Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This would have been 5 stars except the pacing in the first third of the book was too slow for me. Once it picked up, though, I couldn't put it down. I loved all the characters. I could relate to Imogen and some of the circumstances with her mom. The relationship between Imogen and Eliot was beautifully written with a very satisfying ending. I could absolutely see this as a movie. Another winner from this author.

A CLASSIC FRIENDS TO LOVERS TROPE….kind of.

I’m not one for romance, and I’ll be the first to say it. But Imogen and her “curse” make for such a wonderful heartwarming story of love and what it’s like to truly love yourself before others.

Sometimes, the characters needed more depth (like hi, I could have read ten chapters just on Dutch alone…) but as a whole, Imogen was a complex enough main with really wonderful supporting characters. I LOVED the different styles of love and relationships prograded throughout the book - Imogen and her troubled lives, her mom never falling in love with anyone after Imogene’s father passed, Franny and her niece, etc etc etc.

It is hard not to fall in love with Imogen. She is quirky, her mom sees telling signs of the universe wherever she looks and can’t be left alone. Imogen feels trapped: she hasn’t found the right balance of pursuing her passions and also keeping the lights on. Sleeping in her childhood bedroom is depressing, and she always seems to come in second place romantically. Until, that is, Eliot Swift comes back home.

AGH. A teenage girls dream. Literally Imogene’s but also…the one is for all the ladies that have ever felt that unrequited love and passion and always wondered “what if?”

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC of this book!

I loved that this book was different from all of the contemporary romances that I've read recently. The plot didn't move forward based on lack of communication, but based on the different needs and desires of the characters. The challenges they faced were unique to them.

There were a couple of instances where I thought the author was going to take the story in a direction that used tropes I don't care for, but then the story would shift and I'd realize that the way the plot point was used was very realistic.

I found myself thinking about this one on several occasions when I had to put the book aside to do other things. I found it to be very well written and I look forward to reading more by Jacqueline Firkins.

I loved this one so much. I loved the slight magical touch to it, the second chance angst, the small town feels. I loved both characters so much, even with their very different pasts and needs. A new favorite.

The title and cover do not do this novel justice - it is more than a fun rom-com. Characters are working on deep issues and are very well developed. There is also a fun, light supernatural element. I just wish I could continue Imogen and Eliot's love story!!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Imogen is quirky, unique and relatable. You will immediately resonate with her. It isn't the flirty rom-com you think it is. It is deeper and more about self discovery, self-worth and Eliot is the definition of what any of us need in a relationship. Beware that the sweetness of self discovery is balanced by a lot of spice! I was a bit surprised by the spice level but, it flowed well in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's been a few days since finishing 'The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch' by Jacqueline Firkins and I still can't stop thinking about Imogen and Eliot.

Imogen Finch and Eliot Swift are two birds who have been each other’s best friend (along with their third musketeer, the wonderful, vivacious Franny). However, despite their secret love for each other as teens, both want different things that don’t complement each other.

Eliot, feeling weighed down by his rich parents toxic relationship and expectations desires to escape as far away as he can as soon as he's 18. Meanwhile Imogen has had her wings clipped, forced to abandon her illustration career plans to return home and look after her mother who increasingly is declining mentally. She's further weighed down with low self-esteem after being told she's never going to be first for anyone thanks to her mum's psychic predictions. Something that comes true as Imogen recollects all her failed relationships and how she does everything for her boyfriends, only for them to dump or cheat on her.

This book was so much more than I thought. It's not a light-hearted series of challenges with Eliot helping Imogen to break her curse. Instead, it’s a beautiful character study with an underlying tension that the one man who sees her first can't, because he needs to be free from the encumbrances of their small town.

At times I felt emotional and heartbroken on Imogen's behalf - the yearning she felt while also not feeling good enough, thanks to her possibly psychic mother's 'prediction'. I also felt so frustrated that her mother didn’t allow her the room to spread her wings, instead contributing to her low self-esteem. I also wish that we had a bit of a longer resolution at the end. Given their needs were the antithesis of each other, especially with Imogen having her mother to look after which was a huge kibosh on everything, I just wish we had a bit of a time jump to see how their resolutions managed to work out.

This book is beautiful, poignant, heartbreaking, charming and so heartfelt and so well written in its characters and plot development.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

A cute love story, with a great plot! I loved seeing them try out all these 'firsts' to find one that Imogen could conquer. The romance was also sweet, and I was rooting for them the whole time! Will highly recommend!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I just absolutely adored everything about this. One of my favorite second chance romances I’ve ever read. IT was a sweet romance with great character development, that makes you smile.

Thanks to NetGalley for this adorable and charming book! This book had so much heart and was so touching. It's a story about second chance love, loss, and discovering yourself.

If you’re looking for a second chance romance to keep you entertained and laughing, this one is for you. I felt the story did focus on the “curse” aspect more than I was expecting/wanted it to. But I think it was still an enjoyable read that many would like.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. This was a book with a lot of plot lines . Not all of them were successful. Imogen Finch works several jobs, while trying to take care of her mother. Her mother is forgetful, wanders and has premonitions. Imogen's mother told her she would never be first at anything. So far ( at 28) her mother was right. Imogen came in second for a lot of things. She also has had 17 breakups- all where the guy broke up with her, because he had found someone better. This sounds like a depressing book, but it wasn't. Imogen has a best friend, Franny, and a long unrequited crush- Eliot. Eliot left town after high school and has become a wandering You Tube globe trotter. He comes back for his dad's funeral. And maybe for Imogen.The story is stuffed with characters, plot lines, sex and loose ends. I liked the premise and some of the characters. It was just a bit disorganized for me.

So much of this book makes me so terribly sad. Curse or no curse, Imogen’s life has definitely led her to believe that she isn’t good enough. So this was truly a story of her finding herself again, and finding her confidence. Eliot is a huge catalyst for those changes, but even their relationship left me feeling that he didn’t quite believe that Imogen was good enough, either. The ending helped to change my mind about that, but it still felt like an unfair compromise.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins is a captivating masterpiece that seamlessly combines charm, pathos, and irresistible appeal, defying all expectations.

Imogen Finch, the protagonist of this enthralling tale, experiences heartbreaks that are both anticipated and unforeseen. With a delicate touch, Firkins skillfully weaves a narrative that tugs at the reader's emotions, leaving them spellbound.

This literary gem is a testament to Firkins' exceptional storytelling prowess. Her ability to create relatable characters and evoke genuine emotions is truly remarkable. As readers delve into the depths of Imogen Finch's world, they are transported to a realm where love, loss, and resilience intertwine.

Firkins' writing style is both elegant and evocative, painting vivid pictures in the reader's mind. Each page is filled with a symphony of words that dance gracefully, captivating the senses and immersing the reader in a world of raw emotions.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is a testament to the power of storytelling. Firkins' masterful prose effortlessly captures the complexities of human relationships, leaving readers yearning for more. This novel is a must-read for those seeking a profound and unforgettable literary experience.

Imogen must return to her small town in Oregon to care for her mother. Her mother believes in signs and can predict what is going to happen and also told Imogen as a child she would never come in first. This has made Imogen settle in relationships as they will eventually leave her and find their true love. It takes a small town to help take care of mom.

She has only been in love once with Eliot in high school. Now as fate would have it he is coming back for his dad's funeral will she get a chance to redo this love?

Eliot sees her as she really is and believes in her. Eliot has been a loner and on his own and isn't sure he is ready to settle down.

This was a fun small town romance, and second chance romance book.

the setup…
Imogen Finch is an artist but she hasn’t drawn anything in a long time since she returned home to Pitt’s Corner, Oregon to look out for her mother who is considered to be/possibly clairvoyant. Long ago she declared that Imogen would never come first with anyone or in anything and that prediction seems to be prescient. After seventeen breakups (she was the one being dumped) and a nonexistent career, that phenomena seems to also have taken root in Imogen’s head. That’s until Eliot Swift returns home after more than ten years. He was her secret love but was also her best friend along with Franny Rockwell. The three of them were inseparable until Eliot left and he drifted away from both of them.

the heart of the story…
Imogen is the most interesting character with the sunniest dispositions and attitudes…except when it comes to how she sees herself. Those seventeen failed relationships were real and she deserved much better. The vignettes about some of them are interspersed throughout the story and while heartbreaking to read, they informed me more about Imogen and her choices. I was fearful of Eliot’s return given her strong and seemingly unrequited feelings for him but this man got who she is and was determined to get her to embrace it. Some of their scenes together are the most romantic I’ve ever read and utterly lovely. Their quest to find contests she could win were fun and imaginative, providing a sense of their strong connection.

the bottom line…
This was a lovely but often sad story about a young, talented woman with a big heart who didn’t believe she deserved being first for anyone. Imogen was selfless to a fault and though I was extremely wary of Eliot whose need to travel the world felt ominous, his devotion to Imogen was undeniable. I loved how he respected and treated her, as well as her friends and those in the town who were very protective of Imogen. There’s something poignant about the story, sometimes evoking joy, laughter and sadness in the same moments, that made it special. It seems to be Firkin’s signature and I’ll always read whatever she writes for that reason.

Thank you Ntegllaey for an advance e-copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars Rounded up!

"We're not quitting until you know you're not destined to be second anymore. Not at anything. Not to anyone."


Ah, Imogen Finch. The woman who seemingly can never be first at anything, no matter how she tries. And man does she put in the effort. At one point we even see this incredible bad luck on screen - during a pancake eating contest where at least 3 rounds of pancakes never had a bite taken out of them because of a series of unfortunate events. Then, you know, there is the terrible luck with her dating streak too. Guys dumping her first chance they get, or repeatedly being cheated on because men are terrible.

I do think her little "I will never be first" viewpoint grated my nerves a little bit. I grew up being told you get what you put into the world, and if you think you'll have a bad day then you will only notice the bad about the day. Of course, I am sure this trait was meant to be quirky and create an issue for the main character, but there were times it felt over the top and I was just rooting for her to somehow come first and "break the curse."

The romance was cute though, even if the third act breakup felt a little dragged out in the end. Imogen and Eliot have good chemistry, and some good, spicy scenes too. I knew the breakup was coming, but I still rooted for them and hoped that they would find a way to compromise with each other. Eliot really went out of his way to try and break her "curse" and be there for her as much as he could, while still dealing with emotional traumas of his own. These are complicated people, alright.

I knew the breakup was coming, but I still hated it anyway. Then I thought there might be some grand, sweeping gesture toward the end and was.....a bit disappointed. Yeah, there is now compromise on both characters parts, and the gesture here was sweet in its own way, but after almost a year apart I was expecting something bigger. There was still a happy ending though!

Well, overall, this was a decently cute romance. Even if parts of it bugged me a bit and I thought the unluckiness of Imogen was a little over the top at times. The romance was sweet and I liked the chemistry between the two characters, but I think their third act breakup dragged on a bit too long and I was underwhelmed by the grand gesture. This book was all around a decent read - I don't know if I would reread it, but it was a nice break between the fantasies I normally read.
Content warnings: grief, loss of a loved one, infidelity, sexual content, cursing

I adore @jfkillsdarlings newest book. This is the first time I’ve read one of her books and I have no idea how I have missed her until now. Her writing checks all of my boxes.
Imogen is cursed, her prophetic mother predicted she would always come second, and so far she is right. Imogen has lost 17 boyfriends to other women who they realized they just loved more then her and she has never won a contest or a game in her life.
A sudden tragedy might shift things for her as it brings home the first man she ever, secretly, loved, Eliot. Determined that Imogen can break her curse the two of them team up to enter every contest and game around to help Imogen get her first win.

I loved everything about this book. I love the friendships and how they play out. I love Imogen and Eliot’s self discovery arcs. The love story is so beautiful and sweet. It’s just so completely wonderful.
I definitely will be tracking down the rest of this authors work. If this sounds like your kind of book it hits shelves October 31 2023, and this will be such an amazing and cozy fall read.

Thank you so much to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for letting me review this book.
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In The Predictable Heartbreak of Imogen Finch, Imogen has just been through her 17th painful breakup. Her mother believes she can see into the future, and once stated Imogen will never come in first in anything. After trying her hardest to prove this wrong, she has started to believe this is true. Her friend and childhood crush Eliot Swift is back in town for a funeral when he swore he would never be back, and is determined to help Imogen enter contests to prove the prediction isn’t true. Imogen needs to face her past and decide if she wants to try to have hope for her future and if love is worth the risks.

I loved this story. Imogen’s character is three dimensional, and I was able to empathize with her throughout the story. I thought the plot was very well written and kept a strong pace throughout the story. I would definitely recommend reading this story.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch was a nice book. . Imogen goes back to your hometown to care for her mother. She puts her career on hold and has to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Then her first love appears to attend his dads funeral . .
I loved to read about the support she receives from friends and what a nice story.