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I Wish I Knew This Earlier: Lessons on Love

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**A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** We’ve all been on promising dates that left us feeling worse in the long run, suffered from breakups we might have mishandled, or stayed in relationships which should have worked but didn’t. So what are we missing? Don’t panic! Toni Tone is here to give the big sister advice we all discovering what we want from a connection, flourishing through heartbreak, and learning the vital importance of difficult conversations for growth and self-respect. Speaking from a place of experience and empathy, she talks through the value of intuition, asking questions, and taking responsibility for the choices we make, offering practical, simple advice to improve any relationship, and insight into our own behaviours.
 
From comfort zones and goal setting to healthy boundaries and keeping yourself centred, Toni offers the loving, healing and authentic common sense lessons that aren’t so common.
 
It may just change your life. Toni Tone's book 'I Wish I Knew This Earlier' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 11-10-2021.

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 11, 2022

226 people are currently reading
3173 people want to read

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Toni Tone

27 books30 followers

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5 stars
511 (33%)
4 stars
526 (34%)
3 stars
376 (24%)
2 stars
85 (5%)
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26 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
Profile Image for Layla Hanif.
21 reviews4 followers
October 14, 2021
I JUST WISH IT WAS LONGER AND FATTER AND THAT THERE WAS MORE OF IT.
Profile Image for Laura.
208 reviews69 followers
October 30, 2021
I LOVED this book. It was the definition of short and sweet, coming in at 160 pages. It had the life and relationship advice that you’re not taught in school or through movies, but through real life experiences. It wasn’t romanticised, but an honest and relatable guide for how to navigate the highs and lows of love.

I really admired the focus given to self-love and self-care. It’s such a healthy practice that is sometimes forgotten when in the depths of a relationship (or at any point in your life). Toni preached so many positive ideas, but one that really stuck with me was the importance of feeling whole and worthy within yourself and not relying on a partner to complete you. This book may have largely been about relationships but it really emphasised the the significance of the relationship you have with yourself. It was empowering and inspiring.

Most of us rely on romcoms and TV shows to teach us about love. Whilst they are often charming, fun and romantic, they can often perpetuate toxic and unrealistic ideals about love. So when we face the dating world we enter with rose coloured glasses that end up shattering. ‘I Wish I Knew This Earlier’ takes off those glasses and gives you the hard, but valuable truths that you should know.

This book really lived up to its title. Whilst I personally already knew quite a bit of the advice given, it was so beneficial hearing it reaffirmed. Regardless of whether you’re single, in a relationship, going through heartbreak or somewhere in the middle, I just know this could help and guide a lot of people. I couldn’t recommend this highly enough. It was accessible, informative, progressive and the advice you’d want from a big sister.
Profile Image for Hestia Istiviani.
1,034 reviews1,962 followers
January 20, 2022
Before you love someone, what do you want to know?

I admit it, I did some stupid mistakes. Meski proses sembuhnya nggak berlangsung cepat, but I get more aware of myself. Hal yg selama ini penting tapi kerap aku abaikan supaya bisa “diterima” oleh (keluarga) mantanku.

I Wish I Knew This Earlier betulan sesuatu yang “I wish i knew this earlier.” Dalam buku saku ini, ada 3 hal yg dibahas: The Dating Stage, The Loving Stage, dan The Healing Stage.

Spoiler: semuanya fokus pd diri sendiri.

Nggak ada tuh ceritanya kalau kita kudu cakep supaya mantan menyesal. Atau harus punya kriteria tertentu supaya cowok ngejar kita.

Don’t change yourself hanya supaya dilirik targetmu. Change yourself because you want to be a better human being. Kebahagiaanmu ya tanggung jawabmu.

“Focus on your journey” adl subbab favoritku. Dengan sisaan trauma yg belum beres, pasti ada pikiran buruk muncul yg kadang membuatku terdistraksi sehingga nggak menikmati momen sekarang. Padahal, to be mindful to our present juga penting. We value people surround us & jadi less anxious.

Ada jg satu subbab pembuka yg bikin aku bersyukur ketemu @hasyemiraws . “Date people who want the same things as you.” We both want to build our very own library! Semacam pembenaran atas sifat barbar kami kalau jajan buku hehe. But ofc, it more than just that. Ada banyak hal yg (sudah) kami bicarakan. We even had several difficult convos kok 😊 (seperti persoalan asuransi jiwa & kesehatan 🥲).

Kita jg diingatkan kalau love should be easy. Maksudnya, bukan tanpa usaha ya. Melainkan kita nggak perlu merasa harus “permak” diri sana-sini, nggak vokal terhadap kebtuhan (krn takut dicap needy), jaim sepanjang waktu supaya parnter sayang dg kita. The real love allow us to show our most vulnerable side. Seperti misalnya, aku bisa mengkomunikasn moodku tanpa takut dia bakal gaslight.

Bukunya tipis. Cuma 160 halaman dg bab pendek yg sangat bisa dijadikan prompt u/ self-talk. Semacam diajak sadar penuh, hadir utuh.

Ohya, aku belinya di @periplus_plazaindonesia
Profile Image for 🌶 peppersocks 🧦.
1,522 reviews24 followers
February 8, 2023
Reflections and lessons learned:
“You break your own heart when you create your ideal ending…”

I really didn’t have any preconceptions going in on this, but oh my word - even my own heart came along for the ride! A cover all for emotional moments of the most extreme feelings - not just about how other people affect us - one that I’ll be buying my daughter in late teens to try and help understand it all, as sometimes that’s the only way we can find the hope. Already looking forward to the next book
Profile Image for Laura.
826 reviews121 followers
January 10, 2023
A short but sweet essay type book filled with some interesting and thought provoking topics. It is split into three sections (love, dating, heartbreak) making it easy for the reader to pick and choose which areas feel apply to them. I read it cover to cover in a couple of hours.

The author markets the book as full of big sisterly advice and what she would tell her younger self, but personally I felt this applied to mid 30s me more than it would have 10-15 years ago.

It’s one of those books I will likely read again in the future as a little “pick me up” when needed.
Profile Image for Shanya Putri.
345 reviews160 followers
July 30, 2023
needed this. a small and short book with a lot of important lessons on three topics: the dating stage, the loving stage and the healing stage. it really did feel like i was having a conversation with a big sister that i never had. it took me so long to finish this book (it’s my fault, honestly) but i liked it a lot at the end :)
Profile Image for ali (hiatus) garcia.
209 reviews70 followers
October 30, 2023
3.5 rounded down.

nothing groundbreaking but her voice was nice to listen to. and it is a good one to read if you need validation.

if you don’t often pick up self help, i would recommend this one.
Profile Image for adik miftakhur.
213 reviews13 followers
January 14, 2022
it took me weeks to finish this book. however, this is one of my favourites by default. it's a nonfiction book that speaks a lot about anything related to relationships. Also, there are three parts inside the book from the loving stage to the heartbreak stage. I found it very familiar for my own kind when I was reading the loving stage. At some points, I feel so connected to them since I'm living that loving stage where I still am trying my best to find my significant other. So if you're in that phase of seeking a partner, this book will be the best for you, it's going to guide you to get through that stage. however, if you've already found your partner, I would totally recommend this book too, or if you're in a break-up phase, this is also good work for you to get through the most saddening phase of life which is heartbreak.
Profile Image for Nai .
124 reviews8 followers
May 26, 2022
Every sentence felt like a tweet. I wanted more depth from Toni and I don’t like her long form writing style. Could’ve been better, but not necessarily bad either.
Profile Image for Julia.
59 reviews6 followers
November 24, 2022
Ja bless gewoon heel chill. Aan hen die mij willen daten: wees gewaarschuwd zou ik zeggen lol
Profile Image for Latifah Rizky.
116 reviews10 followers
May 8, 2022
"Too many of us go through life believing that finding romantic love will complete us and suddenly our life will make sense— but this simply isn't the case."

I bought this because I've read somewhere that the author offers the readers a "big sister" love advice. I'm curious because there is always room for love and wisdom.

Who doesn't think about love? About relationship? We long for a home. We long to belong. After reading this tiny book, I reminisced about my past relationships with my partners. Those potential lovers. Those that 'could have been' are always my greatest weakness.

This book indeed describes what I wish I had known sooner when I was younger. I figured out most of the advice by my age now, 27. To have it all figured out doesn't mean that it would be easier. People mess up, including me, all the time. But at least after reading this book, you could save so much time, and you could reflect back on those moments, not wondering what could have been better.

So yeah, an excellent book to remind you about your self-worth.
Profile Image for Millie Barrow.
131 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2022
On this journey of learning to love love or just interested into reading others thoughts around the subject, i stumbled across this wee book by accident one Friday evening at an exhibition opening and it’s blown my wee little mind a tad. Why is it love is such a big part of our lives from family, friends and relationships but we never really talk about it openly? About the false reality that’s displayed to us in media? Why are we never really taught the reality of what goes on behind the scenes in love? And the power of vulnerability and honesty? Of trying new things and exploring - that there isn’t one way for a relationship to work?

If your curious about the subject like me, trying to understand our society’s obsession with love and maybe do some deep internal reflections yourself, this little book is a perfect mix of opening your eyes to basic human facts, alongside some beautiful journal prompts. It’s the perfect little warm up to developing your relationship with love and defining what love may look like to you!
Profile Image for Mimona Masarwa.
460 reviews33 followers
June 8, 2022
Absolutely recommended!

This was healing in many ways.
Hearing about falling in love, breakup, and what comes after is a vital part of our lives but no one really talks about how we should be dealing with it. but here it says it all! both people in the relationship are responsible for it.

This book is not just about a relationship between lovers but we can apply it to different kinds of relationships between two parties. how we deal with people that we love, admire, and held dearly in our life is just as important.

"Healing is many things but is not simple, is not a race, and it's not linear"
Healing Is Not easy for sure, we will have in the process Good days and bad days.
And understanding that we can Learn from relationships is very important and we should believe that it is not "wasting time" if we spend years on a single relationship.
Profile Image for Sonja.
6 reviews6 followers
October 4, 2025
This was a short read for me but very impactful. My highlighter was busy while reading. My sentiments were validated through reading and I enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for smackabook.
81 reviews9 followers
November 15, 2021
Love is a universal language, that many people are not fluent in...mainly because it's so scary. Vulnerability is really scary. So, I have a lot of respect and admiration for the way Toni Tone is able to share her experiences and offer up her heart on these pages. Many wise words were shared in this book. Although, I'm aware that my love life won't be a fairy tale, I now have a more optimistic outlook on what it can be.
Profile Image for byourday.
23 reviews
April 24, 2024
I know many books describe how to love ourselves, but you might want to read this short essay about loving yourself. When it comes to love, whether in a relationship or in general, we usually focus on others. We had no idea exactly how important it is to receive all of the love and attention we deserve. I agree with the term "love yourself before loving others," and this book will help you discover who you truly are.

This book focuses on three stages: dating, loving, and healing. We were taught that no matter what kind of situation we were in, we should focus on ourselves. Try not to alter yourself simply because your crush admires the image of the ideal woman/man. Change yourself for your good.

After all of this, you'll have a small, charming essay-type book to explore your inner self. You can easily select the most relevant topic and read it repeatedly as a "pick me up" book. The book has big sister advise vibes for the younger sister.
19 reviews
December 11, 2023
I see why so many people like it, however it would’ve been helpful to have had more citations and case studies in for a more rounded view (akin to Bell Hooks). It was also a little shorter than my personal preference in books. It is definitely an upgrade from her sophomore book, which is awash with typical ‘self-love’ social media quips that make your eyes roll
Profile Image for Dr. Lacrisa Darby.
3 reviews1 follower
November 28, 2021
I think Toni Tone does a great job of providing a book that provides "big sister" advice as she calls it. She shares great wisdom and her own life lessons. It is a great book for anyone who is single or dating. Great read.
Profile Image for Jenthe.
639 reviews2 followers
November 7, 2023
A short self-help book on love and relationships that didn't teach me anything new but affirmed many lessons that I've already learned.
Profile Image for ikram.
241 reviews642 followers
December 27, 2022
“People who provide a typically unsatisfactory amount of attention and care in a relationship, will always consider bare minimum requests to be 'needy'.”

In I Wish I Knew This Earlier, Toni Tone shares her experience with relationships; be it with herself, her lovers, and her family. Not only her personal experience, Toni Tone also talks about lessons on love she learned (and wish she knew earlier). Rather than a manual about how you should behave in a relationship, I Wish I Knew This Earlier is more about reflective prompts--which makes this book a perfect read for New Year, as we usually do some ~reflection~ during this period.

This book is divided into three sections; The Dating Stage, The Loving Stage, and The Healing Stage--you can read the entire book or you just pick any section you want according to your needs!

Even though this book talks about love, Toni Tone stresses the importance of taking care of yourself. It's like a hug in a book because it reminds you again that self-care is important in any point of your life, especially when you're in a relationship because it's easy to get swept away sometimes.

Of course my favorite part is The Loving Stage (as I'm currently in love and happily married). Here are some points that stood up for me:

- Love is a choice, because love is defined with the choices you make everyday. Whether it's a choice to be loyal, to be committed, to appreciate your partner, etc.
- It's important to celebrate your partner and give credit where the credit is due. Reading this point specifically is like a reaffirmation for me--that hopefully, what I'm doing the right thing in my relationship.
- You don't need to struggle to love or be loved. Yes, a relationship requires hard work from both sides, but it doesn't mean you need to struggle for it. For example, you don't need to be afraid to talk about your needs. You don't need to lose yourself in the process of loving someone. You don't need to feel that you two can't communicate well.

This is an excellent book and I think it'll make a perfect gift for your friends, family, or partner!
Profile Image for V.
28 reviews2 followers
February 9, 2022
LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS ! 💖 I would give this book unlimited stars ⭐️ if I could (it literally broke my scale)!

This is an instant fave <3 All I can say is a HUGE thank you to Ms. Toni Tone herself for beautifully writing this petite masterpiece.

Don’t let the size fool you (I was tight it was so small 😩) - because this book is a gem 💎! Countless sayings, pick me ups, mantras, you name it -it’s in this very book.

Toni Tone goes deep in this book recounting things she wished she “knew earlier”. Her voice is that of a big sister to her dear readers. Toni Tone goes deep; from discussing how family issues had a play in molding her relationship issues to how she now can discern her “faults” in “failed relationships”. Pure candor in its best form. You will not regret reading this book.

Split into three sections (The Dating Stage, The Loving Stage, and The Healing Stage), you are able to pick your navigation in the book. If you starting out in the dating scene go to Section 1. You have a boo? Go to Section 2. Found out he not the one or the two? Go to Section 3. Toni Tone has all your needs taken care of in this book. Pick ya delicious poison babes!

Lastly, I’d just like to say that I believe this book is not only a relationship staple amongst other books but also a coming-to-love story for you, the reader. The lessons found in here are timeless. SPOILER ALERT: I’m gifting this book to all my besties! 💖 Spreading nothing but Love & Advice.

Bravo Ms. Toni Tone - you did that & then some 💯 👏🏽 💐 (next time please make a longer one for us gworls!)

xx,
V.
Profile Image for Agnes Oryza.
56 reviews62 followers
April 3, 2022
Buku relationship yang ringan untuk dibaca, dan rasanya seperti membaca nasihat dari kakak sendiri. 150 halaman menurutku singkat tapi isinya padat, terdiri dari 3 section: Dating Stage, Loving Stage, dan Healing Stage. Bisa dibaca berurutan atau acak sesuai yang dibutuhkan. Walaupun di beberapa bahasan seperti sudah familiar dan pernah dilakukan, tapi nice rasanya untuk diingatkan lagi. Jadi apa yang kalian bakal dapatkan dari buku ini ya balik lagi sih ke experience masing-masing tentang relationship.
Profile Image for Siji Joseph.
62 reviews1 follower
February 5, 2024
A short and sweet book about all the things you wish you told your younger self! I loved the three sections covered by Toni: dating, relationships and heartbreak (although I wish the heartbreak section was longer)! I feel, based on the advice given, that this book is best aimed at younger people (or maybe I am just wise beyond my years :P). Or perhaps people who haven’t done much self reflection in terms of what love means to them and what they do/don’t want from romantic relationships. I’ll need to get a physical copy (listened as an ebook). P.S. Toni has a wonderfully calming voice xo
Profile Image for eleanor.
165 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2024
This was okay but I really wouldn't say it was anything groundbreaking. I'm only 24 and have only had a couple of relationships but I feel like a lot of these lessons are common sense.
I would have preferred a little more personal insight to explain some of the lessons as the lessons felt very surface level and not really grounded in anything. It honestly could have been an instagram info graphic or twitter thread.
It felt very heteronormative and I don't know how well this would cater to anyone other than a straight woman.
I think books such as everything I know about love are better for this sort of genre although this book obviously only focuses on love whereas everything I know about love is far more about female friendships.
Profile Image for Sierra Smith.
30 reviews
May 3, 2022
This book is jam packed with wisdom and truly made me wish I knew all these words earlier. Some came as reminders and some came to me as new perspectives. All I know is I want every woman I care about to read this book and fall in love with themselves the way I did.
Profile Image for Su.
140 reviews1 follower
October 27, 2022
I used to think another person should make me happy or we are half of each other. What I learnt from this book is we are whole as our own. Another person shouldn't complete or make us feel happy. No one can make you happy if you are hallow inside. We should find happiness in ourselves and celebrate together as a whole individual.
Profile Image for Lu'.
21 reviews1 follower
January 14, 2023
This book read me for filth. Toni reveals the truth in such a brutal way, you'll literally have to pause and take a minute before you continue. Otherwise, she gave some good advice and would definitely recommend it for anyone navigating life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews

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