How to Break My Heart was such an enjoyable small-town, second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance with the perfect mix of tension, banter, and steam! I loved the chemistry between Eva and Aston—their history, their rivalry, and those jealous, possessive moments that kept me hooked. Kat T. Masen did a great job bringing Cinnamon Springs to life and giving us a heartfelt story with just the right amount of drama.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy!

This had everything I usually enjoy—small-town charm, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a billionaire back in town to stir things up—but How to Break My Heart just didn’t fully land for me.
Eva runs a cozy café in Cinnamon Springs, known for her donuts and low-drama life. That peace doesn’t last long when her best friend’s brother, Aston, blows back into town. He’s now a rich, broody New Yorker, and the last time Eva saw him, he kissed her as a teenager and then ghosted her. Years later, they’re thrown together to plan a wedding, and all the unresolved tension bubbles up fast.
The premise had potential—a forced proximity setup with built-in history and the emotional mess of planning someone else’s big day. But Aston just didn’t win me over. I’m all for a grumpy hero with a hidden soft side, but this guy was mostly just cold and arrogant, and honestly, I wasn’t convinced he deserved Eva. She’s sweet, hardworking, and grounded… so watching her ditch a kind, supportive love interest for a guy who made her feel disposable felt frustrating.
There are a few steamy moments, and the small-town setting is cute, but the story never quite balanced the angst and chemistry in a way that felt believable. The flashback to high school didn’t do much to establish a strong foundation for their adult relationship, and some of the conversations felt stiff or awkward.
That said, if you’re into drama-filled second chance romances and don’t mind a morally gray hero, this could still be your thing. But for me, it was a miss.

᪥ Best Friend’s Brother
᪥ Enemies To Lovers
᪥ Small Town
᪥ Slow Burn
᪥ Billionaire

Has all the tropes! Best friend’s older brother, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, billionaire family and small town.
Was funny and still deep, cute and spicy! Read this so fast, I wish the story was longer. I loved that it connected to past series characters!!!
I wish it gave more to/about their teenage phase and their feelings. Didn’t seem much like a second chance trope, just that they had a crush on one another.

I was lucky to receive an ARC copy of this gem.
I'm well versed on all things KTM and have loved all her books.

I will start by saying I went into this blind because I wanted a unique experience. This book gave me all the feels. It was such a fun read and I love the two MCs and all the side characters. Icing on the cake were the Lex and family cameos. It felt like coming home.
I loved getting to know Aston and all his complexities. I love Eva's independence but also how low key, almost basic she is. She loves the simple things and overtime I think Aston see's her uniqueness. I loved banter between the two MCs and how their relationship evolves organically. This was such a perfect HEA.

I loved this book. It was so fun and I look forward to more cinnamon springs shenanigans and of course sprinkles of the Lex family.

This read very quickly, which I enjoyed. Overall, not a bad read but it had its moments. I found Maddy and Eva’s friendship to be very one sided and wanted Eva to tell. Maddy to get a grip. Eva was an interesting character. It felt like she put so many people first, and didn’t get much in return (except Billie, I liked her). Ashton was something - I can’t figure out how I felt about him.

Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for Zan ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A tale as old as time…two childhood best friends and one of them has a crush for her friend’s older brother. I’m not normally one to downgrade a second chance romance (my absolute fav!), but what I tend to expect from this trope is typically the pent-up tension and the heavy backstory/flashbacks between the characters. Based on the description, I was eagerly awaiting for that to happen. Unfortunately, you only see one small chapter of historical context for this grumpy x grumpy romance and…it made it really hard for me to see how this couple came to be secretly pining over each other after literal years of not speaking. And even if I could get passed all that, at the end of the day, I still viewed Aston as a wildly, pompous jerk and someone I consistently found hard to root for as the story progressed.

Thank you to Atria Books, NetGalley, and Kat T. Masen for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

After a few not so reads that were just *meh* this book was exactly what I needed. A great storyline without too much distraction away from the main story and characters. Very well written and easy to follow! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy romance read with a little drama!

Thank you to Kat T. Masen and SS Atria for my copy of How to Break My Heart.

How to Break My Heart follows Eva Woods, as she finds out her best friend, Maddy, is getting married and offers to help plan the wedding. The catch? She has to work alongside Maddy's brother, Aston, who broke Eva's heart during high school. With both Aston and Eva trying to outdo each other and stake claim as Maddy's right hand man, the competition heats up. But as their annoyance grows, so does their attraction, and when they share a kiss, everything changes. Will Eva survive this wedding with her heart intact? Or is she setting herself up for heartbreak... again?

I loved the tropes in this book. Obviously you have the enemies to lovers pipeline. You can never go wrong with that. The entire story primarily takes place in Cinnamon Springs, a small town with a super cozy feel. The small town aspect was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Then there's the forced proximity of Eva and Aston being forced to work together to help plan Maddy's wedding. All around, gold star for the tropes.

With the synopsis, it could be assumed that this is a second-chance romance. In a way it is, but I think the kiss in high school could've been expanded on. I would like to understand why it hurt Eva so deeply and get a little more of Aston's perspective on the situation.

The love story between Eva and Aston was really enjoyable. I liked the self-reflection and growth that Eva was able to achieve, even though it was only possible because other people made her aware of it. Aston kind of rubbed me the wrong way at times with the "no other man can touch you." I'm all for possessiveness, but it felt a little too much at times.

I really loved this book and I cannot wait to see what comes next in the Cinnamon Springs series!!

This was a cozy, nice read. Eva was a little annoying for someone who claims to be mature, Aston was typical MMC but I did like him. Maddy deserved so much better! The plot was exactly what I expected, although I did have moments where I was shocked. Honestly, it was just a feel good book, I did want more depth but I was not disappointed at all.

Thank you Atria Books & NetGalley for the e-arc!

*ARC Review

If you love a good walking, talking, red flag, this is your book. I loved the story from the start to the finish. Best Friends Brother, um yes please! I mean who hasn't lusted over their bestie's brother at some point or another? If you love a good enemies-to-lovers, then this is your book. Keeps you hooked with the excitement and spice! I NEED more of Eva and Aston!

Now excuse me while I go find a pineapple donut.

I wasn’t sure about this book as it started out slow. Maddy’s marriage was a little odd from the beginning so as a reader you were left thinking hmmmm something is up. However I did love the twist the author included as it relates to Maddy’s family and how the ending tied it all up in a little bakery box!

it’s been awhile since i’ve read a billionaire romance, and now i want to read another. this is a first by kat t masen, but it won’t be the last. i really had so much fun reading this - their banter, the obstacles they faced. the support? ugh. yes this gave me all the fuzzy feelings. i highly recommend this one and even the supporting characters were fun!!

thank you so much netgalley and atria for the arc!

This is my first Kat T. Masen book, and it did not disappoint. I love the second-chance romance, the tension, the characters, the banter, angst, spice. I'm not saying this book was perfect, but it definitely delivered what I was hoping for. Sure, some things could have been written a little better.

I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book at 3am last night. I couldn't put it down! Katt Masen once again you have me & my heart in a vice grip. This book was beautiful!
Aside from the incredible amount of sexual tension and spice, you created characters that are lovable, relatable, and layered. Aston (swoon)... is everything you want in a billionaire playboy but so much more. Eve is incredibly relatable, as I think there are many women who struggle with putting themselves last and caring for everyone else first. This book made me laugh with the sibling and BFF banter, to crying because of the emotional toll these characters walk.
Also thank you so much for the opportunity to see some old friends again. It made my heart smile. I can't wait to see what else Cinnamon Springs has in store for us. The Preorder for this is in Katt's Bio. It's going to be a MUST own for me. If you haven’t read Katt you MUST! She KNOWS romance and never fails to take me on a ride. She also owns an AMAZING Romance book store.
Thank you Katt & Atria books for this ARC read.

How to Break My Heart surprised me in the best way. I went in expecting a typical second-chance romance, but this had way more emotional weight than I anticipated. The chemistry was undeniable, but what really stood out was the heartbreak—messy, complicated, and very real. These characters aren’t perfect, and their choices will definitely frustrate you at times, but that’s what made it feel so raw and honest.

It’s the kind of book that makes you pause because the pain hits a little too close. Kat Masen knows how to write the kind of angst that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. If you’re into emotional slow burns with a side of chaos and healing, this one’s worth picking up. Just maybe don’t read it when you’re already feeling fragil

The tension DELIVERED in this one. It was angsty, and had some great tropes. Spicier than I realized it would be for sure, so I would note that going in!

The premise of this book was absolutely adorable but it fell a bit flat for me. The chemistry didn’t have any time to build between Eva and Astor in a meaningful enough way before we jumped into the spice with both feet. The plot itself was fun but it was just a bit disjointed for me. There will 100% be an audience that loves this - it’s a fun and easy read!

I have to be honest that I did not finish this book. I got 46% of the way through but could not continue. I kept holding on because I liked the general plot, but I just could not get past the character of Aston. When it was his POV it was just too explicit-in-a-degrading way, cringe-worthy for me. I typically love a little jealousy between love interests but his jealousy was so over the top that it was concerning. I would have liked to see where this story went, but I could not make myself read another Aston POV.

How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen is a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance that follows a small-town café owner and her best friend’s billionaire brother as they’re forced to plan a wedding together. I have never laughed while simultaneously crying and rooting for someone to get knocked down a peg this hard. The last eight or nine chapters had me bouncing between happy tears, sad “aww” tears, and full-on cheering Aston on.

Everleigh’s lived in Cinnamon Springs her whole life, and she loves the slow pace, her café, and her circle of friends. But when her best friend’s brother shows back up—the same one who broke her heart all those years ago—old feelings start creeping in. Aston’s now a wildly successful (and yes, very attractive) businessman living in Manhattan, but his return home stirs up way more than just wedding plans. With his father scheming in the background and tensions high, things get messy quick.

The biggest issue for me was the writing style. It felt kind of scattered, like it couldn’t decide what direction to go in. Scenes were rushed, transitions didn’t flow well, and I found myself confused more than once. It honestly read like a debut, even though I know it’s not. I will say the small-town charm and the cozy café setting were really cute, and there were definitely some sweet moments that hit me right in the heart. I just think there were too many tropes happening at once and not enough space to let any of them fully land.

This book just didn’t work for me. The writing felt juvenile at times, and I struggled to connect with the characters. One thing that stood out in a not-so-great way was how over-the-top the sister’s reaction was to the idea of her friend dating her older brother. It felt exaggerated and kind of unrealistic, which made it hard to take their dynamic seriously.

There were also some moments where the dialogue or inner thoughts just felt… off. Certain things the characters said or did bothered me, not because they were flawed people (which I’m fine with), but because their actions didn’t feel natural or believable.

The premise had potential, and I can see why some readers might enjoy the drama and angst, but for me, it didn’t hit the right notes.