What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

by Claire Allan

It takes only a moment for your life to change forever. And a heart can be broken in a second...

Kitty Shanahan, proprietor of The Dressing Room, is very much in love with love. But when a routine phone call turns her seemingly perfect life upside down, everything changes. It’s not easy to help hopeful brides choose their dream dresses when your own heart is in pieces. And it’s even harder to know who to trust—especially when the man you trusted with your entire life has mysteriously disappeared.

Meanwhile, journalist Erin Brannigan knows exactly where the love of her life is. But Paddy—who’s currently battling cancer—has transformed into a full-blown Groomzilla, planning their entire wedding down to the tiniest detail. When Erin’s bosses challenge her to write about her upcoming wedding, Paddy’s illness, and the man who first broke her heart, she’s suddenly caught in a whirlwind that quickly spirals far beyond her control.

Thrown together in the elegant dressing rooms of the bridal boutique, Kitty and Erin find themselves tangled in each other's stories—two women trying to navigate love, loss, and the messy, unpredictable path to healing. As they lean on each other, both begin to wonder: can broken hearts ever truly be mended?

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Womens Fiction, Ebooks

380 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2012

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and I am sure to want more.
She is a very good story teller, the story flows and comes to life, the characters become real and you even envision what they look like in your mind's eye.

I wasn't sure about reading this even though it was highly recommended to me from friends as 'my kind of read'.

I have had loved one's die of cancer and was hesitant to start reading it. Something inside me told me to and I am so glad that I did.

It was very well written from all angles, friends loosing a loved one, family, but it wasn't just about Emer dying from cancer, it was a story of her past love that was recaptured, the love of her home, the anger of a brother over a past misunderstanding that kept them apart and the murder of someone's wife mistakenly. It also borders on racism.

Would I say its worth you reading it? YES I would.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am becoming a fan of this author. She always has believable and likable characters who are thrown into awful situations but eventually rise above them one way or another. This one includes two major characters whose lives become intertwined through a business transaction, and yet interact on a more personal level. One of them owns a very popular bridal gown shop, and the other, one of her customers, is reluctantly getting married to her lover because he has prostate cancer. It's not that she doesn't love him, she's just afraid of marriage after being left at the altar by another man years before. The owner of the bridal shop is stunned to discover by accident that her husband has left his job the week before, and now is leaving her by way of a letter left in their home. Imagine how hard it would be to help blushing brides find their perfect gowns under those circumstances! This book is one a number of books where one of the characters works for a fictitious women's magazine. In this case the bride is a writer there, and is talked into writing her story for the magazine, with unexpected consequences.

[Book-shelf Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book which ripped at my mind, heart and soul. Claire Allan touches the subject of cancer like no other. I literally cried as the words on the page told me of the difficulties Erin and Paddy are going through with not only the cancer, but also a wedding. Like many others, many of my friends/family have suffered/dealt with cancer and i think Claire has written about it so well, getting into how it affects people in different ways.
At the same time is Kitty's life which has been ripped apart when her husband walks out for no apparent reason. Kitty has to battle on with her wedding dress shop, making sure they all have a wonderful experience. I cant praise this book enough... it took me a while to read as it was so realistic, loved every page.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading this author, and I'm very glad I did. I loved this book, despite it centring on the very serious matter of cancer this was not a grim or sad read, it was uplifting and full of hope and wonder. The author has a wonderful knack of telling a story and making it come to life, the characters were animated and loveable and there was no shortage of action throughout. A brilliant read, I would definitely recommend it.

[Nessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this has been a truly wonderful amazing story from start to finish, which was just brilliantly written, couldn’t fault anything about the story or the characters.

This was a truly wonderful and beautiful story, with equal measures of drama, emotional scenes and some laughter moments too. I loved getting to know all of the characters, experiencing each of their individual stories and seeing how they developed throughout.

This author Claire Allan is well known for her psychological thriller/mystery books but not so much her earlier books (such as this one, If Only You Knew (2012) and The First Time I Said Goodbye (2013), plus a few others) which have a genre of women’s fiction/general fiction. I was truly shocked when I realised that they were written by one and the same author. I’m determined to read them all now.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A high 3. I love Mary McCarthys books, she's a great writer. It's just a pity she has only written five novels but each one of them has been brilliant.

Emer, a single Dublin middle-aged lady has just found out she has cancer. As a backdrop to the story there is also the tale of a family feud and racism. The story follows Emers cancer journey, supported by what's left of her family and her 2 close friends. Very sad story but well written and enjoyable.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book it was different from the last book I read by this author. The majority of the characters were really good but there were one or two that I just didn't like this time around. Fortunately they played a relatively minor role so they weren't there all the time. It was a quick enjoyable read and I'm going to look for other books by this author.

[Kathryn Algeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m NEVER disappointed 😊

I only discovered Claire Allans books about three weeks ago and I cannot stop reading them! This book was just as fab as all the others, I instantly felt like I’d known the characters my whole life! I want to walk around Claire Allans Derry....to visit the bridal shop, the dental surgery, everywhere! Thanks Claire for sharing your wonderful talent!!

[Ellie Rose McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Sighs wistfully*

This book gave me feelings, from strong urges to go try on fluffy wedding dresses to cringing over thoughts about ex-boyfriends and terrible mistakes.

I was going to rate this a solid four stars, but the last third really blew me away so I had to up it.

Claire is so good at this!

[Jim Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confusing throughout

To me, this was a tragic twisted tale throughout but with an appropriate ending for all. My only problem with the narrative was the emotional ups and downs for all the characters. Trust and life can cause problems. Claire Allen can certainly bring out the details of complicated physic reasoning

[Audrey Tilmouth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend all unmarried girls to read before saying YESorNO

Must be read b4 making mind up:-Is he really the one for all time? Does he truly make your heart go “pitter-patter when ever he is near? Then Grab Him Quickly and Don’t Let Go,Not Ever!!

[Jill Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an enjoyable read. I was surprised at the ending.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a great author and a great read. finished this in a day as I could not put it down

[Caroline Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

Godd scenario. Coming to terms with a terminal illness. Plot quite contrived.

[Salma · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It only takes a moment for your life to change forever. And a heart can be broken in a second."

What Becomes of the Broken Hearted promised heartbreak, hijinks, and high-stakes wedding drama, and mostly delivered, albeit with a few snags in the stitching.

Kitty Shanahan, bridal boutique owner and newly ghosted fiancée, is ostensibly at the heart of this novel. But her emotional arc never quite lands. There’s a frustrating flatness to her reaction—less cathartic meltdown, more beige malaise. For someone left mid-proposal and mid-business plan, Kitty drifts through chapters like a well-dressed ghost.

Erin Brannigan’s storyline has more emotional heft: juggling a demanding job, a wedding she never wanted, and a fiancé navigating a cancer diagnosis. Yet Paddy’s mood swings make it hard to root for the relationship, and the workplace subplot, though promising, fizzles before gaining traction.

Structurally, the novel lurches. The beginning drags, the middle spirals, and the ending suddenly demands tissues. And the formatting? A minor catastrophe. Letters vanish, punctuation disappears (at one point I wondered if my Kobo was staging a quiet protest).

But credit where it’s due: the supporting cast shines. Kitty’s staff and Erin’s family bring warmth, realism, and actual stakes. The community energy pulses with life and makes the book more readable than the leads do. And while Kitty and Erin’s friendship feels a touch manufactured at first, it evolves into something genuinely touching by the final act.

Flawed but undeniably heartfelt, this book wears its imperfections openly: like a sale-rack wedding dress, not quite couture but still making a moment.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I flew through a book so quickly so it is safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
Kitty owns The Dressing Room, a bridal shop that is dong well in the recession and one I wished I had the opportunity to visit when I was getting married, the descriptions of it alone had me in raptures. Work wise things may be going well but her personal life is falling to pieces. Unable to get her husband at work she goes home to find a devastating letter telling her he has left.
Erin is a journalist and is madly in love with Paddy. Hurt in the past she keeps rejecting Paddy's proposals , after all if something isn't broke, why try to fix it but after his diagnosis of cancer she finds she can no longer refuse and agrees to marry him to make him happy. The magazine she works for feels that by writing an article about love while battling cancer will help their slipping sales figures and who better to write it than Erin.
The two main characters meet when Erin attempts to find that perfect dress amid the madness of planning a wedding that she doesn't really want to have.
Another blinder from an author from home, I relish these books written with the warmth and humour us Northern Ireland folks possess.Descriptions of family and the support given in times of adversity just make me feel like I am chatting to a friend. The story is told in alternate chapters from each of the women's perspective, covering their story and the eventual outcomes. Tissues at the ready folks!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitty Shanahan is the owner of the Bridal Nook, and her world falls apart one day when a routine phone call informs her that her husband has left his job, and a letter at home confirms that he has left her. Award-winning journalist Erin Brannigan is planning her wedding with the love her life. However, Paddy is battling cancer, and planning their big day down to the very last detail, which is driving her a bit mad. When Erin goes to the Bridal Nook to purchase her wedding dress, the two women’s lives become intertwined.
When Erin is tasked with writing a feature about her wedding, Paddy’s battle with cancer and her previous relationship which ended in disaster, things begin to get a little out of control. And while Kitty is still reeling from her husband walking out on her, her life starts to get even more complicated. Can broken hearts ever be mended?
Written in Allan’s usual informal and humorous style, this book was laugh out loud funny. The journey of discovery that the characters embark on clearly shows their growth and development throughout the novel.
Both Erin and Kitty are believable and relatable characters, however I was a little disappointed that their lives didn’t intertwine a bit more – at times it felt like reading two completely unlinked stories. While there are some good plot twists, I found some to be too predictable. But overall I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more from Claire Allan.

[Mummy Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitty, owner of a bridal shop gets the shock of her life when one day her husband Mark walks out on their marriage and disappears. She's left trying to find a way to deal with it yet still play the perfect hostess to brides trying to find their perfect dress.

This is the first novel by Claire Allen that I've read and it stands up alongside the other chicklit novels out there as an good read. It occasionally lacked a little pace and I found myself willing it to pick up the pace but when it did pick up again it would race along for a chapter or two before dropping back in pace again.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Library Request. Well this was a page turner for sure. All I can say is that the two main characters in this book had very different relationship wows, and yet similar in that they were broken hearted. And when your partner helps in distorting your relationship, it might be best to talk to said pattern, eliminating distrustful people from entering your domain again. Trust your feeling, you know what's best you yourself and your partner.

[Doreen Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, again Claire has given us a book with twists and turns and many oh no lines. Having it based around two different women Kitty and Erin and their ups and downs but also the dressing room shop and family and friends and what you think is going on but reality is never straight forward, nothing is black and white, just a bit crazy grey.

[Aedin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Claire Allan book I have read it was amazing so sad so touching and all handled so well a definite well worth read

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Strongly recommend it.