Out of Love

The debut novel from YouTube sensation Hazel Hayes is a break-up story told in reverse, from the depths of grief to the heights of new love.

A novel for anyone who has loved and lost, and lived to tell the tale. As a young woman boxes up her ex-boyfriend's belongings and prepares to see him one last time, she wonders where it all went wrong, and whether it was ever right to begin with. Burdened with a broken heart, she asks herself the age-old question . . . is love really worth it?

Out of Love is a bittersweet romance told in reverse. Beginning at the end of a relationship, each chapter takes us further back in time, weaving together an already unravelled tapestry, from tragic break-up to magical first kiss. In this dazzling debut Hazel Hayes performs a post-mortem on love, tenderly but unapologetically exploring every angle, from the heights of joy to the depths of grief, and all the madness and mundanity in between. This is a modern story with the heart of a classic: truthful, tragic and ultimately full of hope.

'I fell in love with this book. The writing was good enough to make me forget I had a phone, put it that way.' - Aisling Bea, actress and comedian 

'A love story told backwards...it's vivid, VERY compelling storytelling. Excellent on friendship and emotional damage.' - Marian Keyes

'Out of Love will fill the gap that Normal People left inour heart...Trust us, this is the book of the summer.' - Evoke
'Wise, compelling and beautifully written.' - Daily Mail
'What a book...Hayes references Nora Ephron throughout and she's a pretty goodsuccessor judging from this debut.' - Stylist

• 'It's so human and compassionate, so funny and lovely, you can really relate to it, it's just beautiful' Laura Smyth, Between the Covers
• 'I was angry at myself for how fast I was reading it, knowing that meant it would end faster. It's a unique story about heartbreak and love, yet that's what makes it feel universal' Aisling Bea
• 'Fierce and often funny... It’s counterintuitive to be hopeful for a relationship you know is doomed from the start, but the sheer emotional intelligence of the unpicking, from horrible break-up to magical first kiss, kept me hooked. Wise, compelling and beautifully written' Daily Mail
• 'Former short horror filmmaker Hayes decided to write a novel about love as she “can’t think of anything more horrific” and what a book this is as it rewinds from a relationship’s break up to its very first hopeful moments... Hayes references Nora Ephron throughout the book and she’s a pretty good successor judging from this debut' Stylist
• 'Hazel Hayes writes with such honesty and casual confidence and flowing dialogue, you feel you are overhearing it rather than reading it. The writing sparkles with wit, and a poignant emotional reality. I love it' Matt Haig, bestselling author of How to Stop Time
• 'A beautiful deconstruction of a relationship that explores not what the ending is, but rather, how something began' Anna Akana, filmmaker and author
• 'Hazel’s book is funny and moving and bleak and hopeful all at the same time . . . Like Bridget Jones and Sylvia Plath setting the world to rights over a supermarket vino' Paul Neafcy, writer and author
• 'Hazel is a beautifully brazen, headstrong writer who portrays realities with a wonderful wink and wry smile in everything she does' Grace Helbig, comedian and author
• 'Hazel manages to explore the untangling of a relationship in a way that feels as if you're reading a journal entry. Raw and unfiltered, I found myself relating to even the subtlest details' Estée Lalonde, author and lifestyle vlogger

Hazel Hayes is an Irish-born, London-based writer and director who has, until now, been writing primarily for the screen. Having graduated from Dublin City University with a degree in journalism, she went on to study creative writing at The Irish Writers' Centre, before finally finding her feet on YouTube and honing her craft as a screenwriter through numerous short films and sketches. Her eight-part thriller,PrankMe, won Series of the Year at SITC, as well as the award for Excellence in Storytelling at Buffer Festival in Toronto.

The debut novel from YouTube sensation Hazel Hayes is a break-up story told in reverse, from the depths of grief to the heights of new love. A novel for anyone who has loved and lost, and lived to tell the tale. As a young woman boxes up her ex-boyfriend's belongings and prepares to see him one last time, she wonders where it all went wrong, and whether it was ever right to begin with. Burdened with a broken heart, she asks herself the age-old question . . . is love really worth it? Out of Love is a bittersweet romance told in reverse. Beginning at the end of a relationship, each chapter takes us further back in time, weaving together an already unravelled tapestry, from tragic break-up to magical first kiss. In this dazzling debut Hazel Hayes performs a post-mortem on love, tenderly but unapologetically exploring every angle, from the heights of joy to the depths of grief, and all the madness and mundanity in between. This is a modern story with the heart of a classic: truthful, tragic and ultimately full of hope. 'I fell in love with this book. The writing was good enough to make me forget I had a phone, put it that way.' -- Aisling Bea, actress and comedian 'A love story told backwards...it's vivid, VERY compelling storytelling. Excellent on friendship and emotional damage.' -- Marian Keyes 'Out of Love will fill the gap that Normal People left inour heart...Trust us, this is the book of the summer.' -- Evoke 'Wise, compelling and beautifully written.' -- Daily Mail 'What a book...Hayes references Nora Ephron throughout and she's a pretty goodsuccessor judging from this debut.' -- Stylist

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