I love a good complex second chance romance story, but hanging it all upon a series of miscommunications is risky business, and in Kathleen Barber’s new release Both Things Are True, I didn’t quite buy it.
After years apart, Vanessa and Sam end up living in the same building. Both of them are at pivotal moments in their lives and careers and are harboring old feelings for one another. The present timeline is honestly so sweet between the two of them, and I totally bought into all the romance and leftover feelings. I was rooting for them so hard. But as their past started revealing itself in layers, and especially once the revelations came up in the back half of the book, the problems that came up between them made me like them less. It was one miscommunication after another. Really, did they understand one another at all? I accept that miscommunication is a realistic element to many serious relationships, but to rely on that entirely and for that to ‘fix’ everything in the end…it kind of ruined the good thing they had going.
Would I still recommend this book? Gah, maybe. There is still plenty of good romance and other storylines that make the novel interesting, but it wasn’t a smash hit for me. Hey, both things are true.
Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Details
Title:: Both Things Are True
Author:: Kathleen Barber
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Lake Union Publishing
Length:: 303 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 38m
Audiobook Narrator:: Amy Handelman
Published:: September 1st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
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