It took me a bit to get into this book, but in the end I really liked it! It focuses on grief, with both a romantic breakup and the death of a parent. I liked the writing and the characters, and the conclusions it comes to. I'll definitely read anything Hazel Hayes writes in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for the chance to read and review this ARC.

In Better By Far, Hazel Hayes chronicles grief as Kate processes a current break-up, reliving some of the trauma from her mother’s passing years prior. The book slides back and forth in time, as Kate relives memories of the past, haunted by some. Told mostly as a letter to her Ex, Kate examines what she’s feeling every moment of the break-up, from its inception to the months that pass. What you leave with is a sense of hope, a light at the end of a dark dark tunnel, but it doesn’t come in the form of sunshines and rainbows, sugarcoat nowhere to be seen, but comes in the form that many of us live with grief, a coat over our shoulders, a shadow that follows us and one day it fades, but could resurge. The grief that sits with us in that may make us sad but it's better by far to forget and be happy than remember and be sad, is it not? Hayes so beautifully captures this feeling, that grieving sits with all of us and one day we will smile and not be sad, that we need to get to that point, to not let it burden us but with that tinge of knowing it never will truly be forgotten, just something we live with, something that cloaks us in the everyday. Waiting for happiness as if it would simply appear on our doorstep, waiting for that next thing that will make it all go away, through Kate’s journey, we learn that waiting for something like that is pointless because then our whole life is spent in that liminal space, it’s best to break free of it, shed that feeling and embrace now. This novel is quite heavy in scope and content, so before reading be sure to prepare yourself by checking in on your own place with grief and make sure you can handle examining someone else’s story.
 
This novel will stay with me for a long time, especially as life goes on, people leave, things change, I feel as if I will return to Hayes’ story as a reminder that so many of us deal with grief daily, while isolating, we are not actually alone. As the shadows of grief past still follow me, as I’m sure they may follow you, this book allowed me to sit in my grief but also let a piece of it go. Hayes’ writing is just so poetic, so lyrical, this is not one you want to miss.
 
Scarf Rating: 🧣🧣🧣🧣🧣 (5/5)

Taylor Swift songs I associate with this book: So Long, London, loml, The Black Dog, Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus, I Look In People’s Windows, closure, evermore, right where you left me, I Almost Do, happiness, hoax, marjorie

I urge everyone to embrace Hazel Hayes and welcome her into your life. After falling head over heels for her debut novel, 'Out of Love' (I even indulged in two rereads!), I was eagerly anticipating Hazel's next masterpiece. And she certainly did not disappoint.

'Better By Far,' much like 'Out of Love,' delves into the complexities of grief following a breakup. Finn and Kate find themselves with a few months left on their lease when they decide to part ways. Opting to alternate weeks until their lease expires, Kate guides us through the stages of grief experienced after the end of a long-term relationship. Enduring the remnants of her ex while attempting to move forward creates a unique kind of anguish for Kate, and honestly sounds like a form of torture found in hell. Amidst her sorrow, past wounds resurface from the loss of her mother.

I found the structure of the book to be captivating. Kate's alternating writing to both Finn and her mother offer a poignant insight into her emotional journey. My only minor critique is that at times, it wasn't immediately clear who Kate was addressing in her writing. However, this is a small quibble compared to the overall brilliance of the book.

What I loved -
🤍 Hazel Hayes, akin to Taylor Swift, possesses a rare talent for capturing the essence of relationships. If you're a Taylor fan, you'll adore Hazel's work.
🤍 The exploration of both past and present grief is profoundly moving. Be prepared for tears.
🤍 The supportive friendships that anchor Kate amidst her turmoil.
🤍 Hazel's exquisite prose continually left me reaching for my highlighter and jotting down profound thoughts.

(4.5) Wow. I am once again blown away by Hazel Hayes writing. It is so rich and poetic and easy to get swept up in. Truly a beautiful writing voice and a beautiful story. As always, I went into this book blind and was pleasantly surprised by it. I mean, I knew I would enjoy it after absolutely adoring Out of Love for the last two years. A wonderfully raw story of grief, in more than one facet of life, this book took me through so many emotions. I could have really used this book a few years ago when I went through my first real heavy dose of grief and got lost in it. But reading it now has healed a piece of me and allowed for me to really think about the loss in a different way. Reading this also made me feel seen in some of the emotions and reactions I have felt in my own journey of walking through grief. There is so much to this story and I really enjoyed it all from the relationship to the friendship to the personal writing journey but especially the growth between Kate and her father. I don’t know how personal this story is to Hazel, but it sure reads like it’s an actual story of someone’s life. At times I forgot it was a work of fiction, that’s how real it feels. Not to sound like a broken record, but the writing in this is just truly amazing.

Anyways, I’ll shush now but thank you so much Dutton for the early access and the finished copy and thank you Hazel for sharing this beautiful book with the world and for healing a part of my soul.



*just a note but man the nightmares took me by surprise. That may have been the most surprising element to this and holy smokes did they freak me out at times.

This one feels kind of like the more real life, not a romance novel version of The Flatshare, with a little touch of weirdness as we experience Kate's nightmares with her and explore her family history. It has a bit of a hazy, dreamlike quality throughout, but is still very readable and satisfying.

Better by Far is a very layered story with heavy themes of grief and the choices we make in life. It has made me feel sad but also very introspective. I finished it on Saturday night, sitting by a campsite with my wife on our first camping trip of the season and I’ve been unable to not have this story sitting in the recesses of my brain since.

Reading by a fire is one of my favorite things to do. It is freeing and I often pick books that teach me something, make me reflect on my own life, and make me feel deeply. This book checked all three of those boxes.

I’ve come to realize recently that I don’t love reading too detailed synopses or reviews of books. More and more I’m really loving going into books blind or with a minimal gist of what the book is about with the more surprises the better. If you have been following along with other reviews I have written for Chick Lit Central, I struggle to tell you too much because I don’t want to ruin the book for you. I don’t want to tell you too much because I want you to be able to peel the layers back like I did, to feel and think and also be deeply immersed in the story. I think more and more my reviews are going to lean in that direction. So know this.

This novel will cover topics that are a bit heavier. It is done with grace and reliability on such a thoughtful level. I highlighted so much of this story because I felt seen and finally felt like my feelings were being reflected back to me and described perfectly. So many times I thought and said, yes, that is exactly what I have felt. If you have been through a breakup, this is also going to be a story you’ll want to read.

This story will make you sad. But it will also give you hope. It will make you think and explore and reflect on choices or thoughts you have and how you can maybe view things differently. There is also some of the best mental health representation I have ever seen in a story.

Kate will be a character you want to shake but also want to hug. She is weak and brave all at the same time. That is so incredibly beautiful and I really can’t wait for you to meet her. I really am so happy this story came into my life and I am really looking forward to hearing what you think once it enters yours. I highly recommend this one! I am better by far because of it.

Deeply introspective, written like an ongoing letter to the protagonists ex in the midst of their final breakup, this novel cuts a little too close to the quick in an equally harsh and tender way.

With the variety of heavy themes covered—heartbreak, grief, loss, healing, femininity, family—and it being so divinely character driven, this is exactly what I’m looking for in a litfic.

I was always thoroughly engrossed in the story, picking out one too many relatable thoughts and emotions in which Hazel somehow manages to articulate in a frank yet poetic manner. The writing had me captivated, and left me feeling full while also emotionally wrung dry.

So much of this book felt like someone (a very talented author) was ghostwriting all the experiences of my past self.
I hung on every word.

Hazel Hayes captured my attention with her fantastic debut, Out of Love. I've read that one three times already and I was sold as a forever fan. To say this was a highly anticipated read is an understatement. I was so sure this would be great, and I was not wrong. Hayes has a beautiful, heartbreaking way with words and constructed some absolutely stunning sentences. She is basically the queen of break-up books at this point. And this was so much more than a break-up book. It's a tour de force on grief, not only with the romantic relationship with main character's ex-boyfriend, but with the loss of her mother at a young age and how that death affected her. Better by Far is profound, heavy, relatable, and just an all-around amazing book. Just go in knowing that Hayes is apparently incapable of giving us a happy ending, but you'll be left with deep, lingering thoughts for days after finishing. Already looking forward to rereading this through audio.

Out of Love, Hazel Hayes’ debut is my favorite book of all time. I was so excited when I heard she was coming out with another book. Better by far was not what I was expecting. I expected a story about a breakup, about exes living at the same house at different times. About the grief over a failed relationship. But this book was really about our main character Kate’s grief over her mother’s death. & I think I would’ve loved this book more if I knew that. This book was beautiful, and I underlined so many passages. I guess the fact that I got a completely different book than what I was expecting kind of took away from that.

I will always continue to read and support Hazel, and I look forward to see more work from her.

There are some authors who just really know how to make you feel things, and this is one of them. My other two favorites are Emily Henry and Dolly Alderton. These are my instant reads and I just know I will have felt seen and also will be sending friends quotes from each book long after I finished the book.

I read the author's debut novel "Out of Love" when I was going through a pretty difficult breakup and it made me feel seen and also helped me put into words how I was feeling at the time. This book was no exception and also made me feel seen and like this author just really gets breakups and tricky dynamics that happen with exes. There are so many passages I made note of and I even ordered a physical copy so I can lend it out and make highlights and notes in the margins.

What I loved most about this book was the author's portrayal of grief as it related to the loss of a family member and the loss of a relationship. It really is a weird feeling to be in the space between loving someone and letting them go.

Could not recommend enough, but please, do yourself a favor and grab a box of tissues and wear waterproof mascara.

Thank you so much netgalley and the author for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A breakup with a messy and complicated living situation, but that was not really the focal point of this book like I thought it would be. Instead, this book really focused on the grief that plagued our main character and how that grief correlated with her breakup. The descriptions of our main characters nightmares were raw and visceral and I found myself scared at times. I think Hazel does a great job of describing the sheer terror and paralyzing effects that come with complex PTSD and grief. I was definitely expecting this book to focus more on the breakup and the downfall of the relationship, but it really took a turn and I'm not mad about it.

I loved Hayes' debut novel Out of Love, and I enjoyed myself reading this one as well. I can say with absolute positivity that I will continue to follow all books Hayes' writes in the future.

THIS BOOK— 😭 I loved Hazel's first novel, OUT OF LOVE, particularly in regards to her unique narrative structure (i.e., very "500 Days of Summer"-esque with the love story being told in reverse, starting with its demise and ending at its beginning), so I was really excited to hear about her newest release. It's no secret I love character studies and emotionally-driven prose, so Hazel's writing style is right up my alley and easily ranks her pretty d*mn high when it comes to my favorite/auto-buy authors. Right off the bat, BETTER BY FAR feels a bit like a gut punch, if I'm being genuinely honest, in how real and easily relatable those first few scenes & inner monologues are, and in how they managed to easily dredge up so many visceral emotions out of me. Because I think we all, in some way or another (and whether it be in a romantic or platonic sense,) have (or will) experience the end of a relationship.... and, not only that, but the very specific feeling of KNOWING the end is coming and not really having any way of stopping it— it's just.... inevitable. It's sad, but it's also real life. I related deeply with Kate and saw so much of myself in her and her journey. This book is less about the relationship/break-up between Kate & Finn, and more about what happens after the fact. What happens after a love ends? What lingers on and what stings; what chains do we knowingly choose to shackle ourselves with in our grief, and what does it mean to truly and readily move forward? BETTER BY FAR is a great study & exploration I think of a quieter form of grief.... the patient kind. The one that we may not always know is still residing within us until it hits us like a brick. And, while so many parts of this novel made me feel a multitude of varying shades of sadness for all the losses in this life we aren't able to predict or control..... I still left it upon finishing feeling hopeful. Because while, yes, grief can (and is) often a very paralyzing feeling.... it's not forever— at least, it doesn't have to be. The road back "home" (and back to our new, truer and stronger selves) may be long and winding, bittersweet & raw in its descent and in the power it holds......... but it's not an impossible one to cross. And so, for anyone reading this that may need to hear this also: Have faith. Have faith that you will get through whatever loss is holding you back or down, and have faith that the version of you that ultimately comes out on the other side will be all the better and stronger from it.

For Kate, grief is twofold. Not only is she suffering from complicated grief surrounding the death of her mother when Kate was only 9 years old, she is also grappling with the end of a six year relationship with a man, who frankly, got too many chances.

To further complicate matters, Kate and her ex, Finn, recently rented a home together and the lease is not yet up. The former couple come up with the solution of alternating weeks living in the house until February when they can finally wash their hands of the rental (and their relationship) for good. We leave so much of ourselves behind in our homes, which Kate soon discovers, and it makes moving on after a painful break-up all the more difficult. Kate can’t help but imagine her former lover in their shared space; can’t help but picture what he gets up to and who he has over when it is his week in the home.

As time moves forward, Kate finds herself reeling backward, spending a lot of time in her mind imagining and reimagining her mother’s death and everything that went wrong between her and Finn. To everything there is a season, and Kate is spending this one coming to terms with what it means to lose and love. Adrift in a lonely world in search of solid ground, Kate must make space for herself in her own life amidst the rubble of what once was.

Hazel Hayes’s new novel, Better By Far, is an introspective, poignant look at loss and what it means to move forward in life when so much is holding you back. Hazel Hayes has a beautiful, raw way of exposing the truths of life and love. While her novels often take a quiet, sullen approach to plot and characterization, they are written in such an honest way that the reader can’t help but see their own thoughts and feelings blazenly splashed across the page.

Better By Far will likely be triggering for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, either by death or disconnect. For those wading deep in grief, this novel may not be for you; but for those who are finding themselves in a better place following loss, reading Better By Far will be like sitting down for a therapeutic chat with a good friend.

I loved Out of Love by this author, so I was very eager to get my hands on her new release.

This book is about a breakup and how the main character is struggling to cope with it. She is also still trying to come to terms with her mother's death that happened over 20 years prior.

The first quarter of the book was a 4 or 5 stars for me. However, after that, it felt like too much was going on with the supporting characters, none of which I felt super attached to. I did really enjoy what happened in the end and the conclusion she drew from their time apart.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book ahead of its release!

Thank you, Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. For me, this wasn't it; not because it was bad, but because it was a little triggering for me, and quite frankly, made me really sad. I was really hoping Katie and Finn were going to work it out (for my own selfish reasons) and was thrilled when it seemed like that was happening. Psych. Katie's nightmares were a bit much for me (I'm not into horror) and I never really understood the birds. Sorry to say, too much death and despair for my liking.

3.5 - This is so hard to rate. I loved Out of Love by Hazel Hayes and was so excited to dive into this book. I really like the variety of topics covered. The book centers around grief, illness, friendships, loss, art, and relationships. While the topics are heavy, I appreciate the moments of joy and humor that are sprinkled throughout as well, as it gives it a more real feel. The author’s writing is just as beautiful in this book as in her first. I really enjoyed all the side characters and felt they added a lot to the story. I did find the structuring made it hard to follow and stay engaged in the storyline. This book isn’t linear, as grief isn’t linear, but that does make it a tougher read. Overall, I found this a novel of depth and pain, but with rich prose and authenticity.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where genrebent romantic fiction is popular.