Do you ever pick up a book already knowing that you're going to fall head over heels for it? That was my experience with Out Of Love by Hazel Hayes. I've followed the author for many years on Youtube and social media, her TOTM monthly series inspired me to step outside of my comfort zone when it came to both work and romance. It was the first domino in a huge line-up that eventually led me to marriage and literally moving to a different country. Yeah, you can say she was a vital asset in shaping my life into what it now is. Bit much for a stranger? Indeed. But incredible. The power of the Internet, people.
Anyway, when I first heard that she was writing a book I was enthusiastic. Hazel is a woman who has so much to say, and I'm always going to be listening. Out Of Love is a story of a break-up told in reverse. The opening page is their final goodbye, the last? How they met. It's a beautiful look at the deterioration of a break-up, and how easy it is to lose ourselves in someone else's shadow. If you've ever felt like you're at a crossroads in a relationship, this book will feel like a comfort blanket to your heart. Saying that, I feel like the strongest theme of this entire book is the wonder of being a female.
The female protagonist is surrounded by wonderful women throughout this entire novel. Her own mentality is frazzled, but throughout even that she keeps her wits about her. She leans on her mother, her best friend, a female stranger.. and they unintentionally help guide her back to herself.
You may think that I'm just gushing about this novel because of the author, but I'm not. I knew I was going to love the writing, but I didn't expect the story to have such an impact on my mind. It led me to question my own sexuality, the power of an intimate female friendship that I've always craved in my life, and most importantly, it made me question what I wanted my 20's to look like. It made me ache for my family in ways that I've never really delved into before. I felt stupid for my ache for home, like I shouldn't need that when I have a marriage. But you're never too old to need home, and Hazel really shone a light on that.
All in all, I absolutely adored this book. I've read some mixed reviews from people who found the characters unlikable, and I get that, but isn't that just humans? We can be utter twats, I loved that Hazel didn't put a glossy blanket over that, both of the main characters screwed up. That is usually how a break-up happens. You stop communicating, you forget to care, and then.. boom.
The writing is beautiful, the characters are perfectly flawed, and you can read Hazel's heart through the words. You won't read another fictional book with this amount of soul put in, I can guarantee that.
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