Going into this book, I was prepared for sadness but the beginning hit hard already. As someone who was raised by a single mother without family to support them, it was refreshing and painful to read about Sare’s story.
Sare is very unique and a character with depth. Although I would have loved to see more of her daily life and struggles despite her situation at home. Also, I would have liked to see more of Istanbul. I anticipated more atmospheric descriptions but I still barely know what it’s like there. The story was so focused on the main issue that it felt a bit dragging at times. The most chapters were about Sare and Leon meeting up and little in between. A small break to explore more of the city or give insight on how she manages her daily life would have broken a bit with the tension and would have given the reader some time to breathe between revelations.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the writing. The magic system is unique and the corporate elements gave it a funny turn.
All in all, I rate this book with 3 out of 5 stars.
Thank you Alcove Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.
All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4.25/5
The Book of Heartbreak is a fun read, with a compelling concept and interesting worldbuilding. My favourite aspect of this book was the magic system and the use of mythology - and I'm always a sucker for curses. The book fell flat in some areas; it felt like it could've been shorter, and the romance seemed rushed but overall this was a good read.

“A Middle Eastern legend gets a magically romantic modern makeover perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. A young woman must find a way to end the curse on her heart before it claims her forever in this delightfully witty fantasy romance.”

This was definitely not my usual fantasy romance, but I enjoyed it! The relationship between the main characters was really interesting and I am always a fan of forbidden love in books. I can see how this might be a DNF or a different kind of read for others as the writing was different than the types of books I usually read. All in all, enjoyable.

A very special Thank You to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This Book!! OMG!!
Ova Ceren weaves a tale of heartbreak, revenge and betrayal with elements of Celestials, memoes and the old school romance of Istanbul into a gothic reminiscent piece. At its center is Sare, a girl cursed to die of heartbreak, and her Celestial, Munu, whose task it is to harden her against it.
With each loss she faces, Munu urges her to stop her tears, and finally , after losing her mother, Sare accompanies her grandfather back to Istanbul.
Enter, Leon, her neighbour with True Sight, a Seer who claims to break the spell. Add in a host of divinities, zinging memoes and the suspense of the past, it is a thrilling ride from start to finish.
Deathly escapades, stolen memories, guilt and angst drive all the main characters, as they seek clarity, accept the mistakes of the past and each, forge their own way to forgiveness. The best parts for me were the email exchanges between the divinities, and the slow unfolding of the tale, like peeling the layers of the onion. I enjoyed the slow, languid flow with the throwbacks and the reveal at the finale. The ending was just, fair and brilliant!
If you liked the Apothecary, then this one is an Eastern inspired version for you! Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

The Book of Heartbreak is a beautifully written romantasy that blends Middle Eastern folklore with witty modern charm, following Sare, a heroine cursed with a fragile heart that can only survive a limited number of heartbreaks. The evocative settings, from England to Istanbul, offer vivid atmosphere and fresh cultural depth, while Sare’s quest to unravel family mysteries and break her curse is laced with touching romance, emotional growth, and threads of hope and resilience. With engaging twists, clever touches of magic, and a heartfelt look at love and loss, it’s perfect for anyone craving fantasy with genuine emotional power and poetic flair. Fans of Laini Taylor and Stephanie Garber will especially adore this moving debut.

This book was a beautiful exploration of heartbreak and the multitude of emotions that come with it that didn’t feel heavy because of the magic infused throughout the story. The variation in types of heartbreak were refreshing as the heart can break in so many ways. What a beautiful book about emotion, healing, and the power of forgiveness. The plot twists were twisting and kept me up reading late multiple times!

Love, heartbreak, and death. This blends Ottoman stories, Muslim representation,and an atmospheric setting to tell the story of 17 year old Sare who must find out how to lift the curse that might well kill her before she turns 18. Luckily she's got Leon to help her. There's enough romance to call this a romantasy. It conveys as YA because of Sare's age but that doesn't mean older readers can't enjoy it as well. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This is a retelling of a Middle Eastern legend full of romance, fantasy, and (as the title suggests) heartbreak. Our FMC is cursed with death upon each of her heartbreaks. When she inevitably dies for the fifth time, she will remain so. In the meantime, she has already died three times and is now determined not to let anyone get too close.

I've been having a difficult time getting through this one despite going back to it twice now. I love the premise and author's writing style, so I'm unsure as to why I can't get into the story. After reading that the author wrote this in response to watching her grandmother's struggle to come to terms with her mortality, I came to appreciate how personal this story is to her and commend her for her efforts. Going to try again in the future but for now I had to DNF at 24%.

Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken three times. A fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Can she unravel the twisted threads of her family history in time to break the curse?

Read if you like:
-Angels & Demons
-Secrets & Lies

I was intrigued by the premise of The Book of Heartbreak, but the execution just didn't measure up to the hype of the blurb. It was slow moving and the prose was the focus rather than the emotions. As a result, I struggled to connect with the characters. I'm still not sure why angels were emailing each other. The workplace satire didn't fit with the vibe of the rest of the book.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Alcove Press. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Romantasy
Audience: Young Adult

THE BOOK OF HEARTBREAK caught me off guard, and it was a wild ride.

This is an incredibly unusual book—the scope is broad and complex, and dizzyingly interesting. I'm calling it speculative because of some of the characters and their inherent nature. I loved how the heavens are worried about Sare's decisions. And the heartbreak creates a twist too. I think you should give it a try. :)

It is so interesting. I think people will love this book.

Happy reading!

I liked the use of middle eastern folklore. I loved that heaven was a massive corporation and would have liked to see more of that and the inner workings there. I had trouble really connecting with Sare. She came off as a bit petulant and being stubborn.

This had a super fun an interesting premise. I really like the dynamic between the characters and the story line but I couldn’t get into as much as i wanted to but it was still fun.

Ova Ceren’s The Book of Heartbreak is a lush and emotionally charged romantasy that blends Ottoman-inspired folklore, high-stakes magic, and aching human vulnerability into a story that lingers long after the final page. We follow Sare Silverbirch, a young woman cursed so that her fifth heartbreak will be her last. After the sudden death of her mother marks heartbreak number four, Sare is thrust into a journey that takes her from her familiar world to the bustling streets and shadowed corners of Istanbul. Alongside the enigmatic seer Leon, she navigates celestial dangers, buried family secrets, and the desperate hope of breaking free from her fate.
Ceren’s prose is vivid and immersive, painting Istanbul’s markets, the Maiden’s Tower, and other atmospheric settings with sensory detail that makes the world feel alive. The emotional core of the story—grief, love, and the fragile courage it takes to open your heart again—resonates deeply. Sare’s vulnerability and determination make her a compelling heroine, and her connection with Leon, while intense and sometimes a touch rushed, still delivers moments of genuine tenderness and intrigue.

Though the pacing occasionally slows under the weight of its lore and mythology, the rich worldbuilding and lyrical writing more than make up for it. Fans of Laini Taylor and Stephanie Garber will find much to love here, from the magic-infused romance to the way the story balances danger with beauty. The Book of Heartbreak is a striking debut, equal parts enchanting and bittersweet, and it’s a journey worth taking for anyone who believes in the transformative power of love, even when it comes at a cost.

There were so many elements that I enjoyed about this book - the poetic writing, the humor mixed with the heavier themes of grief and death, the mythology and cultural aspects, and the magical elements. Though it was insta-lovey, I still enjoyed the romance. Overall it was a solid read but I can't help but feel like there was still something missing for me? I can't quite pinpoint what it was. But despite that, I still think many readers will appreciate and enjoy this story and its characters.

This was such a unique modern fantasy novel from a new author!

This book follows teenage Sare. She is cursed to die after experiencing 5 heartbreaks before she is 18. She is months away from turning 18 when her mother suddenly dies and she experiences her 4th heartbreak. She begins to question her curse and her questions bring her to Istanbul to live with her estranged maternal grandfather.

Here is what I loved:
- Muslim rep
- There is a whole hierarchy of angels and demons on the “Otherside” that are meddling in Sare’s life and her curse. Each chapter includes emails between these ethereal beings and it was very reminiscent of the sarcastic/witty nature of similar beings in Good Omens.
- The unique afterlife system and the mortals that can communicate with them
- Sare is such a strong and spunky FMC!!

I think what other people had issues with (although it didn’t bother me at all) is that it takes on a YA feel because Sare is 17 and her love interest is 18. The romance plot is sweet and wholesome with minimal spice but it fits the vibe of the book.

Definitely recommend this one! It tackles big topics such as death and love in an easily accessible way.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book! This review was left voluntarily.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Alcove Press for this opportunity to read, rate and review this arc which will be available on 8/26/25!

I immediately preordered this book. Not even a fourth of the way into it I said immediately want. It is such a cool premise and is so well written. It is poignant, hilarious, emotional and honestly stunning. Sare and Leon are epic together. The storyline is fresh. I haven’t read a book in so long where I didn’t even finish it before deciding I needed it in my life.

I highly highly recommend this book. I really do.

I really enjoyed this read! The storytelling was beautiful and the MC was complex and relatable.

One of the best parts to me was the humor woven throughout what really seems a serious story. It helped lighten some heavy moments, while not taking away from the important themes of grief and generational trauma.

I LOVED the bureaucracy of angels / Boss Almighty / various departments - as someone with an office job in a large corporation, the “per my last email” correspondences had me cackling while also giving great hints towards the finale payoff.

I found the start and end of this book very engaging, though it did lag a bit in the middle. However, once I hit about 65%, I ran through the rest of the story in a single evening.

My one gripe with this book is that Sare learns almost EVERYTHING by being told stories by others (her mother’s friend, her grandfather, Five, her mother’s letters). Almost nothing is discovered directly by Sare, so once the revelations start in the second half, she almost seems like a passenger in her own story until the climax when she takes back over.

I’ve followed this author for a long time on social media, and I’m thrilled that this debut wound up being so enjoyable! Can’t wait to read more from Ceren.

The description for The Book of Heartbreak is highly intriguing. Even after leaving the book unfinished, I still find myself rereading the summary and wondering why I put it down when it sounds so interesting. I wanted to be drawn in by this story, the curse, Sare, and the witty adventure I was promised. I just couldn't do it.

Maybe it was the writing style? The correspondence between the angels was extremely confusing. I think it was supposed to be funny, and I could see that, but I was just confused the whole time. On top of that, there was practically no description of Sare's surroundings or where she was. I think we were in Europe. Somewhere? Maybe? Did I miss something? I know she doesn't stay there the whole time, and, in the grand scheme of things, since she moves, it doesn't really matter, but I was so lost. I kept rereading paragraphs, looking for details that I wasn't finding, some kind of explanation for what was going on, or where we were, or what we were doing. It was hard to get twenty percent of the way through the book and still have so many simple questions like that unanswered. Ultimately, it was frustrating enough that I lost interest in pursuing the answers.

I know Sare has to be emotionally distant because of her curse. I was prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for was how disconnected that would make me feel from her. It's not that there weren't stakes, because the threat of dying (for real, this time) is a considerably high stake, but because of her emotional detachment, I didn't feel the urgency, the fear that I thought would be present. There was nothing. I know she's not supposed to let her heart break, but that doesn't mean she can't have feelings, right? I don't know. Maybe I'm being picky.

Honestly, I just felt frustrated. And, unfortunately, bored. I wanted to be emotionally invested, but since Sare wasn't, I couldn't bring myself to be either. I wanted to be fascinated by the elements of the story, such as the curse, setting, and plot, but the lack of information left me scratching my head in confusion. I think The Book of Heartbreak has a lot of potential, but it wasn't the book for me.

I received an advanced copy of The Book of Heartbreak directly from the publisher through NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the world building and the magic system with the ethereals, curses and seers was really well thought out with a lot of detail! It was a little confusing at times with the amount of information given.

Whilst the pacing of the plot was slightly slower at times, it was still a fasinating plot with the mystery and I found myself wanting to know more.

Sare was a headstrong character who at times left me a little exasperated with her thoughts and actions.
Leon was just the cutest, and their dynamic was sweet but I think I needed a little more spark or tension between them.

Overall, this was a good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this gifted copy.

I loved The Book of Heartbreak! It was an easy and fast read. Imaginative and definitely gave me Addie LaRue vibes and that is one of my favorite books. There’s a lot of character growth for Sare and it was a soft and sweet adventure.