Blog Tour + Giveaway + Review: "Breakup Boot Camp" by Beth Merlin

Today, I am thrilled to be participating in the blog tour celebrating the release of Beth Merlin's latest novel, "Breakup Boot Camp."  Earlier this fall, I read and loved all three books in Ms. Merlin's earlier Campfire series, so when I learned that she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it.  My full review of "Breakup Boot Camp" is included later in this post, but in short, I adored this book and found it to be a worthy follow-up to the delightful Campfire series.  I highly recommend it for both new and existing readers of Ms. Merlin's work, and can't wait to see what Ms. Merlin writes next.

For a chance to win some awesome book swag courtesy of the author, Beth Merlin, click here!  (Giveaway ends on November 28.)

About "Breakup Boot Camp"

“Merlin gives off Sophie Kinsella and Emily Giffin vibes only with an execution of plots that is all her own….Beth Merlin is totally going to grow in popularity. I’m calling it.” – Book and Broadway

After weeks of training to whip Joanna Kitt into shape for her big day, her picture-perfect engagement to her high school sweetheart is torn in two, and Joanna is left out on her perfectly toned rear end. To put the past and her heartache behind her, she sets off for two weeks at the renowned Retreat House Breakup Boot Camp in Topsail Island off the coast of North Carolina.

Despite her sadness, Joanna throws herself into the experience hoping surfing, yoga, spa treatments, meditation, and talk therapy will be enough to help her get over the one man she’s ever loved. But she soon learns the Boot Camp is only the first step to healing her broken heart. Joanna will have to come to terms with the career she abandoned, the losses in her life she never fully accepted, and the role she played in the ending of her relationship.

When she meets Todd Aldrich, the handsome and mysterious hotel chef, she has the chance to take her renewed heart out for a test drive and see if she is ready for new beginnings and new love.

Will 12 steps be enough to get her life back on track? Or will her getaway to get over him prove healing the heart takes a whole lot more?

 My Review

"Breakup Boot Camp" was a wonderful story featuring a fantastic main character, Joanna Kitt.  I loved Joanna and the way she threw herself into life after her breakup with her high school sweetheart, Sam. She really took advantage of the opportunity to examine what went wrong and own up to her mistakes, and I especially admired her ability to acknowledge the part she played in the breakdown of the relationship. Joanna was so much stronger and more independent than she gave herself credit for being, and the Breakup Boot Camp helped her learn how to move forward and create the life she wanted for herself.

Some of the sessions at the Breakup Boot Camp were very interesting to me, particularly the one featuring the dominatrix, Mistress Monica. Mistress Monica's message regarding confidence was certainly spot on, even if it was delivered in an unexpected way. The camp-wide search for Blackbeard's buried treasure was a fun touch too. Looking for the treasure was a nice way for Joanna to bond with her new friends, Zosia and Emmy, and I also loved the role it played in the story's epilogue.

Overall, I loved this book every bit as much as I did the Campfire series. I really appreciated the little Easter eggs Ms. Merlin added in for fans of those books, including the fact that one of the actors who auditions for "Cats" had a previous role in "Elizabeth," and that Joanna's wedding dress is a Georgica Goldstein.  Somehow I could see Gigi and Joanna becoming friends if they ever had the chance to meet! Who knows, maybe Joanna will be cast in one of Perry Gillman's shows one day, and they'll become besties. At any rate, I highly recommend "Breakup Boot Camp" and look forward to reading whatever Ms. Merlin writes next.

*ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.