Thank you to NetGalley and to Lake Union Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

(Look at me reading a book before release day!!)

Vanessa is a yoga influencer that has been with Jack forever - and they are in fact engaged. He's perfect on paper but he's a jerk, and he flees the country when accused of fraud. Vanessa ends up back home, and I THINK that if you take pity on her, youre gonna like this one much more. I was rather annoyed with her and her constant crying? Just no.

Meeting Sam - he seems like a good guy but the whole romance angle was based on their inability to communicate with one another, so it was just a fail for me. If you can take pity on and feel for Vanessa I think you would have an overall different experience with this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Both Things Are True by Kathleen Barger follows Vanessa, a yoga instructor whose life takes an unexpected turn when her engagement ends and she finds herself jobless, moving in with her sister in Chicago. The story moves at a brisk pace, which I appreciated—short chapters always help keep me engaged!

Vanessa is a relatable character, especially in her struggle to figure out what she really wants from life. After a painful breakup with her college boyfriend, Sam, she moves to NYC for a fresh start. Five years later, she’s engaged to a wealthy man, but questions whether this life is truly hers.

When a major professional setback forces her back to Chicago, she unexpectedly crosses paths with Sam. I was intrigued by their reconnection and enjoyed the tension between them. After having a real reconnection. Vanessa is suddenly fixated on Sam’s use of the word “nothing” and refuses to think of anything else. She leaves abruptly, and ignores Sam's attempts to talk to him again. Despite pining over him for years and clearly still having strong feelings, she lets a single overheard comment derail everything without giving him the chance to explain. It felt stubborn and a bit forced, especially given their history and chemistry. It seemed to me, after everything Vanessa had been through, that she would be a little more mature about it.

That said, the novel is a quick and engaging read, and fans of women’s fiction will likely enjoy it. If you like stories about self-discovery, second chances, and navigating the messiness of adult relationships, this one is worth checking out.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. The book was well written with some good humorous moments. I love second chance romances but this one relied heavily on the miscommunication tropes which is one of my least favorite tropes. I found Vanessa to be whiny and self sabotaging and Sam didn’t make much of an impression.

Both Things Are True by Kathleen Barber

Vanessa is a successful yoga influencer, engaged to be married to Jack, a crypto-entrepreneur whose wealthy family already had him living the high life well before his business successes. Jack's good looks and fitness don't hurt either in the area of attraction. In fact, it could be Jack's good looks and well-to-do-ness that might have been the major attractions for Vanessa as she begins to realize she never loved Jack after all. Of course this much needed reflection comes after Jack blows up both of their lives by fleeing the country due to his crypto company failing and Jack being accused of fraud and losing all his clients money.

Yes, Vanessa isn't doing so well after all. Oh, and she has a bum knee and cries all the time. I can see that she has reasons to cry but the fact is that she insists on running on her bad knee, a knee that she must keep working so she can continue her career as a yoga instructor. I was a running addict for decades but even I would never do what Vanessa does to her knee no matter how much I might feel sorry for myself. Vanessa is the queen of bad decisions and also the queen of not discussing anything that ever needs discussing, especially when it comes to the men she is dating.

Did I mention Vanessa has been a fiancé before? The love of her life was Sam, a guy she met in college and the guy she has thought about every day of her life since she met him. We'll get to learn about their relationship and its demise and as luck would have it, Sam and Vanessa "run" into each other on a bus. Yes, lame Vanessa had been running in a storm and crying again and who'd think she'd see the love of her life while she was wet, limping, crying, and her usual mess?

Anyway, this book is all about not saying anything important, really important, to the person that needs to hear it most. Sam is just as bad as Vanessa and these two deserve each other so everyone else can be saved by their immature decisions. Oh, all Vanessa's friends and co-workers know and understand that Vanessa will always be late to everything. Isn't that cute?!??! Ugh, I got so sick of her and even though Sam is a hunk who got hunkier after college so now he's a mega hunk, I was done with him once I got to know him. Like I said, these two deserve each other, two walking red flags once you get to know them and I just didn't have time to care about their self induced misery, all problems they could have avoided if they were mature enough to think things through.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC

I haven’t seen the Apple TV+ series-Truth Be Told, but I remember reading and enjoying the book years ago, so I was excited to get the opportunity to read an early copy of the author’s latest-Both Things Are True.

Vanessa is a yoga influencer engaged to Jack, a crypto entrepreneur who is perfect on paper. But, she would trade their opulent lifestyle for another chance with Sam-the one who got away.

When Jack is accused of fraud and flees the country, Vanessa’s only option is to fly home to Chicago and move in with her younger sister, Faith. Fortunately, Serendipity will put Sam in her path, almost as soon as she arrives.

They weren’t any good at communicating years ago, when they impulsively got married in Las Vegas, and just as quickly annulled the marriage, 72 hours later when they sobered up-and they aren’t any better at communicating now.

In fact at 44%, Faith advises her sister to just TALK to Sam, but then we would not have a book! This entire book revolves around MISCOMMUNICATION trope.

I think that your enjoyment (or lack thereof) will depend on whether or not you sympathize with Vanessa. Unfortunately, I found her self pity, and self sabotaging behavior, and her excuses for her chronic tardiness to be annoying. She seemed to be CRYING on every other page.

For a romance to work-you need to root for the characters to get together, and I wasn’t doing that, so the book failed for me. If you find yourself rooting for Vanessa-you will have a different experience with this story, and I hope that you do!

This one is publishing on September 1, 2025 but if you have Amazon Prime, you can grab a copy now as your FIRST READS selection for August.

Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

Loved this easy read. Vanessa is a yoga-lebrity! She runs a successful businesses and has a handsome fiancée Jack; who runs a bitcoin company. Vanessa knows that marrying him isn’t the right thing to do; and her heart does still belong to Sam…but Sam left her five years ago and wants nothing more to do with her. However; with Jack runs away after appearing f to have been fraudulently building his company, Vanessa’s life gets tipped upside down; and she runs to her sister in Chicago,…where she just happens to bump into Sam… maybe somethings were left unsaid that need to be resolved. I could see where the book was heading but it was a really great read.

I wish I had not just finished another book with a very similar premise. It literally featured a couple who get married in Vegas and plan to get it annulled and several miscommunication and lying tropes. The main characters are an actor for a You Tube travel show and a businessman. It doesn’t get much closer to this plot than that. Unfortunately for this book, the previous book was so much better in the execution of this particular trope. Sorry to say these characters were not very likeable.

Thoughtful, emotional, and beautifully written 💭💔. Both Things Are True is a nuanced exploration of identity, family, and the complexities of human relationships. Kathleen Barber delivers layered characters and a story that challenges perception and truth. I adored the emotional depth, the reflections on memory, and the compassionate writing. Perfect for fans of literary fiction with heart and intelligence.

Kathleen Barber does it again! I really enjoyed this book. We are introduced to Vanessa, a yoga instructor/influencer in New York living her best life. Suddenly, her world is turned upside down when her fiance is accused of fraud. Vanessa tries to start her life over - but the first thing she does in her new city is run into her ex. This novel really had me rooting for Vanessa and wanting her to figure out what is best for her! For fans of rom-coms and second-chance romance novels!

Vanessa is 27, thriving in New York as a yoga celebrity and online influencer, and engaged to one of the world’s most eligible (and wealthiest) crypto bros. But despite the glamorous surface, something feels off—an ache she’s carried since her breakup with Sam, her college sweetheart, five years ago.

When her fiancé, Jack, is suddenly accused of fraud and vanishes without a trace, Vanessa is left blindsided and alone in the wake of scandal. Seeking refuge, she returns to her hometown of Chicago and moves in with her younger sister, Faith, to regroup and figure out her next steps. That’s when fate intervenes—she quite literally bumps into Sam, her ex…and her spontaneous Vegas husband.

As past wounds resurface and old sparks reignite, Vanessa must confront the question: Can she and Sam find their way back to each other, or will the shadows of her New York life—and her disgraced ex’s looming media circus—derail any chance at a fresh start?

Fast-paced, witty, and emotionally resonant, Both Things Are True explores the tension between who we were, who we’ve become, and who we still might be. A compelling read about love, growth, and second chances—sure to be a late summer hit of 2025!

5-stars for Both Sides Are True. I love Vanessa and Sam! Vanessa’s a yoga instructor with a bad fiancé she’s got to shuck. She’s funny, self-deprecating, admirable with a strong moral compass. Sam’s her hot ex who once crushed her heart and is now a young entrepreneur rolling out an invention that can—if not save the world—maybe make it a little less sweaty, all while being super sexy and funny. This is a story of second chances, a heart-filled romp, and exactly what I needed to read right now.
If you love Emily Henry or Abby Jimenez, it might be what you need too.
#BothThingsAreTrue #NetGalley.

there is real and complex feelings and people throughout this book. and i had all those feelings myself whilst reading it. the nuance and grey areas are vivid in this book and often made me think things over even after i put it down. and when i did put it down i just wanted to go back in and read on. it had such a compelling way about it. i wanted to know what was happening and how it would end up i was definitely involved.
Vanessa is having to do things most of us would struggle to do. and i felt her feelings and behaviour at this time were real even if they were likeable at times. but often i just wanted to scoop her up.i could feel how low it was all seeming for her. and how she took that on board to how she felt towards herself. i really liked how coming home though, let us see her relationship with home, and especially her sister. Faith is such a support and such a rock i really loved her character and how she tried with her sister again and again and never wavered. that is love.
the reactions and interactions between Vanessa and Sam, again felt real. it wasn't easy, it was always forgiving but it was real and i wanted to read more and more about these folks journeys. because can a second chance of love ever work? can it work after the first time ended with such heartbreak?
in many many ways this book took us to what its like to have resilience and stick with it and by it. this is especially the case when it comes to love. love is hard, love is easy. but its staying power can be the most powerful and hope filled thing in the world.
i got through this book almost in one sitting. it was an incredibly quick read and i liked how in doing this i got to e fully immersed in this world and characters from beginning to end with no breaks. sometimes you need a book like this. a little time to just go away with the book and feel like youve escaped into it.

Kathleen Barber’s Both Things Are True is an emotional rollercoaster of a second-chance romance that pulls you in with its sharp premise and messy, very human characters. It's the kind of story that makes you feel everything — frustration, hope, longing, and finally, a touch of catharsis.

At the heart of the novel is Vanessa, a yoga influencer trying to rebuild her life after her crypto-fiancé disappears amid a financial scandal. With her world suddenly in shambles, she finds herself back in Chicago — and back in the orbit of Sam, her impulsive college love who she once married for 72 hours.
What follows is a complicated, passionate, and often frustrating dance between two people who clearly have unfinished business.
Yes, miscommunication plays a big role in their relationship, and at times I wanted to yell at both of them to just say what they meant. But oddly, that’s part of what kept me turning the pages. The emotional whiplash — those “I never want to see you again” to “I can’t stop thinking about you” moments — felt raw and real, even when they were messy. In fact, because they were messy.
Barber smartly weaves in humour, pop culture (Dolly Parton fans will be delighted), and side characters who bring colour and clarity to Vanessa’s journey. Fern, the wildcard journalist, is a chaotic gem. Rehka, Vanessa’s no-nonsense friend, is a refreshing voice of reason. And Vanessa herself grows into a more grounded and self-aware version of the woman we meet at the start — a transformation that’s honestly satisfying to watch.

While the romance itself wasn’t always easy to root for — especially given how long Sam and Vanessa spend stuck in old patterns — I appreciated that the book didn't sugarcoat the difficulty of real growth, real reconciliation, or real forgiveness. There’s also something oddly compelling about watching someone fall apart and slowly rebuild their life on their own terms.
The plot is a little outrageous (crypto fraud and Vegas marriages), but it’s fun and fast-paced, and I was genuinely invested.

If you're a fan of second-chance love stories, complicated characters, and books that make you feel something — even if that something is a mix of joy and mild exasperation — Both Things Are True is worth the ride. This was my first Kathleen Barber novel, and it certainly won’t be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy.

Kathleen Barber's Both Things Are True delivers a compelling, character-driven narrative that explores the complexities of perception and truth. When aspiring journalist Nell comes across a case involving a former high school classmate, she's drawn into a web of conflicting accounts and fractured memories. Barber masterfully builds suspense, presenting multiple viewpoints that challenge the reader to question what truly happened. It's a thought-provoking psychological drama that delves into the grey areas of human relationships and the lasting impact of past events, making for an engrossing and unsettling read that will stay with you.

Thank you, Netgally, for the opportunity!

The book is good. Who doesn't love a good second-chance romance?
I had a couple of issues with Vanessa, her personality, and with Sam. I felt there was a lot of miscommunication there, and it seemed a bit forced. What you wouldn't have thought could happen, actually happened.

I liked Jack and his story at first, like yeah he is the guy who's gonna turn everything upside down and she goes running back to her ex. Then I got a Mafia vibe from him and that he was doing everything to make Vanessa guilty, but I don't know. I missed more of a "villain" in the story, he was just popping around.

Beyond that, I liked the book. It was a light read that cleared my mind after a very busy series. I don't know if I'd read it again, but it was easy to read and nice in the end.


Thank Kathleen Barber and Netgally!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

This is a rekindled love story, which is a trope I typically enjoy. However, the hot and cold feelings and the major miscommunication (or lack of communication) between Vanessa and Sam didn't work for me. It was a bit too much of "I never want to see you again" to "I can't live without you" over and over.

The characters' backstory was interesting and I liked the premise but it I never felt invested in their relationship. I found myself wishing they would both just move on already. I would've like more story around Vanessa's crook of an ex-boyfriend, honestly.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book, but it's not one I'll be recommending. 2.75 stars

Both Things Are True is a fun and sweet romance about second chances. It’s an easy read with laugh out loud moments. The main character, Vanessa, is a yoga influencer whose life falls apart when her fiancé runs away after a financial scandal. With nowhere else to go, she moves back home to Chicago to stay with her sister. While she is there, she runs into Sam—her ex from college who she once married in a quick, spur-of-the-moment Vegas wedding that she regretted the second she did it. Now, years later, they’re both very different people, but the old spark is still there.
This book is full of funny moments, family support, and romantic tension. Both Things Are True is an easy, lighthearted book that’s perfect for anyone who enjoys modern rom-coms.

The storyline was great and I liked (a lot) all the side characters enough to want more for them so I would’ve really been cheering for their successes. Definitely would recommended has a fun, easy read though!

I love a good complex second chance romance story, but hanging it all upon a series of miscommunications is risky business, and in Kathleen Barber's new release Both Things Are True, I didn't quite buy it.

After years apart, Vanessa and Sam end up living in the same building. Both of them are at pivotal moments in their lives and careers and are harboring old feelings for one another. The present timeline is honestly so sweet between the two of them, and I totally bought into all the romance and leftover feelings. I was rooting for them so hard. But as their past started revealing itself in layers, and especially once the revelations came up in the back half of the book, the problems that came up between them made me like them less. It was one miscommunication after another. Really, did they understand one another at all? I accept that miscommunication is a realistic element to many serious relationships, but to rely on that entirely and for that to 'fix' everything in the end...it kind of ruined the good thing they had going.

Would I still recommend this book? Gah, maybe. There is still plenty of good romance and other storylines that make the novel interesting, but it wasn't a smash hit for me. Hey, both things are true.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A very fluffy romance that you can read in one sitting. That said, I didn't love it.
The miscommunication trope is just incredibly frustrating, you just wanted to yell at the main characters to talk to one another! As a result I found them to be incredibly unlikeable and I was just very indifferent about whether or not they got together.
2 stars.