The beginning is excellent. Wren’s transition to America and life on two different farms in a small town is interesting. The friendships she develops upon arrival are heartwarming. The twist in the book is breathtaking. However, the story seems to go on far too long. At first I didn’t want to stop reading and then I didn’t want to keep reading but fortunately the book crescendoed in a gorgeous way at the end. 3.5 stars

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC.

An unexpected favorite. I was Immediately engrossed in the the story of Wren, Anders and their families.
Wren, a stuffy English woman, who was recently dumped, dealing with abandonment issues by her father.
Anders, the sexy next door neighbor and race car driver who appears aloof and uninterested, dealing with family problems of his own.
The story unfolds like peeling back an onion. Wren and Anders get closer and the big secret is revealed. A heartbreaking turn of events that threaten to shatter happily ever after. An emotional read that will stick with you long after the last page.

This one was HEARTBREAKING. It was painstakingly good. I loved every page - 5 stars! Highly recommend to a book club.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Solid 3 stars for me. I only really got into about 80% in, but knowing I had to write a review is what kept me reading. It was sooooo long. It seemed as if there were a lot of unnecessary details like the name and artist of a song that was playing. Skimmed right over.
I liked the characters, but I do feel as if Wren was a bit of a wet blanket. Always putting herself down got old, quick. Have some confidence, girl! She was an architect for Pete’s sakes. One thing that bothered me, but I’m not even quite sure why, was the amount of drinking that Wren needed to do to “loosen up.” Every time she drank, she explained what she was drinking and how wasted she was. I didn’t care for that piece. Or, pieces, since it happened more than once.
Anders and Jonas were both likable, as were their parents and Wren’s parents.
The storyline kept me guessing but it did seem to drag on forever and then everything happened in the last 10% of the book.
Overall, I still enjoyed it. I really did like the “twist” in the storyline. It was unexpected.

Special thanks to the Penguin Group and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

As the story begins, we meet Wren, and Anders along with their families, and we watch them on their journey to love. A pull they feel is undeniable, so they’re slow to act on it. But we also find out there is a secret Anders is holding back, that prevents him from ever being able to freely love Wren. (This secret had my jaw on the floor).

I think this book had me feel every emotion possible, happiness, sadness, grief, guilt, hopefulness, and relief. It tugs at all your heartstrings and will emotionally wreck you in every way possible. And then as you finish the book it puts you back together perfectly.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable love story, this is the book for you!

My first title by Paige Toon and it won't be my last! I fell in love with the book from the beautiful cover and from the very first page, this book took me on an emotional rollercoaster that I never wanted to get off of. I found myself smiling, laughing, gasping, crying, and healing all over again through the pages of this book.

You cannot help but fall in love with every single character and the growth they each experience throughout the book is phenomenal. Days later, I still find myself smiling when I think about this book and the characters I've come to love from the book.

If you're looking for a small town, slow burn romance with some unexpected twists and turns- THIS IS IT.

thank you for the opportunity to provide an honest opinion in exchange for an ARC.

Loves this book from beginning to end. I felt all of the feelings with Wren- I felt her heartbreak, felt her falling in love, to her pain in that love. My first book by Paige Toon, I will be definitely looking to read more of her work.

ARC REVIEW
Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A tear jerking right person, wrong time love story.

❤️ Wren travels from her small village in the UK to visit her estranged father on his farm in Indiana after being dumped by her fiancé. There, she discovers family relationships she didn’t realize she needed and falls fast for Anders, the visiting son of the neighbors.

This was a heartbreaker. Here’s what I liked:

❤️ The slow burn. Wren and Anders are both working through some trauma. It was nice to see them slowly push against their feelings yet still succumb to them. They are perfectly matched.

❤️ It’s not just a romance. Wren has to build and work on relationships with her family. I really liked seeing her and step sister Bailey work at being not just family but friends.

❤️ The setting. I learned so much about farming, architecture, and Indy racing. But it was included smoothly and didn’t bore me.

❤️ The secrets they keep. No spoilers, but there is more to the story than what is first presented.

All in all, I laughed and cried. That’s the kind of read I love.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: 4/25

This is my first read by this author and it was an easy read. This book is a nice romance that involves dealing with grief and hardship. The book wraps up in a good way. I will read more books by this author. Thank you to Net galley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I'm was so excited to have received this ebook! I couldn't wait to set it.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon is a book I blasted through.
I didn't realize just how much I would truly enjoy this book! Until I opened it and didn't stop.
I didn't expect this one to affect me as strongly as it did. But here we are.
But I adored this book. I loved the characters and their journey, their story. My goodness their story.
This is a really well-drawn portrait of two people, who are grieving and find hope and happiness.
One thing I especially loved about the book was the way that the experiences of the main characters were so relatable.
A heartfelt and hopeful story about grief, hope and love.
And y'all the emotions that roll here is something... WoW!
It's safe to say I loved OLCHLT by Pagie. We have to lick mom oh wait actually I have five five more to do

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

G.P. Putnam's Sons,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, G.P Putnam's Sons and author Paige Toon for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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

When Wren realizes her fiancé is in love with someone else, she decides to take some time and visit with her father and step-family in Indiana. Wren gives herself a few weeks in Indiana to refocus and refresh while trying to mend a relationship with her father, half sister and step-mother. Wren meets the "boy next door" Anders and their secrets, struggles and desires start to unravel.
Will Anders share his secrets with Wren? Will Wren find love or is she looking in all the wrong places to move on?
Each character is multilayered which makes this romance more than just the typical boy meets girl......this story is well written even to the last word on the page.
The plot description was well developed making the characters and settings relatable and colorful.
Paige Toon was successful in her deliverance of depicting love, living life and the importance of family.

Maybe Bambi will make an appearance again in a sequel......

Slow burn friends-to- lovers book set in a small town. This was my first Paige Toon book but will not be my last. I read this in one sitting. Easy to get into as the character development was.perfectly thought out and the storyline was beautiful.

Heartwrenching story. This one will make you feel so many emotions. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, I am obsessed with Paige Toon's writing style. It's very elegant, but it wasn't flowery to the point of illegibility. I was sucked into the pages. Not to mention how many beautiful lines she included about grief and moving on.

The main plot is amazing, but the subplots are something else entirely. Normally I feel like books have too many subplots. There were a lot in this book, but I didn't notice until I thought about it. Each one was interwoven in a way that wasn't cluttered or confusing. The epilogue helped wrap everything up nicely as well.

The messages in this story are absolutely perfect. From Wren's relationship with her stepmom and half-sister, to Anders's moving on from his wife and everything else, it all resonated deep inside. Nothing was corny or unnatural. In my opinion, this is the best book with life messages I have ever read.

This is a masterpiece. I cannot recommend this enough.

First of all, thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This was my first read my Paige Toon but won’t be my last! What I liked about this was it was a slow burning romance. Nothing too spicy 🌶️ which was refreshing. Loved that it touched a little on mental health and that love doesn’t always come at the perfect time. Also loved the slow build of the characters and how realistic the setting of the book was. I will definitely be adding more of her books to my TBR pile!

This book is about a girl named Wren who catches her fiancé cheating on her. She is devastated so she ends up going to spend some time with her Dad and step mom in Indiana. Meet Anders, the boy next door. Wren eventually develops feelings for Anders but knows he has secrets from his past.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy paced, humorous, and fun read. But once I figured out Anders secrets from his past, it threw me for a loop. I am still not sure how I feel
about it. It truly left me
thinking what would I do if this were to happen to me. It definitely makes you think and ponder even after finishing the book. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I give it 3.5 stars.

I received an arc for this via Netgalley. I’m not going to lie to you guys but it took me 3 whole times to get past page 2 but once I did, the story hooked me. This is woman’s fiction with romance involved. What a beautiful story on love, loss and healing.

I love the relationship dynamics in this story. Between parent and child, friends, and even love. There was such depth to this. However, this somewhat fell short for me. There was something missing. I think it had to do with it feeling rushed almost, and this story is built on a huge secret but I figured out the secret fairly quickly so maybe that’s why it disappointed me.

This was beautiful though, the writing and especially the love in this. Solid contemporary women’s fiction.

From the very first page I was captivated by this story. Full of love, grief and hope this book was beautifully written and will stick with me for a while.

This was just what i needed after reading heavier books. Who doesn't love a good love story? Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!