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Actress Anne Hathaway, from U.S., a member of the "Rio, the movie" movie team, laughs as she poses for pictures after a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, March 22, 2011.Felipe Dana

Celebrity marriages and engagements come and go at breakneck speed (see: Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries).

But many observers are pausing for a moment over news that actress Anne Hathaway is engaged to her boyfriend of three years, Adam Shulman. Why? Mostly because her previous relationship was such a disaster.

US Weekly, which confirmed the engagement rumour, portrayed Shulman as Hathaway's "rebound romance" after she broke up with real estate developer Raffaello Follieri in 2008. As US Weekly reports, "Follieri pled guilty in October 2008 to defrauding investors of millions of dollars in a shocking scheme in which he posed as a real estate consultant for the Vatican."

As much as the story of her new relationship with the 30-year-old actor-turned jewellery designer is portrayed as the rebound that lasted, no one can simply be happy for her; Follieri's name and misdeeds have to be mentioned in the same breath. We're all the say-anything family members who don't skip a beat reminding women of the flops that came before they found true love. (Note to Anne: Don't ask us to give a speech at the wedding, we may not be able to help ourselves.)

It could be that Hathaway, 29, was right when she was quoted as saying about her new love, "Mellow doesn't always make for a good story, but it makes for a good life."

For her part, though, Hathaway has publicly acknowledged her romance misfortune with humour. As USA Today reports, during a stint as Saturday Night Live host, Hathaway famously quipped, "I broke up with my boyfriend, and two weeks later he was sent to prison for fraud. I mean, we've all been there, right, ladies?"

Well, maybe not. But for women who are currently in the dating trenches, looking for Mr. Right, Hathaway's past may indeed serve as more than a juicy preamble to her present bliss.

In a piece called Anne Hathaway Engagement Proves Important Point About Love, blogger Sasha Brown-Worsham suggests many women will find inspiration in Hathaway's narrative arc.

"Anyone who has had their heart ripped out can attest to feeling like it would never heal, never get better, and always sting just as much," she writes.

After sharing her own Phoenix-from-the-ashes experience, she goes on to say that Hathaway's tale will come in handy in conversations with dating-wearing friends.

"So the next time a friend says, "I'll never find love again," remind her of Anne Hathaway and all the stories like hers. Love will come again."

Should Anne Hathaway serve as an inspiration - or are you worried it won't last?

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