Probably just the genre, I could not get into it. Not enough meat to the story for me. ( )

I don't usually read romance novels, but it's good to play around in a different genre once in a while. This is the perfect book for it - not too smooshy or crude. A nice modern-day cinderella story. ( )

I enjoyed this book though it wasn't at all what I thought it would be. I thought it would be about a girl who was dumped and then she was so sad she couldn't eat and just lost weight and weight. Instead, it was about a woman who does get break up with her boyfriend but it was more about how that breakup affected her and how she bounces back. ( )

I found this book to be a witty, raw memoir of love lost and how one woman tried to piece her life and self-esteem back together. It was a quick read and had some real laugh out loud moments. I would recommend this book to any woman who has been left by someone they thought was the one! ( )

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-

An engaging and frequently humorous memoir of the events that ensue when the author's boyfriend unexpectedly breaks up with her (by phone, yet...). Sometimes the book reads like a Lifetime movie, but it's easy to like and feel compassion for the narrator, so it's not hard to cut some slack. If this were fiction and not a memoir I would be more irritated by the thought that Annette doesn't really seem to have moved on from Kevin, the boyfriend, until Steven, a new and better replacement, comes along. But, this is a memoir, so that's an idle quibble. Annette seems like a good-hearted person who deserves happiness, and I hope the experience with her break-up (and her friends, who seemed to stop being her friends when she found happiness again) teaches her something about finding happiness within rather than through another. Oh, and Josh sounds like a great kid. ( )

I received the Break-Up diet over 1 month after I was awarded it as an ARC. Unfortunately the book seems to have been dropped in deep puddle. It was very hard to turn pages and every one made a terrible crinkling noise.

I found that the book was a very easy read. I loved watching the main character grow throughout the course of the book. On the other hand I found some of the choices she made to be so obviously bad that she was sometimes hard to relate to. That said, I kept rooting for her to let go of her ex and see herself for the strong woman she always was.

Honestly, I found the title of the book to not have enough to do with the content of the book. She did lose weight for the first while after the break-up...but it wasn't exactly a running theme. The "recipe" pages between chapters were...lame. The first one or two were cute but very quickly they moved to "guaranteed weight loss" of none.

Overall I did enjoy it. I have already recommended it to a friend of mine. ( )

This forced journal-style memoir was a fluffy and forgettable book. There seemed to be a lot of missing details and the information that was provided seemed choppy. There were some charming passages and I enjoyed the recipes included for "devastation omlette" and "guilt stew", etc. (Not real food recipes but included as the story progressed.) However, there was a lack of substance in Annette's story. As I was reading, I had a lot of questions about how she became a stripper and why she chose that career choice to support herself and her son? Annette didn't explain how she got into the business, except to state that it paid the bills. The history of her son's father and why she didn't finish her bachelor degree would have been interesting details to include as well. Overall, I was disappointed with Annette's writing style and unsatisfying debut. ( )

This memoir starts when the love of Annette's life breaks up with her - over the phone! The books follows her life from the time of the breakup, until she reaches a much happier time in her life.

Annette's story is presented in journal form,and I found the quality of the entries a little uneven. While some were touching and full of charm, others felt a little stilted and contrived. When the author uses a 'funny' turn of phrase, rather than writing from the heart, I lose a little bit of interest.

I enjoyed the way that this book presented Annette's feelings just after the breakup as if they were fresh and new, not rehashed through the filter of hindsight. I remember thinking in the first few chapters that the language was unnecessarily crude, but over the course of the book, as the author's perspectives changes, so does her language. It nicely mirrored the changes in her relationships with her friends.

It is a pity that she didn't spend more time telling us about the relationship with her son, and the relationships with her friends, the focus seemed to be on the men in her life.

Oh, and don't read the acknowledgements, it has a pretty bad spoiler! ( )

Fluffy and somewhat unbelievable. The mechanisms by which the author introduces new characters seemed forced, and I disliked the way in which is she sank the ship that is female friendship towards the end. That said, the happy ending and the recipe conceit were adorable. ( )

This was an Early Reviewer book

When I got this in the mail, I wasn't sure what to think about it ... a memoir of a woman whose boyfriend had just broken up with her deals with the aftermath. Could be interesting.

It was like a mediocre version of Bridget Jones' Diary, trying hard-ish to be Eat, Pray, Love. There were moments where I really felt like Fix does a great job expressing what it's like to lose the person you think you're going to marry, and the walk out of that place. I had a really hard time relating to her, though. Her friends (which I will get to in a moment) were hard to relate to and were there to take her out, rather than let her go through what she needed to. Maybe it's just that didn't seem to be the interesting part of it, but it just felt nonsupporting and a "Get over this" ... which may explain where her friendships with them go.

At the end of the book, Fix realizes that she's not talked to her friends about her new beau (see next paragraph), and how they really only had complaining about their lives, bitterness over broken hearts, in common. And that's the last you hear about women that she says are her best friends and that (if I recall correctly) have been around for a long time. What? Is that how friends treat each other? I think of anything, that was the part of the book that left me with the worst taste in my mouth.

There were quirky, amusing parts there, but overall, I just wanted to be done with the book. I wanted the section "Finding Annette" to be longer (as it is, I think it's the shortest part of the book), but it then jumps right into her meeting the guy she's now engaged to. And that part's sweet -- at the same time, it feels like it just jumps into "A man must save me" sort of place.

I finished it, but easily moved on to the next book ... ( )

The Break-up Diet is about something we’ve all gone through, being dumped. The “it’s not you, it’s me” speech that can be so painful.

What makes this book interesting is Annett Fix’s willingness to be self-deprecating. It makes her, and therefore her memoir, more approachable. In parts it is laugh out loud funny. Annett takes us through all the stages of her break-up, from the painful beginning of trying to figure out what went wrong and through all the stages of healing. That being said, this book is more of a quick and easy beach read than a serious work.

One thing that I felt detracted from the work was the inclusion of the recipes; with names such as “Devastation Omelette”, “Envy Pie”, “Crisis Pilaf”, and “Satisfaction Soufflé”. In my opinion they do nothing for the story other than provide a reason for the title. I became so annoyed with them that I started to skip them quite early in the book.

I read The Break-Up Diet in one day. It was a quick and somewhat enjoyable read. I found it hard to relate to her life which made it difficult to really like the book. If you are a fan of light beach reading and chick lit, then this is a worthy book to pick up. The characters are tolerable, and many excerpts from Ms. Fix's life are very amusing. If you are looking for a book with lots of substance or a book to change your life, stay away.

-Read as apart of the Early Reviewers program.

I requested this through the LibraryThing early reviewers because I had recently gone through a break-up, but soon realized that it was not for me. I have been known to read some Chick Lit, but this is the epitome of Chick Lit, and I couldn't relate her break-up to my real life. ( )

Annette Fix's memoir of her devastating break up, subsequent weight loss, and path to getting a new life is raw, real, and hilarious. In a diary format, Annette gives readers a front row seat into her daily life. With chapter names like, "fly-fishing in cyberspace," "hope is a chocolate-covered turd," and a recipe for "pickled penis," (among other amusing delicacies) you know you will be well entertained. Neurotic women, don't fear! Annette is a model for all of us in getting our grooves back after a break-up! When in the depths of a break-up of your own, reach for a pint of Ben and Jerry's and Annette's refreshingly honest book.

Note: This review is of a pre-publication version in the Early Reviewer program.

What a superb piece of Chick Lit! In this genre, The Break-Up Diet merits 5 stars. Since the chick-lit genre is not really my cup of tea, I had to give the book only 2. I couldn’t have The Break-Up Diet keeping company with the 5-star books in my personal library.

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. ( )

After reading "The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir", I really feel like I know Annette – like she’s one of my girlfriends. She’s open and honest and relatable and I’m thrilled she was able to get over Kevin and get on with her life. I can very much relate to her feelings of despair, heartbreak, abandonment, and physical ills that are brought on by a break up; especially one as sudden and insensitive as Kevin’s.

The book is written like Annette was just jotting her feelings into her journal, but it actually reads like a novel! After the first few chapters I found myself just skipping over the “recipes”. I had a little trouble remembering some of the guys’ names and where she met them or how they became involved in her life and story, but I just went with it and it was fine. I would have like to see Annette develop Josh’s character a bit more as well as that of her mother. Annette’s mom sort of pops into the picture and then disappears just as quickly as she appeared. I would have liked to learn more about their mother-daughter relationship (but maybe Ms. Annette is saving that for another book at another time).

Kudos to you, Annette, for moving on, healing your heart, and living your dream. And CONGRATULATIONS on finding your Prince Charming! You’re right, it really can happen! You just have to be in the right place in your life. Timing is everything! ( )

First off I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, fun and enjoyable read for me. I was completely immersed in this story from the get go and found Annette to be a very likable person. I also enjoyed reading about her son and like other reviewers would have preferred to see more of him.

I also enjoyed the book was written in diary format and thought the recipes between chapters were very creative. The only problem I had with the book was eventually Annette's mooning over Kevin became tiresome however, this may not have been a bad thing as it made it all the more happy for her when she was finally able to get over Kevin.

All in all I thought this was a fun light hearted book which occasional readers of chick-lit will enjoy. ( )

Well, first the positive side: if you're looking for a fast, easy read that is total chick lit, this is a great choice. It has all the classic elements including a fairy tale wrap-up, but since it's a memoir, it should make a reader feel hopeful that such happy endings do really happen. The cute gimmick of the "recipes" were actually done very well and were funny to read in and of themselves, while not interrupting the flow of the narrative or being annoying.

On the other hand... well, memoir or not, there are many elements of this story that are just so hard to believe that it makes it a little hard to relate. The main character is a single mom stripper... so one is less sympathetic to the whole "diet" part of things - to be a successful stripper in LA, she's got to be pretty thin to start with. The single mom thing is one of the nicer parts of the story because the kid is a great character, but he remains a sub-plot that could have made for a more interesting story had it mainstage attention. She suddenly on a whim yanks him out of school and is able to successfully home-school him? Again, hard to believe.

Overall, I was disappointed. There were many elements of this story that could have made for a really good tale if given more space and attention and better writing. I never really loved the heroine, so I didn't care quite enough about her to cry for her or rejoice with her. However, as beach fare or a quick escape, it wasn't bad. Perhaps its problems are typical for a first novel and the author will improve with future efforts - we'll have to wait and see! ( )

I received the book through Library Thing Early Reviewers and like many others was really looking forward to this. Thought I could relate to the whole break-up thing (I did!). We've all been there, done that. But, unfortunately it didn't shine the way I'd hoped. It was an easy read and I found myself wanting to finish the story. The recipes were quite humorous. Some of the writing was very witty and I found myself laughing more than once. However, that same writing seemed very forced in an edited and revised sort of way. It seemed more thought out and improved upon and made to be "just so" rather than sounding natural. I liked her relationship w/ her son (although I find it hard to believe it’s as perfect as the picture she painted). I did like Annette's openness and that in itself was cause for much of my laughter. I didn't like how she glossed over the end of her friendships. Only two years with Kevin and she mourns at great length, but a 12 year (?) relationship with her best friends and she dismisses it without so much as a good cry? For someone who touts her strength as an independent women it didn’t take much by way of a man to make her dependent and wholly consumed. I did find myself obsessed with the timeline, constantly counting the # of days it took between one event and the next. I couldn’t help feeling a little judgmental of her actions and choices because of this. I think Annette must have known some of us would ultimately judge her and her lifestyle while others would start out with preconceived notions. Because of this I felt she was trying to prove us wrong by making herself and her life seem superior in some ways. She has the perfect relationship with her child. She home schools him. She has great friendships. She doesn’t drink (which we were reminded of several times). She’s a vegetarian. She’s found the perfect guy. All the while I couldn’t help repeating the line from Pretty Woman in which Edward oh so kindly reminds Vivian that “you are in fact, a hooker!” Although of course I was saying “stripper”. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been fiction and not a memoir. I don’t always like to think of the reality behind the words. But that’s just me. Don’t get me wrong, it was a decent book and a light read. Easy to pick up where you last left off and good for more than a few laughs. I’m also glad to see such a happy ending. Congratulations Annette. Here’s hoping we all find our own Prince Charming. ( )

I received this book through Library Thing's early reviewer program and, based on the description provided by the publisher, was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed.

The book reads more like some of the most formulaic chick lit I've been unfortunate enough to pick up rather than a memoir. Girl loves boy, boy breaks girl's heart, life changes ensue, and everything is neatly tied up by the last page. The "recipes" that the author included for things like a "devastation omelette" or "bitter shake" were just too trite for my tastes. I felt like the entire story would have been stronger had they been removed.

I was also disappointed that some of the other main characters in the book (e.g., the author's son, two closest friends) were not fleshed out more. I realize in a memoir that the focus is often mostly on the author, but it caused these important participants in the story to seem somewhat two dimensional to me. The fact that the author glossed over her falling out with those same two best friends with little to no in depth coverage also left me looking for more.

One of the redeeming qualities of the book was the author's openness about how she felt during this entire process. She created a very clear picture of what a devastating break up looks like during the recovery period. I think, because of that, most women can relate to Ms.Fix's story on some level no matter how they may feel about the way the rest of the book is laid out.

Overall, I would recommend this book to the reader who enjoys chick lit, is looking for a quick, breezy vacation read, or is going through/has recently gone through a break up. ( )

Did not care for at all. I found the plot and characters to be unrealistic, shallow and rather vapid. The chapter titles had nothing to do with the actual content, and for me the writing was too cutesy. It seemed like the title and inserted "recipes" in the book were a (failed) attempt to tie the journal entries together in some type of cohesive format.
Gave the auther 1/2 start for signing the book and including a personal message. I do applaud the enthusiasm. ( )

"The Break-Up Diet" by Annete Fix was one of the best books I've read in a while. In this memoir, Fix describes the phenomemon of the weight loss that happens following a break up. More than that, she draws the reader in with her humor and by the end of the book you feel like she is someone you know and want to root for. There are portions of the book that are laugh out loud funny, and others that made me slightly teary-eyed. I am currently going through my own break-up diet and this book is a must read for anyone who is going through or has ever been through a rough break-up. Highly recommended. ( )

This single mom break-up story has great potential due to some unique elements. Exotic dancing to pay the bills and homeschooling a misunderstood son while working towards a writing career makes for an intriguing mix. Unfortunately, a few flaws made the book less enjoyable than I had hoped.

It is a compelling story and I had no trouble turning page after page, but the cluttered somewhat clunky writing started getting in the way of my reading enjoyment. Her son is charming and that mother-son relationship is a great piece of the story. There are some great scenes and I was certainly never bored, but I felt like the rest needed a little something.

As with any break-up, it’s easy for an outsider to pass quick judgment on the situation and I found myself in that very position, frustrated that she wasn’t just getting over it already and moving on. One contributing factor was that I just never felt like I got a sense of the weight of the relationship and so found it hard to really feel the heartbreak. And I think that’s essential in this type of tale. ( )

If you saw the movie "Waitress", then you must read Annette Fix's "The Break-up Diet". This cleverly written memoir uses recipes to sum up her emotional roller-coaster experience of breaking up with Mr. Perfect, Kevin, while exploring the dark and often dangerous world of dating (especially if the guys you meet at work...a strip club where she dances...are your first choice) to finally finding her knight in shining armor,Mr. Right. From "Devastation omelette" to "Sexual stir-fry" to "Contentment cookies", the reader is treated to fast-paced journal entries that reveal the twists and turns of her emotional and literal life...not easy when home-schooling a 12-year old son and trying to break into the publishing world with her first book. Her determination to stick to her fairy tale approach to finding Mr. Right at times can be off-putting, but her humor and witty writing overcome this flaw and in the end "Steven" does rescue her on his white horse. Can't argue with a happy ending. Good Luck Ms. Fix... your writing days are off to a great start! ( )