The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club

by Jessica Morrison

When a drunken decision takes a newly single, newly unemployed woman thousands of miles from the life she knows, she'll need to figure out what she truly wants for her future—and who she truly loves.28-year-old Cassie Moore has always played it safe, living life according to a meticulously organized Master Plan. But when she loses her Perfect Job and finds her fiancé in bed with his ex on the same day, it's clear that The Plan has failed her. She awakens the next day from a drunken stupor to discover that she's booked herself on a six-month trip to Buenos Aires. She speaks not a word of Spanish, but she's already emailed the news to everyone she knows, so there's no turning back.Once in Buenos Aires, Cassie is reluctantly seduced by this glorious city. Her exuberant landlady introduces her to the handsome but haughty Mateo, a man Cassie clashes with right from the start. She soon befriends other lovelorn travelers and together, they start a "Brokenhearts Club" at a local bar, attracting a cast of characters that includes Dan, a sweet handsome man who lives as carefully and predictably as Cassie. Before long, Cassie's making a new Learn Spanish.2. Stop obsessing about impossible Mateo and fall for perfect-on-paper Dan.But staying on track isn't so simple anymore and Cassie finally realizes that sometimes life--and love--defies her best-laid plans.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Travel, Contemporary, Novels

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2007

Reviews

[Katie]

I love anything having to do with Argentina, and I thought this would be a perfect book to bring on the plane with me, but I was so annoyed by the main character, Cassie, within the first 50 pages or so that I couldn't bring myself to continue.

It's not like I was expecting some sort of deep and meaningful travelogue or anything, she just comes off as ignorant and neurotic and definitely culturally insensitive. I suppose Argentina might be considered a third world country, but Buenos Aires is a modern metropolitan city, so I couldn't help but roll my eyes at lines like these:

"We touch down on the tarmac with a light bump...It could easily be Sea-Tac or LAX or JFK. Then, in the distance, I spot what suspiciously looks like a donkey pulling a cart. Yep, that's a donkey all right. No doubt about it, I am in Argentina. (p.36)"

(Considering the fact that the main character isn't even sure where Buenos Aires is after she drunkenly books a trip there, I wonder where her preconceived notions about the country come from.)

Some other gems:

"I could still hear her yelling at my poor stepdad for letting me go when the red-faced customs agent...looked at my ticket and snorted 'Have fun getting kidnapped.'(p.34)"

(Ok, first of all, there are way more dangerous places to travel than BA, and no one would ever say that!)

"To my surprise, the airport is fairly modern, clean, and free of chickens. In fact, it looks a lot like the airport where this journey began. There is no strip search, no drug dogs. (p.37)"

(You don't say!)

"If I need to go to the bathroom...Oh, God. Bathroom. I'm almost scared to think about what that looks like in this part of the world (p.44)."

"Maybe this is all a part of some twisted Argentine plan to indoctrinate young foreign women into the sisterhood - a theory immediately dispelled when I notice a couple of transvestite hookers parked on the corner behind us. One of them smiles at me and says something in Spanish to his/her friend...(p.40)"

Ugh.

I'm sure if I would have stuck with it, I would have watched Cassie blossom and come to appreciate the city and blah blah blah. But, as much as I was actually looking forward to reading this and taking a break from some of the heavier fare I like to read, these little details really left a bad taste in my mouth, and I am just reminded as to why I rarely venture into the world of chick lit in the first place.

[Meredith Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having recently returned from BA, I was keen to dive into “The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club” but was quickly disappointed. The Argentine mentions are just that – token location names that don’t play any considerable role in its clichéd narrative. The writing isn’t particularly impressive and the ending can be anticipated from well before the half-way point. But even before that, motivation to finish wanes given its unlikeable protagonist. Cassie Moore has her life meticulous organised beyond credibility. When her plan fails she drunkenly books herself of a six-month trip to Argentina. This is an educated and seemingly intelligent 28 year old American woman who shares immature, culturally insensitive and incorrect statements in anticipation of what Argentina might be like. And it is hard to care what happens to someone stupid enough to blow her hairdryer up by jamming it into the incorrect international socket without adaptor. Then her wining turns into self-satisfaction fuelled by a blog about her daily unlucky in love minutia.

[Guada · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is hands down the worst book I have ever read. Cassie was The Most annoying MC and if I had been Jeff, I would've cheated too. I also would've laughed at her face the second I saw her if I had been Mateo. Every thought she had was completely RIDICULOUS. Why did she think she was the center of the universe? Why did she keep bringing up The Plan every two pages? Why was she so undecisive and whimsical? Why did she keep misleading Dan (although he was really stupid as well so they're both to blame)? WHY WAS SHE?
Seriously, what was going through the author's head while writing this?? There was zero chemistry between Cassie and Mateo, their interactions were the bare minimum and when they happened they were so dull and uninteresting that it made no sense at all when they said "I love you to each other" after 300 pages of pure Nothing. Also, what the fuck is MATÉ? A spelling error can happen to anyone but you're telling me that you spent I-don't-know-how-many-months in Argentina and you never learned to write mate properly? And that might be so insignificant but when you put it together with the other misconceptions about the country or the culture it gets tiring. So not only was the romance terrible (and non-existent), but reading this as an Argentinian was TEDIOUS. I was so happy to find that a book took place in my country/province only to be completely disappointed 30 pages in. I don't know how I was able to finish this if I'm being honest, but I coudn't be more glad to get this over with. I could complain for hours but I don't want to waste anymore time with this crap.
So anyways!!!! If you're looking for a romance book, read literally anything else.

[Robin Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book for me. It's not particularly enlightening but I knew all the sights and bars and cafes, even when the author didn't name them. It made me ache to visit Argentina again. Buenos Aires will forever be a second home to me! It didn't make me smarter, but it did make me more grateful for the opportunity I had, and it made me wish I'd taken better advantage of it!

[DeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐. I got major Sex & the City vibes with this one, the show is even mentioned a couple of times in the book. I was a fan of the show back in its heyday and I enjoyed this for similar reasons. The main character, Cassie, reminded me of Carrie (even the name is similar). On top of that, there was a lot of Buenos Aires in this book, and the cultural references led me to learn things about the history and culture of the area. Since the point of my global reading challenge is to learn about other countries, I appreciated those parts of the book.

Cassie was a frustrating character, she seemed so indecisive and assumed A LOT about other people. She made tons of strange decisions, but in the same way I liked watching Carrie Bradshaw fumble through her dating life, it was entertaining to watch young Cassie figure hers out too. Ultimately I think her character growth happened a bit too late in the story and then rushed into the ending. I still enjoyed the book and was satisfied at the end.

[Maddy Tippie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book and I really wanted to like it overall, but I just could not get past the main character’s personality and self pity. The story was very drawn out and didn’t have enough subplots to keep the reader interested.

[Danielle Dalmeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love loved this feel good read!

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed something light and easy between more substantial reads and this did the trick. It's quite humorous, although the plot leaves much to be desired. The main character is a bit silly and completely oblivious at times. She kept talking herself into stuff and I just wanted to scream at her and slap her straight! But it's a fun, mindless, quick, easy read. Overall, pretty enjoyable.

[Carol katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay. i know it's not the finest literature but it was just what I needed. Cassie loses job, loses fiance and drunkenly books a flight to and an apt in Buenos Aires. Enter gourgeous sexy Porteno, Mateo, and well, you can figure out the rest.



So it's not Hemingway. Sue me. I loved it.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun summer read (in the range of confessions of a shopaholic). I especially enjoyed it since I've learned a lot about argrentine customs over the last few years and so many were in there. I was only in Buenos Aires for a day, but am looking forward to going back and seeing more.

[Alicen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it wrong to have liked this incredibly predictable and light-hearted book? In my defense, I think there is just something about reading a book that takes place in the exact same places you are hanging out in at the time, which is most likely the only thing that made it enjoyable.

[Mackenzie Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

When your master plan fails, what do you do? Plan a trip to Buenos Aires of course! Follow our FMC and her journey to self discovery and self love all while helping others find their worth.

[Teresa LaBella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!
That's obvious from the five star rating.
Why did I love this book?
Let me count the ways.
#1 I cared about the characters from page 1.
Cassie Moore's meticulous Excel spreadsheet color-coded and tabbed life plan collapses in one disastrous day. Instead of a promotion, she's fired. The threatened and now final eviction from her apartment due to multiple complaints of mid-day loud music is explained when she walks in on her fiance and his ex-girlfriend engaged in sex accompanied by the vibration and clash of classical tympani and strings. Cassie tries to drink her pain away. While under the influence, she goes online, books a flight and leases an apartment in Buenos Aires for a six-month stay. Every person Cassie encounters adds sparkle and depth to this delightful story, from the residents of this vibrant city to temporary BFF's who, like her, left faraway homes to escape broken relationships.
#2 I was there with Cassie.
Her first person world became mine. I felt her fear of the unknown. The push to veer far off and explore alone or give in to the pull of family, friends and the familiar in Seattle. I rounded the corner with her from relative quiet and calm to loud and frenetic. I struggled with Spanish, felt the panic of being late and lost, wondered at the array of color, the splendor of old world architecture, the flavor of the food and wine, gave in to the physical rush of tango and enjoyed the easy camaraderie of community.
#3 I identified with the theme.
Cassie's obsession with The Plan, and stubborn pursuit of a new one when the first failed, could have given her the security and predictability she craved. But the spontaneity of risk and indulgence in fun can lead to a life and love of abundant possibilities.
My need to research a place I've never been for the romantic suspense mystery novel I'm writing led me to this book and author. I wanted to experience Argentina beyond the travel guides and historical context. Thanks to Jessica Morrison, like Cassie, I'm in love with Buenos Aires.

[♥ Becky 22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Great But Fun

There was a lot wrong with this book. The main character is annoying and jumps to weird conclusions after every harmless conversation she has. The romance wasn't that great: Mateo, the love interest was again and again described as a "sweet, funny, charming man" or a "sarcastic, condescending man". The issue with this? We saw NONE of it. I can't remember a single sweet, funny or condescending thing that he said. The main character and him barely talk. They hang out once and then the main character tells us that they do lots of stuff together for 2 or 3 more weeks but we're not there, so we don't really SEE Mateo being sweet, we are just TOLD he is.

However: I had a lot of fun reading this book. I have spent a couple months in Buenos Aires and I felt like I was back there again these past few days. Despite its flaws, The Buenos Aires Hearts Club is a fun, light read. It's exactly the book I wanted to read in this weird time where we've all been stuck at home for months.

[Alyssa Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cassie Moore is a girl with a plan. Literally. She keeps a list and checks off everything as she attains them. Perfect job. Check. Place to live (not with her parents). Check. Engaged. Check. But then everything falls apart in one day and she finds herself spending 6 months in Buenos Aires where she begins to realize you can't plan everything.

This was a great read. The author is witty and the book caught my interest in just the first few pages. The only reason I couldn't give 5 stars is I would like to have seen more focus on Cassie with the man who steals her heart instead of with her meaningless flings.
Overall, great book!

[Maru Castelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta todo muy poco chequeado.
Lo compré solo porque soy de BA y me copaba ver que onda pero las traducciones al castellano estan mal y ni las ubicaciones no tienen sentido.
Cassie es medio tonta, que va de un extremo al otro sin ningún sentido demasiado lógico lo que hacia que me caiga bastante mal.
Lo del blog me pareció que le daba un lado moderno ya que es de una época en la que ni celulares había pero me pareció medio cualquiera lo del particular Sponsor (por como lo escribió porque si lo hacian con canje por ejemplo hubiese tenido sentido y cerraba mas)
No terminé de entender a que se debe la imagen de la tapa del todo.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to read books set in the places I'm traveling to and this seemed like a fun easy one. It was ok but there were several things that were quite off...we have not seen any donkey carts on the airport tarmac or transvestite hookers in Palermo. No one is worried about getting kidnapped or using the bathroom. It's ok.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything about the main character was annoying, and I found myself hating the ridiculous choices she made throughout the book. I enjoyed the setting... but everything else was predictable and annoying.

[KATY G · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book with romance and adventure. This reminds me of an episode of "Sex in the City". I found the main character to be a bit annoying, but was glad for a happy ending. In my opinion, it took too long for her to find herself/better herself. This is a quick and fun read.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the middle on this one. I found the main character very relatable, how ever I found the story line a little slow and very very predictable.

[Mandi Grasmeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very predictable chick lit, but regardless a fun, easy read.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were times when Cassie would get annoying, but I really did love how she found herself at the end.

[Judi Losh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun, light hearted, romance read!!!

[Jayanti Banerjee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Light and fun. A beach read. The most serious and affecting parts of the novel were the brief moments spent on “los madres de la plaza de mayo”.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read about 50% of this one and it just wasn't doing it for me. The protagonist is whiny and won't take any action. It's frustrating.

[Megan Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most heartwarming and beautiful re-living of my time there :,)

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book when I first read it. Then I found myself re-reading it again and again... I don't understand why, but this one got a special place in my heart and bookshelf.

[Jen W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fun and laugh out loud easy read. Just what I was looking for right now!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this before a trip to BA. It was ok. A nice easy read. I didn't really relate to the main character all that much, but i liked the description of the city.

[Melissa Ka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book stayed in my heart for almost 15 years. I've read it shortly after it was published when I was still a teenager and again in my late 20's. I couldn't relate as much with the protagonist on the second go, but it is still a really nice read.