as a person who has loved previous works by kat t masen, i had high hopes for this one… yet.. it fell flat for me. i did not love this one and it was a quick dnf for me.

thank you for the early copy, unfortunately it was a no for me.

This book is very well written and the author can really tell a story, Unfortunately for me I just didn't gel with the characters and found it difficult to get into

Can Eva work with her best friend's brother Aston, aka the man who kissed her a walked away, to help plan a wedding?

Read if you like:
-Best Friend's Brother
-Red Flags
-Possessive MMC

Just not for me. The only time the MMC shows emotions other than possessive jealousy is the final chapter, and that's just the tip of red flag iceberg. I like a bit more romance in my romance novels.

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. Unfortunately this did not work for me and I had to DNF.

Eva Woods lives her quiet life in a small town, runs her own bakery, and red-flags all men. Her best friend Maddie is getting married, and she asks Eva to help with the wedding planning alongside her brother — Aston, a millionaire and Eva's teenage crush who broke her heart.

You know, I even went to check when was the last time I read a romance novel without dark themes/harem/kinks and all that stuff😁 (it was in May, when Rewind It Back came out, btw). Overall, the book isn't bad and I think romance lovers will enjoy it. I liked it too; I wasn't bored and read the book in one sitting. It had a good pace, it had conflict, the 18+ scenes were good.

Probably the only thing that lowered my rating was Aston. I didn't really connect with him that much. I didn't understand how a grown man could be led around by his father for so long, even though they tried to present it as a sort of sacrifice — my heart still didn't flutter. And I also didn't get why he lived away from Eva for so many years and didn't care, but as soon as he saw her, his inner caveman switched on and no one else could touch her. Okay then....

Overall, it's a good book for an evening, a great option to take a break between fantasy books and just get a good dose of romance 🫶🏻

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an early copy of this book in exchange a honest review. I thought this was going to be a sweet romance book and while at times it was, I struggled to get through this book. Even though I did like the characters they irritated me at times. I am not sure if I would recommend this book.

This had great banter and chemistry, but the pacing lagged in places. I also don’t love flashbacks, even in second-chance love stories. I want to live in the present, in a relationship that will get a HEA instead of one doomed to fail!

That said, Eva and Aston’s relationship felt authentic and I do love books set at weddings! It’s worth picking up if you’re in the mood for a light, fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

Enemies to lovers, bff's brother, and a rich dude?! Wrap all of these tropes up and have them plan a wedding and sit back and enjoy. Kat T. Masen put together a fun one!

Thank you, @atria and @authorkattmasen , for the gifted ARC!

Rundown:
✨️small town
✨️best friend's brother
✨️cafe owner
✨️billionaire
✨️enemies to lovers

Synopsis ✒️
Aston broke Eva's heart when they were teenagers. Now he's back for his sister's wedding and she isn't looking forward to planning out details of the wedding with him. Their initial interactions are rocky, but they can't seem to fight the pull they have towards each other.

Thoughts 💭
The tension between Aston and Eva was intense. They had unresolved issues from when they were younger that came into play. It had a touch of forbidden romance since she didn't want her best friend, Maddy, to find out. So, they were tip toeing behind the scenes while also working together to plan this wedding. He was determined not to settle down while she was determined she wanted nothing to do with his lifestyle. He had family trauma that all came together for an explosive finale. This was a fun read I finished within a day!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy of How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen is a spicy/sweet romance set in fictional Cinnamon Springs. The novel features a promising premise: a cozy, steamy enemies to lovers romance between a cafe owner and her best friend’s billionaire older brother. The small town setting is idyllic, straight out of a hallmark movie. The donut shop owner, Eva, has been tasked with planning her best friend, Maddy’s wedding in only 1 month. Maddy has volun-told her older brother, Aston, who is also Eva’s secret teen crush and now a billionaire, to help with planning. The forced proximity causes a lot of pining as Eva and Aston realize they have feeling for each other.

Unfortunately this novel did not resonate with me. I struggled with the main characters and their budding relationship. Aston was especially unlikable because of his jealousy and possessiveness. The fact that they were enemies also did not seem realistic. He and Eva shared one kiss in high school and then she was heartbroken that nothing developed from that?! Their forced proximity causes a lot of angst but once they get together it is very steamy. However their instant love felt forced to me. Overall I feel disappointed that the story was not the cozy and steamy romance that I anticipated. Readers looking for a sexually focused romance with less emphasis on plot and character development may enjoy this book. 2.5/5⭐️

Adorable small town romance with a splash of wealth, best friend's brother, and drama. Eva is such an amazing person. Running her donut shop in the small town of Cinnamon Springs with her friend, Billie. Eva is tasked with helping plan her wealthy best friend's wedding in a month. With the help of Maddy's (said bestie) brother, Aston. Side note, Aston is Eva's first love/crush. He kissed her at age 16 but broke her heart when he pulled away. She still holds that grudge, so working together to plan Maddy's wedding is more than the generous Eva planned on. She is always quick to give her time and energy to others, but this time she may be the one that needs support.

Agh I really wanted to love this one! I did enjoy the descriptive writing- so good. I felt like I could envision the setting of Cinnamon Falls so easily. This book included all of the tropes I typically eat up- but this one just didn’t do it for me. The romance and tension felt really rushed. We get a very quick synopsis of the FMC + MMC in high school and it really didn’t even hold much substance. They didn’t talk for many years and both held this between them? Idk it just didn’t work. I was wrapped up in the book at the start but it quickly fell flat. It did feel like the tropes were thrown together and it took away from the thought out storyline potential it could have achieved. There was a very small town romance feel to this book which I could enjoy, just didn’t stand out to me unfortunately!

First let's make it clear that this is not an enemies to lovers romance. How to Break My Heart follows Everleigh, or Eva, and Aston. Eva has always had feelings for Aston but a kiss between them in high school left her heartbroken. I have to be honest that it took me a bit to get into the story, and even when I did, I was not completely sold. I felt like the progression of their relationship stayed at a surface level...we got more out of her bestfriend's/his sister's relationship. I was really hoping for more character development. Also...please stop with the Ms. Woods. It made me want to pull my hair out.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for How to Break My Heart on NetGalley. This was such a fun and engaging enemies-to-lovers romance set in the charming small town of Cinnamon Springs. The story follows Eva “Eveleigh” and a billionaire love interest, and the character development really stood out—it felt like meeting a new group of friends and watching them transition from high school into adulthood. The writing completely pulled me in. I was cozied up with a blanket, absolutely dying to know what would happen next, especially with the spicy 🌶️ tension that kept building throughout the book. And then—those last few chapters! The twist was something I did not see coming, but it made the relationship dynamics click into place in such a satisfying way. Overall, I would highly recommend this book. It had everything I love in a romance, and honestly…I would read it again in a heartbeat

Cozy-steamy might just be my new favorite combination, and this book delivers it perfectly. I loved the small-town setting of Cinnamon Springs paired with a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance. Eva, the bride’s best friend, and Aston, the bride’s brother (and billionaire heartbreaker from Eva’s past), are thrown together to help with wedding planning—and what starts as constant bickering slowly turns into undeniable chemistry.

This is a solid 4 star read for me. Not only was the romance fun, emotional, and full of second-chance tension, but I also loved how many side characters we were introduced to. My hope is that Kat T. Masen is setting up for future books in this world, because nothing excites me more than following a series where past characters reappear and we get glimpses of how their stories continue.

If you enjoy small-town charm, wedding chaos, and enemies-to-lovers sparks that turn steamy fast, this one’s a must-read.

Thank you, Atria Books (Simon & Schuster Publishing) for providing this Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publish to Goodreads on 9/14/25

This is an ARC review thanks to Netgalley and Atria books.

The beginning of the story is cute and gets you hooked. However, the middle of it is very predictable. It is still enjoyable, but feels redundant as it repeats what other stories have. Then you get to the last third of the story and things happen and it sucks you back in! Well played!

A cute trope-y small town romance. Eva and Ashton shared a kiss in high school and then he left town. Now he's back for his sister Maddy's wedding and Maddy, well, she's Eva's BFF. Eva has built a happy life as a baker while Ashton has been off making money (lots of money) This isn't enemies to lovers or even second chance but more a renewed relationship as adults with a touch of forced proximity and forbidden fruit. That said, it's an easy read that will be good after a long week, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the genre,

3 stars! Cute small town romance. I did struggle to get into it but once I did I enjoyed it! Aston was a little too grouchy for me 😂🫣

Eight years ago, Aston kissed Everleigh and then went abroad. With one month until the wedding, Aston and Eva are forced to work together to plan her best friend and Aston's sister, Madelina's wedding. Aston's been following his father's rules his whole life to protect his mother and sister. Eva owns a donut shop and dreams of buying a home and expanding her business.

Aston has never been in a relationship but gets possessive of Eva flirting with the new doctor in town. They hide their relationship because Maddy does not like her friends using her to date her brother. Little did they know that Maddy has been paying attention to how they've been interacting, and the third act break-up was unnecessary.

I was not super invested in the side plot with Billie, the baker, as it did feel like filler. Also, this story does not read as an enemies to lovers, as they never hated each other. Eva and Aston were both in denial of their feelings immediately and did not get along early on, but that does not make them enemies.

I seriously rooted for Aston to get out of his controlling father's claws. Aston finally stood up for himself and his mother. It was wholesome when Aston finally opened a social media account, and the one and only post is to promote Eva's bakery.

I enjoyed the cameos of Lex, Charlotte, Will and Amelia from Kat's previous series. I do have a few suspicions on which characters may be the lead in the next book of the Cinnamon Springs' series...

3.5-4 stars. It’s been years since Eva Woods last saw Aston Beaumont, her best friend Maddy’s older brother. Not to mention that their last encounter left a lingering final impression, but not a positive one. Maddy is getting married so of course Eva is in the wedding and Aston also has to help plan the nuptials. This forced proximity brings the two of them back together and their chemistry is still there, but their parting words were the opposite.

For the most part, I liked Eva. She’s independent and self-disciplined, owning her own small business selling donuts in Cinnamon Springs. She hasn’t been holding out a torch for Aston all these years and doesn’t get weak in the knees when she sees him again, but rather, puts him in his place, billionaire status not withstanding. As for Aston, he’d like to think he’s not attracted to Eva because it’s highly inconvenient for him. Their bickering and antagonism towards each other is pure entertainment because Eva doesn’t cater to Aston and Aston is constantly frustrated by Eva.

However, I didn’t truly get an enemy vibe between them since they weren’t competitors or had been around each other in the last few years. Aston is a bit more than meets the eye with his responsibilities and feelings towards each of his family members. He does have a protector complex underneath it all, especially towards his sister. Eva is not quite as complex, she’s pretty transparent and Aston doesn’t want to immediately admit that he respects her. It’s a lighthearted type of story so Aston’s character arc is not particularly unique with how he isn’t the commitment type, but Eva gives him a run for his money and he has to prove it with a grand gesture. Some of that seemed a little out of character for him, but I can appreciate the underlying premise with this being a romance novel. For the big city billionaire falling for the small town spitfire baker, this could be your jam.