When I started reading Only Love Can Hurt Like This, I thought it would be a simple chick-lit love story, so wasn't particularly invested. However, the twist towards the end got me hooked and I became fully invested in the outcome as it seemed very bleak.

I thought the author depicted Wren's relationship break up really well, looking at it from both points of view rather than Wren being a victim. In fact, most of the relationships in the story weren't perfect; there were messy bits all over the place, which felt more real than usual in stories. Anders story in particular, was really sad and I can't imagine how difficult that was for him, but the author managed to capture an outcome that was bittersweet for all.

Enjoyable read.

I enjoyed reading this book. I don’t think I had high hopes as the title suggested a big standard romance but this was a little more and not formulaic as I had expected, not knowing the author beforehand, after reading I went on her website and would definitely read more by the Paige Toon. The characters were likeable and 3-dimensional and I flew through this book eager to find out what would happen.

I wasn’t expecting that!
I met Paige Toon in Bristol Waterstones before Covid times along with a couple of other authors there. Totally fun, and great time.

I’m not much into romance, or friends to lovers etc and all the tropes. However, I had a widget for this and I was tempted by the video I saw of the author crying on Instagram over what she had written.
Well that intrigued me. I wondered how an author could get emotional over something they had written and knew was coming.
How naive I was!

Totally hooked.
The two sisters.
The split family dynamics and how feelings can be felt but maybe not seen as reason when talked about (read book for the answer to that sentence).

The two men in another family and the emotive reasons behind their behaviour.

That twist, that horrendous sting in the tail got me in tears.

I was so invested in this book, in the characters, I was living with them urging them on.

One thing this has taught me. I need to read more of this authors books I always thought they might be a bit twee (sorry) .

If there’s more she’s written that is anything like this, people, let me know….because I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Made a change from a thriller.

I usually love books by Paige Toon but unfortunately I was disappointed by this one. The concept of the story wasn't original and affairs isn't a trope that I generally tend to enjoy. The main character irritated me in parts throughout the story an d this is one that I could easily forget.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon is a an excellent book to read on a Bank Holiday after Christmas Day. You can just curl and read and enjoy the romance grow And blossom before your eye.s. Wren’s fiancé realises he has met someone else whom he really cares for and the two of them agree to separate. Wren goes to visit her dad and step mum in America, meets up with her step sister and they become friends and her relationship with her dad and step mum also improves. Then she meets Anders whose family own the next farm and they form a relationship but that does not go to plan when it turns out Anders wife isn’t dead.
An easy going read to enjoy and indulge in over the holidays. I really enjoyed reading this.
Highly recommended.

How many types of love are there? Paternal, maternal, passionate, brotherly , sisterly, the list continues but Paige Toon has incorporated some into this page turning novel.
Wren felt rejected when her parents split up and she returned to England from America with her mother.. When she is rejected again years later by her fiancé she returns to America to stay with her father and step mother and finally gets to know her step sister. When she meets the two brothers from the neighbouring farm she is swept up into their love affairs..
This is a book I really could not put down. I save my 5 star reviews only for books which are well written, compelling, unforgettable and a little bit different. This is one of them, read and enjoy.

Another brilliant read from Paige, somehow once again she manages to make you laugh/cry at the frailties of human nature but can she actually get our character to love again

An emotional rollercoaster! I throughly enjoyed this book, there was a twist that I didn’t see coming and I flew through this finishing it within a couple of days.

Wren is recently single, she goes to stay with her Dad in America to heal her broken heart, on a night out with her sister then my meet the Fredrikson brothers and a true friendship develops.

This isn’t your standard chick lit, it’s so much deeper than that, you will definitely shed a tear!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a digital ARC, I highly recommend this book!

Another great read from Paige Toon- Wren's life as she knows it comes to a sudden halt after a shock revelation from her fiancé. In a bid to get some space, she goes to stay with her father in the Midwest of America - and gets more than she bargained for.

The characters are likeable, well written and believable. I like that, being an architect, whenever Wren is describing where she is there's always a little more detail about the buildings. The plot has predictable elements but with some great twists that keep you interested. It's mostly an easy read - but one that made ma laugh and cry.

Ahh this was a fabulous book. So brilliantly written, so engaging, and so heart warming. I loved the characters and felt they were written very authentically. Wren was understanding reeling from her heart break as well as unpicking some issues from her past with her step family and so a relationship is the last thing you’d expect her to find. Anders was a well written character too and although a love story is often predictable, Paige Toon found a way to add in a twist that I absolutely did not see coming!
Thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend!

I am a huge fan of Paige Toon and was delighted to receive an advanced copy of her newest book ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This.’ in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Penguin and NetGalley. Well what can I say, if you haven’t yet read any of Paige Toon’s novels then you are missing out. Think escapism and romance with a little bit of something extra. This book tells the story of Wren and Anders who find each other in their time of loss. Their story is not a straightforward one but all the twists and turns add to the tale, I could not put this book down and as a result managed to read it within a day. I would never have been able to guess the secret which is revealed about halfway through. All I can do is highly recommend this book.

Wren thinks her heart may never recover when she realises her fiancé is in love with someone else.

Anders is on the other side of the world and still struggling with the loss of his wife four years previously.
Whilst spending the summer with her dad and step-family in Indiana, Wren hopes she will have time to heal her broken heart, but when she crosses paths with Anders her life is turned upside down yet again.

But Wren doesn’t know that Anders has a secret and acting on his feelings for Wren could cause a fall out for everyone else.

Usually a fan of Toon, I felt this story fell short of her usual standard. Although it was perfectly readable and not unenjoyable, I found myself just going through the motions of turning the pages and skim reading in parts.

Wren wasn’t my ideal protagonist; I do like to read female characters with a bit of gumption, and I felt she was constantly putting herself down and internalising situations. It also annoyed me that she seemed to heavily rely on alcohol to speak her truths and this was explained drink for drink in detail which just became repetitive.

Anders for me was a great leading man, he was portrayed well, and it was easy to see that he was conflicted. But the secret coming out and the story wrapping up happened so quickly in the last 10% I felt it diminished the pressure he had battled throughout.

All of the above aside, it was an easy read and I will still be reading anything Toon has to offer going forward. This just wasn’t the one for me!

This was an enjoyable read, even if the story was a little straightforward. What made it enjoyable was the attention paid to the creation of the main characters, the situations (that were recognisable and relatable), and the wonderful locational descriptions that Paige Toon gives us. I've never been to Indiana or rural America, but I could see it all and it felt real. the people and places, and the way the community interacts all had a solid air of authenticity.
I also liked the way that the break-up is portrayed - it isn't heart-rending or over-dramatic, but it is so very sad in its lack of this ostentation. I really felt for Wren when she realised what she was seeing in the park, and her reaction to it was how I could imagine myself behaving. The temptation to write the cheater as a villain must be strong, but Paige Toon resists it which helps to not make it the main event of the story, this is much more about Wren finding a wider peace in her life and that makes Only Love Can Hurt Like This an uplifting book that shows people who find themselves in the aftermath of a break-up that there is a path out to the other side, it won't be a once and done thing - you'll stumble and fall, and sometimes think you are steaming ahead only to be shoved backwards...but it isn't the end.
A real highlight to this book for me was seeing the relationship between Wren and her father and step-mum grow - I could very definitely believe that this would never have happened if she had stayed with Scott. Not because Scott was the blocker but because navigating her new world led to some introspection and she opened herself to the relationship where she had been (subconsciously) closed before.

Paige Toon is one of those rare kinds of Authors who can become the countries that she writes about - with ease and perfection. Her experience growing up within several countries and cultures clearly influences her writing style and coupled with her extensive research makes for fantastic reading. When this book hits the shelves next April it’s going to be extremely popular!

The setting is beautiful, the characters are relatable and unpredictable, the romance is just enough and the underlying secrets and that TWIST… wow. Perfect for those who like to read well written books about blended families, father/daughter relationships, farm life (in the USA), Architecture, divorce, love, loss and so much more. This is not a typical boy meets girl novel… this will set your heart on fire.

Wren has just come to the shocking realisation that her fiancé is in love with someone else. So to heal her broken heart she runs to stay with her Dad in America. Wren’s Dad and Step Mum have recently taken on a farm just outside of Indiana, and Wren is more than happy to help out and take her mind off things. Her half sister Bailey is on board to help distract her by taking her out to Dirk’s bar where Wren finds herself very distracted indeed by Anders…who isn’t everything he seems. I loved this story so much. The lovely setting of fall in Indiana, the descriptions of the beautiful buildings, the farm, the characters - particularly Jonas and Anders. It was a beautiful and heart wrenching story with a twist I did not see coming. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn't realise how much I needed this book until I started reading it. I absolutely loved it! The characters are amazing and the book flows perfectly. It even had me ugly crying towards the end. I cannot recommend this enough. Just make sure you've got a box of tissues handy.

Oh my goodness I loved this book. I loved all of the main characters. It was a beautiful slow burn romance, but I didn’t feel like it was dragging out the romance, it was just perfect. I also liked the friendships that were made between the characters. Wren and sanders love story was heartfelt and emotional, I didn’t want the book to end. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

This is such a sweet tale, set in a small US town in Indiana, with relatable characters and as usual for this Author, it's excellently written - her descriptive style of writing allows you to visualise everything perfectly. Mixed in with the light-hearted, slow-burn romance there are a few poignant moments and some heart-breaking situations too, so it's not all fluff.

In terms of the characters themselves, who are all relatable, Anders is not your traditional hero, but that's understandable with the situation he is in - my heart broke for him. I did love Jonas, his brother, and would love for him to have his own story - he would make a great hero for me. Wren's insecurities were a little frustrating at times, but I can relate given her background.

All in all, a very worthy book to read.

Paige Toon is one of my auto-buy Authors, so I was ecstatic to receive a very early copy (thanks NetGallery and Random House UK, Cornerstone for approving my request). A highly recommended read when it is out on 27th April 2023.

Another beautiful story of romantic and familial love from my favourite author.
I had such high hopes going into this one and I was not disappointed.
Most of all, I adore the scene setting that Toon paints for us. It was simply gorgeous and atmospheric and I really felt that I was there amongst the fireflies. Pure escapism!
Thank you to Natgalley, publisher and author for the opportunity to read this advance review copy.

This is the story of British architect Wren and American motorsport technician Anders, both struggling to come to terms with the end of previous relationships. Wren is visiting her father and stepmother when she meets the two brothers from the neighbouring property. Jonas and Anders are of Swedish descent and whilst Jonas is taking over the family farm, younger brother Anders works for a race team in Indianapolis.

This is an emotional tale of siblings, child/parent relationships as well as romantic attachments. The characters are complex and believable, and the settings are also well described. Altogether a good, well-written romance.

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book.