You Can't Stay There: Surviving a Breakup One Moment at a Time

by Jennifer Klesman

This book is for the process known as heartbreak. It is for the very first day and initial months that a breakup has disrupted your life. When you feel crazy for not being "over it," look to this book. During the quiet moments when you're finally alone after a long day of trying to not constantly think of your ex, pick up this book. When everyone says you just have to let go and move on, that is when you look to this book. When it is 2 A.M., you can’t sleep, and no one is around to talk, open this book. Whether you’re in the early or late aftermath of a breakup, you aren’t always going to have the capacity to read lengthy chapters, so this book is designed to be an easy-to-digest comfort to pick up any time you need it.

Genres: Relationships

Paperback

Published June 1, 2022

Reviews

[Kathy Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently going through the breakup of my marriage. This book is spot on! The author uses her own personal experience with her breakup, to help bring you through your own personal journey "one moment at a time." Breakups are full of raw emotions that are like roller coasters and this book touches on every point throughout this difficult ride. I'm not completely healed, but this book has helped me understand a lot, including a perspective of how my ex may be feeling. It has given me hope for the future. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! I recommend this book to anyone that has ever or is currently going through a breakup. It explains a lot.

[Shamaja Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing read. Im not a huge book reader but this author has a way to format the book to keep your attention. The content was very relatable, all of which Ive either been through, going through or gone through. I highly recommend this. Great book to read!!

[Nicole Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially appreciated the format of this book! The information was great, and it felt easy to read and easy to absorb which is exactly what any person going through a break up would need.

[Amy Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best self-help books are the kinds that don’t feel like self-help books. You Can’t Stay There: Surviving a Breakup One Moment At A Time is one of the best kinds of self-help books because as the author states in the preface, “This book is kind, with a touch with a touch of the tough love you still need in order to keep moving through this process and not stay stuck.”

This book is light and fun but also gives you practical, relatable advice about going through a breakup that readers can use no matter which side of the breakup they happen to be on. Klesman’s style is not unlike that of Rachel Hollis or Elizabeth Gilbert. This book feels like you’re getting advice from a close friend. One who recognizes the value of listening to the perfect Taylor Swift song post-breakup; but will still give you the serious advice you need to move on with your life in a healthy way.

As a writer myself, I enjoyed the use of quotes throughout the book. Most self-help books have a tendency to preach to readers or emphasize a singular approach to solving a problem. You Can’t Stay There succeeds where other books like it fail because it does the opposite. Instead of turning readers off with psychobabble, it draws them in and encourages them to make their way through the emotional whirlwind of a breakup at their own pace and in their own time.

It would be easy to become overwhelmed by such a heavy subject matter, but the book offers helpful checklists and illustrations to strike the right emotional balance. The book also encourages coping strategies like journaling and self-care, which are behaviors that are not only helpful to readers but also easy to adopt. This small but mighty book reminds readers that even the most painful breakup doesn’t last forever and there it hope beyond the heartbreak.

If you’re going through a breakup or know someone who is, pick up this book.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely heartfelt and honest book that tells it like it is. You'll find sympathy and support because the author has been where you are and knows how you feel and where you might slip up or want to give in - and doesn't deride you if you do. The book walks you through the process of grieving a relationship and everything you wanted from it or envisioned in it, and helps you through how things change as you get farther from the initial breakup. I found this book kind and encouraging, with plenty of great journal prompts that can really help. It's like having a conversation with someone who really cares about you and helping you through what you're feeling and out the other side.

[Elisabeth Hargrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading You Can't Stay There is a gift to yourself, whether going through a break up or just going through life! You Can't Stay There is a practical book with straightforward tips on managing difficult emotions. Well-written and engaging, You Can't Stay There is a gentle, yet inspiring guide to surviving a break up. As a mental health therapist, I began recommending this book to clients as soon as I read it.

[Linny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful, but I personally found a lot of it to be cookie cutter advice that was equal to the reels I see on Instagram. There were some tips that were helpful. Toward the end, there was some weirdly written chapters that I thought were poor advice, but maybe they’ll work for someone else. The idea is helpful, and it helped me move forward in my own breakup, so it did its job.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far, the best and most helpful book I’ve read post-breakup. Everything the author wrote was spot-on. This book helped me to work on acceptance, give myself grace and compassion, and to work on healing. I’m very thankful to have discovered it & highly recommend it for anyone going through a breakup.

[Robert Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty good tool kit to get you through the end of a relationship. Even if you are not currently dealing with this kind of event in your life or if you have, the tools you learn here help you get moving again and in a better frame of mind to go forward.

[Jenn Wissman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was extremely helpful to me post break up. It perfectly described everything that I felt but couldn't verbalize and told me a few things I needed to hear, but didn't want to.