Pages from the Book of Broken Dreams by Kat Jackson is a sweet and oh-so-complex story (as with all of Jackson's books) that will resonate with fans of her writing style. The characters are well-rounded and relatable, filled with the familiar Jackson blend of warmth, wit, and emotional vulnerability.

As with many other of her novels, this takes place in a college setting. This time, the novel centers on Emma and Aubrey, two "new adults" navigating unexpected feelings and old dreams as they reconnect after high school. Jackson did perfectly capture the teenage awkwardness around a crush, and the way these characters interacted early on the novel made it a hilariously infuriating read ... which quickly turned into endearment and love for these characters.

This book should have gotten 5 stars, but my main issue with it was the age of the characters. Jackson’s attempt to frame it as a “new adult” romance. While she captures the depth of emotions and the internal struggles beautifully, some cultural references and character behaviors didn’t quite fit with what kids at this age in 2024 would be doing. Some of the conversation felt out of place for the target age range.

That said, Pages from the Book of Broken Dreams is still a thoroughly enjoyable read with Jackson’s signature style of emotionally intelligent, character-driven storytelling. It’s heartfelt, sometimes maddening -- in the best way, and overall a lovely piece of writing that I’d definitely recommend.

This book was definitely a miss for me, which was a bit of a disappointment as I enjoyed Kat Jackson’s last book. It was just too much telling and no showing. I found myself a couple chapters in and I had no idea who these characters were, and worse, I didn’t care. Dnf for me

I enjoyed this story. I liked’Emma and Aubrey equally and both seemed to gel well. I found that there was a lot of introductions and hints to topics that weren’t really resolved such as Aubrey’s mother or Aubrey being there when Emma was injured. And Liam and Aubrey being really close friends but Emma never seeing her. These little things irritated me slightly but I did enjoy the book. Bit of an abrupt end!

Emma has moved home to get a fresh start and a new beginning. She loves to bake, but is not ready to make that a life long dream. So instead of working at the local bakery, she starts working as a barista at the local bookstore. What she doesn't know yet is that Aubrey, her high school crush, also works there.
Emma starts to look forward to going to work once she sees that Aubrey works there. Aubrey is not as social as Emma. Emma does not let that deter her from trying to talk to her. She eventually is able to get Aubrey to talk to her and the two start spending time together.
All is going well until Aubrey has family issues and it almost destroys everything.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was a wonderful read.

The struggle to find your true self, rediscovering your lost dreams and the strength it takes to find an alternative route to the future that just might fit after all, even if it is nothing like the future you had in mind, is wrapped into a beautiful slow-burn.

The witty, sometimes erratic and very lovable side-characters make this a well-rounded story.

(As someone who had a huge secret crush on a literature student teacher I just loved the little sidestory about the Pennbrook professors.)

Pages from the Book of Broken Dreams is not your typical romance novel. It delves deep into the complexities of real-life traumas and hardships, presenting characters with genuine struggles and unresolved pasts. The story had a promising premise but often fell short, leaving many plot threads hanging and character backstories underdeveloped. The depiction of Emma and Aubrey’s individual issues felt incomplete, with significant events and emotions often glossed over.

The book's strong points include the realistic depiction of certain themes like abusive relationships and compulsory heterosexuality. Jackson's writing is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid scenes and emotions. However, the narrative sometimes relies too much on telling rather than showing, which I found frustrating.

I also found the novel's pacing inconsistent, with numerous secondary characters introduced without much payoff, making it difficult to stay fully engaged. Emma’s internal conflicts and Aubrey’s complicated relationships were intriguing but lacked sufficient exploration and resolution. The first-person perspective further isolated the reader from fully connecting with the characters, making their experiences feel distant.

Despite these shortcomings, the book has its merits. Kat Jackson's writing remains compelling, and the story's setting and genuine portrayal of difficult themes offers a deeper exploration of personal and emotional challenges. While this book might not be the author's strongest work, it still offers moments of depth and reflection on the challenges of personal growth and healing.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was a bit of an odd one, I think the premise had a lot of potential but it just kinda fell apart. Most of the book spent so much time alluding to both of our main characters having some sort of trauma in their backstories but neither was ever really properly explored or explained. Right near the end we finally get a boring explanation about Aubrey's ex and we hear a little bit about Emma's sporting injury but it just all felt very unfished. I don't understand why Emma was able to bake so much but then freaked out about being asked to work at the bakery and refused to do it and insisted on working as a barista.

There was no real resolution regarding Aubrey's relationship with her mother or her friendship with Penny (her stepfather's ex-wife) - for ages it seemed like Aubrey's mother was alluding to the fact that Penny and Audrey had some kind of romantic relationship but then nothing ever came from that. Emma was also hesitant to talk to her parents (clearly feeling like a failure due to college) but we never see any real resolution from that either.

I'm also a bit confused about the way the book was pitched - when Aubrey is described as "Emma's source of teenage yearning" it makes you assume that she's out (or at least knows she's queer) - But actually the whole book is Emma sort of going through a sexuality crisis by realising she likes Audrey after Audrey kisses her on a night out... and it seemed like they never actually had any relationship or much contact while in high school so I have no idea why the synopsis claim's Emma yearned for Audrey's a teenager...

This wasn't a bad read but it just kind of felt like there were so many threads introduced but none of them properly followed so it felt like a whole load of nothing.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bella Books for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

A captivating tale that had me rooting for MCs Emma and Aubrey. Pages From The Book Of Broken Dreams is a story that delves into the complexities of the challenges and emotions that 20-somethiings face while finding themselves and their paths. Presented in dual POVs of both girls, we get a pretty deep insight into their insecurities and backgrounds. I appreciated Aubrey's respectful approach in allowing Emma the space to process her feelings and attraction, while Emma's perceptive nature breaks down Aubrey's defenses with gentle yet honest confrontation.

There is a good ensemble of supporting characters, one that is quite a diverse mix of individuals! (Excepting one facet—more below.) From the barista Genesis (odd name!) to Aubrey's difficult mother and her step-father’s first wife, Emma's easygoing older brother, and a group of attractive college professors, each contributes to helping Emma and Aubrey navigate their challenges.

I did have a couple of issues with Ms. Jackson’s choices though. After a while, the constant jaw-dropping of both MCs at the stunning beauty of the older gay women I found a little weird when you’re creating a romance between younger (20s) girls. Not to mention it might be nice to have a little more diversity. Is everyone so thin and physically beautiful in the university? Why not someone who is captivating for their mind and personality? There was the ideal environment for that, alas not utilized.

Another thing that stuck out to me was how strange it must be to have two pairs of women who bear such a resemblance to each other but have no blood relation whatsoever. I wondered, and can’t work out, what the author’s intention was with that. Just felt odd.

Overall though, don’t let a couple of gripes put you off. Pages From The Book Of Broken Dreams is full of real-feeling issues and emotions, including sexuality, which was especially dealt with well, I felt. At times raw, Pages is deeply human and, a couple of oddities aside, makes for a compelling read.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley to read this as an ARC.

I feel like the book was too slow burn that at times it felt dragging, if I recalled correctly, the moment proper communication between two mains about their thoughts and feelings doesn't happened until third part of the book. Then again I realized this book wasn't really about romance only but told the story of how barely mature young adults navigating the life after high schools, faced with difficulties and challenges, facing the consequences of bad choices, feeling depressed and broken from seemingly unachievable dreams, But in spite of it all, ultimately come to deeply understanding of themselves of what they really want and hoped to achieved in long run and forged on.

It's an easily relatable book as we were all young once, and I couldn't help but root for them. I was incredibly happy and proud of them at the end.

The side characters were all witty and quirky in their own way, I especially love Genesis, her dialogue with two mains are extra witty and fun to read, not sure if she appeared in previous books or not but I would definitely love to read one if author ever thought of expanding the storyline of Genesis. This is a well-developed characters driven story written by this author and it's the first book I had ever read, definitely going to read the next one.

Thanks to Netgally and Bella Books for the arc.

This was an enjoyable read but it didn’t set the pages alight for me. Slow burn is fine but this was inert. The main characters, Emmalynn and Aubrey, have history but it’s not really part of the story development. The setting is well created and draws you in but the minor characters either add little or take over at various points. This may be because I haven’t read the other books by the author set in this universe.

I’d read another book by Ms Jackson as she is an excellent writer but this one didn’t connect with me. I think maybe the characters were too young for me to engage with.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

In this story there are new characters (to me anyway) and some that I was already familiar with, and I like that mix. I know something about them and how I would expect them to behave and I know nothing of others and need to find out about them.
Set in the small university town we have a mixture of academics and students, the Cornerstone book shop and staff are in there too. It wasn’t until I started to read it that I realised it was a sequel – and that was an unexpected pleasure. I’m sure it would have told me of I had read the blurb, but I didn’t. I was drawn in simply because I enjoyed the last Kat Jackson book. Didn’t really matter to me what it was about.
I guess you could call this a slow burn romance. You could see the glimmer of it early on – it just took a while to get there – but that is the whole point of a book, so no problem there. It was nicely led into through looking at both main characters, and their interactions with other characters. They had both returned to the home town they had wanted to leave behind them. Emma sort of told us why quite early – it took a little longer for us to learn Aubrey’s story. Aubrey, a little older than Emma, had been back in town for longer, and had a larger backstory – as you would expect. She also had parental death and subsequent poor parenting giving her an additional slice of emotional damage.
There is plenty of baking, some additional studying and of course one of them wants to write. Writing and literature often pops up in sapphic lit for some reason.
Their friendship and emerging relationship appears to give both of them the ability to address areas in their lives that were holding them back, so they can emerge together as a bit better put together.

There is of course an epilogue – just 5 months later from the main story. This shows them steadily moving on with their plans together.

Emma Gallagher has come home to lick her wounds, only to run into her teenage crush. Aubrey Glass.

Worse, both find themselves working at the local bookstore, Emma as a barista in the coffee shop, Aubrey on the bookstore itself.

VERY slow burn. Both heroines have issues, and the situation between them is very stop and go. A bit annoyingly so, honestly. The pace felt honestly GLACIAL, and moderately unnatural, at least to me.

(This is one of those books where you wanna bang the heroines heads together and yell "Talk, darn it!")

Low spice, as they spend 99% of the book in avoidance.

Very mid grade. As the author has several books published, I expected better.

This was a great read. A slow burn romance with well developed characters. I absolutely loved how well thought out the character development was. The author did a great job showing the main characters flaws and just their raw emotion. The romance was lovely and quite realistic. It was slow getting there but very worth it. The way the author wrote this made it easy to fall in love with the characters and the romance. I was so invested in the story I wish the book was longer.

I enjoyed this book. I loved the main characters and found them to be quite quirky. I was not disappointed; my expectations of this book were met. Kat really delivered. Well done!


Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the main characters with all their quirks, and the other characters are just as likeable. The romance burns slow but strong with this one. The main characters both have their personal issues to work through as they navigate their lives and figure out what they want and need, all while finding their way into each other's hearts. I recommend this book if you're a fan of a good slow burn romance with a fair amount of angst.

The early 20's can be a wonderful, exciting time. It can also be a time where regrets abound, and life seems overwhelming. Emma Gallagher is back in her hometown, living with her brother and feeling like a failure. She can't even find it in her to take a job at a bakery, doing what she truly loves. Instead, she takes a job at Cornerstone Bookstore where Aubrey Glass is also working. Aubrey was one of the cool girls in high school and has everything had always come easier for her. At least from Emma's perspective.
Aubrey's life is a mess as well and her family is a nightmare. The bookstore and the people in it are her family. She doesn't let many people in because she always finds herself disappointed. A friendship develops between these two broken young women leading to a deeper connection.
There isn't another writer of sapphic fiction who breaks downs her characters more than Kat Jackson. She cuts them open, exposes all of their layers and then slowly puts them back together. She won't give you a fluffy, easy breezy read but she will give you well developed characters who will touch your heart. I really felt for these two characters and wanted to see them find their way. And I loved reconnecting with some favorite characters from Jackson's wonderful book, The Roads Left Behind.
This is another great read from an author who continues to impress.

An ARC was received from Bella Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

One of my favourite authors so I had high expectations, and this did not disappoint. Beautifully crafted, you can feel the emotion pouring through and I was pulled into this novel from the off. I loved seeing characters from previous books pop up (there can never be enough Dr Lalor). I cannot recommend this book enough.

Easter Eggs!! God, I love the way Kat Jackson writes. Nothing standard, nothing tropey, she assumes her readers are intelligent and want something different. I loved revisiting Pennbrooke, the setting of several other books, As usual, a stellar cast of side characters. Two early-twenties MCs with backpacks of baggage. There's something refreshing about turning the page and not knowing what to expect. Definitely not a light fluffy beach read, but a story to be savored.

A nice story about two girls, who are part of each other's lives without even knowing. Aubrey and Emma are both teenages, barely touching their early twenties but already life has been pushing both women to not only survive in their chosen fields. A straightforward or lesbianforward, romance with characters the kind of people you might find yourself talking with.
Another winner for Ms Jackson. A very good read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bella Books

I really enjoyed Pages from the Book of Broken Dreams by Kat Jackson. For one, it had several of my favourite characters from The Roads Left Behind Us in it. (Which makes me want to go and read that book all over again.).

It’s a story of two young women who for different reasons have returned to their home college town, having felt like they have failed in their academic lives, relationships and had their dreams shattered.

Both Emma and Aubrey, find it hard to acknowledge how much their past has hurt them and can’t seem to find a way to accept a helping hand. However, their work mates at the local bookstore have other ideas and find a way to nudge them in the right direction . Emma is discovering a new side to herself and Aubrey is finally allowing herself to wake up from her bad dream, together finding a way forward.

This is a wonderful, thoughtful, emotional new adult story , that will have you reading well into the night.