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The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale: Finding a Formula for the Cost of Love
In this hilarious and heartfelt memoir, Haley McGee sets out to calculate--with mathematical precision--the exact cost of love, and whether all of her former relationships were worth it.
Haley McGee is in debt. The solution? A yard sale of gifts from her ex-boyfriends.
But when it comes to pricing, she gets stuck. Surely the ways we invest in our romantic relationships should be reflected in the price. But how? Is the mixtape from your first love worth more than the vintage typewriter from a philanderer? Does sitting on an X-Acto knife wedged between seats on a bus to see the boyfriend you lost your virginity to increase or decrease the value of thenecklace he gave you? Should you be compensated for the miserable times or do they render an item worthless?
Haley decides to gamble on a larger payout. She interviews her exes and enlists the help of a mathematician to create a formula--with eighty-six variables--for the cost of love. As she's searching for answers, the one that got away reappears with a new proposition.
Female desire, heartbreak and the chance for integrity in the aftermath of both are held up in this whipsmart, original and daringly candid memoir. As Haley McGee interrogates her romantic triumphs and failures with unflinching detail and hilarity, her exquisite prose elevates this all too human conundrum: Is love worth it?
Haley McGee is in debt. The solution? A yard sale of gifts from her ex-boyfriends.
But when it comes to pricing, she gets stuck. Surely the ways we invest in our romantic relationships should be reflected in the price. But how? Is the mixtape from your first love worth more than the vintage typewriter from a philanderer? Does sitting on an X-Acto knife wedged between seats on a bus to see the boyfriend you lost your virginity to increase or decrease the value of thenecklace he gave you? Should you be compensated for the miserable times or do they render an item worthless?
Haley decides to gamble on a larger payout. She interviews her exes and enlists the help of a mathematician to create a formula--with eighty-six variables--for the cost of love. As she's searching for answers, the one that got away reappears with a new proposition.
Female desire, heartbreak and the chance for integrity in the aftermath of both are held up in this whipsmart, original and daringly candid memoir. As Haley McGee interrogates her romantic triumphs and failures with unflinching detail and hilarity, her exquisite prose elevates this all too human conundrum: Is love worth it?
392 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2022
40 people are currently reading
3068 people want to read
About the author
Haley McGee
3 books22 followersHaley McGee was born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. At seventeen she moved to Toronto, where she received a BFA in Acting and subsequently worked as an actor and playwright until she relocated to the UK in 2016.
Heralded as "the formidable Haley McGee" (The Globe and Mail), her award-winning, critically acclaimed solo shows have played in thirty-six venues in eleven countries and been translated into four languages.
Haley now lives in London, UK, where she thrives on variety—she writes, acts, performs improv, does voiceovers, teaches artists in an array of online courses and hosts The Cost of Love podcast. The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale is her first book.
Heralded as "the formidable Haley McGee" (The Globe and Mail), her award-winning, critically acclaimed solo shows have played in thirty-six venues in eleven countries and been translated into four languages.
Haley now lives in London, UK, where she thrives on variety—she writes, acts, performs improv, does voiceovers, teaches artists in an array of online courses and hosts The Cost of Love podcast. The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
July 25, 2025
On paper such a good idea, comic Haley McGee's memoir / love life history is told in the format of a story of a broke woman looking to create a commercial show around the idea of finding out the formula for the cost of love; firstly by deep analysis of the gifts she received from her former partners, before going full tilt going back and interviewing some of them! See, so good on paper, or maybe not? Well very much not very good, nor, not much a fun read, mayhap because trying to truly calculate the cost of love whilst using algebra and a friend mathematician felt like shark jumping to me. I think I'm giving this one, two stars, mostly for the book title, and the whole Canadian in London thing! A 4 out of 12, hard to finish read.
2025 read
2025 read
March 13, 2022
I loved the idea of this book and it sounded like a fun read but in actuality… it was just boring. I don’t think I laughed once reading this which was disappointing. I am glad she broke up with T though thank god (but if she could’ve done it a couple hundred pages sooner that would’ve been much better 🤣😅)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2021
“Sometimes the people you risk losing will leave and sometimes they’ll stay. But their staying is not the prize. The prize, the gold, is the new paradigm in which you are never living a lie. You are true.”
In this memoir, Haley finds herself having money struggles after a move from Toronto to London. She decides to sell the items that were gifted to her by her ex-boyfriends, but struggles with pricing. Should the sentimentally, emotions and feelings that those objects spark factor into the pricing of the objects? Should the effort, time and money she put into those relationships factor in? This leads her on a quest to find a formula for the price of love, which quickly escalates into the writing of a one woman show that forces her to reflect on her past relationships.
Right from the get go this book made me laugh. Haley’s sense of humour radiated through the pages, and it was so easy to feel like you were her friend who she was taking along on this journey. I really enjoyed the formatting of this book: we start the book when Haley is dealing with money issues and a small life crisis, and we see the idea of The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale come to her and form throughout the course of the book, which really includes you in the story.
The book was equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, relatable and sentimental. I really enjoyed the process that Haley took us through throughout the book. We saw her reflect on her past relationships, go through therapy, make advancements in her career, all told with extreme honesty that made it so enjoyable.
The maths side of this book, although totally going over my head for the most part, was genuinely interesting to read. The process of which factors needed to be included, and how they included these, gave this book a very unique layer.
Thank you again to @yeshaleymcgee for gifting me your book, it’s great!
In this memoir, Haley finds herself having money struggles after a move from Toronto to London. She decides to sell the items that were gifted to her by her ex-boyfriends, but struggles with pricing. Should the sentimentally, emotions and feelings that those objects spark factor into the pricing of the objects? Should the effort, time and money she put into those relationships factor in? This leads her on a quest to find a formula for the price of love, which quickly escalates into the writing of a one woman show that forces her to reflect on her past relationships.
Right from the get go this book made me laugh. Haley’s sense of humour radiated through the pages, and it was so easy to feel like you were her friend who she was taking along on this journey. I really enjoyed the formatting of this book: we start the book when Haley is dealing with money issues and a small life crisis, and we see the idea of The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale come to her and form throughout the course of the book, which really includes you in the story.
The book was equal parts hilarious, heartfelt, relatable and sentimental. I really enjoyed the process that Haley took us through throughout the book. We saw her reflect on her past relationships, go through therapy, make advancements in her career, all told with extreme honesty that made it so enjoyable.
The maths side of this book, although totally going over my head for the most part, was genuinely interesting to read. The process of which factors needed to be included, and how they included these, gave this book a very unique layer.
Thank you again to @yeshaleymcgee for gifting me your book, it’s great!
March 2, 2022
"Your life is richer when you're brave."
I download one audio book per month, and lately I have just been going into the popular or newly released memoirs. Something about listening to an author tell their story exactly how they meant for it to be said is extra special to me. To those that know me, it's no secret that I've been struggling through a breakup, a journey that has led me down quite the dark path of self-judgment on top of the already present mental health struggles. The title of this immediately resonated with me, so without even taking a listen to the sample, I bought it.
Ultimately, this book helped me realize that I have so much more growing to do; reminded me that love is complicated in all aspects and nearly immeasurable; and (maybe most importantly) helped me accept that my dating life isn't completely and royally fucked because of one devastating heartbreak at the young age of 24.
Charming, introspective, heartbreaking, mathematical, honest, and ironic, The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale by Haley McGee was exactly what I needed to read in the slow month of February. This spring brings hope for a new future, and McGee opened my eyes to this year's light.
↠ 4.5 ⭐
I download one audio book per month, and lately I have just been going into the popular or newly released memoirs. Something about listening to an author tell their story exactly how they meant for it to be said is extra special to me. To those that know me, it's no secret that I've been struggling through a breakup, a journey that has led me down quite the dark path of self-judgment on top of the already present mental health struggles. The title of this immediately resonated with me, so without even taking a listen to the sample, I bought it.
Ultimately, this book helped me realize that I have so much more growing to do; reminded me that love is complicated in all aspects and nearly immeasurable; and (maybe most importantly) helped me accept that my dating life isn't completely and royally fucked because of one devastating heartbreak at the young age of 24.
Charming, introspective, heartbreaking, mathematical, honest, and ironic, The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale by Haley McGee was exactly what I needed to read in the slow month of February. This spring brings hope for a new future, and McGee opened my eyes to this year's light.
↠ 4.5 ⭐
April 9, 2022
I loved the idea/premise for this book but ultimately don't agree that there can be a formula for the cost of love. Also this book dragged on for too long and didn't leave a lasting impression for me.
April 4, 2022
The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale is a clever and funny memoir that reads like a novel - making it all the better!
The book, dedicated to “anyone who has ever wondered if the cost of love is worth it”, grabs you from the start...
Haley McGee is an actress looking to pay off her credit card debt, and comes up with her next project: a one woman show built around 8 different objects given to her by ex-boyfriends, for which she develops a math formula to try and determine their value. In other words, what is the cost of love?
As the reader follows the ups and downs of Haley’s past relationships; the variables to consider for the formula, all while managing her day to day life, you can’t help but wonder back on your own love stories and heartbreaks.
An eye opening read that will make you think, and make you feel.
Thank you to Doubleday Canada and to the author for the gifted copy.
The book, dedicated to “anyone who has ever wondered if the cost of love is worth it”, grabs you from the start...
Haley McGee is an actress looking to pay off her credit card debt, and comes up with her next project: a one woman show built around 8 different objects given to her by ex-boyfriends, for which she develops a math formula to try and determine their value. In other words, what is the cost of love?
As the reader follows the ups and downs of Haley’s past relationships; the variables to consider for the formula, all while managing her day to day life, you can’t help but wonder back on your own love stories and heartbreaks.
An eye opening read that will make you think, and make you feel.
Thank you to Doubleday Canada and to the author for the gifted copy.
June 2, 2021
Written in a conversational manner, Haley's memoir is quirky and fun and the formula behind it all is really rather clever.
Almost as if talking to a friend, you feel a closeness to Haley as she honestly and openly dissects her past relationships and relays plenty of stories that will no doubt (to some degree) resonate with it's female readers. There's both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, that we're all familiar with, when it comes to romantic relationships.
When it came to the formula, I did worry that I wouldn't be able to get my head around all the maths, but actually, the formula was well explained, complete with helpful diagrams so that the maths never became overbearing - it was actually quite fun! I was really intrigued and interested to see what ideas Haley would come up with in order to calculate the cost of love, what she considered as appropriate factors (think heartbreak, sex life etc) and how it would all piece together. I was amused and quite surprised with the (£) sum total that she reached.
I'm not usually the biggest fan of memoirs, however I found myself fully engaged throughout and I really enjoyed giggling my way through the pages. It was the perfect mix of funny and sad, serious but light and it made for a really entertaining read! I would have loved to have seen the original show, it all started as - I can imagine it was brilliant!
🎟️❤️
Almost as if talking to a friend, you feel a closeness to Haley as she honestly and openly dissects her past relationships and relays plenty of stories that will no doubt (to some degree) resonate with it's female readers. There's both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, that we're all familiar with, when it comes to romantic relationships.
When it came to the formula, I did worry that I wouldn't be able to get my head around all the maths, but actually, the formula was well explained, complete with helpful diagrams so that the maths never became overbearing - it was actually quite fun! I was really intrigued and interested to see what ideas Haley would come up with in order to calculate the cost of love, what she considered as appropriate factors (think heartbreak, sex life etc) and how it would all piece together. I was amused and quite surprised with the (£) sum total that she reached.
I'm not usually the biggest fan of memoirs, however I found myself fully engaged throughout and I really enjoyed giggling my way through the pages. It was the perfect mix of funny and sad, serious but light and it made for a really entertaining read! I would have loved to have seen the original show, it all started as - I can imagine it was brilliant!
🎟️❤️
May 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this one! I related to a lot of what Haley mentioned about how to really ‘get over’ and move on with someone you’ve been with for a while. She touches upon important life lessons such as not truly feeling like a past relationship was a ‘waste of time’ but a life lesson. That person was there in your life for a reason whether or not they stayed in your life, there was a purpose and you shouldn’t dwell on if it was a waste of time.
May 1, 2022
The premise seem so interesting, but this book is so long, so boring, so over-detailed…and the math complicated it even more.
August 26, 2022
Did not finish book. She tried to be funny, but it didn't work.
April 25, 2022
https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/hal...
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so creative and so fun to read. I love reading about bad dates, so I was instantly hooked by the blurb when Haley reached out to offer me a copy.
The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale felt like a conversation with a friend. I really liked the author’s voice and writing style, and felt like I was inside the story. It was so honest and straightforward and didn’t gloss over some of the uglier parts of life (like getting panic diarrhea after reading an upsetting message!). It must have taken a lot of bravery to portray herself so honestly.
The passages about Haley’s relationships, past and present, were my favorite parts to read. I especially liked reading about her relationship with T, although I was rooting for her to dump him the whole time. All of the relationships were written about in a very funny, candid way, and it just goes to show how often you can look back on a past relationship and laugh at yourself for how seriously you took it.
I loved the charts, diagrams, and handwritten equations to help illustrate the math that Haley and Gemma were working on. I will say that the math could have been a little less dumbed down. I think some of the prose could have been smoother if the author didn't take the time, for example, to explain what a median and an outlier are, or how to solve a linear equation. People who are good at math know that stuff already, and people who don’t care about math would likely skim those paragraphs either way.
After reading the book, I would certainly want to see Haley’s show to see this story come to life. Her writing makes her seem like she would be hilarious in person!
Pick this book up if you’re looking for a lighthearted memoir about the trials of dating. This book is certainly relatable, and very worth the read.
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so creative and so fun to read. I love reading about bad dates, so I was instantly hooked by the blurb when Haley reached out to offer me a copy.
The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale felt like a conversation with a friend. I really liked the author’s voice and writing style, and felt like I was inside the story. It was so honest and straightforward and didn’t gloss over some of the uglier parts of life (like getting panic diarrhea after reading an upsetting message!). It must have taken a lot of bravery to portray herself so honestly.
The passages about Haley’s relationships, past and present, were my favorite parts to read. I especially liked reading about her relationship with T, although I was rooting for her to dump him the whole time. All of the relationships were written about in a very funny, candid way, and it just goes to show how often you can look back on a past relationship and laugh at yourself for how seriously you took it.
I loved the charts, diagrams, and handwritten equations to help illustrate the math that Haley and Gemma were working on. I will say that the math could have been a little less dumbed down. I think some of the prose could have been smoother if the author didn't take the time, for example, to explain what a median and an outlier are, or how to solve a linear equation. People who are good at math know that stuff already, and people who don’t care about math would likely skim those paragraphs either way.
After reading the book, I would certainly want to see Haley’s show to see this story come to life. Her writing makes her seem like she would be hilarious in person!
Pick this book up if you’re looking for a lighthearted memoir about the trials of dating. This book is certainly relatable, and very worth the read.
December 22, 2024
If you're a math nerd and like numbers this is an excellent book. Although I thought the concept was an interesting one I found it difficult to follow along , I'll chalk that down to my less than interest in numbers.
August 28, 2022
I enjoyed parts of this book but deciding the outcome of her relationship just went on and on and I found it a bit tiresome.
November 15, 2022
3.5*
Kind of stretched out at points but I really enjoyed this! McGee’s memoir follows her 8 previous relationships as she uses these experiences to create a formula which answers the question « what is the cost of love »
Same vibe as Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
Kind of stretched out at points but I really enjoyed this! McGee’s memoir follows her 8 previous relationships as she uses these experiences to create a formula which answers the question « what is the cost of love »
Same vibe as Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
April 12, 2022
I enjoyed this, and read it in two sittings (while on flights). It's light, as expected, but also funny and was sometimes relatable for me. Essentially, it is what it seems to be--in a good way. Unexpectedly, I also realized while reading it that I'd taken a Shakespeare class taught by the author's father; we're from the same city, where he teaches, so that's not shocking but felt a bit uncanny.
October 9, 2021
A smart, funny memoir about the intersection of love and money. The way McGee looks at not just her own relationships, but those of the people around here, lends the book greater perspective, and the premise of finding a formula for “the cost of love” is undeniably fun and clever. There’s also a great tortured love story at the heart of the book that has a touch of Sally Rooney to it. Highly recommended.
February 18, 2022
3.5 stars for this one.
I loved the concept but the delivery just took too long.
Felt like this could have been condensed and would have entertained far more.
Not a bad read, just not a right fit for me.
I loved the concept but the delivery just took too long.
Felt like this could have been condensed and would have entertained far more.
Not a bad read, just not a right fit for me.
May 21, 2022
I loved this. I saw so much of my past relationship in Haleys relationship with T. This book is light and funny but also feels like it will leave a lasting impact on me. I loved the various canadian references but I am now dying to know who Typewriter the canadian indie band lead singer is?!?
March 19, 2022
I thought the concept was really interesting. I just did not love the writing style. I just found it told a lot of people's stories and Haley's story kind of got lost even though she is the author.
April 7, 2022
Based on the title I thought I’d love this. Instead I found this boring and not at all funny. I’m disappointed. I was hoping to love this.
December 23, 2022
Might mess around and move to London and write a one woman show idk
March 1, 2023
The concept of the book really sold me. I was so looking forward to reading about finding the value of love. But I really struggled to finish the book. Partly that’s on me and what I’m going through, but it was too much math. I know, I know, that’s exactly what synopsis states that Haley finds the formula for love. It was just too much for me.
The best parts were Haley revisiting her past relationships; going through the best and worst moments with her ex-boyfriends. My favourite and biggest payoff was the ending between Haley and T.
Who am I to review a memoir of someone’s life already lived? I appreciate what Haley got out of the experience the success of a solo show and a book, I just didn’t buy it. The beginning starts with her in debt and decides to have a yard sale that just doesn’t happen. Haley instead creates a solo show which is interesting to learn about, I just think the show was a visual experience and better illustrated the emphasized how the formula works that the price of the items aren’t realistic to sell for. I don’t know, I liked a few moments/quotes enough to tab them, but they’re in the last 50 pages.
The best parts were Haley revisiting her past relationships; going through the best and worst moments with her ex-boyfriends. My favourite and biggest payoff was the ending between Haley and T.
Who am I to review a memoir of someone’s life already lived? I appreciate what Haley got out of the experience the success of a solo show and a book, I just didn’t buy it. The beginning starts with her in debt and decides to have a yard sale that just doesn’t happen. Haley instead creates a solo show which is interesting to learn about, I just think the show was a visual experience and better illustrated the emphasized how the formula works that the price of the items aren’t realistic to sell for. I don’t know, I liked a few moments/quotes enough to tab them, but they’re in the last 50 pages.
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June 1, 2021Firstly, thank you SO much to Haley for reaching out and sending me a copy of her book! 🤗
I’ve never read anything like this before, I was really intrigued. I’ll be totally honest and say that the maths side of things went straight over my head 🤣🙈 but despite this - it didn’t change how I felt about the book, loved all the equations at the end of it. It was a funny, relatable, honest and creative memoir.
It was interesting to read into Haley’s experiences and past relationships, while also reading about her arranging the yard sale/creating the formulas for the cost of love and juggling life in the process. I really warmed to Haley and felt like I was going along the journey with her as a friend.
I definitely recommend this book and I’m so glad to have been given the opportunity to read it!
#gifted
I’ve never read anything like this before, I was really intrigued. I’ll be totally honest and say that the maths side of things went straight over my head 🤣🙈 but despite this - it didn’t change how I felt about the book, loved all the equations at the end of it. It was a funny, relatable, honest and creative memoir.
It was interesting to read into Haley’s experiences and past relationships, while also reading about her arranging the yard sale/creating the formulas for the cost of love and juggling life in the process. I really warmed to Haley and felt like I was going along the journey with her as a friend.
I definitely recommend this book and I’m so glad to have been given the opportunity to read it!
#gifted
February 1, 2022
Before I start with the review I want to thank Doubleday Canada and Penguin Random House for sending me a finish copy in exchange of an honest review.
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I don’t know how to review this book because even though I enjoyed some parts of it there were others that I didn’t enjoy at all and because of that I found myself skipping some pages. What kept me reading was the relationship between Haley and the boyfriend known as “T”, I was really engrossed with that relationship and I wanted to know what was going to happen between them. Other than that, nothing else kept me wanting to continue reading and that makes me sad because this book is based on the life of the author but yeah, it took me quite a lot to finish it.
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I don’t know how to review this book because even though I enjoyed some parts of it there were others that I didn’t enjoy at all and because of that I found myself skipping some pages. What kept me reading was the relationship between Haley and the boyfriend known as “T”, I was really engrossed with that relationship and I wanted to know what was going to happen between them. Other than that, nothing else kept me wanting to continue reading and that makes me sad because this book is based on the life of the author but yeah, it took me quite a lot to finish it.
April 24, 2022
Haley McGee comes up with a genius idea to dig her way out of debt — a yard sale of gifts from her ex-boyfriends. Next, she needs to come up with a way to put a price tag on each item. Haley then identifies the different components that should be reflected in the price. While working with a mathematician, she comes up with a formula with nearly 90 components that constitute the price of love. Along the way, Haley confronts both her past relationships and her current one.
McGee’s memoir is funny and heartfelt. A lot of the book was explaining the different math equations and calculations to determine the cost of love. The formulas and diagrams were a fun element — but as someone who doesn’t have a math brain, I was completely lost most of the time 🤪
I really appreciated Haley’s willingness to be vulnerable as she tried to analyze her past relationships and whether she should move forward with someone who comes back wanting another chance with her. Many people will be able to relate to her experiences in relationships. The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale is about Haley’s journey of growth while confronting the question: is love worth it?
McGee’s memoir is funny and heartfelt. A lot of the book was explaining the different math equations and calculations to determine the cost of love. The formulas and diagrams were a fun element — but as someone who doesn’t have a math brain, I was completely lost most of the time 🤪
I really appreciated Haley’s willingness to be vulnerable as she tried to analyze her past relationships and whether she should move forward with someone who comes back wanting another chance with her. Many people will be able to relate to her experiences in relationships. The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale is about Haley’s journey of growth while confronting the question: is love worth it?
June 27, 2022
I didn't find it hilarious and after reading the first third I thought it was getting to be a drag. As the author kept adding variables that she felt should affect the price of a present for resale, I found myself wondering if she would ever be able to put a price on anything that a regular person could afford. I decided to skip to the back of the book to see if I wanted to finish and found that part more interesting. We began to hear about her actual relationships with all these men and of the process she goes through to turn her formula for value into a solo show. As the story unfolds, I think she finally found a way to value herself as well, and stop settling for men who aren't right because she feels she is being left behind in the relationship sweepstakes. The show must have been good because she got a book deal out of it.
July 15, 2021
"The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale" is delightfully both a creative and unique analysis of how love and our attempts at love affect us, and a searching and unsparing memoir about relationships and self-actualization. I was struck by the generosity of the book's candour and introspection, and moved by the coda that the idea of love for which we take risks is one that brings us closer to a truer and more complete version of ourselves.
May 1, 2025
That was shit GIVE US THE PRICES OF THE ITEMS ALREADY ! tooo long tooo literal ( she actually makes a formula its ridiculous) too western capitalist shit for me
December 11, 2023
Two stars for a well-written story and one star for being a fellow Canadian! Ultimately DNF as I bought The Boyfriend Yardsale thinking that it was going to be a fun rom-com. Instead, it was the story of the author's realization of her show The Boyfriend Yardsale, with some names changed for privacy. I just couldn't get into all the math and I began to become very bored with all the nuanced calculations on figuring out the cost of these items based on a long list (that kept getting longer), of how this item (or the boyfriend behind the gifted item) made her feel, before, during and after said gift was given. I would love to see this show though!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews