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alis_adventures_in_literature 's review for:
Only Love Can Hurt Like This
by Paige Toon
⚠️cw: suicidal ideation, depression, grief ⚠️
When Wren's fiancé unexpectedly ends things, she needs to get away from her hometown, and all of the reminders of him. She travels to Indiana, where her father and step-family live. There she meets Anders, whose family owns the neighbouring farm. As their friendship grows, Wren has to face the reality that she's falling in love with him. But Anders has a secret.
I felt completely invested in this story from the first page, and wow! What an emotional rollercoaster. My heart broke for Wren in the first couple of chapters, because that fear of bumping into your ex with their new love is so relatable. I loved the journey Wren went on with her father and step-family, and I really enjoyed her friendship with Bailey. It was lovely to see Wren start to flourish in Indiana, and how, because she finally spent longer with the family, she began to lose her resentment and empathised with them.
But this is a book layered with several expertly woven storylines, and the ones involving the Fredrickson family were particularly emotional, especially Anders'. There's SO much I want to say about his and Wren's relationship, but I absolutely won't spoil anything. Instead, I'll just say this. It's rare that I don't see a plot twist coming (usually from miles away) but the one here REALLY shocked me and broke my heart in equal measure. I'll just say I really loved their relationship, and Anders was such a GOOD man. I also found the storyline highlighting depression incredibly moving and realistically written. There are so many beautifully observed moments about friendship, family, and duty, and I couldn't put this book down. I was emotionally wrecked by the end but in the best possible way. Clearly, I've been sleeping on Paige Toon's novels. She has a new fan in me.
Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating:
When Wren's fiancé unexpectedly ends things, she needs to get away from her hometown, and all of the reminders of him. She travels to Indiana, where her father and step-family live. There she meets Anders, whose family owns the neighbouring farm. As their friendship grows, Wren has to face the reality that she's falling in love with him. But Anders has a secret.
I felt completely invested in this story from the first page, and wow! What an emotional rollercoaster. My heart broke for Wren in the first couple of chapters, because that fear of bumping into your ex with their new love is so relatable. I loved the journey Wren went on with her father and step-family, and I really enjoyed her friendship with Bailey. It was lovely to see Wren start to flourish in Indiana, and how, because she finally spent longer with the family, she began to lose her resentment and empathised with them.
But this is a book layered with several expertly woven storylines, and the ones involving the Fredrickson family were particularly emotional, especially Anders'. There's SO much I want to say about his and Wren's relationship, but I absolutely won't spoil anything. Instead, I'll just say this. It's rare that I don't see a plot twist coming (usually from miles away) but the one here REALLY shocked me and broke my heart in equal measure. I'll just say I really loved their relationship, and Anders was such a GOOD man. I also found the storyline highlighting depression incredibly moving and realistically written. There are so many beautifully observed moments about friendship, family, and duty, and I couldn't put this book down. I was emotionally wrecked by the end but in the best possible way. Clearly, I've been sleeping on Paige Toon's novels. She has a new fan in me.
Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: