Only Love Can Hurt Like This

                    

Title: Only Love Can Hurt Like This

Author: Paige Toon

Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons: April 25, 2023

Pages: 400

Genre: Women's Fiction

When Wren realizes 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 harboring 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?

I saw this on bookstagram and I decided to read it because I love the song by the same name by Paloma Faith. Not the worst reason I've ever decided to read a book.

I have quite a few feelings about this book. I'm very glad that it's not really marketed like a romance novel, though it could be. But there was a LOT of heavy themes throughout this book. It's kind of shocking that I read it so quickly because it really is quite sad. But Anders and Wren are very compelling. And Bailey and Jonas are adorable siblings to them. 

Some of the choices that these characters make no sense to me. Even after learning everything, the fact that these 2 people who are so clearly in love think that they can just be friends is incredible. It never works, right? We can all agree that this course of action never actually works.

My biggest feelings are about the ending. It was good. Arguably, the only possible "happy" ending. But it felt very......"let me tie everything into a pretty bow that I hadn't given any indication was coming whatsoever for the past 395 pages." In saying that, it's still a 4 star read and if the heavy themes don't hit your trigger warning list I absolutely recommend. But the ending is definitely what cost a star for me.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 2/5