It makes me sad to say that i didnt like this book. Because i absolutely adore and love the author. But this book was just alll over the place for me. It was over the top with some things in the plot, especially the situation with Ben's father. It did kind of bother me that it wasnt in Fern Falls for majority of the book. I really love that small little town and i wish the author wouldve played into its charm more like she did in the other book. I found Ben and Adam's relationship to be confusing and there was so much miscommunication. Overall did not like the book but will still support the author.

I was really looking forward to this book; Ben was by far my favorite character from In the Event of Love. I loved the Queer representation and the inclusive and unwavering support of Fern Falls. Courtney has created such a safe place in the Fern Falls community for readers where acceptance is guaranteed, as it should be. Ben’s “G-Ma” was a standout character as well, fiery, and full of personality.

This story is single POV from Ben’s perspective and as much as I appreciate the trauma he has experienced and the risk of rejection in friends to lovers, the romance piece was somewhat frustrating. Adam shows a completely different side in this book, so different from his serial dater ways in book 1. Adam was very supportive of Ben, patient, and kind, understanding to a fault and emotionally mature. Despite Adam professing his intentions and love for Ben, Ben consistently questioned him. I found the 3rd act break up especially frustrating. I understand where Ben is coming from, since it is very close to his trauma, but Adam told him so many times what he wanted, and I really wanted Ben to believe him.

Overall, despite some of my frustrations with Ben, I still found this to be a sweet, funny and Hallmark inspired Queer love story. I am really hoping for a Whitney and Tanner story next!

Thank you to Kensington Books for an advanced copy of this title; all thoughts are my own.

In the Case of Heartbreak is the perfect quick summer read!

This book left me wanting even more than In the Event of Love did. The pacing was very fast, so there was never a place where I felt bored by either the plot or romance. However, the pacing did make it feel a tad bit rushed. There were things that I had really looked forward to, only to have it play out very quickly.

Courtney Kae is an excellent writer with an easy to read style. She immediately became one of my new favorites with In the Event of Love and this only made me love their work more. Ben and Adam were great characters, both separately and together. Ben, an anxiety ridden baker who feels the need to fix everything. Adam, a musician who feels the need to look out for his family. There are also some lovely returning characters like Whitney, Tanner, Morgan and Rachel, but also some amazing new faces.

This book was full of anxiety, angst, but most importantly love. Highly recommend to those who want a nice, summer romcom that tackles some serious topics. Check CWs!

Thank you so much to Courtney Kae for the advanced copy of the book!

Courtney is one of my favorite authors I have discovered in the last year and not only have I enjoyed their books but also their conversation. We have bonded over millennial things and also my constant championing their podcast with fellow author Falon Ballard. After loving the Hallmark-esque debut In The Event Of Love, when the opportunity came to review the 2nd book in this series, I knew I had to have it!

"And what does happiness mean to you?"
"Not being tethered to my fears."

With In the Event of Love, it took me a little to get into the setting and the characters but with this one I was fully invested right away. I am not sure if it was because I was already familiar with the characters or perhaps the way it was written was just different.

There were a few times that I found myself cackling with different dialogues that were happening. One of my favorite lines (that I even messaged Courtney about) came from Ben's internal monologue - I would have never let him sleep on my floor. I would have offered to share the bed. It's called manners. Also the G-Ma in this was hysterical! I hope I can be as cool as an 80 year old having a two week party to celebrate all things me.

The relationship that Ben has with his grandmother and his mother were both really just love him so much and were so worried for him! And I think we needed their sunshine in contrast to his horrible father. He just made everything sour. I don't want to go into too much detail as then you won't be surprised while reading.

"Darling."

Badam. Badam. Badam.
Yes I have been saying their relationship name in the tune of the Kylie Minogue's song Padam. But anyhow, I just absolutely ADORED Adam. He just was the sweetest of sweet book boyfriend who was so patient with Ben. I was very attracted to him and him being a musician was just an added bonus. I love how we had a build up of them expressing how he felt towards Ben. His love for Ben just was just so apparent and just made me swoony.

I really wanted to shake Ben so many times and one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to romances is when one character self sabotages things in their life. I understood why he thought the way that he thought and trauma just will always be there lurking in your brain but as a reader it was so frustrating., Ben needed to go through what he went through in order to get to the other side and I'm sure even after he was good, he still will have his moments. Even with the self sabotaging I was so proud of him and how hard he was working through all his issues.

One thing I loved about the couple is that they were really honest with one another. There were a few items I thought was going to be dragged out until the 3rd act break up but it ended up being discussed earlier. I really hope that Ben's character continues to ask for help. He takes on a lot and waits until it reaches eruption before he brings in other resources.

One thing I appreciate that Courtney has done in her writing is the positive dialogue with seeing a therapist & different representations throughout the book.

If you are a fan of friends to lovers, small town romance, cinnamon rolls (the food and book boyfriend) with a side of family drama this one's for you!

PS - Did you catch Easter eggs in the book?!

4.75

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae comes out on 7/25/23 and after how much I absolutely adored In the Event of Love this past winter you know I was running to request this arc & squealed with glee when I wasn’t denied 😂

Here’s what you need to know:
✅ Friends to lovers
✅ MM romance
✅ All the rep & childhood trauma unpacking
✅ Baking reality tv show AND rockstar romance
✅ A quirky and hilarious G-ma
✅ Great chemistry

I really enjoyed the relationship between Adam and Ben! I also liked that this book took us out of Fern Falls for a good chunk of the story, while still giving us cameos of everyone we loved in book one!

However, parts of this story really felt forced and clunky to me. I don’t think I would have made it past 20% if it wasn’t an arc. While it absolutely did get better after the first act, the way Ben’s childhood trauma was discussed in the beginning just felt very awkward and sort of affected the pace of the read overall.

All in all, I’m glad I read this and I’m grateful for the arc from @netgalley but I didn’t love it nearly as much as In the Event of Love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#bookstagram #netgalley

*4.5

The love that Adam and Ben have is so real and palpable. Adam cares so much for Ben and only wants the best for him. He's always there to help him when he needs it and it was so sweet. Ben was dealing with so much and I love how Courtney Kae presented it. This book is just so good.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I could not put this book down because it was so insanely good!! Having a history with baking I knew I had to read this book and I was not disappointed! Adam is literally the perfect man and one of if not my favourite book character of all time.

My favourite thing about this book was that the obstacle the main couple faced was not one of them lying to the other (a storyline often used in romance books). It was so incredibly different to every other romance book I’ve ever read (in the best way possible).

The spice in this book gradually builds before going full throttle and it is, in my opinion, some of the best written spice I’ve ever read. Also I loved the little Charm Offensive reference!!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
In the Case of Heartbreak is the second book in Courtney Kae’s Fern Falls series. It can be read as a standalone, although there are some nuances that you will pick up on more if you’ve read the first. The small-town setting is one of this book’s biggest strengths, and it shares that in common with its predecessor, with the contrast being this one is set in summer, while that one is set during winter/the holiday season.
The character work here is what won me over, especially with the protagonist, Ben. His journey as he reckons with his anxiety spoke to me deeply, and while some of the issues he deals with are very different, I could not help but root for him to find balance and happiness in his life. And while there are some negative influences, particularly his toxic relationship with his father, I appreciate the care with which this relationship was handled, while also counteracting it with other influences who form a positive found-family unit.
Adam is also a fairly solid love interest. While I didn’t care much for the first book’s romance arc, I love how the romance here emphasized support and healing. Their development from friends to lovers and navigating all the hurdles their relationship came with was beautiful.
This book is a warm hug and metaphorical serving of cinnamon rolls (that will have you craving them too!), providing escapism and hope for the LGBTQ+ community. I recommend it to queer readers or anyone looking for a light, fluffy, and inclusive contemporary romance.

I’m so excited to share my review for In The Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae today! Thank you so much to the lovely Courtney for my advanced e-arc & for having me on your street team!

I have been so excited for this book! I loved Ben & Adam from ‘In The Event of Love’ and it was so much fun to return to Fern Falls!

I love Courtney’s writing style, it is so enjoyable! I’ve devoured both books so far and will devour any future ones too! 😂 The way that heavy topics such an complicated family dynamics are handled so delicately and with such care is amazing too! You can’t help but fall in love and really root for these characters! Although, I have to admit G-Ma is my absolute favourite! She was amazing and so funny, plus not going to lie. I kind of want to try her heartbreak tea 😂 I feel like everyone needs someone like G-Ma in their life!

The chemistry between Ben & Adam was amazing and I loved the theme of healing as well as giving and accepting love throughout!

In The Case of Heartbreak is a fun and swoony story that is perfect to add to your summer TBR!

I actually liked this book significantly MORE than the first in the series. The MCs were literally the most perfect and just SO gone for one another but had no idea how to tell the other so they danced around one another for YEARS-ugh I melted. Ben’s mental health struggles were insanely relatable and for those of us with similar issues, it was nice to see that Adam helped Ben manage his anxiety and make him feel safe, rather than try to change him. We all want a partner that sees the best in us, and Adam was absolutely Ben’s perfect partner.

I loved both Fern Falls and Maywell Bay, and the author’s description of both quirky towns really made me feel like I was there.

This story was emotional but fun. It was easy to get sucked into, and the characters were wonderfully written.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the author. All opinions are my own.

There’s a lot to enjoy here, and most of it comes down to how uplifting the story is. It’s very heartwarming and fluffy and creates the space for a great comfort read.

I also loved how fleshed out the setting was! Makes for a great romcom.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was so sweet. Sometimes you gotta read a sappy cute romance to feel alive. I didn’t read the first book in this series, and now I’d like to in order to know more about Rachel and Morgan.

This is one of those stories where if people talked nothing bad would have happened. Ben and Adam danced around each other for no reason and then it was fixed automatically once they finally spoke to each other like adults. That’s a running theme here. Adam doesn’t want to speak to anyone, things get ruined, Adam confesses, the day is saved. The formula is pretty straight forward. Adam and Ben were very cute together, so I didn’t mind all their miscommunication really. I really enjoyed G-Ma and Ben’s mom. They seemed like they were super supportive and ready to sacrifice anything, which is another reason it was weird Ben didn’t want to talk about his problems to them. If you want a straight forward romance where the plot gets a bit silly sometimes but there’s tons of joy and celebration, I highly recommend.

Courtney Kae’s In the Event of Heartbreak is as charming and addictive as the first book in the Fern Falls series was! Ben is an anxious small town baker carrying a lot of trauma about having been abandoned by his father and subjected to intense scrutiny, so he feels proud of himself for entering a baking recipe competition that involves showcasing his family cinnamon roll recipe. At least, until the man he has loved since childhood says he wants to be just friends when asked on live television for the show if he is Ben’s boyfriend. But don’t worry; Adam, who Kae describes as a “Captain Killian Jones lookalike,” yes please, is actually interested; things are just complicated because the two have been friends for so long. And things become even more tricky when Ben’s awful father tries to claim the recipe is his and poach Adam away for his musical skills. I absolutely adore that both Ben and Adam are working through trauma; people with trauma belong in romance!! And they communicate and value consent and a healthy relationship so beautifully. The whole book feels like a beautifully crafted, warm, safe, hug.

Thank you so much Kensington books at Courtney Kae for the eArc!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️
👨🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🍪☕🎸🏳️‍🌈

Oh my heart. This book. THIS BOOK.

I am in TEARS. Ben, pure cinnamon roll Ben. You've been so much and grown so much. The way Adam loves you wholeheartedly. 😭

Courtney Kae knows how to pull the heartstrings. This book is so raw. So beautiful . The declaration of love .he supportiveness of family. The self-healing and growing. This book will make you cry. This book will also most likely make you see yourself in Ben and it makes you want to protect him, like Adam does.

This is the first Achillean pairing book I have read, and I am absolutely glad it was In Case Of Heartbreak. It is a love story, yes, but it is also a self-love story and it couldn't be more perfect.

I loved the queer rep: Lots of bisexual characters and of course Adam who is Pansexual. I loved the interfering G-Ma. It made me laugh. I loved the aunties. I loved the baking scene. I loved everything.

Truly, this isn't a book you want to miss.

Thank you to Netgalley and Courtney Kae for the copy of the eArc. This review is left voluntarily..

I received an ARC from Netgalley-- I haven't read the previous book in the series, but it's been on my TBR forever. It looked like it could easily be a stand alone, and right after I requested it I did see other authors I enjoyed hyping the book up as well, so I was pretty excited to give this series a try.

This book is a single POV book, which I think works really well because (even though I love a dual POV falling in love romance) there is a lot going on in Ben's head that I think we get to sit with more. The events of the books are mostly happening to or because of Ben, so I didn't really miss having Adam's perspective-- we get it enough through his actions and dialogue. I think sticking with Ben and working through his trauma was definitely the right choice for this book.

Ultimately, this book was fun for me because it went in directions I just wouldn't take. It wasn't wholly unpredictable or anything, it just generally maintained a more wholesome, communicative vibe where I would normally expect angst angst angst disaster. It was also a fade to black/closed door book. Maybe I just read a lot of steamy, angsty books but it was a great change of pace and I would absolutely give Courtney Kae's other books a chance in the future.

If you like baked goods, kooky grandmas, wholesome love interests, and characters actually going to therapy, give this book a try!

3.5⭐️ This book was SO sweet! With one of the MCs being a pastry cook with a famous cinnamon roll recipe it was fitting for this book to be overtly sweet. But even with all the sweetness this book tackled some tough topics such as depression/anxiety, childhood abandonment and emotional abuse from a parent.

In this book we follow Ben who owns a family bakery that got really popular online so much so that Ben was offered a spot in a baking competition show. Unfortunately for Ben, an embarrassing moment gets caught on camera in front of his long time crush Adam Reed. Ben can’t wait to try to forget his embarrassment while on break to celebrate his Grandmother’s birthday party only to find out his G-ma hired Adam to play in a band for her weeks long birthday celebrations.

I really loved these characters and reading about their relationship journey. I thought Ben’s depiction of depression was extremely realistic and I loved seeing a character going through these really low moments and having someone love and care for them. It was really wonderful to see them support one another through their traumatic pasts.

There were a few different plot lines going on at a time and it got to be a little muddled at certain points I wish they were a little more flushed out or taken out all together. I also started rolling my eyes with all the “cool” and “horny” G-ma business. It was to much.

Overall throughly enjoyed this and recommend it!! Thank you to the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Kensington books for the eARC. I liked this much more than the first book. I was bored reading that one but this books storyline really held my interest. I knew I would like it reading them as side characters in the first book. I would recommend both books but definitely this one!

I really enjoyed this read. I really related to Ben and his anxiety. I'm a sucker for a friend to lovers and this one has so many layers to it. I think there might have been a bit too much going on at times, but overall, this was a great read.

This MM romance is the second book in the Fern Falls series and follows friends Ben and Adam. Ben is in the running for a TV baking show and when he's trying his best to show off his family cinnamon roll recipe, the camera catches a chemistry-filled hug between Ben and Adam. But when the crew asks if they are an item, Adam definitively states they're just friends and Ben ends up leaving town to nurse his broken heart ... and attend his grandmother's 2 week long 80th birthday bash. But when Adam is also there, playing guitar with the band, the two end up spending time together and deciding if they are just friends or something more. I really enjoyed this read and loved being back in Fern Falls again. We got a bit of an introduction to Ben and Adam in the first book, but I was glad to see the amount of backstory that was sprinkled in. We only get Ben's POV and I really wish we had some of Adam's as well considering this was pretty heavy on the mutual pining. The romance was incredibly sweet and at the same time, the chemistry sizzled off the page. There is a good amount of emotion and heavy topics surrounding the romance, but the romance itself is quite low angst. The one downside to this, for me, was the amount of plot happening outside of the romance. We have so many moving parts and I didn't quite find there was enough page space to have so many complex plot threads. There would be whole chunks where one plot wasn't mentioned at all and then when it would suddenly become important again, I had almost forgotten about it. I think this would have been better balanced if either it was longer or if a plot thread or two were cut.

TW/CW: included at beginning of book; parental abandonment, narcissistic parent, alcoholism

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and the author for the ARC.

Expected publication date is July 25, 2023.

I couldn’t wait to return to Fern Falls after reading In the Event of Love last year. The second book within the series didn’t disappoint, Ben and Adam’s story is so heartfelt, I adored the romance throughout and the incorporation of many challenging themes too (narcissistic father, depression, healing from a traumatic event).

I was slightly disappointed when the setting moved to Maywell Bay as I fell in love with Fern Falls and the Falls community in the first book. However, the incorporation of G-ma made up for it; I pray, I am that cool when I reach her age.

After the initial miscommunication at the beginning of the story, Adam and Ben communicate so well throughout. They are just the perfect match.

Synopsis:
Delish Dollars Studios arrive in Fern Falls to film Take the Cake National. The competition seeks up- and-coming bakers with a locally loved product. Enter Ben, who is one of the two competitors, and his beloved cinnamon rolls. During the live filming all of Fern Falls rally to support Ben including his crush, Adam. All is going well until the presenter detects the sparks between them and Adam places Ben in the friendzone for the world to see. Ben is heartbroken and travels to Maywell Bay to celebrate his grandmother’s birthday; he vows to use the time to finally get over Adam. Unbeknown to Ben, a meddling G-ma intervenes and now Adam is spending the next two weeks with him.

This is the perfect summer read, especially if you are searching for a heartfelt, swoon worthy romance with characters that actually communicate with one another (eventually).

Read if you enjoy:
•Friends to Lovers
•Forced Proximity
•Slow Burn
•Meddling Family members