Trigger warnings: drug abuse, grief (loss of family)

Oh guys. That was so adorable. After being humiliated on Youtube during the summer, Cat doesn't want to go back to school. To control the message and keep her spot on the school newspaper, she enlists loner Alex into being her fake boyfriend. But alas, these two secret friends have far too much chemistry for the charade to last.

Here are just a few things that I loved about this book:

- Brownies are a feature. Brownies are glorious. Give me brownies.
- Cat reviews books on Goodreads. Way to know your target audience, Ashby!
- Alex works hard and takes care of himself even though everyone thinks he's a bad boy.
- Alex's grandmother's friends are adorable old people.
- Cat's mom illustrates greetings cards with puntastic messages.
- Alex can dance. Swoon.

The romance was sweet and clean, if that's your thing. Alex wanted Cat long before the book opened, a secret he tried to keep from everyone (but hey, Nikki wasn't fooled). Cat, on the other hand, slowly realises her feelings, and it's her that is the strong one in this book. There was such a nice balance of pushing each other to be better while also supporting and accepting each other, which is so important in relationships.

Regarding my trigger warning, for those who might be affected, this book does deal with the aftermath of drug abuse by a parent. Alex lost his mother and sisters in an accident as a young teenager, and this weighs heavy on him. His feelings of guilt are a big part of his side in the story.

The one thing that was slightly frustrating for me was that we never really learn what happened to Cat in the video other than that she cried in it. I know it shouldn't be important, but I spent the whole book waiting for more details on this.

However, I raced through The Heartbreak Cure for a reason: it was sweet and heartwarming, just like a good brownie.

The Heartbreak Cure tells the story of Cat and Alex. Cat Turner just got dumped by a boyfriend who dated her just for fun. She’s so embarrassed that she and her friend Alex Locke pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend. The problem is, the more time they spend together, the more they start to fall for each other and they both don’t want that…

The Heartbreak Cure is such a nice and cute read. The Heartbreak Cure is such a fast-paced book and I couldn’t stop reading. I couldn’t get enough of Cat and Alex, they’re so cute together. And Alex… He’s so hot and he wears a leather jacket, has blue eyes and brown hear… YES!!! 

The Heartbreak Cure is the perfect read when you’re into a cute romance that is fast paced! I cannot wait to discover more books by Amanda Ashby and I know for sure that I’m going to look up some more books published by Entangled: Crush!

3.5 stars

The Heartbreak Cure is sweet, cute, and the prefect remedy to a dreary day.

Thrown in the limelight and turned viral in the worst way possible, Cat scrambles for a way to fade out of the public eye. Her unlikely friendship with the hot "bad boy" formerly living next door creates the perfect opportunity. He just needs some convincing.

Shenanigans and wiley octogenarian make for some very amusing entertainment. Careful, you might just wish for some heartbreak yourself...if brownies are involved.

I love fluffy stories. I love those stories that make my heart all happy and I forget all the trouble of the world and the stress. And if that fluffy story contains my most favorite trope ever, the friends to lovers, than I love it even more!

And that is what I got with this book. I got two amazing MCs with so much heart and soul, despite what has happened to them. I got redemption and second chances. I even got a new favorite trope, the sassy best friend trope. Yes, this is a trope now by decree of Lacy.

But really, this was fantastic. It was a contemporary so it had all the fluff and lightheartedness that contemporaries have but it also had some heavy topics too. There was an undercurrent of grief and guilt that was laced throughout the story, in Alex's POV. There was also the topic of digital bullying that was addressed, in Cat's POV. Both of these POVs were in third person but that did not hamper the experiencing the feelings that Cat and Alex felt.

Like I mentioned above, I really loved both Cat and Alex. They had such amazing qualities about them. I shipped them really hard. They both acted like teenagers and talked like teenagers. That is the one thing that I look for in all my contemporaries based in high school. Amanda Ashby knows how to write teenagers. I want Cat and Alex to be actual people so I could be there friends.

Overall, I am happy. This was an adorable book that discussed heavy topics in a way that doesn't affect what the genre is. I guarantee this book will make you feel all sorts of happy butterflies in your heart and make your day just a little bit better. It certainly worked for me.

cat turner is humiliated and hurt and possibly heartbroken, though mostly he feels vengeful when we first encounter her in the heartbreak cure. when alex locke brings her brownies she realizes that everyone in town knows.

there will be no keeping it from the editor of the school paper and this will jeopardize all her journalistic endeavors. so she comes up with a plan and suddenly alex finds himself agreeing to be her fake boyfriend. he’s half in love with her already, but she is completely oblivious even as she crushes on him right back.

and so, i'm a total sucker for a fake relationship story. and here these two are so sweet together. alex really struggles with his self-worth. he's got a really rough childhood to contend with and tries to live his life out by doing the opposite of what his parents did. they were awful people. and he nearly got sucked into their world, but he pulled himself out. and he doesn't see the strength and the goodness in himself, but cat sees it. she believes in him in a way no one else ever has.

and when it feels like everything in his life is going bad again, he cuts her out of it to protect her. failing to understand that by not allowing cat to make the choice, he's just become another guy who leaves her behind when it's inconvenient. like her dad, the root cause of her abandonment issues.

cat and alex deal with some tough, real-world issues and i love how they support and care for each other through them. this was a sweet contemporary ya.

**the heartbreak cure will publish on december 4, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (crush) in exchange for my honest review.

The Heartbreak Cure is sweet young adult contemporary romance of friends becoming lovers. I love Cat's faith in Alex; she never wavered even when he doubted himself. He had a tough life and he'd been doing all he can to turn his life around. I love that he had a great support system in his grandmother and Cat and Joe (his boss and landlord). He was also flexible enough to change his concepts when he needed to. Sometimes, all someone needs is a break, and I wish the world were open-minded and generous enough to give these breaks to people who need them. Sometimes, life isn't fair, and when that happens, how does one go forward? Fortunately, that didn't happen to Alex.

Cat is a great friend. She's also quite perceptive in the way she sees through Alex's façade to the person beneath. But perhaps that's because she knew Alex from when they were both younger. I love that she's loyal even in the face of adversity, and that she's willing to stand by her friend. I absolutely love the angst in this story, because Cat needed a fake boyfriend and she latched onto Alex to help her, but what she didn't know is that Alex has had a crush on her for a long time! And because he didn't feel himself worthy of her, so he kept his feelings to himself and swore not to get involved with her for real.

There's also a wonderful message here about believing in yourself, but it also helps of course for someone to believe in you. Also, opportunities abound; it may not be what you want, but it's best to open your eyes to see what you can actually attain. And sometimes, a stepping stone may be what you need for the meantime to get to where you envision yourself ultimately to be.

The Heartbreak Cure is a very enjoyable read; well worth the time spent reading it!

This is the fluffiest book I’ve read in a while and only got three stars because my eARC had way too much editing to be done.

I didn’t knew this book had dual POV, which for me is always a win situation, however The Heartbreak Cure wasn’t very well done, it was confusing in so many parts, even if I enjoyed, it nagged me a lot.

I read this book in a couple of hours and want more, I was so sad when the last page arrived.

One of the things I love the most about The Heartbreak Cure is that even if it is say in the synopsis that Alex is a bad guy, we know just beginning the book that he is a decent and nice guy, who just happens to be wrongly judged for the people around him.

Cat is such a great voice to read, I mean even with the confusing changes of POVs, she was a delight and with her writing and kinda fan fiction, she reminds me a lot of Tina Belcher with her friend fiction.

There is some tweaks that need to be done in the editing department, which I know it’s gonna be done it in the final version, but overall The Heartbreak Cure was a read I needed.

The Heartbreak Cure was such a sweet and precious book. This is a book that can be read in one sitting and will leave you with a smile on your face.

One of my favorite things about this book was the dual POVs of the two main characters, Cat and Alex. I loved getting the opportunity to really get to know both of the characters throughout this story. Seeing the way Cat and Alex felt about each other and watching their feelings grow was so cute and romantic. The author did a great job establishing their friendship and showing how their friendship developed into something more. The development of their romance felt genuine and well paced. The romance was as sweet as the brownies they ate in this book and I loved it!

There were a few things in this book that felt unanswered or a bit rushed and there were some predictable moments throughout the story. However, I still found the plot of the story to be fun and interesting as a whole. This story was light-hearted and easy to relate to. I felt like the author really understood teen angst and the complications of romance that all teens face. The author made everything feel very genuine!

Overall, this was a cute and easy read! If you in the mood for a quick contemporary romance, then I definitely recommend checking this book out!

3 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. *

The Heartbreak Cure was a fun fast-paced romantic read. The romance between Cat and Alex is cute and sweet with a fun high school vibe. The characters are well thought out with fun personalities. The playful arguing between the main characters is the extra touch that is needed to make this a swoon worthy read. The Heartbreak Cure takes place during Cat’s junior year of high school making it the perfect setting for this high school drama. Overall, a fun contemporary young adult read that I recommend to anyone looking for a swoon worthy romance.

3.5 Stars
For me this one was a little juvenile. The solutions, plot and characters were all a little simplistic. So while I liked it, I didn't love it. I just wanted a little more realism and depth.

The first half of this book was really, really good. It's a fauxmance plot, but I don't know, it was just done well. Them getting together seemed semi-organic and more natural than others I've read. However, I didn't feel like the characters had any chemistry together. They had a lot of baggage on both sides - one heavier than the other and that seemed to really take the stage as the plot for the 2nd half of the book. I had no idea that the baggage Alex was going to have was going to be so large and....dark. I get that he's a poor kid and lost his family and Grandma has to move into an assisted living home, but... I don't know. I guess I wish I'd known that going in to the book. I almost DNF this book because the plot took such a different turn when they got together around 60%. The first half was really good and I liked it; the 2nd half took a darker turn that I wasn't ready for and wasn't such a fan of. I'm not sure I would buy this one for myself, and I'd only recommend it to a very specific type of friend.

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

The heartbreak cure is a enjoyable young adult contemporary for a younger reader. I enjoyed some parts of this book but I definitely feel like it's something I would've enjoyed more when I was 15. Most YA I don't feel like this but some I do the characters were definitely more immature than I prefer but I have to remember they are 16 years old. I did not connect with the characters, I felt like they were not as flushed out as I would've liked and it felt rushed or if it was trying to hard to fit in with other similar books. I did appreciate the author putting in more deeper elements but it came off awkward and odd at some points. I feel like one person we definitely resolved some issues but with one not so much. I really liked Birdie and I thought it was a nice touch to add her in it, but I wish we got to see more of her. Overall I just needed more of everything, I would recommend this for a light contemporary something to get you out of a reading slump. But I personally felt no connection to the characters so this would not be a reread for me that's why I gave it 2.5 stars. I do enjoy this publisher and all the books I have read from them have been fun reads!

This book combines two of my favorite tropes, friends-to-more and fauxmance-to-romance, with a result that left me with a case of the warm fuzzies and a smile on my face.

Cat and Alex went back a quite a few years. As former neighbors, they shared a childhood and a friendship. I was won over in the first chapter, when Alex comes to deliver some of his grandma Birdie's Heartbreak Brownies. I loved the way Alex and Cat interacted. There was an ease and familiarity, and I pretty much started shipping them immediately.

I wholly embraced both Alex and Cat straight away. Cat was an aspiring writer, who had her heart broken via YouTube. I instantly hated the boy who did this, and was rooting for Cat. I did not want him to take anything else from her and stood behind her choice to pursue a fauxmance in order to save her chance at writing for the school paper. I found my solace in the fact that Cat was lucky to have a great support system in her mom, her best friend, Alex, and even Alex's grandmother.

Alex was so much more complicated and his back story was really tragic. I wanted to hug him, and force people to see him for who and what he really was. He was treated quite unfairly, and it infuriated me that they could not see how he was working so hard to improve himself and his life, while still giving so much of himself to other. I was pretty overjoyed to see that Alex actually had a few people on his side, and even had someone unexpectedly watching over him.

The romance was sweet and adorable. It was fun to watch the attraction between Cat and Alex blossom, and I was whooping it up when they finally acknowledged it. I also enjoyed the side romances. There was some love in the air for a bunch of the characters, and I adored it, because everyone deserves their happy ending.

I was also a fan of the auxiliary characters in this book, and the relationships they forged with the main characters. Cat and her mom had a really wonderful bond. Due to their circumstances, they were quite close, and I always love seeing positive families in YA. There was also Nikki, who was a fun and fierce best friend, and I knew Cat would be ok with Nikki on her side. The bond that was growing between Joe and Alex was quite special too, but my favorite connection was between Alex and his grandmother. He was so sweet and doting and you could tell how much he loved her. Those precious displays added polish to the heart of gold I knew Alex had under the bad boy exterior.

Overall: Another solid Entangled read that delivered what it promised: a swoony boy to melt my heart, witty banter, but also an adorable romance that warmed me up and left me in a happy state.

This book took me by surprise, I'm usually pretty critical with writing styles, however, this book surprised me. It was a nice read, and nicely written for a contemporary novel. It was a little cheesy at times, but overall a nice and quick read! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. If you're looking for a light read, this is your book.

I really enjoyed this funny, cute YA read. I adored how Alex let his guard down around Cat and the open honest relationship these two share. Alex may have the reputation of a bad boy but it's all a facade. It keeps everyone out. Everyone except Cat. Cat sees past all his walls and when she needs someone to help her prove that she's over her heartbreak who better to ask. As they spend time together Cat soon realizes that her fake relationship has the potential to leave her with more of a broken heart than she's ever had before.

Definitely a recommended read.

A fake relationship turned into something more is another one of my favourite romance tropes, and it is what makes up the premise of Amanda Ashby's The Heartbreak Cure. I loved the fact that Cat is an aspiring novelist, and a bookworm, as I could definitely relate to her use of Goodreads. I enjoyed the dual perspective in the book, as we get to know both of Cat and Alex, as well as others in their life like Alex's grandmother, Birdie and Cat's best friend Nikki. Another thing that I found refreshing was how realistic the events of the book were written, Cat doesn't immediately get over her summer public humiliation. Furthermore the guy who publicly humiliates her gets off lightly, and in the end it's revealed that while he is a jerk he's not a completely horrible person. And finally, Alex's life as someone who's truly struggling financially was definitely not glossed over. The Heartbreak Cure was a really quick read, in fact, I was a bit disappointed we didn't get more of Cat and Alex. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it as it was a sweet read with a bit of romance, which makes it perfect if you want a short "escape' from life.

Alex helps his friend Cat out by pretending to be her fake boyfriend. Alex has had a rough past and is a loner. His story is heartbreaking. I wish we could have had more insight into their childhood friendship even if they were flashbacks. When we step into the story they are not as close as they used to be. The relationship switches to a real one and we really only get a glimpse of it. It would have been nice to see them more together as real boyfriend/girlfriend. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Entangled Teen Crush and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Young adult contemporaries will always be something I enjoy. Even when the story is pretty predictable, which this one is, I still enjoy them. There's something about them that is always just an easy and fun read for me.

In this particular story, Cat Turner has just been humiliated by a boy who she dated over the summer. She's dreading going back to school because of a YouTube video that was posted, the school getting involved, and the editor of the school newspaper contacting her. Alex Locke, who is portrayed as the school's "bad boy," has just reinserted himself back in Cat's life with a tin of his grandma's famous heartbreak brownies.

This story definitely reminded me of The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West that I also read this month at first with the fake boyfriend aspect, but I was pleased that after the initial fact of a fake relationship was established it didn't remind me of it anymore.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. I loved that there are many sides to the characters. Cat is a great friend, an innovative writer, and a loving daughter. Alex may make himself seem like the bad boy at school, but he's really a hard working person while also being smart and caring.

I adored the relationship between Alex and his grandmother. It was honestly one of my favorite parts of the story. I loved how attentive Alex is to her and how bad he feels that he can't provide for her like he wants to.

I absolutely loved that the relationship wasn't the only focus in this book. Sometimes young adult contemporaries are just a love story and lack something to be desired. This is definitely not the case with this book. Yes, there is a romance, several actually, but it's not the only focus to the story. There's a great mother-daughter relationship, amazing friendship stories, hard-working characters, characters who are trying to better themselves, redemption stories, and so much more.

Overall, I highly recommend. It was thoroughly enjoyable and satisfied all my cravings for a quick and easy read.

This story was like a good John Hughes movie. Even though high school is well behind me, I was instantly transported to the angst & drama of being sixteen again. Alex is a swoon-worthy hero trying to be better than his past. Cat is mortified that her last boyfriend dated & broke up with her as part of a YouTube challenge. Obviously a fake relationship is the answer to all her problems. Until the relationship isn't so fake anymore & she realizes that there's more to Alex than she knew. The plot is a bit predictable, but it doesn't distract from the sweet romance. This was a highly enjoyable read that made me thankful that I survived high school before there was such a thing as social media.

This is a super cute romance about how sometimes a fake relationship can lead to love. Even though the idea and concept behind the story is one that is frequently retold this was an enjoyable read with characters who had heart. . Thank you netgalley for the ARC for my honest opinion