Cassandra King Reviews

Added June 12, 2007

Queen of Broken Hearts

Author: Cassandra King
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: March 2007
Genre: Fiction: Contemporary/Mainstream
Format: Hardback
Price: $23.95
ISBN-10: 1401301770
ISBN-13: 9781401301774
Author Email/Website: www.cassandrakingconroy.com
Reviewer: Kathy Martin
Rating: 7 Gargoyles

As the saying goes, "don't just a book by its cover." Or in this case the title. "Queen of Broken Hearts" might imply that this is a romance novel of some sort, but imagine my pleasant surprise when I found it to be a story of friendship and strength.

Clare Ballenger is a divorce counselor in the small Alabama town of Fairhope. Her practice as a therapist is thriving and Clare wants to build her own center for the retreats she puts on. Being an attractive woman, she has caught the eye of two men in town. One is her dead husband's cousin, Rye, and the other is the local marina owner, Lex. Clare keeps both relationships platonic, but it is quite evident that Lex would like it to be more. But for whatever reason, Clare has put a wall around her heart and does not care to become involved with anyone.

The practice is not Clare's only stressor in her life. Her best friend, Dory, has reconciled with her husband, Son. Clare does not think this is the best idea, but knows as a therapist - and a friend - that she can only stand by and support Dory. Which Clare finds harder than dragging herself from the office each day.

I found that as the story moved along, I became more fascinated with the journey that each character was going through. I really liked the way Clare handles her clients and her personal life. It is a good example of how people should handle the difficulties they encounter in their life. No matter how painful and aggravating they can be.

The book is written in the first person and is what gives it life. Unless emotional journey stories such as this are presented through one person's experience, it does not provide the full depth of feeling that we encounter in real life. Ms. King weaved in the back-story of each character in a smooth and even way. I was not inundated with long diatribes of the past. Instead, memories were presented at the proper time and relevant as to what is going on at that particular time in the story.

This is a pleasant book that I enjoyed reading. I found it a good example of how right it is to be respectful of others, while at the same time remaining true to ourselves.

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