The description for this book had me so intrigued and excited, but it wasn't the book for me. If you like brother's best friend and insta-lust/attraction, and you prefer to keep the back-story at a high level, you could give this book a try.

Unfortunately, I couldn't quite understand the depth of why Eva's big heartbreak in the prologue was so monumental. Eva didn't seem to have a crush on Aston, Aston didn't give any signs he was interested in her previously, and they shared a single kiss where he didn't want to go further because he was leaving. Does that really warrant 8 years of hatred on her side? I can't seem to empathize in this situation. A deeper dive into Eva's state of mind such as months/years of having a crush on Aston, being heartbroken just because she was rejected and not necessarily because it was Aston, or something like that would go a long way to making the book more realistic.

Once I got past the heartbreak setup, and once I got past their somewhat insta-lust attraction to each other after being reunited, I enjoyed the book a bit more.

I loved seeing some of my favorite characters from Kat’s other books. This was a cute small town romance book with a billionaire. The banter was good and it was a fast read. The grudge that Eva held for so long was a bit silly but at least she acknowledged it in the book that she was being silly. I also love a fmc that stands up for herself and others.

loved this romance and how such a good friend helping planning a wedding for her best friend. she has always had a crush on ashton and finally things happen while planning the wedding. loved the ending and hope to see more of cinnamon springs with her brother and her friends finding love . thanks netgalley

Small town, enemy to lovers, billionaire (suit porn), forced proximity. What more do you need to in a book? Ohhh I know! I delicious hot doctor and delicious donuts. This book has it all. Spice level 4! Looking forward to other people to read this book.

This was a fantastic second chance romance for them the whole time. I didn’t think they could come back from that heart break but they did and it was amazing

The plot line for this book was definitely interesting and had the potential to be really good, however for me it fell short. I think I would’ve liked to see a prologue that set up the story and family drama more. I also think some of the dialogue seemed forced and/or unrealistic. I felt like the buildup of the romance peaked to quickly and I wish there could have been more setting and background development as well. The romance peaking too quickly also added to the dialogue feeling forced at times.

Although I felt the romance plot line fell short, I did enjoy the plot regarding the family company and the subsequent issues surrounding that. This plot line was well done and kept me engaged despite not loving the romance plot line. Overall I would give this 2.5 stars!

How to Break my Heart follows Everleigh Woods, small town bakery owner. Her best friend Maddy has just announced she’s getting married to the man she’s been dating for all of 4 months and there’s a month to plan the wedding of her dreams…. But Maddy is sure that won’t be a problem because her bestie Everleigh will take care of it for her, assisted by Maddy’s womanizing billionaire brother from the city, Aston Beaumont. No problem, right? Well…. Everleigh had a huge crush on Aston in high school and hasn’t seen him since the night he kissed her. She spends her time working and writing off every guy she dates by finding whatever deal breaker she can. Aston spends his time having sex with beautiful women and working. That’s pretty much it. But now his little sister is getting married and to pull this wedding off, he has to work with the one woman who has ever truly seen him, Maddy’s best friend Everleigh.

Ok I really wanted to love this book and I’ll start by saying the writing was good and flowed super easily. The premise of this was also good. Second chance, rivals to lovers, forced proximity…. SIGN ME UP. But unfortunately this didn’t really do it for me. There was depth to parts of the story, particularly around Aston and Maddy’s family dynamic but the relationship between Everleigh and Aston felt purely physical and surface level. Also: Holy red flags, Batman! Aston needs therapy. Immediately.

Overall, it was a quick and fun summer read but if you have any sort of aversion to substantial smut or problematic men, this book is not for you.

Huge thank you to Atria books for offering this title for review via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The tension between these two? Insane. I was on edge the entire time in the best way possible.

Aston was that man. Cocky, relentless, and fully aware of the effect he had on Everleigh. He knew exactly how to get under her skin, and he loved it. Baiting her wasn’t just a game it was his twisted, messed-up way of showing love. He didn’t know how to love the right way, but damn, his growth? Top-tier. He was obsessed, possessive, and completely consumed by her. And I ate. it. up.

Everleigh was everything. Strong, loyal, stubborn as hell but in a way that made you root for her. She tried to fight her feelings, tried to keep her walls up, but Aston? He bulldozed through them. They were fated, chaotic soulmates, and I couldn’t get enough.

Their love story was explosive full of heat, heartbreak, second chances, and raw, messy passion.

The plot was addictive, the characters were layered, and the spice? Chef’s kiss. So well done. I devoured this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to ARC read this book!

Be on the lookout for it on September 23, 2025

Eva Woods es una mujer decidida que dirige con éxito su propia cafetería famosa por sus donas, su vida tranquila, da un giro inesperado cuando su mejor amiga Maddy le pide ayuda para organizar su boda… junto a Aston, su hermano multimillonario y el mismo hombre que le rompió el corazón años atrás.

A medida que Eva y Aston se ven obligados a colaborar, viejos resentimientos resurgen junto con una tensión palpable que pronto se convierte en deseo. Lo que empieza como una enemistad teñida de sarcasmo y competencia, evoluciona en una segunda oportunidad inesperada. Pero el pasado entre ellos es complicado, y con la boda acercándose y Aston con un pie en Nueva York, Eva deberá enfrentarse a la pregunta más difícil de todas: ¿puede arriesgar su corazón por segunda vez?

---

Estuvo entretenido.

Por algunos momentos me gusto mas el doctor que Aston.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

My first ARC and I’m officially hooked! Huge thanks to @netgalley and @authorkattmasen for feeding my enemies-to-lovers obsession—it never fails, and this one definitely delivered. I was so invested I practically speed-dated the entire cast: Billie’s fierce loyalty, Ashton’s father-son drama, Eva and Maddy riding the friendship rollercoaster... I couldn’t put it down. Word on the street is this is just book one? Count me all the way in for whatever’s next. 📚💥

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.