Kat T. Masen delivers a swoony, small-town romance packed with all the tropes we love: enemies to lovers, best friend’s brother, billionaire heartbreaker, and so much delicious slow burn. Set in the charming town of Cinnamon Springs, How to Break My Heart is equal parts cosy and steamy, with characters that feel like old friends and tension you can practically taste.

Eva Woods is living her best donut-filled life running a café in Cinnamon Springs, until her best friend ropes her into helping plan the wedding of the year with none other than Aston, her ex-crush and the billionaire older brother who ghosted her years ago. Cue the banter, the snark, and the fireworks.

Aston is cold, polished and completely infuriating. Eva is warm, stubborn, and not willing to forget the past. Watching them clash and crackle through wedding disasters and emotional landmines was pure joy. Masen writes chemistry so well, every moment between Aston and Eva simmers until it eventually explodes in a scene that is equal parts spicy and emotional.

What I loved most was the emotional depth beneath the humour and heat. Eva isn’t just a sunshine heroine, she’s been hurt and she’s scared of getting hurt again. And Aston, behind the walls and the wealth, is far more than the cold-hearted billionaire he pretends to be. Their journey is messy, honest, and oh so satisfying.

Masen also sprinkles in cameos from her Chasing Love and Forbidden Love series which fans will adore, but even if you’re new to her work, you’ll still be hooked. Cinnamon Springs is full of heart, community, and characters you’ll want to stay with for a long time. I’m already hoping for more stories from this world (Billie and Elliott next, please?).

If you love books that are full of angst, tender moments, laugh-out-loud banter, and second chances, How to Break My Heart is the perfect read. Cosy, crackling with chemistry, and surprisingly heartfelt, this one’s a total treat.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 How to Break My Heart
✒️ Kat T Masen
💫💫💫

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great read who a coy weekend in.

I found this book to be simple and easy to read. The plot was not super new in my opinion and the enemies to lovers headline is probably not the one I would use to describe this book.
Some moments had me going awww and others had me going ahhh, overall a fun and easy read to break up the romantasy/fantasy.

Best friends older brother
Billionaire
Forced proximity
Off limits
Low spice

Truthfully, I haven't fully recovered from Chasing Us & Chasing Love that I read, now several years ago. Side note - Lex and Charlotte Edwards are seen in this book!
I absolutely love supporting an Aussie author and her work is amazing. Getting swallowed up whole by her books is always a guarantee.

It almost feels like a slow burn with how Eva and Aston come together. Not only do they have unresolved history, they are each still on their own journeys in life. Eva needing to learn that the weight of the world isnt just there to sit on her shoulders alone and its ok to ask for help and step out of her comfort zone she's spent years in. Aston, also taking on the responsibility of covering for an abusive father to protect his mother and sister. Continuing to sacrifice his own wants and needs to 'keep the peace'.

I really fell in love with both Eva and Aston and their whole story. I absolutely adore Kat's work. The characters relationship isn't a super smutty, fast and dramatic one. (Although the sexual tension between them burns bright af) The story slowly builds the characters, their lives, how they are individually and then intertwining them together.

I found this book enjoyable had me giggling, and crying throughout. Plenty of spice. Will recommend to followers

Eva Woods loves her peaceful life running a café famous for its delicious donuts in the charming town of Cinnamon Springs. Life takes an unexpected turn when her best friend Maddy asks her to team up with her billionaire brother Aston to help plan the upcoming wedding. Aston is cold, rigid, and the same man who broke Eva’s heart in high school. Their rivalry heats up as they compete to be Maddy’s right hand, but so does their undeniable attraction. When a kiss changes everything, Eva must navigate her feelings before Aston returns to his fast-paced life in New York, risking her heart all over again.

Firstly, Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me the digital ARC for this book!

I am confused if i liked it or not. I felt like it had Laurie Gilmore vibes, the female protagonist runs a bakery in a small town called Cinnamon Springs- Cute. Her bestie is getting married in less than a month….. so cue the wedding planning montage

Enter the besties brother fthe crush of said FMC in high school). He is a dick…. But softens as the story goes on.

The basic plot is super cute, the forced proximity, chemistry between our main characters is palpable.

But the other tangents that occur: rich family drama, one of the supporting characters goes through something traumatic and it was quite confusing as they aren’t the main focus of the plot.

All in all, i’d say a good romcom… not the best but not the worst!

Cringy, petty, immature, ludicrous, toxic and yuck.

Those are the six words that come to mind when I was reading this. Plus a bit of normalised slut-shaming and from the MMC 🤮 / a bit of Stockholm syndrome. Also, the possessiveness was not cute; it was creepy and gave me the ick. Also, the 0.25 is because I like the small town Cinnamon Springs that’s all.
1.25