i liked the setting and background characters. the story was fun to read, except those small details that just irritate. the writing was also fun and book felt very fast passing.

i feel like i’m writing this paragraph for the 100th time, but where were the enemies-to-lovers?? both characters were attracted to each other and they easily were confirming this from the beginning. aston would even show his attraction frequently while eva was playing a teenage girl.

eva was the most annoying character. her acting to bothered by aston was hard to read. she claims that aston broke her heart but did he? they kissed once as kids and then both moved on😭 she’s grown adult and still hold grudges over that moment? i wish there was a deeper meaning to her anger.

i don’t know what attracts people to moments of “don’t date anyone but also i wouldn’t let you date me”😶 it feels like a high school drama rather than adults figuring out their feelings.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this arc of Kat T. Masen's newest novel - How to Break My Heart.

I was so excited to read this as a huge fan of Kat's Chasing Love series and it definitely lived up to the hype. I was not disappointed at all.

The story follows Eva (local bakery owner) and Aston (her best friend's brother) as they both come together to help plan Maddy's wedding. In the beginning we see a little bit of their backstory and then catch up to them in the present day and this book was all around adorable. There's billionaire, there's small town, there's "enemies" to lovers (no one was ever really enemies but you get it).

If you're looking for a cute (and spicy) small town romance - look no further!

AND! If you have read her Chasing Love series, there may or may not be a cameo or two involved.

Can't wait for the next book in the series!

So sweet. On the nose for how many relationships went with our high school crush. And then comes around full circle. Love the characters so much. I hope there is more to come.

☕️💔 How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen 💔☕️
📚 Pub Date: Sept 23, 2025

If you love:
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Best friend’s brother
✨Forced proximity
✨Small-town charm
✨Second chances
…then this cozy + steamy romance is calling your name! 📞👀

Set in the adorable town of Cinnamon Springs (yes, please!), Everleigh is living her best small-town life as a café owner 🍩 until her bestie’s older brother—aka the guy who ghosted her after a high school kiss—shows up as the best man 😬

Now they’re planning a wedding together, but the only thing more heated than their arguments? That kiss that changes everything. 😮‍💨💋

This was such a fun read! Full of flirty banter, sibling chaos, a little angst, and that sweet small-town backdrop that gives major Gilmore Girls vibes. And yes...Aston is 100% a brooding billionaire who needs to be taken down a peg (which Everleigh gladly does).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
#HowToBreakMyHeart #KatTMasen #EnemiesToLovers #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks #SmallTownRomance #BestFriendsBrother #FallReads #ForcedProximity #WeddingRomance #SecondChanceLove #SpicyRomance #CinnamonSpringsVibes #NetGalleyReviewer #RomanceReadersOfInstagram #BookRecs2025 #CozyButSpicy

Love anything written by Kay T. Masen.
I feel like this book was so much fun but missed the back story. She normally gets the back story for her characters so well. I feel like our main characters didn’t get enough of the explanation on why they were so attracted to each other. Especially the male main character. But it was fun and you fall for the character the same way with all of her books.
Best friends older brother, he’s grumpy she’s not.

Cinnamon Springs. Who doesn’t want to live in a town with bakery inspired streets?! Eva and Aston grew up there, along with Eva’s BFF who happens to be Aston’s little sister. After a confusing moment at a high school party, Eva doesn’t see Aston until it’s time to plan Maddy’s wedding. With instructions to work together, baker Eva and now-billionaire Aston stay at one another’s throat. But do they really hate one another?

Good formulaic book. I couldn’t pull myself away from it and read it in one day. There are a few things that didn’t work for me though. The town is Hallmark cutesy. The bakery is sweet and includes the quirky customers. There is a high school kiss moment. But then, there is a grumpy, dominating billionaire with a dirty mouth. The book seemed to have a problem deciding its personality. Was it a rom-com or dirty romance?

I don’t know that I would recommend this book per se, but I wouldn’t steer someone away from it. Like I said, I read it in one day! The book just needed a stronger identity.

The title of this book is "How to Break My Heart" written by Kat T. Masen. This book has enemies to lovers and best friends brother as the main tropes. The female main character, Eva, is paired up with her best friends brother, Aston, for the best friends, Maddy's, wedding. The male main character broke Eva's heart when they were in high school when Ashton was her first kiss.

Kat was a new author for me, but she definitely won me over—I’ll be reading more of her work for sure. I also hope this book is just the beginning of a series, because I really enjoyed the characters and can easily imagine more stories featuring them.

Eva and Aston have known each other since childhood—Eva is best friends with Aston’s sister, Maggie. Back in high school, Eva and Aston shared a brief but memorable moment, only for Aston to move to London the very next day. Life went on, and Eva moved forward without him. But now, years later, they’re reunited to help plan Maggie’s wedding. The chemistry between them is undeniable, though it’s tangled up with a fair amount of unresolved tension and mutual resentment. That push-pull dynamic, surprisingly, is part of what makes Eva so irresistible to Aston.

This story has a satisfying slow burn, engaging secondary characters, and a classic enemies-to-lovers vibe that hits all the right notes. If you enjoy romantic tension and well-developed characters, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

DNF at 50%. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 🫶

I really wanted to love this one. It has so many tropes I usually enjoy: best friend’s brother, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small-town charm, and a grumpy, playboy billionaire MMC. The setup was promising, and the writing style is accessible and easy to fly through. I especially loved the setting of Cinnamon Springs and how cozy the small town felt, as well as Eva’s character as a cafe owner. Those pieces gave the story a lot of charm.

Unfortunately, the execution didn’t land for me personally. The characters read much younger than their mid-20s, which made some of their emotional reactions feel immature for their age. I often find that’s common in romcoms, so I tried to adjust my expectations, but it still pulled me out of the story. The MMC, Aston, also didn't quite work for me. I’m typically all for a reformed grumpy or arrogant playboy love interest, but I struggled with some of his internal monologue and how he spoke to/about the FMC. His behavior and tone felt more alpha-male rather than a man experiencing genuine growth or remorse.

While there was clear chemistry between the leads, the romantic development felt rushed and heavily driven by lust rather than emotional resolution. By the halfway point, there hadn’t been enough reflection or accountability on either side to make the tension believable as a foundation for romance. Simply put: for how far the connection was developing by the time I DNF'd, it just didn't feel earned in my eyes.

That said, I appreciated the glimpses into Aston’s complex family dynamic and Eva’s independence and ambition, and I can absolutely see this working for readers who enjoy faster-burn tension and any of the aforementioned tropes. Unfortunately, the romance just didn’t resonate for me in the way I’d hoped, so I decided to DNF at the 50% mark.

I’m still a fan of Atria’s catalog and look forward to reading more from the publisher in the future!

Unfortunately, this book is not for me and as the third book I’ve read by this author, I’m starting to suspecting maybe she isn’t either.

The prologue was incredibly cringy and sets a very wobbly foundation for the enemies to lovers trope this book is trying for. Instead, the FMC just comes across as an immature teenager (which is typical) who held onto a grudge for 8 years because her crush kissed her and then “disappeared” (graduated HS and went off to an internship).

One kiss between two people at ages 16 and 18, as the only romantic interaction in the past, cannot realistically set the stage for the animosity the FMC feels toward the MMC or the “I’ve loved her this whole time” realization the MMC has.

As for the writing, again, there are parts that are incredibly cringy and situations that are over explained. The dialogue is very clunky, and does not flow making it hard to stay engaged. Also, the amount of plot twist and trope attempts makes this read like a mediocre soap opera.

Overall, I feel like there was some potential in the storyline but it was not just executed well.

Where do I begin? I’m not a professional critic or literary expert, but I can confidently say this book had me hooked from start to finish. Being selected to read the ARC was truly an honor, and once again, Kat T. Masen delivered with her signature top-tier writing.

From the very first chapter, the story drew me in and never let go. It had everything I love in a great read—drama, unforgettable twists, and a beautifully written love story that unfolded at just the right pace. One of the standout elements for me was the emotional journey of characters striving to meet parental expectations, only to eventually find their own voices—with the help of loyal and devoted friends. Eva’s role in pushing both Madelina and Ashton toward self-discovery was powerful and relatable. We all need someone like Eva in our lives.

I’m a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers, and this one absolutely delivered. The banter, teasing, and chemistry between the characters felt genuine and easy to imagine happening in real life. I often turn to books to escape from everyday stress, but with this story, the characters and emotions felt so real that I found myself completely immersed in their world.

One of my favorite surprises was the connection to Masen’s Dark Love and Forbidden Love series. It felt like discovering hidden Easter eggs—an unexpected treat for long-time fans.

And the best part? This is only book one (at least, I hope I wasn’t misinformed!). The possibility of diving deeper into the stories of Madelina, Billie, Elliott, and Myles is incredibly exciting. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next.

(Random little things I noticed that are grammar mistakes)
> Chapter 4 (on net gallery page 52) “my eyes dart up and down this the list followed by a sudden wave of panic” - should either be this list or the list??

> Chapter 14 (on net gallery page 115) “as I open my mouth to question her, but she quickly interrupts.” - should take out but??

> Chapter 16 (on net gallery page 130) “inside, I wash my hands before resting my hands them on the countertop to gather my thoughts.” -should remove them??

Thank you all so very much for picking me to read this ARC. I waited a couple of weeks to begin it because of my own happily ever after and honeymoon. While I am only a reader for sport, I did really enjoy this book. I am a big fan of Kat Masen’s writing in general and have been since her Dark Love and Forbidden Love series.

overall i enjoyed reading this book. i think the background on the characters leave something to be desired.

Admittedly a cliche premise, but also a very well written story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. I am currently working through my ARC backlog and will be posting full reviews momentarily for books that have been completed!

How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen is a steamy enemies to lovers romance following a small-town café owner and her best friend’s billionaire brother as they’re forced to work together to plan a wedding.

Cinnamon Springs gives you all the cozy vibes that a small town brings with everyone growing up with one another and not knowing when to mind their own business.

Ava’s close knit friendship with Maddy was so sweet and wholesome - add on Billie and it’s a party. I admired Ava’s strength and determination as a businesswoman and wanting to further herself in her career. Her cutesy café was so fun and added just the right amount of coziness to the setting.

When Ava’s tasked with the whirlwind of planning her best friends wedding in only one month, things get even more interesting when she’s forced to work with the one man who broke her heart years ago.

The tension, forced proximity and banter was so intense and constantly left me wanting more. The chemistry between Ava and Aston was always there, slowly brewing for years and just ready to explode. I loved each of their jealousy streaks and seeing their claws come out to claim dominance when anyone got too close.

How to Break my Heart has all of our favorite tropes including just the right amount of drama and twists. The plot is easy to follow along and reels you in perfectly. I especially loved seeing past characters from Kat’s Dark Love Series make a cameo.

Thank you to Kat T. Masen, NetGalley, and the team at Atria books for a copy of both the e-ARC and physical copy to read and review before release.

Based on the description, I thought this was going to be somewhat of a cutesy story, but to me, the way it was written felt detached and didn’t feel right. Sadly, this one was not for me.

The prologue was extremely awkward and cringy. Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t change. I can understand at the beginning, they’re teenagers so it’s to be expected but it just wasn’t great.

Maddy is an asshole to not only her friend, but her brother, Aston. Their father is worse and clearly is on a power trip to control everyone and everything around him so it all goes his way. I get that Aston has had it hard with these people in his life, but to have a friend who he cleared supposed to be close to and not really remember much about his family was a little sad. Also not being a relationship person, fine, but clearly a player. 100% stand up guy I’m supposed to be rooting for. I’ve read plenty of books with morally gray main characters, but no to this one.

All of Aston’s POV chapters come off a little creepy to me, if not a lot at times. He’s a workaholic and clearly does’t seem to respect women, or really anyone in general I guess. At the beginning with his whole personality, he seems like the guy who doesn’t understand “No” is an answer, and keep pushing.

Maddy’s wedding also feels like it’s going downhill fro the start. Myles doesn’t actually feel all that in love with her and vice versa. It sounds more like a commitment to make other people happy and fulfill whatever dreams they want.

We do see some change in Aston or ay least a change in perspective, but I feel like that was needed a lot earlier. Not only did I not like Aston as a character, but I didn’t really like Eva either. Neither of them seemed like people I should be rooting for in life.

Billie I like. She’s clearly should be Eva’s best friend, NOT Maddy. I enjoyed her character and I think Eva should have been there more for her. We’re introduced learning that they were roommates in high school and got so close they decided to go into business together, or at least so I thought. I guess Billie works for Eva instead of being partners and they don’t seem all that close.

So far, everyone but Billie is who I run from in real life. I would have loved more of Billie in this book.

I received an ARC from Atria Marketing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was not for me. The premise was interesting, but there wasn’t lot of character development. There’s also no build up to Eva’s and Aster’s relationship that would justify their animosity eight years later.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

Sadly, I did not like this one as much as I though I would.

A lot of stuff just seemed very rushed to me, like the pacing was off.

It didn't seem like any of the characters had any character growth.
I was not a fan of Aston's character or Eva's best friend, Maddy. I wasn't a fan of Eva's very much either. Maddy seemed very selfish throughout the whole book, even though Eva was going out of her way to do everything for her. Aston was way to possessive, especially for all of a sudden wanting Eva again.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the e-ARC of this book.
Tropes: Childhood crush, jealous MMC, jealous MFC, billionaire MMC, working class MFC, tortured-hero.

This is my first book by Kat Masen, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Premise: Everleigh (tragedeigh, anyone?) is best friends with Maddy (not Madeline, but Madelina) and sorta/kinda loves her older brother Aston. They never end up connecting ( almost, but not quite). It's about 10 years later and Aston is now a billionaire, works as CEO for his father's company and the story goes from there. Maddy is getting married and Everleigh and Aston are planning the wedding ( I mean a billionaire can't delegate a staff to do this?)

Good things:
- the writing style.
- it is open door explicit. Scenes are full of tension.
- plot twists

My questions:
- How did Everleigh (nickname Eva, which is NEVER used by anyone!) and Maddy connect? Like, how? When? Since Maddy's dad is so elitist, how did he let his (supposed) kids slum with the working class?
- There is literally no information about the MFC's parents or how she came to open a seemingly profitable shop that ONLY sells donuts and coffee. It irked me because: NOT IN THIS ECONOMY!
- The MFC also doesn't have many other friends, even though she grew up in this 'small' town near NYC. Like, how? Where's your support system, girl?
- The MMC is a billionaire at like 28? I can't tell because their ages are never explicitly stated.

If you can suspend your belief over these, it's a very enjoyable read. I really wish there were more day-to-day interactions between the lead. As it turns out, it was mostly about them hooking up. There were only a couple of times they actually helped each other out. We all know that chemistry doesn't make relationships last. But. Oh, well.

Apparently it is part of a series, but can be read stand-alone.

4.5
Oh how I loved this!!
Small town enemies to lovers romance of my dream!!
The author completely sold me with the perfectly accurate description of the cozy setting, which oftentimes is something authors put into a trope list but don’t necessarily incorporate it into the story much or show the reader. With “How to break my heart” the setting was always subtly present and the atmosphere of the cafe was just chef kiss in my opinion. The characters!!! The fmc was very likable and the mmc extremely swoony and NOT CRINGY!!
I found myself rooting for them to be together which again, is not always a given.
THEIR BANTER!!! I laughed out loud more than once and let’s just say the tension was tensioning.
The pace of the book was also really great because I kept saying “just one more chapter” and suddenly found myself at 70% of the way through. I love when that happens.
Safe to say I devoured this and am very happy after finishing it.
Definitely will recommend, definitely will buy the paperback when it comes out officially.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

Masen did it again! And with one of my favorite tropes - best friend’.s brother. A phenomenal enemies to lovers story with plenty of spice! I can’t wait to read more from this author.