Eh. This didn't do much for me. Anyone can guess where this is going. It's always a challenge to be in the heroine's head, read about her nastiness, indifference and stubbornness, and work out whether we like her. In this case, I just felt the author had her stay emotionally stunted so she can get to an emotional growth by end.

I think there are so many better reads out there to get you through the summer that this was just ok overall.

This debut novel is excellent if you’re looking for a sweet vacation read. Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn J. Miller is an enemies-to-lovers trope that takes place on a wedding vacation. Add some grumpy-meets-sunshine vibes to this romantic comedy, and I really could not get enough. 

Meet Margo. She’s a famous podcaster who talks about how to avoid relationships. Her co-host decides to get married, allowing a sponsor to host an all-expenses-paid wedding trip on Catalina Island. The internet goes wild, and to get back in the good graces of their listeners, Margo decides to break all of her dating rules just to prove it is a bad idea. Meet Declan. He’s an engineer who doesn’t like the spotlight, and his best friend is having a sponsored wedding on Catalina Island. He reunites with high school classmates on the Island, Margo being one of them. Will they be able to ignore their romantic spark, or will Margo cling to the rules, afraid to let Declan in?

A strong debut from Miller, this is the perfect addition to your beach reads list. I enjoyed the snippets of text messages and the podcast, as I found they added authenticity to the world the story takes place. I look forward to reading more from this author! 


Thank you to Netgalley, Griffin, and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was a fun summer read! It totally got me in the beach mindset. While I can only dream of a luxury wedding sponsorship for my best friend, I could relate to Margo in other ways. It can be easier to not let people in and be aloof, but I cannot relate to rules for being single. This was a fun, easy read and I’m thankful to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was a DNF for me. It had a very cute premise, but for some reason, I just couldn't get into it. I put it down for a few days and picked it back up to give it another try, but it just wasn't for me. I liked that the setting was on Catalina Island because I have been there before and could picture the setting so vividly, but the plot of having someone try to fake a relationship for the podcast didn't cause me to keep wanting to read. Maybe I will try it again down the road. Thank you so much for the ARC!

Margo and No have a blog about being single, so what happens when Jo is getting married. Throw in an old high school nemesis and see what happens. A great read, looking forward to more books from this author.

Having read numerous rom-com novels, I've become familiar with their predictable endings of happily ever afters. What sets these novels apart for me are the characters, their chemistry, the delightful and sentimental moments, and sometimes even the endearing quirky side characters. Regrettably, this book fell short in delivering on these aspects. The story dragged on, and the main character, along with most of the secondary characters, was simply unlikable. I found myself constantly rolling my eyes at their actions. Margo appeared immature and self-absorbed, resembling a high school student. The only character who possessed a captivating backstory and displayed believable behavior was Declan. He was the sole character I could genuinely support, while the others left me indifferent. I just couldn't get through it; I ended up skimming most of hoping it would get better but I was so bored. I'm giving the 2 stars just because it had a great initial concept.

This was a quick, fun read with superbly lovable characters! Enemies to lovers is my favourite trope of all time, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of it - close proximity is a close second, hehe. The chemistry between Declan and Margo was off the charts, and it was so fun reading about all the wedding shenanigans.
Kristyn's writing style was captivating, and I think this was an absolutely fabulous debut! Excited to see what's next in store :)

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review :)

3.5 stars for me.
This was a cute super fast read of enemies to lovers.
I liked the jist of the book, but I did not like the middle to ending. Seemed like it took awhile for the resolution of the conflict.

Love a good rom com! I loved the social media aspect of this too and it was just such a good beginning of Summer read!

This book is well written and I'm sure that people younger than me will love it. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. Please don't let my review stop you from giving this book a chance.
I received a complimentary copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Margo struggles to commit to any relationships because of her parents’ divorce. But when she has to help her best friend with her wedding, even though they’ve built their career on their single life, she starts to second guess herself.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF. I got to about 75% and just didn’t care. Margo really annoyed me for like 65% of the book and Declan was a bit like a lovesick puppy following Margo around. There were some funny bits, but overall, I was just not that interested.

The low rating on this one is mostly on me because the story is okay and does have some high points, but I disliked Margo from the very beginning and nothing she ever did managed to make me care about what was going on with her. And I can't even point to a specific thing I didn't like about her beyond not liking her attitude towards what she does for a living and dislike of those who don't love her for it while also kind of looking down on those who do. It turned reading this book into a chore that I was more than willing to put off until later to finish.
I will say, though, that Declan is a great character and the details around their interactions in high school and what was really behind them made for great story hits. I would have probably just enjoyed them more if the female lead were a different character. And that's why I'm willing to consider that it's more a middle-of-the-road book that some people might love while it remains not for me.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the read!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's press for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

(I did read this as an ARC - although I am reviewing it following its publication date).

I did not love this book. Margo drove me bonkers. She was so negative - it just drained me. And I wish that Declan's point of view had been shared - maybe not a 100% shared dual point of view type of read - but every once and a while.

A lot of the feelings I had for this book, I also had for The Spanish Love Deception - not loving the main character, wishing for dual points of view, and the slow burn was just too darn slow.

I hate not giving positive reviews - so I will leave it at this - Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was not for me. I know of other readers who have really enjoyed it. So you can take my review with a grain of salt - but this just isn't one that I connected with.

This is such a cute rom com! It seems very fresh and relevant with al the podcasts and such that is going on today. Always a great option for a fun read that is not too heavy. Would highly recommend!

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was a fun enough read to keep my interest in a season of life where reading anything is a slog, but all in all, it was just okay.

Margo’s growth was the highlight for me, especially because I found her quite unlikable at the beginning. As she gave herself room to soften and just be herself, instead of the character her and Jo’s podcast turned her into, I found her quite enjoyable.

The tension between her and Declan could have been stronger - it would have been nice to lean into the whole “high school nemesis” thing a bit more. A little more teasing, a little more back and forth would have really upped the ante for me.

All in all, I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book and would definitely recommend it to others.

This book was so fun!!! I really loved the idea of a podcast about avoiding commitment and then both of the hosts breaking all the rules they have been talking about for 6 seasons of their podcast.

I really identified a lot with Margo when thinking back to my dating days and being so afraid of being left behind that I never gave relationships a real shot to be successful and her rules would have helped me break my own heart a little less maybe when in that phase.

It was so fun seeing her move through the phases of leaving the rules behind and opening up her heart as it also took me back to the early days dating my hubby when I wasn’t ready but I had to figure it out or lose him, just like with Margo had to with Declan which is extra fun cause my hubby and I went to school together then connected as adults as well.

All in all I related to this one a lot minus the enemies part because even though my hubby is a prankster it was never directed at me.

💔 FMC Afraid of Commitment
👨🏻‍🦰 Cinnamon Role MMC
🏖️ Beachy Vibes
🎧 Podcast Transcripts
🗡️ Enemies to lovers
🏨 Forced proximity
♥️ He falls first
💬 Text Convos

All in all, if you are looking for a fun enemies to lovers with summery vibes set on Catalina Island I highly recommend this one & thanks so much to St. Martin’s Griffin for my ARC!

Margo's best friend and co-podcaster, Jo, is in the midst of wedding prep. It's not such a weird situation in their mid-twenties except that their podcast is based on singlehood and how to navigate the dating world without investing in a partner. They have seven rules and Jo has disregarded them all. The fallout from their listeners is pending and without new and promising material, sponsors start dropping off as well. Jo encourages Margo to throw out the rules temporarily during the wedding festivities and embrace the potential for sharing on season 7 with their audience. Margo targets best man and former school nemesis, Declan, to prove why the rules work.
The character arc for Margo is so well done. I found her to be initially disappointing and lacking in self-awareness. Her hardened exterior puts off don't-come-near-me vibes that I felt as a reader. With the premise though, I was eager to see how Margo would confront her lifestyle and choices with the potential for a public blow up. And Declan was just nerdy and funny and the perfect amount of cocky to keep me flipping the pages.
Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Kristyn J. Miller's debut novel, Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts, completely and totally won me over. I always go into a new author (whether a debut or just new to me) with a bit of trepidation but I was immediately immersed in Margo's world and fell in love with her and Declan's story. I also enjoyed the friendship between Margo and Jo and I am looking forward to more books from Miller in the future!

This was OK. Things I like: podcast angle and the setting. I found Margo unlikeable and never warmed to either her or Jo but I tend to have a difficult time with characters who can’t seem to let go of what happened in high school as if nothing good has happened in their life since. I also think it’s possible to not want to be in a relationship without being as promiscuous as Margo loved to flaunt; it seemed overdone. This story dragged on and was not my favorite but I do like how Margo seemed to redeem herself in the end.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was such a cute, quick read. Enemies to Lovers is one of my favorite tropes and while calling Margo and Declan enemies may be a bit of a stretch, I had a lot of fun getting to see them reconnect after years apart. It did take me a little while to get into the story, but the second half seemed to fly by and I could not put it down. Declan was such a sweet male love interest! There were plenty of sweet moments between our two main characters and some steamy ones as well.

As someone who used to live in California I loved the setting of Catalina Island! It added a little bit of forced proximity (another favorite of mine) and was a great backdrop for this summer romance. I would definitely recommend adding Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts to your summer reading list.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for a review copy.