Paige Toon has been an auto-buy romance author for me for years. Year after year, I saved her latest book for my summer holidays and couldn’t wait to dive in. What I love most about her stories are those little snippets she always throws around. Those snippets usually are a puzzle that suddenly shows one or more plot twists when you see the bigger picture. So, when I got her latest book as an ARC, I couldn’t wait to start reading.
 
Only Love Can Hurt Like This is, in many ways, a typical Paige Toon book. Likable but flawed characters, funny moments interwoven with heavier ones, descriptive writing. Like always, I flew through the pages and waited for Wren and Anders to finally admit their feelings for each other. BUT …
 
There were hardly any snippets. There wasn’t a puzzle to solve with huge plot twists. There wasn’t a shocking moment. Instead, the story is repetitive and predictable. A woman breaks up with her fiancé, meets a man who lost his wife, and slowly they fall in love. I didn’t feel anything when they almost admitted their feelings for the first time. I furrowed my brows when I learned what the plot twist was. And I found Jonas far more interesting than Anders.
 
Do I want to read Paige Toon’s next book? Yes, definitely because she has proven that she can write amazing books. This one is not bad, just pretty average, and that sucks when you’re used to giving at least four stars and, most of the time, five.
 
Finally, the cover. Am I allowed to say that I find it average too? It wouldn’t attract my attention while searching for books in a bookstore. Usually, I like UK covers more than US ones, but I really hope that the US one will be better than the UK one in this case.

I was gifted my first Paige Toon book last year as someone said she thinks I’d like her based on my other books I’ve read. She was not wrong! So as soon as I saw Only love can hurt like this .. I requested straight away.

I could not put this down, I read in two sittings. It had such a good storyline. Two broken hearts, fell together.

It’s a typical romance story, going to a different country to have some space, meeting someone there who’s also struggling, falling in love … but it wasn’t boring and it didn’t feel like a cliche read.

The characters are really likeable, I think Paige is really good at creating genuine, relatable people in her books.

Overall it was a lovely read and one I’d highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Random house, cornerhouse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was, for the first 2/3 an enjoyable if slightly predicable romance. Girl breaks up with boy, girl goes to the US for a break, meets new boy with mysterious past. Well written and pacey. The last 1/3 however didn't work for me. To say why would mean giving spoilers and, for some, it might be a really affecting narrative but I found it didn't work for me. (Copy received from Netgalley on return for an honest review).

Paige Toon books don’t tend to disappoint me, I really love her voice which come across so well in her characters and Wren we definitely no exception. Although born in the US, Wren left there to move to England with her mum when she was six after her dad left them for another woman who he went on to have a child with. In the intervening years Wren has felt like an outsider to her dad, step mum and half sister but after a painful break up she decides to stay with them for a break. Whilst there she becomes close to some of the neighbours and soon develops strong feelings for one which she feels are reciprocated yet never returned.

This was another great character read, told from Wren’s perspective and it was very moving to see how her various family relationships developed over her extended stay not to mention the way she was increasingly attracted to Anders. It was slightly frustrating trying to understand why Anders held back and it wasn’t until around 70% through the book that his heartbreaking secret came out. Personally I would have liked to find out nearer the middle and spent the second half coming to terms with it however it was a secret worth waiting for. That aside there’s some great dynamics, lots of warmth and gentle humour and as expected fantastic characters. 9/10

Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon💕

Wren is just after a painful break up when she decides to spend some time with her family on their farm in Indiana. Anders is a successful race car engineer who is home to check on his brother… on their farm in Indiana. Cue romantic farm vibes!

This was a lovely ‘will they won’t they’ romance, to the point where this became a little frustrating! Until we realise that there is something huge holding Anders back, and it is difficult to envision a happy ending for anyone involved💔

I really enjoyed the writing in this book. I loved the scene setting and the gorgeous farm atmosphere. I adored Wren and it was fabulous to see her growing in confidence and self esteem throughout the book. I don’t want to give away the ending but I was pleased with how the book ended👀

A lovely romantic read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️from me💕

#irishbookstagram #bookstagram #farm #indiana #books #currentread #netgalley #arc#onlylovecanhurtlikethis

I will post this on my Instagram page shortly.

I love all of Paige Toon's books and this did not disappoint. I could not put it down, another amazing story and great characters. I loved it.

An earth-shattering five-star read. This was easily one of the best stories I have read this year, there was just something so special about everyone. Wren appears like she is running away when she finds out that her fiancé doesn’t love her anymore, but I think she was just running to a family that she didn’t feel she always had. It’s a beautiful story of finding lots of love, not just the tradition type. I adored how this little bird got her wings. Anders has another story that isn’t mine to tell, and what a story that is. I am a huge Paige Toon fan and have been for a while, I adore the way they write and pull so many parts of the world into the story and wrap it all together, then throw in some characters that are so real you can imagine seeing them at the pumpkin patch when you pop along for your seasonal supplies. This is a great story and you will need to read this, and then re-read like I plan to, as you just know so many things sparkle in this story that you will only find more sparkles as you read.

Only Love Can Hurt Like this is an immensely good read.
After realising her fiancé has found his soulmate with a work colleague after seeing them together Wren goes to America to stay with her father, stepmother and step sister. It’s a difficult relationship as her parents split up when she was young and her mother moved them back to UK. Having only spent two weeks out of every year with them she’s never felt close to her father and the step mother seemed to resent her.
Once there she goes out with her stepsister, getting drunk together at a bar she meets Anders and his brother. She is instantly attracted to Anders.
I don’t wish to divulge any more as it would spoil the wonderful journey you are about to take with this couple and their families. An emotional book that is very poignant at times but not without humour and angst.
I loved this book and was sad but very satisfied when I reached the end.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

I am a long-time fan of Paige Toon. I love her impossible love stories from all around the world. Her books are brilliant travel guides or holiday book companions on any trip!
The hard research that has gone into finding unique places is easy to see.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This fits this pattern too.
Actually, I would go further and call it a book full of mood. The scenes described are like watching a romantic hallmark movie with American country boys as love interests.
It's a picturesque story taking place in Indiana - think old houses that have been passed down generations, sunsets over corn fields, the smell, and smoke from barbecuing, and the late summer/autumn feeling when the corn and pumpkins are ready for harvesting. If you like American cutie-pie farmers then this is definitely your call.

Wren, our female MC, was months away from getting married when her fiance tells her he has found someone else.
When she keeps running into them and is first-hand witness to their happiness, she decides she needs a break from her home town and travels to Indiana, USA to spend some time with her dad and his family.

Wren is not unfamiliar with the feeling of being ”replaced” by something better as her parents divorced because her dad found someone new, and it's not exactly ideal family happiness that has ever waited for her at his home as her stepmom and sister makes it hard to feel at home, so she visits them with a feeling of trepidation.

The theme of being the one left behind was well explored in multiple ways. I have loved many love stories where the hero ends up choosing the heroine, because who doesn't wish for that happy ending for them. But it has often left the woman left behind into some sort of villain role, where we saw some not-so-pretty sides of her and we have judged her for it, knowing we only saw two seconds of who she was. This story made me feel bad for all the woman that was left behind and that I had no sympathy with while reading.

The story was a slow-burner, but I didn't feel bored. It was so much fun spending time with Wren, Anders, Jonas, and Bailey as they spend a summer barbecuing, swimming in their own lake, and having movie nights under the stars.

I've always been a fan of Paige Toons books.
She brings emotion, passion and love to every story I've read so far of hers.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This was a very fitting title for this book because I really did spend alot of it feeling like my heart was going to break.

When I tell you this was such a bittersweet story, you best believe me. Bring your wine and tissues to the party cause you'll be needing them!

Wren and Anders went through so many highs and lows, I wasn't sure wether I wanted to stay on the ride at times. The angst was next level in places! *Just* as my heart would start to pitter patter with nerves and excitement, the heartbreak would come and I'd find myself wanting to cry! Why you gotta play with my emotions this way Paige 😭

I absolutely loved Wrens patience and understanding when it came to Anders situation.
She had such a big heart, and really deserved the world.... which was why i struggled alittle with him.

His situation was difficult and heartbreaking, One i couldn't imagine being in.
But there was something in the back of my brain whispering that Wren will always be second best. And I didn't like it. I will leave you to read this yourself to decide wether you agree with me or not!

I think this would have been better for me if more chapters had been written from Anders POV.

The epilogue was beautiful though, albeit, alittle sad.
But I'm glad to see Wren got her HEA.
And I absolutely adored Anders brother Jonas! I would LOVE to see a book written for him sometime in the future please!!

Paige Toon put me through the wringer with this one!
And despite my little niggles with Anders, I really did enjoy it.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Paige Toon, and it was a compelling and emotional read that I adored. Wren, an architect living in Bury St Edmunds goes to stay with her father and stepmother in Indiana following the break up of her long term relationship. While staying on her father’s farm, she meets the neighbours, two brothers Jonas and Anders. She finds herself immediately drawn to Anders who is experiencing his own loss and heartbreak.
The author beautifully and heart wrenchingly portrays the growing attraction between Wren and Anders and the agony both experiences. I loved the character of Wren and was really rooting for her throughout the novel. The development of her relationship with her father, stepmother and step sister Bailey was well done, and I could really relate to the emotional distance she’d experienced throughout her life in those relationships. I adored all the smaller details in this novel from the description of Wren’s clothes to the renovation of the Bambi Airstream. The author portrayed the rural farm life so well that I felt like I was there with Wren. I loved the author’s evocation of Indianapolis and now long to visit.
This was a beautiful and moving read that I know will stay with me for a long time.
Highly recommended
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this gorgeous novel.

Plot: After Wren discovers that her Fiance Scott has fallen for another women she goes to Indiana to stay with her Dad. Once there she meets Anders who is hiding a life changing secret. Neither are looking for a relationship or are even ready but sometimes life has other ideas.

Review: Another amazing book by Paige Toon. As always it is well written, well researched and takes you on an emotional journey. I always enjoy Paige's writing style and how she describes the location and local attractions of where her stories are set. I always feel that she writes characters that are flawed but are so engaging just like Wren and Anders. I cant rate any Paige Toon novel enough. Just read it is all I can say.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

I'll start of by saying I am a huge Paige Toon fan. She's my favourite author and I just simply love her!

I was so happy to be given an early read of Only Love Can Hurt Like This via Netgalley. I dived right into it and it did not disappoint. I could not put it down. There will be no spoilers of the book here.

But one thing that really caught me in this book is you can truly feel the love Paige has for her characters no matter how big or little the character is in the book you can feel the love that has been put into them.

The book is full of love and not just romance love. Love between parent and chil, love between siblings, love between friends, love between ex partners.

A truly heart warming story.

I can't wait to get my paperback copy

Wren’s fiancé has left her for another woman, so she goes to America to stay with her father and get out of the small town she and her ex-fiancé live in. From there, this book behaves somewhat predictably - girl meets boy, boy is unwilling to commit, girl leaves, boy realises his mistake. This book is well written, but I just didn’t ever really feel like I cared about the characters. I’m not sure if that’s because of the style of writing or because I never really felt like we knew the male characters properly. The reason for Anders (the man Wren meets) refusing to commit a) felt like a plot device to me and b) again just didn’t quite ring true. All in all a decent enough book, but I didn’t connect well enough to feel like this was more than ok.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House UK for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title: Only Love Can Hurt Like This
Author: Paige Toon
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4/5

What’s it about?

An earth-shattering secret. A life-changing love story.

When Wren realizes her fiancé is in love with someone else, she thinks her heart will never recover.

On the other side of the world, Anders lost his wife four years ago and is still struggling to move on.

Wren hopes that spending the summer with her dad and step-family on their farm in Indiana will help her to heal. There, amid the cornfields and fireflies, she and Anders cross paths and their worlds are turned upside-down again.

But Wren doesn't know that Anders is harboring a secret, and if he acts on any feelings he has for Wren it will have serious fall-out for everyone. Walking away would hurt Wren more than she can imagine. But, knowing the truth, how can she possibly stay?

My thoughts

I loved this book so much! Paige Toon is an author I have heard so much about and I have a few of her books on my bookshelf which I am yet to read (sorry!) so when I was accepted for this ARC I knew it was time to get to reading Toon’s work and gosh am i glad I have!

This book had me feeling so many emotions. This is honestly so much more than a romance novel, it covers family relationships and dynamics, heartbreak, loss, grief and acceptance. I ended up reading this in two sittings over 12 hours (would have been one sitting if I didn’t have to go go work!).

I love Wren’s character and how we feel empathy for but also want to shout at her for not following her heart and her self doubt/insecurities. Anders is also amazing but I just loved reading about Wren and Bailey and seeing their sisterhood blossom throughout the novel.

I found this so easy to read, fast paced and it had me laughing, crying and frustrated but it left me completely satisfied with a happy ending and then some!

Thank you so much for this ARC and I can’t wait to read more Paige Toon!

Favourite Quote

‘But you can’t help him, Wren. You can give him something to fight for. You are worth fighting for. Show him that you’re willing to fight for him too’.

Firstly I will admit that I am a long time Paige Toon fan, however I’m also an honest reviewer and so I have to be honest and say that Only Love Can Hurt Like This is another FABULOUS book by this author.
My only complaint is that we don’t get a new book every single month from Paige!

It’s been a while since a book has held my attention and I lost my reading mojo for a while but this was a book I could not put down and it took over my whole weekend (in a good way)

Wren has split up with her fiancé and instead of seeing him with his new girlfriend everywhere in their small town she decides to visit her Dad in America. There, she reconnects with her half sister, step-mum and Dad and makes some new friends along the way
I don’t want to say anything more about the story but suffice to say this book has many layers. It’s not “just” woman’s fiction or a romance novel, it’s so much more than that. More importantly for me is that it was not predictable, which is also the case with many of Paige’ other books, she has the knack of keeping readers guessing until the very last page and she is not afraid to finish a book in a way that doesn’t follow usual formula of this genre. The novel covers love, loss, family dynamics, friendships and it enveloped me like a warm hug making me both laugh and cry.

I loved everything about it and after finishing it last night I have spent all day with the story very much at the front of my mind (despite being at work all day)

It’s a huge thumbs up from me, thanks Paige! More please x

I loved this book. I have been a long time fan of Paige’s work and this is her at her best. The story makes you feel it all and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with Wren. Romance aside I also loved seeing the relationship between Wren and her half sister Bailey develop over the course of the story

A brilliant read. I loved every page

Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon

Let me start off by saying that I love Paige Toon’s novels, I have all but one of them, and that particular omission is being corrected this month. I enjoy that combination of light-hearted and heart-breaking in a book, especially when it comes to stories that are building up to a big romance.

I am not going to spoil the story, any more than the summary does, because as with the majority of books by this author, I am going to be recommending it when it’s released, to my reading friends because it made my heart crack a little.

Wren is devastated when she realises that Scott, the man she has been with for years, her fiance, is in love with someone he works with. Scott didn’t mean for it to happen, but you can’t control who your heart opens up to and unfortunately, it’s not Wren.

In need of an escape, she goes to visit her father and his family in Indiana. Though this visit will not be without its own wounds, she needs to get away from Scott, as every town is small when you really want to avoid someone.

Going to Indiana reminds her of old resentments, especially towards her dad’s wife and their daughter Bailey, the reason her own parents divorced. However, after meeting their neighbours, especially Jonas and Anders, she realises that love doesn’t follow the rules.

Wren’s falling for Anders, and is even contemplating leaving her old life behind, but then a secret is revealed and everything is up in the air.

There are many things that Paige Toon does so well when it comes to her books, and at the top of the list is the way she combines a beautiful love story with moments that are emotionally devastating. This book is no different, I even noticed a few Easter Eggs in the story, harking back to previous books and though I was hovering between tears and laughter for a considerable amount of the tale, this made me smile.

When I read this I was reminded, a little, of Angie from If You Could Go Anywhere, there was something about her travelling away from her home in an effort to escape from the things that are permanent brain luggage. Both women who’ve been through the wringer emotionally, hurt by family and friends though neither intended it to happen.

Anders, what can I say about him? He’s not exactly the traditional romantic hero, but then I don’t think that he’s meant to be. He’s harbouring a lot of pain and initially doesn’t want to open up to anyone.

I loved Jonas and though he is not the hero of the piece there was something about him that made me want him to have his own story, he’s the classic rough and ready hero, a farmer who has been emotionally hurt and can’t commit.

I can’t read the cover of this without hearing the Paloma Faith song, but all told it’s a pretty good companion piece.

Definitely will read again and will be recommending it everywhere come April.

“Neither of then expected to fall in love, but sometimes life has other plans.”

I definitely did not stay up till 5am reading this because I absolutely had to know how it ended. Definitely not.

This wasn’t just a romance story, there was so much learning to be done for both characters. Such as acceptance, healing and grieving, this story shows that grief will forever be there, but there are ways in which you can manage your grief so that it doesn’t forever consume you. You can learn to love again after loss, and it is okay to do that, even if those you lose still possess fractions of your heart.

After Wren’s husband falls in love with another woman, she thinks that she will never fall in love again. However, this story proves something that I am a heavy believer of, that there is someone there for everyone, and fate will bring them together in ways you wouldn’t expect. In this case, that person is Anders, a man on the other side of the world whose heart was consumed by grief after losing his wife.

Wren decides to spend the summer in the UK with her father to help his family to heal her heart and bring back her passion for architecture. What she didn’t expect, was to fall in love once more, and travel the world only to have it turned on its head. Before these two can commit to one another, there are secrets to be learned which could make or break everything they have built so far. Wren must make a choice, whether to stay and fight for who she loves, or walk away, knowing the secrets and grief that Anders is harbouring.

This was such an easy read for me, in theory, but it in practise, I felt so many emotions. There were times I found myself smiling at my phone, and a couple of times I was on the verge of tears. This being said, if you’re looking for a romance packed story, this book probably isn’t for you. I feel this was done intentionally by the author to show the journey of grief, healing and letting go, and how terrifying it is to offer your heart up to someone new after having it broken. It was beautiful to me to see the characters develop and fully heal before allowing themselves to fall in love with someone else.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is an emotional escape for the reader. Surrounding grief, acceptance, family and love. The ending left me satisfied and my heart so full. I can’t wait for this to be released and find out what everyone else thinks about this story. Also, can we talk about the artists that were mentioned in this book?! Sam Fender? Wolf Alice? Paige Toon I might just be in love with your music taste.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House UK for sending me an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Also, to Paige Toon for allowing me to read this beautiful book early.