From acclaimed author JULIE BUXBAUM--"THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE"--Emily, the young lawyer who tells her own tale, must face many long-postponed issues before she is free to reach out for the joy which awaits (see my review)

The Opposite of Love

With perfect pitch for the humor and heartbreak of everyday life, debut author Julie Buxbaum has fashioned a heroine who will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has loved and lost and loved again.

When twenty-nine-year-old Manhattan attorney Emily Haxby ends her happy relationship just as her boyfriend is about to propose, she can’t explain to even her closest friends why she did it. But somewhere beneath her independent exterior, Emily knows her breakup with Andrew has less to do with him and more to do with...her. “It’s like you get pleasure out of breaking your own heart,” her best friend Jess tells her.

As the holidays loom and Emily contemplates whether she made a huge mistake, the rest of her world begins to unravel. She’s assigned to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit where she must defend the very values she detests by a boss who can’t keep his hands to himself… her Grandpa Jack, the person she cares most about in the world, is losing it, while her emotionally distant father has left her to cope alone…and underneath it all, memories of her deceased mother remind her that love doesn’t last forever.

How this brave young woman finally faces the fears that have long haunted her is the great achievement of this marvelous first novel, written with authority, grace, and wisdom.

MY REVIEW:  "THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE", by Julie Buxbaum, takes one an emotional journey right along with Emily, the young lawyer who tells her own tale. Like most of us, Emily has compartmentalized deep emotional issues and functioned fairly well on a day-to-day basis. What proves to be her undoing, and ultimately her salvation, is the the tenderness with which she is loved by the good-hearted Andrew. When she realizes that Andrew is beginning to think of a permanent commitment, Emily immediately ends their relationship. Things begin to unravel for Emily without Andrew, and she must face many long-postponed issues before she is free to reach out for the joy which awaits.

Reviews

“In the character of Emily, Julie Buxbaum has created the quintessential motherless daughter: a woman who longs for the comfort of intimacy, yet fears its permanence. The Opposite of Love is a brilliant examination of loss, romance, and the jagged, imperfect, utterly realistic way we fall and stay in love. A stunning debut.”—Hope Edelman, author of "Motherless Daughters" 

"You’ll want to keep reading all night.”—Library Journal, Starred Review
“A witty, touching debut novel rich with emotional truths. Women everywhere will relate to Julie Buxbaum's thoughtful, young heroine and her journey of loss and love.”—Emily Giffin, author of "Love the One You’re With"

“Gripping, wise and extremely refreshing. I loved it.”—Marian Keyes, author of "Sushi for Beginners" and "Angels"

 "Buxbaum makes an appealing debut with this tale of...[a] single gal-in-the-city [who] finds her white-knuckle hold on life and love slowly slipping."—Publishers Weekly


Julie Buxbaum
 
Julie Buxbaum is the New York Times best selling author of Tell Me Three Things, her young adult debut, What to Say Next, Hope and Other Punchlines, and Admission (pubs 5/5/20). She’s also the author of two critically acclaimed novels for adults: "The Opposite of Love" and "After You". Her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. Julie’s writing has appeared in various publications, including The New York Times. She is a former lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and more books than is reasonable. Visit Julie online at www.juliebuxbaum.com and follow @juliebux on Twitter.