Why has it taken me this long to read a Paige Toon book?
This was such a good read. It was full of heartbreak and moving on. It was full of the first spine-tingling feelings of a crush that turns into a very real love. She needed a fresh start and that's exactly what she got.
Not only was the story so much fun to read, the writing was just phenomenal. I love how descriptive Paige Toon is with her characters. I was able to envision them very clearly in my head. All the characters had the best personalities.

Not only is this a love story, I felt that this was a story of belonging. Everyone has had that moment in their families when they feel as if they don't belong. The FMC, Wren, did not feel as though she belonged to her father's family. He left them when she was young and started a new family. Although she did see him every now and then, she wasn't ever able to forge a relationship with his new wife or her new baby sister. As an adult, all of this changes. She puts forth the effort, as do they, and they all realize that family is the most special thing. Wren even gets the most special best friend / sister out of the experience.

So Wren goes back to America to visit her father and his family post-breakup from her fiance after he admits to have fallen in love with someone else. They leave things cordial and remain civil. Wren is heartbroken but is easily kept busy once she arrives at her father's farm. Her sister Bailey tries bonding with her and when they're out at a bar one night she is stumbling home and meets the neighbor. He's grumpy and she's sunshine. He's beautiful and Wren can't get him out of her head.
The problem is... he has a past. It comes back to haunt him every time Wren gets too close. Is he able to overcome his problems and leave the past behind in order to create a happy future?

There is so much emotion in this book. I love the way that we see Wren start to connect with her sister, Bailey. There's heartbreak, as Wren picks up the pieces after her fiance breaks things off. There's moving on. There's newfound love. There's more heartbreak. And my favorite...there's a happily ever after.

I'm not ashamed to say that the cover of this book is what really drew me in. The title as well. I knew that there would be heartbreak and healing. I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew that I would cry sad and happy tears. I did just that. I honestly was not expecting as much as I got from this book. I enjoyed every second of it and found myself getting lost in it for hours.

If you're looking for a comfort read, this is just that.
There's also racing references. British FMC. Heartbreak. Happily Ever After. Split family dynamics. Healing from hurt/ending of a relationship. Newfound love. Sister relationship. Strong supporting characters. Slow-burn.

Now this is the story I've been looking for. This is how a story should be told. I connected with Wren right from the 1st page. The character progression is amazing. I really fell in love with each character the more I learned about them. I love the twists and turns and I definitely burst into tears a few times without warning because I was so invested that my emotions were one with the characters. No book has ever been able to suck me in like that before. I never wanted to stop reading (darn sleep and work, just kidding) This was my first Paige Toon book but it most definitely won't be my last. I can't say enough about this book and I'm so happy I was given the chance to read it!!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was slow going, very character driven. Which I enjoy in a typical romance novel, but this book is more than just light/fluffy romance between the two main characters. There is quite the flare of drama and heartache, coupled with themes of grief/loss/depression. If you want your heart strings tugged at, definitely give this a shot

I've been wanting to read the author but haven't had a chance to pick up her books yet so I'm so excited I got a copy of her newest!

This is a very sweet story and I learned so much about the farming industry, IndyCar racing, architecture, and caring for a loved one that has gone through a traumatic experience.

The main character has recently ended her engagement with her fiance and moved from London to the US to take a break from her normal life and spend time with her dad and her family in the US. The book is paced very slowly and did take a bit for me to really feel connected and invested in the characters but once it hit a certain point, I could not put this down and had to know how one part of the story would be resolved. There is a lot of grief in this story along with mental illness, depression, broken relationships, and hospice care.

I loved getting to know the characters here - Wren, Anders, Jonas, and Bailey, and loved seeing their friendship and relationships grow. Paige Toon makes you think about what you would do in some difficult situations.

Paige toon does it again! is there anything she writes that is bad? I have loved every single book by her that ive read and I will continue to read them becuase. I can't get enough. she makes me feel emotions I didn't even know I had.

5 enormous stars! This novel had me at hello! Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a romance novel that will break your heart and then mend all the pieces back together again! The characters are all so darn endearing and their relationships were built throughout the novel very organically. I was on the hook from start to finish because I was so emotionally invested in these characters and couldn’t wait to see where their journey would take them!

How is it that Only Love Can Hurt Like This my very first Paige Toon novel!?!? I am absolutely kicking myself for not reading her sooner, but the up side to this is the fact that I can binge read all of her previous books—winning!!! I highly recommend everyone put Only Love Can Hurt Like at the very top of their summer reading list! A true MUST READ!

"You can't help who you fall in love with...."

A mesmerizing tale of pure romance.
Wren thought she had it all.
She’s an architect, engaged and content?
Scott, her fiance, falls in love with a coworker.
Heart-broken and confused by the ending of their engagement, Wren takes a trip to Indiana, to visit her father and his family.

Anders and Wren's romance is one centered around coming home and healing, it was a slow-burn that was so rewarding..
I was completely consumed by their story.


Thank you to netgalley, Penguin and the Author for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a love story between an American guy and a British American girl who are not ready to get involved in a relationship but slowly start to falling in love with each other.
Wren and Anders were both researching themselves when they met. Wren had a strong opinion about relationships, specially because her parents got divorced due to her dad’s unfaithfulness and she just got dumped by her fiancé. Anders were still in love with his ex, not so ex, -wife. The plot guides the reader through their relationship and raise questions that anyone thought they always have known the answers, but now looking through a different perspective, are you really sure about it?
What is considered unfaithfulness? When is it time to let it go and move on with life? All these questions will be hunting the reader while reading Only Love Can Hurt Like This. Paige Toon chose a complex, ready to jump to conclusions topic but presented it in such a way that fights all the bias that the reader could have.
Only Love Can Hurt Like This is an exciting story that will make you laugh and cry, and rethink about life options. The book is great for young adults and new adults, but I can see that women would be more driven towards the story than men because of the way the narrative evolves.
Despite my obsession on how the topic is brought to the narrative, I give 4 out 5 starts to Paige Toon book. The book started with a catchy plot; however after the first quarter of the book, the information felt fluffy. I can tell that it was a moment that Wren was trying to find herself again, but took too long for the plot to starting creating form and sense to what the author wants. Once the last quarter of the book was reached, the new information was thrown one on top of the another, becoming hard to comprehend what was going on.

Oh man. This slow burner 😭 I loved this story. The shock of Ander’s secret and how it affected everything. Lauren’s parents. Jonas and his overcoming of past loves. Bailey and Wren’s growing sisterly bond. Oh I just loved this one. I just wanted to know that everyone ended up how they should.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC! Pub date April 27, 2023.

I'm newly introduced to Paige Toon through Bookstagram, though I haven't read any of her books yet, so when I saw Only Love Can Hurt Like This pop up on NetGalley, I knew I wanted to give her a try.

I really wasn't disappointed.

When Wren discovers that her fiancé is in love with someone else, she breaks the engagement and, broken hearted, leaves to visit her father and step family in the US. She's hoping to heal from her grief and reconnect with her dad and step sister. What she doesn't expect is to cross paths with Anders, son of a neighboring farmer.

Anders is dealing with grief of his own, after losing his wife in a freak accident. He's struggling to move on and meeting Wren has made everything worse.

Wren can't help falling in love with him, but when she learns the truth about his wife, she's certain there can be no future for them.

This was such an emotional read. You can't deny that there are only so many plots for a romance novel, and I liked the direction that Toon took with this one with respect to Ander's wife, Laurie. This certainly isn't a lighthearted romance--there's a lot of grief here: of broken relationship's, of wanting stronger relationship's with one's parents, discussion of depression, and hospice care.

There was also a fun, varied cast--Wren is a likable lead and Bailey and Jonas are a hoot. I also LOVED that this story was mostly set in Indiana. Not that it was Indiana specifically, but after feeling like every recent read was set in LA or NYC, it was refreshing to be thrown on a midwestern peach farm.

If I were looking for anything that didn't work for me, I might suggest that the wrap up happened too smoothly for how drawn out the rest of the book was. It meandered a bit, and though that was fine as I wasn't looking for a fast paced read, it just seemed too good to be true.

But I absolutely enjoyed this title and I'm looking forward to diving into this author's past books.

Special thanks to Penguin Group Putnam for giving me the opportunity to read a copy of this book in exchange for a review on NetGalley.

This book was not what I was expecting.

This was my first Toon book, and I will say I was drawn to this book mainly because of the title. Overall, I liked the storyline, but there were elements which I didn't connect with or enjoy.

One big thing with this book is that this isn't a typical romance. In my opinion, the romance lacked in places and was almost too slow-burn especially for being marketed as a romance. I think it would help to go into this book with an open mind and not to expect your typical romance novel. This book is about more than the romance, and I think the genre should reflect that instead of being a romance. .

In nature, this book is slower paced. The story seemed to move slowly despite the timeline moving swiftly if that makes sense. Overall, I didn't mind the pacing, but I felt like the plot never really built up. The big secret also was predictable for me. So I didn't think it was that shocking, and it didn't take me by surprise.

Another problem I had was it felt repetitive in places. It felt as though statements and observations were mentioned several times, and most of the time it was stuff that didn't need to mentioned more than once or twice.

I also had a hard time believing the MC"s age. Her thoughts and certain behaviors felt very much like 18 year old vibes, and it did make it hard to believe her character.

Overall, I did enjoy several other aspects of the book like the setting, the side characters, and the familial themes. Although I didn't connect with the MC, I did invest myself into some of the other more side characters. I really enjoyed the small town aspects. The setting was very detailed and familiar for me.

While this book wasn't a favorite for me, I definitely think there are people out there who will deeply enjoy this book. Overall, this book just wasn't meant for me, and that's okay. I would still recommend this book to people who are looking for a romance novel that is more than just a typical romance.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Overall Rating: 4/5

This story was equal parts beautiful and heart wrenching.
I encourage you to go in to it blind knowing that it’s in the romance genre, but not your standard romance.
The beginning was very slow paced, setting the scene. I was not bored because of the descriptive, pretty style of writing (reminiscent of Kristin Hannah) although I didn’t feel the story was really going anywhere. Eventually the narrative takes a big turn and the story is just sad, heartwarming- really all of the emotions.
I encourage you to put this on your list for when it is released in April, and thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to receive an early copy!

Loved this book so much! I was pulling for wren and Anders the whole book and loved the character the development and watching them both work through their past heartaches. I will definitely be reading more from Paige.

What a beautiful (and emotional) love story! From the moment Wren and Anders meet, I knew this was going to be one intense journey between the two characters. To see how much they evolve and all the challenges they must overcome made their love all the more rich and all the more real. This is so much more just about romance... it is about family, grief, acceptance, letting go, and all the hard work it takes to be free and where we want to be in life. First time reading this author and looking forward to reading more of her work.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the eARC!

My first Toon book! The first few chapters had me absolutely hooked. I love women’s fiction and I know this is something Toon does well. I really loved the characters, the small town farm setting, the love interest, familial themes, and the main character’s growth. I did find the book to be a bit repetitive though with a big lull in the middle and I wasn’t a fan of the third act conflict. I was prepared for a huge, shocking twist and there definitely was one but i didn’t really like how everything was wrapped up with that. While this particular book didn’t end up being my favorite, I’m still eager to check out her backlist and future releases. I would recommend this to fans of small town, slow burn romance that is reminiscent of Mia Sheridan but more based in reality.

Well...*wipes eyes and clutches book to my chest*...this story took hold of my heart.

As always, Paige Toon knows how to invite readers into a story and introduce us to a perfectly flawed yet loveable character. The book starts with Wren's heart breaking and the life she thought she'd have shattering. I would have followed Wren anywhere. I felt like I was right there, watching her fiance on that park bench. I knew Wren for two pages and was beyond invested. I would have followed her anywhere...even a small farming town where her heart gets flipped upside down.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a devastating and wholesome love story with a very unexpected twist that will have you flipping through the pages as fast as you can, even while your heart breaks.

Thank you, Net Galley and Penguin Putnam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

PUB DATE: April, 24, 2023

My goodness I couldn’t put this one down. What an incredible book. I loved everything. It was a wonderfully told story about family and love. I definitely would recommend this to anyone looking for a romance read that will make them feel

Paige Toon has a gift for writing about nuanced life (love, loss, betrayal, post-trauma, grief), nuanced characters and nuanced relationships. Nothing is black and white. The twist was a bit surprising. I know of a real life situation very similar to this and the plot felt plausible to me, In the past I have turned to Paige Toon for a Brit-lit fix, but she set this book largely in Indiana, USA. I loved the farmland setting, and how all of the labor intensive work was therapeutic. Hope, love and healing win.
Thank you #NetGalley and #PenguinGroupPutnam for the ARC e-book

This was a very heartbreaking story. It is a story of love, grief hope!. Loved everything about this story.
Highly recommend it! Read this book you will not be disappointed.
Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for a honest review.

Started 2023 off with a comfort read.
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I read the Jessie Jefferson series last summer and they were the first books I've read by Paige. I loooooooooved the series so much that I knew, I HAD to read more books by Paige. I had the amazing opportunity to do so, with her upcoming book;
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Wren needs a fresh start from life. Her fiancé, or well ex fiancé left her for another woman. Currently living in the UK, Wren decides to visit her dad and stepmom on their farm in Indiana, US. Be as far as possible from her broken heart. Although her dad left her when she was a kid due to cheating on Wren's mother, she feels like it's the right thing to do. Maybe she can finally strengthen their relationship?! Gladly she gets along well with her stepsister.
Wren crosses paths with Anders, one of the brothers of the family who lives next door. And that's the start of a special friendship. As feelings start to unfold, Wren is scared to make the first step, due to all of her heart breaks and being left behind way too many times. On the other side Anders cannot seem to get over his last big love. Additionally he is hiding a big secret, he's avoiding developing feelings for Wren and scared to get too close to dealing with his past.
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I was NOT expecting that very emotional twist at the end. It had me close to tears not gonna lie. Although sometimes throughout the book I would've wished more twists. I had no expectations whatsoever going into this book and I'm glad I didn't because it was the comfort read I didn't know I needed! Loved this!

I highly recommend if you like:
-Comfort read
-Farm romance
-Event planing
-Heroine who fights for the boy 🥰
-Formula 1 references
-Sister relationships
-Emotional rollercoaster lol
-Split family dynamics