Oh, gosh. I’m not sure what I expected of this book. A sweet Hallmark-esque romcom in which the love interests save the family business and enjoy their happily ever after, I suppose. What Adam Sass delivers is so much more. Okay, yes, they bust their butts to save the family business; and yes, those sweet (sour) boys are happiest when they’re together, but this story is so much more real than a Hallmark movie. The way this story handles mental health is well done. It shows our protagonist, Grant, at low points in his depression, revealing a creative, beautiful, dedicated, confident, talented young man who is also sad, self-deprecating, explosive, unforgiving, and sometimes . . . stinky. (Days without showering in the middle of a depressive episode? Been there. Remembering how nice a shower feels when you finally have the willpower to care about hygiene? Yep. Accurate.) Also important is the way this book shows healthy ways Grant copes with depression, like seeking therapy and medication and fostering relationships with a good support system. And, oh, how precious his support system is! The way they stick by him through his withdrawal, offering comfort and space and forgiveness in turn, is lovely. This book affirms that people with depression deserve love and can live full, productive lives with love and joy. In his journey to healing past traumas and feeling like he can finally break his childhood curse, we learn about the people who support Grant through coming out and depression and those who do not. Times he supports others, and times he does not. Because his love interest is not simply a childhood crush: it is his childhood best friend. Someone he truly loved in every sense of the word. Someone who endured his own suffering and faced his own coming out without his former best friend. Their betrayal runs deep, and their journey to trusting each other again isn’t easy. But the chance to restore a friendship and love like that has to be seized. I love all the beautiful and beastly parts of them! I should note, I have not read Sass’ The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers, in which Grant appears as a love interest. This book absolutely works as a standalone book, but those who read Micah’s story first may have different views about Grant.

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Books, Penguin Random House for an advance readers copy of this title.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts was an amazing read. Adam Sass never disappoints. I recommend this for fans of queer contemporary romance.

This book was kindly sent to me by Net Galley for an honest review.

I think this book is adorable. I love the premise of a magical wishing rose that makes people fall in love, but with queer twist that is rooted in the reality of the LGBTQ experience.

I think the portrayal of Grant's character was well done, and I liked how the author showed the ups and downs of depression. It felt relatable to those of us who struggle with mental health. Also his growing up as gay in a family of straight people who aren't immediately accepting is another good point of relatability to the character.

Grant's chemistry with Ben is well executed. You got a real sense of their history together and could feel that within their interactions. The growth of their relationship is tinged with enough tension that made me hungry to read more and find out their ending—which felt realistic.

The story itself is an easy, cute read. There are some moments where the writing is a little clunky in its use of similes or modern day references and slang. However, I did appreciate that the author didn't try to write Ben's dialogue in how a Scottish dialect might be written (I've read a few books like that and sometimes it's hard to understand what the character is saying), but from the descriptions surrounding the text, you were reminded of his Scottish roots.

I think this book would make a fun beach read. It's quick, it's enjoyable, and is one that you can pull out and have a good time reading again.

I was very excited to read this book because it combined second-chance romance, healing, family. However, the main character was such a bore that even if the story had more magic than I had even expected, it wasn't enough to make us forget his Beast side.

And yes, this story is somewhat inspired in the story of Beauty and the Beast. Grant is so broken after years of feeling cursed by his family's legend, he decides to go back to his grandparents' B&B where it all started. That's where he meets again the cause for his curse, Ben, the childhood crush who broke his heart.

This is a 2.5 I rounded up because I suspect my sole problem with this book was Grant. There are some great aspects in it in spite of him, even if they weren't enough to make the story more enjoyable.

Though inspired in Beast's story, there isn't so much from it that it will feel repetitive; and that's one thing I liked. Little by little, we catch the references. It did feel magical.

Grant's story as he fights with himself for being gay as young to the point he believes he's cursed for not accepting it is heartbreaking regardless of how insufferable he was. I also liked the story of the family, the conflicts and the way they are solved as the story goes.

I'm not sure I understood Ben well, but whatever I could get from Grant and his behavior made me feel it served both well getting together... Unfortunately, it's not a love story that had me cheering or feeling my heart throb for them.

When a romance book has a couple that aren't really charismatic, it's a little hard to enjoy it. It's about taste though, and you could find yourself relating to Grant or Ben or both. I also suspect this may have a little of the author's own life story, because some points read personal. As a straight woman, there's a lot I would never understand, that wouldn't resound with me but would with others. So I'd say it's a book that is worth giving a chance, if only for the story surrounding the main one.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Adam Sass, I believe it’s time for me to read your backlog. This is my second from this author and I want more.

Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts is a dreaded second chance romance trope, but I still couldn’t get enough. Grant is an 18 year old queer boy and he’s questioning everything this summer…so he returns to his family’s vineyard—to the last place he felt himself years ago. And there he meets his ex-best friend slash TRUE LOVE. Sometimes I forget Grant is only 18, he’s got so much baggage for a baby boy.

I’m not gonna rehash it all, just know it gave me all the feels. The inner monologue and dialogue was so witty, the emotions so real, and this one will stick with me for a while.

Adam Sass has established himself as a master of weaving lovely gay romance into other genres, whether it be mystery/thriller, horror/slasher, or now with "Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts", borderline fairytale/speculative fiction. I loved that even with an air of magic sprinkled throughout, the story was very much rooted in reality. The two main characters were charming and well fleshed out, with a small but entertaining cast of side characters. The story is really all about Grant and Ben though, and I enjoyed watching their story unfold. There was a lot to relate to with what it feels like to grow up being "different", how it feels when family doesn't know how to deal with it, and having that one person you can be yourself with. And of course, all the confusion and heartbreak along the way. Even the happily ever after felt realistic and not overly saccharine, which I always appreciate in romance novels. All in all, it's a great summer read - and if you haven't already, check out Sass's other work as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC of Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts.

Adam Sass weaves a captivating narrative in Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts, where Grant Rossi's journey through love and family curses unfolds against the backdrop of a charming vineyard.

Grant, plagued by a curse since childhood that disrupts his relationships, retreats to his family's vineyard hoping for solace and a chance to break the cycle. Here, amidst the picturesque setting and the legendary Wishing Rose, he encounters his childhood crush, Ben, who has been hired to help restore the vineyard's B&B. As they work together and old feelings resurface, Grant must confront his past hurts and fears to find a path forward.

Sass excels in creating characters that resonate with authenticity and depth. Grant's struggles with his curse and his emotional journey are sensitively portrayed, drawing readers into his quest for healing and self-acceptance. The chemistry between Grant and Ben is palpable, adding layers of tension and emotion to their evolving relationship.

The vineyard setting serves as a charming backdrop, richly described to evoke both its beauty and the challenges of restoring it. Sass's vivid prose brings the location to life, enhancing the novel's atmosphere and grounding the magical elements within a tangible reality.

While the novel follows familiar themes of love, loss, and personal growth, Sass infuses the story with unique twists and heartfelt moments that keep the narrative engaging. The exploration of forgiveness, resilience, and the transformative power of love adds depth to the storyline, resonating with readers long after the final page.

In conclusion, Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts is a magical and heartfelt tale that blends romance with themes of redemption and self-discovery. Adam Sass's evocative writing and compelling characters make this novel a captivating read, perfect for anyone seeking a story of love's enduring power and the courage to break free from the past.

In a follow up book from The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers we meet Grant Rossi again who is struggling as a young adult in Chicago. He just got dumped and is feeling uninspired in his fashion designs. When he decides to spend the summer at his family’s B&B Vineyard he gets there to find it run down and in desperate need of some help. What doesn’t need any help at all though? The stunningly beautiful gardener who just so happens to be Grants ex-best friend and life long crush. This second chance romance is a MUST READ with beautiful scenery, angry boys, curses, and wishing roses!
IF THE COVER AND AUTHOR ALONE DIDN’T CONVINCE YOU TO READ THIS…
Imperfect characters with imperfect stories and actions are NECESSARY, especially in young adult books! Grant and Ben both have their faults, but theyre young and miscommunication and mistakes happen! The mental health in this book is unmatched, not only the representation of it but the way it plays out in these characters is supremely relatable. The imagery in the novel is superb, I wish I could book my vacation at the vineyard stat. We need more examples of angry young people just trying to figure out their emotions. Also, Aunt Ro needs to be protected at all costs!!

♡ Hurt/Comfort
♡ Summer Read
♡ Second Chances

Definitely a book you should read the author’s note too, it really makes the reading experience even better. The rom-com vibes in this were great, adding in some more relatable content as well. While it was mostly lighthearted, there are some more emotional parts; the main character works through a breakup, depression, and a rather cruel moment in eighth grade he was still hung up on. The relationship itself was a bit of a fast-paced read but their dynamics worked well, especially as more was revealed about their past.

The highlight for me was the setting, it was genuinely so amazing, the house, the vineyard, all the history behind it was so lovely and the little details made for a great read. While the ending seemed a bit rushed as it tied everything together it was still a really enjoyable book.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Viking Books for Young Readers of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧(1/5)
POV: First Person
Release Date: 16, July 2024
Rep: LGBTQIA+ (Main and Side Characters) Depression

Parts of this book I would give 4 stars but overall I give it 3. Mostly because of Grant's self loathing and his constant referring to himself as "broken". The chemistry between Grant and Ben is pretty good but because this is a YA novel the spice level is low. The plot was really good but again my biggest annoyance was 18 yo Grant beating himself up over something from when he was 13.

Grant Rossi has been cursed ever since making a wish on his family’s Wishing Rose. All of his romantic relationships don’t seem to last; they always come to an end. After his most recent breakup (and probably most public), he heads back to his family’s B&B for the summer. To help them refurbish it to hopefully reopen by the end of summer. Grant also hopes to get his creative spark back.

However, what he doesn’t expect is to find his childhood crush, Ben, also working at the Bed and Breakfast. His first crush who also lead to his first broken heart. Will Grant be able to bury the past and work with Ben? Or will he end the summer with yet another broken heart?

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books for an advanced copy of Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts by Adam Sass to review! Adam Sass has shown that he can write a variety of genres, and I was enchanted by this book from the beginning. Though not necessarily a fairytale in itself, it does have sort of fairytale vibes with the curse. The descriptions of the little bed and breakfast his family owned sounded lovely, and definitely like a place that I’d visit!

At it’s surface, this is a book about curses. But it is also a book about Grant working through his anxiety and trauma with relationships and being queer. His emotional journey is so satisfying by the end. Done with high school, he is also trying to figure out what path he wants to take with the rest of his life. These are all emotional beats that teens will relate to as they read Grant’s story.

The relationship between Grant and Ben is so strained at first, but that also evolves throughout. They are honestly adorable together, and I enjoyed getting to see them grow. The other side characters, especially Grant’s family, are all fun additions, and just make the book generally fun to read.

All in all, if you’re looking for a queer romance to add to your docket this summer, definitely check this one out in July!

Loved this book

It deals with depression and mental illness in a way which for me personally felt so real and raw

It shows the power of forgiveness and self love

I received this ebook for free in exchange for an honest review. Grant is the protagonist we all need. Full of flaws and self hatred, matched by loved ones who wouldn’t take his self-loathing. The tiny nod to Beauty and the Beast was nicely done. The use of the “beast” both in a positive and negative light as well as tying so much of fate to the rose, but still an entirely new story. My one wish for the story would for there to have been more actual conversation between characters. So much of the change and growth was due to introspection. While important, the growth between characters was glossed over in that respect. Otherwise a great story.

One of the easiest 5-star ratings I’ve given in ages.

Adam Sass is a brilliant and versatile author. He can do suspense, he can do slasher horror, he can do charming rom-coms. With Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts, he has now shown that he can do romance with a speculative aspect to it … and in doing so, he explores trauma, depression, and self-loathing in a love story that digs deep into the power of emotions, memories, and forgiveness.

Grant rossi believes he is cursed. He made a wish on the wishing rose when he was 13. But instead of finding his love, he wished away boys all together. He was afraid that his family's myth didn't include him because he wasn't straight. This led to a fall out with his best friend and several boyfriends over a 5 year period. He's finally back in Vero rosetto, trying to save the place for his aunt, when of course he runs into the last person he thought would be there, Ben mckittrick. Their love story is full of ups and downs and self love and discovery. I love the mental health representation. This was such a sweet romance and I absolutely loved it!

thank you to netgalley and viking books for my ARC!

i'm not sure why, but i wasn't expecting cursed boys and broken hearts to have such a profound effect on me. i think i thought maybe i wouldn't be able to relate to it since the characters are so young, turns out i was wrong!

the story revolves around 18yo grant, a young gay boy struggling with depression and a "curse" where all the boys he dates end up dumping him. during one of his spirals, he returns to his family's struggling b&b to help spruce it up and hopefully save it from going under. it's here that he reunites with ben, his former best friend (also gay). we get to see grant and ben heal their relationship and see how they've grown as (baby) adults.

i went into this with the reminder that grant is only 18, and remembered what i was like at that age. petty drama and a lack of communication skills caused grant to ice people out the second he thought he'd been wronged in any way. while that behavior is wildly immature to me (at the *ripe* age of 28), i saw myself in him and empathized. the book does a great job of touching on the struggles of a young person who is both queer and struggling with their mental health. grant' story is a story of many young queer kids, and i can see this story helping them navigate those difficult conversations and thoughts of being alone.

In this YA coming of age romance, everything isn't all peachy. There's a mystical rose that might've cursed our main character, and some definitely real events and circumstances that've lead to a drastic decline in his mental health. His aunt forces him to work with the boy he loved all along, whose love caused him to make the wish turned curse five years ago. Now he needs to try to save his family's home, create a great art show, not fall in love (like he ever fell out of it), and hopefully not have a full on breakdown.

SPOILERS!!

Some thoughts I had while reading this book, be warned, they're chaotic: Damn, his aunt really wants them together and manipulated them with the one bed trick. Ummmm not a fan of Ben convincing Grant to have sex with him. Like yes he's wanted to for a long time but he's trying to do what is healthy for him and Ben should respect that. I think I needed chapters from Ben's perspective cause I didn't really feel like he did have feelings for Grant and was very confused when suddenly he acted like it should've been obvious this whole time. Ahhhh they both have a lot of trauma. The first and last chapters are even envy and grateful respectively. I love lil things like that!

Overall, pretty solid book, enjoyed reading it.
Also, I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

CURSED BOYS AND BROKEN HEARTS is a queer YA romance about grant rossi, a boy from a superstitious italian family with a decades-long legacy. when he was 13, grant made a wish on his family's iconic wishing rose, but instead of granting his wish, he was cursed to doom any romantic relationship. he goes back to his family's rundown B&B and breakfast to help refurbish it and finds himself face to face with ben, the boy who broke his heart all those years ago. overall, i really liked the book and the premise, but i felt like everything should have taken place five years later. the backstory didn't feel very believable knowing they were 13 when it all went down and only 18 when they reunite and it did affect my enjoyment of the book a bit. that being said, i still enjoyed it and would recommend it for anyone looking for a queer summer romcom!

read if you like:
- second chances
- childhood friends to lovers
- ~there was only one bed~

thanks to netgalley and viking for advanced copy. CURSED BOYS AND BROKEN HEARTS comes out july 16th.

I love everything about this YA second chance romance. This was such a sweet and realistic romance book. The fact that the main character actually self sabotages his relationships makes it so real. I really love how the 2 men in the book learn that they can follow their dreams and still be in each other's lives. So so so good

Um... wow? I don't even know what to say... I feel awful for rating this so low but I also want to be honest! And I really wanted to like this but I felt like it just wasn't for me. First of all, the writing style was very jarring. There were a lot of metaphors that just didn't work for me and it felt like this book was a walking Beauty and the Beast reference but without the powerful messages that story holds. The message here is very unclear. The main character is so hard to follow and root for and everything felt just a bit too rushed. I know that the author is amazing and well-intentioned but it just felt like this was almost too light? There were a lot of jokes about sexism and homophobia and sexual harassment that felt belittling and didn't sit too well with me. I just wish that this had gone in a different direction, but the writing, characters, and themes kept me from really sinking my teeth into the story. It's a great summer read for people into something very light, cozy, and dramatic, but it just didn't work for me personally. There were a lot of times where I just sat there going, "what?" having to reread the strange sentences that lumped all the characters into two categories, a beast or a bunny, and would just continue to make reference to that throughout the whole story... which is fine of course! It just felt oddly timed and awkward. There were elements I enjoyed, and like I say, the intent was great. But I just don't think this was for me. Thank you, thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.