Recommend this one for all romance lovers. The characters were interesting and well written, the story was engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it.

✨️ Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ ✨️

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Even If It Breaks Your Heart
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Erin Hahn
𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 320

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬:
• Cowboy Romance
• Friends to Lovers
• Family Drama
• Slow Burn
• Found Family
• Dual POV

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
WOW! This book had me feeling ALL of the feels! I absolutely loved everything about it!!! Case is from a wealthy family that owns a ranch. He has been riding bulls since he was a kid where he met his best friend Walker. Walker was diagnosed with cancer so they made a bucket list of things they wanted to experience together but unfortunately, they did not get to do everything before he passed. It was his goal for Case to continue on without him. Case didn’t expect to see “befriend Winnie” on that list. Winnie was smart, quiet and had something to hide. Her mother left, her father was a drunk leaving her to take care of her younger siblings. . She was working as many hours as she could on the ranch to seem like a “normal” family to keep protective services away. They both had so much trauma to get through but together they helped each other heal.

Not only is this book so beautifully written, but this cover is absolutely breathtaking! I adored these MC’s and the connection that they had! It was so heartwarming to see this lovely bond of friendship slowly growing into something more. I love how protective Case became with her (and her siblings) and really made her see that it was ok for her to follow her dreams. They truly brought out the best in each other. This book does have some heavy topics - death of best friend, alcoholism, child abandonment & neglect but this only enhanced their character growth!

This was one of my favorite books for 2024 and I would highly recommend…just make sure to have tissues with you if you decide to read this!

A wonderful romance and great read

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this review copy and the opportunity !

This was such a fun YA book! I am not a huge YA fan, but I have a few friends that really enjoy YA so I will definitely be recommending this to them!

Genre: Young Adult
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Touches on tough topics like grief, family loss, family abandonment, and chronic illness. Contains some romantic content.

“Even If It Breaks Your Heart” follows nineteen-year-old Case Michaels, grieving the loss of his best friend Walker, as he clings to a list Walker left him, determined to complete it despite struggling to return to the rodeo circuit. Meanwhile, eighteen-year-old Winnie Sutton works tirelessly to support her family on the Michaels’ ranch, sneaking moments to ride horses and dream of something more. Part of Walker’s lists sends Case to befriend Winnie Sutton, but this suggestion turned into something more when Case sees Winnie’s talent for riding. He convinces her to compete for the ranch, sparking an unexpected REAL friendship—and maybe more—that inspires both to chase dreams they never thought possible.

Oh, wow, I’ve read Erin Hahn before but “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” just hit different. With its bittersweet tones but hopeful ending, this book has brought comfort to my heart. With a set of complex characters with even deeper backstories, this book will have you hooked from the start.

If you’re looking for a cozy, cowboy YA read, look no further—“Even If It Breaks Your Heart” is exactly what you seek.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press through Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: February 06, 2024

Erin Hahn's Even If It Breaks Your Heart is a heartwarming and poignant young adult romance that explores themes of grief, friendship, and self-discovery. Hahn masterfully captures the complexities of grief and the challenges of moving on after a significant loss.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

Case's life revolves around the list. The bucket list from his best friend who no longer is able to carry it out himself. It brings Case to Winnie where he finds a glimpse of hope and joy watching her ride and getting to know her. There is initial disdain but a blossoming friendship is worth the risk.
I fully expected to have a good cry reading this as I've seen it called the "sad rodeo" book from several people. While I did find it to be heartbreaking immediately as Case is grieving and processing the death of his best friend, I didn't shed a tear and what kind of sad sack does that make me that I'm disappointed by that? Sometimes I need a good cry in my life. Altogether, though, this book shows life after death, dealing with grief, neglect, and finding the resilience to exert one's own destiny. I liked the main characters and their journey of discovery is well worth the read.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn is a beautifully written, emotional ride about love, loss, and the courage it takes to follow your dreams. Hahn’s portrayal of grief, family dynamics, and self-discovery is raw and authentic, and I found myself rooting for both Case and Winnie as they navigate their own journeys. The way they challenge each other and grow together made for such a satisfying read. Even when life feels impossible, the connection they form helps them both heal and embrace new possibilities.

If you enjoy stories that tug at your heartstrings with a mix of romance, personal growth, and a touch of rodeo, you’ll definitely want to dive into Even If It Breaks Your Heart. It’s a must-read for fans of Erin Hahn's work (love her young adult books!), and a perfect choice for anyone looking for an emotional, uplifting story.

This was so sweet and everything my little childhood horse girl heart hoped for growing up. This story had so much packed into it: grief, childhood trauma, dreams, hopes, aspirations, and falling in love. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a sweet story of young love.

Even If It Breaks Your Heart aims for emotional impact but stumbles with clichéd storytelling and underdeveloped characters, leaving the narrative predictable and lacking the depth it strives for. The spice is also completely unnecessary.

When Case Michaels’ best friend on the rodeo circuit dies, he leaves behind a to do list of things for Case to accomplish. Case can’t bring himself to go back to competing, but he can work on the list, including falling for Winnie Sutton. Winnie graduated high school early and works on the Michaels ranch, so she can support her siblings and take care of her father. Riding is her only respite, and when she runs into Case and he recognizes her riding skills, she agrees to begin competing for the ranch.

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I was not immediately hooked when I first started reading it but a couple chapters in I couldn’t put it down. This book deals with some more serious topics as the MMC has lost his best friend and the FMC is acting as the primary parent for her two you get siblings. I feel like the author handled those topics beautifully and also wove in a very realistic romance between the two.

Sadly this was just meh. That’s it. I have to say more but there’s really nothing more to say here. This definitely wasn’t a book I’d recommend.

Erin Hahn’s insight into the teenage mind is so unique and special. I love how she writes compassionate, strong-willed teenagers who are empowered to feel their feelings, assert themselves, and question the world they live in. EVEN IF IT BREAKS YOUR HEART echoes the themes of Hahn’s previous YA novels, where she explores teen sexuality, belonging, and difficult family relationships. I’m excited to add this one to my classroom library.

I love Erin book she is a long time favorite author of mine. She knows how to give detail and character building so well. I would recommend her work to everyone in my personal life

I really wanted to like this book. I didn’t know if it was the setting or the story but I had a hard time connecting or rooting for any of the characters.

This was a very heartfelt YA romance that deals with grief, family trauma, finding your own path, and finding love along the way. It's kind of enemies to friends to lovers if you squint. I, personally, thought the pacing in this book was a bit off. Everything happened too quickly with the feelings and the characters were refusing to recognize their obvious feelings being reciprocated OBVIOUSLY from the other person.

The side characters were sweet, the ranch setting and rodeo moments were fun. I think I wanted more angst overall. Also, this book mentions the pandemic which is one of MY least favorite things that has started being written into books nowadays. If you don't mind it, this book should be fine, but it always pulls me right out of a story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn is a heartfelt exploration of dreams, resilience, and love set against a music-filled backdrop. Hahn’s storytelling and characters will resonate with anyone who has ever chased a big dream.

Perfect for fans of contemporary romance with a love for music and stories about following your heart.

This was a cute YA romance with additional depth because of what Case and Winnie are facing in their personal lives. I appreciated that Hahn created teen characters that acted more mature, but they both had reason to, so it didn't feel inauthentic. This had notes of a John Green or Jeff Zentner, but a bit more romance forward.

This book was very cute! It was such a sweet story and it felt like such a good read for a cool, fall week! I enjoyed every minute of it.