Behind The Mirror - by Bridget Budd (Paperback)

About the Book

On the verge of her fourth divorce, Julie Sloan is convinced she's just unlucky in love until something finally cracks. Behind the Mirror is a raw, relatable novel about what happens when you stop ignoring and start seeing the pattern within.

Book Synopsis

Behind the Mirror is therapeutic fiction at its core-where emotional healing collides with high-functioning burnout, generational trauma, and a fourth marriage on the brink.

Julie Sloan has spent her life performing: a polished professional, a chronic overfunctioner, and a master of pretending things were fine. Wife of the year? Not exactly-more like emotionally unavailable in heels.

When her fourth marriage nearly collapses, Julie faces a truth she can't outrun: she's been chasing love and worthiness her entire life because, deep down, she never believed she was enough. It isn't betrayal that shakes her-it's the quiet realization that she's never truly lived for herself.

What follows isn't a breakdown, but a breakthrough. A raw, redemptive journey that dismantles survival patterns and makes space for something more real. Years later, when a journalist comes knocking, Julie finally tells the story she's never shared-the one about how she stopped abandoning herself to keep everyone else comfortable.

For fans of Cheryl Strayed, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Glennon Doyle, Behind the Mirror is literary fiction with therapeutic insight-an invitation into healing, awakening, and self-discovery.

Review Quotes

Foreword Clarion Reviews calls Behind the Mirror "an inspiring and expressive novel about healing and self-discovery."Through evocative imagery and emotional candor, Behind the Mirror explores how one woman finds peace after a childhood shaped by instability, ultimately transforming pain into presence and purpose. "Inspiring... expressive... reflective."- Foreword Clarion Reviews

BlueInk Review praised Behind the Mirror as "an earnest book of self-discovery" that "might inspire those seeking to leave their own Slygores behind so they can truly shine." The review recognized the novel's focus on healing and transformation through honest, emotionally resonant storytelling. -Blue Ink Reviews

"Budd's unflinching honesty about love, loss, and self-discovery makes this novel both heartbreaking and healing. Raw, real, and ultimately redemptive." - Kerk Murray, bestselling author of Since the Day We Danced

"Behind the Mirror illuminates the personal journey to wholeness Julie, the main character, takes as she finds her own path to light. Bridget Budd deftly weaves together a relatable story, layered with humor, humility and, in the end, a soulful surrender to self-love. A beautiful tale that will empower any woman on their journey within!" - Dr. Katherine T. Kelly, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

"Reading Behind the Mirror felt like hearing a song I didn't know I needed; it's honest, gritty, and healing in all the right places. Bridget Budd doesn't sugarcoat the hard stuff, which makes her story so powerful. As a performer, I often lose sight of the truest version of myself and the version I think people want from me, but then I remember, just like a song, most people want to know that they're not alone, life is messy and not always what it looks like from the outside looking in. This book is a reminder that even when life feels out of tune, there's a deeper harmony waiting if we're brave enough to listen. If you've ever felt lost behind the version of yourself you show the world, this book is for you." -Erin Viancourt, Nashville Country Music Artist

"Behind the Mirror is an honest and utterly absorbing reflection of that journey. Bridget Budd weaves the delicate lives of her characters into a tapestry so real and raw, I found myself both lost and found in its pages. With raw elegance and deep reverence, Budd seamlessly integrates the potency of Parts Work into the story-offering a portrayal that is resonant, accurate, and profoundly moving. This novel is a luminous invitation to witness the truth beneath the surface. It's messy. It's beautiful. And it leaves you with the quiet peace of knowing: healing is not only possible, but waiting for us on the other side of our most honest reckoning". - Andrea Tessier, M.Ed, Master Life Coach, IFS Practitioner

"This book is a gift for anyone curious and ready to explore the patterns, triggers, and inner struggles that quietly shape our lives. With honesty and compassion, Budd vulnerably guides readers inward, helping them understand how early childhood experiences create survival strategies that once protected us but fuel emotional pain and unhealthy cycles in adulthood." -Heidi Carlson, Life Coach & Creator of The Mother Wound Awakening(TM)