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A review by readingwithtrey
Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Wow, this was heartbreaking and left me with so many mixed feelings. It's such a hard one to rate. But I've settled with 4 stars for one main reason: This book left me with so many questions around some of my core beliefs, and I LOVE books like that.
I really enjoy emotional reads, and I could tell from the first page (beyond the title) that this would be a tearjerker. What I didn't know was that it would bring up some philosophical questions and uncomfortable feelings. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the circumstances surrounding Anders' wife really gave me the ick. It's so hard to explain why without giving too much information, but the plot line really makes you think deeply about how far "til death do us part" goes. I think that one's feelings about that phrase could definitely impact how they feel about this book.
This wasn't a 5 star read for me because I just couldn't get behind Wren's actions after finding out the secret that Anders was keeping. I don't think it was her place to try to influence his decisions at all. She really laid the guilt on thick. And I think if the book ending differently (without the HEA) it would have been 5 stars. I actually had mentally prepared myself for that to happen because it seemed as though it was headed in that direction, and I think the story would have been that much more powerful. The ending also felt pretty rushed.
Overall, I would definitely recommend it. This one would be GREAT for book clubs because there are so many good talking points.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this arc! All opinions are my own.
I really enjoy emotional reads, and I could tell from the first page (beyond the title) that this would be a tearjerker. What I didn't know was that it would bring up some philosophical questions and uncomfortable feelings. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the circumstances surrounding Anders' wife really gave me the ick. It's so hard to explain why without giving too much information, but the plot line really makes you think deeply about how far "til death do us part" goes. I think that one's feelings about that phrase could definitely impact how they feel about this book.
This wasn't a 5 star read for me because I just couldn't get behind Wren's actions after finding out the secret that Anders was keeping. I don't think it was her place to try to influence his decisions at all. She really laid the guilt on thick. And I think if the book ending differently (without the HEA) it would have been 5 stars. I actually had mentally prepared myself for that to happen because it seemed as though it was headed in that direction, and I think the story would have been that much more powerful. The ending also felt pretty rushed.
Overall, I would definitely recommend it. This one would be GREAT for book clubs because there are so many good talking points.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this arc! All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity