***4,25 "Birdie!!!" stars***

"Life is too short to be battling with yourself when you should be living."

This story ripped my heart out!!! It was a beautiful, but nonetheless, a soul-crushing story!!!
It was going around a very difficult matter, this one of cancer, and i could related since three months ago I lost a very beloved person to me who was battling this illness for three years!!!
My heart was aching while I was reading Sawyer and Banks' story, but I can not deny that even though the pain, it was giving us so much hope!!!

"I’m tired of swimming. I’m tired of fighting for life. I simply want to live it."

Sawyer, after battling with cancer for five years, is deciding to spread her wings and fly to a city that she used to love as a child and that she had to abandon because of Katrina...
Now, she is back into Louisiana as a college student and she wants to cross items of her "to live" list, silly things for others, such as making new friends, going to parties and finding her happy place aka the wooden bridge that she was used to sharing with a boy named Paxton...
But while in her new place, she is meeting Banks, her mysterious neighbor who is becoming more than she ever wanted for her...

"Banks is the type of boy girls fall for. And I can’t afford that."

Banks is carrying his own cross, but he is good at hiding it!!!
His new neighbor is a girl full of life and he loves spending time with her, even though the bro code is making Sawyer forbidden for him!!! But she feels so familiar and he is pulled toward her!!!
He just wants to go on with his life, but everything and everyone around him are not letting him find peace!!! His only peaceful moments is when he is around the new girl and when he is visiting the broken bridge and the memories of a girl that he used to know but lost abruptly!!!

"He says I’m his peace. But he has no idea how wrong he is. I’ll be his devastation."

I loved Sawyer and Banks very much!!!
They were both having their own cross to bare, but they were so strong!!!
Sawyer, my poor girl!!! I was breaking for her!!! But she was a fighter and a survivor!!! She was kind, lovely, courageous and selfless, even though she was feeling selfish!!!
Banks... that boy was so responsible and intelligent!!! I was hurting for him too!!!
These two never wanted to fall, but they fell without fate to ask them!!!
And how beautifully they fell!
But life is a bitch and was never at their side!!! And my heart was breaking over and over again, while my eyes were tearing up constantly!!!

“I remember what my mom told me once—that one day I’d find somebody who would make life worth living. I just hope that I don’t hurt him pretending like that’s possible.”

This was a very emotional story and it was dealing with very difficult issues...
And even though it was bittersweet, it was very easygoing to read...
From time to time, you were forgetting that an ugly turn was looming to bring you to your knees...
Yep, my heart broke in here, but the journey, even though a difficult one, was worth it!!!
Banks and Sawyer had so many potentials that they never got to explore and I was sadden by that very much!!!
Maybe... in another lifetime!!!

"“You were my favorite memory.”
“You were mine too, Birdie. Always.”

Thirteen years ago Sawyer and Paxton were childhood friends. A hurricane forces Paxton to leave with his family and Sawyer stays behind and ends up getting sick. Years later, Sawyer is better and wants to check things off her bucket list. She befriends the new neighbor who she doesn't realize is her old best friend Paxton, who's back for college. The two get close.

I had B. Celeste on my radar for years, but as a person who loves to keep her emotional stability high, I hadn't read her yet (joke, my emotional stability is not present when I look for books like hers), but because of life it wasn't until this moment that it was her turn.

Oh Corazon!!! how I have adored this story, it has made me suffer and has made me be with the snot lying hidden in my bathroom giving me touches of water to try to hide the red in my eyes (spoiler: it didn't work).

I have fallen in love with the author's pen, now I want to read her other story: Underneath the Sycamore Tree.

When a book talks about a person who suffers a cruel disease like cancer, you know that the book will make you suffer, Sawyer is a warrior, I adore this girl.

Her whole story and everything we learn along the way, makes me want to shed my tears again.

Read it, so you can suffer like me and fall in love with the story.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had B. Celeste on my radar for years, but as a person who loves to keep her emotional stability high, I hadn't read her yet (joke, my emotional stability is not present when I look for books like hers), but because of life it wasn't until this moment that it was her turn.

Oh Corazon!!! how I have adored this story, it has made me suffer and has made me be with the snot lying hidden in my bathroom giving me touches of water to try to hide the red in my eyes (spoiler: it didn't work).

I have fallen in love with the author's pen, now I want to read her other story: Underneath the Sycamore Tree.

When a book talks about a person who suffers a cruel disease like cancer, you know that the book will make you suffer, Sawyer is a warrior, I adore this girl.

Her whole story and everything we learn along the way, makes me want to shed my tears again.

Read it, so you can suffer like me and fall in love with the story.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4⭐️

Tropes: not tradition HEA, chronic illness rep, friends to lovers, emotional, forced proximity, college romance, grief, addiction

I can always count on B Celeste to deliver an emotional story that will leave you thinking WTF. This beauty is no different. Please know going in this is not an actual romance, it’s more tragic love story vibes. Sawyer and Banks were raw, emotional, beautiful and oh so heart breaking. I’m not gonna say much else regarding the story because I think you should just dive in knowing the least amount possible. Please make sure to check TW though, this does cover some hard topics. If you’re looking for a heartfelt beautiful story about young love and painful moments I suggest this one.

Thank you for an arc🩵

Things went off the rails in a way I wasn’t expecting and overall I think this is just not my type of book. I can certainly say it brought out strong emotions because I ugly cried, but not even in a good funny way :( One final note- I do not think this should be considered a romance book. If anything, it could be a romantic tragedy, but that is a stretch. Do not read this book expecting a happy ending!

This story is heartbreaking. I knew going in I would be shedding some tears. A story of a girl, just wanting to live a normal life as a college student without thinking about all the treatments from cancer. She meets a boy who she knows is going to fall in love with but will try everything for that not to happen. They both share a wonderful memory from their childhood. Lovely story of finding your soul mate.
The only thing I didn’t agree with is the paired couple at the end. It just seemed like they just ended up in a “love the one you’re with “ situation.

As with every book by B Celeste, I’m left teetering on the edge of speechless and awestruck. I’ll never get over how much of her emotion the reader can feel in each story she writes, and when I say I had full body chills multiple times while reading Past the Broken Bridges, that’s not an exaggeration. This tribute to her father and his battle is beautiful.

Sawyer and Paxton were exquisite. Trauma has a way of maturing people, pushing those bits of typical immaturity to the side in favor of the coping mechanisms that will help it seem just a tiny bit less daunting. Levity is important, but it’s quickly tempered by reality. I don’t know what it’s like to have someone call to my soul quite like that, but if I ever did I’d count myself one of the lucky ones. So many people go their whole lives without experiencing sacrifice and compassion on the level these characters and their friends did. Disease of any kind is an ugly beast, but I greatly appreciated that she didn’t sugar coat it. This book is so raw and I couldn’t imagine it any other way.


I feel so honored to read this story. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced review copy and B Celeste for trusting the world with this piece of her!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ x ♾️
🌶️

I knew before even starting Past the Broken Bridges that B. Celeste would make me cry with her newest release, and I was correct.

This sweet and heartbreaking contemporary follows Sawyer and Banks, both of whom are fighting their skeletons when they reconnect at LSU without realizing the past they share.

With every book I read by B. Celeste, I fall more and more in love with her writing and storytelling. I loved getting a glimpse of both these characters as children before their lives were torn apart and everything changed. Getting to follow both perspectives in a book of this nature is always something I appreciate, so reading from both Sawyer and Bank was beautiful. Both characters were flawed and hurting, yet being together healed them. I knew the ending would hurt me, I just didn't know how it would happen. If you're looking for a book that is going to make you cry, I would definitely recommend this one.

CW for terminal illness, sexual content, drugs/gang violence, addiction, blood descriptions, abuse, abandonment, toxic relationship, death, car accident, gun use.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bloom for the ARC of Past the Broken Bridges by B. Celeste.

Past the Broken Bridges is a heartfelt and emotionally rich novel about love, loss, and the power of second chances. Set against the backdrop of Louisiana, the story follows twenty-one-year-old Sawyer Hawkins as she returns to the place she once called home after years away battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Determined to embrace life to the fullest, she sets out to check off her list of college experiences—making friends, going to parties, and maybe even falling in love.

Banks, her enigmatic and brooding new neighbor, who soon becomes a pivotal part of her journey. As their connection deepens, hidden truths begin to surface. Banks, it turns out, is none other than Paxton Banks—Sawyer’s childhood best friend, the boy she thought she had lost forever. But time and trauma have changed them both, and rekindling their bond means confronting the past and the pain they each carry.

This story balances themes of resilience, healing, and rediscovery, making it more than just a love story. Sawyer’s journey is one of self-acceptance and courage, while Banks’ struggles add layers of complexity and depth to the narrative. The writing is evocative and immersive, drawing readers into the lush Southern setting and the poignant emotions of the characters. Fans of second-chance love stories and heartfelt contemporary fiction will find themselves deeply invested in Sawyer and Banks’ journey.

A Very Great Captivating Romance Story with a cancer battle that left me emotionally damage.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I literally cannot believe this book is being marketed as a romance book. This. Was. Insulting. I was so excited, this was my first book by the author, but I have too much going on in my real life to be lied to about a happy ending only to have this happen. No. No HEA, not romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. This book tore my heart out and shredded it to pieces. I related to this book so hard. My son is currently going through chemo, so I am seeing all the patients we pass every time we are there in this book.
After five years of treatment, Sawyer just wants to do some of the normal things a twenty-one year old does. Carrying a list of all the things she wants to experience. She is determined to get through all of them while keeping her skeletons a secret.
Banks has his own skeletons. He has successfully hidden them from everyone, even his best friend, for years. Until the blonde across the hall takes notice.
Please read the trigger warnings and get a box of tissues. It's going to be a bumpy ride. One I definitely recommend reading. 10+🌟🌟🌟

B. Celeste is expert at telling a complex heart breaking tale and Past The Broken Bridges is another prime example. She portrayed the various facets of different kinds of love here. Not necessarily just romantic one. It's a raw tale of tragedy, loss, grief and pain. But I feel it also shows how beauty and happiness can be found in pitch dark.

* new adult/ college
* second chance
* childhood friends
* neighbors to lovers
* more of a fiction
* TW - Cancer rep, addiction, mental health issues, gun violence in an educational institution, death

I am not sure how to review this book. Sawyer had been fighting cancer for a while and she has convinced her parents to let her go to college and stay alone. Her neighbor Banks is someone a grumpy rude one..Then there is Bank's freind who likes her and her friend Dixie who likes Dawson. Full of new adult emotional mess. Slowly she and Banks start having a connection. But they don't know until late that they are the kids who found their happiness by the bridge in middle of nature. Banks has issues. Sawyer is on a ticking clock and nobody even knows.

The characters are pretty flawed here. Sawyer doesn't know how to handle her conflicting feels. And she is constantly self doubting and calling herself useless. She is such a sweet and kind soul but she is so hard on herself. She doesn't want her disease to define her and she is fighting hard but she is feeling guilty and afraid of dragging another person in her mess. Banks has his own trauma and issues. He is definitely brooding but for Sawyer, his soft sides come out. The whole dynamics is pretty messed up here. They took a lot of time to even come clean of their feeling and by then, it was almost over. The ending is brutal but fitting. If you can handle angst, this one is for you.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

I loved this book. The relationship between the 2 main characters was everything. I loved the way they both helped each other without realizing how they really needed it. This was very heartbreaking story so be prepared to cry. One of my favorite books by B. Celeste is Underneath the Sycamore tree which is also a very sad book so I knew it was going to be amazing.

No one does heartbreaking, emotional and angsty reads quite like B. Celeste. This was so good. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OH, MY ACHY BREAKY HEART!!!!!! Past The Broken Bridges written by B. Celeste was so heart breaking, beautiful, raw, inspirational, pure, deeply moving, powerful, and so personal. B. Celeste writes the most heart breaking stores, but this novel was personally my favorite one. It took me forever to get my thoughts down because after I finished reading this heart breaking story, I couldn't do anything but stare at my ceiling and just sob for hours on end. The snot bubbles were bubbling and the tears were just flowing endlessly. B. Celeste, where should I send my therapy bill? Because this book shredded my heart and broke me to pieces. I don't think I will ever be the same after knowing this book exists because it was just so beautiful, yet so heart wrenching. I absolutely loved everything about this book, there's absolutely nothing I would change about this one. I can proudly say Past The Broken Bridges is a 2025 favorite for me. If you are looking for a book that will make you bawl your eyes out at one in the morning, mark your calendars for March 11th, 2025 because this is a book you will NOT want to miss out on. Past The Broken Bridges is more than just a romance novel, it's about finding the love of your life, living life to the fullest, not giving up when life gets tough, and forming the best friendships. Sawyer and Paxton will forever hold a special place in my heart. I don't know how to explain my emotions, they were all over the place from crying, to full on sobbing, laughing, swooning, and clutching my chest trying to breathe because my heart was just racing with anticipation. Please please check the trigger warnings because this book deals with extremely heavy topics. The cover is just so beautifully detailed and aesthetic, I need to buy a copy immediately even though I will just look at the cover and sob thinking about the beautiful words and story inside.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND SOURCEBOOKS BLOOM BOOKS FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!

TRIGGER WARNINGS
Physical Abuse
Alcoholism
Drug Addiction
Terminal Illness
Gun Violence
Death
Grief

MUSICAL PLAYLIST
I'm The Problem (slowed)- Morgan Wallen
What Was I Made For?- Billie Eilish
LOML- Taylor Swift
Something In The Orange- Zach Bryan
Always Remember Us This Way- Lady Gaga
What A Time- Julia Michaels ft. Niall Horan
Beautiful Things- Benson Boone
Better Off Without Me- Kyle Hume
Drive- Halsey
Without You- The Chicks
Missing You- Lauren Weintraub

"I think of what mom always told me when I would look into the mirror at my bald head and start crying. Better your hair than your life".

"Menstrual cycles are completely natural. It's fine to say the word "period" without being embarrassed by it".

"Anything can happen when you least expect it, but I will be damned if I give life a reason to screw me over again".

"Apparently, you can take the girl out of the country club, but not the country club out of the girl".

"How serious can teenage relationships be when you don't know shit about life or love?".

"Try not to fall in love with me along the way, Birdie. I would hate to break your heart".

"Life is never easy, no matter who you are".

"We are college students. We have our whole lives to find significant others. I never came here expecting to meet mine".

"Life is too short to be battling with yourself when you should be living".

"When you find things that you love, it's not always easy letting them go because they become a part of you".

"You can't experience life if you are afraid to live it".

Sawyer Hawkins is the most selfless, loving, supportive, sweet, kind hearted, and beautiful character I have ever met. My heart aches for this poor young woman. Sawyer is the type of person who hates taking from people, but little do we know that cancer took Sawyer. Spread your wings and fly, you beautiful, selfless angel. At just sixteen years old, Sawyer was diagnosed with stage four advanced Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After five years of off again and on again remission and treatments, Sawyer is finally cancer free, but it later comes back and steals Sawyer's life. At twenty-one years old, Sawyer just wants to be a normal twenty something year old and live life to the fullest. Sawyer is a badass, a fighter, she's so brave, strong, and she has a fireball of a personality. Sawyer is always putting everybody else's happiness before her own, she hates feeling vulnerable. In 2018 at twenty-one years old, Sawyer gets accepted to Louisiana State University. At LSU, Sawyer meets Dixie Milano who is majoring in music. Dixie and Sawyer become the very best of friends, they are each others personal wing woman. I absolutely adored watching Dixie and Sawyer's friendship bloom, they were just the cutest two peas in a pod. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and give Sawyer the biggest hug.

Paxton Banks was just the sweetest soul despite all of the horrors he battled. Paxton's parents were constantly fighting about everything when he was so little, but when he was just nine years old, his parents decided to get divorced. Paxton is a Clark Kent look alike, he's super handsome, wears glasses, very tall, and has muddy brown eyes. Paxton is a Mr. I'm too damaged for relationships but still does his best to make those around him the happiest. Ten years ago, Paxton's mom walked away from the family which left his father mentally unstable and he became abusive towards Paxton. Later in life, Paxton decides to go by Banks because of his abusive father. At twenty-two years old, Banks is in a five year architectural program at Louisiana State University. Dawson Gable and Banks are best friends, they have been friends since they were pre-teens, but now they attend LSU together. My poor sweet Dawson has a drug addiction. Dawson is also a history major at LSU, where he also plays basketball. Dawson has been through hell and back, Dawson overdosed on cocaine at a frat party, but Banks found him before it was too late. Despite overdosing, Dawson is given a second chance at life, but everyday is a different battle. I just wanted to reach into my kindle and give Dawson the biggest hug, that sweet man deserves the world, it was so hard not to root for him. I thought it was the cutest thing ever when Banks gave Sawyer the nickname Birdie after her bird pajamas.

Sawyer and Banks met in 2005 when Sawyer was just eight years old and Banks was nine years old at the special bridge they claimed as their own. Sawyer and Banks claimed this bridge as their secret hiding place where they would meet up daily and talk and share fruit snacks with each other. August 29th, 2005: Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. During the storm, Banks moved to his uncle's house in Mississippi while Sawyer and her mom were sent to North Carolina to live with her grandparents while her father served in the military. After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana was completely wiped out and ruined because the levees failed. Thirteen years later, Sawyer and Banks are reunited again when they meet at LSU one night when Banks was so drunk and he stole Sawyer's Taco Bell order. I was so happy to see Sawyer and Banks reunite after being separated for thirteen years of their lives. During their time at LSU, Banks helps Sawyer with her nose bleeds and buys her chocolate fudge pop tarts. After spending time together, Sawyer and Banks decide to go back to their favorite footbridge and see that it has been ruined during the hurricane. Again, during their time in college, Sawyer has a bucket list, she wants to attend a Mardi Gras parade and learn how to drive, of course Banks was right there by Sawyer's side to make her dreams come true. Ugh, every single character in this book was absolutely amazing.

This book broke my heart in all the right ways and I would not have wanted it any other way. Its a perfect sad story that I needed. I loved how the romance was not kept as a center stage and there was so much going on the book that made this book a great read for me.

I want to thank netgalley and Bloom and B. Celeste for the ARC Of Past the Broken Bridges. I am always so thankful and awed that they would allow me to read early for them. 💕

It is now 11:44 pm est time and I just finished this book. I am speechless. In B Celeste Fashion, she has once again wrecked me, made me laugh, made me angry, and wrecked me again. Sawyer and Banks will forever live in my soul next to Emery and Kaiden. This story was about love and friendship and heartbreak. About skeletons and illnesses and overcoming those to live your life the way you wanted to live it. Sawyer made me take my life and look at it in a different perspective. She shines light on the good of others even when she doesn’t see the good in her.

Banks, sweet Banks. He lived his life taking care of others and didn’t care for himself. He took others burdens and made them his. He didn’t know any other way.

I cried multiple times while reading and ended up sobbing at the end. B. Celeste wrote this from her soul and hit me square in the soul with it too.

Make sure you read the trigger warnings bc there are a lot in this book. But if you can handle those, I 100% recommend this book.

Sawyer has been battling cancer for years and is ready to move on and live a normal life. She spent her childhood in Louisiana, her family forced to leave after Katrina, and now she wants to go back, so she enrolled in LSU, where she meets her new neighbor, Banks. But Banks isn't jus Banks, he is Paxton, the boy she used to be best friends with before Katrina hit.
This is so much more than a romance. It's about heartbreak, illness, addiction and abuse. I would've liked to see the romance take more space in the story. I felt like the story was way too much disjointed and hard to follow and really get into. I've read many other amazing books by this author, but this one was not for me.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.