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.

This book was pure magic! It was sweet and beautiful and heartfelt. For starters, I loved the setting of this book with ever fiber of my being. I loved how beautiful it was in all its descriptions, with its flowers and vines and overall fairytale essence. I loved how much emotional significance it held to the characters, and how it worked to facilitate the main character’s development and the romance. Now as for the main character and the romance, I loved both. Grant is a nuanced and complex character. He struggles so much in the book, overwhelmed by his depression, romantic failures, and drudged up painful memories from his childhood. But over the course of the book he is able to do some great healing. And find the love he deserves. Ben is the perfect compliment to Grant, and I loved their shared childhood history and how much angst it contributed to the romance. Along with Grant and Ben, I loved Grant’s family, especially his aunt and uncle. They are so supportive and kind. So overall I loved this book and I highly recommend it!

I really enjoyed this book. This was my first by the author. I loved the complexity of their relationship, the mistrust and working on being friends again. I loved the mental health rep. Thank you!

I am so happy to have Grant’s story. I adored 99 Boyfriends and Micah Summers and this follow up about Grant was deep and tender. This story is nostalgic and magical. As usual, everything I read of Adam’s I love and desire to see his work turned into films/mini series. This book is a fun rom/com that has so much depth exploring trauma, depression, self loathing, and forgiveness. A beautiful second chance story.

I wanted to like this one more than I did, but there were still things I enjoyed about it. I can't be too harsh on the book, as I think it's more of a "it's not you, it's me" type of feeling.

As I get older I find myself wanting to read less about teenage/new adult characters who have a shockingly inept ability to communicate. It's a trademark of the genera, and I think I'm finally realizing that it's just simply not something I enjoy anymore.

The book is good, it's funny and very well written. The humor is biting and modern, but in a way that doesn't feel "Hello, fellow teens" unlike a lot of more recent books. The supporting characters are fantastic as well. The setting is vivid and unique. It's just that I found it hard to connect to the main character.

I wasn't aware that this book is technically a sequel/spin off to another book, so maybe I missed some added context but I felt like everything was explained pretty well at the beginning of the book so it didn't feel like I was completely blind to past events.

Overall, I think I just need to be a little more discerning with what I read in the future. Tastes change all the time, and I think I'm finally learning that certain types of books may just not be for me anymore. Don't let me deter you though, because there is a good book underneath all my feelings, it's just not a book that was right for me.

Really enjoyed this coming-of-age YA Contemporary read! This is my first by author Adam Sass, and now I'm excited to dive into what else he's written.

'Cursed Boys and Broken Hearts' is fully narrated by Grant and the narration was chef's kiss, spot-on: witty one liners, realistic depression rep, and all the emotional heartfelt moments. Especially when dealing with 7 older siblings and when flirting with his former crush, Ben.

Highly recommended LGBTQIA+ reading!

#CursedBoysandBrokenHearts #NetGalley – I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

Oh my gosh! This book was adorable!

I didn’t realize when I started it that it was the follow up to The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers. Don’t worry! You can read this perfectly well without having read the first book.

Grant is collateral damage from the Micah Summers book, dealing with severe depression and the downfall of the family bed and breakfast, Vero Roseto, and winery.

Grant turns up at Vero Roseto to try to calm his mind, and takes on the challenge of bringing her back to her former glory, along with the gorgeous gardener… who just happens to be the boy that broke his heart 5 years prior. It’s a recipe for a great story!

Another great book for fans of the “only one bed” trope! Grant and Ben are such a fun pairing. The tension between the two makes you want to give each a smack upside the head.

4.5 stars
Honest, funny, and all too close to home, Adam Sass stuns yet again in a thorny romance about curses, love, and the raw emotion of dealing with a brain that would rather be a beast than a bunny.
Grant would rather stay hidden in his depression pit, yet ends up instead at the suggestion of his family, helping to facelift and bring back from despair his aunt's vineyard and B&B. Add in one hot gardener who is also his ex best friend, and who broke his heart and things get...complicated. And very, very, messy. Sass has such a unique writing style and I've yet to find another author who so perfectly captures complex and messy characters who aren't perfect. Characters who are terribly, honestly human, and struggling to figure themselves out. When I think of writers who capture (my at least), queer experience, Sass is always at the forefront of my mind.
Part of the reason I had trouble with Grant as a character at times, is because it is never easy reading a book that is basically holding a mirror to yourself and all of your (quite frankly unresolved) issues. I myself struggle with pulling frequent "Grant moments", retreating from the world for weeks or months, only emerging like a shade to sometimes eat, and haunt my apartment like a wraith of some terribly dramatic play or period drama.
A quote that very succinctly captures who Grant is at a character, in all his glory and mental health issues:
"I emerged from a three-day depression hole less than an hour ago, and I'm still gonna be the cutest one in the room. Who else but me? I can do it all! Lowest lows, highest highs."
There were moments when reading, when I turned and looked at a non existent camera b, as if to say, 'I feel attacked right now', because so many moments it felt more as if Grant's growth and troubles was parallel to my stupid brain and everything I struggle with. Even at times where I wanted to bemoan how messy he was being, or get annoyed at his pettiness or jealousy, I had to take a step back and think, 'no but for real, I would/have done the same thing.'
I really enjoyed the depictions of food and the messy family relationships. I did grow quite hungry reading this, which is always a sign that that the prose and imagery had thoroughly reached my appetite. Speaking of hungry, the boys in this book were Thirsty, with a capital T. The chemistry between Grant and Ben was written so well, it didn't feel forced or out of nowhere. Their banter and flirting was done so well, reading two characters fight against their own yearning and feelings is always such a treat when they finally come together.
One more quick thing I loved, the mention of therapy, medication, and the very real reality of dealing with mental health and the never ending journey that is. Spot on in a way that was so raw and honest, yet again hitting me in my chest because it so very much resembled my own.
"She's such a good friend- no matter how long we go without talking, she's there for me when I come back." This is another sentence that felt like it was plucked straight from my life, and perfectly encompasses anyone who has those who stick by you even when you tend to ghost everyone at frequent occurrences.
I think it could be argued that there were moments when Sass took out a proverbial soap box, to educate the reader as much as characters in the story, such as when talking about how to give space to a queer child. Though I won't lie, it was healing, cathartic and realistic in how the family interacted. Especially how Grant was able to pinpoint that his nephew would be having a when not if coming out.
At the same time, there are a times sentences like this, where words like 'my thorniest thorn', and 'childhood ashes like phoenixes,' were likely intended to be taken seriously but it was difficult too.
He saw my weirdest, most serial-killer behavior- my thorniest thorn-and it only made him want to help me more....Adult Ben and Adult Grant have emerged from our childhood ashes like phoenixes." These moments and other moments of choice writing broke me out of my reading at times to just blink, pulled out of the immersive story I had been so far loving.
I did find the ending one of the weakest parts of the book, apart from how perfectly everything lined up and how the main characters were perfectly fine with wearing someone else's robes and staying in a stranger's apartment, it lacked what the rest of the story had in terms of strong writing and felt a bit plot convenient. (On the other hand I am torn because I am always delighted to read a queer story where there is a happy ending and no one is killed off or other angsty things happen. (Looking at you, nearly every show ever with queer characters!) If the last chunk had stayed as strong and consistent as the rest of the book, this would have easily been a five star read for me.

I do recommend this book, especially perfect for fans of Adam Sass's writing style, this story is sweet and full bodied, worth every page.

Thank you to Penguin for this ARC, NOTE any quotes are subject to change since this is an ARC that I read and reviewed

Sass has done it again. This is my third read by him and each one continues to impress with his ability to build a character like no other.

Our main character Grant Rossi is nothing but complications and contradictions. Those are the characteristics that make him so complicated, but what else would you expect from an 18-year-old. Life has been short but Grant has managed to pack in the relationship trauma of a 37-yr-old. Add to that his unrequited love for his best friend from when he was a kid, Ben, and add in some family tales of love and connection and you have a kid who has grown up without a proper basis for how the world of love really works.

Sass manages to pull Grant along while still being sensitive to his mental health journey with an accurate all-bit hilarious way he describes Lexipro as one of his good friends "Lexi". It adds levity to a serious situation. The connection between this and "The 99 Boyfriends of Mica Summers" is cute and not missed on a regular Adam Sass fan. If you haven't read his introductory novel, it won't take away from your enjoyment of this book, but it is still highly recommended.

The main character was so overdramatic. If the characters in this book knew how to communicate at all, it would have fixed most of the issues a lot faster.

Dnf at 32%

The writing is fantastic and I can imagine the characters quite well

But there in lies the problem….the dislike I feel for the character is extreme. Grant is so moody…which is whatever because which teen isn’t moody. (But also he’s technically graduated high school and a year into college, if he had went)
His emotional immaturity is appalling. Like whatever Ben stole your guy back when y’all were younger. I get it. It sucks, but it feels like it’s Grant’s personality to feel like he’s the victim.

Vero Roseto is about to be closed and he’s just running around screaming and kicking walls.

I keep on trying to remind myself that they’re young and all that, but there are still limits to how much I want to read of a character’s immaturity and “woe is I” mindset.

love the growing popularity of diverse romances in YA
I just no longer enjoy YA stories, unfortunately :(
quick read - I would definitely recommend to teens and those who do love YA
I also appreciate the focus on mental health.
YA as a genre has come a long way since I was at my peak teen reading days! I hope the trend continues!!!

This was my first Adam Sass book, and it definitely won't be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue and the overall plot.

The romance, along with the emotional and humorous moments, was very well done.

I loved learning about Grant, his history, and his journey of self-discovery, and I trusted how the story would unfold.

The ending was fantastic.

Thank you for allowing me to read the ARC! I can't wait to purchase this book. It was a quick and entertaining read, with a writing style and sentence structure that worked well and a compelling narrative.