4 1/2 stars

Yep, this title is quite fitting. What a beautiful and extremely emotional book.

Wren is nursing a broken heart after losing her fiancee to his soulmate. In order to get over the loss, she escapes from the UK to America where her father and his wife live. Surely the distance will help her get clarity and move on with her life. All seems to go to plan. She helps her father and stepmother with their new farm, spends time with her stepsister and meets some of the locals - - including the two handsome brothers from the farm next door. One will only ever be a friend and the other one....well he could definitely be something more but he doesn't appear interested.

Anders is dealing with his own issues. He's been struggling to move on since the loss of his wife four years ago and doesn't appear to be making any progress. When he meets Wren, she's captivating and he's drawn to her but the guilt overwhelms him. It's all he can do to maintain their friendship.

Can these two work through their losses together and find their way to a happily ever after or is fate truly that cruel and heartless?

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

4.5 ⭐️ Paige Toon’s Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a delightful romance. The main character is Wren, an architect who lived for a time growing up in the US but now lives in England. Wren is engaged at the beginning of the book but then her fiancé ends the engagement, having found his soulmate. Left reeling, Wren goes to visit her dad, her step-mom and half-sister in Southern Indiana. Wren meets Anders and Jonas, two brothers who grew up on the farm that abuts her dad’s farm. Both Anders and Jonas are dealing with their own problems, but Wren and her half-sister quickly bond with the brothers.

I loved the character development and progression as I read the book. I fell in love with the characters and was totally invested in them. Can’t wait to read more Paige Toon books.

Thank you to the author, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my opinions. The book comes out April 25th.

This was a sweet, but an emotional love story with a twist that I didn’t see coming. The plot and characters are so well written that I was hooked from the beginning. Wren and Anders are both very strong people for having to deal with what they each have gone through and I loved watching them fall in love despite trying desperately not to. I was rooting for them the entire time and am happy with the ending they got! Speaking of endings, that one was a “wow” one! I can’t wait to see if their story continues through another book. Maybe with Jonas and Tyler in the spotlight? I loved Jonas so much and would love to read more about his and Tyler’s (and Astrid’s) happily ever after. 💗

Thank you so much Netgalley, Putnam Books, and of course, Paige Toon for allowing me to read and review!

I was immediately drawn into the plot with a slap in the face, gut drop of a prologue. How could you not when the drama goes from zero to double the speed limit like that?

Wren and Ander’s friendship and developing relationship had me intrigued from the beginning. I mean, who doesn’t love a brooding male main character and a heartbroken female main character? But really, we’ve got to hand it to the supporting characters because their build and humor just lent so much more to the storyline than if they hadn’t been there. The plot was enough to keep me nosey to the point of wanting to know what happens, but not enough I was longing for the next pages.

Unfortunately, the writing is lackluster and unnecessarily drawn out. It felt as if I was getting a blow-by-blown account of someone’s life, with a whole bunch of details that didn’t help to build the story much as all. There were also a few portions of chapters that seemed out of place and/or out of order which was incredibly distracting to the rest of the book. Because of these things the story seemed to drag on instead of flow and piece together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House - Putnam Books for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 Stars

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a heartbreaking, emotional love story with a twist that I did not see coming. It tells the story of Wren, a British woman recovering from a broken heart who visits her father and his family at his farm in Indiana when she meets Anders, the neighbor, and sparks fly and hearts get broken. Anders is so complicated and swoonworthy and frustrating all at the same time. There was such intense character development with such relatable characters that I felt like I knew these characters. I loved the romance but I also loved seeing Wren finally connect with her half sister after so many years. I absolutely cried while reading this one.

This book was emotional! It hit a lot of different topics like, heart break, child of divorce, mental health issues, and of course the twist of Anders wife being in a vegetative state. I loved the characters in the book so much. The author did a great job with making you feel like you knew them all. I didn’t love how you questioned if Jonas and Wren’s half sister had a thing. It was odd and set something up for Wren’s sister to be unhappy in her marriage when really it was fine. That seemed like an unnecessary thing to throw into the book and didn’t seem to flow right. If she had work issues, then just make it that. I don’t think she really needed a “struggle” anyways because many other character did. That was about the only thing I didn’t like. Overall the book was very good and kept me wanting to read! I liked the depth of the book because it felt way more than a typical romance book. Loved the small town theme as well.

Will post on goodreads and my book Instagram

I was not expecting to fall in love with this book. The emotion of the characters, the constant wondering of what will happen.. so raw and so incredible. My heart went out to Anders. I was so captivated by this story, that the ending left me wanting more. Even if its just a small little novella or just bonus chapters. I need to know more. This was a beautiful story that has you by your heart strings. The title is absolute perfection- only love can hurt like this.

I really enjoyed this quiet love story - there were parts that were a little slow but it still kept me engaged and needing to know how it turned out. I really loved Wren and Anders, but Jonas was the star for me! And I really enjoyed seeing Wren’s relationship grow with her family. When I got to the “twist” my jaw dropped and I couldn’t put it down from there. This was filled with heart and so sweet.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Putnam Sons an Imprint of Penguin Random House. This books will have you feel so many emotions happiness, tears, sadness and also gratefulness. This book can be read anywhere but I would recommend a mature reader. Love can bring with it many feelings not just love but pain. And that isn't such a bad thing. I hope that it teaches us to appreciate what true love really is. Wren and Andres never excepted to meet or like each other. But secrets have a way of coming out. It's brings with it hurt and betrayal. It also can destroy a bond. But can a bond really be repaired. Can you truly trust someone. Sometimes trying to protect a person can make things worse but maybe also better?

This is a really special story. It will make you laugh and make you cry. The characters Anders, Jonás, Beth, and Wren are really spectacular. The plot details all the joys and sadness that have brought them all together. There will be surprises that are both good and bad. The setting also add to making the story formidable. This is a great book to buy and read.

Ugh, this was a tad too dramatic for me. I'm just not a fan of this author's style and it has nothing to do with her books at all - they just aren't for me. A bit too much forbidden/insta love, lots of longing and impossible situations as well. The comparisons to Colleen Hoover and Jojo Moyes are spot on so if you like them definitely pick this up. Many thanks to @prhaudio for the ALC and NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

When I first heard this book talked about someone said that it was similar to a Colleen Hoover book. I do not think that is an accurate description as CoHo books tend to pack an emotional punch all the way through. Only Love Can Hurt Like This takes a much more subtle approach. The story starts off with the heroine watching her fiancé interact with another woman in such a way that causes her to question their feelings for each other. After their engagement is called off, the heroine goes back home to visit her father for a few weeks. In this visit she becomes acquainted again with her half sister, step mother and also the neighbors the next farm over. What we then get from the story is a portrayal of grief and starting life over from two different perspectives. Plus, life on a small farm which is big win for most people.

This book is really like a warm hug even though it deals with heavy topics. The characters were 100% relatable and the story also had a realistic quality to it that I appreciated. I appreciated how the author also discussed the distance father/daughter relationship and I felt this at my core.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Putnam Group for allowing me to read an early copy!

Mixed feelings

While reading this book I thought it was good, a very slow burn romance set in a small town near Indianapolis on a farm. Wren, the female lead character comes to the US from her home in the UK after a bad breakup to visit her Dad and his family for a couple of weeks. She meets the neighboring farmers, including their two sons Jonas and Anders shortly after arriving.

While Wren feels an attraction for Anders, she finds out he is still grieving his wife 4.5 years after she was in an accident. Anders vacillates between being friendly to Wren and running away from her. Slow burn, right?

Then the entire story explodes at 72% and everything changes. I refuse to write spoilers so I can’t go into detail, but I completely understand the description of earth-shattering secrets and life-changing story. Very emotional but also affirming.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Thank you, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley, for the advanced copy.

Oh, you guys. This one chewed on my heart and spit it out, and I cried like a baby. My husband came home and asked me what was wrong, and when I told him, he asked why he didn't know these friends of mine. He couldn't believe I was going through so much without him knowing. I had to explain it was because they were my fictional friends. That earned me an eye roll, but also a glass of wine to calm my feelings. This is the one, y'all. This is my favorite of the year so far. Buy this one, and be prepared to go through every emotion possible.

What do you do when you realize your fiance is in love with a co-worker? Wren let him go, and took a break to leave the UK and visit her American dad. While visiting her dad, Wren meets the family next door which includes the brooding Anders. Who doesn't love a good brooding male love interest? Anders is plagued with the loss of his wife four years ago. Wren isn't aware of everything going on with Anders in his personal life, and if the truth comes out, will Wren be pushed away or will they be able to find their way back to each other?

ONLY LOVE CAN HURT LIKE THIS by Paige Toon is the story of a woman attempting to get past a hellacious breakup in her native England by staying with her father and his new family in the United States. Before I was a quarter into the book, I was tired of this character, the creaking plot structure, all the surface moments that felt contrived to deliver the emotion and plummet into another world that I expect from a romantic story. I plowed on, hoping for better, but unfortunately better never arrived. That said, there is so much to like with the complexity of family relationships, the brutal reality of a farming life and community, the dropping this broken-hearted woman into a totally different land with nothing familiar, no one to lean on except for herself. I received a copy of this book and these are my own, unbiased thoughts.

This book was a delight to read! I love it when authors mention songs and musical artists in their novels. It adds another layer of setting the scene and atmosphere. Paige Toon is a master at drawing the reader into the world of the book. I enjoyed the slow burn and chemistry of the main characters. I was absolutely moved by this book, There is plenty of heartache but also humor. I was rooting for the characters the whole way. The characters have a lot of pain and past trauma and we see how they grow and heal emotionally. The plot twist had me totally freaking out in the best way. I loved the side characters just as much as much as the main characters. I can’t wait to pick up my next Paige Toon novel.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc copy in exchange for my honest review,

This was my first book by Paige Toon, and I absolutely enjoyed it! The characters and setting were so well-developed that I felt completely immersed as I was reading. Although I've never been to Indiana, I felt like I had because of the vivid descriptions.
Wren, while a bit of an over-thinker, was likeable and easy to empathize with. Anders was such a great male MC- honorable, caring, and keeping himself at arm's length due to his dedication to his wife.
I would love to read more by this author! Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Only Love Can Hurt Like This.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this arc. This book was alright. I didn't really find anything spectacular about this book. The family dynamic from both main characters was interesting. Overall wasn't giving me the wow that I wanted. I do think this would be enjoyable for other readers and would still recommend.

This book was just not for me. I found it to be short on any really interesting characters or even events. It dragged on for me with predictable people doing predictable things.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is the first book I’ve read from Paige Toon. After Wren's fiancé falls in love with someone else, she finds it hard to recover from the heartbreak, while Anders is still struggling to move on from losing his wife four years ago. Wren hopes to find solace during her summer stay on her dad's farm in Indiana, but her life changes when she meets Anders amidst the cornfields and fireflies. However, Anders is hiding a secret that could impact everyone if he acts on his feelings for Wren, leaving her with a tough decision on whether to walk away or stay. The author addresses heavy topics throughout the book such as infidelity, chronic illness, and child death. The writing style being compared to Colleen Hoover and Jojo Moyes piqued my interest. However, I found that the execution fell short. While the beginning was captivating, the middle dragged on, and the final quarter of the book felt rushed with little explanation. Additionally, the "secret"/twist was obvious to me which was a letdown as the author could have explored other facets of the story. I couldn't connect with the main characters, Wren and Anders, and their chemistry felt forced. Some characters, like Bailey and Jonas, were well-developed, but others, such as Casey, were underdeveloped. Overall, this book wasn't for me, and I wouldn't recommend it.