"The Heartbreak Boys" by Simon James Green follows the story of Jack and Nate, two teenagers who find themselves unexpectedly single and heartbroken at the start of summer. To lift their spirits, they embark on a road trip, documenting their adventures on social media to show everyone, including their exes, that they're doing just fine. As they navigate through hilarious and heartfelt moments, Jack and Nate discover more about themselves, each other, and what truly matters in life. It's a journey of friendship, self-discovery, and moving on from past relationships. 5 stars!

The start of this book, in line with the title, is heartbreaking with the realization that both of the main characters' boyfriends are cheating on them with the other's. However, what follows is a fun and hilarious road trip story about reconnecting as friends (and more) and figuring out where things went wrong and who they want to be. It transforms from heartbreaking to heartwarming with lovable characters and clever writing.

This was such a cute and endearing story that I did not want to end. I adored the characters and loved every part of their journey.

I loved this book! Both boys had to grow and they both had so much great development. Sometimes I find myself annoyed by one of the characters in the couple but both had such poignant stories so you couldn't help but fall for both of them. I started reading this right after I binged Heartstopper and it was the perfect pairing!

Jack discovers at prom that his boyfriend Dylan has been cheating on him with Tariq, who is dating his ex=friend, Nate. The ensuing public humiliation for both Jack and Nate doesn't leave them very happy with each other. Instead of allowing Jack to mope around all summer, his parents force him to go on a road trip with Nate. Jack concocts a plan to try to make both Dylan and Tariq jealous through social media, which continually backfires. Despite this, Jack and Nate do manage to have fun and work out their differences. Will they become friends again, and possibly more?

Highly entertaining and hilarious, readers will enjoy the scrapes that Jack and Nate continually find themselves in. A light read that can be finished in one or two sittings.

This book was cute! It was definitely a sweet romcom which I am Definitely a sucker for. I really enjoyed the characters, the storyline, and the writing (and I’m usually picky about that because I tend to get bored easily and lose focus).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

This was an incredible roadtrip-esque story about healing and finding yourself. It was an absolute joy to read. I look forward to more from Simon James Green in the future.

So unbelievably sweet. YA is not my typical genre, but I found myself really enjoying the characters and shenanigans and writing. I’d be happy to read more by this author

I absolutely loved this book and how it relates to the current social media moment of teenagers. The book assumes queerness as normal and that was refreshing and delightful. It handled the relationship between the boys in a realistic but gentle way that many queer teens can probably relate too. This book was a quick read as it was written so well that it didn't take a lot of "effort" to make it through. I think the author did some innovative work with this plot and did a great job of character development.

Thank you Clarion Books and NetGalley for allowing me access to this eARC of Simon James Green’s hilarious book, The Heartbreak Boys! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Summary

Jack and Nate used to be friends, but that all seemed to stop when Jack came out a few years ago. Now they’ve both been broken up with and their boyfriends are dating each other. As an act of revenge, the two set out to have the best summer ever and post about it on social media as @TheHeartBreakBoys. This is a dual-POV book so readers get a peek into both Jack’s and Nate’s inner-thoughts as the summer road-trip with Nate’s family becomes a zany couple months of chaos and fun. As the two former friends spend time with each other, they fall in step with their old friendship, and start to wonder if sparks are beginning to fly.

Thoughts

This book is a lot of fun, but the pacing was a little off. It felt a bit slow at times.

That being said, this book really is fun and there are surprises around every corner. It’s wonderful getting to know what Jack and Nate are thinking and I don’t think this book could’ve worked with the mutual pining factor if it was told in only one of their POVs.

It’s not all fun and games on this road trip though. There are quite a few serious moments including important discussions of internalized and external homophobia. This book balances the two very well. Additionally, it was nice to read about supportive parents who genuinely want their kid to be happy and try to give them the space and support to figure out what happy looks like for them.

Despite the pacing, this is an excellent book about second chances, letting people in, and having the courage to be your most authentic self. I recommend this to readers looking for a good laugh and a good cry.

4 out of 5 stars

At heart this book isn't any different from any other romance novel. That's to it's benefit. The heartbreak, grief, anger are universal experiences. the fact that our characters are gay is irrelevant to that experience. It informs the narrative but isn't the hole of the scenario.The characters are mostly believable and pleasant.

Two former best friends, Jack and Nate have just lost their respective boyfriends after they found out they were both being cheated on (at prom in a very dramatic way, thanks to Jack).

Shortly after Nate’s parents invite Jack to a summer road trip with them and despite not being exactly friends Jack and Nate decide to create a shared Instagram to make a highlight reel to show their exes what they’re missing. Over the summer they have some ridiculous and heartwarming adventures and begin to repair their friendship as the days and miles go on. The book is a dual POV alternating Jack and Nate’s perspectives giving you an intimate look at to how each is feeling along the way.

A sweet story where they each learn to accept themselves and allow themselves to feel freely and admit to themselves feelings that will allow them both the happiness they both desire and deserve.

I would’ve liked a bit more in the end and some of the pacing is a bit slow but overall this is a solid read.

4 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins children’s in exchange for an honest review.

the dedication: for everyone who is trying to find the courage to be true to themselves
the cover: SO CUTE, screams fun road trip, and shows both MCs personalities
MMC: Jack- in the words of Nate, “he’s witty, he’s sharp, he just sparkles, and he’s completely happy to be himself. He’s basically A-list gay.” Wow that sums it up perfectly 👏 unapologetically himself and the definition of “go find less” and refusing to dim his shine to make others comfortable. When he’s at prom with his boyfriend Dylan he realized he’s been paying attention to another boy… not one to shy away from confrontation or an awkward conversation he asks if he’s cheating on him- on stage during a prom royalty crowning.
MMC: Nate- we are introduced to Nate at his high school prom where he is giving a speech, crowing the prom royalty, coming out at gay, oh yeah- and finding out that his secret boyfriend has been cheating on him with his ex-best friend’s boyfriend! Now he’s out, has no boyfriend, was humiliated in front of his school, and his parents are taking him on a road trip and somehow Jack got himself invited? Let the shenanigans begin!!
POV: 1st person, dual POV
HEA: yes
spice: a tiny bit of steam with a couple kisses and suggestive language but very wholesome
TWs: cheating, homophobia, bullying
standalone?: yes
final thoughts: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! It was everything I wanted out of this book and then some. The characters were great, there was some homophobia (internalized and otherwise) and some mentions of bullying, but it wasn’t the center to the book and helped to show some context. The posts from @TheHeartBreakBoys were so funny and cute and I wish I could follow them in real life. I laughed out loud several times and was chuckling all throughout. Gave similar reading feelings as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda but with more adventure

read this book if you love
🚐 road trip adventures
😆 romcoms
🏫 high school setting
👌 finding yourself
🌈 LGBT+ representation

Forgot to read this since HC Union was on strike, and now the pub date has passed. I wasnt super into this book when I first got it. I thought it was something different.

What a delight this was! Heartbreak Boys is a road trip novel about heartbreak, friendship and falling in love. It follows Nate and Jack, two of a small number of out LGBT+ at their school. When they’re both dumped on prom night, Jack insists they take a summer a road trip with Nate’s family to prove they’re doing just fine post-breakup. It’s full of hijinks, mixed with some genuinely heartwarming moments.

I can’t believe how funny this was. The situations these characters found themselves in were ridiculous but not unbelievable. I laughed out at the veg fest and the stupid signs at Nate’s aunt’s house. But the whole thing was funny. They stay at various wacky campsites, hotels and motels across the UK, and Nate’s family is a funny little group. I do think the romantic connection falters under the humor of it all, but I totally rooted for these boys and I thought their story was sweet. I think this offers something different from a lot of the YA LGBT romance I read and I will happily recommend it.

Ex-best-friends Jack and Nate both get their hearts broken by their current boyfriends when it's revealed at prom that they were cheating and are together. And everyone ends up rooting for the cheaters. Also, Nate is pretty mad at Jack for making a scene at prom and doesn't want anything to do with him. Except Jack won't have any of that and figures they should go on a summer trip, live their best life and document every part of it on social media to show everyone just how happy they are. And Jack usually gets his way soooooooooo

This was a pretty fun read and I read it pretty fast. It really kept my interest from beginning to end. I liked the characters, they were interesting even when they were super annoying and I liked the whole road-trip aspect. However, some parts left me a little annoyed and the end felt a bit rushed? Also, the romance felt a bit fast at times. But I did enjoy it still and the family dynamics too.
Overall, this was truly fun and enjoyable and it made me want to read more books by Simon James Green, which I already wanted to do but hey.

DELIGHTFUL summer road-trip YA rom-com of pure joy! (★★★★.5). Really! I couldn’t stop smiling while reading this.

Jack and Nate are recently dumped by their cheating A-HOLE exes! Reeling in heartache, the former best friends reunite their friendship after their disastrous prom breakups to take a summer roadtrip across the UK, and start an Instagram account to show the school that they are just fine and having the best summer ever (or at least faking it).

Jack is loud, proud, and hilarious, Nate’s only recently out and the most heartbroken of the two - grumpy vs sunshine, former friends-to-lovers. Their relationship arc is very well done and will warm any cynic’s heart. I loved both of them and enjoyed the dual perspective view in this book.

The boys go from one hilarious situation to another during their road-trip and learn a few important life lessons along the way. Social media is all fake, even the influencers. The importance of family. And there no such thing as being too-gay or not enough - one should be authentic and true to themselves.

Great book! Would make a great summer read IMO.

PS: I’m 100% listening to Embers by Owl City on repeat RN!

Thanks to @NetGalley and @HarperCollinsChildren for the ARC for an honest review.

I'm new to Simon James Green, and this was a pleasant if mostly unremarkable journey into his writing. Heartbreak Boys is witty, irreverent, and bordering on a little dated at times. It is an entirely solid middling read.

Jack's all set to have the prom of his dreams with the boyfriend of his dreams. Until, as he's being crowned Prom King, he has the sudden realization that his boyfriend is cheating on him - with his ex-best friend's current secret boyfriend. Now, as Jack and Nate have to watch their ex-boyfriends get together and Instagram their perfect romantic summer, they come up with the perfect revenge scheme. Or, well, Jack comes up with the perfect revenge scheme and poor Nate gets dragged along for the ride. Their own perfect road trip summer to prove that everything is just fine, thank you very much. No one has to know that they're crammed into a van with Nate's mid-life crisis parents and his overly sassy little sister. Or that the entire trip is a disaster. Or that Jack and Nate haven't spoken in years. It's fine.

Overall, Heartbreak Boys is cute but predictable. Nothing every happens on the page that shocks you as a reader. It's an enjoyable, quick book about two boys reconnecting after years of not speaking, and the pressures of faking a glamorous life on social media.

What a wonderfully enjoyable read! This is the perfect book to read on a vacation or road-trip. I loved the cheesy banter between characters. Some of the characters were pretty unlikeable and I didn’t enjoy scenes with them but overall, this book was adorable and fun.