new to me (personally). Others are sure to disagree!

Perhaps I’ve read one to many books on love of late because this one didn’t really do it for me, perhaps I was expecting something a little more exploration, but this one only seemed to touch the surface in contrast to similar books that I’ve read.

It consisted of personal stories from the author that, for me, didn’t really connect or really stand out. I had little interest. I would’ve liked more investigation.

Just not really for me.

A realistic account of the pain of break ups felt universally regardless of sexuality or gender. I felt Rosie Willy did a great job emoting this.

Not quite the book I had hoped for as I had been lookng forward to reading something with laugh-out-loud funny dating escapades. But a good read nontheless.

I'm giving this book three stars because while it was a perfectly fine read, it had a very loose grip on the actual concept.

A large portion of this book isn't about break-ups or heartbreak. It's about Wilby's relationship with her current girlfriend, which sounds like a lovely relationship and I'm delighted for her. But why? Why was I reading about it?

It felt like the author was looking for some structure to weave together the stories about her exes and other people's break-up stories. Yet, so much space was given to this current relationship that I honestly can't remember much about the actual break-up stories.

I also don't think this book came even close to attempting its "quest to investigate, understand and conquer the psychology of heartbreak". More page space could easily have been given to genuinely exploring this.

So, if you've recently been through a break-up or had your heart broken, don't read this book. You will probably feel very annoyed by the author talking about how great her current relationship is.

If you haven't and you like the sound of this book, give it a read. I still enjoyed Wilby's writing, even if I found the book itself a little pointless. Maybe I'll try her Is Monogamy Dead? instead.

Strangely enough, I was about to attempt this book a few months ago and then suddenly felt like it might end up making me feel quite sad, even though the description does not paint that picture my brain thought breakup and went to a sad place. So I put it aside but then recently I just suddenly felt the need to read something that wasn’t fiction and would be insightful and this book popped back into my head, and I’m so glad that it did.

This book isn’t strictly just about breakups, in a way it celebrates love in its different forms and how these experiences shape us as people. I think what I really liked about the message of this book is that breakups, whilst difficult, make us learn more about ourselves and can actually on reflection be beneficial to our growth. I definitely feel like I have come away from this book feeling a lot more at peace with previous breakups after thinking about what I have learned from them.

I really enjoyed the conversational style of this book, it was a bit like being part of a chat between friends rather than a kind of clinical look at the topic, it was great to explore the subject through Rosie’s lens and relationships, especially because it looked at these relationships and breakups from out with the heteronormative gaze. It was really interesting to discover the differences with breakups between different genders and sexual preferences and also that it included breakups of friendships and working relationships, it made the reading experience feel so inclusive.

There are also inserts of stories from the author’s friends about breakups that made me laugh and cringe at the same time and great recommendations for songs and movies to watch. However I think one thing that I really enjoyed above the rest were the footnotes, sometimes further research and explanation sometimes witty and hilarious comments that added that extra dose of humour and were always well-timed.

I will admit that I did not know that this book was based on a podcast and I am delighted to hear it because I am now looking forward to getting that experience as well, it’s like the gift that keeps on giving. The Breakup Monologues is a book that I think will feel relevant to a lot of people, it is a funny and engaging way to look at what can be a very sad and stressful subject and tries to find the positives in these experiences.

Comedian and writer Rosie Wilby takes us through her best and worst ever break-ups (of all kinds) and explains what each one has taught her. Anecdotes from her friends and colleagues of a range of ages and sexualities are also included as well as a little look into the science behind heartbreak. This book reads very much like a podcast, which I believe is where the idea and the material for the book originates. It’s a very positive look at something that everyone experiences at some point and I’m sure that it will be a very useful tool for someone who is in the immediate aftermath of a painful break-up. Rosie Wilby has a very funny, friendly voice and a wonderful talent for reminding readers that we’re actually all very similar, even in our darkest moments. A lovely little part memoir, part exploration of the complex, dark but essential obstacles that we all encounter on the path to true happiness.

There is much to enjoy about this book. It doesn't take itself to seriously but offers real lessons and wisdom to those who want to look for them.

I had lots of fun reading this one, which as you all know from my stories was my first EVER @tandemcollectiveuk readalong as well as a NetGalley read.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a really interesting read and gave so much insight into Rosie’s experiences, past relationships and current relationship. I loved reading about her perspective and this book had me laughing and reflecting on my own experiences too.

My interest was particularly peaked in regards to friendships and how the breakdown of those impacts a person. This resonated a lot with me. I think the loss of a friend is an extremely hard thing to experience.

A big thanks to @tandemcollectiveuk @breakupmonologues for the gifted copy sent for the readalong. The prompt cards were also such fun and a great way to prompt conversation and deeper thought for each section of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the readalong! I’ve tagged the other lovely accounts who read this too. It was a great non-fiction pick!

The Break Up Monologues by Rosie Wilby ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Really enjoyed this refreshing look at break ups.

It’s a great mix of well researched facts and theories, funny anecdotes from friends and her own personal experience of break ups before finding her ‘happy ending’.

Going into this book I didn’t realise that Rosie is gay, and while of course heartbreak is universal it was really interesting to get a lesbian perspective (synchronised perimenopausal symptoms, no thank you!! 😂)

My thanks to #Netgalley and #Bloomsburypublishing for allowing me to review this book.

What a gem, not something I would normally read but this has something for everyone, regardless of your sexuality.
I guarantee that unless you have lived under a rock at some point you will recognise an aspect of your own life.
I laughed and cried. I truly thought it was just me who had been dumped by my ‘ex’ boyfriend’s mother.
I loved it.

"The Breakup Monologues" is a humorous and considered exploration of love in its many guises and what happens when we lose it. I particularly enjoyed the playlist and film references. Through anecdotes and research, Rosie Wilby illustrates her own experience of relationships and heartbreak.

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. It didn't seem to follow a logical timeline and I often found myself quite confused and lost. I had to really push myself to read it and eventually just lost interest.

A deeply relatable novel celebrating love- its beginnings, its endings and what it can teach us about ourselves.

It is not often we see a candid exploration of how sexuality affects a persons perception of their own relationships. This novel explores the lesbian identity both in isolation and in comparison to other sexuality’s, which I greatly enjoyed.

I have found that lesbianism is often talked about and grouped in with other sapphic identities rather than being recognised as a unique experience, and in this novel, Rosie Wilby shows how this can affect a queer persons perception of their own sexuality. When combined with her musings about how difficult she found navigating her past relationships, this discussion was deeply relatable. I would have loved to have a book like this when I was younger.

The addition of footnotes meant this novel read like an episode of Rosie’s podcast The Breakup Monologues, with asides littered into educate listeners and make them laugh.
And this book was laugh out loud funny. Heartbreak can be hilarious!

I recommend this novel to:

- lesbians 👭
- lovers of light nonfiction 📚
- anyone that loves to laugh 🎙

Overall I think everyone should read this novel. I couldn't put it down.

To pre-order this book now for £16.99, click HERE and receive it when it's released on May 27th 2021.

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚.

This book gave an honest account of how painful break ups can be, the reality and reasons of why break ups occur are highlighted throughout the book and I definitely related in some ways! Overall I enjoyed this book.

I must confess I didn’t know who Rosie Wilby was before reading this book so I googled her and found out she’s a comedian, podcaster, presenter, writer, radio host and more. I feel I should have know who she was and for that I’m sorry as I loved this book and read it in one sitting.

This is a book for anyone who has been through a break up or multiple break ups through their adult life. It’s an honest, funny and reflexive look at how we are possibly shaped by relationships we see before we embark on our own adult relationships and how we grow and move forward to deal with- or not- relationships that end. How we hopefully get to a point of knowing what we want and don’t want, as well as what we will and want put up with in a future relationship.

I loved how honest Rosie is about her own past relationships and how she dealt with the break ups, as well as how she and her partner now navigate their relationship to make it the best for both of them.

There is also a lot of other peoples take on relationships, love, break ups which are very enlightening. Lots of good stories that are funny or reflective as well as horror ones.

There’s input from professional sources with statistics and research information and the whole book has an easy flowing style that doesn’t get bogged down in self pity or just horror stories after horror story of her friends or her break ups.

I also like that she discussed break ups that were not just from a romantic partner but business break up or friend break ups as it’s all relevant.
Just one thing I wasn’t keen on was the sub titles of at what stage her and partner were at in their relationship, or before they met as the chapters moved back and forth in time not linear. Not a big thing but it took a bit to get use to this.

A lot of what was said will hit home with many people and it will make you realise that most of us go through break ups and survive- if not even coming out of a relationship stronger and knowing ourselves and what we want and don’t want from a relationship in the future.

This book has humour throughout it with a lot of sensible talk.
Rosie Wilby is someone I will now be looking out for in the future.

I didn't really enjoy this book. I walked into it thinking it would be funny (monologue-style). Instead, I found it quite dull (except for the mention to the University of Essex's Sex Lab, which I'm familiar with) and disorganised. I didn't enjoy this book.

As this book was written by a comedian, I really expected it to be full of funny but disastrous stories about love and life, Unfortunately however it was not and I really had to push myself to keep on reading it. I wish that I had some better things to say about this book but just it wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did enjoy this book. Anyone who has gone through any type of break up ever will relate to something within this book. Some really laugh out loud moments, some cringe, and some not for the faint hearted. Did expect a more essay like style of people's stories, but it very much wasn't like that at all- but not to its detriment.
Narrator changes/structure felt a little scrambled at times but a good read overall.