Heart-wrenching, poignant, and inspiring, B. Celeste delicately pens a reflective novel about love, sacrifice, and courage. Past the Broken Bridges is a standalone novel revolving around Sawyer Hawkins, a college student battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Paxton Banks, her long-lost childhood friend.

Sawyer is a fighter, and her resilience and courage to live her life as normally as possible despite her battle with cancer was inspirational. Paxton is such an amazing support system. His dedication, love, and reassurance for Sawyer were genuine and remarkable. Together they help mend and heal their vulnerabilities and fears through encouragement and support for one another.

It is evident that B. Celeste wrote this personal book with precision and care. Its introspective themes of love, loss, and regret run prevalent throughout the book. Yet its uplifting themes of courage, aspiration, and personal growth are prominent as well. This was a heartbreakingly beautiful book to have read, and it’s one I’ll remember for quite a long time. The ending left me feeling hollow yet hopeful. If you enjoyed reading Underneath the Sycamore Tree, also by B. Celeste, then you’ll love this book.

Thank you so much to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

*"Past the Broken Bridges"* by B. Celeste is a poignant and emotional story that explores themes of love, loss, healing, and personal growth. The novel follows the journey of two characters, struggling with their own trauma while trying to navigate a complicated relationship. With lyrical and evocative writing, Celeste draws readers into the characters' emotional turmoil, creating a raw and relatable experience.

The protagonist's journey towards self-discovery is heart-wrenching, and the way the author delves into complex emotions, like grief and regret, makes for an incredibly impactful read. The pacing is slow but steady, allowing the emotions and the depth of the story to unfold naturally.

However, some readers may find the story’s pace a bit drawn out, especially in terms of the romantic tension between the characters. Despite that, the character development is solid, and the author does a great job of portraying real-life struggles in a way that resonates deeply with the audience.

Overall, *Past the Broken Bridges* is a beautifully written story that offers a deep dive into relationships, healing, and self-acceptance. Fans of emotional contemporary romance with strong character-driven plots will likely appreciate this book.

Past the Broken Bridges?? I don't think my heart will ever get passed THIS book! This WILL be one of my top reads in 2025-calling it now!

Oh my heart! Grab your tissues and buckle up for this amazing read. Past the Broken Bridges is a phenomenal tale of friendship, romance, resiliency, and sacrifice. Sawyer and Banks are two people you could easily be sitting next to somewhere with the way B. Celeste writes these characters. Sawyer is just a young woman, who just wants to live a normal college adult life, and Banks is a gem of a man who deserves so much more than he has had in his life. This book was dual POV, which made it SO much more fulfilling to read. Knowing what Banks was thinking throughout the book, had me that much more enthralled with the story. The addition of many side characters, who each brought something to the story, helped develop the main characters in different ways. We get to see how both characters can be selfless and selfish at times, and while it was not always pretty, you could emotionally relate to them.

This book represents chronic illness, addiction, abuse, cancer, sacrifice, and grief. It is emotionally raw at times, but heartwarming at others. It is a book written to make you reflect and will definitely have you in tears more than once. It took me hours after I finished before I could think about anything else.

Thank you to Bloom Books and Netgalley for this arc!

Nope. Nope. Nope. Disjointed to the point I kept backtracking to see if I somehow missed pages. Juvenile to the point of eye rolls. Totally predictable. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this copy for read and review

This book gave me all the feels! It is absolutely beautiful, raw, and heartbreaking! Read if you love:
-Emotional Reads
-Childhood Friends to Lovers
-College Romance
Please check your trigger warnings!

umm hi this one actually broke my heart! I was in tears basically the entire time- the emotions were all over the place. everyone was complicated and had their own issues, and the love between them was deep and so real <3

That was DEVASTATING. Like crying in my room at 2am when I finished it. It was so worth it though.

Sawyer and Banks felt like such real people that some of the chapters I had a hard time reading because I just felt for them so much. Sawyer has had an awful couple of years and Bank's homelife is just crap.

I love the way Sawyer just wants to live. She's doing her best to live in the moment and experience new things. She even has a list that she's working through that unfolds throughout the story. Then she meets Banks, who just needs somebody.

Banks was probably my favorite. I'm so glad it was a dual pov because it really helped you understand who he is and why he does some of the things he does. He deserved so much better. He puts everyone else first all of the time, and it just breaks your heart

As someone with a lot of chronic health issues I think this does a good job of portraying what it can be like to be sick. It's messy, it's selfish at times, and it's freaking hard. You don't want to put your family through more, you self isolate, and you don't feel like you're good enough for anyone. I think the author does a fantastic job and not only showing that but showing how terrifying it can feel when someone wiggles their way in and makes you care about them.

If you’re looking for a deeply emotional, beautifully written story that will gently rip your heart out and then tenderly put it back together, Past the Broken Bridges is it.

This book is about love, loss, and the quiet, aching question: if we are loved, can we ever truly be lost? B. Celeste has a way of making every single sentence feel like a gut punch in the best way. The characters are raw, the emotions are real, and the story lingers long after you turn the last page.

TL;DR: If you love poignant, introspective romances with breathtaking writing, this one is an absolute must-read. Just…maybe keep some tissues nearby.

What a killer story. It had so much meaning to it. Sawyer and Paxton met when they were quite young. Katrina happened and her family moved away as their home was destroyed. Sawyer had cancer twice and wanted to go to college back where she came from. There she met Banks and didn't find out his first name until close to the end of the book. He knew she was familiar but since she was a blond (wigs) and the Sawyer he knew had bright red hair. Their relationship was a struggle as they both had secrets. She didn't want any one to know she was dying and he didn't want anyone to know his father beat on him at times. When she is in an accident with his friend, the truth comes out. He takes her home and has trouble understanding why she wouldn't fight more to live. He finally understood and respected her wishes. How she died was heartbreaking for all involved. This book was well worth reading - just get some Kleenex for some of it

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

I just finished the book and I'm so sad. The author wrote a raw and gritty, highly emotional story that had me in tears more than one time. And btw, this isn't the typical drama - hea story.
The characters are flawed, the story deals with sensitive subjects - but I loved every minute reading this gem of a story that deserves all the stars. Past the Broken Bridges is a book that goes straight to my re-read pile - that'll stay with me for a long time.
I highly recommend the book 5 stars.

Emotional, with many twists and turns, Past the Broken Bridges really touched me. I was weary going into it but all in all, this was really good.

As kids Sawyer and Paxton, had a secret meeting place and would share snacks and daydream about life, when hurricane Katrina hits both families are separated, and neither knows what happens to the other.

Sawyer’s life has taken a different path, she’s finally ready to enroll in college and to “live”.

When she meets her neighbor Banks, she gets her first relationship.

Little does she know that Banks is really Paxton, and it takes Banks a very long time to realize that she is his Sawyer.

This book was an emotional roller coaster, exploring the fragility of life, the choices we make and how they affect those around us, Sawyer and Paxton will stay with me for a long time…” hopefully, in another life”

Oh! I really liked the way this story unfolded. I thought the author did a great job crafting the main characters. It was entertaining to read about their lives and how things turn out for them after several years apart. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. This story is told from the dual point of view of Sawyer and Banks. This story is an emotional journey with many unexpected twists and turns. This book does addresses many series topics. I was drawn into this story from the very start and could not put this book down. I ended up reading this book in one day.

I love this author! The books always grab me right from the beginning, so good! I couldn't put this book down! Thank you for the ARC!