scl.ashx's Reviews > Both Things Are True

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!