I couldn’t put this book down! It was the perfect amount of steamy, enemies-to-lovers, and I LOVED the characters and their relationship. It was a lot of fun to read!

I absolutely loved this book and I can easily say it will be one of my top reads of 2021! I was hooked from the first chapter and I couldn't stop reading Heartbreak for Hire, even though I didn't want it to end.

My favorite trope is enemies to lovers, and Hartl did a phenomenal job with that trope and giving readers two main characters, Brinkley and Mark that you can't help love and root for. The banter between Brinkley and Mark is funny as they try to find ways to undermine each other, all while trying not to fall in love with each other. Their chemistry was perfect and this book had the perfect amount of steam in it.

I loved the uniqueness of the story, from Brinkley's job as a professional heartbreaker who extracts revenge on men, to the twists and turns the story took along the way. Brinkley had suffered emotional abuse from an ex and I liked the way Hartl handled it and had Brinkley grow throughout the book to realize just how worthy she is. Those parts were raw and honest and it had me rooting for Brinkley to get her happy ending. Mark, even when he tried to be a jerk to Brinkley in the beginning, he was just the sweetest, and I liked how him seeing Brinkley happy just made him happy.

For her adult fiction debut, Hartl knocked this one out of the park and I can't wait to read more from her.

To be honest, I started reading this book a couple of months ago, but it just didn't catch my attention quick enough. So, I moved on to something else. Last week, I was looking for something to read, and picked this one up again. I'm glad I did, because I really enjoyed it once I got into it. Thank you, NetGalley, for the eARC!

Brinkley is an artist that works as a heartbreaker, until she can get the money to open her own gallery. Mark is a college professor (and one of Brinkley's targets). She's supposed to get him to fall for her, then leave him broken, but there is real chemistry between them! Brinkley is thrown for a loop when Mark is hired as a heartbreaker, and told that she has to train him. Mark is angry about having been a target. Brinkley is upset about having to work with men (as her coworkers have all been women up to this point). Sparks fly!

There were several laugh-out-loud moments in this book. I absolutely adore Brinkley's cat (and their love/hate relationship). There are a lot of trust issues, due to bad relationships of the past. Overall I enjoyed this book.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book about Brinkley and her work as a heartbreaker. I enjoyed the relationship that developed between Brinkley and Mark despite him being one of her targets. There were a few side stories that came up taking the story in several directions but overall I enjoyed my read and felt a ton of emotions for the main character during the conflict part of the story.

I initially put this book down because it was one of those not the right moment to read things and waited a few months to read it. I am glad I picked up Heartbreak for Hire again because it was a fun book filled with feminism sexy scenes. The romance of this book was definitely hot.

I was able to read this book within a weekend once I was able to get into it.

I liked how unique the job was and Brinkley was likeable. I could relate to her well.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read and review this book. This was a five star rating. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Heartbreak for Hire is an entertaining novel by Sonia Hartl. Brinkley is one of 4 employees working for H4H- a company who specializes in taking egos, grifters, and cheaters down a peg.
There are a lot stories twisted in to the main story,, Brinkley's tough relationship with her mother, who is also the head of the psychology department; Brinkley's paintings; the cases she takes on; and of course Mark; and the other men recently hired to work at H4H.
It works for the most part but there are a lot of strings to weave together and it feels busy.

Heartbreak for Hire follows Brinkley, an artist who is saving up to open her own gallery by working at Heartbreak for Hire—a business that specializes in bringing men down a notch. And everything is going fine…until she finds herself attracted to one of her targets. And once he’s hired to also work at H4H, she finds herself falling for him, even though she doesn’t want to, not after the heartbreak she’s experienced in the past.

I couldn’t put this book down! It was the perfect amount of steamy, enemies-to-lovers, and I LOVED the characters and their relationship. It was a lot of fun to read!

3.5 stars! Overall this was a fun enemies to lovers, coworkers romance, that was a breeze to read, but fell flat in a few places.

I liked that we saw more of Brinkley's life than just her romance or her job, and got insight into her complicated relationship with her nothing-is-ever-good-enough Mom.

The ladies work bringing down targets is obviously a little sketchy, especially when we see that it can be used against guys who didn't actually do anything wrong. Even if the men deserve to be taken down a peg or two, why are we still body shaming penis size as the butt of a joke?

Loved the banter between Brinkley and Mark, and I liked that their steamy scenes start so early on in the book, this was definitely not slow burn.

Hartl creates two lovable, intelligent characters that made me believe an agency focused on doling out vengeance to cheating, egotistical, grifting, narcissistic men could be real. Brinkley and Mark's chemistry was phenomenal and their romance did not seem forced or rushed at all. The dialogue seemed genuine and the description of mise en place was precise and made me feel like I was right in the city with them. While I enjoyed the romance, i was also pleasantly surprised with the subplot revolving around Brinkley's growth despite being weighed down by an abusive ex and toxic parent, these details made her into a well-rounded character that I truly found myself caring for. To top it off, Hartl also subtly explores what exactly makes someone a feminist and the importance of community.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Brinkley Saunders has a unique job. On one of the worst days of her life, she meets Margo, who owns Heartbreak for Hire (H4H). H4H's business model is a woman-owned, woman-only business that hires out one of four women to handle a certain situation. Brinkley's area of expertise is handling men with big ego's. She sets them up and then knocks them down.

One day Margo states she is hiring male heartbreakers. Brinkley realizes that the one she is to work with is her last target - Mark. Brinkley is already wondering if she should find a new line of work - like opening the gallery she has always wanted. But as time marches on and they start working together, maybe they both can move on in a different direction.

This was a unique read. I really enjoyed the picture the author painted - both of the characters and the city which is a character into itself.

This was such a fun book! Heartbreak for Hire tells the story of Brinkley and Mark who meet under … unusual circumstances when Brinkley is hired by one of Mark’s peers to knock down his ego.

Overall, I loved this book. It was fun, quirky, and very unique. It had strong themes of feminism and discovering your true passions despite everyone else’s expectations. The banter and tension between Brinkley and Mark was palpable, and the *scenes* were descriptive and SO hot. It was also FUNNY. There were several times where I was dying of laughter at the dialogue.

The only criticism I have is that there were a few different side plots going on that made the last 25% seem a little unfocused. However, I think it wrapped up nicely and didn’t leave any loose ends.

This is a super fun summer rom com and I definitely recommend giving it a read!

Thank you Gallery Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl is a terrific balance of steamy, sweet, and satisfying. The heroine, Brinkley, has a secret job where she is paid to enact revenge on egotistical men. This leads her to meet Mark, an anthropology professor, who is her “target.” Sparks fly and she ends up with a very unprofessional romantic encounter.

In true romcom fashion Mark turns up at her job and is now a new employee. Brinkley is tasked with training him for the job. Mark and Brinkley have amazing chemistry, but they attempt to keep it professional now that they are actually co-workers. What ensues next is the perfect blend of dramatic interest, finding your true purpose, and pushing away your previously held beliefs. The gyrations between Brinkley and Mark will have you rooting that they can find their own happily ever after, but it is far from a sure thing.

I did mention above that the book was steamy, so you have been warned. My husband benefited from some of the more descriptive passages! But, at times the descriptions were so over the top they just were a bit unrealistic and needed to be glossed over.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Gallery Books in exchange for my honest review on Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

This book is... fine. It's not bad, but it's not great. If I hadn't been reading it to review, I'm not sure I would've finished it.

The premise is clever conceptually, but in practice, it feels contrived and cliche. The protagonist, Brinkley (who shares her name with the dog from "Sleepless in Seattle," a fact that I couldn't forget and which the book never mentions), works for a company called Heartbreak for Hire, a cash-only business that definitely doesn't pay taxes. With H4H, she targets "Egos," men whose egos are so large they've stolen from women in order to advance their careers. Her motivation stems from a past relationship where she experienced something similar. The love interest, Mark, is a professor of anthropology at a university and enjoys metal detecting. Brinkley meets him when he is the target of one of her jobs, and he's later brought in to work for H4H as her partner/underling.

The main thing I didn't like about this book is how gendered it is. There's a girls v. boys attitude at H4H, and the whole business is predicated on getting revenge on men who have hurt women. There's no room in this universe for any other type of identity. Because of this, the book felt flat and inaccessible to me.

I also felt that Brinkley's character growth was almost nonexistent because it's made clear from the beginning who she is, what she wants, and why she can't get it. There's no tension, nothing to be revealed, no anxiety over whether or not she will actually quit H4H (which she hates) in order to start an art gallery (what she really wants). Mark's wound is revealed so late in the book that he feels flat as well.

Overall, this book is sweet at times and cute at other times, but largely doesn't live up to expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Heartbreak for Hire is a sharp, banter-filled romcom about Brinkley, an aspiring artist who currently works for a secret company that specializes in getting revenge on those who have wronged others. When her boss decides to hire men to work alongside them, she is horrified when one of her previous targets, Mark, joins their team and the hate-to-love trope begins.

This was a fun read with excellent banter. However, the basic premise was a little too harsh for me at times. The idea of women being hired to take down people that have wronged others can be full of fun hijinks, but it can also make it a little tough to fully get behind the main characters. The author makes sure to stress that the revenge is warranted, but the main love interest starts as a target who does not deserve the revenge, so that is something to keep in mind. Those quibbles aside, the romance is steamy, the banter is quick, and there is plenty of humor throughout the novel. I laughed out loud many times and by the end, I had a smile on my face.

Overall, Heartbreak For Hire is an entertaining, smart, and delightful romcom that is perfect for summer!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

DNF @50%

I wanted to like this one so much & I was really anticipating this read.

Unfortunately nothing worked for me with this read. The whole premise of the company seemed a bit fishy to me (and I think this was going to be explored later in the book). I also did not care about the characters. The main character was judge-y about her coworker getting chummy with one of the men hired, but that is exactly what she was doing with Mark, so????

I tried to finish this, but I just could not.

This is a sweet and predictable feel-good read. I definitely thought Brinkley was in her early twenties for some reason, so when it was revealed that she was in her thirties, I got a bit judgmental about her behavior leading up to that point. I found the women at H4H to be a bit immature and bratty, but I felt like the love story developed nicely. If you're in the mood for a light and fun (and a bit steamy) read, then grab it when it comes out! Thank you to Gallery Books and Net Galley for the ARC!

This was cute. It was exactly what I was in the mood for - a no-thinking-required rom com that would leave me smiling. If you take out the steamy bits, this would make a lovely Hallmark movie.

Let's start with what I liked: I actually was really into the company itself, Heartbreak for Hire. I thought it was funny and I like that there were four departments: Egos, Grifters, Cheaters, and Players. The thought of a secret little band of women being hired to humiliate crappy men was so intriguing to me. I do think that's what will divide people on this book though - not all men suck and not all women are great. But you know what? I don't care. I knew what I was getting myself into and this delivered. I think it actually tackled this notion head on though when Margo decided to hire men for her company for this very reason.

I found Brinkley and Marc likable enough, but a little too cookie cutter for me. Again, another reason why I think this would make a great Hallmark movie. Every lead in those movies is pretty much the same.

So why only 3 stars if I really did enjoy it? I guess it's more of a 3.5 if I'm being completely honest, but I'm rounding down for the cringey sex scenes. Truth be told, I'm not huge into smut as it is, but there were definitely points in here where I rolled my eyes. I think the winner was when Brinkley said something ever so witty during a heated moment and Marc responded with "there's my smartass girl" and I could tell that this line was supposed to have turned me on. Ummm. Yikes. Nope.

Also, I felt there was a lot of more-tell-no-show when it came to the background of each girl in H4H so their reasons for joining the company lacked impact. This easily could have been one of the most compelling parts of the book - flashbacks to the pivotal moments that made a girl decide she wanted a job taking down other men. Such a missed opportunity. Instead, we were kind of told what happened to each without much embellishment and it was disappointing.

Hallmark, this book is for you. Chop off the sexy time, beef it up with some background on each girl in the company, and you've got yourself a hit. You can even throw some mistletoe in there if you need to Christmasize it.

This was a really fun read based off the idea of getting paid to be a professional heartbreaker. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this but I loved the dynamic between the Heartbreakers and their collective development throughout the book. Brinkley was a relatable main character and felt very three-dimensional. I loved all the different conflicts and how fast-paced the book felt because of them. The romance was a great blend of sexy and sweet that I pretty much instantly fell for. This book is funny and I loved the dialogue between the characters. Brinkley's character arc was written wonderfully and I really admire how she was forced to confront the issues in her past and present to finally decide who she wanted to be and what she wanted to do. The tone toward men shifted throughout the book and that was also really interesting to see. I would definitely like to read more like this from Sonia Hartl!

2.5 stars rounded up t0 ​3

I have a really hard time rating this book. There were parts I really enjoyed (mostly the romance between Brinkley and Mark) and there were parts that made me uncomfortable to say the least (parts about the H4H, Brinkley's work). It didn't like what Brinkley, her boss and her cowrkers did and how they viewed men. I liked the ending though. Especally after Brinkey started standing up for herself. I also felt the story drag a bit in the middle, too long and drawn out, too many details and unnecessary repetition. I had some issue with the heroine's inner monologue being repetitive and would've liked to see more groveling at the end (or any groveling at all because I in my opinion Mark got forgiven way too easily). So, I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. Something was missing for me and I enjoyed the last 20% more than the rest of the book.
I enjoyed the book over all but I can't bring myself to give it more than 3 stars because I had absolutely no problem putting it down and then not picking it back up. This was my first Sonia Hartl book. I want to give her another try, see if this represents the level of depth or if she can go deeper.

OH my god...HEARTBREAK FOR HIRE is the comfort read I needed tonight. if you are sad, feeling lonely, or even feeling a bit meh because of outside drama, this book will soothe you and be the terrycloth monkey you need in your life. Mark and Brinkley were a couple I could root for from the beginning and at every point of the story. This fluff story is sooo good!