Why Did You Stay?: The instant Sunday Times bestseller

Rebecca Humphries

From Shelf: Books read in 2024

From co-dependence to self-acceptance, this is what the scandal during Strictly taught Rebecca Humphries about true love. If you hoovered up Three Women or Everything I Know About Love - and especially if you've been in a toxic relationship/want to know you can re-emerge stronger from one - this is your book of the summer.

'Fierce. Game-changing. Urgently necessary. Brilliant, brilliant and did I say brilliant?' EMMA THOMPSON 'Is it worth the hype? Absolutely' LAURA PULLMAN, STYLE -------Actor, writer and hopeless romantic Rebecca Humphries had often been called crazy by her boyfriend. But when paparazzi caught him kissing his Strictly Come Dancing partner, she realised the only crazy thing was believing she didn't deserve more.A flood of support poured in on social media, but amongst the well-wishes was a simple question with an infinitely complex answer: 'If he was so bad, why did you stay?'Empowering, unflinching and full of humour, this book takes that question and owns it. Using her relationship history and experiences since the scandal during Strictly, Rebecca explores why good girls are drawn to darkness, whether pop culture glamourises toxicity, when a relationship 'rough patch' becomes the start of a destructive cycle, if women are conditioned for co-dependency, and - ultimately - how to reframe disaster into something magical.-------'Pacy, vivid, compelling and very, VERY funny... it will help so many' MARIAN KEYES'A fucking classic. Required reading for all women and men' BRYONY GORDON'A funny, brave and honest book that will change lives. I have not stopped talking about it' THE TIMES'So funny and heart-breaking. So stunningly written. ' SUSAN WOKOMA'A magical, magical book' GLAMOUR'So thoughtful and moving and funny and sad and great, I love it so, so much. I resented having to put it down' DAISY BUCHANAN'Her thought-provoking story should be required reading for anyone in a relationship' DAILY MIRROR'This book isn't an ice-cold revenge opus; it's a diary of self-discovery, a celebration of friendship, resilience and finding one's self-worth...is it worth the hype? Absolutely: I had to stop myself from reading it one grateful gulp' LAURA PULLMAN, STYLE