Tuesday Reviews: The Stars Are On Our Side by Jennifer Hartmann

Tabitha Brighton's name made national headlines when she was kidnapped by the infamous serial killer known as the Matchmaker. She was also known for something else: being the only victim he ever willingly released.

Now, two years later, she's ready to tell her story.

Through a series of interviews with a local writer, single mother Tabitha relives every harrowing detail of her trauma, haunted by the memory of the man she was held captive with and ultimately lost. As she confronts her demons, she finds solace in Gabe—the new man in her life who will do whatever it takes to prevent her from slipping back into the shadows.

But Gabe has his own troubled past that threatens to unravel their fragile connection. And just when Tabitha begins to believe in the possibility of new love and a fresh start, her world is turned upside down once again.

Gabe always tells her not to look down, to keep flying. But even stars fall…

And no one ever talks about the crash.

The Stars Are on Our Side absolutely destroyed me. Like… emotionally obliterated. I went in knowing Jennifer Hartmann doesn’t pull punches, and somehow I was still not prepared for how deeply this book would cut. Tears were shed—happy ones, devastating ones, the kind where you just sit there staring at the wall afterward. I was emotionally wrecked for days.

This story is raw, intimate, and painfully beautiful. It digs into grief, love, timing, and the kind of connections that change you forever. The emotions aren’t loud for the sake of drama—they’re quiet, aching, and so real it hurts. Every chapter felt heavy in the best way, like my heart was being slowly squeezed and then gently put back together again.

The characters feel so human it’s unreal. Flawed, hurting, loving, trying—and failing—and trying again. Their bond is deep and layered, built on shared pain and hope, and watching it unfold was both heartbreaking and healing. I felt everything with them, and there was no emotional escape hatch. Once you’re in, you’re in.

This book broke me, healed me, and then broke me again just to prove it could. It’s the kind of story that lingers in your chest long after you finish, the kind you’ll think about randomly and feel that familiar ache all over again. Read it when you’re ready to feel absolutely everything.