What a sweet and gut wrenching book!! This was my first by Paige Toon and certainly won’t be my last! The chemistry between Wren and Anders was spot on. They had real life problems that brought their characters so much life and relatability. This was such an emotional roller coaster and I can’t wait to read more!

You can not go wrong with any Paige Toon Novels! This was a beautifully written and heart wrenching. I loved every second of it! I will be adding every Paige Toon book to my TBR list! Loved this one!

A wonderful story about hope and new beginnings.
I wasn’t expecting the twist at all because it was a romance novel, not a thriller. 😁
It did work though and gave you a different view of Anders.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
I have only read one book by this author before but my sister loves her so of course I wanted to get this book and read it.
I can‘t put my thoughts into words. It was great and I cried but it didn’t blow me away

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a deeply emotional and tender love story that explores the complexity of heartache, healing, and second chances. Known for her skill in crafting relatable, heartfelt romances, Toon once again delivers a novel that will tug at readers' heartstrings while offering a layered and poignant exploration of grief, guilt, and the possibility of finding love in unexpected places.

One of the strongest aspects is Toon’s ability to portray the emotional depth of her characters. Wren and Anders are both flawed, and their personal struggles feel authentic and relatable. Wren’s battle to move forward from the betrayal she faced, and Anders’ grief over the loss of his wife, create a rich emotional backdrop for their love story. Toon handles these sensitive themes with grace, allowing the reader to fully empathize with their pain while rooting for their eventual happiness.

At its core, *Only Love Can Hurt Like This* is about healing, forgiveness, and the courage to open oneself to love after experiencing deep hurt. While the book delivers all the romantic tension and swoon-worthy moments readers expect from Toon’s novels, it also delves into the deeper layers of love, loss, and the way relationships can change and heal us.

This one was HEARTBREAKING. It was painstakingly good. I loved every page ! From the very first page I was captivated by this story. Full of love, grief and hope this book was beautifully written and will stick with me for a while!

I love stories like this, and it did not disappoint. It's a fun, emotional, contemporary read that was a great past time. The secret didn't seem as... secretive as it was, and it didn't seem like it was that big of a deal.

Very easy read that left me feeling good. The writing was lovely and the story is one many can relate to. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher! I truly enjoyed this one.

REVIEW: Only Love Can Hurt Like This

“My mother has always told me to trust my instincts. But it’s hard to trust your instincts when they’re breaking your heart.”
― Paige Toon, Only Love Can Hurt Like This

Paige Toon's Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a charming and engaging book that will resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak.

Toon's writing is both witty and insightful. It captures the raw emotions of heartbreak and the complexities of navigating life's challenges. The characters are relatable and well-developed, each with unique struggles and triumphs.

While the plot is sometimes predictable, the story is heartwarming and hopeful. Toon explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the power of resilience in the face of adversity.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a delightful and heartwarming read that will leave you hopeful and inspired. It's a perfect choice for anyone looking for a light and engaging read that explores the complexities of love, loss, and finding your way.

Thank you, Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Book Review:
Title: Only Love Can Hurt Like This
Author: Paige Toon
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Does everyone sing the song in their head when they see this book? Just me? Then it's stuck in my head all day!

Heartbreaking. Just shattered. Ugh, moral dilemmas vs. love just gets me every time. What would you do if you fell in love with someone who is harboring a tragic secret? A secret so big that it makes that person opposed to finding true love ever again? You could make this person so happy, and they would be for you, but they just can't get past this secret?
That is the story of Wren and Anders. Although you don't find out the secret until closer to the end, I greedily devoured this book to find out why Anders just couldn't give himself over to Wren. And that secret hurts. It hurts bad. It's truly heartbreaking. Ander is faced with a decision that he feels will break his integrity as a man and as a husband. Just read it. Have a few tissues ready.

Published: April 25th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @putnambooks, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

this one hurt my soul. Paige toon is like the expert of books that shatter my heart. Loved it so so much.

I almost forgot I had read this one, and when I went back through my notes remembered that I didn't like it very much. I love a good Colleen Hoover novel, and it felt like this author really wanted to pull that type of book off. In my opinion, it didn't really work.
There were twists, romance, and some thriller vibes, but overall not enough to sustain my enjoyment.
I finished it and loved the ending, so that was a plus.

I initially thought that this was going to be a beautiful story of two people coming together during their different tragedies in their romantic life. The book was interesting until I read the plot twist. I have read books before that have a love story while the spouse of the one character is in a vegetable state and honestly, I don’t really think that’s okay because it’s still cheating.

Thank you to netgalley for an advance read copy of this book. I loved it. Its the story about a woman who goes from the UK to the US to lick her wounds and ends up growing so much personally. It's a love story - both romantic and familial. It is well written and even made me cry (which rarely happens with a book).

The only reason it wasn't a 5 star read for me was the epilogue kinda jumped all over the place.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a light easy read that tugs at your emotions.

This was such a good book. It was sad in parts and I laughed in parts. I would definitely recommend this book.

Paige Toon knows how to get you in the fucking feels. This book is about love, family, obligations, grief, expectations, moving on and second chances. I love a romance that also kicks me down and makes me cry.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group!

Wren has loved, and she has lost... in more than one way. When she meets Anders, she soon finds that he, too, has loved and lost. Can this mutual experience bring these two together? Or does the commonality bring forth too much conflict between their hearts and their minds?

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a deep dive into all the different possible relationships and the unique type of love that comes from each one as well as the hurt and the understanding. Paige Toon is able to establish such strength and character growth within multiple characters in a quick, fast-paced read that leaves you laughing, crying, and going through all the emotions. This is a simple read that leaves you feeling anything but simple emotions.

This book was not for me. I appreciate the publishers and netgalley giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow this story was absolutely beautiful. I HIGHLY recommend. I have seen great reviews for this author and I can finally say I understand them. Definitely more of an emotional read (I cried but what else is new), but a beautiful story. I truly cannot describe how much I loved this and how much I recommend you pick it up!

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this story. The review has been added to goodreads, storygraph, amzon and barnes & noble.

This was a cute story and I enjoyed reading it. While I don’t think I was intended audience, it was nice and I do think that a lot of people would enjoy this book. I will try a different book by this author in the future.