Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon.

This was my first book by Paige Toon and definitely won't be my last. I really loved this and will be thinking about it for a while. The characters were likeable and the reading pace was good. I enjoyed that the book encompassed more than just Wrens breakup.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Putnam and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This took me on such an emotional ride, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a ton of intricacies and interrelationships here that keep the book interesting without weighing the reader down. Not to mention that the author approaches a unique and painful situation with a lot of grace. I really enjoyed this and look forward to more from Toon.

Wren has come to visit her dad, and step mother in America from England after her own wedding is called off.
For a couple of weeks in the summer she intends to forget her woes and give herself a fresh start upon her return.
But she finds herself falling for a neighboring farming family's son, Anders. Standoffish after the loss of his wife, she Wren thinks there is no chance he will return her affections, but maybe?
This started off a sweet, summer romance and turned into a sad, slightly choppy tragic love story.
Wren and Anders were the only characters given any sort of depth, and even that felt minimal. Their focus seemed to be primarily on how they were feeling towards one another... but I never quite understood why? Other than a few quips and awkward interactions there didn't seem to be a lot of relationship building between the,
The scenes between Wren and her sister had more depth.
The side characters, sibling other family were not very well fleshed out.
Overall, a bit disappointing.

A life changing love story with an HEA.

Wren lives in England and breaks up with her fiance. In order to help her heal she goes to see her dad in America. While spending the summer with her dad in Indiana she crosses paths with Anders. However, Anders has a deep secret that will hurt Wren.

This was predictible in parts of the book. Wren was a flat imature character. I had a hard time liking her and becoming interested in her. She was phony. Anders was a good guy but didn't have the backbone to deal with his "secret". Wren's stepmother was unlikeable. The story dragged us down a path about Wren's half-sister that she wants to have an affair with Anders brother . Not sure what this had to really do with the story. It made it feel choppy. Also, the epilogue was too long and to much repetition.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. The title truly describes what this book is about and how love just really hurts sometimes. I found myself heartbroken several times throughout this book and then I cried because there were such sweet moments. I definitely look forward to more from this author.

Not my typical romance book I’d be drawn to reading, but I really enjoyed the story.

Wren and Zander’s were great main characters to follow, who brought a different type of pain/hurt to the story they were both working through. With that, they created a wonderful friendship between one another and helped each other in ways they didn’t expect.

Overall, enjoyed the the setting of the story and the little twist at the end.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. WOW this is one heckuva read! You will feel all the emotions in this one. My only comment is you need to clear your night as this book will captivate you and keep you up way late into the night.

Thoroughly enjoy this book. I felt like the characters were likable and the story flowed well. The author did a good job of making the story relatable to the reader and showing the importance of strengthening the relationships around you when you're forced to let others go. I think this would be a great read for someone who is currently going through a breakup or is trying to figure out how to be happy on their own before starting a new relationship.

This book BROKE me. In the best possible way. I cannot recommend this enough. Goodreads compares it to Colleen Hoover and Jojo Moyes' Me Before You. I think these are very accurate comparisons. Do with that as you wish.

Wren goes to spend the summer in Indiana (She's from Europe) with her dad, half sister, and step-mother. She wants to get away from a man that broke her heart. Little did she know, she would find a man there to fall in love with as well. The problem? Well, I can't tell you that without it being a huge spoiler but trust me, it's worth finding out!

This book is very appropriately titled with "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" because dang, you can feel the hurt each of the characters are going through as they go through it. It hurt me to know it was happening! I think I'm going to have a book hangover for a while because of this one.

This book started off strong for me. I was intrigued with where it was going. As I got to the middle though, things started to drag for me, not much was happening and I wasn’t really connecting with any of the characters. I will say that I preferred the second half to the first half, and I support the way the ending unfolded, I just didn't feel the same level of investment in Wren and Anders as I have for other book couples. Still, Toon is undoubtedly a talented writer, and I look forward to checking out more of her work!

I'm glad this book was about more than just Wren getting over a broken heart. It gave her more depth and made her a more interesting character. Her rocky childhood definitely affected how she saw herself, and not always in a good way. The trip to Indiana was a life-changing experience for her, her family, and Anders and his family too. It was great to see their relationship develop over time. It felt natural and I enjoyed the journey. except for the fact that it made me cry. The ending was a stunning revelation.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the above opinions are my own.

Such a heartfelt story of finding love again and losing love. This story was about finding love in the craziness of the world but also having to let go of past love to truly give yourself to the new love in front of you.

I enjoyed reading a book that has a midwest, rural setting! We need more of these!

The story is about a woman that thought she found forever love but then realized he loved someone else more. She was then in a place without purpose. She was unhappy with her job and needed time away. While spending time with family and working remotely, she was able to repair family bonds and build her own self-esteem which led to her being able to dream of a fruitful future. New dreams lead to new adventures!

Okay, I wanted to like this more than I did. It had the bones of something great. But I was not totally invested until 80% in!!! I would've loved a dual perspective or to be let in on the big secret before too late in the novel. I also laughed to myself as I thought I was starting a British women's fiction read, but we ended up in rural Indiana. All in all, it was a beautiful story but I feel like we could've spent more time exploring the bittersweet seemingly impossible circumstances instead of rushing to patch it up by the end of the book.

This was my first Paige Toon book, but I'll be going back now to read them all. I don't think any other book has given me such Colleen Hoover vibes in a good way. The twist in the book is gut-wrenching and unexpected, but so beautiful at the same time. I adored this book!

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for an ARC of Only Love Can Hurt Like This in exchange for an honest review.

When things don’t seem to be going well for Wren, her fiancée left her for another woman and the job she was working on was handed to someone else, she decides to go visit her father and stepmother in the US. It turns out that that was exactly what she needed in her life. To build a relationship with them and her half sister, Bailey.

There, she also meets Anders and Jonas. The brothers who live on the farm next door to her father’s. Anders lost his wife 4 years ago and hasn’t given himself the chance to find happiness. Wren and Anders begin to develop strong feelings for each other, but Anders has a secret that he is not willing to share yet.

I really enjoyed this book about love, loss, family, and forgiveness. The characters were all very likable.

🎶Only Love Can Hurt Like This🎶

So tough to think about this book and not sing the title like Paloma Faith's Only Love Can Hurt Like This! Paige Toon broke my heart in tiny little pieces with this one. Such a strong and emotional story! I loved all the characters and how raw, real, and complex their relationships were.

Lovely love story where both protags have experienced loss of different types secrets that wound. At times, cliche, but endearing.

When describing this book, the first thing that comes to mind is "if a Colleen Hoover book was set in a Lifetime movie." The idyllic setting was the perfect backdrop for two unexpected acquaintances to fall in love– but not without some heart-breaking family secrets coming to light in the process. Toon introduced readers to an easily lovable cast of characters that you couldn't help but root for, even as they attempt to come to terms with what "moving on" truly means.