Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
This was not my favorite romance, unfortunately. I am finding I am getting more and more picky with romance lately. I want to start with what I did like: the podcast. I don't see this element brought into romance often, and I like podcasts in books, so this initially piqued my interest - especially with the topic and seeing how this would work for Go and Jo's friendship. However, I found Margo to be immature and I didn't see as much growth from her character as I would've liked. Instead of having her friends and family support her throughout the book, everything popped up in the end, was quickly fixed, and it just wrapped up too quickly for my liking. I also wasn't that into the romance. I liked Declan but I thought Margo needed to work on herself before I could believe this would be a happy, functioning relationship by the time the HEA happened.

I'm glad I finished this book, and in the end, I was happy with the way it went, but along the way I just had a hard time being inspired to continue reading.

I feel like I didn't like any of the characters, and things were just repeated too often for me, I get it. I can follow the story on my own. And honestly, I read to escape reality, so a story based upon podcasters and social media influencers isn't my jam, but that's on me. I should have paid more attention to the description.

Will I read more from this author? Yes. Overall, I didn't dislike the writing, or the style, it was just that this story wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn J. Miller is an interesting enemies to lovers romance about podcaster, Margo Anderson as she is forced to reunite with her nemesis from high school. Margo is apart of a podcaster duo that is famous for their empowerment of single women whilst dating & the rules for such. However, when her podcasting partner, Jo, gets engaged, their podcast must find a new direction. Margo comes up with a plan to forgo the rules & sets her old high school nemesis as her mark. The path that follows is a wild & chaotic ride.

The miscommunication, along with the setup of the old nemesis for content, created an almost awkward tension that I couldn’t let go of whilst reading. I struggle with uncomfortable situations like this & don’t enjoy reading them personally. It may be because it feels realistic but it is not my favorite type of book to read. I will say that I appreciated how the ending brought everything together & once they began communicating, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

I really enjoyed the podcast element of it. I found it fascinating to see a behind the scenes look at being a bigger influencer as well as the pros & cons of it. It was interesting seeing the specifics of brand deals & the requirements of sponsorships & such. That was probably my favorite part of it.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Griffin for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I really tried to enjoy this and honestly, I was really liking some aspects of this story. But ultimately I really struggled to connect with the anything. Even though the plot was interesting enough, the characters didn't feel all that special and it was really hard to relate to them.

It's sad because I was really looking forward to reading this, because it had so much potential. It took me 5 sittings to finally complete this and my memory of what I've read already feels a bit hazy.

Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Margo and her friend Jo run a podcast about how to remain single and happy and not get into committed relationships. Jo upends their business by falling in love with someone from their high school and planning her wedding using a two week vacation at a sponsor's resort in Catalina. Margo attends to support her friend but is feeling adrift since she's not sure how they're going to keep providing relevant content. She meets up with a high school enemy Declan who is the best man and hatches a plot to pretend to have a relationship with him and then dump him for content. I had a hard time with this plan and with the whole "influencer/podcaster" thing as it seemed cold and lonely. Luckily, Margo has some of the same thoughts. Her relationship with Declan -an engineer who works at NASA-is a delight and follows a normal progression. Loved that she was kind of a high school nerd that played the tuba. Margo has to figure out where to go in her life and whether it's safe to finally let someone in to her life.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

What a fabulous debut novel by Kristyn J. Miller! This book was so cute!!! Loaded with angst and lots of banter that hooked me from the start. I just couldn’t put it down!

I absolutely loved Margo and Declan!!! What a perfect match - they are so relatable! I did enjoy the social media aspect of the story and how it can take control of our lives. It was great seeing Margo’s personal growth of letting go of the “rules” and changing up her presence on her platforms. Declan…wow! I loved everything about him except I feel like he did overreact a bit, especially with the miscommunication back in high school. I would think he would have learned his lesson.

It did bother me a bit how Jo kept her relationship such a secret from Margo. Margo only met Peter again in Catalina right before the wedding? I can see why she was jealous/ frustrated.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙝𝙖𝙨:
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Opposites Attract
Beach Setting
Wedding Theme

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press and KristynJ. Miller for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
I really enjoyed this novel, despite the miscommunication trope being my least favorite! The setting on Catalina island was great, you could really picture everything the author was describing. I loved how parts of the podcast and text exchanges were incorporated into the chapters.
I really feel in love with both Declan and Margo, and enjoyed seeing them grow together. And the little bit of steam was pretty good too!
If you're looking for a second chance, enemies to lovers, fun summer romance, and don't mind a little miscommunication, then this is definitely the book for you!

Margo Anderson and her best friend Jo run a podcast featuring rules for hooking up without catching feelings. When Jo takes up a sponsor’s offer to host an all-expenses-paid wedding trip on Catalina Island, Margo decides to break all her own dating rules, just to prove that it’s a bad idea. She picks the groom’s best friend, her old high school nemesis Declan Walsh. He is just as annoying as he used to be, but spending so much time together proves there's a spark between them. Can she actually let him in?

Calling Declan a nemesis is a bit of a stretch, considering that he played pranks in high school and Margo was only one of a few victims. They hadn't really interacted much, and she was self-conscious at the time. Anyone who has trouble dating can sympathize with Margo. Her parents' marriage fell apart due to his cheating, she'd been picked on and didn't trust that anyone she tried to meet wouldn't hurt her emotionally. The podcast grew out of that and went viral, but it wasn't something she'd planned as a career. With Jo getting married, she's forced to contend with moving to a new apartment, ending the podcast, and figuring out what to do with her future. She determines that Declan is a safe bet to break her podcast rules, but they get along too well and he doesn't want to be an anecdote for the show. I think we all know what will happen long before she does!

The banter is witty and fun, which I really enjoyed. It's part of what makes romcom-style novels so fun. Antics due to drinking leading up to the wedding show us how well the two get along once they actually talk, and how lonely Margo really is. It's not that she thinks love isn't real, it's just something that happens to other people. This time it's happening to her, and we're along for that bumpy ride. We get a happily ever after for her, romantically and professionally, and no need for any future heartbreaking.

This sweet and angsty vacation romance was the perfect way to kick off the spring season! Be sure to add this one to your beach reads list this year 💞

This book has:
• Opposites attract: Jo is a famous podcaster who talks about how to avoid relationships on her podcast Seven Rules. Declan is the sunshine engineer hero who doesn’t like the spotlight and refuses to be just another one of Jo’s podcast stories
• High school enemies to lovers: Jo views Declan as her high-school nemesis. Declan, on the other hand, has been pining for Jo for over a decade 🥺
• Forced proximity: The leads re-connect on a wedding vacation, and I was HERE for it!!
• He falls first and harder: I love an angsty hero who believes their love for the heroine is unrequited! Declan was so sweet and swoon-worthy, and I loved how he challenged Jo’s view on relationships

This book was such a cute romance read! I highly recommend picking this up before your next trip to the beach.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts is a romance novel about breaking rules. Margo Anderson and her best friend Jo run a very successful podcast. Their podcast shares its name with the book title and both women pride themselves on having the upper hand in their relationships. That's what their fans tune in for and what their sponsors happily support. Suddenly Jo is engaged and the rules seem to no longer apply! The bridal party spends two weeks at a Catalina Resort where the wedding will be-all expenses paid for promotion on the podcast. Margo has never had a relationship, but she starts to have feelings for Declan, the groom's best friend. She doesn't understand why her steadfast rules don't apply to what she is feeling for Declan. Soon Margo is rethinking her career and the rules that she lives by. Unfortunately, Margo's hopeful future will be a nightmare if Declan finds out she initially planned to use him as a subject for her podcast. Definitely a fun frolicking read.

What a cute romcom!
I really had fun reading this one! It had a fun plot, relatable characters, banter, and an exotic setting!
The spice was just perfect!
I felt there were lengthy parts, and parts that seemed rushed. However, overall it’s a great story!

This is my first time reading a book by author Kristyn J. Miller and I absolutely loved her writing style.

It was about two best friends that started a podcast together about seven rules to follow so you don't get your heart broken.
I liked how it incorporated what social media can do to a person. You have to weed out all the negative comments and focus on the good ones. It wasn't forced and that is whats happening in the world today. Social media can help you advance, but also can put you down and tarnish your reputation, as shown what Margo had to go through in the book.

I love a good rom-com and enemies to lovers troupe. It was a very easy read and I truly enjoyed the banter and jokes throughout the whole book. I fell in love with the two main characters. What can I say, opposites do attract.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute, fun, quick and relatable read — a great rom-com that’s perfect for summer!

Margo and her best friend Jo run a viral podcast called “Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts,” where they dish out dating advice based on their own experiences and the rules they follow for hooking up without catching feelings. Everything is going swimmingly, until Jo breaks those rules and not only catches feelings, but gets engaged, torching the duo’s credibility. Margo quickly finds herself donning the maid of honor title and heading off to Catalina Island for a two-week wedding getaway. When she gets there, she’ll have to make nice with the best man, Declan Walsh, who also happens to be the prankster from high school who made her the bud of his jokes on more than one occasion, and who she can’t stand. Add in the fact that she also now needs to find a new angle for the podcast’s next season and Margo is in quite the predicament—unless Declan’s presence can be positioned as an opportunity…but can she follow through on her new idea without catching feelings or hurting them?

This was fun, messy, emotional, relevant, timely, and super relatable. The author shines a light on the current social media landscape and the contrast between real life and the social personas we share online, honing in on some very important struggles and lessons. If you’re on the hunt for a light and quick beach read, this is a great choice!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very cute, quick read! I honestly wish 7R4BH was a real thing and Declan wasn’t so hung up on his red hair, but nevertheless, I enjoyed the read very much! I loved the author’s style. Not only do you get to know what’s happening present day, but also can see exactly how a podcast episode went down and enjoy! Also very fun to be back in Catalina Island, considering I just left the area!

**Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was just the cutest read and I liked how smoothly quick it was. It was a journey full of fun wit and the spark of love to a happy ending. The characters were fantastic. The concept was super cute and you could really feel the chemistry and tension from the beginning. The banter is funny and the romance is spic… I really had a great time with this book! I would definitely recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.

This is a fun summer read with a great cast of characters. I loved everything about this book! The plot was entertaining, the location was perfect, the well-rounded characters and friendships were relatable, and the chemistry between Margo and Declan was off the charts!! I look forward to reading more from this author. Special thanks for NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

The premise was cute, the cover was cute but the story not so much. Margo, the main love interest, was immature and incredibly unlikable. She was so oblivious to the fact that this guy had crushed on her in high school and now, She came across so self-centered. Declan deserved better!

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy.

"kendall, you didn't sick out to me" (abby lee).I really need to stop requesting the blandest whitest most heterosexual books. this was such a meh book. I know romance books tend to follow a formula, I know what I'm getting into. And maybe I read this one at a time when I was just having banger after banger and this one was so forgettable and mid but yeah.

It’s a little problematic when you do a podcast with your best friend extolling the rules/virtues of emotion-free dating/relationships only to have your cohost announces she’s getting married. But that’s the exact situation Margo finds herself in. So to prove it’s a bad idea, Margo decides she’ll break all her rules, using the groom’s best man as her target. Problem…they have a history going back to high school. This is a fun enemies to lovers romcom. Social media/influencers/podcasters seems to be the in thing right now, and I have to say in this case I think it works very well/feels natural as a plot device. I really enjoyed the characters, the storyline is solid, and there are plenty of laughs to be had…and of course romance. I believe this is Kristyn Miller’s first novel and I have to say it’s definitely a solid debut. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the the chance to read/review an ARC of Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seven-rules-for-breaking-hearts-kristyn-miller/1141976577?ean=9781250861825&bvnotificationId=7bfeec96-f418-11ed-bda0-0e3d80fc52c5&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/248564898

I was mildly interested in this book until the MC said that she had never seen a smart watch on a human being. What? What year is this supposed to be? After this comment I knew these characters were not rooted in reality. The “celebrity” angle was already driving me nuts, and that pushed it over the edge.

I DNF at 30%.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.