⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is such a good book!

When Wren’s fiancé leaves her for another woman, she needs to get away and heal her heartbreak. She decides to go to Indiana to visit her dad, who she hasn’t seen in a long time.
Anders lost his wife in a tragic accident four years ago, and has been having a hard time moving on.
Wren and Anders meet and have to navigate through lots of emotional issues.

This story was written and described so beautifully, that I felt like I was there. It kept me on my toes with a few twists too!
This book had me thinking about it long after I had finished. This book will definitely be one I will be reading again! This was such a beautiful story of love, loss, and healing.

📘: Only love can hurt like this - by Paige Toon
🗓️: April 25, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Paige Toon, and Penguin Group Putnam, for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

This book made me laugh, this book made me cry, and it made me cling to my husband like Saran Wrap and tell him he can never never leave me😂😅

The writing was well done and I was never bored! The story was well paced, the romance never felt forced or cheesy. It was sweet and endearing, heart wrenching even.

Not to mention seeing how the family dynamics changed and grew over the course of the book. I always love seeing families heal and come together in a story 🥰

The twists toward the end completely threw me and had me turning back to past chapters when I realized I missed something. Paige Toon created a masterpiece in that!

I haven’t cried from a book in a long time, but this one did me in and it may be in my top 10 favorite books of all time.

PUB DAY is on April 25th 💙🌷

Big thanks to @netgalley and @putnambooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review 💛

An absorbing novel of a romance within a captivating story of family relationships, hard decisions, and lives missing out on living.
When Wren travels to visit her father in Indiana, she leaves England with a broken heart and engagement. She never felt connected to her father or her step family after he left her mother. It is her hope to finally form relationships with them.
Anders and Jonas live in the farm adjacent to her father’s. They both are complicated beings. Wren is drawn to Anders who has his demons like Wren and Jonas. The story is exceptional as it traces the complications of relationships as the summer unfolds.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was like a Hallmark movie in the best possible way!

Wren's fiancé left her for another woman, sending her in to a bit of a tailspin. She decides to take refuge at her father and step-mother's new farm in Indiana. She soon meets the brothers that run the neighboring farm and takes in interest in Anders. Anders lost his wife and is still working through the pain of his grief. Neither of them feels ready to move on, but the universe keeps putting them in each other's path.

I love a small town romance. The farm was so quaint and charming. These two characters were working through pain of grief due to broken relationships. They are also working to mend fences with family. The characters are engaging and I couldn't wait to see where they ended up.

*I was provided a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover was what drew me in on this one, but I really enjoyed it! I was really drawn to the characters, especially Anders. I don't think the "devastating secret" was as dramatic as the blurb made it seem, but maybe I'm just used to extremes. Even still, it was a good book that I would absolutely recommend.

It’s been a while since I read a book that was so good it was difficult to put down, yet at the same time I didn’t want the story to end. That’s what this book was.

I loved the characters, the plot, and how it gripped you. There were moments I wanted to scream. Moments that tugged at my heart strings. And so many moments that I wanted to cry. This book had it all. It may end up being one of my favorites of the year.

I’d definitely recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Very sweet slow burn romance that is pretty tame on the spice but does not fall short to pull on your heart strings. Very well written and I am very excited to see more from this author

This is my first Paige Toon novel and it won’t be my last. I was impressed with how the author was able to build reader connections to the characters that grew stronger throughout the chapters.

The title clues you in that this book will explore the pain that can sometimes go hand in hand with love; however, the emotional journey that Wren and Anders travel together is absolutely gut wrenching.

This is my first time read a Paige Toon book and won’t be the last! I was instantly pulled into this story and felt like the insecurities that Wren faced hit so close to home for me as well. Though reading how Wren cycled through her feeling made me rethink my own with family. I’ve not read another book that pulled me in and connected so well. Then you have Anders story and all the surprises within it which is something I don’t think a lot of people think about unless we are in his shoes and living his story. I would recommend this book over and over again. Well done!

Romance novels are not my usual genre but I was intrigued by the book description. I found it to be a sweet and easy read. It was predictable but I enjoyed it.

It certainly is, "an earth-shattering secret. A life-changing love story". This is my first book that I have read from Paige Toon. The story captured my attention and I lost track of time. It was the build up, the secret, and what happens next. An amazing story, that sure did surprise me. I will be reading more of Paige Toon's books.
I received an ARC from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley.

What a wonderfully surprising and thoughtful read from Paige Toon who is a new author to me but not for long! I will definitely be reading more from her in the future -- she has a new fan! I love Ms. Toon's writing style -- the description and narrative put me right in the middle of that farm in Indiana. I could smell the hay and the rain when it stormed and I felt every emotional step these characters took on their journey. Anders and Wren, Jonas, Bailey & Casey, their parents -- each and every character was thoroughly well-developed. This was a heartbreaking, intensely emotional read for me. I'm not going to reveal much about the story line because I don't want to ruin it for anyone else who picks up this book like I did not knowing what I was in for. But be warned -- be prepared to set aside some time because you won't want to put it down! Family dynamics, friendships, heartbreaks, romance and some really surprising twists make this a 5-star read for me and one that will stay with me for a while. I'm very grateful to have been given an opportunity to read an early copy of this book for NetGalley.

This book. It kept me turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. And then it kept me thinking about Anders and Wren long after I should have been asleep. While somewhat predictable, there were many moments where it could have taken a turn in a different direction, so it definitely kept me on my toes.

But what was so striking to me about this book was the authors descriptions of events. I felt as if i was truly on the farm, smelling the peaches, sitting by the lake and shooting pool at Dirk's. The way that she described the electricity between Wren and Anders made me feel like I was there, watching the stolen glances and falling deep into Ander's eyes.

This book is a must read and I will now be delving deep into Toon's book archive for more.

I feel like the outlier on this one. I thought it was just okay, This book was way too slow for my liking.

The beginning starts off great and you are really attaching to the characters then it just drags to where I check to see how far I am into the book before anything good starts to happen, and I am at 76%. I get that some people love a slow burn, I just don't. So, I can see why so many people love this book and I am so happy they do. Also, for me I think because I waited so long for Wren and Ander's to get their selves together that I lost interest in them. I actually think that Jonas and Bailey had more chemistry that these two had.

The twist... just didn't seem believable to me. No one mentioned it before 300 pages of the story?

I would definitely try another book from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

This story from an author I have never read before is one of those writers that can tell a story that stops your world. Clear a day when you buy this book because it seriously is one you will not stop reading until you turn the last page.

Toon tells the story from one end of the spectrum to another; heart-wrenching pain from secrets and hurts, then soaring love that fills the reader with joy. It is an addicting read!

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a book that is more of an experience than anything else. It’s simple in its plot yet complex in its heartfelt emotions. The character development of Wren and Anders is amazing.

Since this is the first book I’ve read by this author, I have nothing to compare it to, but I do know that this will not be the only book I’ve read by this author. This is definitely a story you will want to read again and again. Deeply emotional and so damn good. What a romance!

Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon is a delightful romance novel. This is the first book that I have read by Paige Toon but it won’t be my last. This story is not just a romance novel. It is about the love been siblings, parents and their children.

Wren leaves England and returns to the Country of her birth for a vacation. I use the word vacation loosely. She is going to see her father after she discovers her fiancé is in love with someone else. Heartbroken, Wren is hoping that a change of scenery will help her sort out her broken heart. When she arrives she begins to forge a friendship with her half-sister and her step mother as well as re-establishing a relationship with her Dad. Wren and her sister make friends with a couple of local, handsome, brothers.

The characters were well developed, likeable and mysterious. The setting is very well done as you can see the barn, smell the hay and walk into the house. The twists in the plot kept my attention especially near the end. I loved the epiloge, it was just the cherry on top.

I would like to thank Paige Toon, Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anders and Wren should never have met. Wren is an architect from the UK; Anders is a racing engineer based in Indianapolis. As each seeks to recover from an emotional blow, fate sees fit to bring them together.

When Wren’s fiancé leaves her for another woman, she needs to get away from the familiar. She decides to head to the states, to visit the father she hasn’t seen in some time. She hopes spending the summer at his farm in Indiana will help her clear her head and heal her broken heart.

Having lost his wife in a tragic accident four years ago, Anders has been unable to move forward. Spending time on the family farm helping his brother brings him some of the peace he needs. Until the night he meets Wren.

For the first time since his wife’s accident someone has broken through Anders’ shell. Yet even as Wren tries to get closer, Anders does his best to keep a distance. He’s torn between the memories of his wife and his growing feelings for Wren. Because Anders is hiding a secret. He knows that if he shares it he could lose what he’s finding with Wren. But keeping the secret isn’t an option.

Wren is struggling to figure out why she wasn’t enough for her fiancé, why she wasn’t enough for the father who left her and her mother and why she doesn’t seem to be enough for Anders. But spending time with her father and the half sister she never really knew opens Wren’s eyes to things she’s been missing. As she evaluates her life she begins to gain the confidence she’s been lacking.

Overall, this book has more angst than I usually enjoy in the stories I read, but after the first few chapters, it was that same angst that pulled me farther into the story. The author does a great job of flushing out her characters, letting their vulnerabilities show through and making them relatable. I enjoyed watching Wren come into her own, as she discovered the person she could be. The strength she found let her be the support Anders’ needed to open up, to share his secret and to move beyond his tragedy. This story invoked a myriad of feelings, from frustration and anxiety to warmth and humor making the tears, both sad and happy ones, that it brought to my eyes were well worth it. This is a wonderful story of tragedy and healing that shouldn’t be missed.

This story starts with a heartbreak. Not only a heartbreak, but her former fiancé lives in the neighborhood in England and she frequently runs into him and his new girlfriend. Her mother suggests a change of scenery. She works remotely and decides to have an extended visit with her father, stepmother and stepsister in Indiana. Her father is a farmer in a small town rural area. Her stepsister and husband live in the town. Next door, another farmer and his wife live, and their 2 sons are a distraction.
This really is a book about growth and relationships. Her relationship with her father, stepmother, stepsister and others is a focal point of this book. The author does a great job in conveying emotion. Should she return to her old life in England, or stay in America where she has found new love.
I really enjoyed this book. Many secrets, personal and family, are discovered in this book. Don't miss this very enjoyable book!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley and the publisher.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it sucks you in from the beginning and is well written. I didn't care for the plot twist, it made me think less of a lot of the characters and made the struggles leading up to it irrevelant (No spoilers). That being said, it was an enjoyable read and I stayed up late to finish it. 3.5/5 stars.
Thanks to Paige Toon, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 🌟

Thank you so much to netgalley for providing me access to Only Love Can Hurt Like This in exchange of an honest review.

This book was stunning from the vibrant cover of the book & intriguing characters to the hypnotizing storyline.

The story draws you in from the first chapter and doesn’t let you go until the very end.

I always enjoy a book that brings about a situation that encourages you to ponder outside of your own situations and this book did just that. It touches on very emotional topics such as divorce, death, complicated familial relationships, love and moving on with life.

This book will stir conversations in your own mind and most likely, with those around you (at least it did for me).

I absolutely adored all the characters and could have see this continuing on as a series (fingers crossed).