*This book review is spoiler-free. Feel free to read whether you’ve read this book before or not!
“Out of Love” by Hazel Hayes is the author’s debut romance novel telling a love story in reverse. Beginning with the breakup between the main characters and ending with their first meeting.
“Out of Love” reminds us that even when a relationship is over, you can still remember it in a positive light. Hayes captures the feelings that come with the end of romantic love, and the feelings that come with watching your relationship slowly unravel in the way so many romances do.
Even though the main plot of this book involves a breakup that the reader already knows is going to happen, there are still surprises along the way that grab the reader’s attention. I have personally read this book twice, and each time I was entertained throughout reading even while knowing what was coming.
This book tackles a variety of tough issues that come not just with relationships, but with life, including miscarriage, questioning sexuality, mental health, questioning a current career path, and more.
The main character of this story, whose point of view the story is told from, remains unnamed for the duration of this book. The author’s decision to do this makes the story feel more personal and almost more heartbreaking.
The main character is faced with a variety of moral dilemmas throughout the story, and she questions her own decisions even while she is making them. Having a morally imperfect main character telling the story makes it more interesting to read, especially in the context of a breakup.
The second character in this relationship, Theo, is first introduced in a negative light given that the first few pages begin with the breakup. Introducing the love interest of the story in this way differs from many other romance novels and deflects the reader from romanticizing his character.
Both the main character and Theo make morally questionable decisions, and both of them behave in ways that arguably lead to the deterioration of their relationship. Even though this story is told from one side’s point of view, she is aware of the role she has played at the end of this relationship while simultaneously being upset with decisions made by her partner.
The backward structure of this love story can be confusing to follow at times, but ultimately I believe this way of storytelling lends to a more interesting take on love and heartbreak.
When writing a romance novel, the author would usually want the reader to romanticize the main love interest, but Hayes immediately puts a stop to this status quo. The choice to start a love story from the point of heartbreak allows the reader to look at Theo’s character in a deeper way because they are presented with his ‘bad’ side before his ‘good’ one.
While this book is categorized as a romance novel, knowing that the two main characters reach such a bitter end taints some of the “cutesy” moments that show up towards the middle and end. If you are looking for a light-hearted and feel-good romance, this is not the book for you. But, if you are looking for a story that dives deeper into the intricacies that come with falling in love and then falling out of love, pick up Haye’s debut novel.
Standout Quotes
“That’s the problem with breakups, though. It’s not just two people saying good-bye and going their separate ways; it’s the excruciating process of untangling two lives, picking them apart like some sad surgical procedure, trying to detach this thing from that while causing as little lasting damage as possible.” – Hazel Hayes
“You can’t fail at a relationship. That’s like getting off a roller coaster and saying you failed because the ride is over. Things end. That doesn’t mean the experience wasn’t worth it.” – Hazel Hayes
“I’m not sure I definitely don’t want children, I’m just not sure I definitely do want children, and I think that anything short of a deep desire in your mind, body, and soul to have one is not a good enough reason to do it.” – Hazel Hayes