Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Oh, this book captured my heart! While, yes, it is a romance, it is more a book about relationships. There are so many family dynamics and you become fully invested in all of them. Our story starts with Wren escaping the aftermath of her fiancé declaring he has feelings for someone else. I totally have to give the author props! For while I hated the situation with the fiancé, I did not hate him. He could have cheated on Wren but didn't. Her heartbreak leads her to the last place she truly wants to be. Indiana! Staying with her father, stepmother, (who he cheated on her mom with and abandoned Wren as a child) and her half-sister. While Wren does build on her relationships (especially with Bailey) and there is some redemption, I still wanted more groveling for all the hurt her father/stepmother caused! I personally wasn't quite ready to let it go...

Then the brothers, Anders and Jonas. I adored the brother connection. I adored the relationship between them with Wren. The romance, the friendships...so many sweet sighs...and so many tears.

There was such a perfect blend of fun, sweet moments and full-blown emotional angst. One minute smiling and the next sniffling...This book will break you, but then put you back together.

My only complaint is the ending was a little rushed from the big build up. But then you have a happily ever after epilogue, so...:)

4.5 stars

Lots...of....tears. This book had me really invested with its characters. Very moving, and very hard to put this one down.

Is love worth risking everything for? Wren finds out her fiancé is in love with someone else, and during that same time, but in another place Anders is struggling to move on from his wife’s death. Wren goes back to the family farm to visit her parents and to try and heal and crosses paths with Anders. This was a slow burn, tearful page-turner about second chances in both life and love.

The title is just perfect for this book. This story just broke my heart. The characters were all beautiful in their imperfect and slightly damaged ways, striving to do the best with what they had to offer. I loved how a professional woman living in the UK who has her heart broken heads home to spend time with her dad's family in rural Indiana to reconnect and to heal. In her healing she reestablishes bonds with her more distant family and makes new friends. Sometimes two people just have a connection on another plane. It doesn't detract from love for others, but it is something spiritually different. Sometimes that connection breaks someone else's heart. This theme is explored in different ways with various characters, all with different approaches to situations where there is no completely right answer nor wrong one either.

This is my first read from Paige Toon, and I will be definitely going back to read her previous books. A Brit who can write lovingly of farm life in America and make Indiana come alive as someplace cool gets all the props from this midwestern gal!

Thank you to #NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

An emotional read with a strong sense of place! I really enjoyed this romance. It touched on a lot of tough topics but explored them in a way that still allowed for lots of sweet and fun moments. I wanted to hang out with these characters, they were so likable. This was my first Paige Toon book but I look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to Paige Toon and Putnam Books for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

***Spoilers below, you've been warned!

PAIGE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME????

Good Lord. Paige was very, very kind enough to get her American publisher to approve my request on NetGalley just a few short hours after I've put in the request. I had messaged her asking how I'd be able to get my hands on this story early. If you know me, then you understand that I am a complete and total SUCKER for a good romance. Two people finding one another, falling in love, jumping through hoops and obstacles for one another? Weak. If it makes me cry? A++.

I went into this book with the understanding that it was going to emotionally wreck me -- some how, some way. What I did realize was just how much it was going too. The first half of the book, I took my time -- took my time getting to know Wren and her heartbreak, getting to know Anders and as much of his personality as he was willing to show. I adored the way Wren had left her home in the UK and fought uncomfortably to make America feel like home as she desperately tried to connect with family members. Her raw emotions and inner monologue were a beautiful reminder that we all chase the feeling of comfort, and yet sometimes in order to find it, we need to be uncomfortable for a little while. Wren sacrificed her own comfort in England in order to find new comfort in America, by leaving behind everything she had known and going into the unknown -- into discomfort. UGH. Chef's kiss.

The second half of the book, I sped through. I devoured it in one sitting, SOBBED into my kindle for most of that time. Laurie? STILL ALIVE???? Anders was still married?! Sinking below the water??? THE WAY HER PARENTS MADE HIM GO AFTER WREN? SET HIM FREE? And how she peacefully passed after Anders and Wren had finally gotten married? O M F G. (Sorry, excuse the freak-out, but what the actual fuck). I had no idea where Toon was going with this story, I was shocked at bomb after bomb Paige continued to drop throughout the second half of this story.

The love I could feel between Anders and Wren was heart-wrenchingly, breathtakingly, mesmerizingly beautiful and painful. Each and every time Anders tried to open his heart to Wren and simply just *couldn't*, I could feel a part of myself break. Normally, the main character in a book is always my favorite. It's just kind of how I operate. But this one? I love Wren, I truly do, BUT ANDERS. Oh, he wins. Sweet, beautiful man. He wins it all. One of my all time favorite fictional characters, by a landslide.

Thank you Paige, for this pure, magical, heartrending story of unadulterated love. How will I ever recover from this one? How will I ever be able to love another fictional character as much as Anders? UGH

Only Love Can Hurt Like This has cracked my heart wide open. I'm a mess of emotions after reading this absolutely beautiful & tragic story. Do not let the tragedy deter you from reading this book. It's 1000% worth the read. I will be thinking of and recommending this book to anyone and everyone who will listen to me. Gracious, I'm an absolute mess after this one.

Over 10 yrs ago, I began following a story similar to Ander's and Laurie's through a prayer page on FB. The wife was pregnant when she suffered a stroke, and while she survived, it left her in a vegetative state like Laurie. She is still alive, and her son is alive and thriving. Her husband still cares for her daily, but this story sure made me see it from the husband's perspective of just how much they put their life on hold while their spouse continues to live in this state. It's heartbreaking for both sides, and honestly, I can't say what I'd do if I were in their shoes. I don't think any of us can say for certain until we were actually forced to make those decisions.

I love books like this one that will give me a very realistic story with each characters perspective of hard topics and to see how it's handled & how everything gets worked out because unless you have experienced it in your life, it's hard for any of us to relate and/or even think about these situations happening to us or someone we know. It can also open doors to discussions with our own spouses and families about these tough subjects in the event something happens. Don't assume they know your desires if tragedy strikes, and it forces them to decide what to do.

Paige Toon was a new-to-me & is now and forever an auto pre-order author for me.

Thank you, Netgalley & Penguin Group Putnam, for this e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is my first book from Paige Toon and oh my! I fell in love with this book…the characters…the story! Such an emotional and heartwarming story, totally pulled my heartstrings! Totally must read!!

Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Putnam's Sons publishing for the arc that I didn’t read until after pub date!

Wow what the heck, I flew through this! I'm often unsure about slow burns and with this not having a major twist, it still was emotional with strong characters. The relationship/ bond between the siblings was written so well. Also, really enjoyed the sense of belonging/community to that town, I felt like i was there!! I do wish the ending was longer, the plot seemed to like pick up towards the end and then the book was over. It felt a little rushed.
But the timing of me reading this was book was hard. Loving someone and it not being enough- that hit me!

Happy release day, #paigetoon. I didn’t release this was a reprint when I received it as an #arc from @netgalley but let me tell you … This book was beautifully written. I loved reading every single minute of it, and often thought of the characters even when I wasn’t reading. You can NOT pass this book up!
#bookstagram #5starreads #paigetoon #onlylovecanhurtlikethis #netgalley #gpputnamssonsbooks

First, this cover is absolutely gorgeous. The shattered flower definitely reflected my shattered feelings with this one. And apparently, that’s what my heart loves in books- as I’ve come to find out- to be beautifully broken and lovingly put back together.
I fell in love with the story and all the characters… this was a good one!

Wow! I didn’t think this story would be so rich, so in-depth, so “MUCH” but it proved to be that and more. Throughout the whole book, the connection between every single character is so deep and complex and connected to one another! You think things are going to go a certain way then boom…not as you expected. Anders, Jonas, Wren, and Bailey each have a lot of baggage which includes all the families and friends coming together to try and work out what is right and good. And, again, just when you think you know where it all is heading, BOOM, it throws a “I didn’t see that coming” at you and you scramble to catch up as the characters do the same!! I truly recommend this book. I shall be looking for the author’s other titles now!

Wow - I loved this story. So many relationships were explored - losing fiance, going to America to stay with the father you feel chose his other family over you and your Mom, the stepmother you thought hated you, the half sister you don't really know, a new romance with complications. I loved it so much I want to read everything this author has written!

It took me a bit to really get into the story but once I did, I was hooked. What a beautiful love story in so many ways.

I have to say first and foremost that I am not the target audience for this book. In general, I tend to find romances cheesy and it's just not my preferred writing style. I don't mind romance within a story, but most of the time when it's the basis of the entire book I find them to be just ridiculously predictable, and personally I think predictability is where good books go to die. I did not really realize this was a full on romance book, had I took a moment to click on the author's name and investigate a bit into her backlog I would have seen that her books tend to be the fluffy cheesy-in-a-good-way romances. Now... that being said, I will say that I didn't despise this book. I think as true romances go (meaning literally the romance genre and not just a book with a romance in it) it was one of the better ones because it was not the type of book that you know the ending from the very beginning. It was not all fluff and love & lovey tropes, there were difficult emotions and complicated relationships & complex characters, which I enjoyed. There was also a lot of intricate family dynamics, and best of all was the surprises. I did not see everything coming, so it managed to refrain from falling into the boring & predictable category.

Now, that being said. The writing was not anything to write home about. I was expecting more literary fiction with a romance and what I got was contemporary romance, It wasn't the absolute worst writing, the kind that is impossible to read because it's just that bad, but there were enough extra cheesy quotes and basic sentences & pathetic metaphors that I couldn't give it 4 stars. For me this was a 4 star story with 3 star writing. Worth reading if you're looking for easy beach reading material that isn't absolute garbage.

“I didn’t know it was possible to love so fully and hurt so deeply at exactly the same time.”

I have mixed feelings because what happens in this book is so complicated. I honestly have no idea what I'd do in a situation like that.

I loved the sibling aspect and navigating the complicated emotions of feeling like an outsider in your own family.

Wren grew on me. At first I found her lacking and then as the story went on, I began to love how relatable she actually is. One part had me wanting to shake her but it also showed growth on her end.

This really is a story of love and very very complicated happenings. It definitely evokes major emotions, good or bad, while reading. Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it to others who love a complicated romance.

Wren goes to America to spend the summer with her Dad after she learns her fiance is in love with someone else. She’s absolutely shattered but hopes the change of scenery will help ease the pain. Enter Anders, who’s family live on the neighboring farm. When they meet, sparks fly immediately but Anders seems dead set on keeping Wren at arms length, especially since he lost his wife in a tragic accident 4 ½ years ago. Their relationship blooms regardless and Wren quickly learns that Anders is harboring a heart stopping secret.

This book was deliciously heartbreaking. I found myself thinking of the characters long after I put the book down. There’s plenty of heavy drama and very real world problems in this story but also touching romance and lighthearted friendships that has you seriously rooting the characters on. The various relationships throughout the book are so dynamic and keeps you interested in more than just the main story line. I seriously gasped at the twist towards the end and felt like my heart was shattering too! I loved watching this story unfold.

I received this ARC for free in exchange for my honest review.

This book follows Wren, a woman who was recently left by her fiancé for his assistant. In efforts to recover from her grief, she takes a trip to America, to Indiana, more specifically... to visit her dad, stepmom and half-sister. Wren has a lot of baggage to sort through. Not only what happened between her and Scott, her ex. But also, from her childhood. Wren meets Anders, older brother to Jonas and residents at a neighboring farm up the way. While poking around her dad's peach orchard (Which struct me as a weird crop to grow in Indiana... Georgia maybe. But the climate in Indiana isn't suited for a consistent yearly harvest- But I digress) She finds a vintage Airstream trailer and decides to start rehabbing it. Eventually Bailey, her half-sister, Jonas and Anders help and it creates a bond between the four. Eventually you grow to learn that Anders and his family are keeping a secret. Wren finds out about this secret after realizing that she's fallen for Anders. But can she live with his secret?

I enjoyed all of the side characters in this book Bailey was likable although her husband Casey made no sense. I get that for the plot Bailey and Jonas couldn't hook up- but I didn't get the chemistry between Bailey and Casey.
For me, there were some continuity issues. You can tell by the way the American's were written that the author is not from USA. I get Wren using terms/slang for the UK but there were times that Anders would say something, or Jonas would, and I thought to myself, no one in America would say it like that.

Furthermore, this book took me FOREVER to get through. I read 8 other books in between starting and finishing this one. It is SLOW MOVING. But here's the real thing, the first bit of the story was fine. The last 100 pages were better. Everything in between was a miss for me. Too much repetition, too much unneeded content? Did we ever find out Why Jonas was acting up in the beginning? Maybe I don't know because I skimmed from like ch20 through when Anders and Wren went to Indy.

I understand that this is a very character motivated book, however I feel like a lot of the realizations that Wren needed to get through could have come so much quicker.

Overall, I think this book is good for some people. It wasn't for me. If you like JoJo Moyes or some of CoHo's stuff you might like this.... It just fell flat for me.

What a heartbreakingly beautiful read. It took me a while to get into this one, not because I didn't like it, but because I knew I would cry and I wasn't ready to commit just yet. Wren escapes to vacation at her father house after a breakup with her fiancee. Anders is home to check on his brother when the two meet. He lost his wife 4 years ago and has yet to move on. Neither is emotionally available, nor looking for a relationship, so they become friends. 5 stars to this amazing novel. I adored Jonas and Bailey. They are such a fun brother and sister to these two. Grab a tissue when you read this, it is so worth any tears shed.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC in exchange for my review,

Wren travels across the world to spend time with her dad, stepmom, and stepsister for a summer after a terrible breakup. She runs into Anders, a man whose family owns a neighboring farm. He seems kind of grumpy, but Wren can’t help but feel pulled towards him. Their friendship grows over the summer and Wren realizes she’s falling in love with Anders. Anders appears to be feeling the same way but has made it clear he can only be friends with Wren due to the loss of his wife a few years prior.

Despite their tragic backgrounds when it comes to love, Wren and Anders’ connection proves that true love prevails. I really enjoyed this book and it pulled on my heartstrings a bit!

Thank you to Paige Toon, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review.