Reviews
The Post and Courier – March 18, 2007
“King’s writing is as lush as the landscape she describes, and her novel is layered with symbolic imagery that reinforces the story she is telling. Readers will be compelled to take up temporary residence among the peculiar characters in Fairhope, Ala., from the very first page. Reading Queen of Broken Hearts is akin to therapy as King spotlights the facade of proper Southern marriages and exposes the colorless underbellies of jealous, judgmental and domineering spouses who damage the people around them in the name of love. Call King the Queen of Southern Storytelling.” – Vicki Wilkerson Sweatman
The Florida Times-Union – March 11, 2007
“King… has a few surprises tucked within the book’s 412 pages. In telling Clare’s story, King skillfully weaves in just the right amount of detail at just the right time, while throwing in enough twists to keep the reader guessing. And while it is Clare’s story, King manages to tell all of the primary characters’ stories without shortchanging any of them. Along the way, readers likely will find themselves rooting for a happy ending for all of King’s characters.
Readers who like a well-written novel with realistic, well-developed characters and a believable-yet-unpredictable plot should pick up King’s latest effort.” – Angela Bauer
The NC State – March 11, 2007
“Queen of Broken Hearts is not about a femme fatale, as you might assume. The heroine is a therapist whose interest is women going through, or recovering from, divorce. There are no rough edges to King’s characters. And problems introduced are problems solved. This is a positive book, determined to instruct readers not only in making it through the bad patches, but also in making good choices each step of the way. Heaven knows we all need that.” – Claudia Smith Brinson
Publishers Weekly – February 5, 2007
“Exhibit[ing] that unmistakable Southern charm… King delivers what her fans want – strong bonds, strong women characters and triumph over tragedy.”
Booklist – February 1, 2007
“Divorce therapist Clare Ballenger helps women cope from her office, affectionately know as Casa Loco, in the quaint town of Fairhope, Alabama, but her own life, and those of loved ones, haven’t benefited. Clare wants her patients and friends to go forward while she is stuck in the past, refusing to let a new man into her life and her bed, until a rivalry develops between an old friend and a Yankee transplant. King’s vivid and charming portrayal of southern small-town life enriches this moving and genuine story of midlife revelations.” – Patty Engelmann
Kirkus – December 15, 2006
“In King’s third novel, troubled relationships are ubiquitous. The story resonates. This book, which should be read by any 30-year-old woman desperate to wed, ultimately asks: Is marriage worth the sacrifices and the risks? While King doesn’t provide any clear-cut answers, she does lay bare the fears that lurk inside the most outwardly happy wives. A provocative treatise on the blessings and curses of marriage and middle age.”
