Books have always been my “happy place.” For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of traditional romance. Lately, I also become a huge fan of “sports romance,” so I was glad to get a chance to read this.

I am sometimes hesitant to read books from authors that I have not read before, as I sometimes have a hard time getting used to their writing style. Seeing that this was only the second book from the author increased that anxiety a little bit. I need not have worried too much, though. Although there were some minor things that bothered me, overall I had no issues.

I really did like the story, but I definitely was not a fan of the majority of the side characters. I started to realize that their main purposes were to add roadblocks and issues. Ultimately, I’m glad that they were able to overcome their issues.
I did like that this book has an epilogue; however, I would have liked it to be a bit further in the future. I feel like it didn’t give as much of a payoff as it could have.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Heartstruck is a heartfelt, slow-burn college romance that pairs two broken characters—Alli, a sophomore struggling with anxiety and belonging, and Jared, the brooding football transfer with secrets of his own—in a “fake dating” setup that feels anything but fake. What I loved most was how real Alli’s emotions felt—her inner thoughts, insecurities, and moments of growth hit home in a way that made me root for her on every page. It’s emotional, swoony, and tender in all the right ways, and I finished it wishing I could spend more time in their world.

Start to Alli and Jared's romance was a bit confusing.

Hints of a shared past history were dropped in at the start of the book. However, It's fleshed out only in the middle.
What really confused me was Jared's relationship to Serena. Siblings but didn't get that they were step siblings till I got to the middle (see above).

Author does a good job with Jared's push/pull relationship with his estranged mom. Makes sense on how he feels conflicted in the present given the past. Not as clear is Alli's toxic relationship with the extended family matriarchal family member. Somewhat explained given Alli's mother own history. However, would have liked to seen that developed more at the start.

As the plot thickens, he mixed signals the main characters exchanged makes sense given their respective histories with family members. Felt author did better job though with Jared's character than Alli's. The latter feelings of inadequacy aren't explained as well as his. Also, felt he rather than she should have worked for forgiveness. Too often it's a male character who does the groveling and given Jared's more likeability would have liked Alli to step up.

This ARC was Independently Published and furnished via BookBuzz.net and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
#Heartstruck #NetGalley

I wanted to love this more than I did.
The setup? Classic. Fake dating, moody football boy, anxious girl trying to find her footing in college—I was all in. And yes, there are definitely swoony moments: late-night chats, slow-burn touches, and a few scenes that made me bite the inside of my cheek. I get why people are raving about Jared’s soft side and Alli’s emotional arc. There’s real vulnerability here, and I respect that.
But… the emotional payoff took way too long to land for me.
I’m someone who craves instant connection—even if the characters hate each other at first, I want to feel the pull right away. That spark between Alli and Jared is buried under too much buildup and, frankly, a love interest detour I didn’t enjoy. I don’t want to read about the heroine crushing on another guy while the actual love interest is right there! It made it hard for me to invest in their dynamic at first, and I didn’t really ship them until very late in the book.
The fake dating setup had so much potential for tension and chaos, but it stayed a bit too soft for my taste. Once the chemistry did kick in, it worked—but by then, I’d already spent a good chunk of the story feeling emotionally disconnected.
That said, the writing is smooth, the inner monologues are well done, and I do appreciate the focus on mental health and emotional growth. It’s a solid read—it just didn’t fully hit for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’m still glad I read it, even if it didn’t become a favorite.

Omg! I want to go back and reread this book! I loved it soo much!

If you love
Fake Dating
Brothers best friend
Friends to lovers
Childhood friends

This is the book for you! Alli and Jared are so cute together I love the slow burn between them! The Fake dating between them that they can't seem to ignore is just to cute! I will definitely keep reading more from this author! I have already recommended it to my sister who loves books like this!

Review: Heartstruck by Seraphina Chen

This story hit me right in the heart. I went into Heartstruck expecting a sweet, swoony college romance—and it gave me that and so much more. It’s tender, emotional, and honest in a way that really stuck with me.

I saw so much of myself in Alli. That feeling of trying to start over, of second-guessing everything when life doesn’t feel as shiny as you hoped—it was written so well. Her anxiety and quiet loneliness felt so real, and it made her connection with Jared all the more special.

And Jared? He’s got that mix of protective and vulnerable that totally melts you. Watching them go from reluctant lab partners to fake dating to something so real and aching with tension had me glued to every page. Their late-night study sessions and slow-burn sparks gave me butterflies.

What I loved most was how this book balanced the romance with real emotional depth. It’s not just about the falling—it’s about how hard it can be to let yourself be seen, especially when you feel like you’re falling apart inside.

If you’re into fake dating, soft-but-steady character growth, and romances that feel as healing as they are heart-fluttering, Heartstruck will absolutely steal your heart. It did mine!!

Fake dating? Check. Football boy with a soft center? DOUBLE check. Alli and Jared had me in my feels from the first awkward lab pairing to the steamy slow-burn moments that had me screaming into my hoodie. 😩❤️ This isn’t just another campus romance—it’s got depth, baby! Between Alli’s anxiety and Jared’s hidden past, these two fumble their way into a love story that feels all kinds of real. 10/10 recommend for anyone who loves yearning, late-night chats, and boys who secretly read poetry (okay, maybe not poetry—but I felt it, okay?). 🏈📚💘

OMG this book ate and left no crumbs.
You're telling me it starts by quoting Chuck Bass?!? PERFECTION from page one.
If you love:
💘 fake dating


💫 childhood friends to lovers


👀 best friend’s brother


You are absolutely going to ADORE these two.
We’ve got dual POVs following Alli — our anxious, overthinking queen — and Jared, the new football star trying to dodge uni drama, fangirls, and emotional baggage. Throw in a messy past + a pretend relationship, and suddenly they’re each other’s coping mechanism.
It’s fluffy, it’s fun, and the chemistry??? Off the charts. I read the whole thing in one sitting because I could not stop. The soft moments were EVERYTHING and the tension?? Delicious.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — This was swoony, dramatic, comforting and addictive. Like a warm hug... with a little spice. Perfect for fans of fun, emotional romance with heart and chaos

Fake Dates, Real Feels & Lab Partners I’d Die For!

Heartstruck is the swoony, slow-burn romance that had me fake-smiling through fake dates and screaming “just kiss already!” in the best way possible—because when chemistry like this hits the lab, sparks will fly! 🧪🔥💋

honestly i really struggled with this book, the plotline was extremely basic, just copy and paste of almost every other college sports romace. there wasnt any chemistry between the main characters and i felt like the mental health issues were really forced, same with alli's spanish it just feels more like an afterthought to give her something because she doesnt have a hobby or much of a personality just stress. this book was so difficult to read because it didnt flow well and it was just a big mess really.