I really enjoyed this story. Second chance, friends to lovers. It took some time to get there and you get some wisdom along the way.

Imogen is so relatable to me. Always putting the needs and happiness of others before herself. Believing her mother's prophecy that she would never be first at anything or to anyone and just accepting it.

Imogen and Eliot finding their way back to each other takes time. This is a slow burn. You do get an open door.

I felt bad for Dutch, it felt unnecessary to throw him in at the end.

Overall, cute read with some life lessons.

I loved this friends-to-lovers, second-chance romance novel from Jacqueline Firkins—so much so that I could not put it down, and read it in less than 24 hours. A story that could have felt familiar and overdone was in fact fresh, new, and completely compelling, thanks to the storyline of the curse, the clear and honest communication between the characters, and the growth each experienced on their own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publishing: October 31, 2023
Series: N/A
Pages: 352

This is a second novel that I have read by Jacqueline Firkins and thought it was very enjoyable…so much so that I read it in one sitting. A trope of friends-to-lovers and second chance romance, you have Imogen Finch who believes she is somehow cursed as she has come in second most of her life and have gone through numerous breakups…always left for someone better. She thinks she will never come in first at anything and has returned to her hometown to deal with an ailing mother who is for the most part psychic.

She has become acceptable to the life she has working various jobs to keep a roof over her head until fate has it that her high school secret crush returns to attend his father’s funeral. Eliot Swift has never stayed in one place for the most of his life and has never known what love is…at least not from his parents who on occasion returned to their seaside estate to entertain their lovers. While Imogen has been a constant via texting, Eliot, YouTube superstar, on the other hand has been non-communicative and absent. A chance meeting at his family mansion has the two reminiscing of the past, catching up on the current and eventually making plans to conquer what Imogen believes to be her curse.

Is there attraction between the characters? Yes, and it is a bit slow burn until they find themselves falling in love with one another while trying to put themselves first at something…anything. I loved that Eliot and Imogen kept things real and honest in their relationship. The story was well-written and had sub-characters that were relatable, and the story progressed. There are comically moments, especially with her quirky mother and best friend. I did feel a little sympathetic to Imogen’s plight with trying to prioritize herself first, however with Eliot not bringing closure to his issues, she still felt like a doormat in their relationship…putting his above hers based on her compassionate and empathetic nature. Also, not the ending I anticipated as Imogen still experienced heartbreak with her first love. Although Eliot returned after eleven months, was he there to stay for the duration? I think this is where the author seemed to have difficulty with the outcome of the ending…not quite HEA. There is a sense of longing to be first and for Eliot and Imogen, theirs was love and patience.

Insightful, delightful, and enjoyable read that makes it all the important to love yourself, accept all that life has to offer, including the messes, and pursuing the things that makes you happy by putting yourself first. Recommended read.

Imogene Finch has a lot going on in her life that makes her who she is and why. She never comes first in anything she has done in her life. I wanted her to have things go her way, but it never seemed to happen. This is one of the main reasons that this book was a slow read for me.
Thank you NetGalley, Jacqueline Firkins and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch.
This is my personal review.

I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley.

Honestly, I think I'm being over generous this week, but I have read two books that I would normally rate 4 stars and I'm giving them fives because I can't really see any reason not to. I typically save my five stars for books I would read again, and I don't think I would read this book again, but it's not because it's not a great book. It is!

Imogen Finch is cursed. She is doomed to come in second in anything and everything. Second in contests, and second in love. She has been dumped by 17 men...all who have left her for someone else, with the exception of like, one who left her for a cult. Awesome.

She's also been in love with her childhood best friend since...well...childhood. They haven't spoken in years, but a funeral brings him back to town.

They catch up, they reconnect, and they learn that some bonds can't be broken by time. But can Imogen's curse be broken? Or are they doomed?

More importantly, can Imogen learn to put HERSELF first?

This was a nice read on a day off. It tugged at your heartstrings. There were eccentric characters. There were friendships and character growth.

And at the end of the book, you don't know if Eliot and Imogen are going to end up together. Maybe they aren't each other's first choice? Maybe they were just meant for a time. Maybe maybe maybe. Who knows? Not me, not Imogen, not Eliot. Maybe Imogen's psychic mom....

Anyway, this is a solid 4 star book, but due to my current niceness, and the fact that there really weren't any miscommunications or toxic tropes, this book is getting a 5.

I can totally see Imogen and Eliot's love story turned into a movie. The plot is so easily enjoyable and the characters so sympathetic that I can't help but highly recommend.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

A perfectly told friends to lovers, second chance romance set in a coastal town in the PNW. Imogen is pretty sure she's cursed. Every relationship she's ever been in she's been left for someone better. Not to mention, her witchy mom had a premonition when she was younger that she'd never be first at anything, and so far.. she's been right. When she's called back to her hometown to take care of her ailing mother, she's finally accepting her fate of always being a failure, until her old best friend (and secret crush) also returns to town. Reunited, they set out on a journey to break Imogen's curse once and for all. This story was adorable. I really enjoyed the messy, relatable characters and their growth throughout the book. The chemistry between ImogenEliot was great and I loved how they were falling in love with each other while also prioritizing themselves and what they each needed at the time. They were always honest with each other and never held the other back and that was something really refreshing to read, however at the same time I wasn't in love with the ending, which made it a 4 star book for me. I just thought Imogen deserved more after everything she'd been through and it seemed like a little let down.

Edit: I've been thinking a lot about this book since I've finished it and I decided to change my rating to 5 stars. Sometimes it is what it is. I can't wait to recommend this to my book club friends!

You'll easily love this book with your whole heart...at least I did! For fans of second chance, friends to strangers to lovers, and steamy romcoms, The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch will deliver exactly what you crave! Imogen and Eliot were close friends when they were younger but as they grew up, they also grew apart. Imogen went on to pursue her dream of being an artist before she had to devastatingly return home to care for her ill mother who revealed a potential curse of heartbreak that Imogen was destined for. With this predicted curse on her mind, Imogen was surprised to find Eliot had also returned home after traveling all over the world the past few years. With both of these estranged best friends together in the same small town, funny shenanigans, inspiring revelations, and blossoming love ensue and Imogen and Eliot realize heartbreak may not be a magical curse, when their burgeoning love is the magic itself! Definitely check this one out when it releases in October so you can understand why it's so meaningful to them and so you can fall in love with these two cuties yourself!

I was happily surprised with the depth there was to this romance. The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is a quiet romance that mingles grief and love in a way that feels real; it never feels overdone or shallow...it hits just right.

There were funny moments sprinkled in but truly this one is emotional and surprisingly heartfelt.

I love this book so much - it’s about curses and second chances, and beach towns and found family. It’s absolutely beautiful and heartwarming- my heart expanded several sizes. Oh and it’s sexy.

Read this if you liked Every Summer After - very similar

10 * stars. I loved this beautiful and emotional love story. It was so wonderful to see these two broken people find love for themselves, love for each other, and ultimately their happily ever afters. This author never disappoints.

This one was just barely okay for me. I didn’t really like Imogene. I couldn’t get behind the “competition” and the story just never pulled me in.

loved this romance and her trying to find love and finding herself. loved the friends and and the romance. I would read this author again. I really enjoyed the pacing and how the story and the character worked things out.

This was a fun story with messy characters who get a second chance at love. Quick read, very heartwarming.

As with Marlowe Banks, Redesigned, I was happily surprised with the depth there was to this romance. The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is a quiet romance that mingles grief and love in a way that feels real; it never feels overdone or shallow...it hits just right.

In this novel, Imogen Finch is coming off her kazillionth break up when Eliot Swift, the true owner of her heart, returns to town to take care of things after the death of his father. Fairly quickly we learn that both Imogen and Eliot consider the other one 'the one that got away' and they decide to take some time to explore what being together would be like. Interspersed with that are little vignettes of Imogen's various failed love affairs and snapshots of town life in their home town, a town Eliot couldn't run away from fast enough when he graduated from high school. And mixed in with all of that is an exploration of what it means to love yourself, what it means to be responsible to and for others, and what it means to truly give space to those around you to grow and learn about themselves.

While there are some funny moments, I felt a sense of nostalgia and longing tinged throughout and it's that combo that enriched an already good read. When you throw in some really interesting secondary characters and a moodiness that almost begs you to sit back and reflect on your own evolution, how can you not enjoy The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch.

AHHH 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Just from the title & cover itself, I knew this was going to be good. And yes, from the first chapter to the last, I like this so much. so much love for this!! putting this in my favorites list

A heartwarming love story with relatable characters. I loved every moment.
Second chance romance that pulled at my heart a few times. Read in one sitting will be looking forward to more books by this author

This was just fine to me. It took a long time for me to get hooked, and then the hook did not keep me riveted, and I kept looking to see how much I had to read to finish.

Imogen Finch is someone who has always put the needs of others above her own, always placing herself second. She is an artist that has come home to take care of her mom and instead of working on art, she takes many different jobs to help make ends meet.

There of course, is a love interest, someone she has shared an unrequited love since High school and this is a sweet addition to the story. I would raise my stars to 4 if it was not so long to me.

Thank you the @netgalley for the preview.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch presented a sweet second-chance romance with a slight twist: Imogen knows she will never come first in anything. It was predicted by her mother and her mother's predictions always come true! Her struggle to reconcile this knowledge with the budding romance she finds herself in with her childhood friend was wonderful to read. The insecurities Imogen struggled with felt real, and Eliot was a wonderful love interest to counter them.

The side characters added real depth to the book, with Imogen's mother and friend Franny being portrayed as actual humans with feelings, lives, and goals. The town of Pitt's Corner was also one of the best settings for a romance novel I've seen in a while!

You might think you know where this book is going, but you don't! Or maybe you do. The main quibble that I had with this book is that the author seemed like she actually couldn't decide how she wanted this book to end. You might not be able to have your cake and eat it too, but this book is essentially the equivalent of getting to eat part of your cake and pretending to be satisfied when you get to keep the frosting. But the frosting wasn't even the good part of the cake. So you aren't actually satisfied. Just like I was unsatisfied by the ending of this book.

I expected a cutesy little read but was surprised with all the depth and detail of the story.
I appreciated how the MC found her worth not in a relationship and how therapy was viewed as a positive thing.

I didn’t appreciate the sec scenes that seemingly came out of no where. I prefer more closed-door books.