Customer Reviews

The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What a superb piece of Chick Lit! In this genre, The Break-Up Diet merits 5 stars.

The reason I know that this book is dynamite Chick Lit is that when I reached the middle, I sat in a chair and read the rest, non-stop. Annette Fix's realistic dialogue and intense hunt for The Perfect Man just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. And, I love happy endings, which the Break-Up Diet served up perfectly.

The Break-Up Diet formula is simple: love lost, finding love, love found; the process is Painful. This memoir reminded me of the movie, "Something's Gotta Give," with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. When Jack dumps Diane, who has fallen in love with him, she wails and cries and sobs loudly, constantly, copiously and dramatically, while writing a terrific book and screen play all about the heartbreak. Talk about making lemonade out of a lemon, here it is in spades.

The Diet in the book's title refers to recipes like "Devastation Omelette," "Bitter Shake," "Adrift Soup," involving suspicion, distrust, contentment, one female gold digger, a drained bank account, sarcasm, contempt, yielding things like "a ratty mood," or "intense yearning" with weight loss outcomes such as "guaranteed 3 lbs.," "no guaranteed weight loss." Although these "recipes" seemed to be intended to tie together the chapters and provide some humor, I just skimmed them and moved on. The "recipes" seemed unnecessary and fell flat. The story didn't need this embellishment of cuteness but stood on its own.

If the Hunt for Mr. Right is your genre, do not hesitate, the Break-Up Diet will satisfy.

The Break-Up Diet, which is being released on Valentine's Day, is the true story of how new author Annette Fix survived and overcame the end of her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Kevin. Annette thought Kevin was the man for her, her one and only true love, her soul mate. But Kevin thought differently and after two years called it quits. The shock and pain of being abandoned by the person she loved left Annette completely devastated and unable to move on with her life.

In her diary, Annette wrote about Kevin and how she felt like there was no one else for her but him. Annette used her diary entries as inspiration for her book, which is in diary format and told in first-person point of view.

Annette worked as an exotic dancer for six years to support herself and her son, but she still had big dreams of moving to Fiji, becoming a writer, and getting married. All of her aspirations went out the window when Kevin left her. Until one day, Annette meets a man who actually cares about her like no other has before. He encourages her to pursue writing full time and whole heartily believes in her.

Will Annette end up with her prince charming or will her ex-boyfriend Kevin and her feelings for him come between her and a second chance at love?

The Break-Up Diet is a romantic, humorous, inspiring and beautiful story about starting over after a relationship abruptly ends. Any person who has ever gone through heartbreak will find joy and solace in Annette's story. The writing was engaging and very humorous at times.

Every chapter begins with a recipe with emotions as ingredients instead of food. This adds a humorous undertone to the serious subject of depression and heartbreak. This memoir was very interesting and had a chick lit flavor to it. Annette Fix is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading another book by her.

Armchair Interviews Says: A fabulous debut and an author to look out for! GREAT book!!

I loved this book! Started reading it Sunday night and thankfully didn't have to work on Monday because I couldn't put it down until I was through the last page. The humor through the pain is something we can all use and the fairytale ending topped it.

I absolutely loved this book. I was stunned at the candor and freshness of the voice that jumped out of the pages. As I read through the book, I felt upset, applauded, and basically got really involved in Annette's life. I found myself reading recipes out loud to my friends, all of us appreciating the amazing wit and word choice. I am going to recommend this book to all of my friends, sisters, and my mom. This book is perfect even for those who haven't suffered a heart break yet.

I first cracked open this book for a quick look, just to find out what I'd be reading once I officially started it. Three hours later, after midnight on a weekday, I was halfway done.

Fix's writing style is simple and fun; you'll almost feel like she's a friend you've been hanging out with when you're finished. Her story, despite the title, is actually about moving on, finding the courage to try again, and trusting a good thing when it finally does come along. It's also about having the inner strength to stick to your dreams and convictions, and to remember that they (and you) are worth investing in.

The best part about this modern love story is that it's true.

I received an advance copy of this through Library Thing, and I really enjoyed it. This is a memoir of a woman who survives a break-up and comes out the other side a better person, with a better relationship. The "twist" of the story is that she is a single mom who is making ends meet by topless dancing while trying to establish herself as a writer. I'm so glad she was able to persevere in the writing, because she has a very fresh, easy style that is fun to read and quite entertaining. The "recipes" for things such as "doubt cake" and "guilt stew" are very clever.

Overall, one of the more entertaining things I've read lately.

Annette Fix's debut novel, "The Break-Up Diet : a Memoir", is a wonderfully funny and witty commentary on life, love and starting over. Fix begins her memoir with a devastating breakup with Kevin, and continues with inevitable journey of rebuilding after such a traumatic loss. As the book progresses, Annette regains her confidence, always meeting the challenges of being a single mother head on. "Break-Up Diet" is well written, full of great one-liners, and is a very quick read. The recipes included in the book are a nice touch of anecdotal humor, expressing the very essence of what one goes through in times like these. More than once I found myself laughing out loud with Annette's snappy writing style, such as the incident with the boxes in the garage or the entry when Annette is solicited online. The whole book is kept in check when needed; her concern for her son is paramount, and never once did the book deviate from the purpose of the book, which is to show healing and the rebirth of hope. "Break-Up Diet" tells the story of breakups and life; a transitional account of the life and death of relationships, and is a huge asset to my personal library. I would highly recommend it to anyone, and only hope that there will be more novels in the future of a similar vein.

-kc-

This light-hearted memoir addresses a serious topic: author Annette Fix focuses on her experiences after her live-in boyfriend of 2 ½ years, Kevin, suddenly breaks up with her. Using a journal-like format, Fix writes about her emotional devastation following the breakup combined with her struggles to continue functioning on a daily basis; as the mother of a pre-teen son, Fix really has no choice but to pick herself up and to try to move on. Although Fix's heartbreak comes across as real and genuine, she takes a humorous approach to telling her story. This is clearly evident her use of jokey journal entry titles such as "He's Not Heavy, He's My Stalker." Similarly, the book is peppered with mock "recipes" for things like "Doubt Cake," "Bitter Shake," and "Sexual Stir-fry"--I found these to be a bit silly, but they certainly added to the overall tongue in cheek tone of Fix's recollections. (These recipes also account for the word "diet" appearing in the title of the book--in the early weeks and months following her breakup, Fix experiences weight loss as an unintentional effect of her emotional turmoil.)

This book is extremely relatable; virtually every woman will see herself in at least some of Fix's experiences and emotions. I also think that a number of men might enjoy reading Fix's story, as it would provide them with some amusing, insider's views of the opposite sex. Overall, I found this book to be enjoyable, entertaining, and a very quick read, and I would definitely recommend it, with a final rating of 4 ½ stars.

The Break-Up Diet is a fast, enjoyable read that held my attention from first page to last. Annette Fix's world is turned upside-down when her perfect boyfriend of two years phoned to call off their relationship. Annette, a single mother who earns a living as an exotic dancer, longs to leave dancing behind, become a famous writer, and live blissfully with this man of her dreams. All seemed possible and within reach until that phone call cancelled everything...or did it?

Written in diary format, the book captures the reality of life after an unexpected break-up, and women, especially, will identify with it. This story expresses a wide range of emotions from humorous highs to the lows of desperation and despair. Yet no matter how distressing or depressing, there is an overriding tone of optimism that everything will work out fine...but does it?

I appreciated the author's straightforward account, but admit there were some details of her dating activities that could have benefited from a more delicate approach. The pseudo-recipes interspersed throughout correspond to events in the story and while not essential, are a nice touch. Overall, I enjoyed this memoir and would recommend it to others

i loved this book. i finished it in about a day and a half. annette fix does a wonderful job in allowing you to relate to her as well as the other characters in the book. it is written in diary form, but reads like a novel. anyone who enjoys chick lit will appreciate this book as well as those who have suffered thru a breakup.