“Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts” follows podcast host Margo Anderson, who distances herself from romance and commitments. When her best friend and fellow host Jo gets married, essentially breaking every single rule they’ve talked about on their podcast, Margo feels that she is being left to pick up the pieces on her own, including how to wrap up their podcast, which leads her to the idea of breaking the rules and initiating a fling with her old high school rival, Declan Walsh. But are the rules Margo has curated over the last three years actually all they’re cracked up to be?

Though I am someone who is incredibly easy to please and entertain, I really enjoyed “Seven Rules.” The synopsis is what originally caught my interest the most because I have never read a book that features a podcast before, which is something I thought was really well done in the book. I also love the rivals to lovers trope; it’s not a trope that will ever let me down, but it worked perfectly in the novel. I also felt a certain kind of kinship with Margo in terms of her anxiety about the way people perceive her; to me, her struggle with knowing that logically, people probably weren’t perceiving her the way she imagined them, but her anxiety making her feel otherwise was so incredibly realistic. It was representation in a space I wasn’t really expecting it.

The main chunk of the novel, obviously, is Margo and Declan’s relationship, which I really, really loved reading. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the tension between them at the beginning of the book and the “slights” against her that she imagined, it quickly dissipated as Margo began to let go of her preconceived notions about Declan and who he had been before. I loved reading how she was finally opening up and allowing herself to not live by her rules anymore because she realized that the rules were not the be all, end all of love. At the end, following the third act conflict, I was really impressed by the maturity of both Margo and Declan. I feel like in a lot of contemporary romances, the maturity between two characters is a little lacking, but in “Seven Rules,” our two main characters were able to handle the situation maturely, something I really appreciated.

I had such a fun time reading “Seven Rules,” especially Margo’s development over the course. I think this book might be good for anyone who loves a good rivals to lovers story and the “guy falls first and harder” trope. It was such a romp to read and I am really looking forward to whatever Kristyn J. Miller publishes next!

I tried several times to get into this story, but ended up skimming and DNF.

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

Jo and Go (or Margo) are best friends, and together they run a podcast featuring rules for hooking up without catching feelings. Think "10 things I hate about you", but in a quirky podcast format. But when Jo drops the bomb in the podcast that she is (according to the listeners) all of a sudden getting married, Margo quickly realizes that things need to change to keep their sponsors… and her apartment.

Margo and Jo are off to Catalina island for two weeks to plan and host Jo’s wedding, while Go doubles down on the rules, right as she is dealing with the Highschool class clown that made her life pretty terrible back then.

This was a super cute romcom, the dialog and banter are fantastic, although if you feel like the MC is annoying as heck, I felt the same way, it gets better so keep reading. At first I didn't care for either Jo or Go, especially because I work in social media and it was quite the "this is too real to my daily life" to see the differences and similarities of how it really works. But thankfully, this focus' more on Margo and her growth/relationships more than the podcast, so that really helped me keep reading. AND because Declan and Go are SO different, you know things are going to go in the direction we all hope for.

So to recap, if you're a fan of "How to lose a guy in 10 days", Sarah Adams, and/or Emily Henry this will be right down your alley.

All in all, I recommend this book and I recommend keeping an eye out for this author, and checking out this book when it is published May 2023. I really appreciate NetGalley and St Martins’ s Press for letting me read this early in exchange for my review.

Omg!!! Love this book. I rooted for this couple from the jump! They were adorable together!
The secret out heroine kept drove me nuts! I shouted, "Just tell him, he'd understand!" Lol
Enjoyed every aspect of this book...the characters, the trip, the podcast, the wedding events and most of all the love story!

Honestly, I read the summary for this book and thought it sounded like a decent read, and that’s exactly what I got. That might sound horrible, but I’ve been experiencing a dearth of decent romances lately so this was a nice breath of air for me. A woman who’s built a career on swearing off commitment unexpectedly falls for an old high school classmate in Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts.

Margo and her best friend Jo run a popular podcast centered around spurning commitment in favor of hooking up without feelings. The podcast’s coming to a natural end with Jo’s impending wedding to her high school crush Peter, but they still need content to cover one more season to help sponsor the wedding. During the all-expenses-paid vacation leading up to the wedding, Margo is stuck hanging out with Declan, the best man and Peter’s best friend. She eventually comes up with the perfect ender for the podcast: what happens when she breaks her own rules? Declan seems like the perfect target, but as they become closer, she soon realizes that falling for him is bigger than a random anecdote for the show.

I enjoyed the writing! Again, I have been reading a string of romances that I didn’t much enjoy, and that was mostly due to the writing so this was a win for me. Margo’s humor and narrative was fun; I’d definitely read whatever this author writes next.

The romance was built up so well. Margo’s been living life according to her seven rules, ultimately swearing off romantic relationships. She needs new content for the podcast, but even after Declan makes clear that he doesn’t want to be a story on the show, she still pursues him for her new idea. However, as she spends more time with him, she ends up liking him far more than she ever thought she would.

I liked Declan as a romantic interest. He and Margo still have a bit of an antagonistic relationship, bickering mostly because Margo is determined to hate him at first. Their excursions end up being really fun to read, and I liked how the two of them had in-depth conversations about their lives and current situations.

A lot of the book centers around Margo trying to keep the podcast afloat. Although it’s coming to its last season, they need something new after getting so many complaints about rehashing the same stories. A sponsorship with a resort is also paying for Jo’s entire wedding and the two-week vacation for all of them beforehand, so they have to record something. It was interesting to see her come to terms with everything she’s been working on for years coming to an end and then trying to build up her next project that accompanies her other creative interests.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was a fun romance that I read almost entirely in one sitting. I liked the characters, as well as the main couple’s relationship. If you’re looking for a fun romance centered around a vacation, you should look into this book!

This was a very cure debut for this author. Two influencers run a podcast that is basically about how to hook up without ever catching feelings and then one of the girls announces she is getting married which send their audience into a tizzy! All the characters were very likable and i liked reading about their growth throughout the book. This also has a cute enemies to loves trope which i always enjoy. This would be a great summer read!

Thank you netgalley & st martins press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great debut of a novel! I thought the idea was original, especially with a guy more interested in looking for love than a girl. The references were really modern, the idea of a podcast made so much sense in todays culture, and I absolutely loved the message of the book. The characters were great and I love the rapport between them all. I already saved Miller’s next book in 2024, im so excited to read it. This will be a great summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of #7RFBH in exchange for my honest review! 4⭐️! This book was so cute! It gave major vacation/Summer vibes which I loved! I love how the book incorporated social media- the text message and podcast bits were so fun.

Declan is a new fav book bf. He is so sweet and genuine! I loved Margo’s whole story, too!

Will definitely be reading more of this author’s books!

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was a really refreshing rom-com while still being super light and fun. THE BANTER WAS TOP-TIER OMGGGGG. The romance was also paced really well and it felt very natural. This book had the drama, the banter, the humor, and just the right amount of sappiness! Perfect for reading on the beach.

I worried the subject matter (podcasts...yawn, generally) might make this book a bit tired, but it felt fresh, fun, and breezy. Couldn't put it down.

Go (real name Margo)and her high school best friend, Jo, are podcasters and social media influencers famous for their seven rules that help women stay single. But Jo has decided to get married on Catalina Island to a guy they went to high school with, thus ending their reign as the women who shun commitment and embrace the single life. Margo isn’t sure where her life is headed now that the the podcast is in jeopardy so she decides to save it by picking someone she will break all of her own rules with and see what happens.
Enter Declan, their high school’s class clown who just so happened to be Margo’s highs school nemesis and the best man. He’s all grown up and now he’s a super attractive rocket scientist.

The plot was really well developed and the characters were too. The pacing was great too. Not a dull moment. Miller really shines when it comes to dialogue and this book has fantastic banter.

As the story progresses, each character learns and grows and I liked that. But as another reviewer stated, the climax felt forced. Their issue could have been so easily avoided if Margo had just been honest all along.

I had a really hard time liking Margo. I’m not big fan of plot that involve one character messing with another character for their own gain and then intentionally keeping that person in the dark after feelings develop for either one of them. It’s mean. Margo was also angry at Jo for falling in love and getting married because it jeopardized the podcast. And she was rude to hotel waitstaff and bartenders. She does grow out of her selfishness as the book progresses but an incident at Jo’s wedding left me wondering wonder how Jo would ever stay friends with her.

I would recommend this if you enjoy stories about social media influencers and you enjoy any of these tropes: high school nemesis, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, best man-maid of honor.
It reminded me of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days".

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts follows podcasters Go and Jo. The two have a big following where they share the rules for staying single. However, Jo hasn’t been following as she is getting married! The podcast is getting some MAJOR backlash. Even though the podcast is getting hate, Go is dedicated and wanting to make the new season great. Go comes up with a plan to purposefully break the rules as an “experiment” for the podcast. What happens when she actually meets someone, aka Declan Walsh? Well, re-meets as they were childhood enemies because he messed with her A LOT. Go may just have to let herself fall, or give up on love once and for all.

Overall, I really liked this book. I thought the concept was fun and new. Social media and podcasts have taken off and I think it was super easy to connect with the characters and even their jobs. I wasn’t crazy about all of the characters though. I felt like Jo wasn’t a great friend, and Peter was kind of strange. I did like Margo and Declan though. I thought their banter was cute and funny. I liked their chemistry too!

I do wish there would’ve been more conversation with Margo and Declan though at the end of the book. I guess I just wanted a little more than what was written. I would’ve liked to see more of the happily ever after if you will.

A sweet rom com with fun, multifaceted characters! This was a great debut novel by Kristyn J. Miller and she'll be one to watch for more great books. The novel had a fun concept and I'm glad that the main characters did not fall into the typical stereotypes of podcasters/influencers. Instead, they felt like real people and were likeable.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn J. Miller

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

I did not expect to like this book. I was very skeptical because I am not a fan of influencers and people who make their money this way. Reading an entire book about this seemed like torture.

Alas. I love this book.

Margo, who goes by “Go” on social media and podcasting, is a famous podcaster, along with her best friend, Jocelyn. They’ve built their fame based on being single and teaching their followers 7 rules to now get their hearts broken. This all falls apart when Jo falls in love and gets engaged to Peter.

Enter Declan, a boy from HS, coincidentally Peter’s best friend. Margo decided to experiment with breaking the rules for the podcast. As you can imagine, things don’t go as planned and she “catches feelings.”

Please read this fun book. You will catch another glimpse into the influencer life and I promise, it is NOT annoying! So well done.

Loved loved loved this fun rom com. As a huge podcast fan I loved that the main characters were podcast hosts and how sometimes as you grow you have to change you expectations about your own life. Such a fun book to read and would recommend it to all my friends!

Margo (Go) and Josephine (J0) have been best friends since kindergarten. They have been doing a podcast together for several years that revolves around being okay with being a single female and not needing a man in your life. But, Jo goes and falls in love and is getting married. This means the podcast's future is uncertain. Jo is getting married and there's a two week vacation around the ceremony which Jo and her fiance Peter and Margo and the best man Declan will be in attendance for the entirety. Margo doesn't like Declan for pranks he pulled on her in high school. Margo doesn't do relationships because she thinks marriage is a farce based on her parents divorce. Declan doesn't do one night stands. Over the course of several days, Margo sees Declan in a new light. I really enjoyed this story, I wasn't sure that I would based on career of the main character. I was glad to see Margo ditch the GO persona and grow as an individual. It was sad to see such a vindictive character in the story, who does that, especially to a stranger? Just because people are in the public eye, doesn't mean we know them.

I wish I could give half stars because my actual rating is 3.5. This was a cute book. I loved the characters, the themes of friendship, second chances, and pop culture/social media. I would have loved to see a little more of what happened between the last chapter and the Epilogue because I love the relationship that Margo and Declan have so much. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! ☺️

I LOVED this lil romcom and couldn't put it down. Quick, witty, funny, and surprisingly emotional (especially if you're a former afraid of commitment girlie. . .)

I don't usually love the integration of social media/youtube/podcasts etc into novels, but Miller does it so well. It's never overwhelming and it never comes off as cheesy. It's used as a fantastic plot device and the transcripts of the podcasts in particular is really unique and well done.

The "big conflict" at the end is realistic, understandable, and I was really pleased with how it was resolved. The whole book felt very grounded in reality, which i appreciate.

10/10 would (and have recommend). Declan alone is worth the read. I love an enemies to lovers where the "enemy" doesn't know they're enemies.

Thank you Netgallery for this ARC!

I loved this book and the story !! The characters chemistry was amazing! It’s was a lighthearted book!
Overall, a great slow burn romance. I recommend this to others. I feel like it would be the perfect beach/ vacation read. I felt like I was right there with the characters. I loved it!!

Thank you again!

Bₒₒₖ ᵣₑᵥᵢₑw ✏️
ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ
ʙʏ: ᴋʀɪꜱᴛʏɴ ᴊ. ᴍɪʟʟᴇʀ
ᴘᴜʙ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴍᴀʏ 16, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Qᴏᴛᴅ: ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴏᴅᴄᴀꜱᴛꜱ? ɪꜰ ꜱᴏ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ?

🌺 Synopsis:
Love breaks all the rules. Margo has sworn off commitment. Jo is Margo’s best friend and together they run a viral podcast about the rules for single women to follow for hooking up without catching feelings. But Jo falls in love and wants to get married where one of there sponsors offer an all expenses paid wedding trip to Catalina Island. Declan Walsh, best friend of the groom and best man, is Margo’s high school nemesis. Margo remembers him as smug and annoying before so there is absolutely no way he changed and a he could catch feelings for him…right? The more time they spend together, she may actually enjoy getting to know Declan. But can she let go of the rules and find a happy ending for herself?

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts is fun, witty, and well written. The characters were perfect and makes you feel like you can fit right in with Jo & Go. It had the right amount of spice and I enjoyed that it focused on all aspects of Margo’s life and not just her love life. This book is the perfect beach/ vacation read and should be added to your TBR for summer! ☀️🌺🐚

Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.