Imogen has been cursed to always come second. Second in love, in games, in friends, literally never #1, even within herself. When she's. broken up with yet again, and her high school love, Eliot, returns to town after the death of his father, she starts to think that may she can come first.

This book took me on a journey. It started strong (albeit a bit of a jump scare with the spice because I was expecting a fade-to-black style, but I was here for it), but really tested me as it continued. I dislike the ending, and was really upset with our MMC. I didn't love some of Imogen's choices throughout the book, but they made sense and I was able to reckon with them and find them acceptable.

Imogen felt like a really well rounded character and her insecurities (hat are tied to belief in a curse) felt so real and fleshed out, to a point. Our MMC, Eliot, was so unlikeable to me. He felt very privileged and insecure sad little rich boy. I understand that his family was not emotionally safe for him and he wanted a different life than what was expected, but the way he went about it was very immature and he felt stuck at 18-20 and not a fully grown adult man. I just felt like Imogen deserved better than him. The ending really ticked me off of her just being like, I'm his first choice for now but who knows what the future holds... Like, I understand that this was part of her development in overcoming her insecurities, but at the same time, that was almost exactly what she felt at the beginning of the book so it was almost as if she went full circle and back to the same insecurity that was causing distress to begin with. I'm sure others will like this character growth, but it didn't work for me.

I received an arc of the ebook from the publisher and netgalley. I ended up listening to the audio after release. The narrator did a great job of giving voice to the characters! All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading Marlowe, Redesigned so was excited to read THe Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogem Finch!

The prologue had me hooked. Imogen is in the process of being dumped by her yearlong boyfriend after he cheated on her, and she was still KIND! What a gem. Imogen is so thoughtful and is the kind of character that you wish you knew in real life. This book was fun and had you smiling from ear to ear. There is something about seeing an old crush after so much time that just makes a book so fun to read. Great second chance romance!

Sweet, sharp, and full of heart. Imogen’s journey through love, loss, and self-discovery is both relatable and refreshingly honest. A perfect read for fans of heartfelt romance with a dose of emotional depth.

This one started out cute and a bit magical. With her psychic mom telling her she would never come in first for anything. So Imogen tries out all the contests and science fairs. Always coming in 2nd or 3rd. It seems the curse is for romance too. She's been dumped 17 or 18 times. When her childhood crush comes back to town. She's hoping he's the one.

The thing I didn't really enjoy about this book was the ending. It was weird and didn't seem like the best fit. This one just wasn't my favorite

This was a story about the bad luck of Imogen and how this impacts her love life. The concept is cute, long time friends to lovers. HOwever, I felt the beginning dragged on and the ending was rushed. There should have been more fleshhed out in the middle that pulled everything togehr and madde you route for the main character and her primary love interest.

It was very funny and touching. I really warmed to Imogen and Eliot; I think they have great chemistry within the pages. The read was fast-paced, and the dialogue was believable. I'm definitely excited to read something else by the author.

This was cute and I got into it right from the start; my interest wasn't sustained, however, and I was much slower to finish this.

There is about the cover that initially drew me in and what followed was a delightful, heartfelt read. Imogen Finch believes that she's cursed and finally ready to give up on dating. After all, she is never going to find The One. Enter Eliot Swift, Imogen's high school crush just returned from adventures abroad. Eliot is determined to "break" Imogen's curse. What follows is a story of healing and discovering who you are and what you want from life.

I really loved the characters in this book. They are fully fleshed out and really easy to connect with. I was so invested in the character development throughout the book. I enjoyed their journeys to healing their trauma and finding their place in the world. It was truly a coming-of-age story for adults.

I would say that the weakest part of the story was the romance aspect. While I loved Imogen and Eliot individually, it didn't seem like the author really spent a lot of time developing the romantic relationship between them. Don't get me wrong, they were cute together and I was rooting for them, but it just felt like there was some missing element to really make my heart swoon. Regardless, this book told a beautiful story, and I really enjoyed it.

I have to give some side love to the naming of the MCs! I love birds and this was such a fun ohmage to them! Also, side love to the side characters. They were absolutely delightful. I will definitely be reading more of Firkins' work.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

This was a beautiful but sometimes sad story about a young, talented woman with a big heart who doesn't believe she deserves being happy or first in anything. Imogen is selfless to a fault and Eliot's devotion to her is undeniable and commendable. I loved the depth of this story and characters. The story is poignant sometimes funny and and yet sad in the same moment, Highly recommended.

I loved Ferkins previous novel, Marlowe Banks, Redesigned, so I had high hopes for Imogen Finch. While I was intrigued by the premise, and still really enjoyed Ferkins style of writing, the plot fell flat for me.

I wanted to root for Eliot and Imogen, and in the beginning I did. By the end, I didn’t care too much if they got together. I actually think if they’d explored the love “triangle” a bit more, it could have made for a more interesting story.

The last part that bothered me was so much of the plot revolves around this supposed “curse” that is upon her and her mother’s ability to make predictions. By the end we had basically no answers to any of that and it just became this mostly forgotten plot point. It just didn’t work for me.

This one didn’t quite work for me, but maybe the next will be a winner. I’ll still be reading her future stories!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This was such an adorable rom/com book that I loved from the first page to the last! Do yourself a favor and escape the crazy world we live in and read this book at your first opportunity!

*The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch* is a lighthearted yet somewhat formulaic novel that dives into the life of Imogen Finch, a young woman navigating relationships, personal growth, and self-discovery. Firkins' writing is charming and often humorous, and there are moments of genuine insight into the challenges of love and identity. The protagonist, Imogen, is relatable and easy to root for, though some of the secondary characters felt underdeveloped.

While the book is enjoyable in parts, it doesn’t fully break away from the typical romance novel tropes. Predictability takes away some of the excitement, and there are moments when the story feels a bit repetitive. That said, it’s a good pick if you’re looking for an easy, feel-good read but don't expect anything particularly groundbreaking. It’s an enjoyable story with just the right mix of humor and heart, but it doesn’t quite hit all the emotional notes it aims for.

What a lovely book! I was so invested in Imogen’s journey and growth. It was a heartwarming and captivating story that had me hooked from start to finish.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is full of endearing characters. It's about second chances and is so hopeful and uplifting.

I really connected with the author's writing and how she brought everyone to life. I can't wait to read more by her

This book was a challenge for me to connect with. Both the plot and the characters were somewhat of an enigma.

This was a DNF for me at about 25%. I really enjoyed the author’s first book but couldn’t get into this one. I would try another book from the author though

Firkins's characters are endearing and relatable, and the author's vivid descriptions of the small-town setting create a charming and nostalgic atmosphere. The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is a delightful read that will leave readers feeling hopeful and inspired. It's definitely one to check out!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins
.
“Sometimes wanting something, even with your whole heart, isn’t enough to make it the right thing to want.”
.
Imogen has just been through her seventeenth breakup. She’s come to believe a prediction that her well-intentioned and possibly clairvoyant mother made over twenty years ago: that Imogen would never come first at anything or to anyone. But when her high school crush comes home, Imogen has new motivation to try again.
.
What I liked:
-I adored Imogen. I felt so bad for her and I wanted her to get a win SO BAD.
-This book was seriously super emotional. I couldn’t stop listening to it.
-I loved the bartender. I thought he and Imogen had such great chemistry and banter.
-I appreciated the journey the romance went on through this book and that it wasn’t easy. I loved that it was messy and real and that made the ending a lot better.
.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I teared up so many times reading this. It you love emotional books with quirky characters then I would recommend.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press / St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC of this one! These are my honest thoughts!

I ended up enjoying this one so much more than I thought! Imogen is destined for heartbreak, as her mother predicted early in her life, through some sort of premonition (and all of her mother's premonitions come true so... she believes them). She's destined to always come in second place, and that includes her love life. And this reminder is one she's faced 17 times in her life, from her crush on her best friend in high school to present day, where her boyfriend breaks up with her because he's been cheating on her and he's in love. Heartbroken over the fact that nothing ever works out and then with fact that her mother stands in her kitchen one morning with a new premonition that ends up bringing her best friend/crush back to their small town and back into her life, it's the catalyst Imogen needs to take her life back into her hands... by trying to fulfill the prophecy on her own.

Things I loved about this story:
- It was so emotional. I cried and I laughed with these characters in equal measure.
- The necessity of human connection is such a central part of this story. We all need it, and it looks different for all of us.
- Unburying of dreams and the dusting off of one's talents that you made small for other people
- Imogen opening up as her true self to Eliot, possibly for the first time in her whole life
- Eliot realizing he's only ever desired running away from things... and maybe how that is truly a toxic approach to life

This one gets a solid 4-star rating from me. I really liked it.

I adored this book - it was unpredictable and really funny. Imogen can't catch a break when it comes to anything. If she enters a contest or a race, she will lose. Tossing coins for heads/tails - she will always lose. Her boyfriends all leave her for someone else and come to her for sympathy when their new relationship goes south. Sometimes she is even a bridesmaid.

When her old high school friend Eliot Swift returns to town to sell the house he had grown up in, he doesn't believe in her curse. They had dated briefly in high school, before Eliot had left to tour the world, paying his way by taking local jobs along the way. He only returned to town to settle the estate and sell the family home as his father had died. He and his father were not close or even friendly. But friends do sometimes become lovers and this happened here. But Eliot is not one to stay anywhere for very long, so where does this leave Imogen?

I highly recommend this book for lovers of second-chance romance, and the joy of watching two people discover their own unconventional way of being happy. I received this e-arc from the publisher St. Martin's Press and voluntarily read and reviewed it.