Super cute and a very enjoyable experience to read. Definitely one to consider if you like a good chick lit story that is perfect for the beach or pool side.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

This. Book.

If you’re looking for a second chance romance that has some legit substance, this is it. This book deals with some heavy subjects, such as family trauma and cheating but it does it in very sensitive way.

Imogen is a 20-something who lives at home with her mom when it becomes clear that her mom can’t care for herself, abandoning her own dreams. The bright side is that her best friend, who is also the guardian of her 15yo niece, also lives in their hometown, so she has plenty of support.

Eliot is the missing link from their trio. After moving away after high school, imogen has lost touch. However, he returns home after a family tragedy.

Add to the story that Imogen is living with a prophecy that she will never be first in anything - games, jobs, or relationships. Prior to Eliot returning home, she has just suffered from breakup 17.

Guess you’ll have to see if Imogen and Eliot break that prophecy…

I enjoyed reading The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins. It's a great read if you like the friends to lovers / second chances trope! This story is about Imogen and Elliot – good friends who pine for each other in high school but don’t get together. Elliot then goes off traveling the world and documenting it all on social media. Imogen stays at home with her mother and believes that she is cursed based on the predictions of her mother’s “inner eye.” Elliot returns home temporarily upon the death of his father and sees his good friend Imogen again. Their relationship progresses but Elliot wants to get back on the road. The story is full of angst, cute events and funny small-town happenings. It’s about Imogen slowly learning how to put herself first in life rather than always second or last to take care of everyone else’s needs. Elliot, with the help of a therapist, must learn to stop running away.

A big “Thank You” to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an advance copy in return for an independent, honest review.

great! has things i love—second chance, friends-to-lovers—that are done really well. both imogen & eliot are complex and well-rounded. honestly, all of the characters are fun and interesting, even the small bit ones. good story; eliot returning after such a long time away and the events it sets in motion i really liked.

#netgalley

This book was so cute and heartwarming. I loved all the characters and how the book was laid out. It made me laugh and cry and made my insides feel all warm and fuzzy. I thought the character development was excellent and it went deeper than your general rom-com which I liked. I did feel like it was a bit rushed in the end and I wish we knew the story behind his tattoos. But all in all it was an excellent read. One I know I’ll reach for again soon and I’ll recommend to all my friends. (Also he needs glasses on the cover of the book. 😉)

This was a light and quick read. While entertaining, it was often predictable. I found the story line about the mother‘s prophesies to be distracting.

This was a fun summer romance book to read. It’s a little wordy, but not bad. I found myself drawn to Eliot and wanting things to work out for him. Then at the end, I honestly had mixed emotions and wanted Dutch, too. It’s not normal for me to cheer indecisively for both love interests, but this time I was.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is a gem. Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced digital copy in return for my honest review. Sweet and heartwarming, the book has the feel of a sleeper summer romance movie hit in which you fall in love with the characters and beach setting.

Imogen Finch is a 28-year old artist who has put dreams on hold to take care of her mother in Oregon working multiple odd jobs to make ends meet. She's also been through a series of bad break-ups with boyfriends who seemingly chose other women. Enter Eliot Swift (alias Swiftie) arrival to Pitt's Corner. After years without any contact, her childhood best friend and crush has returned to Pitt's Corner following his fathers death. Regardless of their years of separation, between the long-time friends exists a deep understanding and chemistry. As the pair resume their friendship, the story explores whether there is magic in the timing of their reunion.

Imogen is hard-working, loyal and creative who cares for others while Eliot is her hot, kind, thoughtful, sometimes broody love interest. Their chemistry is palpable and the years/issues that keep them apart are realistic and believable. Firkins writes just enough amount of angst and pining for readers to not only care about the couple's happiness - but the happiness of mom, Franny and Dutch. 4.5 stars but rounding up - Imogen Finch is adorable and entertaining love story.

"The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch," by Jacqueline Firkins is a heart-warming story about Imogen Finch a 28- year-old women who has come to believe a prophesy from her clairvoyant mother that she will never come first in anything. She uses her 17 successive breakups as cases in point.

But not everybody agrees. Eliot Swift, one of Imogen's childhood best friends, always questioned it, though he left 10 years earlier to travel (and run away from a troubled family life).

When he returns to their little Oregon town, it's as if he never left. His goal - to enroll Imogen in a host of competitions to convince her that she can be better than second. And as they spend the time together, hidden emotions for both of them return as if the 10.years apart never happened.

I thought this was a really lovely, moving story about how two people learn to cope with their life circumstances in different ways and in so doing, find mutual acceptance. It is not just a great "beach read, " but it's a true "pick-me-up." I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. It made my day!

This was an entertaining, angsty read. Our poor main character deals with so much, and I think she deserves more from the love interest. I won’t get into spoilers, but I didn’t love the ending, and I didn’t love what happened back when they were in high school. I get it, she’s a people-pleaser, but it seems like all she does is settle. The main characters do have amazing chemistry, however.

This is a good beach read with some very of-the-moment rom-com tropes: a small town, jobs at a floral shop and dog-walking, someone with lowkey magic powers (?), etc.

Sexy and funny, with great banter and a lovely BFF trio, as well as a fun and quirky small-town setting. A solid childhood BFF-to-lovers romance.

I love the two complicated protagonists in this heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance. Each is dealing with difficult issues that could make a successful relationship impossible, but the author knows how to lighten the mood with vivid descriptions, intriguing detail, and just the right touch of whimsy.

Imogen has had 17 successive boyfriends, but none were keepers. In addition, she has ignored her art school degree and works six part-time jobs to tale care of her mother, who does not have dementia but who is quite eccentric and sometimes has to be rescued. When Imogen was six years old, her mother told her she would never come first in anything, based on the omens in nature that she used to make often-correct predictions, and over time, Imogen has come to believe in the "curse." Eliot, who was Imogen's best childhood friend, along with their other best friend, Franny, has a career as a world traveler who documents his trips on a popular YouTube channel. Because of his grim upbringing, he is unable to stay in one place for long, but he returns home for his father's funeral, and both he and Imogen embark on a relationship that seems to grow organically from their childhood friendship. Eliot is determined to help Imogen break the curse, and the two participate in many fun competitions to give Imogen her much-needed first place. But a lasting romance may be out of the question because they are so very different.

Because I enjoyed the author's last book, Marlowe Banks, Redesigned, I tried her next book and am very glad I did. This is an author to watch.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I have mixed emotions about this book. I loved the best friends to strangers to lovers plot line. I didn't like the the heroine's mother seeing into the future by observing things like the number of spots on a lady bug. I also found how people-pleasing the heroine was to be quite annoying. With that being said, I liked the plot and the hero's struggles felt very real. Overall, this was a quick easy read, perfect for a beach read.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How Not to Fall in Love is one of my favorite YA contemporary reads and when I saw The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by the same author, I knew I needed to read it.

"I thought you were the fiercest, most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I was in total owe of you. I've felt that way ever since, and I can't imagine I'll ever stop."

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch is a very sweet and endearing read about a woman who puts everyone else's needs in front of her own. Imogen is a twenty-eight year old who believes she has been cursed. When her mother, who has random predictions, tells a young Imogen that she will never be first in life, Imogen takes it to heart when she realizes it's true with every boyfriend she's ever had. When childhood friend and now like-a-stranger, Eliot Swift, comes back to town for his father's funeral, Eliot comes up with a plan to prove Imogen's curse is not real before he leaves for another personal getaway.

"When I let myself go still, really still, I wonder if I've never learned how to run toward anything at all. Only how to run away."

I really, really liked this book. The romance is super cute with a dash of spice and the "getting to know you again" build-up between Imogen and Eliot is honest and realistic. They each have their own issues to deal with and I think the way it was handled felt right and relatable.

The pacing of the story is great, I was able to blow through the book in a day. The third-act break-up was good and, even though you just know it's coming like in most rom-coms, it didn't feel unnecessary. Both characters knew what was up and it made sense for them to have some space before coming back to each other in the end.

There are a couple of reasons why I didn't give this 5 stars. Personally, I couldn't help but feel a little frustrated with Imogen some of the time. I think it was more of a "me" problem than the book though. Another reason is the ending. I liked the pacing of this book but the ending went by so fast. The last few chapters are split up into different months. During those months, Imogen is exploring the idea of finally putting herself first and Eliot is getting help for his own mental health, which is great but, it went by so quick.

I did like that Imogen decided to give Dutch, a bartender who has had a crush on her for a long time, a chance while Eliot was away. Imogen also handled telling Eliot about the hook-up right and not just keeping it to herself and creating unnecessary drama. Eliot and Imogen, before her hook-up with Dutch, had agreed to part as friends instead of lovers when Eliot left town again. It felt right and I'm glad Firkins wrote the story that way.

Overall, I do recommend checking out The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch. It's a quick, easy to read rom-com and perfect for summer... but it's coming out in October so there's that.

4 stars

Firkins hooked me from the first page of a magnificently well-crafted story I had trouble putting down. And the title of The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch was spot on since who becomes my heroine is convinced all her past relationships had been destined to fail. Cursed, if you like, and by whom you may ask. Not telling, but this poor lass was kicked to the curb umpteen times! Not one to believe in love’s gloomy predictions, I couldn’t help but wonder whether there happened to be more to her breakups than mere misfortune.

I liked how vocal Imogen is about her situation. She has little time for self-pity—who wouldn’t when working six part-time jobs? However, recalling her first crush and musing on amorous fiascos is very much in the foreground. Yeap, Imogen took me back down memory lane! Many of us have been there, done that, and as hard as we try to forget, these experiences stay with us. So, for me, relating to Imogen was easy-peasy.

I loved the small-town gossip, the chit-chatter Imogen and her BF shared, and the ‘what’s in store next’ feeling excited me no end. I had to smile at her and a friend’s awkward meet-up. Having grown apart over the years, what could one expect under such peculiar circumstances? By the way, it was perfectly imperfect.

Eliot Swift’s globe-trotting adventures are abruptly interrupted, and he’s not particularly happy about being where he’s at. You’ll adore his dishevelled looks and gentle soul when you get to know him, and although the clock is ticking, the plus to the story is how he encourages Imogen to step out of her comfort zone. Without letting the cat out of the bag, he helps her see another world of possibilities. Neither does Firkins give her readers everything on a silver plate. She draws out your emotions, getting you to root for a deserved second chance.

I mention this because the ‘will they or won’t they’ do something about their sizzling chemistry kept me on my toes. Another gal he’d had yore with was vying for his attention, and him going back to his wandering ways made me worry. Should I have? You’ll only find out if these two get their HEA by one-clicking.

Firkins’ secondary character depth helped reel me into the townsfolk's lives, especially someone who was Imogen’s primary concern. I couldn’t help laughing at some of the crazy scenes either—the makeover and corn shucking I simply loved. Ooh, and the Jack Russell is a scream! But what stood out most was the author’s magically unpredictable storytelling. Narrated in the third-person from Imogin’s perspective, the author’s usage of truncated sentences and flowing prose was very well done indeed! Bravo, Firkins!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC in favour of an unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC copy, in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I honestly wasn’t a big fan of this one. The writing style wasn’t one I particularly enjoy (this is a personal preference though) and because of it - I had a tough time actually getting into it.

There are some super cute moments, and the overall idea of the story plot was interesting, it just missed the mark for me.

With a curse looming over her head, Imogen Finch has always been destined to be second. From competitions, to relationships, Imogen knows her curse won’t break. And yet when her childhood best friend comes back into town for his estranged father’s funeral, Elliot Swift is determined to try and prove her wrong.

As they navigate a funeral, a breakup, and a handful of dogs, the friendship between Elliot and Imogen intensifies and feelings are uncovered. Knowing their time is limited, Elliot and Imogen make the best of it, but will this turn into something more, or will she always be destined to be left behind?

I absolutely loved this book and related too much to Imogen’s people pleasing personality. She’s always put others first, whether that is her mom, her friends, or her partners. All she needed was to be reminded that her own dreams and passions were important too. And that’s why Elliot was my favorite. Even though he had his own insecurities and issues to work through, I loved how supportive he was of Imogen and how he always encouraged her to go after what she wanted, even if that didn’t include him.

If you don’t already, this book will make you believe in soulmates.

Favorite tropes:
Best friends to strangers to lovers
Mutual pining
Soulmates

4/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch by Jacqueline Firkins was one that I couldn't put down! Imogen Finch believes her mother's prognostication that she'll always come in second and spends her life believing that, especially when her best friend Eliott leaves right after high school graduation and leaves her sobbing, then ignores all contact for 10 years. She settles for a life she doesn't want, but accepts to make everyone happy, her lot as a people pleaser. Then Eliott returns for his father's funeral. Will life change for Imogen? I loved this novel, the characters had such depth and it was such an enjoyable read. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was a heartfelt story about Imogen Finch. Imogen’s clairvoyant mother made a prediction during her childhood that she would never come first at anything. She feels cursed as that prediction seems to have rang true throughout her entire life and especially with her romantic relationships. When her childhood friend Eliot comes back into town they set to “break the curse.” While spending time together they can’t help but be drawn together yet live worlds apart. They have so much to figure out about themselves and getting to know each other as adults that it’s quite the journey. The book takes you through so many different emotions and tugs and your heartstrings. It makes you swoon as with all romances and then self reflect all at the same time. Although this was a an open door romance that was explicit it was a great balance of chemistry and emotional maturity. This book was fantastic piece of work that I thoroughly enjoyed because it’s rare that you find yourself reading a romance that’s as deep as this one. Highly recommend!

This was cute with great humor but I was never fully drawn into the plot, I found it to be kind of weak and uninteresting. The romance part was really great though.