This is an exception.
Louise Helene co-authored with Kim Osborn Sullivan, Ph. D. The writing style is straight to the point - and I like that. Louise uses her experience as a Tarot reader and psychic to provide the reader with guidance on love - how to find it, how to keep it, and when to cut and run.
The book contains 20 chapters and is divided into four sections: Finding Love, Feeling Love, Keeping Love, and Bad Love. When I think about it, these do seem to be the main concerns of people in love - how to find it, how to recognize it, how to keep it, and what do do when it goes bad!
Each chapter gives at least two examples taken from interaction with Helene's clients. Each example reflects both sides of the coin: the first example one side, and the second the other side. This helps the reader to identify how a situation might be similar, but certain nuances and circumstances actually makes for a different outcome.
Additionally, each chapter contains Lessons Learned, Words of Wisdom (a quote), Just the Facts (results from studies), and advice in the section Using the Psychic Edge. I found most of this helpful, but the section I took issue with was the Just the Facts part. Often these were just results of studies, and the author did not do a really good job of tying the information to the subject at hand. Now, I was able to see a relationship between the data and subject, however I do believe this information could have been bridged more smoothly.
The Psychic Edge exercises were a really nice touch - and something I would expect from a Llewellyn book. By that, I mean that I would expect a relationship book published by Llewellyn to have some magical and/or psychic edge - and that's exactly what this section of each chapter provides.
The exercises in the Psychic Edge portion of the chapters do not require a lot of the participant, yet they provide a way to tune in to both the person's psyche and the world at large in order to better understand what's going on in a relationship. Personally, I like to think that I'm fairly tuned in, however I learned quite a few new-to-me techniques from this book - some of them I can't wait to try!
Louise Helene's advice is based on her 30+ years as a Tarot reader and psychic - so in each story, she has consulted her Tarot cards and/or crystal ball to tune into her client's problems. Almost each story has this little catch phrase: "I looked at the cards and saw...." As a Tarot reader myself, I would have loved to have more information on the actual cards in the reading - I'm curious like that. There were times she got information from the cards, and I found myself thinking "Hmmm... I wonder what cards showed her that?"
I think this book could have benefited from the addition of some of the spreads she uses in these types of relationship readings and an example or two of actual readings and the advice given. Then again, this isn't a Tarot book - it's a book based on advice she's given through Tarot readings - so on that hand, I can see why this information wasn't included. It's just something I would have enjoyed seeing in the book.
This book will be released in January 2013, and retails for $15.99. I consider this a good investment for those who want straightforward romantic advice. I know as I read the book, I found that I knew people in real life who were EXACTLY like some of the examples she gave. And (cough, cough), I'm sure I was like one of the women in the book - I won't tell you which one, because I'd like to think I've gotten smarter since then!
If you're single and dating, or perhaps married and in a bad relationship, and desire some no holds barred advice, then this is your book! Pre-order now, and start 2013 off right by getting out of that bad relationship and into a good one... Louise Helene will be sure to help get you there!
