1. The title of the book, THE IDEA OF LOVE, makes us think about notions of love. How do you think Blake and Ella view love? How do you see these views change throughout the novel? 

 

2. When we first meet Blake, we understand that he is desperate for a love story. How did you feel about him as he approached Ella and other women for their stories? Did his desperation change your perception of his actions?

 

3. As they try to find their way through life’s changes, both Ella and Blake resort to lies.  Blake even states, “The truth is overrated.” Do you think there are moments when the truth hurts more than a lie, and does this justify the lie? 

 

4. We watch as Blake tries to create a screenplay from his disjointed conversations with Ella. How did you feel about the fake story he was telling? How would you define a good love story?

 

5. Ella does everything she can to get over her heartbreak, including making lists and reading books on “getting over” an ex. What are some things you’ve done to try and heal from heartbreak? What helped? What hurt?

 

6. Blake and Ella talk about the endings of love stories they’ve seen onscreen, how melodramatic professions of love are not the end, but rather the beginning of real love. In what ways do you think this is true? What defines “real love” for you? 

 

7. Ella befriends Mimi, the woman in the apartment below, and develops a surprising and nourishing friendship. What kinds of unexpected friendships have you found during a life crisis? In what ways did they help you?

 

8. Ella has lost her husband, her best friend, and has an awful job. She tells Blake a false version of her life conveying that she wishes her life could be different. Then she finally takes action. Do you think telling the story of how we want things to be can help us change? 

 

9. Blake has spent his career writing successful Romantic Comedies. How have these types of movies defined or shaped your idea of love? Do you feel that these movies influenced your own love life? What is your favorite Rom-Com? 

 

10. Best friends can help us, but like any real love, they can also hurt us. Would you have forgiven a friend who abandoned you during a crisis? 

 

11. Why would Blake choose a town like Watersend to find a love story? What about the location helps to move the novel forward? In what ways does Watersend act as another character in the story? 

 

12. Did this story end the way you wanted or thought it would? Can you think of any alternate endings? What would you choose for each character?

The Idea of Love
by Patti Callahan Henry

• Publication Date: June 21, 2016
• Genres: Fiction, Women's Fiction
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• ISBN-10: 1250093864
• ISBN-13: 9781250093868