Only Love Can Hurt Like This was heartbreaking, endearing and magnetic. When Wren’s fiance leaves her for a coworker, she decides their small UK town is too small for the three of them. In an effort to give her heart some space, she travels to Indiana to live with her biological father on his new orchard. It is there, in the heartland of America, that she meets Jonas and Anders, two brothers whose family own the farm next door. With instant chemistry, Wren is drawn to Anders. There’s a darkness behind his mesmerizing eyes and Wren discovers it's due to the harrowing loss of his young wife. Author Paige Toon takes readers on a journey far beyond what is initially imagined as we discover there is so much more than meets the eye. I loved watching Wren learn to navigate a world that is different than the one she initially imagined for herself and discover how to follow her own heart. For readers that enjoy dramatic and complicated love stories sprinkled with sweetness and small town delights, Only Love Can Hurt Like This should not be missed!

A sincere thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It had character depth and development, tied. up all the loose ends, and the writing style was good. I think the book is perfectly named, too. I'm excited to add this title to my readers advisory titles for library patrons,

This is one will take your for a heartbreaking ride, though I do feel like it falls short in a few places. Wren finds out her fiancé is in love with someone else and Anders lost his wife a few years ago. When their paths cross they there is an instant whirl wind. But Anders has a secret he has been hiding and if uncovered will ruin everything.

Confession: I read this book because I loved the cover. I had never read a Paige Toon book before and I had no idea what genre(s) to expect other than contemporary fiction, but based on the title Only Love Can Hurt Like This, I expected some degree romance. After Reading, I would squarely put it in the romance category--closed door romance and somewhat similar to Katherine Center's books. The book moved slowly, and it was more character-driven than plot-driven. I felt like the ending could have been shorter. I loved that Toon's protagonist was British-American and was a strong female; the characters over all were multi-layered and well-developed. Until the emotional twist that the author throws in at about 2/3 into the book, it does feel like very little is happening. Read this book if you enjoy slow-burning (closed-door) romances, the ole' friends-to-lovers trope, or emotional twists. I would not recommend this book to someone going through heavy grief after the loss of a spouse or child.

The verdict: It's a 3.5 star book for me. Although it was slower-moving, I read the 2nd half in one sitting, The author wrote characters that the reader can root for. Will I read another Paige toon book? It is very likely I will give another one a shot.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group for this ARC.

Short synopsis: After a rough breakup Wren goes to the United States to visit her Dad and Step-mom and meets Anders.

My thoughts: This is my first Paige Toone book, I went in with high expectations because I’ve heard only great things about her books. I will definitely be reading her backlist titles.

Overall I enjoyed this one. My heart ached for Wren and all the crap she went through. And I also felt for Anders and Jonas and their struggles they went through.

While I’d classify this as a romance, I feel like it’s a lot more than that. It’s heavy and deals with some difficult content. I’d say more woman’s fiction with a hint of romance throughout.

My only drawback was it felt a little long, especially the epilogue. I did like that all the boxes were checked, and there weren’t any lingering questions, but it was a bit much. Also, I wished we’d have had more insight into Anders though process throughout. I’d have enjoyed a couple more chapters from his POV.

Read if you love:
* Friends to lovers
* Heavy topics
* Sad romances
* Small town vibes
* Racecars

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

I think this was a beautiful book that teaches you it’s okay to move on after breakups and life trauma. With that being said the book was also just a tad boring. It seemed very repetitive and the slow burning romance was literally so slow. There was hardly any romance at all to be honest and the two main characters falling in love so fast was just awkward since there wasn’t much romance between them.

Also the side hints of romance between her sister and his brother also with the sister being married was weird and then all of a sudden he has one of their best friends knocked up.

I feel like the plot was good and had great potential but just could’ve been written better.

3 stars.

I should have bought stock in Kleenex with the amount of tissues I went through when reading Paige Toon’s “Lucy in the Sky” so why I didn’t prepare myself to do the same for “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” was a mistake (again) on my part. Grab some rosé or peach bellini before settling in, because they love stories feel like real life, and while there is romance, and comedy, this is not a fluffy rom-com that you’ll skim and forget. You will scream, cry, get angry, cry some more, and run the gamut of emotions. Paige will play your heartstrings like a violin, but it’s so worth the melody she has written.

This one was really slow for me. The beginning just drug and the middle to end was more of the same. I almost DNF this one.

To all fans of Colleen Hoover's Ugly Love, Verity, and All Your Perfects.. our British/Aussie friend Paige Toon brings you 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This'. The very definition of a gut-wrenching, sad girl read with mature characters figuring out if love is a price they must pay or a gift they've received.

With such a crazy surprise twist... I almost don't even want to say anything because I truly feel that you need to experience Wren & Ander's emotionally gut-wrenching story for yourselves. Following themes of loss, betrayal, and rebuilding familial relationships amidst absolute heartbreak, two people must navigate rebuilding themselves after life gave them proverbial lemons.

NOTES:
- TWs: It's hard to describe the trigger warnings in this book without giving away the story so I'm simply going to leave you with the impression of deep familial and relationship traumas and the arduous journey that is healing.
- The main reason I'm giving it less than 4 stars is that the ending is a little choppy and seems to have almost been written in a PTSD haze. Maybe that was intentionally part of the way the author wanted it to be viewed... almost like a flashback over a particularly traumatic period that causes holes in the character's memories? But I spent more time than I wanted to, trying to figure out that section of prose, as well as a few other places throughout the book.
- Super fast read - you'll just absolutely NEED to know what the heck is going on! (It's the same way I've felt about many CHoover books where I read them almost feverishly!)

**Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free but all opinions are my own. 🖤

I should have known (and prepared myself ahead of time) that this was going to be an emotional ride. I mean, with a title like that one, it’s kind of a given right? This was my first by Paige Toon and it won’t be my last. Even though she definitely broke my heart.

What a beautiful, yet extremely sad read this was. I started off this read thinking it was going to be just a slow romance with a lot of “will they won’t they” moments & I struggled a bit at first with that. And while the pacing was on the slower side and the romance was a slower burn, the story was so much more than that. I really enjoyed watching the character growth with not only Wren, but all of the other characters too. I really felt for each & every one of them. And the big reveal closer to the end of story not only took me by surprise, but broke my heart for both Wren & Anders. Especially Anders. I look forward to reading more by Paige Toon, but next time I’ll remember to have my tissues handy. 3.5 ⭐️ (rounded down to 3)

Another emotional Paige Toon in the books!! This took me a while to get into. The setup of the story was kind of all over the place and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to focus on the friendship, family dynamics or the romance. Some parts of this story absolutely weren’t needed and made the book about 100 pages too long. The second half was great though and typical Paige Toon sucking you in with all the feelings

The twist will have you gasping and will make you wish life isn’t so unfair 😭

I enjoyed this cute little romance. I love that the main character gets her heart broken in London and finds true love in America's heartland. It was sweet and touched on some important family issues.

Our main character, Wren, visits her father in America after her fiance breaks up with her to be with another woman. She's heartbroken and needs a change of scenery, and she also has a few unexpressed feelings toward her father, stepmother, and half sister. While in America, she meets Anders and starts thinking that she may still have love in her future.

Overall this was an easy to read, relatable story. Both Wren and Anders have emotional baggage and their romance is a true slow burn. Even though we have POVs from both characters, I found it hard to really get a grasp on who they truly are. We are told their feelings about certain events, but I didn't really *feel* them, if that makes sense. Wren has trauma from the past with being basically abandoned by her father, and there was some mistreatment of Wren on the stepmother's side, but for as much as this is talked about, we only get an apology from the stepmother. This was good, but I wanted to see a showdown with her father. I guess Wren is more forgiving than I ever could be.

Anders had a lot going on with worrying about his family and the issues with his past relationship. I won't spoil it, but I wasn't expecting that to be the big reveal. It was great in theory but I just didn't feel that emotional "bang" that I thought I would with a revel like that.

The writing style felt a bit disjointed at times, but this was easily overlooked. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy messy family dynamics and slow burn romance.

✨ARC Review✨ Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a love story that makes you question "what would you do for love?" Wren is visiting her father in America after her fiance leaves her and meets Anders. His family owns the farm next door and he's in town to try and help his parents and brother.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is a roller coaster, in a good way. Wren and Anders are both carrying the baggage of the past and working to look forward. They are also both navigating the challenges of being adult children and seeing things through their parents eyes.

The relationship between Wren and Anders is slow burn, for good reason. The book takes you on a journey of Wren's healing from her old relationship, opening herself to her family, and finding what she wants. At the same time, she and Anders are pulled closer together, but he holds back. Anders own past, family complications, and his future are all at play for him.

It's an ARC and I don't want to give anything away, but this book was so good. It will pull at your heart strings and make you angry, but the end was worth it. The cast of characters is interesting with both families, plus people from the past.

If you are looking for a character driven, emotional love story, grab this when it's out on April 25, 2023.

@paige is a new to me author, but I am going to check out her back list. Thank you to @netgalley and @penguin for the advanced copy.

#bookreview #bookstagram #netgalley #onlylovecanhurtlikethis

Great story with lots of twists and turns. Pulls you in from the very beginning. An added benefit, the major setting was Indiana and she highlighted many places that I know. Someone unrelated to Indiana wouldn't notice the references, but people who live in Indy or Bloomington will really enjoy the setting.

Paige Toon is a popular UK author and this book right here is her first traditionally published book in the states! So exciting!

Short Synopsis:
When Wren’s fiancés leaves her, she packs her bags and heads to America to stay with his dad on his farm in Indiana. She reconnects with her half-sister and the two meet the brothers next door.

My Thoughts:
This book had a ton of potential! I loved the overall story and messy complicated romances. To me it felt like 100 pages too long though. There’s several trigger warnings that I wish I knew before going in as well.

Read if You Like:
🌽 Colleen Hoover books
🌽 Midwest romances
🌽 Alcohol
🌽 Pumpkin patches
🌽 Complicated family bonds
🌽 Messy romances

After Wren's fiancée breaks off their engagement, she travels from England to Indiana to spend a few weeks with her Dad in Indiana. She meets Anders, whose family lives next to her Dad's farm. As weeks go by, Wren and Anders spend a lot of time together restoring an Airstream and hanging out with their siblings. Wren finds herself interested in Anders but knows his wife died a few years ago. Yet it seems Anders is hiding a huge secret from Wren. Will they be able to work together? This wasn't only about Wren and Anders but also Wren's relationship with her dad, step-mother and step-sister and how they grow closer over the summer. It also shows how Wren, her step-sister, Anders and his brother all work together to help out their family farms.

If you love a good heartbreaking but oh so good romance- look no further! My heard ached reading this but it never took away from how fabulous it was! New favorite author!

Never read anything by this author. I was suprised how wonderful this book was. It tears at your heart what they go thru. I couldn’t imagine having to see my spouse be kept alive by machines. You can’t move on it’s like ur trapped with a person that’s only alive by machines. I cried a lot with this book. I would recommend this book.

I liked this book so much more than I thought I would. It kinda stole my heart... First of all, Paige Toon made Indiana actually feel charming and vibrant and a fantastic setting for a budding romance. I loved the main character's impressions of the Midwest and a modern farming / agritourist lifestyle. Besides her witty British humor, both she and her love interest had a huge amount of depth and their "slow burn" was so refreshing after so many of the graphic / more sex focused romances today. The only thing I didn't care for was the title but I think it makes sense after reading it. I'll definitely be recommending this book to those who need a good love story to get them out of their reading rut.