NEW RELEASE
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? - Claire Allan (2012)
Kitty Shanahan is the owner of the Bridal Nook, and her world falls apart one day when a routine phone call informs her that her husband has left his job, and a letter at home confirms that he has left her. Award-winning journalist Erin Brannigan is planning her wedding with the love of her life. However, Paddy is battling cancer, and planning their big day down to the very last detail, which is driving her a bit mad. When Erin goes to the Bridal Nook to purchase her wedding dress, the two women's lives become intertwined. When Erin is tasked with writing a feature about her wedding, Paddy's battle with cancer and her previous relationship which ended in disaster, things begin to get a little out of control. And while Kitty is still reeling from her husband walking out on her, her life starts to get even more complicated. Can broken hearts ever be mended? Written in Allan's usual informal and humorous style, this book was laugh-out-loud funny. The journey of discovery that the characters embark on clearly shows their growth and development throughout the novel. Both Erin and Kitty are believable and relatable characters, however I was a little disappointed that their lives didn't intertwine a bit more - at times it felt like reading two completely unlinked stories. While there are some good plot twists, I found some to be too predictable. But overall I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more from Claire Allan. (LO)
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? by Claire Allan asks whether hearts which have been broken can ever truly be mended. The synopsis says: "Kitty Shanahan, proprietor of The Dressing Room, is very much in love with love. But a routine phone-call turns her seemingly perfect life on its head and she is left trying to figure how just how her marriage could have gone so wrong. It's not easy to help hopeful brides choose their dream dresses when your heart is in pieces. And it's hard to know who to trust when the man you trusted with your entire life has mysteriously disappeared. Journalist Erin Brannigan knows exactly where the love of her life is. Paddy has turned into a 'Groomzilla' - planning their forthcoming wedding to the very last detail. And Erin can't quite bring herself to tell him that even though she loves him more than she has loved anyone in her entire life, she is scared witless at the thought of getting married. And it isn't just because Paddy is battling cancer. Her heart was broken in the past and she is afraid it could be broken all over again. When she is challenged by her bosses to write about her forthcoming wedding, Paddy's cancer battle and the man who first broke her heart, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind which spins far out of her control. Thrown together in the elegant surroundings of The Dressing Room, Kitty and Erin find themselves caught up in each other's lives while they try to find the way forward in their own."