Samaya is a handful. Lol! Seriously, she has a lot of drama attracted to her but then again, she causes a lot of it. I feel it had a little more drama than the average but not so much to turn you off. I liked some of the fake dating trope. I don't know if I would reread or not. I do think I would read something else that this author creates though.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, publishers, and Farah Heron for gifting me a copy of How to Win a Breakup in return for my honest opinion.

4/5 stars

An “it” couple’s breakup becomes a sporting event in a deliciously charming novel about the games people play in the name of love. First, math genius and gamer-nerd Samaya gets dumped by her boyfriend. Then he sabotages her job and hooks up with her frenemy. What could be worse? Clearly, her golden boy ex is winning the breakup. The only way Samaya can get some rebound cred is to find someone new. Even if she has to fake it. At a volunteer bake sale, Samaya meets a sweet opportunity. Daniel is a handsome hockey jock and a whiz when it comes to lemon squares and brownies. And he agrees to play along. Quid pro quo. He’ll pretend to be the boyfriend of her dreams if Samaya helps him pass calculus. This may well be the recipe for the best revenge, but Samaya has no idea how complicated it will get. As they whip up an imitation romance, and a bumbleberry pie, resisting each other’s very real charms proves impossible. Samaya finds herself on an unexpected journey of secrets, self-discovery, and the true meaning of moving on.

This was such a cute YA novel. But I will say there are a lot of tough topics brought up in this book. From abusive step-fathers to racial slurs there are some tough moments so be prepared. As someone who has been out of high for over 10 years, this is how I remember it. From the cattyness to the rumors it definitely rings true from what I remember.

I always love books that dive into different cultures and this one was definitely a winner. The diversity in the characters was refreshing and loved all of the different representations. Everything in this book was handled wonderfully, from the shelter and its residence to pronouns. Everything was written in a way to highlights but not draw the reader's attention away from our MC and the plotline.

Now on to the characters, Devin is a jerk and Farag Heron did a great job writing him to come off that way through the pages. I loved learning about Samaya. At the beginning of the book, she is not very likable because of her wanting to win the "game" she had come up against her ex. She is very demanding towards Daniel and her friends, making her an unlikable character. But I loved her growth and acceptance throughout the book. I loved Daniel, he was an all-around decent character who helped Samaya grow and become a better version of herself.

I would definitely recommend this to YA lovers!

Farah Heron can be hit or miss for me, but I loved this one. The setting, the characters, everything about this title delighted me.

HOW TO WIN A BREAKUP was an enjoyable read full of teen drama, complicated friendships, and a sweet (!!) romance. It did have a bit of a shaky start but got much better in the latter half. I appreciated Samaya's commitment to growing and changing for the better and her loved ones for calling her out on her behavior throughout the book. She goes THROUGH IT but never loses her determination to be who she wants to be (misguided or not). I also liked the way Farah touched on important topics beyond just what teens were gossiping about at school. This included: homelessness, elitism, being non-binary, racism, misogyny, etc. It's not a heavy book but there was clearly a lot of care put into ensuring that the topics were depicted in a respectful way. Speaking as someone who doesn't have nearly the same experiences [so can't comment too much on the representation]. It's nice that the supporting characters were also given their moments and stories outside of the MC (despite how "Me, Me, Me" she was in the beginning). I will definitely pick up another book by Farah and look forward to going back and reading Tahira and Ronan's story!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Skyscape for the advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"How to Win a Breakup" by Farah Heron is a triumphant romantic comedy that left me thoroughly entertained and utterly charmed. This novel is a delightful exploration of love, self-discovery, and the unexpected twists that life throws our way.

Heron's writing style is vibrant and engaging, infusing the story with humor and heart. The characters are wonderfully relatable, each with their own quirks and endearing qualities that make them feel like old friends.

At the core of the narrative is a heartwarming romance that unfolds with genuine emotion and irresistible chemistry. The dynamics between the characters are both amusing and touching, creating a narrative that is equal parts laughter and heartache.

"How to Win a Breakup" seamlessly blends humor with moments of vulnerability, resulting in a balanced and authentic portrayal of relationships and personal growth. The author's exploration of cultural identity and familial expectations adds depth to the story.

In conclusion, "How to Win a Breakup" is a feel-good triumph that celebrates the messiness of love and life. If you're in the mood for a romantic comedy that's both heartwarming and hilarious, this book is an absolute must-read. Farah Heron's storytelling is a delight, and this novel is a true gem that will leave you with a smile on your face.

This was a fun read! It was super easy and quick, and I liked the touches of the mysteries throughout teh romance. I think my high schoolers will enjoy this one!

I received a free copy of How to Win a Breakup from Netgalley and Skyscape in exchange for an honest review.

The consequences of dating in the age of social media are massive. The consequences of breaking up when you’re the “it” couple of the school are damning. Samaya’s ex-boyfriend breaks up with her, sabotages her job, and starts dating a girl that Samaya hates. So, obviously he’s winning the breakup.

Daniel is a cute hockey jock and baker that fits perfectly into her plan. Soon, they’re faking a relationship, Samaya is volunteering to bake with him, and Daniel is getting the help he needs to pass calculus. But how long until feelings join the fake dating party?

How to Win a Breakup is a romance for the newest generation, one that will relate heavily to the consequences of being on social media as teens. I enjoyed reading about Samaya’s journey towards finding herself apart from the audience, the ex, and the rest of her life. I recommend picking this novel up if you’re looking for a modern teen romance with the most adorable, destiny-driven couple.

4 stars!

I don't know why but I did not realize this was a young adult book and I think the main thing I didn't enjoy was how at times the characters read so young. I know that silly drama happens in a high school but there was SO MUCH petty drama. All of the main characters friends sucked and I think her ex-boyfriend was especially one of the worst. The romance between the characters was pretty decent, and the hockey and baking elements were super fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

fake dating
hockey player
sunshine x grumpy
baking
check, check, and check
.
This book was too freaking cute. Samaya was the perfect main character, she was driven, and hard-working. The romance in this one was just perfect I absolutely loved Daniel and Samaya's relationship, their chemistry was amazing even from early on.
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Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to the publisher for providing a digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up!

TL;DR: How to Win a Breakup is a fun and fairly angsty YA contemporary romance featuring the fake-dating trope, exes out to best each other, plenty of gaming geeks and an athlete himbo who loves to bake and has a heart of gold. Samaya had a lot of learning and growing to do and although it took a while for her to get there, she does make strides in the end. I loved the friendship she forms with Daniel, who is without a doubt my favourite character in this story! There were some parts that could've been stronger and less scattered but overall, this was enjoyable and a perfect summer beach read.

Farah Heron is an author that has been on my radar for a while now because her books always have such eye-catching covers and intriguing synopses. I'm glad I've finally picked up one of her books because I enjoyed her writing a lot! It's fun and easy to read and sucked me in pretty quickly even with all the teenage angst and drama that I usually really don't enjoy. That's not to say that it wasn't a struggle at times to get through because of the teenage angst and all the characters were really deep in their teen phase and not always very likeable. I do feel like this is one of those YA contemporaries that make me feel like maybe I've outgrown the genre but I still found a lot to enjoy while reading it. In terms of the writing and plot, I think my biggest qualm would be that there were times the story was a little too all over the place and tried too hard to fit in too much. This didn't leave much time to really dive into certain aspects that deserved it and ultimately, made the resolution of these parts of the story feel underwhelming or even confusing.

As a POC, I will never stop loving the fact that we get to see so much diverse representation in books these days and the younger me squeals with joy each time I see a story centred on POC, especially in YA and contemporary romance in particular. This was also set in Canada, which I was not expecting and so that was cool although without it being explicitly stated in the story, I wouldn't have noticed that much of a difference (only minor things). There's a considerable cast of characters that we meet but most only served to drive Samaya's story forward and didn't get much development.

As the main character and POV, I have to admit I wasn't always the biggest fan of Samaya, especially at the start. She's quite self-centred and has a sarky, pessimistic, attitude that combined with her fixation on how others see her, felt a bit tiring at times. But I empathised with her situation because her ex is pretty douchey and doesn't seem to know what he wants throughout the story. Despite her flaws, her POV was still engaging and she does eventually experience growth towards the end and learns to not only be a better friend but to also remove herself from being an active participant in the toxic gossip cycle that only serves to hurt herself and others.

What I think would've made this better is getting Daniel's POV because I ADORED him! He's a hockey player and a bit of a himbo, as well as an absolute sweetheart who spends a great chunk of his free time helping out and baking sweet treats at the homeless shelter. His big heart, optimism and sunshine personality were a great contrast to Samaya's moodiness and their fake-dating romance was fun to watch unfold! They had awesome chemistry and I enjoyed their sweet friendship and how much Daniel grounded Samaya and helped her see things in a different light. I loved learning about his backstory too and it really tugged on my heartstrings and made it that much easier to root for him. 💜

Overall, this wasn't entirely what I expected when I decided to read it and although there was a little too much teenage drama and angst for my liking and I wished certain parts had been resolved better, I still found it an enjoyable enough read!

I am definitely a fan and I really enjoyed reading this time. I will definitely be back for more, so keep them coming.

thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley

Farah Heron is one of my favorite writers, and this one was full of high school drama that encapsulates the struggle of being a teenager in love. This was a super quick read with some of my favorite tropes for younger audiences and I think this is the perfect summer read.

Tropes Included:
- Fake Dating
- Gaming
- Baking

Thank you @netgalley for a copy of this book. This was a cute YA book with lots of teenage drama. I am for sure not the target audience and this was too young for me. Samaya was really cute and enjoyed her growth journey. I enjoyed Daniel's character and how sweet he was.

An absolute delight of a read! This was a very healing YA read that one can finish in one sitting. Definitely watching out for the author’s future releases.

This book was a great high school drama read. Our story begins with our MC, Samaya, at the end of summer and about to start school back. At the end of last year, her boyfriend, the most popular guy in school, broke up with her and ruined a lot of things for her. All of which were on the schools mysterious gossip account on Instagram.

There is definitely great character growth in this story. In the beginning, I thought Sam was a little self-serving but throughout the story she gets a little better. There are some good really good friendships in this book as well which I always enjoy.

Overall, this book was a little predictable as far as the mysteries go but it's still very enjoyable. I would definitely read more books by this author. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy a good high school drama story.

The trope might have been there and done that, but Heron thrives in writing the trope to be an absolutely cute teenage love story. I love the resilience and instant chemistry between the characters, the delicious desserts explicitly described that make me salivate in hunger, and the coming-of-age plot of Samaya to become fully her person instead of a 'sidekick' of her perfect ex-boyfriend.

It's a win and recommended for those who want a light-hearted romance.

How to Win a Breakup is a YA about a girl name Samaya who just broke up with her boyfriend and they were known as the golden smart couple. The book goes through the breakup and them finding themselves and love while being in school.

This book started off slow for me but picked up when it wasn't talking about Devin and Samaya' s Breakup. I disliked Hana and Kavatia as everyone should. Daniel was the sweetest and him and Samaya were perfect for each other. Yasmin was so cute and I love to see kids in books because they make it all seem so pure.

This is my first book from Farah Heron but I am going to read the other book that shares the story about Samaya's Sister.

Overall, I really liked this book and the message it gave.

I absolutely LOVE a fake dating romance trope.

Thank you Farah Heron for delivering. This is very much YA romance. Lots of high school drama, with some character growth from our MC.

I thought that the gossiper's identity reveal could've been handled a little better (it was boring/anti-climatic) but overall, this was a good read. I think teens will enjoy this.

This book ties in characters from Heron's last book, Tahira in Bloom, but is not necessarily a sequel, just a book with the same characters, focused on another story arc. It is a cute read that shows the complications of relationships.

3.5 stars — I had a hard time choosing whether to round up or down. So basically this was a solid 3.5 stars whichever way I land. *snort*

The thing is I haven’t been reading many YA books lately, and I think I forgot about the drama that comes with, you know, young adults. I don’t think it was over the top or unrealistic in this book, it’s just hard to read sometimes you know? I did appreciate that because Samaya is engrossed in all this drama and allows it to take up so much room in her life, we actually get to see her come to some understandings about how harmful that can be, and she does learn and grow a bit as a result. That was nice to see, and something I think teens need to read about. To see how being wrapped up in their own drama can cause them to lose sight of the things happening in other people’s lives, as well as to gain perspective.

Saying all that, the drama was still a bit hard to take. Hence me waffling on the up or down. Samaya has a lot of tunnel vision, and it takes her a bit to get there. But at least she does make strides. In the end I don’t quite know how I feel about Samaya. I appreciated seeing her grow, but I still felt like she wasn’t the most empathetic person towards the people in her school. I do get that Devin was a total tool, but I’m kind of dismayed that she never really got that he probably missed her friendship. Not saying she should be friends with him, but an understanding would have been nice you know? Same with the way she saw Hana. I felt like there was gray there and she never figured that out.

I was a bit confused about where the plot was going a lot of time. I had one idea of how the story was going to go with her gamer friend and Daniel, and then it all went in weird other ways. I did figure some stuff out before the end, but not everything. It was kind of complicated, almost a bit too much going on in the plot.

The absolute highlight in this book was Daniel. He was total book boyfriend material, and I adored him from moment one, even as I was confused about who he was. I loved how dorky he was, how passionate about the things he loved, how compassionate, how kind. He was an absolute star, and I could have read 10 books about him.

So yeah. A solid YA, probably a bit too much drama for this adult reader, but still enjoyed my time with these two.

ps — a super smart nerd in Canada can love hockey too…just saying.