The blurb compared to to meyers and Hoover. And honestly it tracks. I really felt like it was trying way too hard to be like these other others and didn’t develop a voice of it’s own.

I accepted this book for review on a whim, because the promo line essentially says it’s a read-alike for Jojo Moyes and I loved the Me Before You series. Unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me, and it was an ok read but probably not something I’ll think about again.

It actually started off very good, and I was pulled in by Wren’s dilemma with her fiancé breaking things off with her. I liked the writing and description of those moments, and how Wren and he both responded. And I loved the family dynamics playing out, and getting to see how Wren’s family was still working through a lot of stuff from the divorce that happened during her childhood, and how she had to work to change things now as an adult in her 30s. A lot of us can relate lol. I also enjoyed the fleshed out careers of characters and the Indiana locations. I spent some very pivotal times in Bloomington, Indy, etc, and I liked the way the general vibe was captured of the places and the farming.

However, the story transitions were clunky to me and I could get past it when they started happening in the final third of the novel. I know the secret that Ander’s is keeping is supposed to be very shocking and yet sympathetic but it felt unrealistic that Wren wouldn’t have found out sooner if, as Anders and others say, it wasn’t a secret just something personal that didn’t get shared easily. It is probably this that also made it feel a bit like a flimsy way to make the story happen, and why the desperately sad situation felt more like the melodrama of cheap tv than a deeply affecting story I was reading. On top of this, the author suddenly switches to Anders POV/narration at the end and it’s so jarring that coupled with the previous issues I just lost connection completely.

Maybe someday I’ll try another book by this author. But for now, my rating is: “meh”.

I'm sure many people will enjoy this book, but it was not really my kind of story. Will be a nice beach read. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Such a beautiful novel and just what I was needing! A novel that will break your heart in the best way! Beautiful and unforgettable read!

This was a great read. The story was very character driven which was so well done. The story was a little slow at times but ended up being well worth the time.

This is the first time I have ever read a book by Paige Toon. When an author is said to be of the likes of Colleen Hoover, one must read said book being described as such. This book, while slow at times, was a great read with a heart breaking storyline, but with the ending that everybody wants, much like the said Colleen Hoover's books. Paige Toon, is all about the romance, I've gathered from looking at her previously published book titles and from this book, with 'love' in the titles. I recommend this book to anybody looking for a slow burn, non spicy book, Colleen Hoover-esq book, with a little room for love and a tiny bit of crying.

After a not so heartbreaking breakup, Wren is visiting her father and sister in small town Indiana for a few weeks in the summer, when she crosses paths with Anders and Jonas, two brothers from the neighboring farm. Wren is taken with Anders and soon finds herself spending all of her time with the brothers, but Anders is secretive and may be harboring a secret that will make Wren pull back from their budding romance. Will the secrets keep them apart or will they find a way to be together?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced readers copy of Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon, in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading Paige's previously published books as well as her future works.

This is a first time author for me and she did not disappoint! It’s an easy feel good love story that captures all the emotions. Her characters come to life and keep you engaged in their lives. Divorce, grief and true love are written with such truth and feeling that make her characters so real. #OnlyLoveCanHurtLikeThis #PaigeToon #NetGalley

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is an exceptional page-turner strengthening the concepts of love, loyalty, honesty, hard-work, faithfulness and eventually peace. The characters are strong and supportive of each other to the point of exhaustion but out of love and respect which is so evident throughout the novel. This is a fantastic read.

Troupe- Small town romance and definitely a slow burn. Wren and Anders two people with so much baggage!! I love the characters: Wren, Anders, Jonas, Bailey. I love the development of the plot and characters was executed great. I love Paige Toon's writing and she never disappoints!!

Only Love Can Hurt Like This, is a heart-wrenching love story. Fans of Colleen Hoover will love this book and the twists and turns it takes. I can’t wait to read more!!!

Summary – After being dealt a crummy hand in life and her recent break up with her fiancé, Wren returns to the states to spend time with her father and escape her troubles. After a drunken night on the town with her half-sister Bailey she runs into neighbor Anders while walking home. After spending the summer on her dads farm and with the neighbors she realizes she has devolved feelings for Anders only he has some major unresolved baggage. During this time on the farm Wren also has time to heal her relationship with her father, step-mom, and half-sister Bailey. Love can hurt but will Wren and Anders work things out?


Pros- I really liked that the characters didn’t seem immature, I also liked how things wrapped up with Anders and Laurie's parents. This started out as an extremely slow burn for me but picked up around 50% and I could not wait to see what happened.

Cons- Started out as a very slow burn

Troupe- Small town romance

TW- Rejection, Cheating

ARC provided by NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam in exchange for honest review.

I have never read anything by Paige Toon before but I will now. This was a delightful read with great characters. It had me captivated right from the start.

This book was beautiful. Wren and Anders story was so real, and emotional. They are going to stay with me for a long time. Both of them have baggage that they have to overcome, and true family that is there for them thru everything. I will be recommending this book to everyone when it comes out!

Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon publishes April 2023. When someone you think you love leaves you,. Nothing in the world hurts more than that! But then when the person who truly loves you comes along, don’t let the past keep you hostage. I really loved this book and it made me cry several times

Put this down at 20%. I found the main character extremely irritating, and the storytelling was going much slower than I would prefer. May work for other people, but wasn't for me!

When Wren's fiance tells her that he's in love with someone else, her mother convinces her to go visit her father in America to give her some space and time to heal. While there, she's able to strengthen relationships with her half-sister, Bailey, her stepmom, and her father. She also meets and befriends the brothers living on the neighboring farm. As she starts falling for the younger brother, Anders, a heart-breaking secret is revealed.

This was my first Paige Toon novel, and I really enjoyed the way she developed the characters and their relationships with one another. Though this novel is advertised as similar to Jojo Moyes, this one didn't leave me sobbing like Me Before You did. Don't get me wrong, it's still sad, and the obstacles feel overwhelming. However, I thought the older brother, Jonas, was more interesting. It's not a bad book, and I will definitely recommend it to readers who like this genre. For me, though, it was average - enjoyable but not one to stay with me long after I close the book.

I’m in sheer awe of this book. And I can’t wait for this to be out in the word so that I can start forcing almost everyone I know to read it. Because this was one fantabulous read!! Also I really loved how some of the serious were very handled and done!!

This was another one I couldn't put down. I knew there was something big coming but I wasn't expecting the revelation that became the major obstacle.

Wren is in Indiana visiting her father when she meets Anders. There's a connection between them, but Anders blatantly ignores it and instead wants friendship. But it comes to a point when they can ignore it no longer and then the truth comes to light.

There's a lot in this story, from Wren's family situation, her recent breakup, her job in England, her relationship with her dad, stepmother and half-sister, and then Anders family and his brother and their farm. So much going on.

I liked how the end wrapped up after all the impossibilities.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I don’t know if I could love a book more!! This might be my favorite book for 2023!
My heart is bursting of love for the main characters: Wren, Anders, Jonas, Bailey. The farm. I love everything about this book.

Brief summary: Wren is an architect and lives in United Kingdom. Shes been there since a child growing up with her mum. She’s engaged but her fiancé realizes his sole mate is someone else. She decides to visit her dad who lives in Indiana. They bought a farm in small town after Bailey and her husband married and he got a job in this town. Bailey is her half sister. This small town has two Swedish brothers Anders and Jonas.

Wren and Anders characters go through a lot of growth over those summer months they spend together. Not necessarily together but both characters have a lot of past grief, loss and sadness they work through. This story shows that grief will forever be there, but there are ways in which you can manage your grief so that it doesn’t forever consume you. You can learn to love again after loss, and it is okay to do that, even if those you love still possess fractions of your heart. This is not an over the top romance book but one that will pull and tug at your heart strings make you smile but also make you cry. Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love Paige Toon and am so glad I started this on a Saturday because there is no way I could have gone to work after staying up so late to finish it. I was completely ensnared by Wren’s story as she leaves home to spend time with the father she feels distant from in order to give herself the space to heal from recent heartbreak. Falling in love again is the last thing on her mind but meeting Anders has her heart fluttering even before it has been fully healed. Vulnerable on so many levels, Wren still cannot ignore the desire to spend time with him but she is not the only one with complications. His might be the ones that keep them apart. This was a heart wrenching read as Wren gets to find her true place in her family and she and Anders start to develop feelings no one around them can ignore. I loved how effortless the writing seemed. Within just a few pages I was swept away and unable to surface again until I had my HEA.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.