This book contain themes of mental health, romance, and LGBTQIA+ relationships, The addition of a fantasy element, specifically the curse that affects Grant's romantic relationships, adds a unique twist that was captivating.

Grant is funny and frustrating but he grows throughout the novel. His stream of consciousness is honestly hilarious. I was cackling when he said his heart was spanked.

This was not for me. I couldn’t find myself liking any of the characters. I also don’t understand why it was not made known that this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Getting to revisit a character from another story is always fun, but revisiting the ex-lover of another story's MC is an especially unique take! While I think I've come to prefer Sass' writing in his thrillers, he really can do it all and this was still a sweet second chance romance with some painfully realistic characterization of the teenage characters.

YA is a hit or miss category for me now that I’m in my 30s, sometimes i thoroughly enjoy the genre and sometimes it’s a miss. Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Ben and Grant are great characters, I just wasn’t as gripped by the story as I have been with other recentYA reads

Adam has such talent for writing his characters. This is the 4th book I’ve read of his and I’m so impressed. I love how he is fluid in the genres that he writes in.

I've enjoyed Adam Sass and I was excited to read this new one from him. I didn't realize when I requested this that it follows Grant from The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers. I felt so bad for Grant in that book and felt that the curse was one of his own making. I'm glad that he finally got his happily ever after in Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts! I look forward to Sass' next book!

I spent the first half of this book wanting to shove Grant into a bush of thorny roses before I realized exactly why I felt this way about a character. Adam Sass wrote a character that I resonated with so deeply, that I wanted to slap him because, in reality, I want to do that to myself most days. Being gay and finding love will never be simple like it is for straight people and "Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts" touched very close to home while echoing that sentiment that I know many in the queer community feel.

Grant Rossi is a character that feels so real because of how he was written and fleshed out, that I felt like I was witnessing my messy queer history come to life on the pages of this book. Drama with family, friends, exes, and his career led Grant down a horrible vortex of depression and anxiety, something I felt spoke to me as well. At 18, I was in a similar boat -- unsure what to do about school, out of work, and on the outs with a friend I had feelings for. Reading this rocketed me right back to being that closeted, depressed, and anxious kid who had trouble expressing themself.

It's been some time since I found myself enjoying a book and the characters as much as I did "Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts" and I credit that entirely to the genius of Adam Sass. Thank you for giving me a novel to help mend my heart and reflect on how to exist as <I>grato</i>.

Adam Sass gives readers complex characters that move far beyond stereotypes, which is one of the big reasons I recommend these books to my students. CURSED BOYS AND BROKEN HEARTS definitely delivers on its promise with Ben and Grant.

Grant Rossi believes he is cursed after making a wish on a rose in his families Bed & Breakfast. After a devastating breakup, he spirals into a deep depression. His family suggests he returns to the vineyard, where the infamous Wishing Rose resides. Grant reluctantly agrees, in the hopes of breaking his curse. When he arrives, he discovers that his Aunt hired Ben, his childhood crush and the first boy to break his heart to repair the rundown B&B.

I really loved Your Lonely Nights are Over by this author, so I was excited to pick up another story by him! I thought this was such a cute second chance love story with such loveable characters! I loved both Grant and Ben, and thought they were adorable together. The banter between them was so fun, and they made me giggle a few times with their back and forths. I think they had great chemistry, and I loved watching them learn to trust one another again. Grant is probably one of the most frustrating characters, but you can't help but love him. He develops so much as the story progressed. I thought his mental health struggles were portrayed so well, and I liked how he reached out for help through the SSRIs and therapy. Ben is also THE SWEETEST ANGEL, I loved his character and how patient he was with Grant, while still putting him in his place when he needed to. He let him go through all the emotions he needed to, and was there for him in the end.

I can't wait to see what this author comes out with next!

Somehow I missed this book centers on Grant, who was the love interest in 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers, but I truly love that it centers around a character who was the love interest in a previous romance(ish) book, after that romance didn't have the HEA. This book is sweet and has some funny, touching, poignant moments, and doesn't shy away from hard stuff like depression, mental health, family drama. Grant and Ben are childhood friends who had a big public falling out, and they're forced to work together on saving Grant's family's winery/resort. The enemies to lovers made peace early, which I liked. It took a while for them to sort out their stuff, but they agreed to work together toward a common goal, even if they hadn't completely forgiven each other's past mistakes.
I loved how everyone came together to save the family house, and how even the family members we only see briefly have positive character development. I wanted to be part of the family by the end.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a lot of fun and such a nice break from the fantasy I'd been reading. I love a story you can get lost in and this is exactly what this did!

"Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts" by Adam Sass is a poignant and captivating exploration of love and self-discovery set against a backdrop of supernatural intrigue. Its rich character development and emotional depth make it a compelling and resonant read.

Grant Rossi’s love life has always been a mess thanks to a childhood curse tied to a Wishing Rose. After a humiliating breakup, he heads to his aunt and uncle’s dilapidated B&B for the summer, hoping to fix his life and his creativity. Enter Ben, his childhood crush and the first person to break his heart, now hired to help with the restoration. Sparks fly and old wounds resurface as they work together to prep the B&B for the rose festival.
Grant's journey through depression and self-sabotage is both intense and relatable, and Ben’s patience is a breath of fresh air. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and watching them navigate their past and present is gripping. Sass does a fantastic job illustrating Grant’s internal struggles and the path to healing.
This was a heartfelt and engaging read with a perfect blend of romance and real-life struggles. Give it a chance, even if Grant’s journey feels like a tough ride.
4⭐️

This was a difficult read for me to get into. I did not connect with either Grant or Ben, so I didn't have a protagonist to root for. There were some great moments about family and recognizing mental health struggles and needs, but I can't say that I will recommend this to anyone.

I love a childhood friends to strangers second chance romance so it was cool to see that trope within a YA/new adult book where the characters aren't that far outside of childhood themselves. This book does a really good exploration into mental health and showing the realities of living with depression and anxiety, in a way that it reminded me of The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun.

Grant and Ben were childhood best friends spending summers at Grant's family B&B and winery known for its' magic wishing rose. Based on a wish Grant makes at 13, he believes he's cursed at love after his boyfriend and Ben , who has a crush on, betray him. Fast forward 5 years where the pair haven't spoken yet are spending the summer together remodeling and trying to save the B&B. Despite everything that has happened, Ben and Grant find themselves drawn to each other once again and have to fight against the realities of what happened in the past, their relationship histories since, as well as their futures going in opposite directions if they want to be together.

I think the ending really fit into the story we see within the book. After years of Grant giving into the false narratives his mental health challenges fed to him, it would be unrealistic if at the last 10% we see them magically go away. Sass and the characters explore acknowledging that there are still challenges to come but left me believing in their HEA/HFN and that they will work to maintain that.

I do wish I went into this knowing it was a spin off of Sass' previous book "The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers" since I only realized that after reading the acknowledgements. I feel like that may have helped in giving more context to the beginning of the story since I was slightly confused about Grant having an apartment in Chicago by himself despite it being 2 weeks after graduating high school with him seemingly being there for more than just 2 weeks.

I read this for pride season and had zero regrets! I thought it was so cute! I definitely will be getting more of Adam's books for the future.

Adam Sass.. you have done it again! With the swoony, heart-melting romance, that makes my older heart crumble. Can I go back to High school and feel some of these feels again?!!!

Grant Rossi is cursed in love and he blames making a wish in childhood on his families wishing stone to have an everlasting love. Grant got horribly and publicity dumped, so much so he wants to hide. But his parents have other plans for him. They want him to help his aunt and uncle to refurbish their rundown B&B. What he didn’t expect was to run into his childhood crush Ben.. and the first boy to ever break his heart. But can close encounters rekindle what once was!

Get ready to be crushed and to fall in love all over again with this one folks! I’m talking a fresh voice on what it’s like to find love again with second chances and also a bit of self discovery. Grant grows as a human and I’m here for it. I’m also here for all the interactions he has for Ben.. I’m talking gushing awwwwws.

The wit and banter are here!!!! So if you like second chance romance and childhood love bloom, then grab this and some tissues and maybe a pillow to squeeze!


P.S. Adam can I come sleepover and pick your brain?! 😅 Ugh love you!

Grant once wished on the famous Wishing Rose located on his family’s vineyard property, and since then he’s been cursed. His relationships never work out, and his actual work is suffering from lack of inspiration. So he flees Chicago and runs back to where it all began, back to his family’s now-fading vineyard and the first boy he ever loved, to try to save the vineyard and himself.

This was a good read. There was a lot of complexity to the story and the characters. The setting was beautifully described and felt like a real place I would like to visit. I was absolutely cheering for Grant and Ben’s happiness, but I also found myself caring about the other characters and their happiness. I would recommend this book.

Grant and Ben had my heart from the beginning and never let go.

I love Adam’s books and this was another gem in his catalog. It’s a deeply personally, earnest, and fun romance that I plan on reading again. The setting was also a character in this book and gave the most wonderful vibes to the book as a whole.

Adam Sass could write anything and I would read it tbh. Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts is the followup to The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers. It can also be read as a standalone. This is another book that you can see real pieces of Adam in. This book is full of heartache, love, family, traditions, and finding all your puzzle pieces. It makes me think of some of the big romcom movies throughout the years.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for providing me with a review copy.