Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam’s Sons for my ARC of Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon. 🤍

This book wrecked me.. WRECKED me.. In the best way. I found it rather slow to start but once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down. The plot twist was mind blowing and took me absolutely by shock. When I say I had to pick my jaw up off the floor, I am not kidding. This is my first book by Paige Toon and certainly won’t be my last. I was up til 2 am finishing this book and I still find myself thinking about the main characters, Wren and Anders. I’m selfishly hoping Paige writes Jonas’s story as well because I would love to read it. Pub date is 04/25/2023, add this to your TBR then set your phone on DND and get cozy w this one. 🎉

“An earth-shattering secret. A life-changing love story.” Wren comes home to mend her broken heart and the last thing she’s looking for is another relationship. Anders is also healing from a broken heart. Even though they try to fight what they feel for each other, they can’t deny their feelings. I have the upmost respect for Anders and my heart ripped into pieces for him. The plot twist and secret made me love the characters even more. I have a major book hangover from this book. 5 stars without a second thought.

I dedicated a post on my bookstagram to this book, check it out here:
www.instagram.com/akersofpages

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/68909726-kellie-akers

This book took me so long to read because I just couldn’t get into it. Nothing was exciting or shocking.

Wren is a girl from the UK who moves her hometown after she finds out her fiancé is in love with another woman. She deals with repressed feelings and weird dynamics with her father and her stepmother, as well as her half sister and her husband. Enter Anders and Jonas the two farmers who happen to live next-door. Of course she falls for the one with who is holding a deep, dark secret, Anders, and it just did not shock me. I was like that’s it? That’s the secret? They fight and fight to not fall in love with each other but eventually they do. SHOCKER. Anders is put in a spot that he can not see a way out of… annoying. It wasn’t hard for me to make a decision 😂 and I chose Jonas😂 he had more of a striking personality than Anders.

I almost DNFd this one. I wish I did but Netgally and PenguinRandom House allowed me access to this book for an honest review…. And whoop! There it Is

“I didn’t know it was possible to love so fully and hurt so deeply at exactly the same time.” I had not previously read a Paige Toon book before but did I ever devour “Only Love Can Hurt Like This.” This slow-burn romance shattered my heart - think Colleen Hoover, Jojo Moynes and even a little Abby Jimenez.

When Wren’s fiancée falls in love with his colleague and calls off their wedding, she takes refuge far away from her UK home and comes to stay with her father, stepmother and half-sister on their farm in Indiana. As Wren is nursing her broken heart she meets Anders, the youngest son of the family next door, who tragically lost his wife four years earlier and has never fully recovered. These 2 broken souls are drawn to each other and a friendship quickly followed, but a secret from his past is making it hard for him to open his heart to someone new. I read it in one day - honestly couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read (devour) an advanced copy of this book.

The story begins when Wren discovers her fiance, Scott broke off their engagement because he is in love with someone else.

Wren then felt she needed to leave the UK so she flew to her father's and step mother's farm in Indiana. She also has a half sister name Bailey whose relations with her is estranged.

The plot was predictable and slow paced. Wren meets Anders whose has a mysterious past and eventually falls in love with him.

However, the character development and growth of relationships were my favorite part of the story.

There were times when Wren felt she wasn't good enough for Anders really felt relatable. Throughout the story I was rooting for Wren and Anders to find happiness together and move on with their past.

Thank you to Netgalley, and Penguin Publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I received this book as an ARC. I thought it was a heartfelt story and I enjoyed reading it. The story line was interesting and I wanted to know what was going to happen. I liked the characters. The main character battled some insecurity that I found frustrating. However, it is always difficult for me to see a female lead be challenged with insecurity. To be clear, I think it's a real issue, but when I the reader can see the reasons not to be insecure it can be tough. The build up of the romance for the main character was good. The actual physical moment between them was a little lacking. I did not see the plot twist in the story coming, but I think it added a lot to the book itself. Very interesting dynamic. You can see it from a lot of different sides. Overall, I think it is a heartfelt story and the perfect length. I would definitely recommend it!

This was my third book by Paige Toon, and unfortunately I think it was my least favorite so far. While I applaud Toon on highlighting the messiness of Anders' circumstances (and messy love is my favorite kind to read about), there was something that fell a bit flat in terms of the characters. I will say that I preferred the second half to the first half, and I support the way the ending unfolded, I just didn't feel the same level of investment in Wren and Anders as I have for other book couples. Still, Toon is undoubtedly a talented writer, and I look forward to checking out more of her work!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is such a good book!

When Wren’s fiancé leaves her for another woman, she needs to get away and heal her heartbreak. She decides to go to Indiana to visit her dad, who she hasn’t seen in a long time.
Anders lost his wife in a tragic accident four years ago, and has been having a hard time moving on.
Wren and Anders meet and have to navigate through lots of emotional issues.

This story was written and described so beautifully, that I felt like I was there. It kept me on my toes with a few twists too!
This book had me thinking about it long after I had finished. This book will definitely be one I will be reading again! This was such a beautiful story of love, loss, and healing.

📘: Only love can hurt like this - by Paige Toon
🗓️: April 25, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Paige Toon, and Penguin Group Putnam, for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

This book made me laugh, this book made me cry, and it made me cling to my husband like Saran Wrap and tell him he can never never leave me😂😅

The writing was well done and I was never bored! The story was well paced, the romance never felt forced or cheesy. It was sweet and endearing, heart wrenching even.

Not to mention seeing how the family dynamics changed and grew over the course of the book. I always love seeing families heal and come together in a story 🥰

The twists toward the end completely threw me and had me turning back to past chapters when I realized I missed something. Paige Toon created a masterpiece in that!

I haven’t cried from a book in a long time, but this one did me in and it may be in my top 10 favorite books of all time.

PUB DAY is on April 25th 💙🌷

Big thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review 💛

An absorbing novel of a romance within a captivating story of family relationships, hard decisions, and lives missing out on living.
When Wren travels to visit her father in Indiana, she leaves England with a broken heart and engagement. She never felt connected to her father or her step family after he left her mother. It is her hope to finally form relationships with them.
Anders and Jonas live in the farm adjacent to her father’s. They both are complicated beings. Wren is drawn to Anders who has his demons like Wren and Jonas. The story is exceptional as it traces the complications of relationships as the summer unfolds.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was like a Hallmark movie in the best possible way!

Wren's fiancé left her for another woman, sending her in to a bit of a tailspin. She decides to take refuge at her father and step-mother's new farm in Indiana. She soon meets the brothers that run the neighboring farm and takes in interest in Anders. Anders lost his wife and is still working through the pain of his grief. Neither of them feels ready to move on, but the universe keeps putting them in each other's path.

I love a small town romance. The farm was so quaint and charming. These two characters were working through pain of grief due to broken relationships. They are also working to mend fences with family. The characters are engaging and I couldn't wait to see where they ended up.

*I was provided a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover was what drew me in on this one, but I really enjoyed it! I was really drawn to the characters, especially Anders. I don't think the "devastating secret" was as dramatic as the blurb made it seem, but maybe I'm just used to extremes. Even still, it was a good book that I would absolutely recommend.

It’s been a while since I read a book that was so good it was difficult to put down, yet at the same time I didn’t want the story to end. That’s what this book was.

I loved the characters, the plot, and how it gripped you. There were moments I wanted to scream. Moments that tugged at my heart strings. And so many moments that I wanted to cry. This book had it all. It may end up being one of my favorites of the year.

I’d definitely recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Very sweet slow burn romance that is pretty tame on the spice but does not fall short to pull on your heart strings. Very well written and I am very excited to see more from this author

This is my first Paige Toon novel and it won’t be my last. I was impressed with how the author was able to build reader connections to the characters that grew stronger throughout the chapters.

The title clues you in that this book will explore the pain that can sometimes go hand in hand with love; however, the emotional journey that Wren and Anders travel together is absolutely gut wrenching.

This is my first time read a Paige Toon book and won’t be the last! I was instantly pulled into this story and felt like the insecurities that Wren faced hit so close to home for me as well. Though reading how Wren cycled through her feeling made me rethink my own with family. I’ve not read another book that pulled me in and connected so well. Then you have Anders story and all the surprises within it which is something I don’t think a lot of people think about unless we are in his shoes and living his story. I would recommend this book over and over again. Well done!

Romance novels are not my usual genre but I was intrigued by the book description. I found it to be a sweet and easy read. It was predictable but I enjoyed it.

It certainly is, "an earth-shattering secret. A life-changing love story". This is my first book that I have read from Paige Toon. The story captured my attention and I lost track of time. It was the build up, the secret, and what happens next. An amazing story, that sure did surprise me. I will be reading more of Paige Toon's books.
I received an ARC from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley.

What a wonderfully surprising and thoughtful read from Paige Toon who is a new author to me but not for long! I will definitely be reading more from her in the future -- she has a new fan! I love Ms. Toon's writing style -- the description and narrative put me right in the middle of that farm in Indiana. I could smell the hay and the rain when it stormed and I felt every emotional step these characters took on their journey. Anders and Wren, Jonas, Bailey & Casey, their parents -- each and every character was thoroughly well-developed. This was a heartbreaking, intensely emotional read for me. I'm not going to reveal much about the story line because I don't want to ruin it for anyone else who picks up this book like I did not knowing what I was in for. But be warned -- be prepared to set aside some time because you won't want to put it down! Family dynamics, friendships, heartbreaks, romance and some really surprising twists make this a 5-star read for me and one that will stay with me for a while. I'm very grateful to have been given an opportunity to read an early copy of this book for NetGalley.

This book. It kept me turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. And then it kept me thinking about Anders and Wren long after I should have been asleep. While somewhat predictable, there were many moments where it could have taken a turn in a different direction, so it definitely kept me on my toes.

But what was so striking to me about this book was the authors descriptions of events. I felt as if i was truly on the farm, smelling the peaches, sitting by the lake and shooting pool at Dirk's. The way that she described the electricity between Wren and Anders made me feel like I was there, watching the stolen glances and falling deep into Ander's eyes.

This book is a must read and I will now be delving deep into Toon's book archive for more.

I feel like the outlier on this one. I thought it was just okay, This book was way too slow for my liking.

The beginning starts off great and you are really attaching to the characters then it just drags to where I check to see how far I am into the book before anything good starts to happen, and I am at 76%. I get that some people love a slow burn, I just don't. So, I can see why so many people love this book and I am so happy they do. Also, for me I think because I waited so long for Wren and Ander's to get their selves together that I lost interest in them. I actually think that Jonas and Bailey had more chemistry that these two had.

The twist... just didn't seem believable to me. No one mentioned it before 300 pages of the story?

I would definitely try another book from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC