I really tried to get into this one. I read about 20% before I called it quits. I think the concept of this book is cute (a bit overdone with a wedding being at the center), but I just could not get into the writing style or even care about of FMC. I felt like reading this book was a chore and I think it has something to do with the way this book flows. It is very stiff and overexplanatory. Sorry :(

3.5/5 (rounded down to 3)

CW: divorce, infidelity, sexism, misogyny, slut-shaming, cyberbullying

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Margo Anderson is one half of the popular singles podcast, Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts, and she just doesn’t do relationships. At all. Yet, when her co-host gets engaged and they are both scrambling to find ways to keep the podcast afloat, Margo decides to purposefully break those rules with best man and her high school nemesis, Declan, to prove a warning for listeners who break them. But as the wedding draws closer and Margo and Declan spend more time together, she realizes that maybe Declan can be the one she’s willing to give up the rules for.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts is a nice book, but I don’t know if I was particularly wowed by it.

There were some things that I liked about Miller’s debut. She has a unique writing style that brings to life all the hustle with being an influencer. With keeping up with sponsorships and managing social media handles to scripts from the actual podcast, it was a refreshing way to keep the story moving along. Going back to the podcaster/influencer plot device, I thought that was a good way to make the plot more interesting, especially near the end of the book.

My main critique with Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was that it just didn’t really peak my interest. Yes, I know that seems a bit contradictory when I was going on about the things I liked about the book, but it just felt like this book was something I read so many times before but they just changed the circumstances around the plot and characters (this is especially true since I read enemies-to-lovers a lot). The romance was okay, but I wasn’t completely invested in their relationship. Plus, I personally felt like it dragged on at times.

Though, I feel like there’s an audience that would love this book. If you’re new to the enemies-to-lovers trope, this book could be a good starting point. That being said, I don't think Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts is bad. I just don’t know if I will read it again.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fine. It really was not my favorite and was a little forgettable to me. My main problem with this book was that I kind of hated the main character and found almost all of the other characters annoying. The only character I didn't find annoying was Declan and I didn't find him that amazing either.

To be honest when I first read the summary for this book on NetGalley I said to myself if I get this book then I'll read it but if I don't then I don't feel a need to. I was basically spot on with that initial impression. There's nothing truly wrong with the book, I'd just rather read something else.

This book was a trial to get through and I tried SO hard! At first, I told myself that I just wasn't the target audience (not a compulsive consumer of social media). Then I told myself that maybe I just needed to give it some time and I kept slogging away. But the truth is that the story drags and the main character - and most of the secondary characters - are just not that. . .likeable. I was literally rolling my eyes constantly at them. Margo, in particular, just seemed like an immature, self-obsessed, high schooler. The only character who seemed to have a more interesting back story and acted like a human was Declan.. He was also the only character you could root for.. I just didn't care how things worked out for any of the others. I was happy to see a ginger main character and for im to volley back on the "lazy ginger jokes." This book needs a much heavier editing hand. I would have been very disappointed if I'd purchased it.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts is the debut novel by Kristyn J. Miller. It follows Margo and Declan. Margo co-hosts a podcast with her friend Jo, which talks about rules for not getting to attached to your dates. The only problem is that Jo broke those rules, and is now getting married. It leaves Margo to feel lost and wondering how she is going to make ends meet or where the podcast is going to go. While on Catalina Island, maid-of-honor, Margo, decides to do everything she can to break the rules and not fall in love. She found the best person to test this theory with, grooms best friend, and Margo's high school nemesis, Declan. Margo is sure she won't catch feelings for Declan, until she does… The more time she spends with Declan, she finds she's enjoying herself. Can she let go of her plan to let Declan in?

I found this to be a quick, easy read. I liked reading about the funny things that happened to Margo and Declan while on Catalina Island. I found myself laughing out loud a few times. I found the setting of Catalina Island (having visited previously) to be written in such a way that I was transported there. I initially struggled to like Margo or Jo, because they seemed very influencer focused, but grew to understand Margo, when we were able to see the stress, and feelings behind the change in influencer status. I did like the focus on Margo finding herself and a new path in her life.

I did struggle a bit about the point of the "Seven rules" and didn't really understand what Margo was trying to do by breaking these rules, but ignoring that part, I was able to enjoy the book. I liked the authors writing and the narrative from Margo's perspective.

This was a great debut novel by the author and I look forward to seeing what she comes out with in the future! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

I really enjoyed this book, I read it in about 3 sittings. I thought the concept of the book was really cool and I think it was done well. I really liked the emotional and physical growth that the main character went though on her journey. I also liked that there’s a tiny bit of mixed media content with text messages and pod cast elements. Good quick read would recommend.

I haven’t read any other books by the author but I am intrigued.
I enjoyed this one and the characters are hilarious with all their up and downs and banter and preconceived thoughts and rules. The romance story was great to see how evolved from enemies to lovers and friends and I liked how they finally end up together.
Overall it’s a nice romance that many readers will enjoy

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy.

“Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts” follows podcast host Margo Anderson, who distances herself from romance and commitments. When her best friend and fellow host Jo gets married, essentially breaking every single rule they’ve talked about on their podcast, Margo feels that she is being left to pick up the pieces on her own, including how to wrap up their podcast, which leads her to the idea of breaking the rules and initiating a fling with her old high school rival, Declan Walsh. But are the rules Margo has curated over the last three years actually all they’re cracked up to be?

Though I am someone who is incredibly easy to please and entertain, I really enjoyed “Seven Rules.” The synopsis is what originally caught my interest the most because I have never read a book that features a podcast before, which is something I thought was really well done in the book. I also love the rivals to lovers trope; it’s not a trope that will ever let me down, but it worked perfectly in the novel. I also felt a certain kind of kinship with Margo in terms of her anxiety about the way people perceive her; to me, her struggle with knowing that logically, people probably weren’t perceiving her the way she imagined them, but her anxiety making her feel otherwise was so incredibly realistic. It was representation in a space I wasn’t really expecting it.

The main chunk of the novel, obviously, is Margo and Declan’s relationship, which I really, really loved reading. While I wasn’t a huge fan of the tension between them at the beginning of the book and the “slights” against her that she imagined, it quickly dissipated as Margo began to let go of her preconceived notions about Declan and who he had been before. I loved reading how she was finally opening up and allowing herself to not live by her rules anymore because she realized that the rules were not the be all, end all of love. At the end, following the third act conflict, I was really impressed by the maturity of both Margo and Declan. I feel like in a lot of contemporary romances, the maturity between two characters is a little lacking, but in “Seven Rules,” our two main characters were able to handle the situation maturely, something I really appreciated.

I had such a fun time reading “Seven Rules,” especially Margo’s development over the course. I think this book might be good for anyone who loves a good rivals to lovers story and the “guy falls first and harder” trope. It was such a romp to read and I am really looking forward to whatever Kristyn J. Miller publishes next!

Margo does a podcast with her best friend….about seven rules for breaking hearts or rather for not breaking one’s own heart. So what happens when the said best friend announces she is going to marry a friend from gosh school?? It should definitely not be to fall in love with a high school enemy who is best man in given wedding!! OR…maybe it should be!!

I tried several times to get into this story, but ended up skimming and DNF.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jo and Go (or Margo) are best friends, and together they run a podcast featuring rules for hooking up without catching feelings. Think "10 things I hate about you", but in a quirky podcast format. But when Jo drops the bomb in the podcast that she is (according to the listeners) all of a sudden getting married, Margo quickly realizes that things need to change to keep their sponsors… and her apartment.

Margo and Jo are off to Catalina island for two weeks to plan and host Jo’s wedding, while Go doubles down on the rules, right as she is dealing with the Highschool class clown that made her life pretty terrible back then.

This was a super cute romcom, the dialog and banter are fantastic, although if you feel like the MC is annoying as heck, I felt the same way, it gets better so keep reading. At first I didn't care for either Jo or Go, especially because I work in social media and it was quite the "this is too real to my daily life" to see the differences and similarities of how it really works. But thankfully, this focus' more on Margo and her growth/relationships more than the podcast, so that really helped me keep reading. AND because Declan and Go are SO different, you know things are going to go in the direction we all hope for.

So to recap, if you're a fan of "How to lose a guy in 10 days", Sarah Adams, and/or Emily Henry this will be right down your alley.

All in all, I recommend this book and I recommend keeping an eye out for this author, and checking out this book when it is published May 2023. I really appreciate NetGalley and St Martins’ s Press for letting me read this early in exchange for my review.

Omg!!! Love this book. I rooted for this couple from the jump! They were adorable together!
The secret out heroine kept drove me nuts! I shouted, "Just tell him, he'd understand!" Lol
Enjoyed every aspect of this book...the characters, the trip, the podcast, the wedding events and most of all the love story!

Honestly, I read the summary for this book and thought it sounded like a decent read, and that’s exactly what I got. That might sound horrible, but I’ve been experiencing a dearth of decent romances lately so this was a nice breath of air for me. A woman who’s built a career on swearing off commitment unexpectedly falls for an old high school classmate in Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts.

Margo and her best friend Jo run a popular podcast centered around spurning commitment in favor of hooking up without feelings. The podcast’s coming to a natural end with Jo’s impending wedding to her high school crush Peter, but they still need content to cover one more season to help sponsor the wedding. During the all-expenses-paid vacation leading up to the wedding, Margo is stuck hanging out with Declan, the best man and Peter’s best friend. She eventually comes up with the perfect ender for the podcast: what happens when she breaks her own rules? Declan seems like the perfect target, but as they become closer, she soon realizes that falling for him is bigger than a random anecdote for the show.

I enjoyed the writing! Again, I have been reading a string of romances that I didn’t much enjoy, and that was mostly due to the writing so this was a win for me. Margo’s humor and narrative was fun; I’d definitely read whatever this author writes next.

The romance was built up so well. Margo’s been living life according to her seven rules, ultimately swearing off romantic relationships. She needs new content for the podcast, but even after Declan makes clear that he doesn’t want to be a story on the show, she still pursues him for her new idea. However, as she spends more time with him, she ends up liking him far more than she ever thought she would.

I liked Declan as a romantic interest. He and Margo still have a bit of an antagonistic relationship, bickering mostly because Margo is determined to hate him at first. Their excursions end up being really fun to read, and I liked how the two of them had in-depth conversations about their lives and current situations.

A lot of the book centers around Margo trying to keep the podcast afloat. Although it’s coming to its last season, they need something new after getting so many complaints about rehashing the same stories. A sponsorship with a resort is also paying for Jo’s entire wedding and the two-week vacation for all of them beforehand, so they have to record something. It was interesting to see her come to terms with everything she’s been working on for years coming to an end and then trying to build up her next project that accompanies her other creative interests.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was a fun romance that I read almost entirely in one sitting. I liked the characters, as well as the main couple’s relationship. If you’re looking for a fun romance centered around a vacation, you should look into this book!

This was a very cure debut for this author. Two influencers run a podcast that is basically about how to hook up without ever catching feelings and then one of the girls announces she is getting married which send their audience into a tizzy! All the characters were very likable and i liked reading about their growth throughout the book. This also has a cute enemies to loves trope which i always enjoy. This would be a great summer read!

Thank you netgalley & st martins press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great debut of a novel! I thought the idea was original, especially with a guy more interested in looking for love than a girl. The references were really modern, the idea of a podcast made so much sense in todays culture, and I absolutely loved the message of the book. The characters were great and I love the rapport between them all. I already saved Miller’s next book in 2024, im so excited to read it. This will be a great summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of #7RFBH in exchange for my honest review! 4⭐️! This book was so cute! It gave major vacation/Summer vibes which I loved! I love how the book incorporated social media- the text message and podcast bits were so fun.

Declan is a new fav book bf. He is so sweet and genuine! I loved Margo’s whole story, too!

Will definitely be reading more of this author’s books!

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was a really refreshing rom-com while still being super light and fun. THE BANTER WAS TOP-TIER OMGGGGG. The romance was also paced really well and it felt very natural. This book had the drama, the banter, the humor, and just the right amount of sappiness! Perfect for reading on the beach.

I worried the subject matter (podcasts...yawn, generally) might make this book a bit tired, but it felt fresh, fun, and breezy. Couldn't put it down.

Go (real name Margo)and her high school best friend, Jo, are podcasters and social media influencers famous for their seven rules that help women stay single. But Jo has decided to get married on Catalina Island to a guy they went to high school with, thus ending their reign as the women who shun commitment and embrace the single life. Margo isn’t sure where her life is headed now that the the podcast is in jeopardy so she decides to save it by picking someone she will break all of her own rules with and see what happens.
Enter Declan, their high school’s class clown who just so happened to be Margo’s highs school nemesis and the best man. He’s all grown up and now he’s a super attractive rocket scientist.

The plot was really well developed and the characters were too. The pacing was great too. Not a dull moment. Miller really shines when it comes to dialogue and this book has fantastic banter.

As the story progresses, each character learns and grows and I liked that. But as another reviewer stated, the climax felt forced. Their issue could have been so easily avoided if Margo had just been honest all along.

I had a really hard time liking Margo. I’m not big fan of plot that involve one character messing with another character for their own gain and then intentionally keeping that person in the dark after feelings develop for either one of them. It’s mean. Margo was also angry at Jo for falling in love and getting married because it jeopardized the podcast. And she was rude to hotel waitstaff and bartenders. She does grow out of her selfishness as the book progresses but an incident at Jo’s wedding left me wondering wonder how Jo would ever stay friends with her.

I would recommend this if you enjoy stories about social media influencers and you enjoy any of these tropes: high school nemesis, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, best man-maid of honor.
It reminded me of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 days".

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts follows podcasters Go and Jo. The two have a big following where they share the rules for staying single. However, Jo hasn’t been following as she is getting married! The podcast is getting some MAJOR backlash. Even though the podcast is getting hate, Go is dedicated and wanting to make the new season great. Go comes up with a plan to purposefully break the rules as an “experiment” for the podcast. What happens when she actually meets someone, aka Declan Walsh? Well, re-meets as they were childhood enemies because he messed with her A LOT. Go may just have to let herself fall, or give up on love once and for all.

Overall, I really liked this book. I thought the concept was fun and new. Social media and podcasts have taken off and I think it was super easy to connect with the characters and even their jobs. I wasn’t crazy about all of the characters though. I felt like Jo wasn’t a great friend, and Peter was kind of strange. I did like Margo and Declan though. I thought their banter was cute and funny. I liked their chemistry too!

I do wish there would’ve been more conversation with Margo and Declan though at the end of the book. I guess I just wanted a little more than what was written. I would’ve liked to see more of the happily ever after if you will.