The story was well written and I loved how the author based the story off of Mansfield Park. It worked so well and I loved picking out the similarities! It was masterful. However, when I read a romance I want to want the main characters to end up together. By the end, I didn't care if Edie and Sebastian ended up together.

I liked Sebastian in the beginning, but by halfway through I was annoyed with his stupidity. If he really loved her from the start, he was a jerk to keep leading his girlfriend on like that and it made me not like him. I didn't like Henry in the beginning, but found myself falling for him just like Edie did. At the end, I felt bad for him and wanted Edie to stay with the bad boy. It made the ending unsatisfying.

I'm all for a lighthearted romance but I just couldn't get through this one. Apparently this is supposed to be a Jane Austen retelling? I'm not sure. I love having a smart, main character that can stand up for herself but there are just so many tropes in this with the crush who happens to have the most popular girlfriend who looks like a supermodel, the bad boy she'll eventually fall in love with even though bad boys aren't her 'type', and the losing a best friend(that one I think was deserved though: you don't kiss your best friend's boyfriend and expect her to forgive you). I've read books before with these tropes but it was just too cheesy for me to be good. Maybe it turns out to be okay but I just didn't like the characters enough to find out. Maria with her off hand comments and calling her mother "Dear Mama" annoyed me so much I almost stopped reading as soon as she entered. Yes, teenagers say 'like' a lot but the similarities end there. Essentially nothing in this book is realistic. I'll just go read the Jane Austen book this is based off of.

Such an adorable read. I loved the humor and swoon. However, my favorite part was the incorporation of poetry. I was very bummed on who ends up together since I shipped another relationship. That being said the growth in realizations the main character goes through to discover how her actions have been received by those around her is enlightening. 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Just a good little YA romance.
What I loved: The bonds that were built in unlikely places.
What I liked: The story was good and just the right amount of predictable.
What I hated: Going to be honest without spoiling this for anyone...but I really wasn't happy with who she winds up with and I have deep reasons why that I can't wait to discuss with others.

Great little book, very easy to recommend.

This was a really cute summer.m read! This is a retelling of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. I liked the characters! The story flows well and you definitely want to see who she ends up with.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I don't know why I keep reading Jane Austen retellings when I know I don't like Jane Austen's stories. However, if you are a fan of her work, you will probably thoroughly enjoy this one.

In this modern re-imagining of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Edie (Fanny) Price has recently been rescued from foster care by her wealthy aunt and uncle. She will live in her aunt and uncle's spacious abode along with her two cousins, Julia and Maria as she finishes out her senior year of high school. Her cousins are nice enough however the real excitement is the boy next door, her old friend Sebastian. Unfortunately Sebastian has a new girlfriend named Claire. Claire's charming brother Henry however proves to be a nice distraction. He is wealthy, gorgeous and humorous and best of all seriously smitten with Edie. The only problem is that Edie is still hopelessly in love with Sebastian.
This novel was everything I expected and more. I was never a very big fan of Mansfield Park however I loved this new take on the classic and I far prefer this ending to the original. The characters were relateable yet still retained a similar voice to the original characters. Henry of course stole the show with his wit and charm however I enjoyed the dynamics between the others as well. The story moved along at a quick pace and kept me smiling throughout. I highly recommend this story to Jane Austen fans as well as those looking for a quick and satisfying romance read for the summer.

I came for Jane Austen, but stayed for Jacquline Firkins and her beautiful Mansfield Park retelling. Witty dialogue, lovely prose, well drawn characters and plenty of swoon worthy moments make this a winner on my shelf, and this talented debut author a must-buy from now on. Well done!

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is an adorable ya romance. You'll just fall in love with Edie Price and root for her till the end. This book had me flipping through fast to find out what happens. Great story and lovable characters what more can you ask for.

A contemporary book about a young girl trying to find her way after tragedy has changed her life. Edie is trying to not make the same mistakes of her past while figuring out her future. This book had moments, and then really was unrealistic in so many ways. The drama was forced, and the characters weren't tangible. I'm fine with the cheesy parts, but there was not a point that made it a well-written book for me. The story line fell flat, and from all that she went through, she really was just like her cousins. Nothing was real in this book, from the school, the relationships, the story, it all was too forced. Not a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!

A YA contemporary retelling of Mansfield Park! As I am absolutely powerless to stop myself from reading every Austen retelling/adaptation/inspired novel that crosses my path, I absolutely had to read this - and it was definitely a step above the pack!

Very cinematic, giving me flashbacks to the movie Clueless, this book takes the best parts of Mansfield Park - the question of superficiality vs. depth, the questions about what love actually is and how to know when it's real, and leaves behind some of the judginess/priggishness of the original. And of course, it absolutely had to not make them cousins raised together, and also change the character names - Fanny and Edmund do not translate well to modern life! Henry's charm, Maria and Julia's petty rivalries... those remained and really shined in the new time period.

It did have to invent a backstory wholesale for Edmund/Sebastian, since he was no longer a part of the family, and it wasn't as compelling as I would have liked. I can't quite give it 5 stars, but a solid 4 that I think will be enjoyed by Austen fans and teens - and I would love to see it adapted by Netflix or on film!

Cute light summer read! Loved the characters and rooting for the right guy to "win".

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this story. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down! I was constantly rooting for Edie to get together with her true love. I felt her heartache as well as her joy. Firkins did a amazing job at bringing these characters to life.

‘The whole delightful and astonishing truth’ is this modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park is a must read!

Edie (Fanny) Price is a foster kid who is spending the last few months of her senior year with her wealthy Aunt Norah and her two daughters. Maria and Julia (the cousins) aren’t necessarily likable but they are relatable and more complex than Austen’s original characters. Edie quotes women’s authors including Edith Wharton for whom she was named (loved that!). Sebastian, the boy next door, her old friend has a new flame, Claire. Claire and her brother, Henry, are wealthy, gorgeous, and irresistible. Edie sees Henry for the player that he is, but when she needs a friend he’s there. Even if he realizes that Edie is in love with his sister’s boyfriend. Friendship, love, family, lust, and messy relationships prove that this story is timeless (and timely). And the ultimate prize isn’t a boy... but a college dream.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Jacqueline Firkins, and HMH Books for Young Readers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

emoji rating scale: 😩🙁😐😀😍
Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things rating: 😐/😀

The cover of this book caught my eye as I was perusing through NetGalley late one night, and I thought, “seems like a cute, light-hearted, YA read.” Four hours later, my eyes couldn’t read the words fast enough, my heart was screaming for the conclusion, and I was so pleasantly surprised.

This book starts out with Edie Price leaving foster care to go live with her horrible aunt, Norah. This woman is literally, actually, horrible. Along with Julia and Maria — her two cousins — Edie finds herself in her own sort of nightmare. All she’s trying to do is get to graduation, so she can head off to college and “start over”. The beginnings of beginnings.

The only pro listed on the pro/con list for living in her Aunt and Uncle’s house is the boy next door; Sebastian. Said Sebastian grew up with her, and poor Edie has been harboring an UNHEALTHY crush on the dude.

Too bad Sebastian has a girlfriend. *sigh* Said girlfriend, Claire just so happens to have a player of a brother — Henry — who’s only goal in life is to break hearts left and right. Yet somehow, Edie falls into his line of sight and he can’t help but go after her heart.

Keep up guys, the high school drama is here to take you on a roller coaster.

The reason for my conflicted rating on this book; enter at your own caution. [SPOILER] OKAY. So… I hit this rating down a few pegs because I was so upset that in the end, she didn’t choose Henry. SHE HAD FIREWORK KISSES WITH HIM. She started only thinking about him and their dates. She felt like maybe, just maybe, SHE WAS OVER SEBASTIAN. She thought he was totally cute, he had her undivided attention and then BAM. Just like that, Sebastian is single and she’s like uhm…. JK dude. #savage. I really felt like Henry stole the show, and I’m still crying over the fact that he left the book single and brokenhearted. [/SPOILER]

Besides my little meltdown, I really found myself loving this book and devouring it within hours. Which for me, is a winner YA read. This was my first read by this author and I would love to dive in an read more!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This novel was a contemporary young adult romance where the main character, Edie, is in love with someone else's boyfriend who also happens to be her best friend. I liked the pacing of this novel and the build up to the ending where I was actually rooting for the other guy ☹️. There was no actual sex scene (thank you) but some pretty steamy moments in the book. Overall an ok summer read.

This book was written really well. Even for an ARC book, I didn’t notice any typos, any run-on sentences, or anything that pulled me out of the book. It was a super easy read and honestly so much fun. Edie Price is such an interesting character, but one thing I will say is that none of these characters are without fault. I think that’s one of the wonderful things that this author has done with their characters. You don’t have the stereotypical girl with absolutely no faults and the horrible girlfriend of the boy you totally deserve. Everyone has faults and it’s wonderful.

This book is a light, easy read. It’s a great book if you’re looking for a holiday or vacation read. This book is a great read that you can put down when you want to, but it’s still interesting enough to keep you reading when you can. It’s not particularly hard-hitting, instead, it’s incredibly fun. I think that this is a great escape from reality type of book. It’s not going to make you cry, but it’ll probably make you laugh. I truly think the best way to describe this book is just fun.

Cute book. Took me about 3 chapters to really get into it so don’t let that throw you off. I finished it off in about 2 days.

This book needs to be a movie! It’s such a sweet love story. The sort just flowed. I really enjoyed it.

This book was received as an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group - HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a real refreshing treat and perfect for the start of summer. All the components of this book was such a joy to read and learning about the kind of girl Edie is and the boys she met over the summer visiting her gifted cousins. The publishers were right in the fact that fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before can relate heavily to the story of this book and their hearts will be melting right at the very first moment. Our teen readers will love this book and want to read it over and over again.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.