Alana is a high school senior who’s recently broken up with her best-friend/boyfriend, Ethan Gray. Gray is a perfect person, per Alana, who’s an overachiever and a very popular guy, but simultaneously super insecure. He requires a lot of bolstering, but she doesn’t mind this because it allows her to remain his best friend and stay super close to him. Alana doesn’t exactly know who she is if she isn’t “Gray’s Girl,” even if she’s recently accepted the fact that she is, in fact, lesbian. She feels really uncomfortable in their mutual friend group, sure all the straights want to undermine her deep platonic love for Gray. They live in rural Maine, so there are not a lot of options for friends if she and Gray can’t get along.

With a new school year comes a new girl, Talia, who’s just moved from Portland, Maine. Tal is tall and funny and beautiful. She’s the perfect next girlfriend for Gray, if Alana can help Tal see how great he is. Unfortunately, Alana is also attracted to Tal, and afraid it’s destined to be a miserable experience crushing on a straight girl. However, the more Alana and Tal interact, the more Alana seems to believe Tal isn’t a straight girl after all.

This is more a coming-of-age story than a romance, with Alana figuring out her future and how to navigate it, thanks to meeting Tal. She sees herself in queer spaces, makes friends with queer people, and finds her purpose, mostly due to an act of homophobic vandalism that leaves her unmoored. Alana also experiences outing by a person who had been a friend (a frenemy), which could feel traumatic to some readers.

I liked the story told from the messy, angsty inside of a high school girl’s brain; it felt like Inside Out 3 with all the thoughts whizzing around Alana’s head. She’s very intuitive, and doubts the intentions of most of the people she’s been “friends” with for her whole childhood. She’s not the Queen Bee, and she is fine with that, but she also doesn’t want to be a pariah. Alana’s very human and humble, honestly. She doesn’t anticipate dating again in high school, and her attraction to Tal is frustrating and unsettling. And glorious. I loved how she sought to do better and find purpose when life got even more complicated and it looked like all her friends were turning on her. It was awesome watching Alana finally stand on her own two feet–while wearing Gray’s stolen jacket–and examine her core desires, and how those could guide her on a new path, away from her codependent life with Gray into something more healthy.

The book started out murky for me, due to all the characters, their nicknames, and Alana’s internal monologue, but I soon got into the swing of it. There are nice small town life vignettes, and good growth for all the characters. While it’s not a traditional romance, there is a connection and a happily ever after.

thank you to the publisher and Netgallery for this arc.. i loved the characters so much!! This was the perfect YA sapphic romance. I wish I had this when I was younger. I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future! 😍

I am actively gnawing at this book because it is so very relatable and it's something I wish I could have read as a teen instead of the Buzzfeed "Am I gay?" quiz. Yes the quiz clocked me.

Can we get some commotion for a lesbian coming of age story which takes place after the coming out portion? Yes I am nosy and want to know how everything plays out afterwards. Don't Let It Break Your Heart absolutely delivers that with the absolutely hilarious but tragic storyline of "oh shit my ex-boyfriend has a crush on the new girl and so do I". She's giving all the absolute teen awkward queerness of "am I avoiding the Victoria Secret's poster at the mall too obviously" along with the heart-breaking realization that you are capable of falling in love for the first time after dating boys.

Alana and Gray have been the perfect pair all through high school, and neither of them think that should have to change just because Alana came out as a lesbian. Sure their romantic relationship is over, but their best-friends-since-forever dynamic is stronger than ever. Enter in the new girl, Talia. Gray is complete head over heels for her and begs Alana to be his wing-woman. As she begrudgingly agrees to his over the top plotting she finds herself liking the time she spends with Tal way more than she thought she would. As the two grow closer Alana must decide between staying loyal to her best friend or trying to follow her heart for the first time in her life.

"Be good tonight. Keep the door...huh. I guess it doesn't matter, does it?"
"If we do close the door, I promise to not get your gay daughter pregnant."

This had some killer humor which actually made me laugh out loud a couple times. I can thoroughly say I really enjoyed myself with this one. Alana and Gray's dynamic was so endearing and familiar. It's so nice to see platonic soulmate love held in such high regard as something even greater than romantic love. The struggles with being queer in a small town and having zero gay friends really strikes you deep and is very relatable. Alana's growth throughout this story was worth seeing as she found her community and was able to experience the small baby gay moments.

"Tal knows I'm gay, the same way everyone else knows it, but it sometimes feels like I don't have any more room for another person, another coming out story, another reaction, another change."

Tal was a good love interest in regards to helping Alana grow confidence and explore a community outside her small town. The romance was cute and it definitely had the feet-kicking moments but I do wish Tal was fleshed out a bit more. Overall I had an amazing time with this story and devoured in completely in 2 days!

This book is a coming of age story about first love and learning who you are. Alana broke up with her boyfriend, Gray, last year, but it didn't seem like much had changed. Their relationship went from dating to best friends, but it still looked the same. When new girl Tal shows up at their student council meeting, everything changes in an instant. Alana suddenly understands what attraction is, and as Gray checks out the beautiful newcomer just as hard, she realizes she doesn't stand a chance against him.
Alana agrees to help Gray with his plan to woo Tal, even as her heart tells her not to. As they spend more time together, she realizes she's in too deep, but it's too late. She doesn't believe Tal could like her back, but there's more to the new girl than meets the eye.
Alana spends a lot of the book doing what Gray wants, what he likes, and going along with his plans, just like she always has. When she starts spending time with Tal, Alana realizes that she doesn't know who she is or what she wants. Everything has always been about Gray. That was comfortable, and didn't require hard decisions. Tal helps her to realize that she's her own person.
I think this book does a great job at showing that teenagers really don't have it all figured out and it's hard to discover that you really don't know who you are without someone else. Alana has to think long and hard about who she is, who she wants to be, and what she wants to do with her life. A life that may or may not include the people she loves the most.
I really enjoyed watching Alana come out of her shell. Tal showed her how it feels to be seen, and that she deserved better than her "friends." I loved watching their relationship develop, and how Alana became a better, more vibrant person because of it. This is a really good sapphic coming of age story, I highly recommend it.

I am nearing the end of the story, but I would say that I like this book! Wonderful characters (though I have mixed feelings with Gray sometimes), good writing, and nice setting. Overall, this is a good book to read during fall time or any time of that year!

4.5 stars, round up to 5 stars.

I received a gifted copy in exchange for review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Colored Pages Book Tours and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group!

I HAD SO MUCH FUN READING THIS ONE!!! It's been a while since I've encountered a good sapphic tale so definitely glad for this one!

Honestly, I requested this ARC because the summary screamed messy. I mean, a book about a lesbian (who recently came out), her ex-boyfriend (whom she recently broke up with after she came out and still remained best friends with), and the new girl (who they both like)? Sign me up. Heartwarming and gorgeously written, Don’t Let It Break Your Heart navigates the aftermath of coming out and how some things don’t need to stay the same.

Alana and Gray have always been attached at the hip, first as best friends, then as girlfriend and boyfriend, then as best friends again when they break up after Alana comes out as lesbian. It’s a somewhat unhealthy situation to say the least, considering they still basically act like they’re dating, which nobody understands. When a new student Talia transfers their senior year, Gray enlists Alana into being his wing-woman. The only issue? The more Alana spends time with Talia, the more she’s falling in love with her…

My absolute favorite part of the book are the characters and their dynamics. Alana and Gray have grown up with each other, and they’re so used to the same small town life. Gray especially loves it because he’s so lovable and easy-going. For her part, Alana does want life to change but she doesn’t quite know how.

I honestly want to study Alana and Gray’s friendship under a microscope. He takes their break-up in stride after she comes out (or rather, more that she’s forced to come out), and they soon return to their old ways. There’s an underlying current to their dynamic now though: Alana feels some residual guilt for having to end their romantic relationship and thus of course will help him get the girl of his dreams, and Gray might’ve taken their break-up a lot harder than he made it seem.

Talia transferring into their school shakes things up in more ways than one. Other than her arrival shifting Alana and Gray’s dynamic yet again, she also brings Alana to her friend’s queer bookstore and café, exposing her to a community that understands her. Despite Alana being out now, she still doesn’t feel comfortable at their small-town high school, especially with the circumstances of how she had to come out.

Their romance was really cute, even amidst Alana’s clear guilt toward keeping it yet another secret from Gray. Like I said, this book is messy but in the best way. I love reading complex characters, especially in YA, so it was really interesting to explore this whole dynamic. I also really loved the writing and am excited to read more from Maggie Horne! I can’t recommend Don’t It Let Break Your Heart enough, especially if you’re in the market for a lesbian coming-of-age story with gorgeous writing and lovable characters.

This book is coming of age story to find out who Alana really is. She a strong person after being out. She doesn’t really have friends anymore because they their true colors. I like that after Alana and Gray broke up. They still our best friends. They have went through a lot in the end. Their friendship is still amazing, like when they were kids. I love the friendship between Alana and Gray they know everything about each other. They connect to each other on a different level that is not romantic.
Alana struggles with accepting herself and she has to work through it. She realize that she is fine and loved and nothing will change between the people and her life. Tal is the new girl at their school. This is her start after what happened in her old school. Now that she’s she feels safe at this school. I like the fact that she is open and honest and she knows what she wants. I also love the fact that she stands up to people that deserve to get yelled at. There becomes a problem with the three of them. Because it’s a situation where who likes who and everything gets mixed up and confused. They have to solve who has feelings towards each other, and which ones don’t want a relationship with the other. There are some falling out, but everything worked out towards the end. This book is very good at describing. What is like to question who you are as a person. From who you really are to how to finding it in yourself. It’s fine to question things that make yourself understand it more. Alana’s relationship with Tal shows to people it really is a struggle to find out what they really want. And it also shows they do have a lot of misunderstandings. They need to work on the communication better and it shows them working it out. I like the family’s in this book because they’re very supportive of Alana. I love the fact that nothing changed between them and nothing changes between Gray and his family with her.

A beautiful beautiful story about learning how to find yourself out of the view of someone else, Maggie Horne’s debut novel explores the lesser known and still prevalent subtle homophobia that still exists and tends to be swept under the rug. Alana’s quest to find out how she is supposed to be queer is a story that every young queer person needs because there is no one way to be queer.

Falling for the same girl as your best friend... who also happens to be your ex boyfriend is probably the messiest it could ever get. Alana and Gray were the perfect couple but they do everything together, they are a set, and even when Alana comes out as a lesbian and breaks up with Gray, neither of them thinks that anything between them should change. Yet this friendship is going to be put to the test when the new girl Tal arrives in town and both Alana and Gray have a crush on her. Alana and Gray are extremely codependent on one another, and Alana likes to pretend she isn't hurt that none of her old friends excluding her hurts her. But when Gray makes it clear he is interested in Tal, Alana decides to hide her crush.... but when Tal also begins sharing feelings for Alana, and Alana decides to keep it a secret from Gray.... everything is going to implode when the truth comes out. Can Alana figure out her relationships before she loses both her best friend and the girl she's in love with? This book was frustrating to read to say the least, it's rough seeing someone be so codependent on another person, so willing to hide their feelings and be their needs, and I just wanted to shake Alana. It's definitely a teen experience and it does portray the annoyingness of teenagers and all their decisions, but I just couldn't really like or care for any of the characters and by the end I just wanted Tal to end up with someone better. I liked Tal a lot but I just didn't feel the romance between her and Alana. While this book was a miss for me, if you like the teen queer coming out experience and the growing pains of being a queer teen, give this a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

Release Date: August 27,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

We’ll call it 3.5

I was all in and wholly invested in the first half. It was all the messiness I remembered from high school but queer. I had a few conversations over the course of the 24 hours it took me to read this from cover to cover, talking about how if books like this has been around when I was in high school, my life probably would have been a lot messier but I would have understood myself sooner. Maybe, probably.

The banter was genuinely funny. I loved what Alana-and-Gray represented: the best friends of different genders who are just so close that they can complete each other’s thoughts. I loved the genderbent “gay best friend” - but make it not tokenization. I loved Alana’s very real response to being outed. Alana was such a REAL person that it made the progression of her story just work so well.

Personally, I thought the cooking and baking came into the story too late / as kind of an afterthought that eventually became super important. Also what high school has homecoming in mid September?? And the 50-80% section dragged, mostly because Alana was stuck in her own head and didn’t have an actual conversation with anyone (but she’s a teenager, so). Also the side characters apart from Olivia and Logan did not stand out at all, which led to me constantly confusing Sydney and Savannah (which is unfortunate because I think Savannah ended up being decent?)

We also didn’t know much of anything about Tal other than that she’s pretty, has curly hair, and draws everyone in - and that she stands up for Alana, but that doesn’t make her a PERSON in the same way that Alana and Gray were people. That was probably my biggest gripe with the whole thing, honestly.

One of my fave YA romance of 2024. Loved the messy codependency friendship and the romance between the two lesbians characters. It was really refreshing to see a teenage girl get to be egoistical and make bad decisions just because of a girl and still finding her way back to who she is. The whole arc where she goes to visit culinary schools program was really special!

I got an ARC from NetGalley and am sharing my honest review.

Don’t Let It Break Your Heart had a compelling premise and mostly delivered. Alana, who recently came out as a lesbian, struggles with her friends' reactions and eventually decides to move on from them. Her relationship with her best friend and ex-boyfriend Gray is affected by a love triangle, and she has to balance her needs with theirs.

The book focuses more on Alana finding herself and her coming of age journey more than on romance, but the love triangle is still central.

This was a really inspiring story about how friendships may evolve as we grow up and learn how to find our own paths in life. I was engrossed in the story from the beginning and found it impossible to put it down. The main theme of this narrative is a girl's attempt to integrate her new identity with the life she has always known. Teen readers will undoubtedly be able to relate to this.

Alana knew exactly what she wanted out of life. Gray was both her best friend and her boyfriend and they planned to attend the same college. However, Alana's coming out as a lesbian the summer before their senior year caused a lot of friction among her friends, who feel uncomfortable with her. And now she has to figure her live again,

I adored how Alana and Gray's relationship evolved during the course of the novel. It's evident that they're attempting to adjust to their new circumstances, but neither of them truly wants to let the other down. Furthermore, at least initially, neither of them is particularly interested in things changing.

The romance between Alana and Tal is endearing and challenging, even if the novel isn't as much of a romance as I had anticipated because it focuses more on Alana discovering who she is. I cherished every small moment they shared.

I believe Horne did an excellent job of creating teenage characters who read like teenagers. This was a great debut book and I’m hoping to reading more works from Maggie Horne in the future!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Don’t Let It Break Your Heart drew my attention with its premise, promising drama and tension, and it mostly delivered.
Alana is a strong lead who goes on an interesting emotional journey throughout the book. She has just come out as a lesbian, causing a lot of tension within her friend group, who are awkward around her. I struggled with how she tried so hard to find acceptance, even making excuses for their behavior, but also I can understand where it comes from, as she simply wants to belong. And while she did take a while to kick them to the curb, I’m glad she finally did by the end.
However, she does still have a positive bond with her best friend and ex-boyfriend, Gray, although that is also shaken by the romantic drama of the love triangle. And while their relationship is healthier for the most part, her codependent and people pleasing tendencies are also present in this relationship, and she really has to figure out how to balance what she wants with what he and others want in a healthy way.
While the book is a bit less of a romance than I thought, focusing more on Alana finding herself, the romantic arc is still prominent. Tal is a solid love interest, and while I didn’t feel like this was the most compelling love triangle, as I was more concerned about the potential friendship-ending aspect than who would get the girl, I liked it. Tal is a good influence on Alana as she finds her feet as a queer teen, providing support as well as having the strength to call out the bigots when Alana didn’t have the courage to.
This was a solid debut, and I’m open to reading more from Maggie Horne in the future! I’d recommend this if you’re looking for a coming-of-age queer YA contemporary.

DON'T LET IT BREAK YOUR HEART is a contemporary YA about love, friendship, and coming to terms with queer identity. alana and gray are lifelong best friends whose relationship went from platonic to romantic, until alana comes out as a lesbian and the pair go back to being best friends. they're still each other's person and that's all that matters, right? except when the new girl tal arrives, both of them are instantly smitten with her, and suddenly, alana isn't so sure she wants to help gray win her over anymore.

i absolutely loved this book and everything about it: alana and gray's bond, alana's exploration of her queer identity and her feelings for tal, tal shaking things up and rightfully calling out their classmate's BS, etc. this is such a tender story and i know it would've meant the world to me when i was in high school.

read if you like:
- queer coming-of-age stories
- parks and rec "this is my boyfriend" meme
- the half of it

thanks to netgalley and feiwel & friends for the advanced copy! DON'T LET IT BREAK YOUR HEART comes out august 27.

Thank you Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the E-book. My opinions are being left voluntarily. What a phenomenal debut release.i loved the whole thing including the miscommunication/ I won't let you decide I'll decide for us as it works most for teen romances. Although it's set in usa you can see parts of the Canadian author. It kept me engaged and interested and loved the conclusion.

4.5/5☆

Thank you Colored Pages Book Tour, Maggie Horn, and NetGalley, and Macmillian Publishing for the opportunity to receive an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

A YA queer read for the ages! What I most appreciated about this book was the way it portrayed and navigated adolescence in the context of coming out and navigating queer identity. Within the confounds of friendship, societal norms and pressure, and adopted routines. I appreciated how we got to see the unraveling of Alana and Grey’s friendship- to understand how it was created in the first place and the pain and heartbreak it caused as it existed and was reimagined. I enjoyed Tal- getting to know why Tal transferred schools and Tal’s initial willingness to embrace Alana and allow Alana to find herself in the midst of a codependent friendship. The layers of friendship, highschool dynamics, life changes, and growing up, all interwoven into the complex fabric of identity and coming of age. There are so many nuances to this book, and it doesn’t come without frustration, discomfort, and disappointment- but it comes together in a valuable presentation of representation. Having messy, complex, and nuanced displays of queer ya culture is something that is so desperately needed and offers dialogue for not only YA but for adults, too, because these conversations are important to have.
4 geese
2 honkin’ peppers

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Don't Let It Break Your Heart is the kind of book that had me immediately looking up Maggie Horne's backlist and adding all of them to my TBR! It's a book that honestly would have changed my life as a young questioning teenager. It's a love letter to friendship, first love, and small town community. I cried at least twenty times while reading it because of just how special it is.

Alana, Gray, and Talia are messy teenagers (let teenagers be messy please!!). They fight, they feud, they love, they laugh, and they exist as they are. If I had to pick a favorite part (it's impossible!!!) it would be just how really the small town teenage life was. There was so little to do and seeing your old not-so-friendly friends at every party feels like drowning.

The romance between Alana and Tal is heartwarming and chaotic. I loved all the little moments between them. I could cry right now (several weeks after reading) thinking about Alana and Gray's friendship and the delicate balance of being exes who deeply love each other but now things are different because Gray's feelings will never be reciprocated. Chef's kiss!

Read this if you like YA contemporary with a hint of romance, learning how to navigate lifelong friendships after coming out, messy teenagers making messier decisions, crying because your sad and happy and maybe you just needed to cry, and the feeling of first love.

I absolutely loved this book! It's so fun and charming. It handles important conversations and topics with grace and is so very relatable.