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Lessons in Heartbreak
 
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Lessons in Heartbreak (Paperback)

by Cathy Kelly (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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  • This item: Lessons in Heartbreak by Cathy Kelly

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    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    Eligible for FREE UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

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Product details

  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Harper (16 Jun 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007240406
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007240401
  • Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 13 x 3.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,914 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #1 in  Books > Romance > Classic & Contemporary Authors > Kelly, Cathy

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Product Description

Review
Priase for Lessons in Heartbreak 'Kelly reels you into this addictive tale of three generations of wonmen' Woman & Home Praise for Cathy Kelly: 'A must for Kelly's many fans; a warm, moving read' Daily Mail 'Bursting with emotion, heartache and dreams!realistic and likeable characters that meet life-changing events head on' Ireland on Sunday 'Demonstrates her capacity to write observantly and kindly about women and their relationships, lit by occasional laugh-out-loud funny interludes' Irish Independent 'An upbeat and diverting tale skilfully told!Kelly knows what her readers want and consistently delivers' Sunday Independent 'Totally believable' Rosamunde Pilcher 'Warm and delightful' New Woman 'An absorbing, heart-warming tale' Company

Product Description
Three Lives. Three Loves. Three Reasons to Let Go - the compelling new novel from the international No.1 bestselling author Izzie Silver left the small Irish town of Tamarin behind for New York. Life is good - until she breaks her own rules and falls for a married man. On the other side of the ocean, Izzie's aunt Anneliese discovers the pain of infidelity for herself. Then Lily, the wise and compassionate family matriarch, is taken ill. At her bedside back in Ireland, Izzie discovers a past her grandmother has never spoken of, while Anneliese feels despair mount. The one person she could have turned to is starting to slip away. The lessons each of the women learns - both past and present - bring joy and heartbreak. And the hardest lesson of all is learning to let go.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Lessons in Heartbreak
66% buy the item featured on this page:
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£3.99
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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Slow and steady all the way, 11 Feb 2008
By Bernie (Ireland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Lessons in Heartbreak (Hardcover)
I am a Cathy Kelly fan, but I've found her last two books a little disappointing. This one is a good read, it has lovely, realistic characters, a strong plot and lots of interesting scenes. It just seems to be missing some sort of spark. I'd love for Cathy just to let go and to throw herself at the page - she seems to be holding back for some reason, maybe trying to craft too much.
More emotion please.
The plot is about 3 different women - Izzie is young and having an affair with a married man; Annelise is older and her husband has just left her and Lily is in a coma and we see flashbacks of her life. Of all the characters, she's the one with the most spark - ironic as she's in a coma!
I'll read Cathy's next book - she's a good writer. And don't get me wrong, I liked this book - but it wasn't a page turner and it didn't make me gasp or cry. It was well crafted, well researched - it just didn't have enough emotional punch.
If you like Erica James or Jill Mansell you'd probably enjoy it. But if you're looking for more humour and a wry touch, try Marian Keyes or Clare Dowling.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Not her usual sparkle, 1 Feb 2008
By Sissel M. Østdahl "smaureen" (Norway) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Lessons in Heartbreak (Hardcover)
"Lessons in Heartbreak" truly has more sadness than gladness, as all aspects of heartbreak are thoroughly told and analyzed.

Three women from the small Irish town Tamarin and three love stories. Izzie, who has lived in New York for ten years, falls in love with Joe who is separated from his wife!! In Tamarin, Anneliese, originally from Austria, is left by her husband of 37 years, Edward. And Izzie's 95 year old grandmother Lily, has a painful love story in her past, unbeknowst to anyone in her family.

As we follow the three womens' joy, sorrow and heartache, there is little room for Kelly's usual joix de vivre. Of course, there is not much room for fun and laughter in the midst of so much unhappiness. But still, as wisely and with much insight the many aspects of unhappy love are told, I miss the usual Kelly sparkle. No matter how rough the going, there are usually always room for a few laughs in her books, funny remarks thrown in which make you crack up.

I admit I have been used to Cathy Kelly's books as lessons in happiness rather than heartbreak. Maybe that's unfair but I think the overall positive and lighthearted stories are what she does best and which have made her books such pageturners.

This one is not. For the first time, I skipped pages. After all, the "falling in love with a separated man" story has been told numerous times before. Anneliese's story of depression is tough and complex, and could fill an entire book in itself.

One part of the book which truly caught my interest, was granny Lily's secret love story. There was fire and passion when levelheaded young nurse Lily met Jamie, the love of her life, during World War II. But the story was cut short and Jamie was mostly the mystery waiting to be solved by the family as Lily lay dying.

Also, the book touches the issue of skinny - anorectic/bulemic - models in these fashion mad times. Izzie and a friend opens an agency for plus-sized (= normal sized) women in New York, a great success. Yet, also here there is material for a totally separate book.

If this book is a first attempt at a different direction in her authorship, Kelly has not succeeded. Many see Cathy Kelly as a typical chick lit author. I don't think so. Her previous books are so much more than that. I think Cathy Kelly has created her own unique style with that very special sparkle of hers, packed with funny remarks, self irony and "devil may care" attitude.

Heartbreak is a part of life most of us experience sooner or later, but I hope Cathy Kelly goes back to writing more upbeat books with that irresistible sunny flair of hers. About life, not fairytales, simply the wonderful Kellyish style I have come to love so much.



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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Sadly forgetable, 4 Jul 2008
I am a huge fan of Cathy Kelly, but was left feeling disappointed having just finished Lessons in Heartbreak.

For me it just felt as if the book lacked a bit of substance - the characters were nice enough and the angst they experienced realistic enough, but somehow this wasn't enough.

A fair amount of the book is set looking back to Lily's life during the second world war and although integral to the whole story it doesn't feel seemless as the book goes from past to present

Overall this book was a disappointment from an author who can normally be relied on to produce a page turner. However saying all that the book did make me cry at the end - so it gets an extra star for that!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Loved the book, disappointed with the CD
I have to drive a fair distance to work so enjoy listening to Audio books. Having read 'Lessons in Heartbreak' and thoroughly enjoyed it, I was looking forward to the CD... Read more
Published 4 months ago by C.F.

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!!
This is the first Cathy Kelly book I have ever read and I have to say after reading this I will definitely be reading more of her books. I absolutely loved this book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Claire

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Best Book Ive Ever Read!!
This book is the first Cathy Kelly novel, ive read and I have to say I was very impressed. This book was just what I was looking for, its very well written and a fantastic by all... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Butterfly

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Good One By Cathy Kelly
With a 5 hour train journey to and from Scotland and London to fill I had to pick my reading material with care so I took along the newest paperback by Cathy Kelly. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. L. A. Smith

2.0 out of 5 stars It's OK but only OK...
This is the first time I've read a Cathy Kelly book, and judging by the comments of other reviewers, it's not one of her best. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Love Books

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely way to spend a wet Sunday
I was scouting around the house looking for something to fill in an atrociously wet Sunday, and remembered someone had lent me a pile of books amongst which was this one. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mimzi

5.0 out of 5 stars Cathy Kelly does it again
This book is essential reading for any female that has ever experienced the sadness of a break up. The book teaches us that not everything you take for granted is as it seems and... Read more
Published 11 months ago by E. E. Brennan

1.0 out of 5 stars Not one of her best
I love Cathy Kelly but this had a weak storyline and was very dull and boring. Definitely her worst book to date. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ms. A. Archer

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Chic-lit!
This is my first Cathy Kelly novel and I can't wait to buy another. I could not wait to read it every day and went to bed early just so I could read my book in peace. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Cherie

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing read!
I am an avid fan of all of Cathy Kelly's books but this one was not up to her usual standard. Bought the paperback at the airport (glad I did not waste money on the hardback)... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Norma Jansen

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