Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Release date: 30 January 2025
Back cover blurb: What if heartbreak came with a manual? It starts with a late-night knock on the door. Dee, Liv and Rosa share a flat in south London, while Katie lives close by with her boyfriend. But, when Katie’s nine-year relationship ends – suddenly and brutally – she turns up on their doorstep with no idea what to do next, or how to do anything after spending so long with her life entwined with someone else’s. Out comes the martini shaker (an old, well-washed gherkin jar) and, with an unused sketchbook, an idea. They’ll make Katie the handbook that she needs to process her heartbreak and start rebuilding her life. There are notes on tears, hangovers and roast chicken, scribblings about music, new bedding and pure, white-hot rage. But Katie is not the only one nursing a broken heart. Rosa is a hopeless romantic, despite still reeling from her ex’s infidelity. Scarred by her ex’s parting words, Dee is committed to being commitment-free. And while Liv knows that breaking up with her girlfriend was what she wanted, she can’t help but wonder if she did the right thing. Tested by big life changes, even the closest friendships can fray – could the heartbreak handbook they intended for Katie contain the words they all need to hear?
Katie, Dee, Rosa and Liv have been best friends since they met at Manchester University. They are all happy with their lives, Dee, Rosa and Liv sharing a flat, and Katie living with her boyfriend nearby.
When Katie turns up on the girls doorstep unexpectedly after having her heart broken, they rally round to get her back on her feet. Katie doesn't know what to do with herself, as she was with him for nine years.
Nine years, and he ends it just like that.
She is to put it simply, devastated.
Who wouldn't be?
But the girls have all had their own share of heartbreak over the years, so in their quest to getting Katie feeling back to normal, they start to write her a book, 'Instructions for Heartbreak', or what to do when your nine year relationship ends and you think the world is ending around you...
Personally, Instructions for Heartbreak is a book I needed to read two years ago having just gone through a messy break up myself.
Unlike poor Katie I 'only' had almost three years of 'perfect' relationship to pick through, and thankfully had my own circle of friends to get me through, but this book and the fictional book within it, would have been a godsend!
This is a brilliantly written novel about women who bring out the best in each other, and help each other when times are tough!
Instructions for Heartbreak is available to pre-order now via Amazon online and all good book shops.
Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.