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The Love Book
An anti–romantic comedy about the misadventures of four women who meet on a singles’ bike trip.
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Reading Group Guide for The Love Book
1. Finding love is the central focus of the novel. How does each character view romantic love? What other types of love are explored in the novel? What do these other types of love reveal about each character?
2. What emotional or psychological obstacles or “blocks” do the characters face that impede their finding love? Do these blocks serve any purpose? Are the characters successful in overcoming the obstacles they face?
3. What relationships, past or present, do the characters have to “renegotiate” in order to experience greater love? Have you ever had to cut ties with someone toxic in your life? What was the result?
4. How do the characters act as catalysts in each other’s personal development? Do you see any patterns in how the characters relate to themselves and others?
5. What is a soul mate? Do you believe that everyone has only one soul mate and that we are not complete until we find him or her? Or do you believe that we have many soul mates over the course of a lifetime? Have you ever had a soul mate? How did the experience of being with your soul mate change you?
6. Are Emily and Charles adversaries or soul mates? What is the nature of their relationship at the beginning of the novel, and how does it evolve? Do they find resolution by the end? What lessons or treasures are revealed for Emily?
7. What do you think the author is saying about the nature of divorce? What does it take to move past anger/resentment/sadness/guilt/regret after divorce? Are there residual feelings from past relationships that you’ve had trouble moving beyond?
8. Which character were you most able to identify with? Why? Which character did you least identify with? Why? How did your feelings about each character change over the course of the novel?
9. Each of the four main characters indulges in some form of self-medication (i.e., sugar, alcohol, romantic fantasies, and/or sex) as a way to mask their feelings—or not deal with them at all. What do you think the author is saying about addiction as it relates to love?
10. Were you satisfied with how each character’s story ended? Do you wish they’d made different choices? What could they have done differently?
11. If you were to plan a sequel to The Love Book, where do you imagine each character’s life taking him or her?