I finished this book in one sitting. I’ve been reading some very heavy books lately and This one was very refreshing. I love a good love story with some dram thrown in. Going in to this book I had read articles comparing the writers writing style to Colleen Hoover.
Def gives off those vibes. I really enjoyed this and found myself rooting for wren and Anders to the end. The epilogue leaves the reader with warm and fussy feelings after closing the book.

3.5 stars (rounded to 4) out of 5.

This book was a bit slow and choppy for me. I did really like all the characters in the book especially Wren, Anders, and Jonas. There was great character development and growth. I felt like the ending was really drawn out and could have been shortened.

In the book, Wren and her fiancé Scott ended up breaking off their engagement. Wren decides she needs a break and flies to Indy to be with her father and his family for a few weeks to clear her head. She ends up meeting Anders and Jonas who happen to live next door to their farm. Wren and Anders start to have feelings for each other but Anders is harboring a big secret. Will it be a deal breaker?

This is my first book by Paige Toon and I will be reading some of her other books.

Thanks Net Galley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a heartbreaking read! I've seen comparisons made between Paige Toon and Colleen Hoover and I'm all for it. Paige takes you on such an emotional journey, this is the kind of book that will stay with you long after it's over. Definitely an unforgettable and impactful read!

Wren and her fiancé have just ended their engagement, and needing a change of scenery, she leaves the UK to visit her father and his wife in Indiana. While there, she meets two brothers, and realizes she may be able to find love again.

I loved this book with every fiber of my being. I loved seeing Wren transform from an insecure woman to a person who goes after what she wants. Anders was the perfect male counterpart, and my heart broke for them when they’re faced adversities. Paige Took knows how to write likeable characters that tug at my heartstrings.

4.5 ⭐️

An earth-shattering secret. A life-changing love story.

When Wren realizes her fiancé is in love with someone else, she thinks her heart will never recover.

On the other side of the world, Anders lost his wife four years ago and is still struggling to move on.

✨My first read by Toon did not disappoint. It made me fully understand the hype surrounding her books, and has me excited for more.

✨There was so much to love about this beautiful and emotional story. The way it warmed my heart yet also broke it. I did not see that twist coming. 😭 I loved Wren and Anders and their slow burn romance. The cast of side characters added so many complex relationships to the mix. I was invested in and rooting for all of them. The picturesque Midwest setting was describe to perfection.

What I loved;
✨Slow-Burn Romance
✨Friends to Lovers
✨Family Dynamics
✨Racing/Farming References

A heartbreaking story of love, loss, and healing you wont want to miss.

Mark your calendars. Only Love Can Hurt Like This publishes 4/25!

Thank you to Paige Toon for the gifted ARC. Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was intrigued because this book was recommended for fans of Colleen Hoover. It was very much a SLOOOOW burn and the spice was lacking but the drama was there and I could certainly see how fans of CoHo would like this as well.

I received an Advanced Reader copy from Netgalley for my honest review. This is my first novel by Paige Toon. It is a complex story about love, romantic and familial. The author wove the talents of each character into the story seamlessly. They are fun! They celebrate life and opportunities, while struggling with inner demons. So many topics are touched upon: marriage, divorce, family, depression, lost love, farming, careers, and siblings. Everything is presented in a natural progression. I will seek out other books by Paige. Enjoy!

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.