I fell in love with him when I was thirteen years old.He was older, mysterious, and unattainable. The guy I could never touch.Then one night changed everything for us. But there was one huge problem.He belonged to her.
I was offered to read this book as a beta in return for an honest review:
I was skeptical when asked to read this book because I’m not a fan of cheating tropes at all, but I was hooked from the very first page!!
This book is AMAZING!!
Barbara sent it to me and a couple other beta readers several chapters at a time as she was writing it and it was torture waiting for the next set!!
Yes, this book contains cheating, but the story that Barbara created is soooooo much more than that!
Please do not let the cheating aspect turn you off from this book. That is just one part of the overall storyline.
I loved the dual point of view which allows the reader to understand River and Everette better and the struggles that they are dealing with in their lives.
The whole story is so emotional and well written that you can’t help but feel everything that River and Everette are going through.
I HIGHLY recommended this story, even if you’re not a fan of stories with cheating, PLEASE READ IT!
Author
chelsearichardson
3 years ago
The angst is thick in this wonderful story. I think all of us can relate to River in some way. Being in love with someone that is not “yours” hits home for a any of us that have ever pined after someone we couldn’t have. I was rooting for River and her happiness throughout the entire story. I loved this book
Author
kaltcall
3 years ago
“The truth about heartbreak is that there is no such thing. It’s your soul that shatters, along with every fiber of your being that screams for another person.”
I don’t really like to give away too much in my reviews other than how the book made me feel – and this one gave me all the feels. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy of The Truth about Heartbreak and it is so far one of my top reads for 2019. I’m pretty open in my FB groups about infidelity being one of my favorite tropes and I always have my ear to the ground looking for my next fix. I love all the angst that goes along with it – the push and pull of characters and how it makes my heart plummet one moment and sing the next.
The Truth about Heartbreak gave me that and so much more. The story was beautifully told and I fell in love with both River and Everett immediately. A young crush, misplaced loyalty and heartbreak. River’s backstory is so sad – the reader is given enough to paint a picture that makes your heart cry for her. And Everett – I loved his loyalty, even though it ended up hurting him and those around him time and again. You never really know what’s going on until you get both sides. Being told from dual point of view (MY FAVORITE!!!) allows you to see that there is so much more going on then what you see on the surface.
The side characters were awesome – while playing an important roll in the overall story, they didn’t take away from the main characters at all. It contained two epilogue’s, and after reading the second one I’m really hoping that there will be another story….PLEASE let there be another one!!!
Ms. Celeste is a new author to me and someone I will definitely be keeping my eye on! Thank you for such an emotional ride and hopefully I will be reading book two soon 🙂
Author
nina
3 years ago
Truth About Heartbreak is my first read by B. Celeste and it was amazing! I absolutely fell in love with River and Everett. This book has everything I crave in a story.
I felt everything they felt.
Their first meet.
Their connection.
Their attraction.
Their forbidden desires.
From the first page until the last…
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L
“If the wall out front wasn’t glass, I would mark every single placed I touched and kissed. You’d be a new kind of artwork. A f****** masterpiece, River.”
I’m so looking forward to reading more taboo in The Truth About Tomorrow. An interconnected standalone involving two of the secondary characters.
Author
whoogivesahoot
3 years ago
Once again I find myself staring at a blank screen as I attempt to construct a review worthy of this phenomenally captivating and beautifully breathtaking tale that has managed to invade my every thought and emotion since devouring it! This book is hands down worth of a thousand stars and B. Celeste will blow you all away with her unique storytelling ability. This amazing lady was meant to write forbidden romance and I am so freaking thrilled that she took a leap of faith and decided to give us a story unlike anything on the market today. You know what they say…“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”…and write it she did!
The Truth About Heartbreak hooked me in right from the very beginning and YES I stayed up way too late reading it because I needed to know every captivating detail of River and Everett’s story! Their emotional journey towards their happily ever after had me on the edge of my seat and my heart was obliterated and slowly repaired along the way. This is an agonizingly “SLOW” slow burning romance and let’s just say the level of angst is HIGH! Your body, heart, mind, and soul will never be the same after inhaling the twists and turns that this story will throw your way. Just remember to be prepared for the butterflies in the pit of your stomach and the feeling of your heart trying to beat out of your chest! This is one of the BEST feelings ever and one that you will want to feel over and over again, which just means that you will have to read this story more than once! I have wholeheartedly consumed it a totally of four times and plan on experiencing it all over again when I FINALLY get my paperback copy!
As much as I love Barbara C. Doyle’s romantic comedies, I think our girl B. Celeste is here to stay in the realm of FORBIDDEN romance! It was as if she was ALWAYS meant to write this story and I cannot wait to get my hands on her next story! I freaking love this lady and all that she has managed to accomplish! If you haven’t one-clicked your copy of this story yet then I will NEVER SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN…okay not really, but you should totally be reading this story RIGHT NOW! Trust me when I say your will not want to miss out on River and Everett’s love story!
Author
jessicad
3 years ago
Butterfly’s is what I had while reading this book. The author really had me loving pretty much every character in this book. We have Everett and River who really have this connection from the start. I loved River and seeing her come out of her shell and overcome what she had been through. I love that she got a family as amazing as the James’. I was in the system so was really able to connect with her on so many levels.
Now this is one of those stories that every thing that happens really has an impact on the plot and overall experience of the story so I won’t spoil anything but I highly recommend this book. I loved the angst, the heartbreak, the happiness and the anger. All the emotions that make for an amazing book.
Now like I said above, I loved pretty much all the characters and want a few of them to get their own HEA. It may not happen but if it does, I will be there and devouring them. So I’ll leave it at this. This was a highly emotional but well planned out novel. The author drew me into these characters lives and made me fall so deeply that I didn’t want it to end. For my first book by this author, I can guarantee that it won’t be my last. 5 stars #2OCCJD
Author
alihymer
3 years ago
There aren’t many moments in life when you find yourself broken by a single word. Just one, simple, common, three letter word. Maybe there won’t be a single moment in your life like that. I just had one though. One simple word brought me to tears.
“Mom”
That won’t make much sense until you read The Truth about Heartbreak, and I sincerely hope you do.
River spent years in foster care, until being adopted. She has issues. Many of them, mostly with trust. But there is an instant connection with her new brother and his best friend, Everett. He has an uncanny ability to read her and she feels he’s a kindred very early on. And he feels it too. But Everett is 17 and River is the 13 year old untouchable little sister.
The Truth about Heartbreak encompasses a decade in River’s life. A decade of learning how to be stable, strong and satisfied with her place in her family, with her place in the world. In all areas but one. She’s not satisfied in love and there really isn’t anything she can do about it. She loves him, he is with someone else. Until the one night he’s not and it breaks them all and in a few special moments, broke me too.
“The truth about heartbreak is that there is no such thing. It’s your soul that shatters, along with every fiber of your being that screams for another person.”
One thing I really struggled with is Celeste’s detail. It’s a fairly long book with a lot of words, not all necessary to further the story. Normally, that bothers me. It did here, too. But…in a way it also felt completely fitting to the story. River and Everett are both characters who spend an awful lot of time in their own head space. Because of that I think the style worked more than it would in books with characters who don’t have that trait. So, I guess I’m not completely mad about it even though there were times I felt like I could skim.
There were a couple other minor things that I could have seen tidied, but still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a high level of angst, packed a good deal of emotion and never rushed through anything.
What I really loved though, was River’s growth. She does have quite a beautiful character arc. Heartwarming at times, tragic at others, intense always. And that one word, man, that one word was pivotal in more than one way and it’s a moment I’ll remember.
Author
katytinnin
3 years ago
First off, let me start by saying I don’t think I’ve ever had something hurt so good as this book did! Everett and River were EVERYTHING! Their chemistry smacked me in the face from the very beginning. Their tortured love was painful to read and then there would be just a little glimpse of better days for them and I had hope that things would work out. They loved each other for 10 YEARS and could never do anything about it because of circumstances. How do you hold on to something for so long without losing all hope? The storyline was amazing! Once I started, I was up until 3 AM because I had to finish. I loved the forbidden aspect and the cheating part of the story was new to me but I liked reading it too, with all the angst it brought. This is my first book by B Celeste and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone and reading more of her work!
Author
jessicaroessler
3 years ago
The Truth About Heartbreak is a truly original story that I absolutely adored. I went into this book knowing very little, other than the fact that it had a forbidden aspect, and that there would be love that would withstand the test of time. Anytime I hear of a book with a forbidden feel and the possibility of a great love story I can’t help but become super excited.
TTAH is about two people who have a true, one of a kind love for each other, but their circumstances in life have made it really hard for them to be honest with themselves, and with one another about it. Now, what normally happens when we experience something seriously overwhelming, but we are only able to keep it locked inside? Overtime, it reaches a boiling point, and before we know it, we end up making some rash decisions without any prior thought. This is very similar to what River (heroine) and Everett (Hero) experience. Now, I know that isn’t a lot of information to go off of, but I don’t want to say anymore about the story line. I feel that it is beneficial for the reader to go into this story without knowing too much about what the story entails. But, one thing I do want you as the reader to ask yourself before starting is, “What is acceptable in the face of true love?”. Then when you are finished reading, ask yourself that question again. I am pretty sure that the majority of readers will feel even the slightest difference in their perceptions prior to reading, and if a book is able to help a person further their empathy and consideration in extenuating circumstances, then that author has fully succeeded in writing a meaningful and brave story. A story that most likely will stick with readers far after they have finished. For me, The Truth About Heartbreak has met, and passed all of the expectations I had going in.
I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better story line. Not only was I able to connect with all of the characters, but the emotions were portrayed so well that I felt them pour through the page. I loved how River remained true to who she was, but also gained strength and some confidence in herself over the years. She grew into a brave and educated young woman who followed her dreams. I may not have always agreed with Everett, but over time as well, I understood the reason behind the choices he made, and I ended up really loving his character. Even though I really disliked one character in this book throughout the majority of the story, by the end I also came to understand the choices she made, and felt okay with her as well. I loved that this story had no stones left un-turned. All the questions I had were answered, and I can’t fully express just how happy I was about that. So, when I reached 100% on my kindle, I felt good about everything I had just read.
B.Celeste is a phenomenal author, and this is just the beginning of stories I will continue to read by her. I very highly recommend The Truth About Heartbreak, and I can not wait for whatever she will have coming next!
BTW- I just want to include this little warning for those wondering what the forbidden aspect of the story was…this story does include cheating. So, if you aren’t a fan of books that involves cheating, this may not be the story for you. But, if you are still willing to give it a try, I promise, it is SO worth it!
The Truth About Heartbreak will be releasing on June 3rd, and I received an early copy in exchange for an honest review!
I was offered to read this book as a beta in return for an honest review:
I was skeptical when asked to read this book because I’m not a fan of cheating tropes at all, but I was hooked from the very first page!!
This book is AMAZING!!
Barbara sent it to me and a couple other beta readers several chapters at a time as she was writing it and it was torture waiting for the next set!!
Yes, this book contains cheating, but the story that Barbara created is soooooo much more than that!
Please do not let the cheating aspect turn you off from this book. That is just one part of the overall storyline.
I loved the dual point of view which allows the reader to understand River and Everette better and the struggles that they are dealing with in their lives.
The whole story is so emotional and well written that you can’t help but feel everything that River and Everette are going through.
I HIGHLY recommended this story, even if you’re not a fan of stories with cheating, PLEASE READ IT!
The angst is thick in this wonderful story. I think all of us can relate to River in some way. Being in love with someone that is not “yours” hits home for a any of us that have ever pined after someone we couldn’t have. I was rooting for River and her happiness throughout the entire story. I loved this book
“The truth about heartbreak is that there is no such thing. It’s your soul that shatters, along with every fiber of your being that screams for another person.”
I don’t really like to give away too much in my reviews other than how the book made me feel – and this one gave me all the feels. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy of The Truth about Heartbreak and it is so far one of my top reads for 2019. I’m pretty open in my FB groups about infidelity being one of my favorite tropes and I always have my ear to the ground looking for my next fix. I love all the angst that goes along with it – the push and pull of characters and how it makes my heart plummet one moment and sing the next.
The Truth about Heartbreak gave me that and so much more. The story was beautifully told and I fell in love with both River and Everett immediately. A young crush, misplaced loyalty and heartbreak. River’s backstory is so sad – the reader is given enough to paint a picture that makes your heart cry for her. And Everett – I loved his loyalty, even though it ended up hurting him and those around him time and again. You never really know what’s going on until you get both sides. Being told from dual point of view (MY FAVORITE!!!) allows you to see that there is so much more going on then what you see on the surface.
The side characters were awesome – while playing an important roll in the overall story, they didn’t take away from the main characters at all. It contained two epilogue’s, and after reading the second one I’m really hoping that there will be another story….PLEASE let there be another one!!!
Ms. Celeste is a new author to me and someone I will definitely be keeping my eye on! Thank you for such an emotional ride and hopefully I will be reading book two soon 🙂
Truth About Heartbreak is my first read by B. Celeste and it was amazing! I absolutely fell in love with River and Everett. This book has everything I crave in a story.
I felt everything they felt.
Their first meet.
Their connection.
Their attraction.
Their forbidden desires.
From the first page until the last…
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L
“If the wall out front wasn’t glass, I would mark every single placed I touched and kissed. You’d be a new kind of artwork. A f****** masterpiece, River.”
I’m so looking forward to reading more taboo in The Truth About Tomorrow. An interconnected standalone involving two of the secondary characters.
Once again I find myself staring at a blank screen as I attempt to construct a review worthy of this phenomenally captivating and beautifully breathtaking tale that has managed to invade my every thought and emotion since devouring it! This book is hands down worth of a thousand stars and B. Celeste will blow you all away with her unique storytelling ability. This amazing lady was meant to write forbidden romance and I am so freaking thrilled that she took a leap of faith and decided to give us a story unlike anything on the market today. You know what they say…“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”…and write it she did!
The Truth About Heartbreak hooked me in right from the very beginning and YES I stayed up way too late reading it because I needed to know every captivating detail of River and Everett’s story! Their emotional journey towards their happily ever after had me on the edge of my seat and my heart was obliterated and slowly repaired along the way. This is an agonizingly “SLOW” slow burning romance and let’s just say the level of angst is HIGH! Your body, heart, mind, and soul will never be the same after inhaling the twists and turns that this story will throw your way. Just remember to be prepared for the butterflies in the pit of your stomach and the feeling of your heart trying to beat out of your chest! This is one of the BEST feelings ever and one that you will want to feel over and over again, which just means that you will have to read this story more than once! I have wholeheartedly consumed it a totally of four times and plan on experiencing it all over again when I FINALLY get my paperback copy!
As much as I love Barbara C. Doyle’s romantic comedies, I think our girl B. Celeste is here to stay in the realm of FORBIDDEN romance! It was as if she was ALWAYS meant to write this story and I cannot wait to get my hands on her next story! I freaking love this lady and all that she has managed to accomplish! If you haven’t one-clicked your copy of this story yet then I will NEVER SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN…okay not really, but you should totally be reading this story RIGHT NOW! Trust me when I say your will not want to miss out on River and Everett’s love story!
Butterfly’s is what I had while reading this book. The author really had me loving pretty much every character in this book. We have Everett and River who really have this connection from the start. I loved River and seeing her come out of her shell and overcome what she had been through. I love that she got a family as amazing as the James’. I was in the system so was really able to connect with her on so many levels.
Now this is one of those stories that every thing that happens really has an impact on the plot and overall experience of the story so I won’t spoil anything but I highly recommend this book. I loved the angst, the heartbreak, the happiness and the anger. All the emotions that make for an amazing book.
Now like I said above, I loved pretty much all the characters and want a few of them to get their own HEA. It may not happen but if it does, I will be there and devouring them. So I’ll leave it at this. This was a highly emotional but well planned out novel. The author drew me into these characters lives and made me fall so deeply that I didn’t want it to end. For my first book by this author, I can guarantee that it won’t be my last. 5 stars #2OCCJD
There aren’t many moments in life when you find yourself broken by a single word. Just one, simple, common, three letter word. Maybe there won’t be a single moment in your life like that. I just had one though. One simple word brought me to tears.
“Mom”
That won’t make much sense until you read The Truth about Heartbreak, and I sincerely hope you do.
River spent years in foster care, until being adopted. She has issues. Many of them, mostly with trust. But there is an instant connection with her new brother and his best friend, Everett. He has an uncanny ability to read her and she feels he’s a kindred very early on. And he feels it too. But Everett is 17 and River is the 13 year old untouchable little sister.
The Truth about Heartbreak encompasses a decade in River’s life. A decade of learning how to be stable, strong and satisfied with her place in her family, with her place in the world. In all areas but one. She’s not satisfied in love and there really isn’t anything she can do about it. She loves him, he is with someone else. Until the one night he’s not and it breaks them all and in a few special moments, broke me too.
“The truth about heartbreak is that there is no such thing. It’s your soul that shatters, along with every fiber of your being that screams for another person.”
One thing I really struggled with is Celeste’s detail. It’s a fairly long book with a lot of words, not all necessary to further the story. Normally, that bothers me. It did here, too. But…in a way it also felt completely fitting to the story. River and Everett are both characters who spend an awful lot of time in their own head space. Because of that I think the style worked more than it would in books with characters who don’t have that trait. So, I guess I’m not completely mad about it even though there were times I felt like I could skim.
There were a couple other minor things that I could have seen tidied, but still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has a high level of angst, packed a good deal of emotion and never rushed through anything.
What I really loved though, was River’s growth. She does have quite a beautiful character arc. Heartwarming at times, tragic at others, intense always. And that one word, man, that one word was pivotal in more than one way and it’s a moment I’ll remember.
First off, let me start by saying I don’t think I’ve ever had something hurt so good as this book did! Everett and River were EVERYTHING! Their chemistry smacked me in the face from the very beginning. Their tortured love was painful to read and then there would be just a little glimpse of better days for them and I had hope that things would work out. They loved each other for 10 YEARS and could never do anything about it because of circumstances. How do you hold on to something for so long without losing all hope? The storyline was amazing! Once I started, I was up until 3 AM because I had to finish. I loved the forbidden aspect and the cheating part of the story was new to me but I liked reading it too, with all the angst it brought. This is my first book by B Celeste and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone and reading more of her work!
The Truth About Heartbreak is a truly original story that I absolutely adored. I went into this book knowing very little, other than the fact that it had a forbidden aspect, and that there would be love that would withstand the test of time. Anytime I hear of a book with a forbidden feel and the possibility of a great love story I can’t help but become super excited.
TTAH is about two people who have a true, one of a kind love for each other, but their circumstances in life have made it really hard for them to be honest with themselves, and with one another about it. Now, what normally happens when we experience something seriously overwhelming, but we are only able to keep it locked inside? Overtime, it reaches a boiling point, and before we know it, we end up making some rash decisions without any prior thought. This is very similar to what River (heroine) and Everett (Hero) experience. Now, I know that isn’t a lot of information to go off of, but I don’t want to say anymore about the story line. I feel that it is beneficial for the reader to go into this story without knowing too much about what the story entails. But, one thing I do want you as the reader to ask yourself before starting is, “What is acceptable in the face of true love?”. Then when you are finished reading, ask yourself that question again. I am pretty sure that the majority of readers will feel even the slightest difference in their perceptions prior to reading, and if a book is able to help a person further their empathy and consideration in extenuating circumstances, then that author has fully succeeded in writing a meaningful and brave story. A story that most likely will stick with readers far after they have finished. For me, The Truth About Heartbreak has met, and passed all of the expectations I had going in.
I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better story line. Not only was I able to connect with all of the characters, but the emotions were portrayed so well that I felt them pour through the page. I loved how River remained true to who she was, but also gained strength and some confidence in herself over the years. She grew into a brave and educated young woman who followed her dreams. I may not have always agreed with Everett, but over time as well, I understood the reason behind the choices he made, and I ended up really loving his character. Even though I really disliked one character in this book throughout the majority of the story, by the end I also came to understand the choices she made, and felt okay with her as well. I loved that this story had no stones left un-turned. All the questions I had were answered, and I can’t fully express just how happy I was about that. So, when I reached 100% on my kindle, I felt good about everything I had just read.
B.Celeste is a phenomenal author, and this is just the beginning of stories I will continue to read by her. I very highly recommend The Truth About Heartbreak, and I can not wait for whatever she will have coming next!
BTW- I just want to include this little warning for those wondering what the forbidden aspect of the story was…this story does include cheating. So, if you aren’t a fan of books that involves cheating, this may not be the story for you. But, if you are still willing to give it a try, I promise, it is SO worth it!
The Truth About Heartbreak will be releasing on June 3rd, and I received an early copy in exchange for an honest review!