Reviews with content warning for Grief - Only Love Can Hurt Like This

This book was absolutely gut wrenching and made me ball my eyes out a couple times but I loved it nonetheless. One thing I will say is that both the mc’s are better than me bc I’m one petty mf and I’m the type to hold grudges until the day I die, so for them to be so forgiving and even APOLOGIZE to the people that wronged them made me want to jump into the book and slap some sense into them and the person hurting them.

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courtneydindin's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I enjoyed the entirety of this book, but felt that the realest parts of it were contained within the last 100 or so pages. The first 2/3 of it are similar to any other love story, which isn’t a bad thing to course, but each story has to have that individuality to it in order to set it apart from any other book; this one had that and much more. The twist was unlike any other I’d ever read, and I found myself several times trying to guess what it would be but failing, as it is quite literally the last place you would expect the book to go. This only made the book shine more however, and I loved how this story didn’t make love seem all sunshine and rainbows, as that’s unrealistic to what love really is. Two people being able to get through some of the most sorrowful things life can throw at you and still come together in the end is real love in my opinion. Wren and Anders are a couple to remember. This book was great.

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samw0327's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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aspiereads33's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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ecravens's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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raereadssmut's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I enjoyed this book, I really did!

However, I found Wren to be a very flat character. I wish she had more to her, more…. Personality? A lot of how Wren feels about things are a matter of misperception. I don’t want spoiler anything specifically though, so I’ll keep it at that.
While I did like Anders’ character, I wish he had more of a backbone.

This book was a slooowwwwwwwwwwww burn. Like literally, not even a kiss happened between the two MC’s until 75ish pages before the end of the book. Literally. Like when I say SLOW BURN….. I mean SLOWWWW.

Also- the epilogue could’ve been cut in half. It did NOT need to be dragged out on so many pages.

All in all, I did enjoy it tho. It was cute and kind of heartbreaking, but I didn’t cry about anything that was happening. So it wasn’t like soul-shattering. But it was good!

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catsandbookstacks's review against another edition

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3.0

Paige Toon offers an emotional contemporary novel that searches for happiness while dealing with loss and change.

I liked how Wren came to terms with the narrative she's told herself over the years since her parents' divorce and setting down new roots that will help her to grow as a person and in her career. Her character arc felt quite natural to me. Anders and Jonah are quiet stern types but also adore their family's farm. Both are managing their own issues, though Anders' is quite over the top. There are a lot of characters who get page time, which isn't necessarily a bad thing because I really did enjoy Wren's family, but I wish there'd been more focus on Wren and Anders.

I did find the novel to be overwritten at times and just wanted the plot to move along. There was a sort of repetitive nature in Wren's first person POV that could've been tightened up.

I'd recommend Only Love Can Hurt Like This to those who enjoy an emotionally driven contemporary love story about fighting for those you love (that does have an HEA) but also has a wide focus on family.

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