Thank you to netGalley and Alcove for the eARC.

The Book of Heartbreak is described as a perfect book for people who are fans of the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, but with more mythos and ancient stories.

I really enjoyed the book as whole, it was fun to read, and interesting between the internal conflict of Sare as she tries to follow rules set upon her to make it to her eighteenth birthday or break out of her shell and become an independent person. The pacing was pretty well done, and I really enjoyed the twists and mysteries that surrounded Sare, although I wasn't too much of a fan of the immediate connection between her and Leon, and the lack of exploring into the ancient city of Istanbul, because why bother with the fun ancient mythos if they really just end up at four different locations at most? It almost felt like Sare could have been in any city anywhere.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and it was a great standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the opportunity to read and review The Book of Heartbreak which I am giving 3⭐️.
This book follows a 17 year old girl who is alone in life. Her mother has just passed away and her newly found grandfather gives her a chance to move to Istanbul with him until she turns 18. Unknown to the rest of the world our FMC has a curse on her, but she also has a fairy style guardian advising her and guiding her since the age of 4. If she can make it to 18 without her heartbreaking one more time she will defeat the curse and live a normal life, but a normal life without love. Of course when she gets to Istanbul this becomes tricky when a young man starts to chip away at the barrier around her heart and she discovers that her mother may have more to do with the curse than previously suspected.
I enjoyed this book right around the 50% mark. Up until then it was a bit of a repetitive slog to get through. The FMC wasn’t particularly noteworthy in any way so I honestly had no connection to her breaking the curse or not. While I did enjoy the fast pace and the ending this was a bit of a let down because ultimately it came down to being a story about women fighting over a man and a man destroying the relationship between sisters.

Sare has had her heartbroken too many times. She’s been revived by her celestial guardian, but her next heartbreak will be her last. Can she last until her 18th birthday, which she becomes immune to the curse or can she find a way to break it?

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me. I appreciated the uniqueness of the storyline and the setting in Istanbul. I like that it was inspired by a Middle Eastern legend. I also liked the conflict between the seers as the celestials.

However, what ultimately led me to DNF was that this seemed like a young YA to me. I wish the character development was greater and I wish that the plot was a little more mysterious/intricate. But perhaps this would be perfect for someone in their teens.

Enchanting! I loved this book and its magical elements. Curses, angels, what more can you ask for? I went into this with no expectations and couldn’t put it down.

Sare Silverbirch is cursed to die of heartbreak. After the fifth heartbreak, she will die forever, unless she makes it to eighteen, when she will no longer be able to love again. When her mother dies and her stranger grandfather arrives to invite her to live with him in Turkey, Sare accepts in the hopes she can learn the origins of the curse and how to break it.

This is the first YA book I've read set partly in Turkey with some Ottoman folktales as a basis for the curse. Unfortunately, Sare didn't see much of Istanbul outside of the Maiden's Tower, nor did she seem to have any feelings about it. As someone raised in the UK, I would think there'd be some culture shock, but luckily for her everyone she needed to interact with spoke English. Maybe this is the case in Istanbul, being an international city, but I would have liked to see a little more of the culture.

That said, I did enjoy the fresh setting. There are also letters between Heavenly beings, giving this some Islamic The Screwtape Letters with some Supernatural (TV show) heaven being super bureaucratic vibes, which I found amusing.

For me, though, the story dragged. Sare kept running into Leon, pushing him away, trying to get answers, arguing with Manu, repeat. The ending did pick up and left me satisfied, but I was tempted to DNF before then. I understand Sare had to be unemotional due to her curse, but it made it hard for me to connect.

While there is a romance, I would not call it a romantasy. It felt like a YA contemporary fantasy circa 2010 with a unique setting and folklore, but those who want an epic romance will be disappointed.

Content wise, the author lives in the UK, so there is a lot of casual use of the f-word, which might be off-putting to American readers. (Watching both the US and UK versions of Being Human back in the day taught me that the f-word is not a big deal in British culture, so I just rolled with it).

Recommend for fans of City of Bones, Daughter of Smoke & Bone, and Hush, Hush.

The Book of Heartbreak tells the story of a young woman who has an unusual curse- if her heart breaks too many times, she will die. If she can last until her 18th birthday, she will live, but her heart will be unable to love.

The story unravels the mystery of how her curse came to be as she actively fights to overcome it. I loved how it was set in Istanbul, as I haven’t read many books with a similar setting. I loved the variety of characters in the book, from the humans to the ethereal ones!

Can we PLEASE talk about this book? This book was a literal masterpiece. The writing was captivating and pulled me in from the first chapter. The emails between angels and their bickering added a special touch to the book. I laughed so many times and honestly cannot recommend this book enough.

The Book of Heartbreak, contrary to its name, soothed my little bookish heart. It was like being wrapped up in a blanket with a hot cup of tea, eating sweets and cuddling with my dog.

Sare Sila Silverbirch has been cursed. Each time her heart breaks, she dies. She has one final chance before her heart stops forever and no-one, not even the angels in the offices of the afterlife know the origin of this curse. To search for the origin in an attempt to break the curse, she must traverse her own family history, through generational trauma and folklore against the backdrop of the vibrant and historic Istanbul.

It’s a YA fantasy, with romance and humour, love and heartbreak and overall what it means to be human. The writing was beautiful, and grief was captured so beautifully. One of my favourite lines was, “My mother’s death became my second shadow”, and to anyone who has ever known grief this will deeply resonate.

Ethereals, angels and cherubs all play a part in the master plan, and the day to day politics of the heavens are shown to us in hilarious emails between cherubs and angels, it made me laugh that the earthly and mundane everyday of back and forth emails made it to the afterlife. The idea of heavenly admin is a fantastic concept and I absolutely loved reading the exchanges.

It reminded me of several books, The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V. E. Schwab, The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley and The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune, so if you liked any of these and fantasy a cosy YA Romantasy then I’d recommend giving this a go.

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC, the book is set to be released on the 26th August 2025.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren is a mesmerizing debut that blends romantic fantasy with an undercurrent of darkness. At the heart of the story is Sare Silverbirch, a woman cursed to die every time she experiences heartbreak, an ordeal she has already faced four times. With the devastating loss of her mother marking her fourth heartbreak, Sare knows that one more will be her last.

Set against the rich backdrop of Istanbul, Sare embarks on a journey to understand the origins of the curse and whether it can be broken. Immersing readers in its mythology, the story weaves an atmospheric and deeply emotional tale. The narrative is complex and creative, carrying Sare through a world filled with secrets and a diverse cast of characters whom she struggles to trust. The tension of her predicament is believable, as she balances the need for answers with the fear of losing herself completely.

Ceren’s storytelling is well-paced, offering an intricate blend of mystery, romance, and self-discovery. The journey is both heartbreaking and profound, filled with layers of depth.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

This was a little repetitive at times, but a good read. Romantasy fans will eat this up! Thank you NetGalley for this eARC for an honest review.

This book was not my cup of tea, but I think romantasy readers will love it. It transports you to another time and place, with vivid imagery, and it's rather grounded for fantasy-- especially in the beginning. I would've liked it more had it kept that groundedness. There's a back-and-forth e-mail chain between the hierarchical angels/celestials that feels very Gaiman/Pratchett. Ultimately, it wound up being more YA romantasy than what I'd have liked, but, again, if that's your bag, definitely recommend this book for its lush setting and historical background.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren follows Sare, a girl cursed to die every time her heart breaks. If she experiences five heartbreaks before turning 18, she’ll die for good. Her only friend, Munu, helps protect her as she uncovers secrets about her family and the curse. After her mother’s death, Sare moves to Istanbul, where she meets Leon, a boy who may change everything.

This emotional YA novel mixes magic, romance, and heartbreak, with a slow-burn romance and deep emotional layers. It’s a beautifully written, character-driven story that explores love, loss, and self-discovery. A hidden gem that will tug at your heartstrings!

The Book of Heartbreak is one of those reads that gently wrecks you—in the best way possible. Ova Ceren captures the aching nuance of emotional loss with a kind of quiet vulnerability that lingers long after you close the last page. It doesn’t shout its pain; it whispers it, and somehow that hits harder.

Pros:
• The writing feels incredibly intimate, like reading a diary written in poetry—raw, soft, and striking.
• The themes of loss, self-reclamation, and quiet strength are beautifully interwoven.
• It doesn’t glamorize pain, but it does honor it, and that felt really validating.

Cons:
• A few pieces felt a bit repetitive or less polished than others—like emotional echoes rather than fresh insights.
• If you’re looking for more narrative or variety in structure, this leans heavily into the lyrical and emotional, so it might not be for everyone.

Overall, this is the kind of book you keep on your nightstand—not to race through, but to revisit when your heart needs a little understanding. Not perfect, but perfectly real.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an engaging read! I enjoyed the plot and would read it again.

“The Book of Heartbreak” is a heartbreakingly, achingly beautiful novel that moved me to tears multiple times as I read.

In the book, we meet Sare, a teenager affected by a cruel curse causing her to die whenever her heart is broken. If it happens five times before she’s 18, she’ll die forever. If she can avoid this, when she turns 18, the curse will lift, taking with it her ability to love.

She has a “fairy godmother,” if you will, as her only friend; this is by design, as Munu is tasked with “protecting” Sare and for Munu, who is battling her own demons (quite literally), people and love mean vulnerability and heartbreak. This idea is unwittingly reinforced by Sare’s mother, Daphne, who always seems to be chasing after men that are no good for her. Sare watches her mother go through life without a single healthy relationship until she’s tragically killed in an accident. It’s post-accident when Sare is about to go to foster care that Daphne’s father shows up to collect Sare — a grandfather Sare thought was long dead, per her mother’s lies.

He takes Sare back to Istanbul (Turkey), where she meets a boy named Leon who will change her life forever. As Munu and the grandfather struggle to protect Sare, the truths —and betrayals—begin to reveal themselves as generations of lies, betrayals, and heartbreaks converge and untangle in a convoluted web of deception, complete with angels, jinn, and a feisty cherub.

Will Sare listen to her heart? Or will she lose it forever?

The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren is a romantasy inspired by Middle Eastern folktales. The main character, Sare, is on a quest to break a family curse that's been around for centuries. As she digs into her family's past, she uncovers betrayals and figures out how she wants to live her life. Divine intervention might either help or hinder her plans.
This was an interesting story with some surprising reveals about who did what and why. Despite being character-driven, I felt like there could have been a bit more attention to some of the others besides Sare. She was a bit pulled along with the circumstances. With all of the cultural references, I was dying to learn more about the setting. Due to the nature of the story, it made sense that there were only a couple of places that were described, but that didn’t stop me from wanting more. I did enjoy the humor that kept things from getting too weepy, and the celestial goings-on were an unexpected highlight.
I think a lot of people will really enjoy this book. For me, maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy, but the teenage characters didn't engage me as much as I'd hoped.
It was not presented as a young adult novel (but it is) which might have helped me adjust my expectations ahead of time.
Overall, I enjoyed the fairytale aspect of the novel even if the novel wasn’t really right for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eARC.

This romantic fantasy fictional book really captured my attention right away! This is also in the multicultural interest genre. It made me feel a lot of emotions! I was sad, happy, hopeful and heartbroken while reading this. It is dark, mysterious, reflective, sad and tense. It also came with some humor and romance. It is well written, flows well and is a medium paced read. It comes with a diverse cast of characters, both likable and unlikable. The book cover is absolutely stunning! I found this book to be a hidden gem. With this being the author’s debut novel, I was pleasantly surprised and greatly impressed!

“The Book of Heartbreak” is a story that revolves around a young woman named Sara, who gets her heart broken four times, since she was born. The fourth heartbreak was her mother, who unexpectedly passes away. Sara is left confused as to why she has this curse and is scared to get close to anyone because of it. She does not want her heart broken five times, that would just be too much for her to deal with. As the story unravels, this story digs into why she is cursed and she discovers if she can break it. Along the way, a romance starts to blossom. Overall, I rate this a 5 out of 5 stars!

Content warnings include death and grief. I think people that love to read fantasy novels about curses would enjoy reading this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Ova Ceren and Alcove Press for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on August 26, 2025!

The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren was a really fun and interesting read for me! I was never sure where the story was going, and I found myself pleasantly surprised with every chapter.

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. Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken three times. A fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Such is the nature of the curse she was born under, which forces her to live a life without letting anyone get too close. When her mother dies unexpectedly and her heart breaks for the fourth time, Sare begins to urgently question the curse. Where did it come from? Why her? And rather than accept it, could there be a way to break it?

Her questions lead her to Istanbul, where she meets Leon, a seer who helps her track down the mysteries of her mother’s past. But Sare’s heart is a fragile thing, and their blossoming romance poses a great risk to her survival. Especially when she discovers that her fate is in the hands of celestials beyond this earthly realm. Now the heavens are stirring, for they have a stake in Sare’s destiny, and they don’t like their plans being overturned.

I really enjoyed the Turkish myths and cultural references throughout the book. I felt very immersed, and it made me want to pick up more stories by authors with this background and setting. I also appreciated the way generational trauma was woven into the story and manifested as a literal curse.

If you’re someone who enjoys a little family gossip or office politics, then this is for you—and that’s as spoiler-free as I can make it.

I think the curse “system” could have been fleshed out more, and I would’ve loved to follow more of the “seer” type work and worldbuilding. Things kind of landed in Sare’s lap, and it felt like nothing was truly earned when it came to her character development. I was especially hoping she’d channel that inner anger and stand up for herself sooner. But I understand how small she might feel after being told to guard her heart and being gaslit for most of her childhood.

As a whole, this book hit all the right notes for me. I love a character-driven story that’s rich with culture, and this did a great job of blending both. I really enjoyed the writing style and the banter between characters. The magical realism was refreshing, and something about heavenly political intrigue just does it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars - Sare is cursed to die every time her heart breaks, and is running out of lives to break the curse. After her mother's death, which results in her fourth heartbreak, she is down to just one more chance to survive making it to her 18th birthday. If she survives, the cost will be her heart. Sare moves to Istanbul to live with her only remaining family, her grandfather. Along for the ride is her lifelong companion, a "guardian angel,"who helps her manage her curse. As soon as she arrives, she meets a neighbor who is a seer and eager to help Sare. Featuring angels, Curses, Love, and familial secrets this book had some of the prettiest writing I have read so far this year. Ova Ceren has a created a romantic and atmospheric world that felt real and immersive. Overall, a great read and I look forward to future works by this author!

Thanks to Ova Ceren, Alcove Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars - this was such a delight to read! It had a wonderful mix of yearning, humor, grief, heartbreak, and an interesting plot that kept me turning page after page. Sare is cursed to die if she experiences 5 heartbreaks before she turns 18. After experiencing her fourth, she’s determined not to have her heart broken again and to find a way to break the curse put on her and why she has it. This fourth heartbreak takes her to Istanbul, where she meets a seer named Leon, who dreams of breaking curses.

This story was beautiful, witty, and I enjoyed the twists and seeing the story unfold while I was reading as well. So well written and just refreshing to read.