3.75/5

In The Case of Heartbreak was both extremely adorable and deeply emotional. I loved Ben and I just wanted to give him the biggest hug throughout the time I was reading! This book is told from a single POV set in a beach town, Maywell Bay. We accompany Ben after he is put in an awkward situation where he is shown on live TV being rejected by the one man he’s had a crush on for years, Adam Reed. On top of that, he receives a threatening letter from his DAD trying to blackmail him at the height of his recognition for being a contestant in a baking show that could push him to real success in his field. He escapes to his grandmother’s mansion to help prepare and celebrate his G-ma’s 80th birthday. Expecting a reprieve, he runs into his crush Adam at the festivities because Adam is now the lead in the band G-ma hired for the celebration. Both staying at the comfy guest cottage on the property, Ben and Adam are forced to face their feelings and figure out how they can be together with all Ben isn’t saying to Adam.

I really loved Ben and Adam together! There were so many missed opportunities between these two characters as they navigate all that happens to Ben in this story. When they were finally honest with each other and shared their truths, it was beautiful! The moments where these two actually talked to each other made me swoon and I was giddy with how happy I was for them! I wanted much, much more of their happy times. There is a courtship that we get little bits of and I just expected more romance after they admitted their feelings for each other but it was still quite sparse.

Ben definitely gets the award for the most family problems one person can have. This character took an absolute beating and we got a front row seat. I would say that 60 percent of the book is introspective with Ben, finding his strength and courage to find solutions to the problems of his life. Many of these problems were direct consequences of how he handled the situations, which is not very well. As I mentioned, he faces many terrible circumstances because of his family. I would say this book reads more like a fiction piece with a romantic subplot. Miscommunication is used heavily to stretch the romance plot out and it didn’t work for me. I was very irritated with how easily they could “forget” they were about to profess their love for each other. Kiss already!!

Courtney Kae really knows how to create beautiful settings and powerfully joyful scenes that grip my heart and stay in my memory. Her writing feels so immersive at times, I swear I was sitting in Maywell Bay. I love how diverse her cast is and the representation she incorporates seamlessly into this tale. I also really love how she included amazing representation of depression and anxiety with a great relationship between Ben and his therapist. Though I was conflicted on Ben’s familial relationships in this book, the found family Ben has in Fern Falls is fantastic! We don’t actually spend more than 20 percent in Fern Falls though. The rest of the time we are in Maywell Bay. I seriously disliked his family and I felt like everyone around him lied to themselves and each other, a lot. Also, no one respects privacy or boundaries and that did trigger me at times. Ben, tell them to back off and mean it if it’s making you uncomfortable. It made me very uncomfortable.

My critique of the first book that the ending is resolved too easily also makes an appearance in this book as well. The problems Ben faced in this book all seem to go away at the very end in the most anticlimactic way. With how much Ben suffered in this book, I really wanted something equally as intense to get to a resolution.

I was very excited to go back to Fern Falls after how much I loved Morgan and Rachel’s story, In the Event of Love. This book feels different in tone and style. There were many amazing moments in this book that I loved so much, but it was much heavier with the complex family drama and childhood drama. The author’s note at the beginning does let you know all the content warnings, which I appreciated. In the Case of Heartbreak just read like a different book from what I was expecting from the blurb and cover. Though I didn’t dislike this book, I would not recommend this as a romance to anyone. I would recommend this to someone I think would enjoy an interesting fiction piece that follows one bisexual man who has extensive legal troubles and unresolved childhood trauma trying to decide what he wants from his life. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this advanced copy for review!

This is escapism at its finest. If you're into Hallmark movies in book form, this one is for you. It was cheesy and fun and a whole lot ridiculous - but in that way that you kind of want your rom-coms to be a little silly and ott.

Where this totally fell flat for me was the love story itself (this IS billed as a romance after all). Most of the "drama" in this story is totally outside the relationship, so much so that it didn't read as much of a romance for me. So much time is spent on personal story lines and stuff going on in the town that the romance is totally over shadowed.

It wasn't a bad book, but in less than 18 hours, I've already forgotten the character's names and about half the storyline, so it's obviously not a story that's sticking with me.

Courtney Kae puts out all the emotions in her latest novel, In the Case of Heartbreak. I found myself standing in the shoes of Ben and feeling some of his emotions, a feeling that doesn't come often to me while reading. Ben's love of baking and his best friend Adam are swoon worthy and may remind readers that there are important things worth fighting for. While I wish we got Adam's point of view to see how he was feeling, Courtney lead us through the emotional highs and lows that any person is able to experience. While I wish the cover and synopsis showed more of the "heartbreak" emotions, anyone who enjoys contemporary reads or semi romance reads will enjoy In the Case of Heartbreak.

I think I have to admit defeat on this one! I just couldn't get into it and didn't feel a connection between the two main characters. Everything felt over the top and kinda ridiculous, but I guess that's to be expected when the plot is centered around a two-week 80th birthday celebration for a grandmother that now insists on being called G-Ma.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Every trope in this books was just not working for me at all. The small town set-up reads so ridiculously, it feels very unrealistic and superficial. The fake dating/friends to lovers is so disappointing because there is supposed to be a fairly deep relationship between the two main characters before the story begins, and I never once feel any emotional spark between them… no depth or sentimentality demonstrated in their supposedly years long history. The family/side characters are also super annoying… the grandmother…. Trying way too hard to be quirky it was just painful and everything I could even pay attention to came with second hand embarrassment while reading. The dark past between the main character and his father who abandoned him as a child seemed to be both way too dramatic AND underwhelming at the same time… is it supposed to be suspenseful?!

Nothing but frustration for me :( but the writing is not terrible and I know these characters must be what someone else want to read. This one’s just completely not for me.

*Thank you to Kensington Books and Courtney Kae for a copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I read (and absolutely LOVEDDDDD) In The Event of Love, so I already had a feeling that In the Case of Heartbreak was going to be a new romance favourite, and I was not disappointed at all. Courtney puts something into their writing that just sucks me the f in and I LOVE it. I literally have nothing bad to say about either ITEOL and ITCOH. I love them both, and I'm so glad we got to see Ben and Adam FINALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY kiss and admit their feelings because the two of them in In The Event of Love, it was so obvious. Like painfully obvious.

This is exactly the kind of (childhood) best friends to lovers I want and NEED for the gays.

G-ma is the best. Can G-ma adopt me?

TW for parental trauma. Both Ben and Adam discuss their childhood trauma (parents), and while I have never experienced that, it is a trigger for some people. I don't want to discuss that part, because I don't have any first hand experience.

Thank you to Courtney Kae and Kensington Books for providing me a free copy of this book in return for an honest review!

I DEVOURED this book. I already knew that going into In The Case Of Heartbreak I was going to be in love with the characters, after reading In The Event Of Love and immediately gravitating towards Ben's character, but I could have never prepared myself for how much this book would resonate and mean to me. I finished it two days ago and I'm still thinking about it constantly.

Ben and Adam both worked through so much childhood and parental trauma in this book and I felt like it was written directly for me to read. The way that they help each other through their thoughts, never once questioning each other, just absolute and total support for each other. Their love was so beautiful and their healing was even more so. I found myself weeping at so many moments, all while the story still was able to maintain that absolute queer joy and hallmark rom com kind of vibe.

I loved (most) all of the side characters so much, G-ma is the greatest ever and I adore her.

Childhood friends to lovers, unrequited crush, the ultimate cinnamon rolls (both the treats, and Ben & Adam <3), a little meddling from G-ma and her wonderful book club, and a look into depression, anxiety, and trauma in a way that felt so raw and realistic. I couldn't have asked for a better book, and ITCOH has easily worked it's way into my top reads of the year.

Courtney Kae serves up another warm hug of a book with In the Case of Heartbreak. This time we get Ben and Adam’s story—Badam if you will—and—oh my goodness—I am in love with these two tender-hearted cinnamon rolls.

Our small town romance begins in Fern Falls but takes a detour from the mountains to the beaches of Maywell Bay for G-ma’s fabulous birthday bash. We’re talking weeks of over-the-top celebrations that unfortunately happen to coincide with Ben’s hopes of winning a baking competition—this cinnamon roll hero makes the best cinnamon rolls—being threatened by some resurrected family trauma. (Stay in your lane, dad.)

A meddling G-ma decides to deliver some forced proximity goodness by inviting Ben’s longtime friend and forever crush, Adam, to perform at her parties and to stay on-site. The costumes are memorable; the chemistry is palpable; and their love story is oh-so cozy.

Dare I say it? Kae has a knack for taking some of my least favorite tropes (second chance in In the Event of Love and friends to lovers here) and making me—gasp—actually enjoy them. I’m not sure how she does it, but I’m definitely not upset about it. I look forward to reading what comes next for the Fern Falls crew.

Note: Kae handles mental health with care in this story, but there is a note at the beginning of the book concerning content warnings. If some issues may be triggering for you, make sure to read it before you proceed.

I received an advance copy of the book from the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Ok - if you like the color PURPLE like I do, this is the book for you! Between purple cottages, purple sleeping bags, and purple cocktails, there was just so much purple it made me happy.
I loved Courtney Kae’s debut last summer, In the Event of Love, especially its setting, the loving town of Fern Falls. This book is partially set in Fern Falls, where Ben runs the Peak Perk Cafe, but also in Maywell Bay, where Ben and his mom used to spend summers with Ben’s eccentric G-ma. This is a MM, friends-to-lovers, slow-burn, small town romance. Ben’s arc goes pretty deep into his traumatic backstory, and the author’s note at the beginning reminds readers to prioritize their own well-being and mental health with the content warnings. Love to see that! 👏
Some parts of this read were a bit out there for me (G-ma’s lavish parties, plenty of miscommunication, lots of angst - although none around queer issues!), and the middle of the book really dragged. But iI think t’s worth reading and I hope it makes other readers feel sweet like the cinnamon rolls described within. Unfortunately, my expectations were a bit too high going into this one, since I loved the previous book so much!
Thanks to the author and Kensington Books for the Netgalley ARC through her street team in exchange for my honest opinion. This can be read as a standalone if you haven’t read In the Event of Love, but I recommend reading that one, too!

If you’re looking for your perfect queer beach read look no further! You’ve found it! Once again, Courtney has dubbed themselves the monarch of friends to lovers, writing a second perfect one!! Doing what they do best, they created another town that will wrap every queer person in a big warm hug and tell them they are loved and they are enough exactly as they are. Ben and Adam are both just the gentlest souls trying to heal from past trauma, and trying to figure out if their love is worth the risk of losing their friendship.

The anxiety rep from Ben is so lovingly and tenderly written, and his support system is so vast and beautiful and unshakable. I found myself crying, swooning, and snort laughing as I read my way through, and I call dibs on G-ma as my new best friend 🤣

Courtney is the ultimate cozy queer small town RomCom author, and I can’t WAIT to see what they bring us next! 😍

I loved Ben and his passion for baking. I was kind of confused why the stuff with his father kinda of just... disappeared. It was a little lackluster there. No angst or shame around any LGBTQIA+ characters made this such a nice experience. I can't wait for more from Courtney Kae.

Thank you, Courtney Kae, Kensington Books, and Netgalley for the gifted book.

Ben is the owner of a cafe that's known for its famous cinnamon rolls. He's just entered a competition that has him featured on TV. He's also been secretly in love with his friend Adam since they were children. Ben gets two unexpected pieces of bad news on the same day. The next day, he heads to his Grandma's house at the beach for two weeks to celebrate her birthday and recalibrate. Just when he thinks he is getting a break from his heartbreak, on stage in full pirate regalia is none other than Adam Reed, who his Grandma hired as entertainment for her birthday celebration. Now, Ben's only choice is to drink his Grandma's Heartbreak Tea. Will Ben find his happily ever after with Adam? Or will Ben's cinnamon rolls be covered in his salty tears?

In The Case of Heartbreak is the second book of the Fern Falls book series but can easily be read as a standalone. This is a MM, friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance that is swoon-worthy but also delves into some deep mental health issues. There were parts I loved about this book and parts that I wanted so much more of. I absolutely adored the relationship between Ben and Adam. I thought they were so sweet and perfect together. The way they both loved each other and supported each other is relationship goals. There was a tad bit of spice in this book, but when things started getting hot, it was fade to black. I do wish that Ben's character arc, especially with his mental health and anxiety journey, was developed better. The way it was developed and the way he communicated his past and current issues with Adam seemed a bit stilted to me. I wouldn't have minded a longer book to get a better character development of Ben. Other than that, I did love the story and found myself hooked and staying up way past my bedtime reading. I really hope there is another book in the Fern Falls series.

3.5ish*

Ben is such a sweet cinnamon roll who puts way too much on his plate, literally. Between running his bakery and appearing on a reality show, (and all the headaches that brings- hello absentee father), worrying about his mom and grandma, and then throw in Adam, the love of his life, I'm not sure how he handles it all. But is he, really, handling it all? Sometimes it was tough being in his head, with all his angst and anxiety and feelings of abandonment. But he's just so darling, you want all the good things for him.

Ever since reading In the Event of Love, I've been waiting for Ben and Adam's book and I was not disappointed. This was a heartfelt, fun story, with some heavier themes. I loved how inclusive it was, and how Ben's mental health was dealt with. Adam was a surprise, in a good way! After that scene in the beginning I wasn't sure what to think, but Ms. Kae didn't do me wrong.
Ben and Adam were perfect together and I was so happy to be along as they figured things out.

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to turn their brain off for a little and just feel okay about life. However, I believe that the characters were a little too underdeveloped for me to feel truly invested. The story dragged a bit in the middle, where seemingly nothing important would happen for chapters at a time, and then the scenes that mattered to the plot were rushed. I love a good “the almost-first-kiss gets interrupted” trope, but when it happens this many times in a row? It’s a little much for me.

I did really enjoy that there was no angst around the main characters being queer in this story. It gets sad and tiring after a while reading novel after novel about prejudice against LGBTQ+ people, so reading a story that focuses around queer love and joy with absolutely no homophobia to be found is a great change of pace.

Overall, I was hoping for a little more out of this book, but it was fluffy and sweet.

5 stars!

I enjoyed the first book from the Fern Falls series, but I absolutely LOVED this one! I knew I already loved Ben and Adam, and them together, of course, but this book honestly just blew me away. I read 85% in less than 24 hours (and stayed up until 3am) because I couldn't put it down!

Ben is taking part of a baking show to help out his bakery in his small hometown, but the initial filming goes awry and he's happy to be able to escape to the shoretown of Maywell Bay for 2 weeks for his G-Ma's extravagant birthday party/family reunion. He's happy to have some time away and to work through his feelings for his unrequited crush Adam. But the night he arrives, he runs into Adam, and he's set up for 2 weeks living in a little seaside cottage with him, while trying to get over him. Easy, right?

Seeing Ben and Adam as both flawed humans really made me love this. They weren't , but they were adults and able to talk about act as adults, which I loved seeing. Their chemistry was magnificent and their interactions were so genuine. We got to dive into who they are now, and parts of why they are this way too. The therapy, trauma, and mental health aspect was done well and really added to their love story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down. From the writing to the plot to the romance, I truly just enjoyed this and will find myself coming back to it many times. Plus, who doesn't love a book that makes you crave cinnamon rolls the whole time?

The Shadow Girls is the fourth book in the Natalie Lockhart series by Courtney Kae. I really liked this book but wish I had read the first three book in the series. Things would have made more sense.

This was a really good mystery that I really enjoyed. The scenes were very detailed and authentic.

I am going to go back and read the previous three books to learn more about Natalie.

Ben has a passion for baking and has been quietly baking cinnamon rolls, among other tasty delights, in his hometown of Fern Falls for years. And he's been in love with Adam for almost as long. But when he enters a baking competition with his family's prized cinnamon roll recipe he plans to also tell Adam how he feels. Until he's turned down on national tv before he can even say a word. He flees to the quiet seaside town where his Grandmother is celebrating her 80th birthday in the loudest fashion she can looking to get over his heartache. And then a familiar face appears, making that impossible, but maybe. Just maybe, it's all for the best.

I devoured this book, one might say as they would a cinnamon roll. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon rolls, so I can't make that comparison truthfully. A delightful Danish would work better for me. I absolutely adored G-ma and seeing some friendly faces again, like Rachel and Morgan, Whitney, and of course the trio of aunts. But even more so I loved Ben and Adam. They were so homey and warm and comforting. I loved how they could relate to one another's heartaches. I highly recommend reading this curled up with a cup of coffee (or tea!) and a warm cinnamon roll or other preferred pastry.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley and Kensington Books.

I received this book as an ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley and this review is based on my own opinion.

Ben runs the family bakery and is currently being filmed for a reality baking show.
He has been in love with his childhood best friend Adam for a while now, but to him it doesn't seem mutual.

On top of being rejected for the whole world to see, he then receives a D&C from his fathers company about the Cinnamon Roll recipe he is using on the baking show.

I only received the ARC a week before the publishing date, while reading another ARC so I did my best to finish it in time but I couldn't make it.

I'm halfway through the book now and I kind of like the story but it has nothing special for me so far. Apparently both Ben and Adam have been mentioned in the writers previous book which takes place in the same town and I've read other reviews of people that like this one. Maybe it's because I haven't read the first book that I'm not super enthusiastic after reading the first half because I was really excited to read the book after I read the synopsis.

I wouldn't say I hated it and it's good enough for me to keep reading because I'm curious how it will end.
I am considering to read the first book if I find some time to see if I will like this book more.

I went into this unsure of how to feel…the concept of a reality tv show romance gone wrong has been done, and rather successfully, with The Charm Offensive. ITCOHB take the fake dating, friends to lovers and miscommunication and throws them all at this pair of guys. While the romance and humor of this book were delightful, the main plots were convoluted and melodramatic. Ben’s relationship with his father as a plot point was relatively weak…most of this book Ben is threatened by his father, and then in the blink of an eye that is no longer a problem. The reality tv show seems to be fun but hard to follow, I wish some more time was spent flushing out that idea rather then throwing multiple tropes at this couple to see what sticks

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an opportunity to read a digital advanced copy of this book!

To start, I want to acknowledge the work and thoughtfulness of the author. The note at the beginning that includes trigger warnings was very lovely and had me excited to read ahead.

This book is a very romcom summer vibe. The author has a lot of quirky references to things I love and enjoy (i.e. witchy stuff, "we can do hard things" - Glennon Doyle).

Ultimately though, I had to DNF this book around 40%. I do hope to buy the book in the future and try a read through again at a different time. Right now, the biggest barrier to me finishing this was the writing. The story itself felt slow and choppy at the beginning, otherwise I would have pushed through it. The characters didn't hook me from the start, but thats okay.

I think this book has a lot of potential and will absolutely find its target audience. While I love, love queer romcom style books and authors, this just wasn't my vibe but I acknowledge that could even just be because of where I'm at in my reading right now. You ever have those books that don't vibe with you the first time around but the second they grib you and it's a different experience? I feel as though this may be that kind of book in the future.

I am rating this 3 stars, even though I don't like rating books I couldn't finish, as that doesn't really seem fair. But 3 stars for what I did read because I enjoyed the setting and some aspects of the characters.

I'd still definitely recommend folks who enjoy queer, quirky, romance, comedy, cinnamon rolls to check it out and make their own opinion!