How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen is a raw, emotional romance that pulls you in from the start. The chemistry between the characters is intense, and the writing captures heartbreak and healing beautifully. While some plot points felt a bit predictable, the emotional depth and strong character development more than make up for it. A great read for us fans of angsty love stories.

3.5 rounded up to a 4 for me! Read this in two days. It was very relatable and gave me similar character relationship vibes as a spicy version of Noah and Elle’s relationship in Kissing Booth movies if that makes any sense. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

I was lucky to get this Netgalley ARC to read this cute romance novel. It was the first book I'd read by this author so I had no idea what to expect. This book reminds me of a spicier Hallmark movie. The setting was what you'd expect from a Hallmark movie and I worried that it was be too superficial and not have enough depth/content, but I found myself getting sucked in and hoping that there would be a Happily Ever After for the main characters. Once I started reading, it was definitely an easy binge.

How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen is a fun, flirty, and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance. The chemistry between Eva and Aston is electric, and the small-town charm makes it a heartwarming, unputdownable read!

I’ve tried picking it up a few times, hoping it would click, but I just couldn’t quite get into it—even after pushing a bit further each time. Sometimes a book just doesn’t vibe with you, and that’s okay! While it didn’t work for me, I can see how it might resonate with someone else. Different stories speak to different readers.

Okay this billionaire romance that is also best friend’s brother mixed in but make him secretly not a complete jerk because he does everything for his family even if it means not being happy in life… not until he is forced to work with his sister’s best friend on the wedding. She brings him back to life and he challenges her and pushes her. I love them together and I love the whole house thing. So cute.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen

Eva Woods is a cinnamon roll heroine (fitting, since she owns a café), fiercely loyal and stubborn to a fault. Enter Aston—her best friend’s brother and the man she’s been side-eyeing since a teenage kiss gone wrong. Now they’re forced to co-plan a wedding, and it’s a high-stress, low-patience kind of setup… at least until the sparks start flying.

The slow burn here burns, and while I wouldn’t call it full-on enemies-to-lovers (let’s be honest—it’s more “grudge to lust with unresolved tension”), it’s got just enough angst and stubbornness to scratch the itch. Their chemistry builds with each page, and when it finally tips over? Whew. Emotional, steamy, and so earned.

That said, there were moments that felt slightly overdramatized—Eva’s eight-year heartbreak over a single high school kiss stretched credibility a bit. And Aston walks a fine line between brooding and emotionally unavailable billionaire with some possessive tendencies that might not work for everyone.

But Masen’s strength is in her pacing and emotional layering. The dialogue is sharp, the small-town setting is comforting, and the romance pays off in a way that feels swoony and satisfying. The ending gave me the serotonin boost I needed.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚 “How to Break My Heart” gave me everything I crave in an enemies-to-lovers, angsty, small-town romance book. This story has sharp angst, spicy tension, emotional depth, and characters that you’ll quickly fall in love with.

E & A’s journey had just the right amount of emotional grit. The slow burn? 🔥 Absolute fire. The angst? ❤️‍🔥Torturously perfect. The spice? 🌶️Chef’s kiss—delicious, emotional, and totally earned.

I loved the small-town charm of Cinnamon Springs—Kat T. Masen makes it feel cozy and familiar—but what really stood out is how she wove in big world dreams that we all have. A’s high-powered billionaire life clashing with E’s grounded world created the kind of friction that hurts so good.

📚The story development was also on point. Nothing felt rushed, and the emotional growth between the main characters felt natural but still kept me on edge. Every chapter pulled me in deeper and I could NOT put this book down.

🔥If you’re into second chances, witty banter, heat that simmers until it explodes, and characters torn between the independent lives they built and the love that could’ve been—this one is for you!

Can’t wait for more from Kat T. Masen & the Cinnamon Springs Series.❤️‍🔥
-Grace Kavanaugh | @thegkav ✨

If you actually want your heart broken density recommend! I actually love books that make me cry and bring out strong emotions and this book definitely hit the mark.

I really enjoyed this book and am thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for providing the arc! The main characters have the second chance, enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend tropes all covered, and what’s not to like about that?

More like a 3.5 for me, but it was a solid read for me.

Going into reading this, I wanted a fun and light hearted, easy romance read and I am a lover of enemies to lovers trope so this was an easy “yes”. The banter and tension in this was fun and Aston is hot while also a little too possessive at points but that’s what we want in a hot book boyfriend anyways.

I definitely think the next in the series will be Maddy and Elliot, and I will definitely be checking it out once it comes out.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced read! Love finding new romance authors

The dialogue in this story felt a little clunky. I didn't care for any of the main characters of the story. It says enemies to lovers but I didn't get those vibes. The only interaction of their past was one kiss. Just a little hard to make it believable. I am interested to see how the series continues though.

I was really excited to read this, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Eva was a challenging character for me to connect with. She held onto a grudge against Aston from a single childhood kiss, and it felt hard to believe that such a small moment would have such a lasting impact. Eight years later, she still blamed him for breaking her heart? I just needed more depth in her feelings or a glimpse of their past together to make this conflict feel more valid.

Aston, unfortunately, didn’t win me over either. He came across as more possessive than charming, which made their dynamic feel more frustrating than romantic. Considering their history (or lack thereof), I was expecting more of a gradual, emotional build between them, but instead, it just felt forced and off-putting. It made it difficult to feel invested in their relationship, which is a huge part of why I didn’t connect with the story.

Overall, the book had an interesting concept, but I think it fell short in its execution.

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for a copy of this ARC! ❀

I love Kat's books and was so looking forward to something new connected to Lex Edwards. This one did not disappoint! If you love following Lex's family, immediate and extended, you'll love this one!

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and Kat T. Masen for the early read on this one, in exchange for an honest review!

I highly suggest all of my small town romance readers add this to their tbr immediately! Kat writes so beautifully she has a way with making her books so visual for us readers!

I enjoyed how this book made me feel, I instantly wanted more! It started off with a bang right from the first kiss. These characters just like others written by Kat are so swoon worthy. The tension, the backstory.. it’s all so amazing. This was definitely a five star read for me!

How To Break My Heart
Publish Date: September 23, 2025.

Eva Woods owns the local bakery in the town she grew up (Chestnut Springs - how cute!). Aston is Eva’s best friends older brother. Billionaire, perpetual bachelor and unattached.

They come together to help Eva’s best friend, Aston’s sister (Maddy) throw a quick wedding together in a month! They liked each other in highschool, kissed once and then didn’t see each other for years. Will the tension resume ?

What I liked about this book:
- [ ] The tension was well built. They continued to do the will they/wont they very well.
- [ ] Eva as a character. She’s figuring it out, and I find it relatable.
- [ ] The villian was well written. Hate the guy, but the character was well done.

What fell short for me while reading:
- [ ] They’re not really enemies to lovers though it’s pitched that way.
- [ ] To love someone for years because of one kiss… seems a little far fetched.
- [ ] Her friend Maddy was a rude brat, and Eva just took the snarky attitude like a doormat.
- [ ] Aston “owning” her before they even did anything. I’m a big fan of touch her and die… but there’s got to be some substance before it.

Overall I liked it. It was a fun romance and great for this time of year. Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this swooney romance - enemies to lovers, best friend’s brother, small town, charming banter and characters you instantly fall in love with!

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really struggled with how to rate this one because there were definitely moments I enjoyed, but quite a few scenes felt awkward and just… off.

I feel like I’m writing this same paragraph over and over, but seriously—where was the enemies-to-lovers tension? Both Eva and Aston were clearly attracted to each other from the start, and Aston openly showed it, while Eva mostly acted like a teenage girl instead of a grown woman. It just didn’t feel like the slow-build enemies-to-lovers trope I was hoping for.

Eva was honestly the most frustrating part for me. Her being “so bothered” by Aston was hard to buy. She says he broke her heart, but did he really? They kissed once as kids, then moved on. And here she is, an adult, still holding a grudge over that one moment? I wish there was a deeper reason behind her anger because it mostly felt like teenage drama stretched out.

So yeah, parts of it worked, but overall I couldn’t fully get into the story or the characters.