
Author: B. Celeste
Published by: Bloom Books on Jan. 3, 2023
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Book Rating: 9/10
Time is a luxury we don’t all have…
Emery Matterson’s life has been broken for a while. First, she lost her twin sister to an incurable autoimmune disease, then her father left, then her mother fell apart when Emery herself was diagnosed with the same disease that killed her sister. The only option for Emery seems to be to move in with the father she hasn’t seen in ten years, and start over.
Enter Kaiden Monroe, the brooding athlete who has baggage of his own. Kaiden makes Emery feel normal. Hated. Cared for. Loathed. And…loved. Somewhere along the way, Emery finds solace in the guy with the sad eyes.
But everything happens in stages. And nothing good ever lasts.
From fan-favorite author B. Celeste comes an raw, real, and unforgettable story of love and loss between two young people grappling with the harsh reality of invisible disease.
Review:
Poignant, pensive, and beautifully written!
Underneath the Sycamore Tree is an exceptionally moving, emotional novel that takes you into the life of teenager Emery Matterson as she tries to reap as much joy and pleasure out of each day, savouring the little things, doing the one thing in life that she thought she might never get to do, falling in love, all while dealing with a body in constant pain and a family shattered by grief over the loss of her twin.
The prose is eloquent and insightful. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are strong, compassionate, and endearing. And the plot is an absorbing, touching tale about life, love, family, friendship, kindness, honesty, fear, acceptance, generosity, romance, humour, introspection, loss, and the quiet savagery of lupus.
Overall, Underneath the Sycamore Tree is a reflective, heart-wrenching, bittersweet tearjerker by B. Celeste that does a remarkable job of reminding us of what’s truly important in life and highlighting the sheer power of love.
This novel is available now.
Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.
Thank you to Bloom Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.