My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me

  I don't read much nonfiction, but when I'm in the mood to try something in this section I generally choose nonfiction narratives. Nonfiction narratives are books that read like a novel. One of the few times I come across a title that makes me pause and ponder, which is how I found My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me, at my library.

Description: An Emmy Award-winning writer shares her misadventures in dating. When she finally got over a hard relationship she runs across a novel her ex-boyfriend wrote about their relationship at a Barnes and Noble Bookstore.

Review:  Hillary Winston is an Emmy award winning writer, most notably known for her work on the TV shows My Name is Earl and Community. Like all of us, Hillary has her string of bad relationships but hers hit an all time low that I'm sure puts all of ours to shame. While perusing the new releases section of her local Barnes and Nobel bookstore, Winston found herself portrayed on the pages of her ex-boyfriend's thinly veiled fiction novel in which her own character was barely disguised and conversations, dates, issues, etc. they'd had are written up word for word. Devastated and humiliated, Hillary decides to seek revenge in the form of writing her own true, nonfiction memoir to set the record straight. 
 Self-conscious, soul baring, and told with large doses of self deprecating humor, Winston holds nothing back, including her own ego, in her effort to make sense of her own horrendous relationships (and a few that I would actually call triumphs). She starts her retelling from her misstep in not acknowledging the first boy who really cared about her in fourth grade that basically foreshadows all of her bad relationships. Thereafter she continues to fall for jerks (that's really an understatement) who really don't want anything to do with her besides fulfill their own sexual urges.  
   I couldn't help but laugh and at the same time cringe at reading her dating disasters. And I will tell you, the girl has a knack for picking out the worst guys ever. Most of the time, however, I wanted to give Hillary a hug, chocolate, and large bowls of ice cream. It's easy looking outside in that Winston's problem is herself, plagued with extremely low self esteem and equating sex with love and approval. I cheered when Winston came to her own conclusion. I think she's extremely brave to expose her self, warts and all, to clear her name but I think she accomplished much more. Winston's memoir is funny, sensitive, and in the end will last and sit much longer on the nonfiction shelves with its bright pink cover facing out for all to see.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language and sexual content in the book. Recommended for adults only.

If you like this book try: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler, Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner