I love cowboy romances, so thought I could try a YA one! This book was a great story and overall book - it was just a bit too slow for me, and the inner dialogue kept putting me off. I wish that we had more verbal and in depth conversations between Winne and Case, rather than just the monologue and SO much of what they were thinking.

Both MCs have ALOT going on in their life and have grief that they are dealing with - and I do think that the author handled it with care and respect, which I really appreciated while I was reading.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you @wednesdaybooks @netgalley for a copy of this book. This book blew me away. A great YA story that deals with grief and coming of age. Case is a bad boy rodeo star that recently lost his best friend. Winnie works at Case's family stables and is struggling to keep up with caring for her siblings while her single dad neglects his duties. They form a friendship and starts helping each other. There's so much growth on both characters and their friendship to lovers story is so beautiful. I really enjoyed Winnie's siblings which added some light touches.

Wednesday Books eARC
I adore Erin Hahn, and this might be tied for my new favorite. I absolutely loved this sad rodeo book. The story of grief from an 18 year old’s POV, Case, was just so impactful. It’s so important to have these types of stories out there for young adults. I also could relate so much to Winnie and being grown up way before you should have to. Her story hit me in all the feels. These characters becoming friends was just the sweetest story of resilience, support, and pushing each other to be their best. I also loved all of the rodeo things - such a fun side plot element.

I never thought I’d say this, but I like Hahn’s young adult stories better than Built to Last and Friends Don’t Fall In Love. Did these characters feel like they were just out of high school? No, and maybe that would matter to a younger reader, but both main characters had a reason for their maturity that I believed. They were great separately, and they were great together, too.

What didn’t work for me

Winnie’s father: I totally understand that her father had to be a total screw-up for a lot of the plot points to make sense, but I feel like the story resolved itself almost too easily—making anything having to do with Winnie and her dad feel fake or unresolved (even though it was meant to feel resolved).

Some of the rodeo language: I know absolutely nothing about rodeo. I don’t know what barrel racing is and have barely ever even seen a horse. I felt like sometimes I was the tiniest bit lost when they were talking about horse things, and though that didn’t affect my experience or understanding of anything, I just wanted to point it out.

What I liked

The slow burn: Generally if the burn is too slow in a book, I get disinterested, but the way that these characters truly became friends (more than friends, really, because they depended on each other) and then sort of just realized they were in love was so sweet. They were always on the same page and there was no third-act breakup, which is becoming a trend that I really, really enjoy.

The main characters: I’m putting Case and Winnie separately here because it’s the first time in a while that I’ve read a book where there is a dual POV—and that I both care equally about each character and feel like if they didn’t get together I would still be happy for them. They each had really rich, fulfilling storylines separate from each other, and their coming together was just icing on top.

Garrett: I loved Winnie’s 10-year-old genius sister. She added levity while also adding some real-world stakes for Winnie. I sort of wish she got a spin-off book of her own, but I also know that it wouldn’t be marketed to me, and I’d miss it. #GarrettForPresident

4 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced book copy in exchange for my honest review.

A sad rodeo book as described by the author

Case Michaels grew up on a ranch, and competing in bull riding with his best friend Walker. Unfortunately Walker died almost a year ago from a terminal illness at almost 18. Case has been struggling since and the only thing that has kept him going is a list Walker left him to accomplish, and the final item on the list to befriend Winnie Sutton is what ends up changing it all for him.

Winnie Sutton had to grow up real fast as a young teenager when her mother abandoned her and her siblings, and her dad is the most absent yet physically present father you could imagine. She works on the Michaels' family farm taking care of the horses, leading trail rides, and training horses for competition. When Case sees her ride and her natural talent he makes it his personal mission to convince her to compete. Along with trying to win her over with his friendship, he finally becomes the person in her life who supports, and believes in her. They could not be more different but they find they might just be perfect for each other.

This is best described at Chestnut Springs but make it young/new adult. Erin Hahn once again has hit it out of the park. The other always does such a good job of tackling tough topics, in this case grief and parental neglect, but also have a beautifully developed love story at the forefront of the story. Her characters are so human, and so relatable, even though i have almost nothing in common with them. I laughed, and cried at many moments in this book, and the autor does such a wonderful job balancing the highs and lows within the story.

I'm not sure I can full explain how much I loved this book. Erin Hahn is always an insta-read for me, and she quite honestly never misses. She always manages to write stories and characters that punch you in the gut, break your heart, and then put the pieces back together like a puzzle.

Case's grief feels so real. For the first part of the book, it's almost a character in and of itself. And it was so gratifying to watch him remember who he is underneath the weight of it all. He cares so much, even when he pretends he doesn't. And Winnie is drowning in raising her siblings and holding her family together because her father can't or won't. Your heart will break for her, for all the opportunities she's forced to miss for their benefit. And you will cheer unabashedly when she starts to realize she wants to try doing something for herself.

The romance is so sweet and natural. These two read like 19-year-olds, who are making mistakes and afraid to put themselves out there and risk their friendship. The pacing was exactly right.

But Even if it Breaks Your Heart is so much more than romance. There's so much emotion and growth in these pages, and I cannot recommend this book enough. The title isn't lying - your heart will break, but honestly, aren't those sometimes the best books?

This book was so sweet and comforting. Case and Winnie were a wonderful friends to lovers pair, and they truly brought out the best in each other.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! Everything from the setting, to the processing of grief for Case, and the family dynamics and caring of Winnie.

I loved watching these two go through the process of getting to know each other, becoming friends, falling for each other and then getting together. I was afraid Case would have a bad phase in the book of pushing people away because of his grief of losing his best friend, but I think where we were at in his journey in the book allowed for him to already be over that phase and ready to move on and find peace.

While both dad’s in the book were present and aren’t #1 dad of the year, they were human and I’m very glad they mostly redeemed themselves by becoming more understanding of their children by the end of the book.

Winnie’s relationship with her siblings was precious. The three of them were always on the same team and supported each other when their dad didn’t and I love to see sibling bonding. Good siblings can really make or break you.

Loved this novel!

Nicely written, this contemporary romance includes many points I look for. Characters who are not perfect but who are actively trying not to harm each other, a short but clear emphasis on consent, and clear eyed view of each other. This story isn't new or different from some other romance novels, but it's well written. The supporting characters are real people as well as the main characters. I definitely enjoyed this read.

i’m submitting the reviews for books by you that I already have, but I will never request another one. In October one of your employees made a horribly racist statement and you have chosen to do nothing about it. People have continuously asked you to say that you don’t stand with what the employee said, and you refuse to. This is not someone who I want to promote ever because you are sending the wrong message. These reviews will not be posted on social media because you don’t deserve the promotion. By not speaking out you are also not preventing your followers from stalking and harassing people who are participating in the boycott. Your silence speaks volumes. I hope that all of your authors move to other publishers because you are standing with a genocide. You are also currently saying that you support black women in black history month but you have ignored their concerns for months and shown them no support.

Watch this video for more information https://www.tiktok.com/@vivafalastinleen/video/7288407369313307947?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7211704101519296042

Temporary DNF @ 33% due to triggering content. Make sure you are in a healthy place before starting, especially if cancer/terminal illness is a sensitive spot.

T/CW as of 33%: terminal illness (on-page), death of a best friend, grief, poverty, vomiting, references to COVID-19 pandemic

I am not in the headspace to finish this one right now, even though I can confidently say this is Erin Hahn's best work so far. At the very least this will be 4 stars. The characters are so compelling and the developing relationship between Case and Winnie is one of my favorites in YA right now.

I was planning to binge it in one sitting, but I had to put it down after I couldn't stop crying. Then every time I tried to keep reading I'd end up sobbing. My emotional stability is a little off right now, so once I no longer have a loved one with a terminal illness (*eye twitches*) I might be able to return and keep reading.

Also, sending soooo much love to Erin and her family right now. ❤️

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Here's hoping I can finish it at some point.

This is indeed a sweet sad cowboy romance. I really enjoyed a lot of the themes explored and how the romance unfolded in this Ya book. I admit I don't lean into cowboy rodeo themes but I do lean into themes on coming of age/overcoming challenges when it comes to YA. I value a story that brings in loss and friendship, genuine grief with the unique challenges of adolescence on the cusp of adulthood **yet still needing space to grow up, to make mistakes, to be... a little wild*
this book honors those very real and valid feelings and needs and does it with a sweet romance added in!

Thank you to St Martins Wednesday Books for thinking of me to review this, it was a win!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Erin Hahn for allowing me to be an arc reader for this story!!

This YA book is centered around grief, healing, and finding yourself amongst it all. Case Michaels and Winnie Sutton come from two very different backgrounds but are both going through hard times. As their friendship grows throughout the story they find comfort and trust in one another and it’s so sweet watching that unfold. Their struggles felt really honest and I enjoyed the way things unfolded and happened.
Winnie was such a strong female MC. Her mom left when her baby sister was just born and her father is not much help in caring for her siblings so she has stepped up to care for her family and home. She struggles with doing things for herself and always puts her siblings first. I loved seeing her go from someone who wouldn’t even consider doing something for herself to someone who finds what she’s passionate about and follows her dreams.
Case had such a great arc in this story! I think his was my favorite! In the beginning of the story you see him struggling with the death of his best friend Walker. Through the story you see him start to find his own identity and heal from this loss. Seeing him develop into the person he wants to be and learn to let go of the pressures from his family and live the life he wanted was so heartwarming. His arc was truly done so perfectly I absolutely loved it!! Then seeing him fall for Winnie and seeing how much he cared for her and her siblings was so so sweet. He was such a sweet book boyfriend.

I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who likes YA and slow burn!

Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)
Format: ebook (eARC)

-YA romance
-Small town Texas setting
-Dual POV
-Cowboys
-Grief
-Chasing your dreams
-Slow burn
-Lovable characters

The dual POV was amazing in this book. Hearing Case navigate the grief of losing his best friend and Winnie keeping her family going and basically being the head of the household was crushing. I also am a sucker for seeing the main characters’ feelings for each other grow from both of their perspectives.

You’ll absolutely fall in love with Winnie and want to give her a huge hug - she’s such a strong FMC!! I honestly fell in love with most of the characters in this story - including Mab, Winnie’s horse!! Their bond was beautiful.

I ate up the small town, ranch setting! I’m a Texas girl, but I live in the city, so I thought reading something so different from what I’m used to was fun. All the familiar references to towns and colleges in my state added to the fun as well!

My only problem with this book is the timeline. Either it wasn’t very clear or it wasn’t realistic. For example, it felt like Case decided to apply to college when it was almost or already summer, and then a month later he heard back about the fall semester. I wish it worked that way! But it really doesn’t. However, because I loved the characters and the plot, I could overlook this detail a little more than normal! The love story timeline was perfect, though. I hate it when the romance feels rushed. This one was a slow burn and so so sweet.

Even If It Breaks Your Heart is out February 6th! Thank you to Wednesday Books for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a beautiful ode to grief and the sometimes drawn out route of finding yourself as a young adult.. Case and Winnie, one sided enemies at first, have a love story born from friendship first. Case’s grief in losing his best friend was so raw that you could feel it. Winnie was also coping with grief, but of her lost childhood and having to be the person holding it all together. Now, I will say Winnie’s father has 0 redeeming qualities. Not one. I just love how two people who felt utterly alone were able to find each other and realize they weren’t as alone as they thought, nor do they have to be.

This was an emotional young adult novel about loss, grief, and finding your own way. Erin Hahn pulls no punches, so please be sure to check content warnings before starting. I thought the depiction of grief and the different ways people process that pain was very realistic. Even If It Breaks Your Heart is a coming of age story about chasing dreams and being comfortable in your own skin. Sometimes the details about bull riding and barrel racing were a bit overwhelming for me, but it was also interesting to learn about a sport I know nothing about. The slow burn, friends (after a rough start) to lovers romance between Winnie and Case was very sweet and I appreciated that there was no third act break up. I think throwing in that drama would have been too much considering all the other plot lines and issues our characters were facing. Winnie and Case had very satisfying character arcs and I loved seeing them grow and change. Winnie's relationship with her siblings was definitely a highlight of the book, but I do wish we would have had a little more resolution to her relationship with her father. The epilogue was wonderfully hopeful and the perfect way to say goodbye to these characters.

CW: death of friend (past, but many mentions and flashbacks to the friendship and deterioration of health), grief, financial concerns and food insecurity, parental abandonment (past), parental neglect, chronic illness, death of parent (past), toxic masculinity, mentions of past animal neglect, truancy, underage drinking, mentions of pandemic

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

4.5 stars

Utterly beautiful. This is her softest, tenderest, messiest-in-the-best-way YA book to date. You'd Be Mine remains my top favourite YA book by her, but this new one comes very close. Case is grieving the death of his best friend, Walker, who has left behind a bucket list of what he never accomplished. Winnie, for her part, has the weight of the world on her young shoulders in the form of two younger siblings to raise and financially support, as her present-but-absent father prefers to bury himself in work than deal with single parenting after his wife walked out after the birth of their third. Case is reconsidering bull-riding which was his "thing" with Walker, while Winnie dreams of being a competitive barrel rider, but how can she ever even think about doing it, with everything on her plate, and everyone depending on her?

Both Case and Winnie are wonderfully real and easy to fall and root for - their flaws, their problems, their fears, their grief, their hopes and dreams, their ability to contain multitudes; Erin really knows how to craft complex, human, teens. Shoutout to Winnie's horse Queen Mab, and Winnie's younger siblings, especially Garrett, Winnie's whip-smart prodigy baby sister. This felt honest and, for the ages of the characters (just out of high school, even though, granted, these two have experienced way too much already), really mature, and both characters' struggles as well as their slow friendship that blossoms into something more reads authentic. Before and even after anything romantic, watching Case and Winnie learn to trust each other, become each other's support systems, tease and navigate their way through what turns into a strong, solid bond is sweet and heartfelt. In true Erin style, this also has a cast of endearing supporting characters.

There's a lot of horse and ranch talk, which isn't really my thing, but it is testament to how beautifully Erin's written these characters and their stories that I cared about them despite that; and I felt what they felt because what's more relatable than finding your place in the world and the things that make you happy, the ones that you were born to do?

Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 2/6

Case is barely holding it together after the death of his best friend, Walker. The only thing helping him get by (besides booze and girls) is a list that Walker left him of things he needs to do after Walker is gone. One of the items on the list is to befriend Winnie Sutton, which Case is determined to do, no matter how hard Winnie makes it for him.

Winnie has more important things to worry about than the sudden attention of rich boy Case Michaels. Her main focus is keeping her family together, which is why she’s up early every day working at Case’s family’s ranch. It helps that she loves horses and riding as much as Case does because it’s the only thing these total opposites have in common.

This YA novel about heartbreak, perseverance, friendship, and moving on moved me in a way that’s hard to put into words. I loved the slow-burn, friends-to-lovers relationship that blossomed between Case and Winnie at a time when they both needed it the most. The way they got close and started to lean on each other was heartwarming and made me tear up more than once.

I could feel Case’s heartbreak in my bones, and even though this story has a sad start, Hahn handles difficult topics with a lightness and humor that makes it feel less heavy. Full of flawed, relatable characters, heartbreak, and humor, this will be a story I remember for a long time. Definitely one of my favorites of 2024 so far.

Read if you like:
*YA
*cowboy romance
*enemies-to-friends-to-lovers
*slow burn
*rodeo riders
*opposites attract

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy.

I have loved everything I have read by Erin Hahn! This one was no exception. It did start off a little slow for me but once I got going I could not put this book down! I am a sucker for a romance novel that isn't JUST romance. I also loved the horse, rodeo, and country vibes that this book gave off. If you are looking for a book with a super cute ending that will have you melted into a puddle, I recommend you pick this book up!

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you St. Martin’s press for this beautiful ARC! This story followed teenager Winnie and Case, one dealing with grief, but both dealing with the weight of the world on their shoulders. After finding friendship with each other, per the list, the story builds and builds from there, that had me giggling and kicking my feet giddy the whole time.
The slow burn of friends to lovers made the story so real and showed two teenagers falling in love organically, with him falling first! I loved the description of the competitions, that made you feel like you were in the stands. The real star of the book was Garrett, Winnie’s 10 year old younger sister, who had the best personality and comebacks for everything.
The one thing I would’ve loved to see was a look into Case at college and Winnie touring, rather than just a small update in the last chapter, but my heart swooned with this story and I absolutely loved the book!