10 Breakup Books To Help You Heal From Heartbreak

Nonfiction Breakup Books & Journals

Win Your Breakup: How to Be the One That Got Away by Natasha Adamo

I may or may not have spent some time unpacking my last relationship during the beginning of my therapy journey. I was that scarred, but I learned that he wasn't always the common denominator of my issues. It was my low self-esteem that encouraged me to stay put and deal with things even when common sense told me otherwise.

Win Your Breakup: How to Be the One That Got Away is meant to stroke the embers of your curiosity if you're in the 'revenge' stage of your breakup. You know, the one where you're hellbent on either making your ex feel ten times worse than they made you feel or you want to prove that you're better off without them.

The thing is that you don't actually need to do that. You've already 'won' by no longer having an emotionally manipulative person — if that was your situation — in your life.

You'll learn how to not only understand your worth as an individual, but you'll also get a chance to understand the things that you will and won't tolerate in your next relationship.

Breakup Bootcamp: The Science of Rewiring Your Heart by Amy Chan

Relationship columnist Amy Chan knows all about the heartbreak that comes when your relationship ends, especially if cheating was the root cause of the breakup. Though she was torn over her ex-boyfriend's actions, she gained a new perspective once she realized she could use a painful moment as a positive catalyst towards a better life.

Since she's been through the wringer, Amy Chan wants to take you through her own version of Breakup Bootcamp. But, you won't be focused on your ex. No, this bootcamp is all about getting to root of your own habits using proven psychological methods to help you live your best life.

The Breakup Bible by Rachel A. Sussman, LCSW

Psychotherapist and breakup expert Rachel A. Sussman, LCSW is here to help you move on from a breakup or divorce. Based on her own experiences with clients, her 3-phase recovery process consists of Healing, Understanding, and Transformation techniques backed by the advice of other women who've been in your shoes.

She even helps you create something called a "Love Map" that sounds exactly like what it is.

The Breakup Workbook by Kendra Allen

While you're reading Win Your Breakup, Breakup Bootcamp, or The Breakup Bible, I highly recommend utilizing something like The Breakup Workbook to help you write down your thoughts throughout your healing journey.

It still offers you tangible advice, but it's followed by exercises like a "Detox Your Ex-Checklist" you can work on while you're recovering.

After the Breakup: A Self-Love Workbook by Tamara Thompson, LMFT

If you need another roadmap of sorts, After the Breakup: A Self-Love Workbook is a great option. It gives you a deeper look at your self-love journey while helping you process the way you approach life. More than that, you'll learn to redefine what it means to be your authentic self while reading the experiences of other people who've experienced breakups.

How to Heal from Heartbreak: A Breakup Journal by Carissa Potter and Vera Kachouh

This journal was written for everyone who knows chaotic and painful a breakup can be. It also acknowledges why they're not super easy to get over even when we say we're fine.

Think of this journal as your bestie who knows that you and your ex weren't perfect, but is willing to listen to you pour your heart out. Over time, you'll be able to recognize certain patterns you have so you can change them, and then you'll start working on having a healthier relationship with yourself.

Fiction Breakup Books 

The Break-Up Book Club by Wendy Wax

Jazmine, Judith, Erin, and Sara have bonded during their book club meetings though they're nowhere near the same person. However, it's their love of books and an ample amount of wine that they're able to realize their lives aren't what they hoped they'd be.

• Jazmine may have a successful career as a sports agent, but she's knee deep in raising a child by herself.
• Judith's kids have left the nest, but now she's wondering if she sacrificed too much in her marriage.
• Erin's dealing with a wishy-washy fiancé who's no longer sure about what they want; and
• Sara has a MIL (mother-in-law) from hell who takes every chance she gets to undermine Sara's worth.

Somehow these women find the strength and courage to make hard decisions that help them see that some things need to end before life gets better.

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Toby Fleishman is facing a dilemma after he and his wife decide to separate. His somewhat carefree life is upended when his former wife, Rachel, decides to leave the kids with him with no trace of where she's gone.

Now Toby has to figure out how to be a single father while managing a hectic career and a budding sex life. In his mind, he'd always been the one who held the glue together while Rachel's ambitions were always lofty.

But, time is proving that not everything has always been so easy to see for him. That maybe he's going to have to pay attention a little more if he wants to understand why Rachel made the decision she did.

When I Think of You by Myah Ariel

Kaliya Wilson's career feels out of reach no matter how much time she's put in as a receptionist at a popular film studio. You'd think they'd notice all her hard work by now, but apparently not.

Just when she starts to give up on her dreams, her ex Danny Prescott waltzes onto the scene. He's an even more popular director who seems to have it all together. Though they haven't seen each other in a while, Danny generously offers Kaliya a job. This requires her to trust him in ways she never thought she could after their breakup, but she finds herself slowly opening up.

However, sudden changes behind the scenes begin to push for her to choose between her heart and her career in the name of what's right.

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

Maggie is trying to convince herself that life isn't a dumpster fire even though she has no money, is no longer married, and hasn't figured out what her graduate thesis will be. Determine not to let her divorce stall her life, Maggie decides to start filling that void with other things she may not have gotten a chance to do.

It's with the help of her academic advisor, new friend, and her hilarious group chat that she's able to find the support she needs to keep finding her version of happily-ever-after.