Heartbreak Boys is a YA LGBTQIA+ grumpy-sunshine romance that is so stinkin' cute. It had everything I liked best about Out of the Blue by Jason June--the witty, cute banter and heartwarming moments without feeling like it was trying too hard to be relatable--and it also had something of a Heartstopper vibe in one of our main characters, Jack, who gets outed and then bullied in high school.

While this book, at times, felt like maybe too much was happening to be believable (Nate, our other main character, and his family go on a road trip and invite his former best friend, Jack, and together they form a plan to get revenge on their exes by creating a social media account to one-up them during their summer holiday), I was really rooting for these boys. I loved them both, and I thought the messages within the book were really great, if not a little beaten in by the end: don't let anyone stifle who you are, love yourself, follow your own timeline, live your life to the fullest, don't compare yourself to others, and beware of the toxic cultures on social media.

Heartbreak Boys had a lot to say, and most of it was really beautifully done in a warm and fuzzy way. I liked this one a lot!

This is a gay rom-com we all need. It was a good fun read that wasn't to complicated to understand. It dealt with some serious issues that are involved with being gay. I really love a book that is fun and gay but can handle the serious topics.

This was just the book I needed. It was an adorable love story between two LGBTQ characters, who I instantly grew to like, which made it all the more enjoyable. This was a feelgood book that brightened my cloudy day.

Heartbreak, revenge, closure, and love… this book has it all!
Heartbreak Boys was a fun read. I loved the premise of the story, but I also loved how it evolved!

Heartbreak Boys is an interesting young adult romance by Simon James Green.
I wanted to love this book, but it fell short for me.
It's a messy story of dealing with long love, betrayal, cheating, and friendship.
The characters are all well developed, and their storyline is full of ups and downs .It's well written and it's a heartfelt tale. It's a good read when you're in the mood to be disappointed in some characters, but overall happy for someone to start over.
Overall, it's okay. I just don't know who I would recommend it to.

3/5
thanks to harpercollins children's books and netgalley for the arc!

heartbreak boys is a YA fiction book about jack and nate, two ex friends who found out that their boyfriends had been cheating on them with each other, end up going on a summer road trip together, and start an instagram account called theheartbreakboys in an attempt to show their ex's how much fun they are having without them. while i found the story entertaining, i just didn't really connect with any of the characters. that being said, i'd still recommend this to anyone who seems interested!

THIS INCLUDES FAKE DATING! I think this trope is either a hit or miss for me. Although the plot is fairly predictable, it was a good time. I adored Jack and Nate.

I loved this book! A fantastic story about two boys, who used to be best friends, who are experiencing heartbreak at the same time. Trying to get over their pain (and going on a road trip together) helps them rekindle their friendship and realize how much they appreciate one another. I laughed out loud while reading and had a hard time putting it down! Great for high school students and beyond!

Heartbreak Boys is hilarious; I kept cackling out loud as I read, and had to put the book down a couple of times because I was laughing too hard to keep reading.

It's also sweet, very respectful of the real challenges of being a teenager. YA lit at its best -- and Heartbreak Boys is definitely in that category -- recognizes all that is hard and all that is wonderful about being a teenager ... which is to say, being a human.

I also really appreciate the portrayal of parents here; they are not the enemy, and the fact that they are often a bit clueless is balanced by their genuine helpfulness and support.

There's a clear message here that comparison is the thief of joy and that social media plays a vicious role in facilitating such comparison ... but it's also clear that adults as well as teens suffer from such comparison and that social media isn't the only way it happens.

I've just recommended this purchase to my school library.

This one is a hilarious emotional gay rom-com road trip story I didn't know I needed. It's a ex-friends to lovers story. It's honestly just so much fun. Jack and Nate are both recently broken up with in heartbroken after they find out that their boyfriends have been cheated on them and they set out to take an instagramable road trip that will prove to everyone that they are over their shitty exes.

The cover is super cute but unfortunately I had to DNF this one. I couldn’t bring myself to continue this I kept trying to pick it back up but just couldn’t.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me an arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to like this book. I loved the cover and description for it, however after picking it up and putting it down over 2 dozen times it ended up being a DNF for me. by 27% they are STILL not on the hiliarious hijinks road trip and it was just too slow for me. Also I found Jack to be way too over the top and I just wanted him to STOP and take a deep breath and ASSESS the situation before he did things. Not common for kids his age but not even 1/4 of the way into the book I couldn't take it anymore. It had a ton of potential I'll definitely recommend it for LGBT youth of the age group of the characters but it just wasn't for me.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book at times, and I think it really speaks to gay teens who are constantly on social media (or having social media go wild about them) which can be a really tough place to be. I really enjoyed Nate and Jack's story, and the slow rekindling of their friendship, especially on a road trip. I did get really annoyed by Nate at times, as he was seemingly constantly angry which was hard to cope with. I also felt like the story flowed very slowly at first, but I loved the idea of a revenge Instagram account. Overall, I think teens (and all of us really) want a story that doesn't end with anyone dying, that tells a very true story, and doesn't take place in an era/world where there is a lack of current culture and tech. Social media is a really powerful tool that teens have at their disposal today, and it was great to see a portrayal of both the good and the bad sides of it and 'influencers'.

This was definitely sweet.

The main reason I didn't love this more is because of Jack. I couldn't really relate to him. Yes, he came across as earnest, but he also seemed OTT most of the time, and I felt like he was hiding his true feelings (his true self) for most of the story. He also seemed kind of oblivious to other people's thoughts and feelings, as well -- something that is certainly realistic for a boy that age, but also something that didn't endear him to me when he acted on his assumptions without really seeming to notice when others didn't like it. (Also, his ex was NOT a decent person, and that definitely showcased Jack's lack of perception.)

I really felt for Nate, and I found him very sympathetic. All in all, it's a sweet romance, and I'd give it a solid 3 stars.

this WAS TOO CUTE
honestly made me want to just take a road trip middle of finals so there's that.
also?
I honestly don't usually like ex friends to lovers stories, or any friends to lovers tbh, but Jack and Nate rediscovering each other was a marvel to watch

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of Heartbreak Boys in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was lovely. There was depth, humor, and well-rounded characters. This reminded me of Shara Wheeler or Love, Simon. The setting in England made it fun as well. Great read!

This was a cute story about heartbreak and the journey to overcome. It was a solid read, but nothing super special. I enjoyed the cast of characters!

I received an ARC of this book at the perfect time, I was searching for the next story that would give me the warm feelings I experienced when watching Heartstopper and this had very similar vibes. The book focuses on two boys who used to be close friends but growing up they grew apart. The boys share a common heartbreaking milestone that bonds them. The boys decide that they will not let anyone see their heartbreak and set out to have an instagram worthy summer adventure. This book touches on important themes about growing up and specifically growing up queer, it highlights the fact that these days social media only shows the versions of a persons life that they want to see, The two main characters learn to be more comfortable in who they are and letting the world see them even in the moments that might not be #goals. I consider it a 5 star YA read.

*A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley*


I so loved this book. It was great. The humor was exactly what I needed right now. It was just nice to read something that made me smile. It wasn't shallow humor or emotion either. There was emotional depth. My heartached in the very first chapter, knowing what was about to happened based on the blurb. Anticipating the humiliation in the worst way, and then seeing it happen. OUCH. My heart broke for both Jack and Nate. Truly a worse prom experience than Carrie's. It's a moment that highlights Jack's biggest flaw even as you're completely on his side. He is righteous. He's not wrong about the hypocrisy and reactions of the people around them. BUT he wasn't the only one affected and he can't see that. He's selfish in his indignation. He's a teenager, so of course he is. This isn't to say I don't sympathize or even that I dislike, but it's part of his character and his journey. His growth from that is so refreshing to see. He gets called out on it. His eyes open in see beyond himself and he realizes righteousness only gets you so far. And Nate, poor thing has such low self worth it's utterly relatable and understandable. Seeing him realize that he does deserve good things, that he's allowed to be happy and not just exist in the background accepting scraps from people in the hopes they'll tolerate him. His reactions to Jack going from lowkey dislike and jealously and respect into longing and love and admiration (which was always under the surface). I loved seeing them repair their relationship over the summer. Which brings me to the romance, it was sweet. I like them together and have no issues there, but I feel like the romance is almost secondary. This book is much more about these two young men growing into themselves and how they start becoming the adults they want to be together and individually. I really enjoyed it so much.

This is a classic, but fresh, story of recognizing the allure of the boy next door. Seen through the eyes of two heartbroken teens, we follow the two boys through modern pitfalls of dating and social media.