Paige has done it again, this latest release from her has pulled at my heart strings and I’ve finished reading it feeling all giddy and content

Wren has recently split from her fiancé after he falls in love with someone else. In her attempts to get over this relationship, she decides to visit her dad in the states for a change of scenery. What she didn’t anticipate would be reconciling with her half sister and growing close to a pair of brothers from the farm next door. Is she ready for the next chapter of her life?

I loved how well rounded the characters were and they felt so real and had so much depth to their personality. The plot was so wholesome and gave me a warm fuzzy feeling when reading it and the plot twist?! Absolutely gut wrenching and created a complex shift in the plot.

Overall, a very well written and wonderful new addition to Paige Toon’s work and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it

This is a poignant journey through love's complexities. Protagonist Wren's emotional turmoil resonates deeply as she navigates heartbreak, growth, and unexpected connections. Toon's prose is both tender and raw, capturing the highs and lows of love with remarkable authenticity. Set against stunning backdrops, the story weaves a tapestry of emotions, leaving an indelible impact. With a memorable cast and a narrative that speaks to the universal experience of love's challenges, "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" is a compelling reminder that even amidst pain, love's transformative power endures.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

This book was amazing it had everything romance and heartbreak.

Wren ends up going to America to stay with her Dad as she feels she needs a break from her work and other things in her life. She meets Anders and his brother Jonas at the bar with her sister Bailey. She thinks Anders is handsome and feels there is something there. But will anything happen?

This book had a wee twist to it which I didn’t see coming and also it deals with letting go of things.

The book is well written and found the book enjoyable I kept on wanting to read more to find out what happens.

SO MANY EMOTIONS!!!!
Paige Toon why!?! How! Do you do this…. EVERY single time.
A stunningly beautiful landscape to provide the story of heartbreak, true love, commitment and family and what it means to different people at different points in life.
How our promises of love can bond us and break us but also build us.
I honestly couldn’t put this book down, I felt like I was right there with Anders and Wren but also truly could empathise with Bailey, Jonas and all the parents

I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley in n exchange for an honest review

I have read a few Paige Toon books now and have enjoyed them all but this one is definitely my new favourite. I read this book in two sittings as I just couldn't put it down. I went to work and couldn't wait to get back to finish it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Its a lovely, slow burn, heart-wrenching yet beautiful love story. I felt so sorry for Anders but the happy ending made me feel much better. P.S We need a book on Jonas please!

I honestly can't wait for Paige's next book next year!

🌽 “ I didn’t know it was possible to love so fully and hurt so deeply at exactly the same time.”
- Paige Toon

🌽 The story follows Wren who moves to Indiana to spend summers with her dad and step family after her fiancé falls in love with someone else. There she meets Anders who has lost his wife four years ago and is still struggling to move on. Will they both be able to let go off their past and move on? And what secret is Anders hiding that will turn Wren’s life upside down?

🌽 Pick this up if you like/don’t mind:
📌 books set on a rural farmland
📌 slow burn
📌 single POV
📌 heart breaking and an emotional read
📌 finding love after heartbreak
📌 insta love/ forbidden romance
📌 closed door romance
📌 siblings relationships and family dynamics
📌 talk about some serious issues like depression, suicide & divorce
📌 likeable characters
📌 a male protagonist who is hiding an earth shattering secret

🌽 Wow this was such a heart-rending and an emotional read. I loved the fact that instead of just focusing on the development of relationship between Wren and Anders, the story also dealt with budding friendship between Wren and her step sister, Wren’s bonding with her estranged family and bond between brothers. Talking about Anders, there was a time I hated his character for making Wren suffer so much but when I reconsidered the situation by putting myself in Anders’s shoes, all his actions seemed justified. And that ending… I want more details please. ( I was dying to see Anders’s reaction 😔)

🌽 Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook.

When Wren witnesses the moment her fiancé realises he’s in love with someone else, she decided she needs to get away. The other side of the world should be far enough…

Anders is still struggling with life, four years after the loss of his wife. When these two cross paths, a strong friendship is formed, which could so easily turn to more. However, acting on their feelings could have far reaching repercussions that Wren has no idea about…

A long-time fan of Paige Toon, I loved this story, and think Wren and Anders are one of my favourite of Toon’s couples (though I’m pretty sure I say that every time…!). Wren is dealing with the breakdown of her relationship, wondering how to move forward. Seeing her father again after several years also brings up long buried feelings of abandonment and resentment that are dragged kicking and screaming to the surface, demanding that she deal with them. Wren also has to decide on how she wants her relationship with her half sister to be-can they be as close as best friends, or will their shared history be too much for them? All these factors create a nuanced character with depth and heart, which makes Paige Toon’s stories sing.

Anders is a wonderful leading man, rugged but kind, generous but guarded; I wanted to give him a huge hug at times! The care he shows for his family and Wren is obvious and only endears him to us more. The mystery and drama of what Anders could be hiding adds an extra layer of intrigue to this book which meant I couldn’t put it down.

I found Only Love Can Hurt like This to be effortlessly romantic and it swept me away. Full of heartbreak but also bursting with love, I cried as much as I cheered. An emotional rollercoaster for sure! This is a romance you don’t want to miss.

Powerful, heartbreaking, tender and full of love. Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a book you will never forget reading. Easily Paige Toon's best book so far.

Paige Toon gives such a sense of belonging in the places and with the people in her stories - I always find myself emotionally invested in what is happening from the get go. Only Love Can Hurt Like This is no exception. I felt like I belonged in this story, with these people.

Wren is such a fabulous lead. I knew I was going to like her from the moment she walked through the field throwing out bolshy comments to Anders. I loved her developing relationships (and the changes) with her dad, Sheryl and Bailey.

Anders is vulnerable and holding himself closed. There’s no denying he frustrated me. Until I had to stop reading to be able to think and put myself in his shoes … when everything slotted into place and made sense.

The attraction between these two is palpable. Some scenes gave me goosebumps!

All types of relationships are explored, not only that between Wren and Anders. Complex relationships with fathers and sons (Jonas and Patrick), in-laws, fathers/step mums and daughters and half-sisters. I was taken to the lowest low and the highest high! Lifted up and then came crashing down … what a rollercoaster of emotions!

There are a couple of scenes that pulled me apart and left me broken but equally, scenes of hope and building strong bonds. I’ve got to admit I spent quite a bit of time crying (not just feeling distraught but tears of happiness too). One thing for sure, because of the emotional punches, this story will be a hard one to forget!

This is Paige Toon at her best.

Absolutely loved this book!

The writing style was really good and I look forward to reading any other books from this author in the future :)

I started this book with no idea what I was getting myself in for. I have obviously seen lots of Paige Toon books around, but have never read any of her work so when this one found its way onto my TBR, I was looking forward to checking her out.

The story started off relatively light hearted and I was loving following Wren on her self discovery and American adventure. When there was some eye candy thrown in in the form of Anders and Jonas it just got even better. Then I was absolutely sucker punched by the twist in this story which I did not see coming, I did not like (I mean I loved it but I hated it) and it broke my heart.

This was a fantastic blend of romance, family, friendships, love and heart break. I quite literally laughed out loud but I also had sad tears rolling down my cheeks. I loved this book, its characters and the writing style. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I love Paige Toon and found her new book completely unputdownable. The characters are brilliant, the settings so lovingly described, and the storytelling is flawless. It packs a huge emotional punch, I've not been left quite so snotty since after reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Highly recommended.

Firstly, I'd like to thank the publisher, Cornerstone, for an ARC for an honest review. This was in my top 3 anticipated reads of the year so I'm so grateful!

This is only my third Paige Toon book (shock horror) and I'm fast becoming a huge fan of her writing. This book had the amazing setting that Toon is able to create and I fell in love with the two farms. When Wren breaks up with her fiancé after he admits to falling in love with someone else, she jets off for Indiana to be with her Dad and step-family for a change of scenery. Before anything else that happened in this book - the dynamics between the family and the hidden hurt feelings, the not feeling like part of the family etc grabbed me by the throat. This is what you want to happen with an estranged father and this alone had me crying throughout.

Then there is Anders and his family! Paige Toon doesn't create side characters - they are all beautifully whole people in their own rights. I loved them all. Wren and Anders relationship was the best thing I've read this year. Just everything about this book - I loved. Of course, it's a Paige Toon book, so the twist was epic! The moral dilemma's again! If you haven't read a Paige Toon book yet then take this review as a sign to pick any of her books up!

Paige toon can do no wrong in my eyes and this was no exception ! I absolutely loved every minute a couple of twisty story lines heartfelt moments and all the emotions ! I loved wren and she was one of the most likeable characters ! I love Paige’s females they are always strong and so well written !!! Loved it ! Fab read !

I’ve been a fan of Paige Toon’s novels since her debut ‘Lucy in the Sky’ hits the shelves in 2007 and it joined me on my first ever long haul flight. I inhaled it in one go and a love affair with Toon’s books began. Each yearly release was a highlight of my reading year.

And then for some reason, in 2020 (huh, not so mysterious now I’ve looked up the dates…), I couldn’t get into her latest book, ‘The Minute I Saw You’. This had never happened with Paige Toon’s novels before and I was a bit spooked so I put it down.

It’s now 2023 and I’ve not picked up her books since because I got worried I had lost a favourite author.

After a year gap while Paige moved publisher, her 19th novel hit the shelves on April 25th and I began to get fomo again.

So I decided to catch up.

I had three books to read: ‘The Minute I Saw You’, ‘Someone I Used to Know’ and ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’.

I got on with reading. As always, I was on the look out for cameos from her earlier novels - I adore it when authors do this! Sarah Dessen also has her previous characters make surprise appearances as she sets her books across two towns. Paige Toon makes the whole world her playground and yet familiar faces still show up every now and then which I love.

‘The Minute I Saw You’

Attraction is easy... Falling in love can be hard

When Hannah meets Sonny, she's irresistibly drawn to him: he's sexy and confident, but only in town on holiday. That's fine with Hannah - she doesn't do long-term relationships. And luckily for her, neither does Sonny. But before they can even so much as kiss, Sonny receives some shocking news and commits to making serious life changes - ones that can't and won't include romance.

With even a short fling now off the cards, Hannah and Sonny settle for being friends. But as summer hots up and their chemistry shows no signs of cooling, they start to question their reasons for shutting each other out.

Are they both too broken to find love? And if they tear down the walls between them, will they still like what's on the other side?

Erm, what was 2020 me’s problem? (Apart from the obvious…) Getting stuck into this book was absolutely effortless. Toon’s writing feels like an old friend’ familiar, comforting and bursting with warmth, just like the characters are.

While Sonny and Hannah are holding closely guarded secrets that were slowly revealed throughout the novel, I never felt distanced from them in the slightest. It was like I was there with them and getting to know them in the same way. Their friends Matilda and Archie were equally as well fleshed out and I felt like I was a apart of the group - all I want when I’m reading a novel like this is to be completely absorbed and feel like I know the characters inside and out. Paige Toon never fails to nail that.

Character cameo: Alice from ‘One Perfect Summer’ and her and Joseph Strike’s children.

‘Someone I Used to Know’
So much can change in half a lifetime…

Then
At fifteen, George is the foster brother Leah never asked for. As the angry, troubled boy struggles to come to terms with his circumstances, Leah finds herself getting drawn closer to him.

Theo’s wealthy family have mysteriously pulled him out of boarding school and he’s now enrolled at the local state school with Leah and George. When their worlds collide that summer, the three teenagers form a bond they believe will be unbreakable. But life doesn’t always go to plan...

Now
Shocking news brings Leah back to Yorkshire, baby daughter in tow. But Emilie’s father Theo isn’t with them, and George has unexpectedly returned. After half a lifetime, have they healed the scars of their pasts? Will coming back home set their hearts in a different direction?

I’m a big fan of second chance romance, especially when we get to see the love story in dual timelines, and ‘Someone I Used to Know’ nailed it. There’s something really special about seeing how the ‘Then’ has shaped how the characters act in the ‘Now’, the links and connections and small moments that make the relationships sing - and this is where Toon shines for me; in the relationships.

Of course, that includes the romance, but it doesn’t stop there. This book marvels in love of all forms: parental, siblings, friendship, and the endless amount of love good foster parents have for the kids in their care. I always tear up in Toon’s novels, but I very nearly sobbed in this one, especially with the big emotional reveal towards the end. She always takes me by surprise.

‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’

Neither of them expected to fall in love. But sometimes life has other plans.

When Wren realises 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 harbouring 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?

As soon as reviews started rolling in for Paige Toon’s latest novel I started bracing myself: everyone was being emotionally destroyed by this one! It definitely was a rollercoaster.

The secret promised on the front cover delivered and while I was expecting something along those lines with the lead up to it, it still made me catch my breath. The emotional power in those scenes was incredible. Paige Toon has a gift for writing emotional punches, though I do think they are becoming more deliberate punches in her later novels, rather than more naturally revealed plot twists.

As always with a Toon novel, I got to travel to a new place with ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’ - rural farm-life in Indiana. The hard, honest work of running farms and being part of a small community and the romance of a summer in the countryside got to me. I’d never really thought much about Indiana, or Indianapolis where they also spend a reasonable amount of time, other than as the state that John Green lives in, I now feel drawn to spending the summer in the Midwestern country.

Character cameo: A mention of Luis from ‘Chasing Daisy’ (possibly Paige’s biggest tearjerker and a favourite of mine).

Are you a Paige Toon fan? Do you have a favourite of her novels? Mine will always be ‘Johnny Be Good’!

Written by Sophie

Paige toon can do no wrong in my eyes and this was no exception ! I absolutely loved every minute a couple of twisty story lines heartfelt moments and all the emotions ! I loved wren and she was one of the most likeable characters ! I love Paige’s females they are always strong and so well written !!! Loved it ! Fab read !

Only love can hurt like this

EMOTIONAL DAMAGE !

This book was an emotional and heartwarming story that had me laughing out loud in places and balling my eyes out by the end. This was my first book by Paige Toon, and I will DEFINITELY be looking at her backlist. I was completely immersed in the story and could not put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, and Paige Toon for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another brilliant read from Paige. Wren discovers her fiancé is in love with someone else and thinks she will never recover from the heartache. Across the other side of the world Anders is trying to move on four years after his wife died four years ago. Wren travels to Indianna in the US from the UK to visit her dad and step-family. Wren and Anders cross paths but will a secret Anders is hiding stand in their way of moving forward together.

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for my e-ARC copy!
⁣
Wren often seems to end up second best in life. Her Dad left at a young age to start a family with someone else. Her fiancé falls in love with someone else and leaves her. Even the new guy she's found, Anders, is tied up grieving the lose of his wife after 4 years. ⁣
⁣
Deciding to get some distance Wren goes to visit her Dad and his new family in America. At first she feels a little unwelcome and in the way. But after a little while things start to thaw and it turns out maybe she's not the only one feeling pushed aside
⁣
This book was initially quite sad. I really felt for Wren when things seemed to be falling apart. But it very quickly became happy and heartwarming! ⁣
⁣
I loved the relationship she built with her step sister and the dynamic change that came about with her Dad. It was great to see fractured relationships repairing themselves. ⁣
I thought this book was going to be a little predictable. It was all lined up to be a classic girl gets the guy story line. But towards the end where you start getting the fuzzy feelings there was a jaw dropping twist! That totally changes the dynamic of the story! ⁣
⁣
As well as a great story line the description of the American landscape was fantastic! I'd love to visit the farm. Especially in autumn with the film festival going on and homegrown popcorn.
⁣
Overall a brilliant comfy read with a dash of mystery in a wonderful setting.