A review by sparklingreader
Queen of Broken Hearts by Cassandra King

5.0

"Queen of Broken Hearts" by Cassandra King is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It is poignant, uplifting, tear-jerking and insightful.

When I opened the book to the first page, my heart plummeted. First person point of view – not my favorite. And I'd just finished another review book in first person that I most definitely did not like. Not only was this one in first person, but present tense – a double whammy. To say I started reading with a negative attitude in place would be a truism.

Then the story took over and I forgot about the point of view. While the present tense did occasionally intrude, the story was so well written that I couldn't count that against it. Like "Steel Magnolias" or "Fried Green Tomatoes", this is a story of the deep South, but it touches on themes that affect us all.

The story is set in a small Alabama coastal town and centers around Clare, a therapist who's got her own problems. Clare, a widow, runs group sessions and retreats for women going through divorce. Her work is everything to her, even taking precedence over the two men who want her as more than just a friend. She can dish out advice, but when it comes to taking it herself, Clare has more than a few problems.

Full of quirky characters, "Queen of Broken Hearts" will make you laugh and cry, cheer and boo, but most of all, it will make you keep reading to the very end. The story has a touch of romance and all the angst you can handle as you get a peek at the lives of the inhabitants of Fairhope. This one is definitely a keeper.