Firkins's characters are endearing and relatable, and the author's vivid descriptions of the small-town setting create a charming and nostalgic atmosphere. The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is a delightful read that will leave readers feeling hopeful and inspired. It's definitely one to check out!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins
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“Sometimes wanting something, even with your whole heart, isn’t enough to make it the right thing to want.”
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Imogen has just been through her seventeenth breakup. She’s come to believe a prediction that her well-intentioned and possibly clairvoyant mother made over twenty years ago: that Imogen would never come first at anything or to anyone. But when her high school crush comes home, Imogen has new motivation to try again.
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What I liked:
-I adored Imogen. I felt so bad for her and I wanted her to get a win SO BAD.
-This book was seriously super emotional. I couldn’t stop listening to it.
-I loved the bartender. I thought he and Imogen had such great chemistry and banter.
-I appreciated the journey the romance went on through this book and that it wasn’t easy. I loved that it was messy and real and that made the ending a lot better.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I teared up so many times reading this. It you love emotional books with quirky characters then I would recommend.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press / St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC of this one! These are my honest thoughts!

I ended up enjoying this one so much more than I thought! Imogen is destined for heartbreak, as her mother predicted early in her life, through some sort of premonition (and all of her mother's premonitions come true so... she believes them). She's destined to always come in second place, and that includes her love life. And this reminder is one she's faced 17 times in her life, from her crush on her best friend in high school to present day, where her boyfriend breaks up with her because he's been cheating on her and he's in love. Heartbroken over the fact that nothing ever works out and then with fact that her mother stands in her kitchen one morning with a new premonition that ends up bringing her best friend/crush back to their small town and back into her life, it's the catalyst Imogen needs to take her life back into her hands... by trying to fulfill the prophecy on her own.

Things I loved about this story:
- It was so emotional. I cried and I laughed with these characters in equal measure.
- The necessity of human connection is such a central part of this story. We all need it, and it looks different for all of us.
- Unburying of dreams and the dusting off of one's talents that you made small for other people
- Imogen opening up as her true self to Eliot, possibly for the first time in her whole life
- Eliot realizing he's only ever desired running away from things... and maybe how that is truly a toxic approach to life

This one gets a solid 4-star rating from me. I really liked it.

I adored this book - it was unpredictable and really funny. Imogen can't catch a break when it comes to anything. If she enters a contest or a race, she will lose. Tossing coins for heads/tails - she will always lose. Her boyfriends all leave her for someone else and come to her for sympathy when their new relationship goes south. Sometimes she is even a bridesmaid.

When her old high school friend Eliot Swift returns to town to sell the house he had grown up in, he doesn't believe in her curse. They had dated briefly in high school, before Eliot had left to tour the world, paying his way by taking local jobs along the way. He only returned to town to settle the estate and sell the family home as his father had died. He and his father were not close or even friendly. But friends do sometimes become lovers and this happened here. But Eliot is not one to stay anywhere for very long, so where does this leave Imogen?

I highly recommend this book for lovers of second-chance romance, and the joy of watching two people discover their own unconventional way of being happy. I received this e-arc from the publisher St. Martin's Press and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

really enjoyed this story of finding a love for yourself in the midst of trying to make everyone else love you.

Imogen is determined that she holds a curse to forever be second at everything, never first. When an unexpected event bring her childhood best friend and former crush, Eliot, back into her life, he vows to help her change her luck. While Imogen is a homebody who is forced to help take care of everyone around her, Eliot is full of wanderlust and refuses to stay still. The two discover that maybe their friendship means more than either of them initially thought, but discover that their firsts in their lives may not match up.

I truly enjoyed the underlying story with this. While Imogen is trying so hard to be first with others (her mom, her dad, her friends, her employers), she never puts herself first either. Her character arc was a really fun journey and I loved her by the end of the book .This was one story that I truly didn’t know how the ending would happen, so I was pleasantly surprised with how everything was wrapped up.
Overall, this was a super cute childhood friends-to-lovers that I’m sure others will love as well!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this story. All opinions are my own!

The character development for the main character Imogen was really the highlight of the book. However, some of her attitudes made it difficult to be fully invested in her story, and were a bit much to deal with while reading. Also, Eliot seemed to be portrayed as a saviour/hero, which is something that deters me from being invested in the romantic relationship. The miscommunication and love triangle aspects were also messy and took away from my enjoyment of this book.

I'm so late on reviewing this one but I sincerely adored it! While it wasn't quite as good as the first one, it was still incredibly heartfelt and swoony. I thought the author did the second chance romance trope justice! The only thing I wish is that we had gotten to see more of the relationship and personal growth on page - the ending felt rushed even if it also had me all emotional! Other than that I really enjoyed it!

4.5 stars

I read another book by this author back in January of 2023 called Marlowe Banks, Redesigned and loved it so when I got an email with a NetGalley widget allowing me to have access to this book I had to jump at the chance to read it. This is a friends to lovers second chance romance. Imogen and Eliot have been friends since they were kids, and Imogen has always had a crush on him but never said anything. After Eliot graduates he leaves town, and they lose touch, but he returns after a decade away and things go from there. I thought this was such a cute romance and I loved the communication in this book. It did get a bit repetitive when it came to Imogen's "curse" and the ending was a bit of a letdown but overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch was a delight. I particularly liked that I was not ever convinced if the "curse" was real or not, and that there were moments when I was not sure how the story was going to end. This romantic comedy title will be recommended for purchase by my library.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a advanced copy for this book.

I give this book 3 stars. I personally enjoyed Imogen and her friends. The story was interesting, I loved the town and how it was like a close knit community. I wasn't a fan of her love interest Eliot though. For me he was just to selfish and running away from issues instead of getting help from the beginning.
I was really rooting for them in the beginning until he decided to leave. Yes, it was predicted by Imogens mother that he would leave and the book was about Imogen's self growth which I really enjoyed. I don't feel like Eliot deserved Imogen at all. Maybe, she should have grown into herself. Maybe she should have stayed with Dutch. I feel he was more of a man for Imogen than Eliot could ever be.

DNF. Will hopefully come back and try again at another time. I really wanted to enjoy this but I struggled to get into it.

this book was so relatable, always falling for the wrong people over and over. its about self growth which is sometimes the best type of growth

This book was unnecessarily long for the depth of the plot in my opinion. I was a little weirded out by the friendship dynamic. Wanted to love it but just did not.

I loved this! I found the female charactet to be so relatable. I loved the romance and it was so damn sweet

3.5 Stars

Imogen is curse with bad luck in love. Coming second in everyone's lives, with a long list of breakups, she feels she is doomed to be alone forever. That is until the one that got away, Eliot Swift, returns home for his father's funeral.

Their childhood friendship was shattered when Eliot left for greener pastures after high school and cut off all contact with Imogen and their other friends. Years have passed, but Imogen can't shake the love she has harbored for him since high school. Turns out Elliot may feel the same, but will he be able to put down roots and live the 'traditional" life?

I always love a second chance romance/childhood crush realized. Imogen and Eliot had such a warm understanding of each other, and they both struggled to take care of themselves, while being mindful of the other's needs and feelings. I really appreciated Imogen's selflessness in caring for her mother and setting aside her own artistic dreams. Eliot felt a little more selfish of a character, so I was not as connected to his storyline. I was a little indifferent about the ending, I thought it was going to wrap up a little differently, but aside from that it was a cute read overall

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins is a poignant and charming young adult contemporary novel that explores the complexities of love, friendship, and self-discovery in a refreshingly honest manner. The story centers around Imogen Finch, a high school senior who has resigned herself to a pattern of predictable heartbreaks. Imogen believes she has a knack for picking the wrong guys, and she navigates her romantic endeavors with a mix of humor, cynicism, and vulnerability. When she meets Preston Frank, a charming and mysterious new student, Imogen's beliefs about love and relationships are put to the test. I loved this story. It was so sweet and relateable.

After seventeen failed relationships, Imogen’s love life seems to be cursed. Just when she’s ready to give up on the hope of ever finding mr. right, her highschool crush, Eliot arrives back in town.

I wouldn’t strictly categorize this one as a romance. The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is more contemporary fiction with romance woven in. It was quite a bit more emotional than I was but the writing is excellent. The heartache is palpable and the tender moments are fulfilling.

Overall, The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch was a wonderful read. I have read one of Jacqueline Firkins’ books previously and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

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

The Predictable Heartbreaks reminded me that love can appear at anytime, anywhere... sometimes when you least expect it.

Imogen Finch believes that people date and then break up with her to find their actual happily ever after. She knows she'll never be anyone's first priority or first anything. Not only does she know this, but everyone else throws this idea into her face via talk most days. Yet when Eliot Swift comes back in town after his dad's death to help his Mom put her home back together, he puts faith back in her. Faith that she can truly find her person and love again..smack dab in their city. The only issue is that Imogen is falling for Eliot and she cannot go through another heart break again...even if he may be there to pick up the pieces of her heart.

This novel is a sweet ode to loving yourself and realizing your worth. I adore Firkin's writing style and the love/ommph that she puts into every word she places on the page. Immediately, I can be transported to whatever small town, character and emotion out there- fighting for true love and everything good in the world.

When Imogen goes through her 17th heartbreak, she isn't very upset because she was expecting it. Her mother told her a long time ago that she would never be first to anyone and she has decided to accept it. When Eliot, the guy she had a crush on in high school comes back to town it makes her desperate for a win, of any kind, to help her believe in herself again.

This book was so cute. I wasn't sure when it started what to think. The author did a wonderful job making the characters very relatable. This story is wonderfully charming.

I will definitely be recommending this to my other rom-com loving friends.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.