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.

This is my first book by this author and i absolutely loved it! Great flow, character development. I just wanted to keep reading it! Thanks for the ARC!

How to Break My Heart is a small town, second chance romance. When Eva’s best friend Madelina asks for her help planning her wedding, she immediately says yes. Then she finds out she will be planning it with Aston, her best friend’s older brother AKA the boy who broke her heart. When it becomes clear that the attraction between them is still there, she has to navigate being in close proximity to him without giving in to said attraction. This book had a little bit of everything. A broody Billionaire. A hot doctor. Banter. Angst. Spice. I loved the friendship between Eva and Madelina. You also get just enough of a glimpse of the side characters to be excited about future books in this series. How to Break My Heart is not just a book about romance, but a book about family, friendship and second chances. Overall, a really fun read.

I just finished a good book that is a perfect summer read for romance lovers. How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen is available soon.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good trope done well. This read was immersive and fun! The characters were great too.

I’m not exactly sure what this book was trying to do. Was I meant to like anyone? Should I feel happy, emotional, angry? What trope was written to hook me? Overall, I found How to Break My Heart sloppy, messy, and a trope train wreck. Everything is thrown at the wall, and yet nothing sticks. I found this incredibly frustrating and underwhelming. For transparency, I refuse to dnf arcs. If this was a random book I picked up, I would have dnf’d around chapter 6.

I love best friends brother type of stories! This one was so good. I thought it was a little slow but picked up perfectly! Such a good story!

This was such a fun read! Although I will say our 2 main female characters got annoying at times. We have Eva who are best friends with Maddie and they have been best friends forever. Maddie is planning a rushed wedding and who didn’t expect bridezilla to come out. Eva is present for literally everyone and no one is there for her. I was angry for her. She is an amazing friend.

Maddie has had a crush on her best friend’s older brother and we know that screams drama. Our main male character is shown in the light of being arrogant and selfish but it’s only a front. He tries to be strong for the woman he loves. Which to me is justifiable.

I really enjoyed how the book went full circle to the place everyone spent a core memory from high school. Although I was hoping the epilogue gave me closure but only gave it an excellent cliff hanger for a second book. (I hope)

Kat please don’t have us waiting too long for another book.


Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

This book is a great break from my usual fare of
international Murder & suspense.
I enjoyed the backdrops and themes.
The characters are well developed and they are
all well written with lots to look forward to in future books.
Eve was fine, if not a bit older than you usual
for still letting a high school kiss plague her.
The theme ot controlling ,messed up parents
while new did provide support for the kids
having all kinds of trouble picking mates.
While there are no shocking spoilers. the
conclusion was what I’d suspected.
I’m perhaps past the ‘sell but date’ for this
genre but I completely enjoyed the story.
My thanks to Atria Books via NetGalley for,the
download of the book for review purposes.

this was a good one from the start. must read and really enjoyed this from page one. I am loving this author more and more. Every book does it for me.

Solid 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2.5 🌶️🌶️

Eva and Ashton really got me out of a reading slump after a crappy book! The angst between the two was insane
Neither could get out of their own way but was so glad when everything exploded and they had to put themselves back together to be able to be with each other!
Can’t wait to see who gets their family ever after in Cinnamon Springs next! 💕

I just got done reading How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen, which is an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) provided by Artia Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My feelings about the book are a bit mixed, as the beginning really was not great but it did finish stronger than expected. The story follows Eva Woods as she navigates planning her best friend Maddy’s wedding with Maddy’s billionaire older brother, Aston Beaumont. Eva and Aston have some history that doesn’t seem to be resolved when they see each other for the first time after his high school graduation, eight years later. The plot was very much like a Hallmark movie, but with some spice added in. I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the language used, as I felt it was immature and objectifying. There’s also way too many sexual references that I just found unnecessary. The first half of the book felt superficial, with minimal depth to the characters. The second half of the book does get a littler deeper and the last quarter at least kept me wanting to read. Overall I can’t say I would recommend this read, but I do appreciate Artia Books and NetGalley for providing me my first ARC opportunity.

This is the book equivalent of eavesdropping on your high school ex at a wedding and realizing he’s still hot, still annoying, and possibly still in love with you. Kat T. Masen serves up peak enemies-to-lovers angst with a side of small-town cozy. You’ll be yelling at these two to kiss already while stress-eating donuts and mentally planning your own wedding. I devoured it.

Kat T. Masen How to Break My Heart was a fantastic read into a new setting with new characters. If you've read her other books you know she does forbidden and angst well. This story is no different except for the setting. Eva and Aston are connected via Eva's best friend Maddy. You know the trope, best friends older brother and it tropes in this story. There's a shared wrong time, wrong place between Eva and Aston. Fast forward to Maddy getting married and needing her bestie and brother to take care of things for her. Que the all the tension and angst between Eva and Aston. Both of them are dealing with their own emotional baggage that prevents them recognizing what they have. Eventually they get it together. I can't wait to see more of the series characters stories!

I kind of put off reading this book because I wanted it to break my heart lol however it didn't really do that! I found Eva to be incredibly immature almost to the point it was unbelievable. I also wish the enemies to lovers' aspect had a little more enemy to it. The angst was really enjoyable naturally and the pacing of the story kept me coming back for more

This story delivers exactly what you'd expect if you're into the billionaire and sister's best friend tropes. It’s an easy read with plenty of spice that keeps things interesting without demanding too much emotional investment. The storyline flows smoothly, making it a perfect pick for a casual reading session.

While it doesn’t offer any groundbreaking insights or life-changing moments, it holds its ground as a solid choice for fans of these familiar romantic dynamics with the added billionaire familial drama. Aston is the CEO of his family’s company, but still answering to his demanding dad. Eva is Aston’s sister’s best friend. When his sister, Maddie, gets engaged and has a month to plan a wedding, she calls on Eva and Aston to frankly do all the planning for her. Side note- I wasn’t a fan of Maddie. However, she didn’t know that Eva and Aston shared a kiss in high school that stuck with them into their 20’s. Aston is a workaholic with no time for relationships and Eva finds something wrong with all potential relationships. The characters aren’t the most interesting, but if you enjoy light, trope-driven romances with some heat, this book will hit the mark. Overall, a decent read that’s entertaining.

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

There was a lot going on in this book, some good and some not so good. What I loved was the best friend’s brother romance aspect of the story and how obsessed the MMC was with the FMC. What I didn’t love as much was the additional storylines when it came to the MMC’s dysfunctional family and all the drama it came with. I also the MMC was a little too much of an arrogant jerk throughout the story.

Read if you like
- Best Friends Brother
- Billionaire Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Small Town Romance

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC!

Eva is just a small town girl who had a crush on her best friends brother, Aston, in high school, who kissed her and then broke her heart and left town. 8 years later, the best friend is getting married in 1 month and needs all the help planning and has enlisted her Eva (her maid of honor of course) and her brother. Aston is now a billionaire CEO for his and Maddy’s father’s company and doesn’t seem to have changed much at all. Except with every minute they have to spend together Eva realizes maybe her feelings haven’t changed much at all for Aston…. But can he not break her heart this time?

This was cute! There were parts I really enjoyed and others were just eh. It was a hit surface level but I love small town romances so here we are!