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Both Things Are True: A Novel
For two exes who meet again, moving on is harder than ever in a funny and heartfelt romantic comedy about starting over by the author of
Truth Be Told
, now a major Apple TV+ series.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer living high in New York. But after her crypto-entrepreneur fiancé ruins both their lives by fleeing the country amid fraud allegations, Vanessa’s only choice is to start over—by flying home to Chicago and moving in with her sister.
Just as Vanessa puts her life back together, she bumps into Sam. Years ago, they fell hard and too fast. Their relationship ended in heartbreak after an impromptu Las Vegas wedding officiated by a Dolly Parton impersonator—and an annulment that was just as sudden. Now Sam is co-owner of a solar company with a promising future, a future Vanessa wants to be included in. But she can’t shake the whiff of scandal from her AWOL fiancé, and to protect Sam’s reputation, she’s keeping her distance. Then again…
If anyone can turn a negative into a positive—and a first love into a second chance—it’s a young woman with influence.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer living high in New York. But after her crypto-entrepreneur fiancé ruins both their lives by fleeing the country amid fraud allegations, Vanessa’s only choice is to start over—by flying home to Chicago and moving in with her sister.
Just as Vanessa puts her life back together, she bumps into Sam. Years ago, they fell hard and too fast. Their relationship ended in heartbreak after an impromptu Las Vegas wedding officiated by a Dolly Parton impersonator—and an annulment that was just as sudden. Now Sam is co-owner of a solar company with a promising future, a future Vanessa wants to be included in. But she can’t shake the whiff of scandal from her AWOL fiancé, and to protect Sam’s reputation, she’s keeping her distance. Then again…
If anyone can turn a negative into a positive—and a first love into a second chance—it’s a young woman with influence.
Audible Audio
Published September 1, 2025
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About the author
Kathleen Barber
4 books1,043 followersKathleen Barber’s first novel Truth Be Told (formerly published as Are You Sleeping) is the inspiration for the Apple TV+ series of the same name, produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and starring Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul. Kathleen was raised in Galesburg, Illinois, and is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Northwestern University School of Law. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and son. Follow Me is her second novel.
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August 30, 2025
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2.5 Stars
This story is about Vanessa. She’s a big-hit yogi on the internet and lives in New York. Her fiancé, Jack, runs a crypto scam and flees the U.S. So what does Vanessa do? She ends up moving in with her sister, Faith, in Chicago and tries to start anew. That’s where she gets a second chance with Sam.
This is a story of grief; just because someone is still alive doesn’t mean you can’t grieve them. The end of a marriage or relationship is like a death of sorts. I like how the author shows how complex love can be; just because he was a bad guy doesn’t mean Vanessa isn’t hurt. She is completely conflicted but is still trying to move forward. The book shows the complexities of that. I liked how emotional the writing was without being too sentimental or saccharine. I liked the messiness of Vanessa’s troubles, and I cheered on her wins. But I didn’t like the lack of communication. These are grown-ups, and they should have learned to speak by now.
As much as I liked what I mentioned above, the book doesn’t deliver on its potential. While I loved the premise and the sweet writing, the pacing dragged like molasses in January—in Canada! Some of the characters lacked depth to make the story and their journeys really resonate with me. But the author’s ability to write about emotional messiness (which I love) has me giving it an extra half star. I just wish it had impacted me the way it promised.
So which is it?
I enjoyed this book.
This book isn’t great.
Both things are true.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
2.5 Stars
This story is about Vanessa. She’s a big-hit yogi on the internet and lives in New York. Her fiancé, Jack, runs a crypto scam and flees the U.S. So what does Vanessa do? She ends up moving in with her sister, Faith, in Chicago and tries to start anew. That’s where she gets a second chance with Sam.
This is a story of grief; just because someone is still alive doesn’t mean you can’t grieve them. The end of a marriage or relationship is like a death of sorts. I like how the author shows how complex love can be; just because he was a bad guy doesn’t mean Vanessa isn’t hurt. She is completely conflicted but is still trying to move forward. The book shows the complexities of that. I liked how emotional the writing was without being too sentimental or saccharine. I liked the messiness of Vanessa’s troubles, and I cheered on her wins. But I didn’t like the lack of communication. These are grown-ups, and they should have learned to speak by now.
As much as I liked what I mentioned above, the book doesn’t deliver on its potential. While I loved the premise and the sweet writing, the pacing dragged like molasses in January—in Canada! Some of the characters lacked depth to make the story and their journeys really resonate with me. But the author’s ability to write about emotional messiness (which I love) has me giving it an extra half star. I just wish it had impacted me the way it promised.
So which is it?
I enjoyed this book.
This book isn’t great.
Both things are true.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 2, 2025
I haven’t seen the Apple TV+ series-Truth Be Told, but I remember reading and enjoying the book years ago, so I was excited to get the opportunity to read an early copy of the author’s latest-Both Things Are True.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer engaged to Jack, a crypto entrepreneur who is perfect on paper. But, she would trade their opulent lifestyle for another chance with Sam-the one who got away.
When Jack is accused of fraud and flees the country, Vanessa’s only option is to fly home to Chicago and move in with her younger sister, Faith. Fortunately, Serendipity will put Sam in her path, almost as soon as she arrives.
They weren’t any good at communicating years ago, when they impulsively got married in Las Vegas, and just as quickly annulled the marriage, 72 hours later when they sobered up-and they aren’t any better at communicating now.
In fact at 44%, Faith advises her sister to JUST TALK to Sam, but then we would not have a story. This entire “second chance” romance revolves around MISCOMMUNICATION.
I think that your enjoyment (or lack thereof) will depend on whether or not you sympathize with Vanessa. Unfortunately, I found her self pity, and self sabotaging behavior, and her excuses for her chronic tardiness to be annoying. She seemed to be CRYING on every other page.
For a romance to work-you need to root for the characters to get together, and I wasn’t doing that, so the book failed for me. If you find yourself rooting for Vanessa-you will have a different experience with this story, and I hope that you do!
Did MarilynW and DeAnn have better luck with this one? Be sure to watch for their reviews!
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer engaged to Jack, a crypto entrepreneur who is perfect on paper. But, she would trade their opulent lifestyle for another chance with Sam-the one who got away.
When Jack is accused of fraud and flees the country, Vanessa’s only option is to fly home to Chicago and move in with her younger sister, Faith. Fortunately, Serendipity will put Sam in her path, almost as soon as she arrives.
They weren’t any good at communicating years ago, when they impulsively got married in Las Vegas, and just as quickly annulled the marriage, 72 hours later when they sobered up-and they aren’t any better at communicating now.
In fact at 44%, Faith advises her sister to JUST TALK to Sam, but then we would not have a story. This entire “second chance” romance revolves around MISCOMMUNICATION.
I think that your enjoyment (or lack thereof) will depend on whether or not you sympathize with Vanessa. Unfortunately, I found her self pity, and self sabotaging behavior, and her excuses for her chronic tardiness to be annoying. She seemed to be CRYING on every other page.
For a romance to work-you need to root for the characters to get together, and I wasn’t doing that, so the book failed for me. If you find yourself rooting for Vanessa-you will have a different experience with this story, and I hope that you do!
Did MarilynW and DeAnn have better luck with this one? Be sure to watch for their reviews!
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.
dnf
August 25, 2025DNF at 20% - just couldn't get into a yoga-fluencer with a missing crypto bro, nepo baby B.F.... not for me, YMMV
September 21, 2025
💫 Bookish Thoughts
Both Things Are True is described as a second chance romance, but I will be honest and say I would have given this book five stars if Vanessa ended up single. The strongest part of the story is watching her grow into her own identity and finally make the hard choices she had been avoiding.
I did not love Vanessa and Sam together. Their communication was just as poor this time as it was the first. Sam frustrated me throughout the book. Vanessa still needed to mature, but at least she was putting in the effort. Sam seemed unable to move forward without leaning on other people, including his business partner, which made him hard to root for.
The ending was still sweet and Sam did step up right at the very end. That pulled the story together enough for me to settle on 3.75 stars.
📖 What You Can Expect
• Second chance romance
• Found family
• Sisterhood
• Forced Proximity
_ _ _
📖 Final Score: 3.75 ⭐️
📅 Pub Date: September 1, 2025
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
Both Things Are True is described as a second chance romance, but I will be honest and say I would have given this book five stars if Vanessa ended up single. The strongest part of the story is watching her grow into her own identity and finally make the hard choices she had been avoiding.
I did not love Vanessa and Sam together. Their communication was just as poor this time as it was the first. Sam frustrated me throughout the book. Vanessa still needed to mature, but at least she was putting in the effort. Sam seemed unable to move forward without leaning on other people, including his business partner, which made him hard to root for.
The ending was still sweet and Sam did step up right at the very end. That pulled the story together enough for me to settle on 3.75 stars.
📖 What You Can Expect
• Second chance romance
• Found family
• Sisterhood
• Forced Proximity
_ _ _
📖 Final Score: 3.75 ⭐️
📅 Pub Date: September 1, 2025
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
February 22, 2025
3/5 stars
Look, I love a good second-chance romance. Exes running into each other, old sparks flying, some fun banter—sign me up. But Both Things Are True by Kathleen Barber, it kinda just was. Not bad, not amazing, just… there.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer whose life takes a nosedive when her scammer fiancé pulls a disappearing act. So she does the classic "my life is in shambles, let me go home"move and lands back in Chicago. Enter Sam, the ex she once accidentally married in Vegas (as one does). He’s all put-together now, and she maybe wants back in.
Sounds fun, right? It should be.
But the characters? They didn’t do it for me. Vanessa was hard to root for, and Sam… well, he existed.
The story felt repetitive, like it was running in circles instead of actually getting anywhere. The premise had potential, but it never really went all in.
That said, the happy ending was nice, and if you just want a light, brain-off, beach read, it’s fine. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!
Look, I love a good second-chance romance. Exes running into each other, old sparks flying, some fun banter—sign me up. But Both Things Are True by Kathleen Barber, it kinda just was. Not bad, not amazing, just… there.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer whose life takes a nosedive when her scammer fiancé pulls a disappearing act. So she does the classic "my life is in shambles, let me go home"move and lands back in Chicago. Enter Sam, the ex she once accidentally married in Vegas (as one does). He’s all put-together now, and she maybe wants back in.
Sounds fun, right? It should be.
But the characters? They didn’t do it for me. Vanessa was hard to root for, and Sam… well, he existed.
The story felt repetitive, like it was running in circles instead of actually getting anywhere. The premise had potential, but it never really went all in.
That said, the happy ending was nice, and if you just want a light, brain-off, beach read, it’s fine. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!
August 11, 2025
300 pages of talking in circles, miscommunication, and self pity. I honestly don't know how I finished this.
March 7, 2025
⭐⭐ (2 stars)
This is the first of Kathleen Barber’s books I’ve read, and it unfortunately was a miss for me. I’ll concede that a big part of this is personal preference – the miscommunication trope is deeply frustrating to me and I almost always find myself yelling at the characters to just talk to each other!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
-Miscommunication trope
-Second chance
-2/5 spice level
WHAT I LIKED:
-The plot was delightfully outlandish. A popular yoga instructor engaged to a wealthy cryptofinance bro who disappears after defrauding his investors? Deal me in.
-Barber really captured that gut-punch feeling of being blocked or unfriended by an ex and being completely fixated on it. Who hasn’t had an all-consuming crush, and who hasn't fallen into the internet hole of googling your ex, especially when it’s the one that got away?
-The love for Dolly Parton that runs throughout this book.
-Fern! A maybe-nefarious journalist throwing wrenches into the plot. For having relatively little time on the page, she delivered a real heat check performance.
-Rehka was my favorite character and the only person who seemed to clock how deeply toxic Vanessa’s attachment to Sam was.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
[Light spoilers ahead]
-My overarching issue with this novel is that it recast what is a deeply toxic, codependent relationship as a romance. Vanessa’s happiness is entirely contingent on Sam, her college boyfriend she hasn’t seen in years. Any growth she has doesn’t come from within; she’s entirely reliant on external validation (particularly from Sam) and…that never changes! To that end, I don’t feel like I really know who Vanessa is aside from a yogi who loves Sam.
-I really struggled to understand why Sam was so great! Despite co-founding a revolutionary company he seems to be a total disaster who is exactly as mature as he was in college.
- Vanessa and Sam’s relationship seems to have picked up exactly where it left off – which is to say that neither of them seemed to have matured at all since they were 22.
-This book barely passed the Bechdel test. Almost every conversation Vanessa had centered around Jack or Sam.
-The side characters felt very flat. They seemed to pop into existence only when they were around Vanessa and didn’t feel like they had lives outside of talking to her about Sam.
-For a second chance romance to be successful I need to really understand what was so compelling about this couple the first time around and I was really missing that. In the highly detailed flashbacks woven into the narrative, it seems like Vanessa and Sam were deeply infatuated and then miserable. I didn’t feel excited to see what would happen next and found myself rolling my eyes and practically yelling JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.
OTHER THOUGHTS:
[Light spoilers]
-I’m not usually a huge fan of non-linear timelines, but I think this novel could have benefitted from flashbacks that were fully broken out from the present-day timeline. They were described in detail but I think would have been more effective as actual scenes with action and dialogue.
-Based on how frequently Vanessa talks about her knee I expected it to play a bigger role in the plot. GO TO THE DOCTOR!
-Seriously, she never googled her ex boyfriend with whom she's still deeply in love? I find that so hard to believe.
-If Vanessa knows marketing and communications so well, shouldn’t she know that ignoring a journalist’s calls is a really bad idea?
-If I dated a man who disrespected Dolly Parton like that I’d dump him immediately.
-I want to go to one of Ellie’s parties.
Overall, this was a light and relatively quick read. It was too light on character development and heavy on exposition for me, and I wish I’d learned more about Vanessa and Sam’s relationship prior to the events of the book to really understand what made them so drawn to each other, and more about Vanessa as a character and not just a woman with a love interest!
This is the first of Kathleen Barber’s books I’ve read, and it unfortunately was a miss for me. I’ll concede that a big part of this is personal preference – the miscommunication trope is deeply frustrating to me and I almost always find myself yelling at the characters to just talk to each other!
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
-Miscommunication trope
-Second chance
-2/5 spice level
WHAT I LIKED:
-The plot was delightfully outlandish. A popular yoga instructor engaged to a wealthy cryptofinance bro who disappears after defrauding his investors? Deal me in.
-Barber really captured that gut-punch feeling of being blocked or unfriended by an ex and being completely fixated on it. Who hasn’t had an all-consuming crush, and who hasn't fallen into the internet hole of googling your ex, especially when it’s the one that got away?
-The love for Dolly Parton that runs throughout this book.
-Fern! A maybe-nefarious journalist throwing wrenches into the plot. For having relatively little time on the page, she delivered a real heat check performance.
-Rehka was my favorite character and the only person who seemed to clock how deeply toxic Vanessa’s attachment to Sam was.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
[Light spoilers ahead]
-My overarching issue with this novel is that it recast what is a deeply toxic, codependent relationship as a romance. Vanessa’s happiness is entirely contingent on Sam, her college boyfriend she hasn’t seen in years. Any growth she has doesn’t come from within; she’s entirely reliant on external validation (particularly from Sam) and…that never changes! To that end, I don’t feel like I really know who Vanessa is aside from a yogi who loves Sam.
-I really struggled to understand why Sam was so great! Despite co-founding a revolutionary company he seems to be a total disaster who is exactly as mature as he was in college.
- Vanessa and Sam’s relationship seems to have picked up exactly where it left off – which is to say that neither of them seemed to have matured at all since they were 22.
-This book barely passed the Bechdel test. Almost every conversation Vanessa had centered around Jack or Sam.
-The side characters felt very flat. They seemed to pop into existence only when they were around Vanessa and didn’t feel like they had lives outside of talking to her about Sam.
-For a second chance romance to be successful I need to really understand what was so compelling about this couple the first time around and I was really missing that. In the highly detailed flashbacks woven into the narrative, it seems like Vanessa and Sam were deeply infatuated and then miserable. I didn’t feel excited to see what would happen next and found myself rolling my eyes and practically yelling JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.
OTHER THOUGHTS:
[Light spoilers]
-I’m not usually a huge fan of non-linear timelines, but I think this novel could have benefitted from flashbacks that were fully broken out from the present-day timeline. They were described in detail but I think would have been more effective as actual scenes with action and dialogue.
-Based on how frequently Vanessa talks about her knee I expected it to play a bigger role in the plot. GO TO THE DOCTOR!
-Seriously, she never googled her ex boyfriend with whom she's still deeply in love? I find that so hard to believe.
-If Vanessa knows marketing and communications so well, shouldn’t she know that ignoring a journalist’s calls is a really bad idea?
-If I dated a man who disrespected Dolly Parton like that I’d dump him immediately.
-I want to go to one of Ellie’s parties.
Overall, this was a light and relatively quick read. It was too light on character development and heavy on exposition for me, and I wish I’d learned more about Vanessa and Sam’s relationship prior to the events of the book to really understand what made them so drawn to each other, and more about Vanessa as a character and not just a woman with a love interest!
August 31, 2025
Thank you Amazon Publishing for this ARC!
Unfortunately, this was almost a DNF for me on several occasions... poor communication, shallow relationships, & the writing style wasn't for me. I wanted to like it but I struggled through this one.
Unfortunately, this was almost a DNF for me on several occasions... poor communication, shallow relationships, & the writing style wasn't for me. I wanted to like it but I struggled through this one.
August 12, 2025
It’s the same ole miscommunication happening over and over and over. No plot or character development. 2 stars.
August 12, 2025
This was a very long book that I got for free from Amazon. I never thought it would end. The book is a bad romance novel probably intended for teenagers who are allowed to read books with sex scenes in them. What was the draw between Sam and Vanessa besides a burning sexual desire? Let’s see if they are still pawing each they when they are 50 with kids! There was no character development in any of the characters. Vanessa’s obsession with Sam was WAY unhealthy and off to a shrink she needs to go. It is very uncomfortable to think of myself and others as teenagers going through soul crushing breakups and unrequited love. Uuuggghhh. The End.
October 13, 2025
there is nothing i hate more than a miscommunication trope, especially when it's just both the characters skating around the subject the ENTIRE BOOK. also you hurt your knee in chapter like 5 and never went to the hospital or anything and instead complained about it the entire book... girl
October 1, 2025
3 stars
Plot: 2 stars
Pacing: 3 stars
Enjoyment: 3 stars
Characters: 2 stars
Ending: 4 stars
Vanessa lost the love of her life five years ago. In an attempt to put herself back together, she went from starting a career in marketing to being a yoga influencer, and she gets engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors. Then, crazy events involving her fiancé’s crypto company take place and Vanessa finds herself single, living in her sister’s apartment, and running into the boy who broke her heart all those years ago. Will they take this second chance to be together?
This had so much potential, unfortunately the execution just wasn’t fully there. Don’t get me wrong, the pining was great, but there weren’t ever other things going on to make it more interesting. They only ever communicate in the apartment building and they are always alone, so it feels like reading the same scene over and over.
The characters are kinda lame. Vanessa just rubbed me the wrong way and her ex, Sam, is pretty much whatever the opposite of swoon-worthy is. The reason for the break up all those years ago was completely his fault and most of his decisions present day are either boring or wrong.
The ending, albeit probably 4 chapters too long, is very sweet and makes up for a lot of my other frustrations.
Plot: 2 stars
Pacing: 3 stars
Enjoyment: 3 stars
Characters: 2 stars
Ending: 4 stars
Vanessa lost the love of her life five years ago. In an attempt to put herself back together, she went from starting a career in marketing to being a yoga influencer, and she gets engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors. Then, crazy events involving her fiancé’s crypto company take place and Vanessa finds herself single, living in her sister’s apartment, and running into the boy who broke her heart all those years ago. Will they take this second chance to be together?
This had so much potential, unfortunately the execution just wasn’t fully there. Don’t get me wrong, the pining was great, but there weren’t ever other things going on to make it more interesting. They only ever communicate in the apartment building and they are always alone, so it feels like reading the same scene over and over.
The characters are kinda lame. Vanessa just rubbed me the wrong way and her ex, Sam, is pretty much whatever the opposite of swoon-worthy is. The reason for the break up all those years ago was completely his fault and most of his decisions present day are either boring or wrong.
The ending, albeit probably 4 chapters too long, is very sweet and makes up for a lot of my other frustrations.
August 18, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Both Things Are True by Kathleen Barger follows Vanessa, a yoga instructor whose life takes an unexpected turn when her engagement ends and she finds herself jobless, moving in with her sister in Chicago. The story moves at a brisk pace, which I appreciated—short chapters always help keep me engaged!
Vanessa is a relatable character, especially in her struggle to figure out what she really wants from life. After a painful breakup with her college boyfriend, Sam, she moves to NYC for a fresh start. Five years later, she’s engaged to a wealthy man, but questions whether this life is truly hers.
When a major professional setback forces her back to Chicago, she unexpectedly crosses paths with Sam. I was intrigued by their reconnection and enjoyed the tension between them. After having a real reconnection. Vanessa is suddenly fixated on Sam’s use of the word “nothing” and refuses to think of anything else. She leaves abruptly, and ignores Sam's attempts to talk to her again. Despite pining over him for years and clearly still having strong feelings, she lets a single overheard comment derail everything without giving him the chance to explain. It felt stubborn and a bit forced, especially given their history and chemistry. It seemed to me, after everything Vanessa had been through, that she would be a little more mature about it.
That said, the novel is a quick and engaging read, and fans of women’s fiction will likely enjoy it. If you like stories about self-discovery, second chances, and navigating the messiness of adult relationships, this one is worth checking out.
Both Things Are True by Kathleen Barger follows Vanessa, a yoga instructor whose life takes an unexpected turn when her engagement ends and she finds herself jobless, moving in with her sister in Chicago. The story moves at a brisk pace, which I appreciated—short chapters always help keep me engaged!
Vanessa is a relatable character, especially in her struggle to figure out what she really wants from life. After a painful breakup with her college boyfriend, Sam, she moves to NYC for a fresh start. Five years later, she’s engaged to a wealthy man, but questions whether this life is truly hers.
When a major professional setback forces her back to Chicago, she unexpectedly crosses paths with Sam. I was intrigued by their reconnection and enjoyed the tension between them. After having a real reconnection. Vanessa is suddenly fixated on Sam’s use of the word “nothing” and refuses to think of anything else. She leaves abruptly, and ignores Sam's attempts to talk to her again. Despite pining over him for years and clearly still having strong feelings, she lets a single overheard comment derail everything without giving him the chance to explain. It felt stubborn and a bit forced, especially given their history and chemistry. It seemed to me, after everything Vanessa had been through, that she would be a little more mature about it.
That said, the novel is a quick and engaging read, and fans of women’s fiction will likely enjoy it. If you like stories about self-discovery, second chances, and navigating the messiness of adult relationships, this one is worth checking out.
September 2, 2025
Realistically this is more of a 1 star for me. It’s not my go to type of book, but I needed something light and thoughtless to read while breastfeeding at 2 am, since the epic fantasy book I was reading required too much of my attention, and my tired brain couldn’t keep up.
That wasn’t a problem with this book. I honestly wouldn’t have finished it, if I hadn’t already committed to it. Pacing was too slow, the main characters and their inability to communicate for 85% of the book was essentially the whole drama. I hate it when the main issue in a relationship is lack of communication. Seriously, all their problems could have been solved immediately if they just talked. Is it realistic? Yes. A lot of people suck at communication. A lot of people can’t get over their ex significant others. But good grief. I’m too old for this trope. Communication has also never been a big problem for me, and I’m in my mid -later 30s and in a relationship
with solid communication.
I also just couldn’t care about the relationship in this book. I didn’t see why the characters liked each other in the first place. I didn’t feel their chemistry. There was nothing that made me want it to work for them.
Anyway, I am giving it 2 stars since it did serve the purpose I wanted it to-keep me awake while feeding a newborn.
If you like angst filled romance, fade to black spice, and a lot of monologues this is the book for you. It was not the book for me.
That wasn’t a problem with this book. I honestly wouldn’t have finished it, if I hadn’t already committed to it. Pacing was too slow, the main characters and their inability to communicate for 85% of the book was essentially the whole drama. I hate it when the main issue in a relationship is lack of communication. Seriously, all their problems could have been solved immediately if they just talked. Is it realistic? Yes. A lot of people suck at communication. A lot of people can’t get over their ex significant others. But good grief. I’m too old for this trope. Communication has also never been a big problem for me, and I’m in my mid -later 30s and in a relationship
with solid communication.
I also just couldn’t care about the relationship in this book. I didn’t see why the characters liked each other in the first place. I didn’t feel their chemistry. There was nothing that made me want it to work for them.
Anyway, I am giving it 2 stars since it did serve the purpose I wanted it to-keep me awake while feeding a newborn.
If you like angst filled romance, fade to black spice, and a lot of monologues this is the book for you. It was not the book for me.
February 10, 2025
“Over the last few years-and the last few months, in particular-I've spent so much time thinking about all the ways my life would be different if I'd made other decisions”
This book is the perfect description of what a toxic relationship is like, mostly because of how much they depend on each other’s presence to feel happy but also because of the miscommunication trope, but if that’s your thing, then this book is definitely worth checking out!
WHAT TO EXPECT:
⭐️ miscommunication trope
⭐️ second chance
⭐️ she’s extroverted
⭐️ he’s shy
⭐️ 2/5 spice
⭐️ HEA
Our female MC, Vanessa, was a bit of a letdown. She spent most of the book dwelling on the past and dwelling on what she should’ve done differently. The worst part was that she kept repeating the same mistakes, even though she had plenty of time to think about how she could’ve done them better this time. She also seemed to be stuck in a victim mentality, feeling sorry for herself even though she was the one who made the choices and didn’t want to try to be better. It was a bit disheartening to witness her self-pity, especially since she had raved about the benefits of yoga and how it could help her navigate life’s challenges.
Our male MC, Sam, lacked a personality. He was a mess in the past and still is. He didn’t try to understand her or make things work, he just followed orders and didn’t think for himself. He made excuses for his mistakes and didn’t even convince me that he cared enough about her to make things better.
The side characters felt like they were just there for the sake of it. I didn’t really care about them, and I felt like they were trying too hard to make the main characters seem more relatable.
Overall, the book was a quick read, but it felt a bit rushed. The story didn’t feel long, but it also felt shallow because the main characters were so obsessed with each other that their personalities were completely defined by their relationship.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 💗
This book is the perfect description of what a toxic relationship is like, mostly because of how much they depend on each other’s presence to feel happy but also because of the miscommunication trope, but if that’s your thing, then this book is definitely worth checking out!
WHAT TO EXPECT:
⭐️ miscommunication trope
⭐️ second chance
⭐️ she’s extroverted
⭐️ he’s shy
⭐️ 2/5 spice
⭐️ HEA
Our female MC, Vanessa, was a bit of a letdown. She spent most of the book dwelling on the past and dwelling on what she should’ve done differently. The worst part was that she kept repeating the same mistakes, even though she had plenty of time to think about how she could’ve done them better this time. She also seemed to be stuck in a victim mentality, feeling sorry for herself even though she was the one who made the choices and didn’t want to try to be better. It was a bit disheartening to witness her self-pity, especially since she had raved about the benefits of yoga and how it could help her navigate life’s challenges.
Our male MC, Sam, lacked a personality. He was a mess in the past and still is. He didn’t try to understand her or make things work, he just followed orders and didn’t think for himself. He made excuses for his mistakes and didn’t even convince me that he cared enough about her to make things better.
The side characters felt like they were just there for the sake of it. I didn’t really care about them, and I felt like they were trying too hard to make the main characters seem more relatable.
Overall, the book was a quick read, but it felt a bit rushed. The story didn’t feel long, but it also felt shallow because the main characters were so obsessed with each other that their personalities were completely defined by their relationship.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. 💗
August 19, 2025
This book was difficult for me because I did not find the main character, Vanessa, likable at all. Being late is not, and should never be, a personality trait. How she got to be 27 with a career and loyal friends must be a testament to her other qualities - loyal, positive, and enthusiastic.
And while she might be a great yogi, she certainly drove me crazy in every other way. She's too naive yet overbearing (really, lecturing her sister on not taking lucrative job because of money when Vanessa had her own degree paid for by their father is ridiculous). She manages to spout some holier-than-thou nonsense yet screws her friends over (not showing up to work) and herself over (running with a bum knee, repeatedly).
Overall, I liked the cover....I liked how loyal the friends were to Vanessa...and the happy ending was nice.
Thank you Lake Union Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
And while she might be a great yogi, she certainly drove me crazy in every other way. She's too naive yet overbearing (really, lecturing her sister on not taking lucrative job because of money when Vanessa had her own degree paid for by their father is ridiculous). She manages to spout some holier-than-thou nonsense yet screws her friends over (not showing up to work) and herself over (running with a bum knee, repeatedly).
Overall, I liked the cover....I liked how loyal the friends were to Vanessa...and the happy ending was nice.
Thank you Lake Union Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
March 6, 2025
2.5 stars I liked this but did find it fairly repetitive and the miscommunication was infuriating. I thought that the plot (not about the romance) was interesting and I wish we spent more time with that. The back and forth misunderstanding and literally running away got on my nerves a little bit. I did find myself invested and I wanted to see how it ended. I liked most of the side characters and I did enjoy the writing.
Character rating - 2.
Plot rating - 3.
Setting rating - 2.5.
Thank-you NetGalley for the ARC!
Character rating - 2.
Plot rating - 3.
Setting rating - 2.5.
Thank-you NetGalley for the ARC!
February 10, 2025
Thank you to both #NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an advance copy of Kathleen Barber's latest novel, Both Things Are True, in exchange for an honest review.
#BothThingsAreTrue is a #beachread, which is the shortest and least offensive critique I can offer. This review pains me because I absolutely adored the author's prior sophomore release, #FollowMe. I recommend reading that novel over this one, unless again, you are looking for a repetitive, mindless, beach read—and I use that label generously.
So, why the two stars for such a scathing introduction? First, many passages contain humorous banter. This is particularly true with conversations between the protagonist, Vanessa, and her sister, Faith. Second, there is a tidy, happy ending, which is not necessarily a given in contemporary #romcoms. Had #Goodreads not removed the function, I would also award half a star for the creative business solution.
Now, for the hard part. While I do not mind unlikeable characters normally, the protagonist and the main love interest, Sam, are insufferable. I would have preferred learning more about some of the underdeveloped characters, such as Kathryn and Sienna, or even Jack, rather than spend another minute enduring the hemming and hawing between Vanessa and Sam. I understand this choice was intentional to create tension, but it was more frustrating and juvenile than anything. Oftentimes, this novel felt as if it wanted to be #YA despite the characters' ages and career levels.
The plot was also lacking an antagonist. There easily could have been three or four characters who turned out to be the "villain." Fern is one dimensional, and Benny was a red herring. The story could have benefitted from a further developed subplot regarding the cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
My other major gripe was repetition. By midway through the novel, Vanessa has either arrived late, sprinted from a situation, and/or cried nearly every other passage. Additionally, the number of times the reader has to read about a twenty-seven year old's knee injury, who also happens to be a yoga instructor, is somewhat incredible. Finally, too much of the setting occurs in Faith's apartment. This is Chicago. Have the characters go out and live a little! Sure, she was laying low thanks to the cryptocurrency crisis and possibly law enforcement, plus the lack of income, but fiction is fiction for a reason.
#BothThingsAreTrue is a #beachread, which is the shortest and least offensive critique I can offer. This review pains me because I absolutely adored the author's prior sophomore release, #FollowMe. I recommend reading that novel over this one, unless again, you are looking for a repetitive, mindless, beach read—and I use that label generously.
So, why the two stars for such a scathing introduction? First, many passages contain humorous banter. This is particularly true with conversations between the protagonist, Vanessa, and her sister, Faith. Second, there is a tidy, happy ending, which is not necessarily a given in contemporary #romcoms. Had #Goodreads not removed the function, I would also award half a star for the creative business solution.
Now, for the hard part. While I do not mind unlikeable characters normally, the protagonist and the main love interest, Sam, are insufferable. I would have preferred learning more about some of the underdeveloped characters, such as Kathryn and Sienna, or even Jack, rather than spend another minute enduring the hemming and hawing between Vanessa and Sam. I understand this choice was intentional to create tension, but it was more frustrating and juvenile than anything. Oftentimes, this novel felt as if it wanted to be #YA despite the characters' ages and career levels.
The plot was also lacking an antagonist. There easily could have been three or four characters who turned out to be the "villain." Fern is one dimensional, and Benny was a red herring. The story could have benefitted from a further developed subplot regarding the cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
My other major gripe was repetition. By midway through the novel, Vanessa has either arrived late, sprinted from a situation, and/or cried nearly every other passage. Additionally, the number of times the reader has to read about a twenty-seven year old's knee injury, who also happens to be a yoga instructor, is somewhat incredible. Finally, too much of the setting occurs in Faith's apartment. This is Chicago. Have the characters go out and live a little! Sure, she was laying low thanks to the cryptocurrency crisis and possibly law enforcement, plus the lack of income, but fiction is fiction for a reason.
September 18, 2025
Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing | Lake Union Publishing and Brilliance Publishing for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new book by Kathleen Barber, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Amy Handelman. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.5 stars rounded up.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer living the good life in NY, until her crypto-entrepreneur fiancé ruins both their lives by fleeing the country amid fraud allegations. Soon Vanessa finds herself flying home to Chicago to move in with her sister and try to start over. Just as things seem to be going well, she bumps into Sam. They met years ago and fell hard and fast - so fast that their relationship ended after an impromptu Las Vegas wedding. Sparks still seem to fly, but the scandal from her fiancé hangs on and threatens to disrupt Sam's new venture as well.
This was mostly an enjoyable rom com, although you will find yourself screaming to Vanessa the entire time to just communicate with those around her! This wasn't my favorite of Barber's books, but it was still a cute story. Cleaned up a tad, it would probably fall more in the YA range. The characters all seemed immature and there could be some real lessons learned here (again, communicate!). The ending was nice and the audio narration was good - I ended up mostly listening to this one.
Vanessa is a yoga influencer living the good life in NY, until her crypto-entrepreneur fiancé ruins both their lives by fleeing the country amid fraud allegations. Soon Vanessa finds herself flying home to Chicago to move in with her sister and try to start over. Just as things seem to be going well, she bumps into Sam. They met years ago and fell hard and fast - so fast that their relationship ended after an impromptu Las Vegas wedding. Sparks still seem to fly, but the scandal from her fiancé hangs on and threatens to disrupt Sam's new venture as well.
This was mostly an enjoyable rom com, although you will find yourself screaming to Vanessa the entire time to just communicate with those around her! This wasn't my favorite of Barber's books, but it was still a cute story. Cleaned up a tad, it would probably fall more in the YA range. The characters all seemed immature and there could be some real lessons learned here (again, communicate!). The ending was nice and the audio narration was good - I ended up mostly listening to this one.
September 13, 2025
This was a great second-chance romance centering around Vanessa and Sam. They met while in college and were inseparable... until they weren't. Sam called it off and Vanessa, broken-hearted, left town and, in the five years since the breakup, had reinvented herself into a successful yoga instructor and was engaged to another man. Her fiance became embroiled in a ponzi scheme and fled the country, leaving Vanessa homeless and, by extension of her relationship with his fiance, jobless as well. She flees back to Chicago to live with her younger sister and by change, sees Sam again. The feelings each had for each other come to the surface again - until miscommunications get in their way - much as it had when they broke up the first time. The author's writing of the tension between Vanessa and Sam, the palpable heartbreak Vanessa was feeling for Sam (I cried multiple times), was phenomenal. Did I mention I cried a few times? I inhaled this book in a day. Thankfully, there was a HEA and the characters realized their miscommunication (or lack of communication) played a major part in their first breakup and were committed to not repeating the same mistakes. Very well written!
I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley and am providing a voluntary review here.
I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley and am providing a voluntary review here.
October 1, 2025
I would recommend listening to the audiobook for this one. The narrator did such an incredible job, I am not sure if I liked the story because of the story or because the narrator was so good I couldn’t help but like it.
Vanessa had her life turned upside down, again, after her mega rich and handsome fiancé flees the country after his crypto company defrauds investors. She sees her online wellness coaching and influencer business fall apart in NYC after the scandal and finds shelter at her younger sis’s apartment in Chicago.
And then she bumps into Sam. Sam, the true love of her life, the one who broke her heart in such a way she had to move NYC to escape her pain. Sam who is launching a solar product in his attempt for contribute to save the planet in contrast to her former fiancé who was destroying it.
Vanessa was a yoga instructor, so the story is full of yogi lingo which might go over some reader’s head but for me, being an amateur yogi, loved it. The inhaling and exhaling to calm down and center oneself until shavasana made me stayed glued to Vanessa struggles.
There was a lot of assumptions, a lot of misunderstanding, a lot of believing you know what the other is thinking and planning when, in fact, Vanessa had no idea what the reality really was. But she was immature and scared of asking questions and getting hurt. She learned the hard way that the hard questions must be asked no matter how tough it is to know the answers.
Vanessa had her life turned upside down, again, after her mega rich and handsome fiancé flees the country after his crypto company defrauds investors. She sees her online wellness coaching and influencer business fall apart in NYC after the scandal and finds shelter at her younger sis’s apartment in Chicago.
And then she bumps into Sam. Sam, the true love of her life, the one who broke her heart in such a way she had to move NYC to escape her pain. Sam who is launching a solar product in his attempt for contribute to save the planet in contrast to her former fiancé who was destroying it.
Vanessa was a yoga instructor, so the story is full of yogi lingo which might go over some reader’s head but for me, being an amateur yogi, loved it. The inhaling and exhaling to calm down and center oneself until shavasana made me stayed glued to Vanessa struggles.
There was a lot of assumptions, a lot of misunderstanding, a lot of believing you know what the other is thinking and planning when, in fact, Vanessa had no idea what the reality really was. But she was immature and scared of asking questions and getting hurt. She learned the hard way that the hard questions must be asked no matter how tough it is to know the answers.
August 29, 2025
Oh my goodness, what a second chance romance! Vanessa is about to marry Jack, a crypto financier, but she’s never really gotten over her college boyfriend Sam. A calamitous turn of events brings her from fiancée to ex, crashing with her sister in Chicago… in the same building where Sam just happens to live. Can they rekindle the romance? Or is Vanessa too much of a mess to get her life together?
I loved the very slow burn of the romance, the push/pull of Sam and Vanessa’s attraction, and the high stakes of the crypto subplot on Vanessa’s future. But what I loved most of all were the on-point legal and Chicago references! (Full disclosure: I went to law school with the author.) If you didn’t snag this one as an Amazon First Read, grab it when it comes out on Tuesday!
I loved the very slow burn of the romance, the push/pull of Sam and Vanessa’s attraction, and the high stakes of the crypto subplot on Vanessa’s future. But what I loved most of all were the on-point legal and Chicago references! (Full disclosure: I went to law school with the author.) If you didn’t snag this one as an Amazon First Read, grab it when it comes out on Tuesday!
Read
August 15, 20252.5 stars rounded up. I so wanted to like this one.
Miscommunication trope times 1000 just isn’t my cup of tea. Add onto it that I didn’t really like any of the main characters. The relationship being portrayed as so romantic and star-crossed was just toxic for both of them. It would have been better if both of them could have grown up and gotten their lives together, separately.
Miscommunication trope times 1000 just isn’t my cup of tea. Add onto it that I didn’t really like any of the main characters. The relationship being portrayed as so romantic and star-crossed was just toxic for both of them. It would have been better if both of them could have grown up and gotten their lives together, separately.
September 1, 2025
Cute fast read and slightly less predictable than anticipated
September 5, 2025
Idk why I was expecting more from a yoga influencer dating a crypto founder lol
September 20, 2025
I hate the miscommunication trope and this was full of it. JUST FREAKING TALK TO EACH OTHER!
November 30, 2025
fmc was annoying unfortunately
December 5, 2025
Not sure why I finished this. It was so predictable and repetitive very boring
January 5, 2026
3.5⭐️🎧
Loved it until it got overly cheesy. And for being second chance lovers, there wasn’t much chemistry.
Loved it until it got overly cheesy. And for being second chance lovers, there wasn’t much chemistry.
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