I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an amazing plot, but I felt the characters were a bit hard to connect to.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Rewrite the Stars is the story of a relatable middle-aged couple coming to terms with the dissolution of their youthful dreams of happily-ever-after. Theo returns from Afghanistan suffering from PTSD that causes him to withdraw from his family, friends, and job. Sadie juggles the three kids, her husband’s mood swings, and her career. She and Theo still live together and have agreed to divorce, but Theo struggles to let go and refuses to sign the divorce papers. In the meantime, Sadie has a brief encounter with a man at the grocery store that awakens something she hasn’t felt in years. As the story unfolds, Sadie goes on a journey of self-discovery where she questions who she is and what she wants at this stage in life. Theo questions whether he has the capacity to ever be happy again.

Sadie is trying to be a caring mother to her three children while she is also dealing with her husband Theo’s PTSD. Their lives have become difficult due to the stresses of the PTSD. They still live together even though they have agreed to divorce because Sadie has been trying to help her husband cope but it is getting more and more demanding. He withdraws and is unable to get his symptoms under control but he can’t bring himself to sign the divorce papers.

One day when Sadie is at the grocery she has a chance encounter with a man who sparks her interest. This meeting awakens something in her that she thought was lost. When she has several more coincidental meetings with this same man she begins to think that she might be able to start a new life without Theo. An unexpected event finally brings Sadie and Theo to the realization that they must find a way to move forward with their lives.

This book is primarily about how PTSD can affect not only the one who is dealing with it results but it is also about how it can strain a family and its relationships. Because of Consolino’s excellent characterizations, the reader can empathize with Theo as he experiences PTSD with all of its rawness and debilitations. It is an honest look at a life that isn’t pleasant even though it has many highs associated with the lows.

As the story evolves, so does the hope that Theo and the family may someday find a way to be happy again. The characters are well developed and realistic. The failing marriage and the need for Theo to come to terms with his PTSD moves the plot forward at a realistic pace in a story that is about acceptance and forgiveness. The author’s research into all aspects of PTDS shows in how she treats the subject with caring concern and humanity.

This book offers both an emotional and also a hopeful story with a topic that is often overlooked. I see it as a book with important content that makes a significant contribution to women’s literature

An engrossing story of life, love and loss and finding the strength within ourselves to know what we truly want. Centered around PTSD, which I learned a great deal about, the novel was heartfelt and hard to put down. Consolino’s characters are realistic. They could easily be your own family or friends, or the couple down the street. A beautiful debut.

Thank you to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Rewrite the Stars. Publication: 18th of March, 2021.



“A handsome stranger. A broken marriage. And a choice that could change her life forever.

Mom-of-three Sadie Rollins-Lancaster struggles with a crumbling marriage she had hoped to salvage. Though her husband, Theo, initiated the divorce, he’s now having a change of heart that’s difficult to reconcile as he fights against PTSD demons within.

When a chance encounter with a stranger resurrects emotions in Sadie, she never expected to feel again. Her world is turned upside down. Will Sadie find the courage to shape her own future? Will Theo resolve his internal struggles and win Sadie back?”

What an absolutely heartbreaking, heartwarming, bittersweet and poignant story. At times I found it difficult to read and had to take some breaks but what an absolutely beautifully accurate portrayal of the struggles of PTSD and the impact it can have on relationships. For me the story was a little slow at times which is what ultimately brought my rating down slightly, however, there was so much to like about this book. Sadie and Theo are both deeply flawed characters trying to navigate an incredibly difficult situation and I found myself willing them to find a way. Get your tissues ready for this one, it’s hard to believe this is a debut novel! Congratulations Christina Consolino for penning such a gripping and emotional novel!

Review posted to Goodreads, Instagram and Twitter

Whenever I read the title of this book, I get the song from The Greatest Showman stuck in my head. And reading this story gave me the same feeling as that song does. Rewrite the Stars is an honest and definitely moving portrayal of life and love. It reminds us how much of our happiness relies on our own choices. I would recommend having tissues ready while reading this story!

Rewrite the Stars is a beautiful, heart wrenching, and timely story.

Theo, a war veteran with PTSD, has returned to his family a very different man. And Sadie, his wife, must become a different woman in order to sustain any semblance of a relationship with him. This is an all too familiar story for so many veterans today and a lovely example of how brokenness can't always be undone, but can oftentimes be mended into something beautiful.

As someone who has spent a great part of her life studying and treating PTSD, I was surprised to learn the author had no formal training or experience with the disorder. Her knowledge of the illness and her ability to capture the emotions that thread through the lives of people affected by it is remarkable.

3 stars

A nuanced & thoughtful story about love, family, & living with mental illness.

[What I liked:]

•All the characters involved in the love story are decent but flawed people. There’s no villain, there’s no shocking betrayal; it’s the difficulties of life & the pain of reality that shape the tensions & conflicts, & it’s beautifully done.

•Pickles is delightful! I want to be her friend.

•I don’t have PTSD, but the portrayal of how living with mental illness affects relationships, work, & day to day life was familiar to me & resonated.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Okay, so all the times & ways Sadie & Theo kept meeting Andrew? Felt a little bit too conveniently coincidental to me. Not terribly unrealistic, but a little too cutely contrived in contrast to the rest of a very serious story.

•I’m very confused by the ending. I’m not clear on how Sadie’s relationships were resolved at the end, and why everyone was okay with what (I think?) happened. It just wrapped up abruptly, & not in ways I’d thought the story had been building towards.


[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]