My first Paige Toon didn't disappoint.

This is a clever story with a fantastic cast of characters. I think where this story really shone was with the development of the secondary characters. It wasn't just a boy meets girl love story as I had been anticipating, it was more an all star cast including the pretty, sparky sister, the brooding, secretive older brother (who turned out to be my favourite character) & a whole host of others driving the action on.

I won't say more about what happens as I had a full gasp out loud moment, which I would hate to steal from anyone else. I was expecting to feel a little more emotional than I did. I did well up a couple of times, but not the snotty tears I had anticipated. Overall, this left me wanting to visit, go to movie night & maybe see if Jonas had a hidden, long lost twin 🤭

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is the latest novel from Paige Toon and my goodness is it wonderful. I haven’t felt so thoroughly absorbed within in a novel, as I did with this one, for so long. I absolutely devoured it and definitely stayed up much after bedtime to finish it!

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is the story of Wren who, upon realising her fiancé is in love with someone else, finds that she just needs to get away and heal her broken heart. She flies to Indiana to spend the summer with her Dad and her step family on their farm. What she didn’t account for was the handsome Frederickson brothers whose family own the farm next door. As Wren and Anders paths keep crossing, will they be able to help each other heal from their respective heartbreaks? Or will the secret that Anders is harbouring be too much for them to surmount?

I’m not sure where to start in reviewing this book, it was just so very good. I adored the setting so much. The way Toon described rural Indiana was spectacular, in reading you feel instantly transported to the farms along with Wren. It’s the kind of story where the setting is as alive as its characters.

Speaking of characters, they were so perfectly imperfect and so very real, I loved them all, well with the exception of Heather (IYKYK). Each character was written with such depth and heart, you come to feel so much for them and everything they’re going through. I loved both Wren and Anders as our MCs, but also adored Bailey and Jonas, our MCs respective siblings. I think one of the things that made this novel so special was the individual character arcs that our main cast go through. Each of the characters are beautifully messy and flawed and damn well trying to do their best, even if sometimes it’s misguided.

The romance in this novel is a beautiful slow burn. It’s both heartbreaking and deeply hopefully. You can feel the connection between Wren and Anders hum on the page. This is, however, more than just a romance. It’s also a story about families and how we fit together and the lengths we go to to help one another. Additionally this is a beautiful story of friendship and finding your place and your people.

It’s a spectacular novel that i can’t recommend highly enough.

You can never go wrong with a well written book by Paige Toon. I have never come across one yet, and this one certainly didn't disappoint me. Well worth all of 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Paige toon does it again! I was completely absorbed in the love story and adored the characters! Can’t wait for her next!

The characters and their development are what made this book for me. Both interesting and realistic.
A beautiful, emotional story which was not quite what I expected, certainly not a traditional love story, but was told in a compassionate way and kept me interested throughout.
Another excellent book from this author. 4.5 stars

well that HURT

this was my first paige toon novel and it’s safe to say it will not be my last. the plot and characters were so well written, i felt so immersed in the story. i flew through this book - i just could not put it down.

thank you so much to penguin cornerstone for this arc via netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

out 27th april !!

* posted to goodreads, storygraph, instagram, twitter

This story is all about our main character Wren. After splitting up with her fiancé she decides to take a break at her father’s house in Indiana. There she meets her father’s neighbours including race mechanic Anders and his family. Both Wren and Anders have suffered heartbreak and are bruised and battered from it but as they spend more time together they can’t help but develop feelings.

When you see Paige Toon crying in a video over the characters in her own story you just know you’re in for an emotional rollercoaster and tears of your own. This did not disappoint. I ugly cried at the end of this book and I challenge you not to! I’ve been a fan of Paige Toon since I first read Chasing Daisy. I actually think Kirsty’s mum and I swapped that book back in the day! I love her characters and story telling and this book has reached her usual high bar. I devoured this in a couple of sitting as I was swept up in the potential for a love story between the characters and on tenterhooks waiting to see what would happen. I think this could be my favourite book of the year.

I love Paige Toon's books and this one did not disappoint.

The characters are well written and believable.

A heartwarming love story, unputdownable

Loved it

I was totally drawn in by the pretty cover of this one. This isn't my usual genre but as I'd heard the author compared to CoHo, who I love, I thought I'd give it a try. The inevitable yet and slow burn of the main characters romance lost my attention fast. However if slow burn romance is your thing then this will be an absolute Winner. I love the setting in Indiana and although this one wasn't for me I think it will be a triumph.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#OnlyLoveCanHurtLikeThis by #PaigeToon

⏩synopsis

My only regret about this book was the fact I wasn’t reading it by the pool….

So yes we have elements of cheese, predictability and stereotypical charters/ situations but that EXACTLY what I wanted from this read. Toon creates a masterful plot here; the story may have been predictable in its overall direction but the journey to get there is anything but and a few surprises are offered along the way.

I could really identify and relate to main character Wren - she was a great emotive narrator and was supported by a great side cast of characters. Not only was romance on the cards, but there was also some family dynamics tackled - split families, entrained sisters etc which all added the overall fullness of the book. The locations were on point - I felt like I was there on the farm in Indiana enjoying small town farming life and Andres and Jonas of course 😉…

Get this on your summer pool reading lists!

With thanks to the author, #penguinbooks and #netgalley for allowing us to read this one early!

RELEASING: April 27th

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

This was my first Paige Toon book, it was an enjoyable read with lots of dynamics going on between the characters.

The characters were well written and I enjoyed the storyline and how it was written.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

A beautifully told and emotional read, really raw and full of emotion, this book will stay with me for a long time. Would highly recommmend,

I always loved book about second chances in life. And as it is sad to say they make me feel sad but also made me feel full of hope and love the life even more. Simple.
Yes we are hurt so many times but we can also grow and meet other people, had other experiences and love life in many ways. Maybe also love in many ways. The important thing is we care and take care of us and others.
All this this book brought to me. It made me fall in love again too. After a broken engagement Wren goes to change the air to her father and his new family she never felt welcomed. But this time is different. She get connections that make her feel and expwrience new things.
Thank you Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin and Netgalley for this wonderful arc. And thank you also my buddy reading friends.

This is an emotional read which will certainly tug at your heartstrings as you read. We meet Wren who, following a relationship break up, goes to stay with her dad in Indiana. Here she meets neighbour, Anders and whilst neither of them is ready for a relationship, they begin to have feelings for each other.

I must admit to having mixed feelings for this book. I loved the characters and found them likeable and easy to relate to. I did however find the storyline a little slow in parts, particularly when Wren first went to stay in Indiana. However, the relationship which developed between Wren and Anders was wonderful, and more than made up for this. They were both damaged souls who weren’t ready to commit to any kind of relationship, yet they were just so perfect for each other than you hoped they could put their troubles behind them. I also really liked Anders brother, Jonas and really liked his storyline!

There are lots of secrets held by the characters, and as the book moves on these unfold. Apart from some slower parts at the beginning, the storyline captured my attention more and more as the story continued. It was an emotional read and did bring tears to my eyes at times. This was a heart-warming story and focussed on the love between all the different characters, and the different types of love they felt. Would recommend.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This was another emotional read by Paige Toon.

What I really enjoyed about this book was it wasn’t purely about romance. The story explored relationships between families and having to make impossible decisions.

The characters were nuanced and believable and I really liked getting to know Wren and Anders. I rooted for them and hoped they could find a way to happiness. The supporting cast of characters was equally as likeable.

I really enjoyed the location. It felt quite idyllic, as long as you don’t mind a few tornados! I could understand why Wren found herself wanting to stay.

This story was definitely a romance with depth. It was thought provoking and utterly heart-breaking in places. It was also quite unpredictable in places and I didn’t expect some of the twists and turns within the story.

I appreciated how the story doesn’t villainise ex-partners. When Wren’s ex-fiance falls in love with someone else, Wren is obviously devastated but can acknowledge he was happier elsewhere and takes comfort that at least he was honest with her.

The exploration of Wren’s family and her upbringing was really sensitively handled. Her sadness over never feeling like she fit in, as well as her feelings of rejection really impacted the story. Wren rebuilding these bonds with her dad, step-mother and half-sister felt really poignant.

I really enjoyed Only Love Can Hurt Like This. It was a poignant and emotional read with characters you can really root for.

You can read my full review at https://mmbbookblog.com/only-love-can-hurt-like-this-book-review-paige-toon/

Wren finds herself without a fiancée so decides to jet off to visit her Dad and Sheryl in America. Out there she finds herself wanting to give a piece of heart. Do they have the same feelings or will she be once again left heartbroken?

Once again all of the Paige Toon magic that we readers love and beautiful descriptions throughout.

Absolutely adore anything that Paige Toon writes, and Only Love Can Hurt Like This. Was really refreshing to read a book that was set in Indiana and the locations are perfectly described taking you right to them. I loved all of the characters, especially Wren and Jonas, and Paige did a great time of building and growing the characters relationship - regardless whether it was platonic or romantic.

A beautiful read, so emotional. Loved the exploration of family relationships and oh my God the romance element was just so raw and heartbreaking.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

“Only Love Can Hurt Like This” tells the story of Wren who comes from a broken home - her Mum and she live in the UK, her Dad lives in the U.S. with the woman and daughter he left Wren and her mother for. Both Wren and her half sister are all grown up but there is still a lot of hurt and misunderstandings but ultimately love on both sides. When Wren needs to get over a big break up and decides to spend time with her Dad in America, there is a lot of healing to be done. But while bonding with her half-sister, Wren also meets Anders and his brother Jonas who live on the farm next door and she’s about to find out what hurt and love really mean!

Suffice to say that there is a lot more to the plot than I’ve described involving careers, break ups, friendships and families but I don’t want to give too much away. I did enjoy this book and found it really easy to read. I did get a bit frustrated at times with some of the writing as it felt like the author was unnecessarily explaining things that most readers would either remember from earlier parts of the book (sometimes only a few pages earlier) or would be able to work out on their own. But overall, I would recommend it, particularly as a holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wren’s engagement to Scott is broken off when he realises he has feelings for his co-worker, Nadine.

Wren decides to get away from it all and goes to stay with her dad and his wife in Indianapolis. Her broken heart needs to mend and seeing Scott regularly wasn’t helping.

Wren struggles when she stays with her Dad and his wife, she still feels like an outsider. Her parents split up when she was a child but she still feels unsettled around her Dad and especially her half sister, Bailey.

When Wren and Bailey have a night out, they bump into their neighbours, Jonas and Anders. There is an instant rapport between Anders and Wren but they are both still nursing broken hearts. Can things change, will they ever be together?

I found this to be such an emotional story, there were a couple of times I had to put the book down and have a good sob! It’s a beautifully written love story and was not what I was expecting at all.

I enjoyed the many characters we get to meet in the tale, such wonderful characters that felt very much like people you know.

This is the first book I have read by this author but it won’t be my last. A lovely tale of love, grief and honesty.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a copy in exchange for my honest review.