This book had me hooked with the synopsis, but unfortunately the story and writing just fell flat for me.

I knew right off the bat that this one wasn't for me with that prologue. It was just...cringy? But also, there really was no depth to it & how we are supposed to believe the MMC "broke her heart". All we are told is he's hot and her best friend's brother. There's no other history between them or special moments or anything? It just made no sense why the FMC would hold such a grudge against him for so long when there was no build up given to us.

And then the story starts and it really doesn't get better. The MMC is insufferable. The FMC has a really great guy she is dating, but cheats on him with the MMC. Why?! Because of lust? There is absolutely nothing between them but that!

This was my first book by this author and will probably be my last. I couldn't even finish this one. I DNF'd somewhere in the middle.

This had potential but ended up falling flat. It felt very rushed, the writing was cringy at times. This was my first book by this author and will probably be my last.

I absolutely loved this story! Aston character easily became one of my favorite MMCs in the way Kat wrote him with his innate protectiveness of his family, no matter the costs. I hardly find myself agreeing with the reasoning of a lot of MMCs choices but this book really shows you the emotional intelligence and empathy of Aston! Eva was absolutely remarkable and I loved the way Kat shaped their story. Who doesn’t love a little love triangle? This book gives you everything! Enemies to lovers, small town, forced proximity, second chance… it’s everything a book girly could want!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun story with some great moments, and I definitely see the potential in the world Kat T. Masen is building. There were times I was hooked and enjoying the tension between the leads, but other times I felt a bit bored or disconnected. I really wanted to love it more than I did.
The relationship between the main characters felt a bit surface-level. It leaned more physical than emotional, and I was left wanting more from their connection. I also would’ve liked more backstory or depth from both characters.

Still, I think a lot of readers will fly through this one. The pacing is solid, the writing is easy to sink into, and there’s a lot of potential in this world. I’m definitely open to reading more from Kat T. Masen in the future!

Time jump books are a hard sell for me, already, but if there's a compelling reason the main character is stuck in a certain era with a certain event, I can get on board and deal with the back and forth. This was not that. This was a girl liking a boy and him finally giving her crumbs, ripping them away and then her spending the next decade being angry that she wasn't the center of his universe. She's openly hostile toward a man who seemingly did nothing wrong but kiss her and ghost her. It's not a great move, but he wasn't boiling puppies here. I ended up being annoyed with the main character and wishing she would grow up.

This book is so sweet and cute! I was nervous at first, worried that this would end up being a trope fest lacking substance, but imagine my surprise when in fact, I loved all the characters. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a corny book and things move REALLY fast and there’s a ton of tropes, but it felt plot driven first and trope driven second. It’s a perfect summer beach read or holiday hot chocolate book.

The idea of this book was so exciting. But for me, it was just so many things in one book. It was hard to like the main characters or care about the story when there was just so much going on. I have heard great things about this author and will maybe go back and look into other books but this one was just a little over the top for me. I couldn't connect to the heart of the story.

I was also super distracted by Maddy/Madelina. Why couldn't we all just call her the same name?

Really enjoyed this ARC from a first time author for me Kat T Masen! Eva is the owner of a small town bakery Donut Ever After when her best friend returns home from a trip with her boyfriend to announce she’s getting married in less than a month. In order to help plan for the expedited timeline Eva is going to have to work with her friend’s older brother Aston who broke her heart in high school. Aston is the CEO of his father’s company and doesn’t have time for a personal life, however when he starts working with Eva he realizes that the person he wants to be with might have be waiting for him right in his hometown all along. This book was super cute and fun and the last 100 pages were so emotional and she how complicated life can be especially when you put everyone else’s needs above your own. I’m definitely going to be checking out other books but this authors as I couldn’t not wait to get home from work to read more and more of this book!

How to Break My Heart drew me in with the synopsis - enemies to lovers, best friend’s brother and billionaire romance, hello - but ultimately fell flat for me. Eva and Aston kissed once in high school after which Eva promptly ran away and claimed to be broken hearted. The two are now enemies for life. Eva comes across as immature and Aston as a jerk. This seemed much more YA and was a DNF for me. Someone else might totally love it though!

Thank you Atria for my #gifted ARC!

3.75 Stars!

I got into this story pretty quickly, and there were many things I liked. The story has a little bit of a dual timeline reflecting on a situation that happened in high school between Eva and her best friend's brother, Aston. The situation in high school ended poorly, and years later, Eva is forced to work with Aston on wedding plans for Aston's sister.

There's plenty of toxic family drama along with wedding activities and an angsty building romance. Eva and Aston move quickly from Rivals into a pretty steamy secret relationship. I would have loved a little more time to build that relationship before the intensity Aston brought to the table.

I'd love to see Maddy get her HEA in a future book!

Romance Content: 4+ Open-door scenes

How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen is a full-throttle, no-holds-barred emotional rollercoaster—equal parts angsty romance, layered character study, and pure, unfiltered drama that actually works. From the first page, I was sucked into the tangled lives of characters who felt so real, so complicated, I kept forgetting they weren’t flesh and blood.

Everleigh and Aston’s story had everything I love in a romance: the combustible tension of enemies-to-lovers, the slow unfurling of second chances, the bittersweet pain of emotional baggage, and a love that felt inevitable. These two don’t fall for each other—they crash, burn, rebuild, and rise again. Aston is your classic possessive alpha with a broken heart, but what makes him stick is the quiet, believable evolution of his character. He’s arrogant, maddening, relentless—and deeply, desperately in love in a way that feels both tragic and redemptive.

Everleigh, on the other hand, is a force. Smart, driven, and loyal to a fault, she refuses to be reduced to someone’s fragile love interest. Even when her emotions rage like a storm, she stays grounded in her values. Her struggle to protect herself while loving someone who once hurt her so deeply is both painful and empowering to witness.

This book weaves in familiar tropes—small-town charm, billionaire hero, best friend’s older brother, and even a love triangle—but nothing feels recycled. Masen reinvents these devices with sharp emotional insight and pacing that never lags. And that love triangle? Surprisingly layered. It wasn’t just a plot device—it added depth to Everleigh’s emotional arc and made her final choice even more satisfying.

The standout for me, though, was the supporting cast. Eva is the kind of best friend every heroine deserves: fiercely honest, warm, and the emotional glue that holds everything together. Her presence, and the strong undercurrent of friendship and family dynamics, elevates the story beyond just romance.

For readers who like:
-High-stakes, high-heat romance
-Redemption arcs
-Best friend’s older brother tropes

Final Verdict
How to Break My Heart is explosive, swoony, and deliciously addictive. Every chapter comes with high emotions and real consequences, and yet it never feels overdone. Kat T. Masen knows exactly how to write characters you ache for—and a romance that leaves you breathless. I devoured it, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Grateful to NetGalley, Atria Books and Kat T. Masen for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars - rounding up

How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Massen
Pub Date: September 23, 2025

Cinnamon Springs Series

Eva Woods is a café owner in a small town. Her best friend Maddy enlists her to help plan her wedding. The catch is she has to plan it with Maddy’s brother, Aston. Aston broke Eva’s heart when they were in high school. In this dual POV we are able to see both sides of the story, how each of them viewed the situation that occurred. As they try to support Maddy in the wedding planning process they also end up spending one on one time with each other.

At this point in their lives Maddy owns a business and Aston manages the family business, I can’t remember what it was exactly, I think they invested in things (sorry if I’m wrong). I feel like for their age, I think around 26, they still think like high school students & it could be because they fall back into old habits when they’re around each other but some of their thoughts are pretty backwards, I remember something about how men deny their feelings so they act a certain way, but that’s more related to boys & not men. I feel like the story could’ve leaned into the adult aspect of relationships more, but it makes sense since their relationship was thwarted at the end of high school. There were some aspects that just felt misplaced. It also didn’t feel American, it felt like what people think Americans are like.

What I did enjoy was how descriptive the scenery was. It was so easy to picture the places that were described in the book & the chemistry between the characters felt so real. They definitely kept me reading because I wanted to know where the heat between them was going. The spicy scenes gave me something to hold onto. Their chemistry was hot, electric – zing – sparks.

Side note: micro trope – neck kissing.

I am not opposed to reading more if this does become a series though, I can see the potential. There is so much chemistry between the characters, and I feel like Maddy deserves an HEA with what she had to go through, though I would also like to know more about the man she almost married because he seemed like a good guy. & I’d love an update on Eva & Aston.

The author made it easy & listed all the tropes

Small town romance
Enemies to lovers
Best friend’s older brother – one of my favorite tropes
Billionaire
Second chance
Forced proximity

How to Break My Heart is the first book in the Cinnamon Springs Series.
A brand new series by Kat T. Masen

I'm a huge fan of enemies to lovers, best friend's older brother, small town, billionaire and all the ANGST & SLOW BURN you can get in a story and this had all that and then some between Eva & Aston!

Eva, a donut shop owner in the town she grew up in, is helping her best friend plan her wedding and coming back to town to help with the planning of his sister's wedding is her billionaire brother Aston, the guy who broke Eva's heart when they were teens. Tension is high and sparks fly when Eva and Aston have to work together! True feelings come out and secrets are revealed!

I personally enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading other books in this series!

*Thank you NetGalley and Kat T. Masen for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC*

Publication: September 23rd 2025

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! The small-town setting, Eva’s café, and her dynamic with Aston had me hooked from the start. Their history made everything feel so real. It was such a fun read, but I felt every emotion, especially toward the end.


Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

2.5/5⭐️
I was immediately intrigued after I read the synopsis of this book and couldn’t wait to dive into the world of Cinnamon Falls. What more could anyone ask for small town, billionaire, best friend’s brother, and they are enemies to lovers!!!

The first 20% of this book flew by, the pacing set the scene promptly and I found myself curious to see how the connection between our two main characters would return to healthy ground and eventually more.

Unfortunately, I found that the pacing took a decline after this point and the plot slowly started to drag. In terms of romance, it felt very insta lovey which threw me off since it is marketed to be an enemies to lovers book. The writing felt like it was being added on a plot-point basis rather than flowing through like a natural progression storyline which took me out of the world at many times throughout my read. Finally the ending was a little chaotic feeling like we just needed to reach the “happy ending” of the plot.

Overall, I really did enjoy the small town ambiance and this book screamed autumn to me. It will be just what some readers are looking for but based on a personal reading taste, not something that stuck with me.

How to Break My Heart did not give enemies to lovers as promised, and was honestly more than a little cringe.

this book made me want to enter conversion therapy over the genres i read because i literally can never read another rom com if it’s anything like this. the last twenty pages were an absolute cringe fest and i have NEVER and i mean never despised a mmc more. trying to find some positives which would be: the donut shop. houdini the frog. maybe houdini the frog again.

there was just so much arrogance and mansplaining i could NOT, the plot felt spelled out the entire time and RAHHHH that drives me crazy. onto the next one and praying for a better success 🫡

This book didn't take long to read but felt like a drag for most of it. I didn't feel real love between the characters and everyone got on my nerves most of the time except the doctor and the FMC's coworker Billie. No one was very likeable and the FMC seemed like a pushover. The prologue was great to start the story and get me engaged but then the main couple doesn't talk for 8 years and all of a sudden love each other. I pushed through to the end but things wrapped up quickly. The writing felt clunky and sometimes repetitive. Parts of it felt like odd wording, almost like AI wrote it. I'm not rushing to read more from this author sadly.

Ummm this was kinda insta lovey even though the description said they were enemies to lovers. Enemies where?? The FMC was annoying and read young. I found myself more annoyed with her than anything else.

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

The prologue pulled me in right away, but the pacing slowed down a bit once the actual story started.

This had a familiar setup, enemies to lovers and best friend’s brother. I liked the dual POVs, but I didn’t fully believe the love story at first. He was super possessive of her without much reason. That said, their banter was solid, and by the end I was rooting for them.

Eva was way too good of a friend. I couldn’t wrap my head around why she had to handle everything for Maddy. It didn’t really make sense. Some of the wording was a little cringey, especially the repeated use of phrases like “red flag” and “bareback.”

With all that being said, it was still a fun, easy read and I flew through it. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. The book comes out on September 23, 2025.