At first, I couldn’t relate to the glitzy high school parties. But that was the point. This isn’t just about coming out, it’s about what it means to be out. Alana thinks nothing has to change, but that isn’t true. There is a romance, sure, but I will recommend this more as a coming of age book as it is much more about identity and community. Loved it.

This book was an interesting trip through the stark reality of relationships, in all of their messiness.

Just like with real people, the growth of the characters wasn't linear or straightforward and that connection helped me to fall into the plot.

Though I found the middle dragged a little, this was a great queer slice of life.

- I love when YA gets deep into complicated feelings, and DON’T LET IT BREAK YOUR HEART is a stellar example of it.
- Like, yeah, what do you do when your soulmate isn’t someone you’re attracted to? Let’s get into it! And make some mistakes along the way because we’re teenagers!
- This book also covers some more “normal” (unfortunately) hard stuff like bullying and outing. But it’s also filled with beauty and butterflies and deep love of many kinds.

THIS BOOK!! OH MY GOD!! I loved it so much. I could not put it down at all. I cannot wait to read what Horne brings out next.

I absolutely loved this book. It is pure awkward love where Alana is so much in her head about so many things she really doesn’t have to be worried about. Alana and Gray have had a very long standing friendship that feels impenetrable. So impenetrable that it feels as though there is not a thing that Alana doesn’t know about Gray and vice versus.

When Tal comes into the picture, things get messy. Both best friends have a crush on her, but for the most part Alana is always doing her best to make sure Gray gets his girl. When Tal comes around at first, it’s business as usual but, when Alana discovers her and Tal are hitting it off quite easily she doesn’t know what to do about it.

As the book goes on it can get super messy. However, I appreciate how the messy situations are handled in the end. It’s what happens when friends with “no secrets” suddenly hide secrets from each other. It’s what happens when something that was considered normal for them for a long time gets revealed to be toxic.

I don’t want to get too into that part of the story because I don’t want to spoil it. It’s a truly fun and enjoyable read. Ultimately, Alana and Gray are good friends. They may have dated for a short time only for Alana to realize she’s actually a lesbian, but still they are very important in each others lives.

I had a lot of fun reading it and I enjoyed the drama and the messiness for what it was. If you love lesbians and want to read a book that spills a lot of Tea, this is the book for you. It’s a truly fun time.

A really sweet and beautiful coming-of-age story that shows how relationships can evolve and change over time while continuing to add to our lives in meaningful ways.

I ended up with mixed feelings about this. I really appreciated how messy this was - all of the main character's relationships have their struggles and everyone made mistakes and people didn't handle everything perfectly. I liked how the character development wasn't a neat arc. I just wanted more of that same nuance and considerations towards the ending. I felt like everything got wrapped up rather quickly and easily, which made the ending feel rushed.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to arc read this novel!

Don't let it break your heart was way more emotional that I thought it was going to be. As a story about growing up and finding relationships while discovering one's identity, there were a lot of strong moments that made me shed a tear or two. I have not ventured too far in YA queer romances but I was glad I took the time to read this one!

This is a very refreshing, and raw YA coming-of-age novel about a lesbian caught in a love triangle between her ex-boyfriend and the new girl they both like.

It was messy, and authentic and kind of nostalgic in that late summer, neon-lit teen indie film way. Parts reminded me of teen drama shows like SKAM or movies like The Half of It and Lady Bird: small towns, yearning to escape the place of your childhood, dreams of college, the bittersweet anticipation of growing up and moving on from what you wanted as a kid.

Alana and Gray are also flawed, selfish, childish and very wonderfully real (Steve & Robin–coded ships, love you❤) The author did a great job of depicting their unique past, and their enduring platonic love for each other.
I really liked that it wasn't a *romance*, but rather a realistic story of a young lesbian growing up in a homophobic small town. Tal and Alana's sapphic relationship was ok ig–Tal isn't really interesting beyond her role as quirky, perfect love interest–but again, what I appreciated more was Alana's self-journey and coming to terms with lesbianism: finding community and learning to discard her internalized shame. There's no forced "coming-out", but a gentle reminder of what we as queer folks owe one another.
On that note: YA coming of age novels really need to stop glorifying Portland and NYC and feeding into liberal gentrified dreams of "queer utopia cities". A lot of this boils down to classism really, but still, not all marginalized students have the privilege of flip flopping majors and switching their colleges on whimsy.
Anyway, good book.

Don't Let It Break Your Heart by Maggie Horne is a poignant and heartfelt exploration of love, resilience, and the complexities of moving forward after loss. From my perspective, Horne’s writing is both lyrical and deeply emotional, drawing me into the characters’ experiences and struggles. The protagonist’s journey of self-discovery and healing is beautifully portrayed, and I found myself relating to her as she navigates the ups and downs of life.

I appreciated how Horne tackles themes of grief and hope with sensitivity, allowing readers to reflect on their own experiences while feeling a sense of connection to the characters. The pacing is generally well-structured, though there were moments that felt a bit slow, which could take me out of the narrative flow. However, the depth of the character development more than compensates for any pacing issues.

Overall, Don't Let It Break Your Heart is a touching and inspiring read that left me feeling uplifted. It’s a wonderful choice for readers who appreciate emotionally rich storytelling that delves into the complexities of love and loss, reminding us of the strength that can be found in vulnerability.

I was so impressed by this book. Maggie Horne has honed a talent that created this perfect example of why I still read YA. I am always amazed when an author can write YA characters that touch the truth of so much we still deal with as adults. Overwhelmingly enjoyed!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder for me to enjoy YA books, which is on me not the author. That being said, there are still some that sleep through the cracks and I enjoy in adulthood. I would say this is a really good YA book for the YA audience, it does not transcend into adult enjoyment as well, at least not for me. I think this is a very important story for the YA audience and has representation that could really impact someone. I hope more YA audience members will pick this up.

This was a heartfelt story about love, friendship, and self-acceptance. Alana’s journey of figuring out her identity while balancing relationships feels both relatable and emotional. A sweet and thoughtful read that explores how we grow when we embrace who we really are.

If you're anything like me, you've been craving a YA novel that focuses more on the nuances of friendship than on the romance. On the outside, Don't Let it Break Your Heart sounds like another love triangle romance, only with queer characters. But that synopsis hides the real main plotline: friendships and the line between inseparable and toxic.

TW: lesbophobia (including slurs and bullying); homophobia; anxiety; forced outing; aftermath of a hate crime; past use of revenge porn

Alana and Gray are the It Couple at high school, always together since they were babies. Then Alana comes out as lesbian, and... nothing really changes? She and Gray aren't dating anymore, but they are still attached at the hip and as close as ever. [This dynamic was SO interesting and unlike anything else I've seen in YA.]

When Tal moves to town both Gray and Alana develop feelings for her. Only Gray expects Alana to help him get the girl, because why wouldn't she?

At first I thought Tal was going to be kind of manic pixie dream girl-esque, but thankfully she developed into a wonderfully complex character that suited both Gray and Alana's character. But of course, Tal really isn't a main character. The story focuses on Alana and Gray.

There are quite a few side characters that sometimes blurred together, but their purpose was also to showcase different types of friendships, especially the contrasts between Alana and Gray's friendship and Alana and Tal's friendship.

I also want to give bonus points for the perfect small town Maine setting. The author really captured what it's like to live in a small town, especially when you are always the elephant in the room, regardless of where you go.

The discussions of being queer vs being part of the queer community were also enlightening, a topic I want to see explored more in LGBTQ YA. Now that it's become more socially acceptable to be gay and in high school, there are different expectations from the others around you. If I had to rank the order of importance for these different themes, that would be number two, after the discussion of friendships and toxicity.

I don't think there is anything else I want to share, other than that you should read this book. Especially if you feel like you've read everything YA has to offer. Don't Let it Break Your Heart is a fresh take on the genre and already incredibly underrated.

Rep: lesbian main character, queer major character, Black lesbian side character, side character who uses they/them pronouns, multiple other LGBTQ+ side characters

Thank you to the publisher for a finished copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

don't let it break your heart follows alana, who had been dating the school's golden boy, gray, for years before she came out as a lesbian. but gray and her are still best friends, and spend all their time together. when a new girl called tal starts at their school, gray and alana make a plan to get her together with gray, but alana likes tal more than she can admit to herself, or to gray.
i had high expectations for this but most of the book just left me annoyed at the characters, unfortunately. i understand that they were supposed to be like that, but still.
let's start with the supporting cast, they were such a well-done portrayal of what some friendships can be like. they've all been "friends" forever but they always treat alana like shit, especially after she came out. i used to, and still have some friends like this. it's so hard to let go of them, no matter how much they bother you and make your life so much harder.
gray was so annoying for the majority of this book. he needs to get his shit together and stop acting like alana belongs to him and expecting her to be with him all the time.
alana was also pretty annoying. i get that this book was supposed to show that she did not feel like she was a part of the queer community, which is why i'm still conflicted on this part, but it just felt like she thought she was above that, if that makes sense? i was about to go and murder her when
SPOILERS
she didn't go help tal and callie with the café, it just felt like she was picking and choosing in what ways she wanted to be involved. (which she does address, but i just don't feel like she'd stop doing the same things, not that i know her LMAO but idk) like wdym you left your crush who you love oh so much and let her deal with the aftermath of a homophobic attack on a queer friendly space SHE BROUGHT YOU TO just bc you didn't feel like it. i'd go help them even if i hadn't even heard of it before if i physically could? i don't think i'd forgive her if i were tal tbh, but whatever.
SPOILERS END
i was also quite annoyed at her for not telling gray she liked tal, though i get why she did it. and for being so attached to gray and not being able to stand up for herself when she wanted to say no. and for never telling gray that she was hanging out with tal but obviously not lying. also their whole friendship seemed a bit weird to me. like wdym you don't say hi or bye on the phone. wdym you don't apologise to each other bc you know you did not actually mean to hurt the other? anyways. enough about the bad characters !!
tal was so sweet. she deserved better than alana imo, but oh well. she protected alana from being hurt by gray and other people at her school, hid what they had going on from gray without alana even telling her to, was so nice to alana. everything.
gray's family was super sweet !! it was nice to see the small interactions they had.
(why do i have a thousand things to say about the characters i didn't like and about ten words each for the characters i loved...)
the first like 35% ? i think? was super boring, i was literally so close to dnfing but didn't just bc i wanted to review it since i had the e-arc and also bc i had faith tal and alana's relationship would pull through, and after a certain point i was definitely more hooked!
overall, i wouldn't really recommend this tbh, but from what other reviews are saying, it looks like i have the unpopular opinion here, so do with that what you will ig.
thank you to the publisher feiwel & friends and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

This was such a heart-warming story of self-discovery and love. I believe it was my first contemporary romance without any fantasy elements in it, and I'm glad I picked this as my first!

The characters are fantastic. The main character Alana was so funny, I really want to be her friend. It was heartbreaking to watch her think that she didn't have a place on her own without someone else, and I loved watching her slowly realize her own worth. Gray was a bit complicated for me as I found him pretty frustrating times, but believably so. As Alana herself says, whatever else he may be he is still a high school boy. I'm curious what he'll be like out of high school as he lets the charismatic act drop a bit and becomes more authentically himself. And then there's Tal. Omg Tal. I honestly get why everyone fell in love with her immediately, she was funny, cool, and cared deeply for people in her community.

Their relationship dynamic was so complicated, which made it really interesting to watch them navigate it. Gray trying to fit both girls in his life, Alana worrying she's betraying both of them, and honestly Tal just being oblivious I think, just going with the flow to be with Alana. It was unlike any relationship I'd read before, which made it very unique and exciting.

All of them grew in various heart-warming ways throughout the story. It had me gasping, on the verge of tears, and smiling and kicking my feet. So really the full spectrum of emotion. By the end, I was teary-eyed and clutching the book to my chest. It left me feeling really light and happy.

Overall, if you like stories of complex teen relationships, coming-of-age stories, and people discovering their own worth, you'll like this sweet YA romance.

I didn’t love this like I thought I would but I would still recommend it. I was just expecting it to focus more on the romance that it did.

First: THE CHEMISTRY!!!!!! Tal and Alana’s chemistry was undeniable and so much fun to read. There’s nothing I love more than cute banter and they delivered. Genuinely, it’s the kick-your-feet-and-giggle type of reading experience. I liked Gray and the familiar ease that came with his interactions with Alana; you can feel their history and feel how well they know each other. But Tal just ~gets~ her.

Speaking of Gray, I loved the way this book handles the evolution of friendship. Especially as it relates to being inseparable but needing to find oneself. Alana has always been “Gray’s Girl,” and now that she’s not, she struggles to find where Gray ends and she begins. Tal being thrown into their dynamic challenges that. Not only is she the girl of Alana’s dreams, but she also helps Alana discover what it means to exist outside of Gray, as her own person, navigating her sexuality.

Don’t Let it Break Your Heart is an amazing book about identity, sexuality, and complex relationships. RUN—don’t walk—to add this to your TBR!!

I was gifted this copy by Colored Pages Book Tours and Macmillan in exchange for my review! <3

I started to read this book with the back cover copy in mind. It left me with some pretty specific expectations of what Alana and Gray’s relationship would be like, and I was a little confused when it played out differently. I didn’t really see Alana setting Gray up with other girls. It seemed more like she endured his prowling and did her best not to roll her eyes about it because she felt guilty about breaking up with him.

There’s something about Don’t Let It Break Your Heart that feels like a train wreck you can’t look away from. The writing is good—consistently insightful and full of compelling, realistic characters. The relationships between Alana and her friend group have this ticking-time-bomb feel to them. Some of that comes from the group’s toxic patterns and the undercurrent of homophobic feelings among some characters.

I liked that Tal’s addition to the crew altered the dynamics of the group a bit and brought a fresh perspective to relationships that Alana had been in so long that she never stopped to question. She voiced some of the things I’d been thinking, which felt validating as a reader, too.

Alana’s journey of self-discovery is frank and vulnerable. She recalls the slow demise of her romantic relationship with Gray and her growing inability to deny her identity, as well as her deep feelings of guilt and inadequacy at some points in her experience. I felt like those feelings were pretty real and Horne explored them in a way that I haven’t seen done in young adult literature before and adds some important notes to the conversations about identity.

Readers who enjoy upper young adult stories exploring messy relationships and first love will find a lot to love about this bold story. Perfect for fans of Marisa Kanter and Robin Talley.

*4.5 Stars*

I honestly didn't really know what to think of this one at first. And I actually started then decided I wasn't in the mood and put it aside for a bit before I picked it up again. But when I did, I really got into it and I couldn't stop reading. It made me feel all the feels. I got happy, angry (often) and teared up too. I really sympathized with Alana and was on her side even when everyone was mad at her (except Tal, Tal was right). I think my favorite was the love interest though. She was great and I loved getting to know her.
Anyway, I really liked this book, it had a lot of messy, vivid characters and I loved seeing them interact and grow throughout the book.
So, yes, a great first YA book by Maggie Horne, I can't wait for more.