Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I also received a gifted physical copy, which was exceptional, containing sketches throughout done by one of the main characters. While the eARC said “illustration TK” I didn’t expect to be wow-ed by them. If you haven’t seen the final copy, I highly suggest checking it out. I also had the pleasure of meeting the author and hearing her speak at a local author event, and I was impressed with the depth of her responses to the well-developed questions asked by the interviewer.
August and Valentine own a seasonal business called Summer Love (a play on their names) where they help break-up couples - but only for good reasons. They are an adorable pair of best friends, and their friendship really shines as the most important takeaway in this story, which follows the summer after their senior year of high school. Set on the North Shore of Boston, The Breakup Artists explores grief, family, friendship, and love. Different from my typical reads, The Breakup Artists is a YA book that has mature characters - even though you know they’re going to get stuck in a mess, you are rooting for them to figure their messes out and feel like they have the emotional intelligence to do so. I felt like it got a little long, as my attention was waning in the middle, but I’m very glad I stuck with it and finished the book. I can’t wait to recommend it to my students.

A classic romance book that has a grumpy x sunshine dynamic along with a dual POV.

This book started incredibly slow for me and it took me two tries to really get into it. It did interest me after about 50 pages, but I did feel like it didn't give me anything new or exciting except the whole break up business part which I really did enjoy. August and Valentine were great characters and I really liked the dual POV, but I did feel a little dense for me.

Overall a good story, a cute romance and would definitely check out more works by Adriana Mather!

This is such a fun concept for a book, and my interest originally peaked in it for my Olivia Rodrigo song Booklist. So maybe it will end up on there. I loved the plot of this book and it had pretty decent pacing. The characters were interesting and loveable too. I'm not sure how memorable this book will be long term, which is a struggle I notice often with this style of book. Definitely a good one for YA fans that like messy relationships and drama, though.

This was SUCH a cute YA novel. I teared up, felt the feelings of the characters, and lost myself in the book. August and Valentine come to life on the pages and you can't help but feel their personalities from beginning to end.

This book felt long but it was cute. I didnt love the constant tension between August and Tiny but it also felt like Tiny had tension with everyone. She was just looking for a fight everywhere she went.
Would recommend though for a cute teen summer read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of The Breakup Artists in exchange for an honest review!

Best friends August and Valentine start up a business called Summer Love Inc, where they are hired to break up toxic relationships. With set guidelines on how to succeed, their one major rule is to not get emotionally attached with any of their clients. The two have been successful, running the business for 2 years without a hiccup, until August suddenly starts to develop feelings for Ella, their new target. The Breakup Artists takes its readers on an emotional rollercoaster, dealing with loss and heartbreak along the way. In my opinion, this is 100% worth a read.

This was FUN. Loved the concept. Loved the characters. Loved this book. I’m a sucker for a good dual POV and these characters delivered. I immediately connected with both August and Tiny from the beginning. Hearing the book told through both of their perspectives was needed in my opinion, as I don’t think it would have been as successful if the story came from August alone. I think the author did a great job in including secondary characters that were necessary to the story, each of them playing an important role to move the story along.

This was my first read by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last. I also wouldn’t say no to a second book in this series, with August and Tiny going off to college. Definitely recommend the read!

Absolutely perfect summer read, Adriana Mather was able to blend serious topics such as dealing with grief, while still weaving in hilarious characters and moments. The book also keeps you on your toes as you try figure out how situations are going to work out (I’m trying not to spoil it, but oh my god one of the plot twist made me put the book down for a second cause it was an “oh nooooo” moment in the best way.)

This book was everything! It was funny and heartwarming at the same time it was filled with grief and friendship there were times when I laughed and times that I teared up. The premise had me hooked from the very beginning and the pacing never slowed down leading to a super quick read. Mather has a way of writing characters so multi-dimensional in a way that I don't see very often. I loved the character's interactions with the families and how much growth we saw throughout.

“I’m not convinced that we don’t all need someone to show up for us in crucial moments, take some of the weight off. That sometimes things are too big to conquer on our own.”

Best friends August and Valentine “Tiny” are the teen entrepreneurs responsible for Summer Love Inc., a small New England business that works to covertly end problematic romantic relationships and set people on a path to a brighter future. Each school break, the two create new identities for themselves, infiltrating friend groups and gently persuading their targets to end their current relationships. August and Tiny think they have mastered their routine. However, things quickly start to fall apart when “Summer Love” becomes a reality for both of them, as Tiny starts to reevaluate her relationship with the boy next door and August begins to develop feelings for their latest target. Will two world-class liars be able to open up and share their lives and feelings with others, or will their business (and their friendship) come crashing down around them?

The Breakup Artists is the textbook definition of a well-executed YA romance novel. One of the most frustrating aspects of many romance books is when the protagonist makes the most idiotic decisions possible just to keep the plot moving. The characters in The Breakup Artists, however, almost always make the best choices, yet things still go wrong. I felt every emotion alongside the protagonists, from their highest highs to their lowest lows. I literally laughed and cried. The choice to write in a dual POV effectively highlighted the distinctiveness of the characters and allowed readers to see what makes them tick. I was particularly amazed by how the protagonists were drastically different but equally engaging. The perspective shifts took the drama to the next level, as Mather perpetually left the readers eagerly awaiting what would come next for each character. The dual POV also allowed for nuanced reflection on the joys and complications of young adult friendships. The conversations between August and Tiny, as well as their interactions with other characters, generally felt natural and realistic, which was wonderful since the book was relatively dialogue-heavy. However, I will say the censored swearing felt somewhat immature for this age group. Overall, though, Mather kept the content very age appropriate. I really appreciated how the book delicately navigates peer pressure and self-advocacy in regards to teen drinking. The Breakup Artists is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages if you love classic rom-com references, captivating relationship stories, and tons of teen drama.

This was a really fun and cute YA book. Two best friends, Valentine and August, start a business helping break up people, after their loved ones reach out to them. The thing I loved about that concept was there was nothing malicious about it. They find themselves caring about their clients and help them to make the decision themselves. They aren't just dropping truth bombs and hurting people. I also love that even though Val and August don't end up in a friends to lovers situation, they both have their own individual romance arcs. I think this will be a great summer read for teens and adults. It deals with some heavy topics, such as grief and navigating friendships as you grow and get older. It's told in dual POV, which I love! I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to read more by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love this author and her amazing writing. So I was pretty excited for The Breakup Artists by Adriana Mather.
A quick and fun read that will leave you smiling.
She is an incredible author who has a magical way of developing characters.
It was unique and had a great feel to it. I enjoyed the way everything worked overall and thought the concept worked. The characters were everything that I wanted and was invested in their story.

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book releases 6/4. This is a YA novel. It had a very different plot than Ive read before. These 2 best friends run a business called Summer Love. They are hired by unhappy parents to breakup their kids relationships. It was good, I rated this book a 4 stars.

I loved the author's previous books so thought I should give this a try. it was a fun story. I really enjoyed the concept. Great cover.

Such a sweet YA novel that is quick and easy to read, plus a lot of fun! The concept itself is unique and refreshing, setting itself apart from other YA romances. This book was engaging, filled with lovable and relatable characters and interesting friendship and relationship dynamics that draw you in.

Definitely the perfect summer read!

If a book makes me ugly cry, it’s getting five stars.

Important spoiler: this is not a friends to lovers book. This is true blue platonic love between friends who need a realignment in their lives. It's the summer before they leave for college, emotions are in turmoil, and a lot of issues have been stuffed down and ignored for protective reasons. This summer explodes everything so that besties Valentine and August have to clear out the junk of the past to get what they want at the start of their future.

Valentine and August have a summer business where at the request of friends or parents, they break up relationships. Carefully vetted, carefully planned, they both like protecting people from someone who is pulling them away from their best interests. The source of this business is painful and altruistic, and is probably the most devastating part of this book.

While there are moments that are funny, moments that are adorable, but there's also loss in this book and different ways of dealing with, and failing to deal with, grief. I was completely captured but this summery coastal world, this friendship, and the romantic relationships they embark on over the course of this summer.

Content warnings for parental neglect and abandonment, parentification, sibling loss, relationship abuse and specifically coercive behavior, and social media violations of privacy.

Read if you like:
💕 YA Romances
💰 Business of break-ups
🧠 Mental Health Rep
🤣 Flirty Banter

Valentine and August are best friends & running an undercover business to break people up that need freed from their current relationships.

These two adopt false identities and do what it takes to help the client's loved one come to his/her senses and get out of their relationship.

Whichever way you look at it, they are doing good: either freeing people so they can find a better relationship (per Violet) or freeing people from the self-deception that true love exists in the first place (per August).

I really enjoyed the teenage dynamics of the main characters especially when it came to their relationships with their peers and their business .

Thank you so much to Blackstone for my ARC in exchange for my review!

this was a very cute YA summer romance with a unique concept, which i really enjoyed! i also loved how the book talked about topics like grief and friendship.
the story is written in dual POV, but each of the characters has a side-character love interest, so the MCs don’t fall in love with each other - something i haven’t read in a long time! i thought their friendship was very sweet and i loved how they always found their way back to each other after a fight.
however, my issue with this book was that i somehow couldn’t get any connection to the characters - but that might also just be a me thing, since lots of other people here seem to love the book! unfortunately for me, i just couldn’t find myself caring about the characters, so i had to force myself to finish this. it definitely got better in the last 30% though!
overall i would still recommend this if you‘re looking for a sweet YA romance for the summer!!

This was precisely the frothy, fun YA romance to pull me out of a bit of a slump. The characters were lovable and dynamic They dealt with grief and guilt all while living in a plot that, while predictable, was thoroughly engaging in the best way. I was rooting for the characters the whole time and devoured the book in a single day. 10/10 would recommend.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Valentine and August are 17, best friends, and running an undercover business to break people up. If your loved one (friend, child, whatever) is in a bad relationship, they are the ones you call. They adopt false identities and do what it takes to help the client's loved one come to his/her senses. Whichever way you look at it, they are doing good: either freeing people so they can find a better relationship (per Violet) or freeing people from the self-deception that true love exists in the first place (per August). But when August falls for their latest case, will it turn their world on its head in the best of ways or the worst of ways?

I really enjoyed the teenage dynamics of the protagonists with each other and with the other adolescents in their professional and personal lives. At that age so much rides on popularity, group dynamics, and figuring out who you are and who want to portray yourself as. This one may be about mostly rich people in a beach town, but it has a strong mental health rep and witty, flirty dialogue. And it's about that great force--love, in all it's forms.

Content warning: manipulation, bullying, self-harm, anxiety, grieving, off-page death of a loved one

This one was a mixed bag for me. The premise sounded like it'd be fun and interesting but potentially frustrating to read and that ended up being my overall experience with the book.

I liked the main characters and their friendship. It was refreshing to read about a solid male-female friendship that didn't have any hints of romance. The actual romances didn't really do anything for me.

The premise of the story was hard for me to stomach at times. I didn't like how manipulative it felt and I kept waiting for things to fall apart. The characters had good intentions, but I felt bad for their targets and know I would've been upset if I'd been in the clients' shoes.

All in all, though, I'd say this story was a well-written, quick read with endearing characters that occasionally make frustrating choices.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.