Thank you NetGalley and Gallery books for the ARC!

After reading the summary and a few reviews, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this book. Unfortunately, Heartbreak for Hire fell short of my expectations. While it was an easy, fast read with an original storyline, it lacked a lot of what I love about romantic comedies.

I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. Mark had a strong introduction but his character seemed to do a 180 quickly after meeting Brinkley. The main characters also lacked chemistry - I never felt their connection and their love story didn’t develop organically for me. Often times witty banter can pull me in when other parts of the book does not, but that was not the case here. I will give a lot of credit for an original storyline and a redeeming ending.

This book had me from the moment I read the synopsis. Who wouldn't be intrigued about people being hired to break someones heart? I'll admit that it is what drew me in!
Brinkley works at Heartbreak for Hire with three other women and her female boss. They specialize in helping other females to get revenge. All women seem to love their jobs until the boss decides to hire men to work in each department. Not one female is happy, especially Brinkley who has been paired with Mark, a previous target that she definitely had a spark with.
The whole story only gets better! Definitely worth a read!

Heartbreak for Hire is a workplace romcom with a coworkers' enemies-to-lovers plot that's particularly popular right now - and for good reason. I usually enjoy this kind of plot when done well... Unfortunately, Heartbreak for Hire doesn't accomplish this.

The titular company at which our protagonists work is an agency that specializes in breaking hearts of those who deserve to be taken down a peg or two - if the price is right. Brinkley has worked here for two years, while dealing with her own emotional baggage, but she never expected to see a target gone wrong show up at the office as her new coworker, Mark.

Heartbreak for Hire is a fast, readable book, but it's just lacking in so many things necessary for a fun romcom - including the rom (I didn't feel any chemistry between the couple) and the com. I just don't care about either of these characters, nor the other people around them, and I couldn't buy in enough to overlook the constant casual sexism throughout the story, and indeed within the very core of what the book is about.

There's also a lot of tiny little details that were just...awkward, like Brinkley being a painter whose big dream is to open a gallery. Those are two different careers! Similarly, Mark is in academia, a professor, and yet his big dream is to teach middle school. Believe it or not, these are different life paths and skillsets?? These, and other obnoxiously weird little details, might seem petty - but they're the kind of jarring moment that are both more noticeable because of, and symptomatic of, overall mediocre writing.

There are a lot of workplace, rivals-to-lovers, banter-filled romcoms out there - no need to suffer through this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advance review copy.

Love these types of stories. I adored the interaction between all of the characters. This will be an easy buy for me when it’s out!

A special thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Brinkley works for Heartbreak for Hire, an undercover operation that specializes in helping other women get revenge on men...for a price. Each mark reminds her of her sleazy ex-boyfriend, Aiden, who continually cut her down and damaged her self esteem. Brinkley knows she just needs to work this job until she saves up enough money to open her own gallery and garner the courage to start selling her paintings. Things are going swimmingly, until Brinkley falls for one of her marks (coincidentally named Mark) and he's soon hired to help as her direct employee at Heartbreak for Hire. In this enemies to lovers tale, Heartbreak for Hire challenges Brinkley to choose between truly following her heart or staying in the safe lane of revenge and resentment that her job entails.

I absolutely LOVED Heartbreak for Hire. It was incredibly funny, had likable and relatable characters, and the premise was so original. There were so many laugh out loud moments. This book was anything but predictable and had me guessing until the very end as to what would happen. Coupled with deception and revenge, Heartbreak for Hire is fun, witty and a must read.

The chemistry between Mark and Brinkley is simply electric. I loved how the two characters unapologetic ally pushed each other to examine what they wanted in life. Following the enemies to lovers trope, the pair weren't afraid to push each others buttons to get their point across. The love scenes were so steamy and never forced.

I also loved the strong bonds Brinkley had with the other women at the company. Her best friend, Emma, was absolutely hilarious and I laughed every time she suggested offing someone to solve a problem. Above all, I adored Brinkley's character. She was beautifully broken. Reeling from her breakup with her ex, plus the baggage she carries from her complicated relationship with her mom, Brinkley was always herself and didn't apologize about it. While she lacked self-confidence, she also was open to healing with the help and support of Mark.

Heartbreak for Hire was a surprise hit for me and I am so glad that I chose to read it! This book is definitely a must read for 2021!

What a fun, new twist on the romantic comedy. Heartbreak for Hire is a look at how far someone would go for revenge. These ladies thought they were doing society a favor but slowly begin to realize that there are different sides to a story. A change up at work has these friends reevaluating what they do for a living when it comes to matters of the heart. #netgalley

Heartbreak for hire was such an anticipated read and the premise sounded so amazing, Even from the beginning I was extremely uncomfortable with how the man and woman were portrayed. This book was far too long and stretched and the pacing was extremely slow.

Arc given by netgalley and gallery books in exchange of an honest review.

Such a good quick, fun romcom! I really enjoyed HFH! This is my first Hartl read and it sure won't be my lady!

Brinkley works at Heartbreak for Hire, a secret service that specializes in revenge for jilted lovers, frenemies, and long-suffering coworkers with a little cash to spare and a man who needs to be taken down a notch.
I loved Brinkley. Her character is amazing. The writing was great! Sonia really knows how to keep her readers engaged!

Thank you for NetGalley for the ARC.

When I got accepted for an ARC of this book I was so excited. The blurb, the idea of a heartbreak for hire intrigued me. Give me Enemies to lovers à la The hating game and I'll read it.
The story started strong, enjoyable. Found myself smiling from time to time but around 45% I started losing interest, the heartbreak for hire wasn't the main point of the book for me.

- I expected more interaction between the members of Heartbreak for hire. You know when you start a book and read about a secondary character in the book, you like them so you start to imagine their book and their story. Like when you watch the Bachelor, find a contestant you like so you root for her to get the guy or at least follow her story and want her to be the next bachelorette (Katie). I didn't feel that. I didn't want this book to continue into a serie, that says a lot.

- The interaction between the H and the love intrest confused me sometimes, it was a bit fast and flat for me. I expected Banter, hatred, and undeniable attraction (enemies to lovers trope).

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it didn't deliver.

Not my cup of tea

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book.
Heartbreak for Hire is a funny rom-com with witty banter, great chemistry between the main characters, and an enemies to lovers trope with just the right amount of steam!
As a heartbreaker, Brinkley is a always ready to set wrongs right, getting revenge/ justice for women who’ve been wronged, and with the help of her fellow heartbreakers, try to make things a little better for her fellow woman. In walks Mark, and with the events that transpire, Brinkley is forced to reassess her life’s purpose and decide if what’s she’s doing is really the best way to support herself and her fellow woman.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a super fun romcom, and it kept me entertained the entire time.

Like most romances, I liked the beginning better than the ending. The original dynamic between Mark and Brinkley was so entertaining, it was addicting. Their constant feuding had me laughing constantly, I wanted even more of their banter/arguments.

Once this hit the halfway point, their banter disappeared so we could have angst. Angst is enjoyable, but it got to be a bit much at the end here. So much started happening, and it was like I got whiplash from how fast everything happened.

The design felt super rushed, and I really wish we would've gotten a more detailed conclusion. Even if this had only been 20 pages longer, it would've helped. I really wanted to see more of Brinkley's gallery succeeding, and how her relationship with Mark proceeded.

This was a unique romcom, and it was the most enjoyable thing I've read in quite some time. I'd definitely recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and Sonia Hartl for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

This romantic comedy has lots of romance and comedy that will keep you smiling. Brinkley had a terrible break up. To help get over it, she works for Heartbreak for Hire in the Egos category handling men who need to be taken down a notch. The scenarios are clever and funny. She is good at her job until one night she is smitten by her mark. To make matters worse, her boss hires four men to work with the gals and the one assigned to her, Mark, is that guy. Mark is furious for her running out on him and she is mortified to find she must work with him. Lots of issues to explore; secrets her mother kept her entire life, friends who use you for their gain, daring to find happiness and love after loss, and being able to follow your dreams. Great book, loved the characters and the story.

I hate giving less than positive reviews, but man this book was not for me. Brinkley, an aspiring artist, left the world of academia after a bad breakup. She's recruited to work for a company called Heartbreak for Hire, a secret service that exacts revenge on men. Brinkley loves her job until one of her targets is hired by the company and she starts rethinking her life as a heartbreaker.
What I didn't like:
📚 almost all of the characters were difficult to like
📚 the love story went from 0 to 100 way too fast with no development
📚 I personally felt like the story objectified both men and women
📚 I couldn't stand Margo (Brinkley's boss) - it felt like she was encouraging women to be angry and jaded instead of empowering them
What I liked:
📚 there was some great laugh out loud lines
📚 Brinkley's forever hissing cat 🐈
📚 the ending - I do feel like the ending redeemed some parts of the book I didn't like, but no spoilers!
Thanks to @netgalley @gallerybooks and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brinkley works at H4H, heartbreak for hire helping other women to get revenge from guys who have mistreated them. One of her assignments was to pay justice to a professor who took credit that he wasn't due. His name was Mark and that is the start of breaking the rules that Brinkley was not prepared for....

From the first time that I read the synopsis of this book I knew I needed to get my hands on it! There wasn’t a thing about this book that didn’t scream entertaining. A business made for taking down asshole men by scorned women? An attractive professor in sweater vests that was a target and then got hired? Academia world dropout with a passion for art? How could all of those things be in the same book! There’s that and so much more. Overall I liked the book, but it is full of conundrums for me. I like the characters, but I felt they were vague. I liked the plot, but there was so much plot that there’s a lot lost. It was a fun read, but there was so much potential for this to be a perfect book it hurts.

I really like Brinkley’s character. The book is told entirely from her POV, which makes you incredibly sympathetic to her. She’s basically been emotionally manipulated and abused her whole life. From her strained relationship with her mother to her ex-friends and ex-boyfriend to her current boss there’s no lack of poor relationships for Brinkley! I really enjoyed watching her transform over the course of the book. I did find her to be a little annoying at times simply because she wavers on a lot of decisions and it stalls the flow of the novel. I was also very confused as to why she wanted to open a gallery as she was an artist, which are two different things.

While I enjoyed Brinkley’s character I wish that the other characters had been able to have some depth to them. I just felt like every other character besides Brinkley felt like a supporting character (and I admit they mostly were) and weren’t given any room to shine. I wanted more from Mark especially. He had the backstory and everything was there to cement him as an astounding love interest and opposite to Brinkley in this novel. I would have also loved to see Brinkley’ mother, her boss Margo, and her friend Emma all be more than caricatures. They just felt very surface level. I wanted so much more than just filler characters with a stereotypical role.

There is so much plot! OMG this book keeps throwing everything in. You’ve got the whole premise of Heartbreak for Hire, Mark joining the team after being a target, Brinkley’s mom, the gallery plan, growing issues with Margo, and I’m probably missing more pieces. There is so much propelling this book along through plot that you don't have the option but to be sucked into this book. The catch to it, is that by the books ending there are only a few of those lines that actually felt complete. Most of the fallout/final act happens at 80% through the book which just makes the ending feel incredibly rushed and incomplete. Once again I ask the world of books for an additional 20 pages to tie everything up.

Long story short, did I like this book? Yes. Will I recommend this book for others to read? Also yes. Do I think that this book is going to be well received? Yes. All in all it was a good book. I did read it in a day, so that’s saying something. I enjoyed the slightly outrageous plot and really want a Mark of my own (please world give me a hot professor that wears sweater vests and reminds you of Indiana Jones). I was between giving this an arbitrary 3.5/5 and a 4/5 star review and considering that I enjoyed the read, it was quick, and it played well with a plethora of tropes. I'm giving it a 4/5. I’m excited to see what other adult fiction books Sonia Hartl puts out in the future because I will definitely be reading them!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced copy of the book! All opinions are that of my own and have no reflection on receiving this book.

Heartbreak for Hire ended up being a 4 ⭐️ read for me but I’m kind of surprised. I liked the writing style and the characters from the beginning but I had a hard time with main storyline for a lot of the book. Luckily I kept reading and let it all work itself out. I wouldn’t say this is a warm and fuzzy romance novel because it isn’t. It was full of layers and it kept my attention from the first page until the last. This is an open door romance novel so keep that in mind. Luckily those parts can easily be clicked through. It definitely didn’t ruin or take away from the story as a whole.

Heartbreak for Hire is a rom-com that in the end, simply didn’t work for me.

From the start, I was uncomfortable with how both women and men were portrayed and was also uncomfortable with how steamy the romance was between the main characters of Brinkley and Mark.

While this book sounded like it would be cute, for me, it simply left a lot to be desired. As I am only one reader, I encourage others to read additional reviews, as this book might be right up your alley.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the arc.

Published on Goodreads.

I loved this book! Holy smokes I will be following Sonia Hartl (and hopefully the 4 other H4H girls!) from now on!

Heartbreak for Hire seemed like a super fun concept but I wasn't sure if it would be a home run for me. I WAS WRONG IT WAS A MILLION HOME RUNS. This book had so much more depth than I expected and I adored that. I also love that the story was flipped on its head by about 10% of the way in. You think you know the plot, but there are twists and turns to keep what could be a predictable storyline fresh and interesting and completely unpredictable.

Brinkley is someone I rooted for and someone I understood. Being someone who has left an abusive relationship, Sonia did a wonderful job capturing the self-doubt. Yes, there are times that everyone around you gives up on your dreams because you continue to hold yourself back and there are times that if you were a book character, the reader would probably be yelling JUST DO IT! But I loved how honest and real it was. Mark was a dreamboat who I was fully in love with. He was a wonderful foil for Brinkley- he had his own reasons for making bad decisions but was also gentle and guiding with her which I loved to watch.

I do wish we had seen more of the other H4H girls, a little more depth, a little more girl love. We hear that they often go out for drinks and we hear that they're very close, but I definitely didn't see that. But hopefully we'll see them in their own books!

Overall, loved this book, totally recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and Sonia Hartl and Gallery Books for this wonderful ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you're wanting a quick and easy romance novel that hits all the key points with an easy to follow story: this is the book for you.

Heartbreak for Hire fits right into the mold of the romance genre. The MC is someone you want to root for, and the drama of her life is just on the right side of believable while still being intriguing enough to keep you interested. The cliches work for the plot, not against it, and even though all the twists can be seen from a mile away, it's still an enjoyable read.

This isn't the kind of book you read when you're wanting drama and suspense anyway. This is the book you read because you know you'll slip right into it's plot like a nice warm bath, and you'll keep reading it even when the water's gone cold.

Pro: Steamy sex scenes, original storyline, highly entertainiing
Con: N/A
Verdict: Love it and will recommend to all