I’ve followed the author on instagram for a while now and she told us she was writing a book so I was routing for her from the start and couldn’t wait to read it . From the moment i turned the first page I was hooked . I thought the description of sera silverbirch’s mother’s death was beautifully written and the author really understood grief and its significance to the character. As soon as she arrived in Istanbul the city was bought to life with its vivid descriptions I really felt I was there with her and seeing such a beautiful vibrant city for real . The story is pure magic with plot twists and turns and an array of characters that just make you want to keep reading late into the night to finish it . I loved it with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher hot key books and ova ceren . Read on kindle

The Book of Heartbreak is a book about a girl who is cursed to die every time her heart breaks, and after 5 she will not come back. We start the book off having already died of heartbreak 3 times. This is based on a Middle Eastern legend and takes place mostly in Istanbul.

I enjoyed the slight mixed media in this. We saw some emails back and forth between the involved celestials throughout the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for sending me a copy to review.

I thought this was a fun little fantasy read! It reminded me of Invisible Life of Addie LaRue for sure. Overall, was just decent for me—I’d have to say three stars.

The Book of Heartbreak was not a book I requested, it was instead sent to me by the publisher. I do not typically read books marketed as romantasy, and while I wanted to try to enjoy this one, I just couldn't quite get over the genre it was being labeled as. I thought that it read a bit young at times, which makes the whole "romantasy" label weird to me- which I see as a definitively adult category. I think this book would be excellent for people who enjoy mythology, fantasy, and romance, but that's just not really my cup of tea.

This is a unique story for fans of urban fantasy or magical realism. I was intrigued and worried for the main character as she navigated her curse. At times the writing felt slow but overall I enjoyed it!

I was initially drawn in by the gorgeous cover. Then I read the blurb and was so intrigued so I decided to dive in. This was a great read.

I enjoyed the writing style and the story was interesting. I learned after reading that this was a take on a Turkish folk tale with a twist, and I feel that it was well done.

As a big fan of fantasy, this dip into magical realism was a fun one. Something I’ve noticed is that 17 year olds are frequently portrayed with poor decision making skills, but Sare was different. She didn’t make those rash decisions that you often see. She was a great portrayal of a strong, intelligent young girl.

This was a fun yet unsettling adventure. If he heart breaks five times, she will die. But why on earth is she stuck with this curse, and how is she supposed to avoid heartbreak when life can be so cruel?

Ova Ceren's The Book of Heartbreak is a lovely blend of fantasy, romance and Middle Eastern folklore.
We follow our FMC Sare as she travels to find a cure to her curse - a fifth heartbreak that will stop her heart forever - and meets our seer Leon. Their blossoming romance is tender even as Sare's fragile heart hangs in the balance.

The story had a good balance of heartbreak, humor and hope. The dialogue flows well and feels genuine, the characters are well developed and written so that it's easy to empathise with them. The plot is progressive, well paced and keeps readers engaged.

The Book of Heartbreak is a fun romantasy that will break your heart and piece it back together again. Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for an ARC of this book to review.

The Book of Heartbreak is a beautiful retelling of a Middle Eastern Legend that immediately captured my attention!! Sare must risk her final heartbreak, and her life, for the truth. My heart broke for her and all the love she needed but was never given.

If you love Middle Eastern Legends, forbidden romance, coming of age, and hefallsfirstbutshefallsharder tropes, this book is perfect for you!

Thank you for the opportunity of an eARC, and I am leaving this review willingly.

Loved this one! I went in expecting OUABH vibes and was only slightly wrong on that one. I anticipate this being a big hit in the book community!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book for an honest review!
It was magical!

Such a wonderful story with richness of Istabul, magic, love, life and trust. The main character Sare learns so much about the unexpected with the journey she goes on physically and mentally. Does she find what she's looking for? Does she get more than what she bargains? It was an emotional read. I felt like Sare was trying to figure it all out and I was right there with her. I wanted her to get happiness and to understand all the things that were happening to her.

Does she get her happy ever after?
You will have to go get this book when it comes out.

The cover of the book is gorgeous!

There were surprises along the way which made me jump. I will say there was one thing that I thought was hilarious in the book and was not expecting it which leads me to the word - emails. There were other moments in the book that I thought were sweet.

Everything was unique and rich throughout the plot, characters and everything! I think you should add this book to your collection. Go pick it up at your local bookstore and request it at your local library for August 2025!

This was a fun fantasy! I loved the relationship between Leon and Sare. The setup and premise for this story was one that set the stakes high from the start. It had me gripping my seats in anxiety worrying about when things would go wrong. Forbidden love in the absolute sense of the word, no bigger consequence than death itself. I’ve never quite read anything similar to this, and honestly that was for the best. This could just exist as its own thing with no references to hold it to. The plot was fun, the romance was believable, and the characters were all well written as well.

This was a quick and fun fantasy read. I enjoyed the two main characters (Sare and Leon), the romance was sweet (hello slow burn), and the overall plot felt new and fresh.
One of my favorite aspects was the "correspondence" interruptions - it mixed things up and kept things interesting!
For fans of Young Adult Fantasy - specifically urban fantasy.

One complaint (and this did not change my review) was it was incredibly difficult to read as far as formatting is concerned. The ARC had no page breaks - so you would start a new chapter mid paragraph.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC!

I’m sorry but this just didn’t do it for me. It didn't feel unique. It honestly felt like an origin story of “Once Upon A Broken Heart” if Jacks was a girl.

After about 2 chapters I didn’t need to read further, I immediately knew what would happen. A girl who is cursed with a limited number of heartbreaks, if she has another she dies. She only needs to avoid every relationship until she turns 18 in a few months. I wonder what could happen….👀. I could tell that she would be scared to find love, but take the risk and it would end up happily ever after.

I did like the discourse with the Angels/Heaven and the FMCs guardian. That part was different and added some cool angles to what was really going on.

I probably wouldn’t recommend this book to others seeing that it just didn’t have an “umph”.

Heartbreaks have never been so deadly…one more and Sare will have her heart stop forever…

This story is very interesting and absolutely will keep you enthralled start to finish! Mysteries, secrets, celestial beings…what will happen? I enjoyed meeting our characters and seeing there growth! This books is very insta love vibes, a great romantasy book when you are looking for a quick read!

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one had so much potential but then was ultimately a let down. There were some really good parts like the take on Turkish myths and generational trauma. I also did like the characters and their relationships. Unfortunately it was all overshadowed by the need to be quirky with the bureaucracy of angels and devils and having to read them email back and forth. This part completely took me out of the story and cheapened it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was fun. Loved the world building and characters. Also liked that the book revolves around the the theme of heartbreak in a new way.

I really enjoyed this! I was drawn to the description but mostly the setting and middle eastern influences. I love books that follow a sort of quest/journey and felt it was really well done and intriguing in this book! what I liked the most was the theme of heartbreak/the curse her family has. The FMC Sare had gone through so much pain in her relationships, family and friendships. But she kept going and had alot of self exploration / growth throughout the book.

It was slow at different parts enough I had some trouble getting through it but overall a really good read

I can totally see the comparison to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue or Laini Taylor, I would definitely recommend trying this if you enjoyed that kind of story.

This is a slow-burn romance that has more than just a romantic relationship at the forefront. Honestly, it feels like all of the other relationships are just as important, if not more so (in my opinion) than just the romantic one. I think that adds an another layer of depth to a character, if they have more going on in their life than just a love interest.

This was also formatted in a very unique way with references to the book and other moments in time. I don't think I've ever read a book with something like that, I always find that fun (even if I may not love that specific format, I do always find it cool to discover new ways someone can tell their story).

And it's inspired by Middle Eastern legends and stories and I always love that kind of book, especially if it means I get to learn new kinds of stories (I'm not familiar with too many Middle Eastern ones, so I don't have any preconceived notions about them, so I like that - clean slate).

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

The Book of Heartbreak follows a teenager named Sare, through many heartbreaks in her young life. She loses everything she comes to care for because of a centuries old curse that has been passed down through the generations of women in her family. Sare begins to seek a cure to the curse and this is where the story gets interesting.

The writing bounces between letter correspondence as the story unfolds. I felt that it could have been improved by not using letters but simply telling the other parts of the story. Overall, it was a read that was worth the time and I think that this book would be suited best for YA readers.

This was not quite a 4 for me but definitely not a 3.