This was such a unique and refreshing story and I’ve honestly never read anything quite like it. The idea of a curse tied to heartbreak is something I haven't really seen in YA/NA. Even though the beginning moved a little slowly, plot picked up, especially when Sare traveled to Istanbul. I was hooked. It turned into something really emotional and layered, and I loved watching Sare start to question everything she thought she knew.

The relationships in this book felt deep and well-developed, especially between Sare and Leon. It wasn’t rushed, and it made their connection feel real. The world around Sare was also beautifully built, it had this dreamy feel without it being too complicated. Even with a slower start, it ended up being a story that really stayed with me. Excited for future projects!

The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren is a sad yet beautiful coming-of-age tale, wrapped in folklore, emotion, and hope. While it’s not my usual genre, I found it enjoyable, thought provoking, reflective, and heartwarming.

The story follows Silverbirch, a young woman cursed to guard her heart from heartbreak or suffer the consequences. After a life altering event forces her to move to Istanbul, she begins a journey to break the curse that has defined her life. Along the way, she uncovers long hidden secrets, hard truths, and a new path toward the life she deserves.

Ceren’s writing is lyrical and immersive. I appreciated the way she wove her culture into the narrative, giving readers a deeper sense of place and meaning. It felt like she offered a piece of herself through the story. The mix of folklore, witty banter, forbidden love, and supernatural elements made this a truly unique read.

very fun and interesting book with some interesting writings and ideas. would definitely recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I loved the concept of this book unfortunately it felt too drawn out and too little plot. I was excited by the synopsis but felt like the characters were flat and I was racing through each scene because they felt so long.

Sare Silverbirch is cursed. She can only have five heartbreak before she turns 18 or she’ll die. When her mom passed away, her heart broke for the fourth time, and she started to questioning her curse. Then, her long-lost grandfather showed up at her mom’s funeral and invited her to live with him in Istanbul. Back to where it all began, Sare starts to see a glimmer of hope in the answer to her questions about her curse and her mom’s past.

I find the concept of a heartbreak curse intriguing. Combined with the presence of Munu, an ethereal tasked with preventing Sare from experiencing another heartbreak, their dynamic is truly unique. The most captivating moment for me was the revelation of the truth about Daphne, Sare’s mother. While it was heartbreaking, I also recognize that this pain is essential for a significant turning point.

The thing that is quite annoying is part of the work system of the angels here. Their system is too intricate to be integrated into Sare’s narrative, which diminishes its prominence. Nevertheless, the story remains intriguing and quite enjoyable.

This was so beautifully written. I am someone who struggles with the concept of death, and yet I gravitate towards books that go over this concept. I felt this piece did a fantastic job at intertwining the beauty of life, loss, and what we value in between. A five star read that I will be recommending to everyone I know.

This was such a beautiful and emotional read. The Book of Heartbreak completely pulled me in from the very first page. Ova Ceren’s writing is really, really good. Smooth, lyrical, and packed with emotion without ever being too much. Every sentence feels carefully chosen, and the story flows in a way that kept me hooked until the very end.

What makes this book truly special is how it blends modern fantasy romance with rich Middle Eastern mythology and folklore. The story follows Sare Silverbirch, a woman cursed to die if her heart breaks five times.

After the fourth heartbreak triggered by her mother’s unexpected death, she goes on a journey to find out the truth behind her curse. This journey takes her to Istanbul, and that setting adds so much depth and atmosphere. The cultural details and references, especially the Easter eggs tied to regional myths, were absolutely lovely to discover. They never feel forced, they're woven naturally into the world and the plot.

Sare is such a strong and relatable main character. Her fear of love, her grief, and her courage to seek answers all feel real. And then there’s Leon, the mysterious seer who helps her through it all. Their relationship is slow-burn and bittersweet, and I loved watching it unfold, even with the constant tension of Sare’s fragile heart.

The book also does a great job mixing magic with emotion. Celestials, fate, curses, and destiny all play big roles, but the story never loses its human touch. It’s deeply romantic, but also full of mystery, ancient power, and self-discovery.

If you love fantasy with a strong romantic core, rich cultural roots, and writing that really sings, this is for you. The Book of Heartbreak is haunting and hopeful all at once. I absolutely recommend it and I’ll be looking out for anything Ova Ceren writes next.

Thank you to Alcove Press for the ARC.

this was a strong fantasy romance and worked well as a concept and from the storyline. I enjoyed the way the characters were written and how it was used in this plot. I thought the use of the dragon shifter worked well to tell the story and was glad it was so well done. Ova Ceren has a strong writing style and am excited for more. It had that fairy tale element that I was wanting and glad I got to read this.

I have nothing but praise for this book and its author. It is a mystery of life and death! The characters are loveable and heartwarming! The story is unique and engaging! I can't say enough positive things for "The Book of Heartbreak".

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!!

Okay, so "The Book of Heartbreak" by Ova Ceren? This book is literally a hug for your soul, but like, with a side of fantastical angst. The whole premise of Sare being cursed so a fifth heartbreak will actually stop her heart is wild, and I was instantly hooked. The way she goes to Istanbul to unravel her family's past and finds this whole hidden world of angels and destiny? Obsessed!
Ova Ceren's writing is just so atmospheric and beautiful, it's giving cozy fantasy but with deep, real emotions. I loved the blend of Middle Eastern legend with a modern romance, and the witty humor, especially the emails between the angels, had me giggling. It’s bittersweet in the best way, making you feel everything without being overly heavy. If you're looking for a book that's gonna break your heart and then gently piece it back together with magic, love, and a strong sense of self-discovery, this is it. It's a debut, and honestly, it's a masterpiece. Definitely recommending this one to everyone.

This book was very hard to get through for me, and because of that, I didn't finish the book. The characters were fairly captivating and you wanted to be on their side. But there were a few holes that I didn't enjoy. It made me not like the character Manu and left me with questions that I lost interest in finding out the answers. I wanted to like the book, but there became a point when it felt like a series of events. I liked where it was going, but I stopped reading since it lost it's depth. The idea is great and the foundation is there in the beginning, but it just couldn't keep my interest.

2 🌟 Unfortunately, this is a classic case where the concept sounds interesting but the execution is poor. A few thoughts:

1. I struggled with the FMC and was unsure if this was supposed to be YA or new adult. Sare felt petulant and immature but out of nowhere the f bombs are flying? It was jarring and excessive.

2. I think the MMC finished every sentence with “Silverbirch” and it got old so fast. Typically, this is done sparsely throughout a book but it drove me crazy by the end. Also, Sare is such an easier name to say? This made absolutely no sense to me.

3. When Sare returns to Istanbul, I thought there would be more descriptions of the culture and what struggles she faced in assimilating. The architecture, foods, customs are all things briefly mentioned but left a lot to be desired in setting the scene.

4. The insta love was wild. I can see with the magic system how this could be rationalized but there was no build up in watching the characters form a meaningful relationship and really went from strangers to infatuation to “love” ?? I did not buy it.

Overall, I feel like the plot had potential but the characters were not created to carry this story well. I personally did not enjoy it and won’t be recommending it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC in exchange for my honest review 🫶🏼

Sare is not your ordinary teenager - every time her heart breaks, she dies. And she only gets to die five times before she's dead forever, no more do-overs. Celestial beings have sent her a fairy guardian, whose job is to teach her to be hard-hearted, to protect herself until she turns 18 and is freed from her curse, although the guardian won't explain how or why. But things get complicated when Sare's mother dies (heartbreak four) and she discovers she has a grandfather she never knew about who moves her to Istanbul. There she meets the seer Leon, who's on a quest to find the journals of a lost mystic, and said mystic's mysterious tower, that she is inexplicably drawn to. Together, Sare and Leon work to unravel the mystery of Sare's curse, the lost mystic, and the secrets that certain celestial beings are hiding...

Altogether, this was a satisfying mystery-fantasy mashup, with lots of twists and turns to unravel. It wasn't as fast-paced as a thriller, but the slower pace allowed Sare and Leon's relationship to feel like it evolves organically rather than because the plot demanded it.

I thought the plot was so clever and unique. It reminds me a little of Once Upon a Broken Heart, so if someone likes that series I think they would enjoy this!

A beautiful fantasy that swept me into its world and kept me up way past my bedtime. I found its exploration of what we inherit from our parents, especially immigrant parents living in diaspora, so haunting and so sensitively and beautifully depicted. I loved that this book could make me laugh (the email correspondence is hilarious!) and cry, sometimes even in the space of a couple paragraphs. If you love fantasy and myth retellings, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and felt a myriad of emotions while reading it. The blend of historical elements with more modern magical realism really captivated me. The parental loss hit my soul, I lost my father a few months back and I felt that heartbreak. Leon and Sare had such a sweet romance that I absolutely adored.

𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓥𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼:
YA Historical Romantic Fantasy
Forbidden Love
Middle Eastern Folklore
Coming of Age
Curses
Slow Burn
Emotional
Witty

The book of Heartbreak was a fantastic and engaging read. Surprisingly funny despite how emotional it was.

This book is just so gorgeous and hilarious! Ova Ceren did a wonderful job of taking grief and turning it into a beautiful novel. There were parts that literally had me giggling and I did not expect that in the slightest. I will definitely be re-reading this because I am sure there are bits I missed and I cannot have that for such a well thought out publication. Fantastic book that is truly worth every bit of hype it gets.

Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books/Alcove Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eARC!

Enjoyed this book quite a bit! I'm a big fan of magical realism and really appreciated the integration of that with the culturally rich and atmospheric setting in Turkey. All of the characters were interesting and their personalities complimented the story well. I really liked the inclusion of e-mails/letters throughout the story as a bonus layer of plot development. The pace really picked up after 50% and I found myself finishing it in one sitting. My favorite parts had to be any with the sassy ethereals/angels. The police outfit encounter towards the end was hilarious.

I'd definitely consider this novel more YA than adult, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of it. 3.5 rounded to a 4 for being a great debut novel.

It started off slow but once it gets going, I just couldn’t put it down! I had a great time reading this. Such an interesting story! I really like the writing style and I love the added epigraphs.