I wasn’t sure what to expect from this as I sometimes don’t love teen, even older teen romances but it was so good!! Winnie was such a relatable and easy to connect with female character. I loved the relationship and it felt so real and sweet. The setting is wonderful as well. I appreciate how grief was handled and it really is also a coming of age novel. It felt a bit chestnut springs but with teens but that is okay since it was well done! Would for sure recommend this to people of many ages!

I thought this was gonna be real emotional but it was as not. I’m giving it a high 4 ⭐️. Yes a little sad but no tears and I really liked it. Have you had a best friend in your life? I have an it’s something. This was a closed door romance with two young adults trying to navigate their lives when they been knocked down. They were adorable and I loved all the things Case did. The banter was great and this didn’t have any unnecessary drama.
I definitely recommend it.
Thanks St. Martins Press via NetGalley.

Still reeling from his best friend’s death, Case Michaels finds an unlikely companion in Winnie Sutton. While Case struggles to continue bull riding, he encourages Winnie to pursue her dream of joining the rodeo circuit.

This book is simultaneously gutt-renchingly devastating and beautifully uplifting. Erin Hahn’s prose fleshes out such a wide range of emotions in these characters that readers can’t help but feel connected to them. While the romance is great, I truly appreciate the realistic progression of the MCs personal growth.

This is my first time reading any of Erin Hahn’s YA books but it definitely won’t be the last.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley!

4.5 stars
I will read everything from Erin Hahn: YA, romance, you name it and I'm there. She crafts wonderfully interesting stories and characters that you come to really care about. Case and Winnie were a great couple who blossomed as individual people through their relationship together.

4 -⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Walker never wrote Fall for your friend on his list, but maybe ... it's meant to be taken more in the spirit of things. In which case, I have every intention of making Winnie Sutton my friend.

Even if It Break Your Heart is a YA contemporary cowgirl/cowboy standalone romance following Case and Winnie as stress and grief brought these two unlikely people together. Case is a nineteen year old who has recently loss his best friend to illness and struggles to enter the rodeo scene again after it brings back the memories of his loss. The one thing keeping him focused amidst the drinking and forgetting is the determination to complete his friend's bucket list, which leads him Winnie Sutton.

Winnie has the world on her shoulder has she takes on the responsibility of keeping her family together amidst the younger sister who idolized her, the younger brother who is close the being expelled, and the absentee father. She spends her days working Case's father's ranch and while her talent with riding is evident by all who see her sneak in the riding between shifts, she fears the consequences if she gives into her passion.

I went into this book with no expectations and it ended up being this beautiful sweet and moving story of character finding friendship and love at a time of great change. Winnie, having been forced into this parental role, is watching her life go by but the responsibility she bears is moving. She has talent, wit, and passion that are being stifled by expectations. She needed companionship and watching her blossom under it got to me.

Case is a character I really felt for. The loss he feels is evident so clearly in the opening chapter but he is trying. I loved seeing him find himself again and to find a new path for himself. His friendship with Winnie teaches him to be selfless but also aware of what he needs. Together they work so well.

This book is a YA romance so there is no spice. There is some kissing in the second half of the book but it is fade to black spice. The romance itself was PERFECTION as this hesitant acquaintances to friends to lovers. The banter, the connection, and the comfort between these two despite the denial was just the romance I needed in this book.

"Winnie pulls into a gas station before she leans over and kisses me.
'What's that for.'
'Does there need to be a reason.'"

The story itself is focused primarily on the characters and them finding themselves. There are moments of tension, competition, family matters, and more that were a pretty even pace for me. It gave me the feeling of refreshing beverage you know and love on the day you need it. There is nothing new but it doesn't need to be. I found the side characters were also a really good balance to the main characters to challenge them, even Winnie young sister. The dad had this interesting twist but I felt the execution of it was off. The ending rounded things off so well and had me feeling such good vibes at the end.

Overall if you want a comfort read with meaningful character growth, a sweet romance, and smooth pacing this book will hit the spot. Check your triggers as this book does address terminal illness.

Thank you the arc!

I don’t usually read books with teenagers anymore, but I like the author and the premise sounded good so I was in. I’m glad I dove in and read it, because this was a wonderful story.

It started off with the typical trope of rich boy and poor girl, but it was a touching book. Cam lost his best friend Walker a year ago and has been struggling with what to do next. Walker left a bucket list for Cam and on that list was befriending Winnie. Winnie has the world on her shoulders. With a barely present dad, she takes on the task of caring for her younger siblings. But she has dreams that she can’t imagine ever chasing.

Winnie can’t stand Cam at first, but of course things change as they fall for each other. I loved seeing them grow together.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Erin Hahn does it again! Bringing us this remarkable new story Even If It Breaks Your Heart!
This was a fun and entertaining read.
Case and Winnie were such a delight. Their banter was phenomenal and the chemistry off the charts.
Hahn is an incredible author who has a magical way of developing characters.
A delightful blend of romance and self-discovery, filled with genuine emotions.
Erin Hahn's engaging storytelling and well-crafted characters make this novel a joy to read.
I love her contemporary romance stories and this one was a fun read that stole my heart.

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Erin Hahn has quickly become a one-click author for me. I don't hesitate to pick up her books and have never been disappointed.

This one was a beautiful story of two people struggling with their own issues. Case is grieving his best friend's death and his struggle is tearing him apart. He's not quite sure what to do with the emotions he's feeling. Then he meets Winnie and there's something about her. Winnie, naturally, wants nothing to do with the poor little rich boy that she sees Case to be. She has problems of her own. She's busy trying to hold her family together with little help from her father. Money is an issue and her younger brother is acting up and putting the careful balance of everything at risk. She definitely doesn't have time for Case or his interest.

One thing they have in common is love of Case's ranch and the animals. They eventually find common ground and form a friendship and it will become the saving grace for both of them.

I simply loved this story and the natural way that Ms. Hahn let it flow and develop. it's a definite slow burn and was all the better for it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This was a good look into teen grief and love. I appreciated Hahn's writing style. The characters were relatable and the story wasn't too juvenile for an adult to enjoy. Well done!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.25 stars!

Even If It Breaks Your Heart is my fourth novel by Erin Hahn and once again she has written an emotional story that pulls at my heartstrings. While it technically sits in the young adult genre, I thought this dual point of view novel read older with weighty subjects and mature teens who’ve already graduated from high school all wrapped in the fascinating world of ranching and bull riding.

Set in my home state of Texas, this is not a part of Texas I am familiar with. I grew up in a small town that is now much bigger, and while I went to school with kids who lived on ranches or farms, I have never ridden a horse and I’ve only been to the rodeo a handful of times. So it was fun to experience a different kind of Texas.

We meet Case six months after the death of his childhood best friend Walker who has died from a years-long terminal illness. Walker had a list of things he wanted to accomplish and when he didn’t get to finish it, he left it to Case. This is my second book this year with the list trope and I read a few last year, as well, and I’m actually hoping to get a break from them for a while. It’s a cute and practical technique, but I don’t know how realistic it really is. Thankfully this story doesn’t rely too heavily on the list, and it’s more of just a thing that enhances the main plot.

Case is in a bad way, making bad decisions until he gets to the last point on Walker’s list—befriend Winnie Sutton, a former classmate who is employed on his father’s ranch. Walker and Winnie had been casual friends and he knew she was having a hard time and could use a friend, much like he knew Case would in the future. Sweet, right? I did find it a little hard to believe that Case didn’t know Walker and Winnie were friends when Case and Walker were described as inseparable. It was also a little hard to get past the fact that Case didn’t know Winnie existed even though he attended school with her and she’d worked on his ranch for a few years. Part of me wanted Winnie to keep ignoring the entitled cowboy.

But Case does manage to change his bad boy ways. Although, a little too quickly in my opinion—I wanted a bit more of a transition. And Winnie finds it hard to resist the charming sad cowboy, recognizing a kindred spirit who also needs a friend.

Winnie has less time to worry about Case, though. She’s been raising her two younger siblings on her own because her father works nights and doesn’t do much to help out. Since Case has finally noticed Winnie, he has also noticed that she’s excellent on a horse and thinks she should be competing, making it his mission to help her try.

While this book is sweet and perfectly fine as a young adult novel, I kind of wish it would have been written as an adult one. The characters could have been aged up a few years, and with the heavier subject matter, the author could have leaned into that a bit more.

I was mostly satisfied and happy with the ending—and I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record here—but I wish some of the relationships between our main characters and the side characters hadn’t wrapped up quite so neatly. I know most readers want their endings wrapped up with a nice shiny bow, but I am discovering that’s not always me. Sometimes I want books to reflect real life just a bit more.

If you’re a fan of Hahn’s or need a sad cowboy love story in your life, pick up Even If It Breaks Your Heart. Compelling, romantic, and different, I think it’s one that will stick with me for a good while.

Erin Hahn is one of those auto-read authors for me. I got approved for this one like a week before release , but this was such an easy read to crush through.

You fall in love with Case and Winnie almost instantly. I can see both of their stories being incredibly relatable to readers their age.

It was heartbreaking, beautiful, and amazing watching these two grow through their grief and troubles, and overcome their obstacles together.

I cannot wait for more from this author!

In a world where so many books are fully of cynicism, Erin Hahn's books stand out for all their heart. I know that seems counterintuitive with the title, but it's the tender way Hahn deals with love and grief in this book that makes it life-affirming,

This is the most real and lovely depiction of a young man's grief I have read. Case Michaels is still reeling over his best friend's death. Throughout the book, even after he thinks he's let all of his pain go, Case deals with how much he misses Walker. Case tries to follow Walker's bucket list, but struggles with whether this list is really for him, or for Walker. He's trying to make his own way after Walker's death, and he really struggles. It's a beautiful struggle.

Along the way, Case befriends Winnie Sutton. She comes from a pretty broken family, with an absent mother, and a barely present father, and two younger siblings to care for. She works at Case's family's ranch, and is at first very put off by Case's privilege. The way these two young people come to know each other and depend on each other feels like such a soft landing for both of them. It feels very earned. Yes, there's Romance, but I don't think that's necessarily the point of the book. I am just rooting for them the whole time.

The backdrop to all of this is a beautiful Texas ranch, and the rodeo world. Fans of horses and Yellowstone and nature will enjoy this aspect of the book. There is so much to enjoy overall. I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really love Erin Hahn's writing and her YA books, even as an adult reader. Her characters really resonate with the younger years of my life and navigating my own growth. This story was focused on grief and family dynamics with a love story included. I really enjoyed how the teenage romance between Case and Winnie added to the exploration of finding who they were as people. There are several heavy topics in the plot but, as always, Hahn navigates them with such sensitivity and skill. I highly recommend this book to YA readers but really all readers alike. I think everyone will find a connection here.

Thanks so Erin Hahn, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Even If It Breaks Your Heart follows teens Case and Winnie, who find friendship and love with each other as they both go through difficult times in their lives.

This was such a cute read! Though it was a romance, this book dealt far more with themes of grief, family, and responsibility, as well as individual identity. I loved that while the romance was a feature of the plot, it wasn't the entire plot, and instead Case and Winnie had rich, interesting lives separate from their romance with each other. In all, I felt like this book really nailed the emotional depth of the story -- Case's grief over his friend's death, Winnie's struggle with filling in for her absent parents -- and felt remarkably well-rounded and beautifully realized. This was my first Erin Hahn book, and it certainly won't be my last.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I am so excited to get this book on the shelves at my school library!
When given early access to the latest book by one of my favorite authors, why did I put this one off until almost pub day?! It was so hard to set it down once I finally started!
Winnie works in the stables at Case’s dad’s ranch, and even though they went to school together, they've never run in the same crowd, or even in tangentially-related crowds. Case is dealing with the grief of losing his best friend and fellow bull rider, Walker. I felt like I was in the chute with Case - Erin did her research for this book! Referred to as “sad rodeo” book, Even If It Breaks Your Heart covers heavy topics beyond Case’s attempt to move past Walker’s teenage death, including parental abandonment (both physically and emotionally), toxic masculinity, class, and privilege. But it isn't as sad as I expected it to be, actually. Did it make me cry? Yes, multiple times. But that's because I grew to care so much for these characters!
Erin Hahn writes the best characters. This is her last YA novel (for now, at least), and that saddens me because she is able to articulate the YA experience in a way that remains accessible for adults. I fell in love with her YA writing first, so this was a bittersweet read for me - I think that's probably a subconscious reason I put off reading it. And I’m happy she will continue to write adult romance, at least! While many of her books feature music as a key plot point, this one doesn't include as much music. However Erin mentioned that Winnie’s character is inspired by the song Fast Car by Tracy Chapman - and that she wanted to write a character worthy of such an epic song. And she definitely did!

I loved built to last and friends don't fall in love, also a huge YA fan and couldn't wait to dive into Erin Hahn's latest! Y'all this book. 🥰🫠🥰 all of the feels. Winnie works as a farm hand on Case's family's ranch (he's a bull rider on the rodeo circuit) and when they finally meet they get off in the wrong foot. But Case's late BFF left him a list of things he wanted him to accomplish, one item on the list, befriending Winnie. Winnie, who could be an upcoming barrel racer but is held back by familial responsibilities, raising her siblings after her mom runs away. The two form an unlikely friendship, unflinching (IYKYK) support for each other and their, what might be unconventional, dreams. The story follows their no holds barred friendship turned feelings [I'm sorry when he turns up on her porch with wildflowers to take her to a party and she's rendered completely speechless 🫠🥰🫠] and they didn't even have to pivot to more because they were already long past being that person for each other.


For those in their cowboy era that also love YA. No third act break, closed door but SOOO many feels that I just loved every minute of it.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Loved it! It’s not my favorite compared to a couple of her other books but I will continue to read anything Erin puts in front of me!

Erin has a special talent for writing tough topics in an honest, heartfelt, and emotional way and I am here for it. She rips your heart out, and helps you learn how to heal it yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I am a fan of Erin Hahn, and I think this book may be my new favorite! Right out of the gate, you are gripped with such an emotional response and your heart is continuously tugged throughout the book. Our main characters both have such heartbreaking stories, but their growth of character through adversity was life affirming and genuine. I absolutely adored Winnie and Case (book boyfriend alert!). The two were just so raw with an underlying sweetness together that was pure magic. This book has a lot of deep issues throughout, but watching the two become friends then something more captured my heart. The side characters were a brilliant addition, and I was fully invested in their parts of the storyline, too. I could see some of them with their own book (and maybe one with Walker and his lost love...sniff, sniff.)

Be prepared, this book just makes you feel all the feels...unflinching perfection!

5 stars

Even if it Breaks Your Heart is full of hope and heartbreak and we are here for all of it! Case and Winnie are both struggling. Case is grieving the loss of his best friend Walker and Winnie is drowning in responsibilities while taking care of her younger siblings. They both need a shoulder to lean on and a friend to lend some support which they eventually find in each other, thanks to a little help from Walker.

This story isn’t all sadness and loneliness though. Case is left behind with a bucket list of sorts from Walker and by completing the tasks, he is able to deal with his grief. His arc is inspiring and realistic. Winnie goes through a similar arc where she gets to pursue her dreams and finally learns to ask for help. Their struggles and how they dealt with them was very hopeful in the end. They also weren’t completely alone. Even though they had difficult home lives, they also had people who loved them, like Winnie’s little sister Garrett who was our favourite.

The slow burn love story felt authentic, organic and sweet. We loved that they are past high school and just figuring out the rest of their lives. It makes everything a little more relatable for us as we are well past our high school days! They had a rocky start to their friendship but their journey made our hearts squeeze. There were some tears shed but that just means we really loved this book!

Read if you like:
▪️YA romance
▪️Rodeo stars
▪️Friends to lovers
▪️Ranch setting
▪️Slow burn

Even If It Breaks Your Heart is a young adult novel about loss, grief and forging your own path.

Winnie and Case, the main characters went through quite a lot, but Erin Hahn handled it all with the utmost care as she told their story. I felt like the stories unfolded in a realistic way and this can be difficult to do, so I applaud Hahn for this. There are a significant amount of triggers present in this story, so I would recommend checking out the warnings prior to reading the book. I knew a bit about bull riding and barrel racing prior to reading, but I enjoyed learning more about the sport throughout the book.

Another aspect I enjoyed was the slow burn of the romance between Winnie and Case. It felt like it was right for them as a couple. It was also great to see the relationships that Winnie had with her sisters. Overall, I enjoyed this fun and sweet young adult romance.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**