I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Picked this one up strictly because of the author. While the idea of the story of two characters having a business set up to make or break others relationships was setting up to be a predictable, contemporary romance read, I was pleasantly surprised at the conclusion on this one. Knowing what I was going into I already had a feeling I would enjoy it which helped. Going in blind I might not have enjoyed this one as much. That being said, I would still recommend this book especially to fans of Sarah Dessen and Kasie West. It was quick, witty, and only a little complex in the amount of characters present.

Bursting with humor, awkward missteps, and raw, relatable emotions, The Breakup Artists digs deep into the tangled webs of love, friendship, and loyalty. It explores what it means to hold onto your dreams without getting sidetracked by relationships that may not be worth it, showing how complicated—and sometimes hilarious—teen relationships can be when everyone’s still figuring out who they really are.

A sweet and funny little romance with depth that eventually got me out of my 2024 reading slump.

Rating: 2.5 stars

I’m a big proponent of the idea that reviews are for the readers and, therefore, can be as subjective as we want. When it comes to negative book reviews, I don’t usually say “it’s not you, it’s me,” but I was distracted for a good chunk of the book because I kept wondering if this was a friends-to-lovers book, so I’ll at least take part of the blame not loving this.

Like was the pacing actually slow or was I just dragging my feet trying to avoid a potentially unfavorable ending? Did the romance actually lack chemistry or was I just uninterested? Was there a lack of emotional depth or was I too distracted to be invested in the plot?

Since I can't answer any of these question with any kind of certainty, I'm willing to admit The Break Up Artists might be a decent book for other readers, just not for me.

But at the same time, there are some issues that, objectively, are hard to overlook. The most glaring offense is the fact that the alternating POVs are essentially two different storylines. If you took out Valentine's chapters, you'd pretty much end up with the same book. Everything that happens in her chapters is completely unrelated to the main story (i.e, the one in the synopsis,) so we end up with two disjointed stories in a book that has an identity crisis.

I absolutely loved this fun, new, original story from Adriana Mather! Two teens who set out to break couples up when they're wrong for each other?? Who are hired by loved ones for just this because the couple is too far in love to recognize the truth of what's going on?

Hired to help people see beyond their rose-tinted glasses when it comes to their partner?

Absolutely fantastic. I didn't want to put it down. I wanted more. And I loved it even MORE when he fell for his client's daughter.

I really enjoyed the idea of the story and I thought the characters were really fun/funny. There were multiple stories being told at once, and they weaves together well.

4/5⭐️

Really cute summer read! But don’t let the cute book cover fool you; it dives in deeper, focusing on friendships, young love, grief and sorrow. Characters and story are definitely not one dimensional, which I’m really thankful for. And the concept was very unique and intriguing. I thought it would be a really lighthearted fun YA book -which it was-, but it surprised me when it pulled on my heartstrings. Will be reading more from her in the future🫶🏼 Would recommend!



Thank you to The Publisher Penguin House UK Children’s I Penguin, The Author Adriana Mather & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

This story was so cute and a quick easy read, really enjoyed it! I especially loved that there were more focus on grief, friendships, paths we can walk on and how to navigate when everything is crumbling around us.

I am so glad I was able to read this ya novel. I really thought it would be teen romance based on the cover. Though there were some aspects, at its core this book was about friendship, grief, and figuring out the next steps in life when everything is uncertain.
Tiny (Valentine) has been August's only real friend since his sister died. August is the guy trying to hold it together & giving up on fun & happiness. August and Tiny have a business. They are hired by friends or family of teens in toxic relationships to break up those relationships. They are never to cross lines & only approach as new friends, until this case. Of course everything goes off course & August starts falling for their mark.
I enjoyed the writing style & the characters. They felt real & like the high school elite in every movie ever. But the emotions were palpable. Bentley was my favorite though. High school me would have been fully in love with him.

I started reading for the Summer Love business because it sounded like a YA version of Happily Never After by Lynn Painter and stayed for the romance! This book follows August and Valentine and their summer business “Summer Love.” This is a quite successful service they offer to parents and concerned friends of people in unhealthy relationships. Their job is simple: to break them up. But what happens when one of them falls for one of their clients? The drama was amazing as August tried to do his job while trying at the same time to hide his feelings. Valentine also had a bit of a romance too, which I loved! It’s not often that you find a book where the guy best friend STAYS the guy best friend, it felt a bit like “The Prom Pact” as they both supported each other through hard times and finding love. Also, can I just say, if the male MC makes a “Clueless” reference???? I’m sat. Solid 4 stars for this one.

The most perfect summer read about two lovely characters. At first I was skeptical and I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I did. But I’m always glad to be proved wrong by a book. I would recommend this book to anyone willing to listen to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I also received a gifted physical copy, which was exceptional, containing sketches throughout done by one of the main characters. While the eARC said “illustration TK” I didn’t expect to be wow-ed by them. If you haven’t seen the final copy, I highly suggest checking it out. I also had the pleasure of meeting the author and hearing her speak at a local author event, and I was impressed with the depth of her responses to the well-developed questions asked by the interviewer.
August and Valentine own a seasonal business called Summer Love (a play on their names) where they help break-up couples - but only for good reasons. They are an adorable pair of best friends, and their friendship really shines as the most important takeaway in this story, which follows the summer after their senior year of high school. Set on the North Shore of Boston, The Breakup Artists explores grief, family, friendship, and love. Different from my typical reads, The Breakup Artists is a YA book that has mature characters - even though you know they’re going to get stuck in a mess, you are rooting for them to figure their messes out and feel like they have the emotional intelligence to do so. I felt like it got a little long, as my attention was waning in the middle, but I’m very glad I stuck with it and finished the book. I can’t wait to recommend it to my students.

A classic romance book that has a grumpy x sunshine dynamic along with a dual POV.

This book started incredibly slow for me and it took me two tries to really get into it. It did interest me after about 50 pages, but I did feel like it didn't give me anything new or exciting except the whole break up business part which I really did enjoy. August and Valentine were great characters and I really liked the dual POV, but I did feel a little dense for me.

Overall a good story, a cute romance and would definitely check out more works by Adriana Mather!

This is such a fun concept for a book, and my interest originally peaked in it for my Olivia Rodrigo song Booklist. So maybe it will end up on there. I loved the plot of this book and it had pretty decent pacing. The characters were interesting and loveable too. I'm not sure how memorable this book will be long term, which is a struggle I notice often with this style of book. Definitely a good one for YA fans that like messy relationships and drama, though.

This was SUCH a cute YA novel. I teared up, felt the feelings of the characters, and lost myself in the book. August and Valentine come to life on the pages and you can't help but feel their personalities from beginning to end.

This book felt long but it was cute. I didnt love the constant tension between August and Tiny but it also felt like Tiny had tension with everyone. She was just looking for a fight everywhere she went.
Would recommend though for a cute teen summer read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of The Breakup Artists in exchange for an honest review!

Best friends August and Valentine start up a business called Summer Love Inc, where they are hired to break up toxic relationships. With set guidelines on how to succeed, their one major rule is to not get emotionally attached with any of their clients. The two have been successful, running the business for 2 years without a hiccup, until August suddenly starts to develop feelings for Ella, their new target. The Breakup Artists takes its readers on an emotional rollercoaster, dealing with loss and heartbreak along the way. In my opinion, this is 100% worth a read.

This was FUN. Loved the concept. Loved the characters. Loved this book. I’m a sucker for a good dual POV and these characters delivered. I immediately connected with both August and Tiny from the beginning. Hearing the book told through both of their perspectives was needed in my opinion, as I don’t think it would have been as successful if the story came from August alone. I think the author did a great job in including secondary characters that were necessary to the story, each of them playing an important role to move the story along.

This was my first read by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last. I also wouldn’t say no to a second book in this series, with August and Tiny going off to college. Definitely recommend the read!

Absolutely perfect summer read, Adriana Mather was able to blend serious topics such as dealing with grief, while still weaving in hilarious characters and moments. The book also keeps you on your toes as you try figure out how situations are going to work out (I’m trying not to spoil it, but oh my god one of the plot twist made me put the book down for a second cause it was an “oh nooooo” moment in the best way.)

This book was everything! It was funny and heartwarming at the same time it was filled with grief and friendship there were times when I laughed and times that I teared up. The premise had me hooked from the very beginning and the pacing never slowed down leading to a super quick read. Mather has a way of writing characters so multi-dimensional in a way that I don't see very often. I loved the character's interactions with the families and how much growth we saw throughout.

“I’m not convinced that we don’t all need someone to show up for us in crucial moments, take some of the weight off. That sometimes things are too big to conquer on our own.”

Best friends August and Valentine “Tiny” are the teen entrepreneurs responsible for Summer Love Inc., a small New England business that works to covertly end problematic romantic relationships and set people on a path to a brighter future. Each school break, the two create new identities for themselves, infiltrating friend groups and gently persuading their targets to end their current relationships. August and Tiny think they have mastered their routine. However, things quickly start to fall apart when “Summer Love” becomes a reality for both of them, as Tiny starts to reevaluate her relationship with the boy next door and August begins to develop feelings for their latest target. Will two world-class liars be able to open up and share their lives and feelings with others, or will their business (and their friendship) come crashing down around them?

The Breakup Artists is the textbook definition of a well-executed YA romance novel. One of the most frustrating aspects of many romance books is when the protagonist makes the most idiotic decisions possible just to keep the plot moving. The characters in The Breakup Artists, however, almost always make the best choices, yet things still go wrong. I felt every emotion alongside the protagonists, from their highest highs to their lowest lows. I literally laughed and cried. The choice to write in a dual POV effectively highlighted the distinctiveness of the characters and allowed readers to see what makes them tick. I was particularly amazed by how the protagonists were drastically different but equally engaging. The perspective shifts took the drama to the next level, as Mather perpetually left the readers eagerly awaiting what would come next for each character. The dual POV also allowed for nuanced reflection on the joys and complications of young adult friendships. The conversations between August and Tiny, as well as their interactions with other characters, generally felt natural and realistic, which was wonderful since the book was relatively dialogue-heavy. However, I will say the censored swearing felt somewhat immature for this age group. Overall, though, Mather kept the content very age appropriate. I really appreciated how the book delicately navigates peer pressure and self-advocacy in regards to teen drinking. The Breakup Artists is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages if you love classic rom-com references, captivating relationship stories, and tons of teen drama.