Heartbreak Blog

by Kate Butler

I thought I had my life figured out.

I thought I knew exactly what I wanted.

Until everything changed.

I fell into Beth's life, literally, when I tripped into her lap on a bus. It should've been embarrassing. Instead, it became the best mistake I've ever made.

Because Beth's world is nothing like mine. It's bright, messy, and full of people who laugh too loud, care too much, and somehow make space for me like I belong there.

For the first time, I start to believe I might.

But letting go of who I used to be isn't as simple as walking away. My past isn't ready to release me. And if I can't face it, I might lose the future I'm only just beginning to imagine.

Genres: Romance, New Adult

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2026

Reviews

[Heeki · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Just a quick note: my review will be in Spanish)

First, I would like to thank NetGalley for trusting me and allowing me to read this book through them 🙌🏻.

La autora de este libro sí que sabe tocar una fibra sensible, eso se los aseguro. Nuestra protagonista, Marina, está en un proceso de descubrimiento del que ni ella misma sabe que forma parte. Buscaban un romance sáfico de pueblo? Aquí lo tienen.

Personalmente, vivo en un pueblo, así que sí: doy fe de la veracidad de los acontecimientos.

Sinceramente? Fue un libro muy lindo y aunque algunos lo llamarían cliché y predecible, yo lo llamo “ya quisiera yo ser ella”.

Mis únicos inconvenientes (y ojo que se vienen algunos spoilers) fueron:

• Poco desarrollo de la amistad entre Beth y Marina. Siento que fue muy abrupto el momento en que se conocen hasta que ella va a la casa de Beth. Mínimo unos mensajes de texto, no sé. Eso sí, diez puntos con lo de la primera cita eterna.
• El blog. La idea es buena, la ejecución fue curiosa. Siento que me faltó más contenido, aunque eso es en general.
• Unido al otro punto, terminas el libro sintiendo que le faltaron capítulos y te queda una sensación muy rara.
• El conflicto final se siente muy “peliculero” y predecible. No está mal, pero podría haber sido mejor 😅.

+ Me faltó decir que NUNCA VA A LA UNIVERSIDAD MI AMIGA. Sin comentarios.

Sin embargo, animo fuertemente a que lo lean. Al final del día es una historia chill de dos chicas universitarias que se enamoran, y quién no quiere leer eso? That’s it.

CALIFICACIÓN FINAL: 3.4 ⭐️

[Jacqueline L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreak Blog - Kate Bulter

Thank you to the author and publisher (Victory Editing on NetGalley) for the ARC this book was super cute!

I loved how authentic the story felt and how relatable it could be for many people in the LGBTQIA+ community. The raw emotion and the deep trust within the friendships were beautifully portrayed. One of my favourite aspects was seeing the queer community come together to support and love the main character.

I did feel that the story could have explored the relationship with her mum in more depth, as this would have added even more emotional impact. I also would have loved to see more focus on the blog, which was such a sweet and charming part of the story. The way she wrote about everything was really endearing.

At times, the pacing felt a little jumpy as the story moved quickly from date to date, but overall this was a heartwarming and enjoyable read.

A very cute read that I would definitely recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreak Blog is a tender and often painful exploration of vulnerability, trust, and the risks that come with opening your heart to another person. The story captures the experience of laying yourself bare for someone, only to have your wounds ignored when you finally admit you’re hurting. It’s a feeling many readers will recognize, and the book handles that emotional ache with honesty and compassion.

The novel also beautifully conveys the anxiety of putting yourself out there without any guarantee that someone will be there to catch you. There is a constant tension between hope and self-protection, making the emotional stakes feel real. Equally compelling is the reminder that support can come from the most unexpected places, and that sometimes the people we least expect become our greatest sources of comfort during difficult times.

And, of course, there’s a cat—and who doesn’t love that? The feline presence adds warmth and charm to a story filled with heartache and healing.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. I really enjoyed this read.

[Ranash_books · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing was just not good. The book felt unedited and like a fanfic

[Brigitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the ARC from NetGally Uk and Victory Editing Co-op
----
I’m normally not really into coming out stories. I like it when in the saphhic romance that I read, it is dealt as a given that someone is queer and they live in an environment where this is widely accepted and there’s a warm community around the MC’s. But I was curious about this story, Marina’s falling for her best friend while she was still with her boyfriend sounded very similar to my own story.
Marina, a student in her early twenties, meets Beth in the busride to University. Beth follows the same class, but is a year above her. She has her own apartment, while Marina still lives with her mom after her dad died recently and has a long commute to Uni. They become friends and Beth invites Marina over to a small gathering at her studio. Her group of friends is not anything like the groups Marina usually hangs out with. They are all somewhere on the rainbowflag. Beth herself included, who is gay. While talking relationships, Marina admits to the group that she’s not sure if she’s supposed to be with Daniel. Her childhood friend who became her on-and-off boyfriend since highschool. To be honest: hated this guy from the start. The friendgroup suggests that maybe Marina should try dating women once.
Ok, more about the situation Marina is in. Marina’s mom is struggling financially after her dad’s passing. Her very conservative aunt and uncle (this is small-town America for you) support them financially so they can keep the house. They come to dinner quite often and this is how Marina knows that they won’t be supportive off her dating women.
But when she breaks up with Daniel, Marina is exploring the WLW dating life. But slowly she is also getting very intrigued and fond of her new bestie, Beth. But Beth is her best friend, Marina doesn’t want to risk that new found closeness and sisterhood. Someone that welcomes her in no matter what, after bad times. They hug and sleep together on the same couch, have great mornings together, and it’s getting more and more difficult for Marina to ignore the sparks and feelings that are growing inside her. Dating with other women, doesn’t push those feelings away.

And then the book takes a bad turn, in my opinion. Daniel finds out about her dating life, because Marina started to blog about her experiences. Under her real name she writes with a bit of help from Beth, her apparently funny dates down. Hence the title; Heartbreak Blog. What follows is a not so nice blackmail situation where Marina is forced into being someone she’s not, because she’s afraid of her families response to her being queer. This was so heartbreaking and heavy to read.
And I expected it to be a bit lighter, it being YA sortof? Anyway it deals with tough themes, and the book is not giving that much guidance in what you can do in this case. Why didn’t Marina go to a place that helps queer people who are in situations like that. There must be something eventhough it is a small city. Or search online for help or supportgroups. I mean she has a blog for god’s sake! It made me feel so sad that she had to deal with this kind of abuse by herself. And I would expect that the writer would give a bit more guidance to her readers that are maybe in a similar situation. When I suspected that I might have feelings for women and not knowing if it now meant that I was gay or bi, or queer, (give-away to the conclusion: just not 100% straight..) 23 years ago, I seeked for support online. I tried to find my answers and community there. I met with other queer people in real life as well.
So being the avid sapphic romance reader that I am, I was bracing myself for the 3rd act break-up but instead it followed with a coming out experience that is not for the faint of hearts. It touched me deeply. I feel so sad for all the queers and gays that have to go through this and are not allowed to be who they want to be. So the book gets 5 stars from me. Because these stories need to be told. Also that it can end also happy.
#HeartbreakBlog #NetGalley

[Anisha Chatterjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 stars, rounding upto 3. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC!!

I would like to start with the positive things... I absolutely loved the way Marina's feelings and emotions, especially with regards to comphet, have been shown. It felt very real and authentic, and I could very much relate to parts of it. The progress of her relationship with Beth felt very natural and sweet, very reminiscent of any teenage romance. I also loved the juxtaposition that was shown between the acceptance of sexuality of Beth and Marina's family, especially when Marina spends a good chunk of the book terrified of how this is going to change her relationship with her mother, and thinking that Beth has it so easy because her parents are accepting. Lastly, I would like to say that I really, really, REALLY hope that Em put her truck to good use and she and Marina did something about Daniel.

Unfortunately, there were some parts in the book that felt incredibly forced, especially the comparisons. The first half of the book had a simile or metaphor in almost every paragraph, which made the text seem extremely boring and redundant. We do not need ten different ways to know that the bibimbap was spicy; one is ENOUGH. The story felt very predictable at parts, almost like I knew what was coming word by word, which made certain parts seem a little boring.

Lastly, Beth being Lebanese was added as a one-sentence, throwaway concept, which to me felt extremely careless. Middle Eastern people, or brown people in general, have historically always struggled more with our queer identities due to our vastly different upbringing as compared to the West. To add one line about Beth's family and not delving into her relationship with them at all felt almost as if her background was being used as a plot device to further Marina's story, which is once again so disrespectful. When you choose to write a character as a poc, you have a responsibility to make sure that you pay enough attention and care to them. Even though Beth is clearly not the main character, the author should have made more of an effort to add at least a little more substance to her background.

Apart from that, there were a few continuity errors, spelling mistakes and repeated dialogues in the book as well (Kindle edition). I think a little bit more attention needs to be paid to minimise these issues, because it really disrupts the reading experience.

Overall, it was a sweet and relatable story of a girl coming out and coming to terms with herself, but there is definitely a lot of scope for improvement.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I don't go into contemporary romances expecting a lot, to be honest, I just want to have a good, fun time, and a quick read that perks my mood. And this... kinda did that? But unfortunately it's not one of those books that will leave any sort of long-lasting impression on me.

The good: I really enjoyed how it dealt with Marina's feelings about her long-term 'relationship', about not thinking about the fact she could be lesbian/bisexual/not fit into any specific label besides the umbrella term 'queer'. It honestly felt really realistic and was interesting to see written and how she worked through those.

I did also like our cast of side characters, even if it felt like we didn't get to see all that much of them, and I do think that Marina could have benefitted from having one other friend *besides* Beth. Emmaline was there but their friendship felt strange in how it was described; because at first she was just the girl that her ex dated during a break, then they had been friends briefly after Emmaline and her ex had broken up, and now she's opening up to her about all of these things she can't open up to anyone else about.

The bad: Speaking of that, there are also some strange continuity issues that just didn't add up, one of them being how Marina doesn't tell Emmaline about something that happens at a party... that Emmaline herself was at and more than likely would have either seen or heard about. Or how near the end her mother mentions something that she would've had basically no way of knowing.

The writing didn't do much for me, it was fine, but nothing to write home about. But honestly, even the title of the story (heartbreak blog), while being a major part of the story, it just didn't feel like there was enough there. Also the chances of Daniel finding it randomly even though it has no one actively reading it are literally slim to none. At least make it blow up and become stupid popular or something.

The conflict between Beth and Marina toward the end had me actively angry though, because it felt insanely out of character for Beth, and then it was just resolved within 3 pages? It felt like a slap to the face and could have at least used an actual conversation, a discussion, instead of just a quick reconciliation.

3/5 stars, it wasn't bad just... unremarkable.

[Amanda Lovette · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this story sounded really promising. But unfortunately most of it fell flat for me. The whole business with Marina and her horrible boyfriend took up way too much of the story and it felt like by the time Marina and Beth were finally on the same page, the story ended. The pacing was really difficult to get through at times, when you wanted to know more, the chapter ends, and when you are getting bored, the chapter seems to go on for way too long. The story as a whole moved really fast so it would have definitely benefited from being about a 100 pages longer. There were also a lot of grammar mistakes, weird repetition of certain lines, and the overall formatting got in the way of enjoying it at times, so there needs to definitely be more editing.

After Marina discovers Beth’s blog, it felt weird how she all of the sudden becomes a brand new person. While I appreciated the journey of her sexual awakening, I think not all of it came off as believable and I wish more of that was actually discussed with Beth instead of her just making rash decisions. The only one she again, all of the sudden confides in, is her boyfriend’s ex Emmaline, which also didn't feel right because of how awkward they seemed to be in the beginning when they ran into each other at the grocery store and then magically had this special bond against her boyfriend. Beth’s queer group also could have been a choice except they were only around for a brief scene or two so there was no real point of getting to know them when they were just thrown in there to show Beth was queer.

It would have also been nice to have gotten more information about Beth’s background and details about her race and family that seemed to have had a major impact on her life as a queer woman, but we know next to nothing about. Marina’s mom also seemed great, but by the time we get to know her, the story ends. There was just too much time spent on Daniel, who by the way, seems incredibly dumb and non-observant so it doesn’t make sense how he was able to find her blog especially without her mentioning any sort of details, let alone that she was writing one. Also since the book is literally called “Heartbreak Blog” it would have been nice to have had something actually come out of the blog or at least something interesting happen in regards to it. Besides having someone to commiserate with over her failed dates, Beth and MArina’s relationship just felt extremely underwhelming, like I hardly felt any chemistry between them, and there was just nothing worthy of me rooting for. So overall, the story just never came together like I hoped it would.

[Tara'e · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a tough time getting into this book at first, but once I made it through the first few chapters, I found myself really enjoying it. One of the things I appreciated most was how authentic the story felt and how relatable it could be for many readers in the LGBTQIA+ community.

There were times when I struggled with the pacing, as the timeline seemed to move a little too quickly in certain places. I would have loved to see some aspects of the story explored in greater depth, particularly Mariana's relationship with their mother and more development of the central romance. A longer book may have allowed these themes and relationships more room to grow.

One of my favorite elements was the blog portion of the story. It felt unique and added an engaging layer to the narrative that I don't often see in books.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. It was a cute and heartfelt story with relatable themes, memorable characters, and a creative narrative element that helped it stand out.

[ayla lilith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing this arc.

I just finished reading and I kept scrolling because??? More please?! At least a short epilogue? No? I’ll imagine it then.

I loved this book.

I loved the growth between Beth and Marina, how their friendship became deeper and turned into something more.

The description of Marina realising that she might like women, the fear of losing her family, of her mom struggling because of who she was, the uncertainty.. it was all there, raw and painful, but so beautiful.

I wish we got to see Marina’s mom more, she was such an important character to me, and I wish we got to see what happens after the last chapter between Beth and Marina. I just needed for them to have a proper conversation since Beth just asked Marina to leave after the night of a first kiss. When Beth messaged Marina saying she wanted to talk about it, I was expecting more from her. She seems like someone who has a lot to say.

Some scenes could’ve been longer, they had a great potential.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torn, because soooo many lines I loved but a couple of continuity issues or what even felt like a missing chapter or at least couple of scenes, knocked down my love slightly. (Still a 4)
I was incredibly tense when the baddy was being bad. I would have loved to see him get his comeuppance! In fact I would not complain if there was another chapter….. that is over and above the possible missing, if not chapter, at least paragraphs, from early on.
I found the 20 year old mains didn’t irritate me and found the grappling with possibly being gay amongst the best I have seen written of late. Some early interactions also confused me with who had what backstory and who was taking 3 classes..... also their jobs never really impacted? Despite all my above moans.... I highly recommend this hence 4!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

This book follows Marina who is a college freshman who meets Beth, a sophomore, on the bus. Marina becomes fast friends with Beth and learns that her boyfriend sucks, she actually a lesbian, and she’s into Beth.

I enjoyed this book. The first half was really great! Marina ditched her shitty boyfriend and started to realize she was worth more than she had fun in the dating scene and it was great to watch her work to enjoy her life more. It was adorable to watch her fall for Beth without realizing it.

This book did get tough in the second half. Without spoiling the book, the internal and external homophobia definitely made the second half of the book more tense and intense.

Overall I did enjoy this book and would recommend it but was a fun coming of age, learning who you are type of romance book.


Trigger warning for homophobia in the book.

[SainteCrystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3, Heartbreak High by Kate Butler is a journey of discovering not only what you want but also who you are. After stumbling her way into a new friend Marina starts to realize that she might not understand as much about herself or her life as she thought she did. Overall this was a quick read that had some great comedic tones while also dealing with darker consequences. There are a couple of continuity issues but the story itself felt very relatable, even if the consequences might seem unlikely it still felt possible given the way the characters were set up. The main couples chemistry was believable and the pacing was nice, but most of the side characters were underutilized given how likeable most of them were.

[Stephanie Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreak Blog is a coming of age story. Marina is coasting through life, following the expectations of her small down. Then she meets Beth, whose life is so much different than hers. Beth and her friends welcome Marina into their group with open arms. This whole hearted acceptance allows Marina to feel safe enough to look deep inside and discover who she really is.

At points the writing is a little chaotic, but it works because it resembles the frantic emotions of a late teen/newly 20 year old coming to terms with their sexuality and what they want from life.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like an authentic story of beginning to question your sexuality. Mariana is a freshman in college and is dating Daniel. When she meets Beth, a sophomore, they instantly click as friends. As she figures out herself she doesn’t just instantly get with Beth but instead explores what it is to date a woman. She still needs to come out to her mom and is fearful of homophobia from extended family.

This works well for a YA or new adult novel. The romance is a sweet, slow burn, friends to more story. I don’t expect YA novels to have HEA endings but I wish the ending went a little further. I wanted to hear the conversation over bagels. And I was happy with the support she gets from her mom. The story goes along quickly at only 215 pages.

I did have an issue of parts being physically hard to read. For some reason some pages were on a darkened, non adjustable on my screen, which made it difficult to read on my iPad mini. That’s a formatting issue that may be fixed when the novel is released. I did not factor that issue into my review. Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for the eARC and I am leaving an honest review.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

'This is a story of messy tries and small triumphs; a coming‑of‑age for the late teen/new adult who learned to love safety before they knew how to want. It asks one stubborn question: is safety worth sacrificing the life that would set you free?'

The characters were very appealing and likeable and complicated and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and well paced. World building was excellent and solidly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Larareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for am honest review.

Actual rating 4.25 ⭐️

This is honestly such a beautiful book!!! It's very short, but the writing is beautiful and the characters are so real and tender and I fell in love with them from the start. The raw emotion and the trust between Beth and Marina were so beautifully written that I just couldn't keep reading. Honestly wished this book was a lot longer, but I'm really hoping the author will continue this story.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Butler's Heartbreak Blog offers a concise yet powerful exploration of LGBTQIA+ identity and personal growth. It intimately unpacks the complexities of first love and friendship, spotlighting the remarkable resilience of chosen families and the queer community. This atory is a deeply moving testament to finding strength, acceptance, and true belonging.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[fanboyriot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book unfortunately fell a bit flat for me while it did do well with the blog parts of the book the pacing was just off and the characters felt like they had nothing to do with the story.

(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)

POV: First Person
Sad Level: 💧💧
Would I Recommend? Maybe
Favorite Character(s): Mariana
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🐈 🌈💻

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate: Toxic relationship

[RStanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars
LGBT Young Adult/New Adult
Marina pov
Marina is a college freshman who is dating the safe choice Daniel.. She thought her life was fine until she fell into the lap of Beth which makes her question her entire life. Could she also like girls as well as boys? What do you do when you meet someone who changes everything? I wish it was longer, I wanted more of this story.

[Ella-Narisse Appleyard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book with a beautiful heart wrenching story! The characters were so perfect for each other and I loved the yearning throughout. The writing style was so cozy and nostalgic. The lgbt representation was so good and really shone a light on the hard things that people in the community have to go through❤️

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an e-arc of this book.
This story follows the friendship between Marina and Beth and the development of romantic feelings for each other. This book is a very slow burn. I recommend this for anyone who loves a sweet sapphic romance with real emotions and self discovery as well as amazing friendships.

[verenmore_vixen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good coming of age book. It had our main female
Character not only figuring out her sexuality but also who she is at her core. The friendship she creates with Beth is very sweet and the way she slowly falls for her without realizing it. I thought the story moved well and I enjoyed the side characters.

[Jennilee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book for review!

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book! I really enjoyed watching Marina’s transformation from an insecure, unhappy girl stuck in an unsatisfying relationship, to embracing a side of herself she didn’t even know existed.

I love the amount of time the author spent on developing Marina and Beth’s relationship. I felt the highs and little sparks of chemistry between the two FMCs, and loved the slow burn nature of their attraction. I can relate to the narrative of falling for a queer friend when you aren’t even aware you might be LGBTQ+ yourself, so this story holds a special place in my heart. I also love the friends to lovers trope, which works really well in this story.

The only issue I had was how quickly the book ended. It felt very unresolved! I’m wondering if this is meant to continue in a series, because I don’t think this book works very well as a stand alone. I feel like the ending left a lot up to interpretation, and even though it was moving in a positive direction, I still felt like I wanted a lot more out of the story. Here’s hoping there will be a sequel!