DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

Erin Hahn’s newest YA novel is both heartbreaking and sweet. It’s been a while since I’ve read Hahn’s other YA novels, but this may just be her best one yet.

The slow and steady pacing of Case and Winnie’s story made me want to savor it. Yet it was so much more than just a story of first love. Case is working through the loss of his best friend, while Winnie is single-handedly raising her two younger siblings. I kept setting it down and taking breaks because I didn’t want it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. For me, it was a solid 4.5 stars that I think I’ll bump up to 5 because I enjoyed it from start to finish.

I so enjoy Erin Hahn’s writing. In her new YA novel Even If It Breaks Your Heart, she brings us to Texas with leads Winnie Sutton and Case Michaels. Winnie is a fierce, tough teenager taking care of her family, and Case is the rich-kid rodeo star stumbling along in the grief over his best friend’s death. Winnie and Case have distinct voices, from their southern spirit to their grit and stubbornness. They complement each other well as they become friends and a support system, push each other to figure out and follow their dreams, and find their way to happiness. And while I know nothing about the world of ranches, horses, and rodeos, Hahn drew me right in and provides enough information for the reader to understand the key details. Her writing shines in the emotions, though, and she’s excellent as usual at writing about characters’ passions and emotions: Winnie’s dream of racing and responsibility to her family, Case’s grief and need to find his purpose, the bond they build despite their differences.

I’m giving my opinion in exchange for the opportunity from netgalley and the publisher to read this early.
My opinion is..this is a book and now I’ve read it. There were the usual things going on, there were problem, there was laughter and joy. A surprise or 2. This was not a bad book by any means, it just didn’t wow me.

"Even If It Breaks Your Heart" by Erin Hahn is an emotionally charged romance that tugs at the heartstrings. This book is a touching exploration of love, loss, and the courage to pursue one's dreams.

Erin Hahn masterfully addresses the theme of grief, depicting its various forms, from the loss of a loved one to parental absence and unfulfilled dreams. The author's writing style is smooth and soothing, making the story a gentle exploration of these difficult topics.

The story is a great narrative of finding one's way in life, balancing heartbreak and heartwarming moments. The characters, especially Case and Winnie, are well-developed and endearing. This story beautifully captures the essence of resilience and the power of love.

3.5/5 stars rounded down.

This was really cute! Winnie and Case's relationship is such a healthy portrayal of a romantic relationship. Seeing them go from near-strangers to friends to lovers through them supporting each others' goals and hardships was very satisfying. I also love that there was no arbitrary third act conflict that forced them to fight and separate before inevitably coming back together. They got together at the beginning of the last third of the book, and the rest is them doing couple things while wrapping up other lingering plot threads! That's great! I wanna see this more in romance books.

Despite how much I like Winnie and Case's relationship, my admiration never went beyond Hahn's writing. I don't know why because, even though this book has things I want to see more in YA books (Good/fun dialogue between characters, healthy romantic relationship, leads with strong, distinct personalities, etc.), I don't love it as much as I should. It's some things that hold it back for me, like the pacing being a bit off and that the side characters aren't as well developed as the main two (I kept mixing up two different friend characters because both of their names started with 'M'). There's also the fact there's a lot of focus on horses, races, rodeos, etc., all of which are things I have never been interested in. I don't think there's any book that could convince me to become a horse girl, lol.

All in all, this is a really sweet story. I really liked how the author wrote this romance, but there will be people out there who will love this book more than I do.

I have loved many of Erin Hahn's books and this is no exception. This was a great book about the rodeo life -- it really reminded me of Nicholas Spark's The Last Ride. Definitely worth the read for anyone who loves a good contemporary romance or a cowboy love story.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

Winnie is just trying to keep everything together. Her mom left long ago and her dad is not parenting her, or her 2 younger siblings. Winnie graduated HS early, is working her tail off and taking care of the kids and house. She's having to put her dreams on hold to keep her family together. Very adult problems for a very young adult.

Case is very privileged but going through a lot after his best friend died. Winnie is not impre when she first meets Case but that all changes when Case shows up for her. They become a team and Case encourages Winnie to find more balance in her life. They make each other better!

I really enjoyed this book. There was no third act breakup 🤌🏼 and their discussions about intimacy were great.

This book is so heartfelt and deep. There is so much character growth from the two main characters both separately and together. They both have impossible things to overcome, and their journeys are inspiring.

I also loved the cowboy and rodeo aspects of this romance. I don't think I've read a romance with a rodeo setting before, and I've been missing out! I love going to the rodeo, and it was fun to see rodeos through the characters' perspectives.

I think so many readers will fall in love with this story and with the characters. I think if I'd read this book in the summer when I was loving rodeos and craving cowboy romances, I would have loved this even more. But I think I'm hitting a stage where YA contemporaries aren't for me. Teens in books annoy me too much. And I found parts of this too slow to keep my attention. But overall, I think it's an impactful, sweet romance.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 3
Plot/Movement: 3
Character Development: 4
Overall: 3

Thank you, Wednesday Books, for the arc!
Releases Feb 6, 2024

Trigger/Content Warnings: child terminal illness and death, parent abandonment and neglect, language, one tame fade to black scene

I was hooked at the start of "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" by Erin Hahn, and I really enjoyed the beginning. However, the story lost me a little towards the middle, and I found the ending a bit underwhelming. A few of the dialogues felt repetitive to me, and the plot progression happened at a weird pace. I really loved the characters, though.

Oh sweet, sad rodeo book - you are awesome. It was so atmospheric that I felt like I was on the ranch and could smell the leather and horses. I loved Winnie’s interactions with her siblings. I loved Case’s character growth - he really was a good guy going through some heavy stuff. Erin Hahn’s writing just makes me so happy, whether it’s her YA or adult novels. Keep ‘em coming!

I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was beautiful. Erin Hahn doesn't shy away from an honest, searing depiction of grief and growth.

Case and Winnie were both excellent characters. As they learn to face their lives head on, it's incredibly satisfying to go along with them. Their romance was gentle, sweet, and a joy to read.

My quibbles were few: thinly drawn side characters, too-quick resolution of issues. But these were relatively insignificant compared to the skill with which Hahn tackles sticky subjects.

One of the things I loved the most was the age of the protagonists. Shown in a very transitional time of life, I want to give this to every newly-turned adult who is just out of high school and feels like they should already know what they want to do for the rest of their life. Absolutely lovely. 4/5.

Heartfelt and engaging. A recommended purchase for YA and HS collections where contemporary romance is popular.

**Review will be published on my site and socials release week!!**

ABSOLUTELY LOVED.

This is now my new favorite Erin Hahn book. I love the way she writes new adult stories and wow did this one just hit every single thing right. I LOVED the setting and all of the cowboy content. The ranch and horses, bull riding and rodeos, it was all magnetic and I was entranced.

And the romance?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME. This was the softest friends to lovers. That genuine, I am here to be your friend, and then realizing that person means a whole lot more to you. Oh my gosh I was WEAK. I adored Case, I loved seeing his grief and his awakenings and the way he cares for those he loves. And how he found what made him passionate and the future he wanted to pursue (which also was one of the 10 reasons I was tearing up reading this). Winnie was also spectacular. I was cheering her on from the beginning. Her tenacity and strength, bless her for finding ways to lets others help in her life too. I loved the deep sibling bond she had with Garrett and Jesse and the way everything worked out for them in the end.

This book was pure magic. I have zero complaints. NO NOTES. It was everything I needed when I picked it up. I loved the story and how Walker was woven in. I loved the friends and so many small moments that packed a punch and really brought this entire book together. There’s even no third act nonsense, AND IT WAS BLISS Y’ALL. The whole book, just go read it. Thank me later.

Overall audience notes:

NA Contemporary Romance
Language: strong and high
Romance: 2 closed door scenes
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a friend (grief depictions throughout), underage drinking, absentee father

I would literally read Erin Hahn's grocery lists! I adore everything she writes! This book was fantastic! I highly recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy of this book.

This is a heartwarming YA novel about grief, difficult family situations and finding your own path in life. While the rodeo stuff mentioned were over my head, the characters were enjoyable and I still enjoyed it.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: 𝟑.𝟓 ★
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝟒 ★
𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐞: 𝟒 ★
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥: 𝟒 ★

To start off, I actually enjoyed reading this book, me being an avid Romantasy reader. It definitely was giving off the chestnut springs series but YA, not because of the writing but the setting. We have our MMC, Case, who is a rodeo star and is suffering from the loss of his best friend. I think it was sad/sweet that his best friend, Walker, left him a bucket list. I think that left room for an amazing plot to be written and we were able to see that when one of the things on the list was, befriending Winnie Sutton. 😘

I loved their dynamic since the beginning of the book. They had amazing banter but also you could tell from the writing that they would’ve connected on a deeper level. The romance was definitely mild compared to other books I’ve read, but I’m happy that the plot and writing was intriguing enough to stay invested in the story. From a personal perspective, I would’ve liked if there was more romance between Case and Winnie. I would’ve liked more action within the book, especially when writing, I believe there should be a good balance between “action” and internal monologue.

All in all, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to anyone who loves small town romances, slow burn, rodeo and horses. Thank you to Net Galley, Wednesday Books and Erin Hahn for sending this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought Even If It Breaks Your Heart was all right. The first half of the book started off strong. I was invested in the story and the characters. As the story progressed, the book started to go downhill for me. The writing style felt different to me in the second half of the book. I also felt like there could have been more insight into what the characters were feeling. It read a little out of left field when Case and Winnie suddenly mentioned love in their inner monologues. Despite these issues, I did like Case and Winnie. I enjoyed seeing their growth throughout the story. I thought Hahn did a great job portraying grief and family issues. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

E-ARC from NetGalley

I loved loved loved this book! Best of all, its HEA!

Plot: Case is a 19 year old who is still reeling over the death of his best friend Walker. The two were inseparable on the rodeo circuit, and knowing he was dying, Walker left his friend a bucket list to complete for him. Most of the tasks on the bucket list were all the stupid things a dying 17 yr old would wish to complete (getting drunk, jumping off a grain bin, partying, etc), but the last item he wrote was to befriend Winnie. Winnie is 19 going on 35 and a step in mom for her two younger sibling who have never had that stability. Winnie works long hours at Case's family ranch training horses for barrel racing. But she knows girls like her are not destined for the barrel racing circuit so why dream?

Definitely a bit of a fluffy YA romance, but it was a really fun read (especially if you are a horse person!).

As always, another excellent Erin Hahn novel for old and new fans alike. I've been looking forward to Sad Rodeo for LITERAL YEARS and it did NOT disappoint. I know Erin is taking a break from YA for now, but GOSH this makes me cross all my fingers and toes that she returns soon!