A handbook for leaving and recovering from being in a relationship with a narcissist

Craig’s book focusses on helping people in a relationship with a narcissist. He provides help to cope with difficult and painful emotions, come to terms with how they’ve been treated, and the decisions they face. The final section deals with learning to love themselves and understand what a normal relationship looks like. He also provides a website with additional resources for readers to utilise, including a plan to keep them on track.

Craig’s book is helpful and hopeful for those on the receiving end of a narcissists behaviour. A book to read, re-read and keep to hand to dip into whenever they need support.

I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to.

Simple steps offered by someone who took them himself. Little did I know these were the steps I needed to liberate myself from, the shattered pieces I had been carrying for more than a decade. Newman showed me how to respectfully release these pieces and rebuild myself from those shattered pieces.

If you are or have been in abusive relationship or you know someone is or has been, give them gift of steps to freedom and self-love.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!

I honestly didn't enjoy this one. I think this will be better for at the begining of their healing journey, I personally found the book to be a little lacking, and somewhat repetative.

May be helpful to those who have never been to therapy or who aren’t familiar with the basics of abuse, but this was a slog to get through for me. It was repetitive and sounded like it was written by a high schooler. The most helpful parts were the reflection prompts at the end of each chapter.

In his poignant exploration, Craig Newman takes readers on a profound journey through a love story that delves into the intricate patterns of abuse while offering hope to break free from psychological trauma. Structured into three acts—Getting Insights, Getting Out, and Getting Love—Newman skillfully narrates his journey of emancipating himself from the suffocating fog of abuse, unraveling the necessary steps in nurturing self-love. Through his captivating storytelling, the author effectively communicates that these crucial elements form the foundation for cultivating a deep sense of self-worth, even in the face of a painful history of relationship abuse. By challenging readers to embark on a transformative path, Newman empowers individuals to reshape their reality and embrace a life of profound personal growth. With each page, he beckons readers to embrace the potential for lasting transformation, ultimately fostering a deep sense of empowerment and self-discovery. Newman's work sheds light on the intricacies of abusive relationships and serves as a beacon of hope for those seeking to liberate themselves from the shackles of their past. Through skillful storytelling and insightful guidance, he invites readers to embark on a remarkable journey of self-healing and transformation, ultimately leading them toward a life filled with love, authenticity, and personal fulfillment.

This has been a relatively easy book to read but a hard book to review. It’s been a struggle to know how many stars to give it. Ultimately I’ve rated it how I have because the aim was there but not the execution.

First - the good parts. The writing is easy to read & understand. Also there are some practical exercises that readers can use to help with their recovery/situation.

On to the debatable good parts. The chapters are succinct so you can read them easily. However if you want something a bit more in depth this might not be for you. There are also some acronyms which readers may find helpful in remembering/understanding themes. This wasn’t so helpful to me as it felt a bit forced.

Lastly, the bad parts. The author (who is a therapist) shares his personal experience of being in the position he’s writing about. This completely jarred me. Yes this experience is relevant but therapists don’t share that experience with patients. I also found some of the story examples confusing. Finally, my feeling throughout was that this book didn’t seem to know what it wanted to be. The focus seemed to initially be on abusive relationships with partners but then moved on to discuss more generally, issues surround self-worth & shame, etc. While I understand these do go together, they didn’t seem to click in this book. In fact for me this book didn’t click at all & I just couldn’t get into it. Some particular phrases felt a bit trite.

I chose this book for personal reasons as I thought I could relate & it might give me some advice. Sadly I didn’t feel that way. I wish I did & hope that some others get more out of this book than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers for this ARC.

For someone who has heard the question, "why couldn't she leave?" often when stories of abuse are shared in my circles- reading this book was more for my need to understand the cycle of abuse and the challenges of healing from abuse and the effects of it.
This book is delightful and I loved it in the practical action involved in identifying abuse, knowing your value and how to heal.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.