Local author Francine Putkowski knows her life reads like a fairy tale, complete with dragons and hard times, before her life as a “princess.”

Putkowski, who has ties to the Lehighton area, bares her soul to readers in her new book “Love Wants To Find You: Learning to Love Yourself, Heal Your Heart, and Find the True Love You Deserve.”

“I tell my real and honest story — complete with two divorces and a lot of heartbreak. But I also share the steps I took to recover, love myself, forgive, restore my heart, and find the true love that I deserve,” she said.

The book, described as a “true story of hope for divorced, broken-up or lonely singles,” offers practical advice on both healing after divorce or breakup, along with solid advice on what to look for when dating again.

Putkowski provides insights into the “red flags” that might signal the reader is committing to a toxic relationship. She touches on the realities of co-parenting and navigating her new life with a blended family. She also addresses the concept of “settling,” instead urging readers to hold out for a partner they can treasure for the long haul.

“I learned my lessons the hard way,” Putkowski said. “Oddly enough, the fact that I experienced two broken marriages equips me to share the warning signs, the reality of rescuing your self-esteem after a divorce, along with the idea that you are indeed worthy of finding your lasting soul mate. I wrote the book in the hopes of connecting with each individual reader, so that they can avoid the relationship pitfalls that I had to endure.”

The book’s format has a story and real-life example from Putkowski’s life in every chapter, along with a “lesson learned.”

She also shares inspirational and spiritual quotes throughout the book and is establishing an online community for readers to find support from others who are recovering from difficult breakups.

“Love wants to find you,” Putkowski said. “That is my ultimate message. Don’t give up.”

She shares in the book that after a half-century of failing at trying to love, and be loved, she is at last completely fulfilled in her marriage and is very certain she has found the secret to a very happy and successful marriage.

“When it happens to you, you’ll know, but you must love yourself first” she said.

Putkowski is married to Wallace Putkowski III, a Lehighton native. The couple currently resides in Allentown.

For more information, visit www.lovewantstofindyou.com.