Review of "Everything I Know about Love" by Dolly Alderton

This is one of those books that every woman should read before they die. Seriously. Whether you’re married, cohabiting, or single (but especially if you’re single) you should read this. It’s that good. Dolly’s candid style of writing is fantastic, and it makes you feel like you’re getting to know her better each time you turn the page. You become invested in her stories, her tears become your tears, her happiness seeps out of the pages and into you.

Everything I Know About Love is one of those amazingly relatable books that allow you to feel like you’re a part of the story – I could picture myself going through so many of the situations myself. That’s what makes it such a good read, the fact that it resonates with the reader and allows them to slip into Dolly’s shoes. Dolly tells it all – the good, the bad, and the ugly – without holding anything back, and it makes the type of book that you never want to put down.

There are wildly funny moments throughout the book, mixed in with moments of loss and heartbreak, with Dolly managing to strike the perfect balance between the two. While the stories of bad dates and weird experiences with men are incredible, it was the bits about friendship and love for the women in Dolly’s life that I enjoyed the most, and that shaped the overarching message I took from the book, which was that so long as you have your friends and family, you will always be loved, irrespective of whether or not you have a partner by your side. Love from your friends and family trumps all, and we should always remember that.

I love that Dolly’s broken up the storytelling with recipes concocted on hungover days, lists of shopping and things that scare her, and hilarious parody emails on the topic of major life events like weddings and hen parties. These little breaks in the story are great because they make it feel like a diary, helping the reader to get more of a look into Dolly’s mind. It’s a completely fab book, and it will be top of my list of recommendations for people from now on.

A solid 10/10 from me!