I instantly endeared to Wren and loved how she dealt with her heartbreak at the beginning of the story. Visiting her dad and stepmother in Indiana initiates a new emotional journey for her, both romantically and familial, rediscovering her step-sister Bailey (whose character I adored!) and her father who she believed never loved her enough.

When Wren realises her fiance is in love with someone else, she thinks her heart will never recover. I met Paige Toon in Bristol Waterstones before Covid times along with a couple of other authors there. Totally fun, and great time. I mean sure they should have probably taken her off life support but Jesus Christ these people are insane. And the fact that everyone knew about the wife and just didn’t say anything??? But Wren doesn't know that Anders is harbouring a secret, and if he acts on any feelings he has for Wren it will have serious fall-out for everyone. Beyond just the romance part of the story, the friendships also felt natural and organic which makes for a more enjoyable read. The setting of this book was perfect for the story and made me want to move to a farm in Indiana. Another theme I thought the author did a great job exploring was how children can be deeply affected by divorce even into adulthood.

Success!

Wren meets Anders, who lost his wife four years ago and still struggles to move on. Anders and Wren have an electric connection, but Anders has a secret--keeping him from igniting his feelings towards Wren. They keep crossing paths, Wren is moving toward Anders, certain he feels the same way, but never acting on his connection. I’ve never read a book by Paige Toon before and I will not be reading another. That means I have no comparison to her other works but the writing in this book was horrendous.

Jonas literally says “lights on no one’s home” about Anders wife and were just supposed to be like oh nice just cause Anders is in love we can just say mean shit about a person who was in a terrible accident? This book is a delicious, slow burn love story that hit me in parts of my heart I didn’t even know I had’ Annabel MonaghanThe 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. The way Wren rebuilt these bonds with her dad, step-mother and half-sister felt really authentic. Only Love Can Hurt Like This Book Review: Summary This is going to be totally massive, because it has everything: family, love, secrets, sexy descriptions of brooding, hot men... just sublime' Laura Jane Williams Romance novels are all about the journey for me and I enjoyed the journey in this book. There are several journey's in this book - not all of them the romantic kind. Anders meanwhile lost his wife four years ago and is finding it impossible to move on. However, when he crosses paths with Wren, there is an instant connection. But when Wren discovers a secret Anders has been hiding, her world is turned upside down. Only Love Can Hurt Like This Book Review: My Opinion

Since this is the first book I’ve read by this author, I have nothing to compare it to, but I do know that this will not be the only book I’ve read by this author. This is definitely a story you will want to read again and again. Deeply emotional and so damn good. What a romance!This is going to be totally massive, because it has everything: family, love, secrets, sexy descriptions of brooding, hot men. . . just sublime' Laura Jane Williams TLDR: plot twist major red flag, moral dilemma. Should not be advertised as a romance book this book is just sad. After seeing each other in a bar, Wren and Anders have their first conversation in a cornfield. It is the first conversation, but it will not be the last. There will be many in fact but with all the talking, there is a very important bit of information that is left out.... A moving, remarkably romantic and emotional novel written by one of the only writers who can make me cry! Paige Toon continues to weave the most beautiful, deep stories, and Only Love Can Hurt Like This is her at her absolute best' Lia Louis Wren’s fiance has fallen in love with someone else and breaks up with her mere months before the wedding. Their English village, once quaint and comfortable, is now much too small for the both of them. On her mother’s suggestion, Wren decides to fly out and spend the summer with her father, stepmother, and newly married half sister on their Indiana farm. Things are slightly tense, as Wren has never been completely at ease with her father since he left her and her mother for this new family when she was young, but maybe time together will begin to strengthen a weak connection. She also keeps running into Anders, the younger son of the farm next door, who’s visiting from Indianapolis and still reeling from losing his wife four years earlier. The two are drawn to each other despite both of their hesitations, but a secret Anders is keeping threatens their newfound affection. Toon has constructed a very cozy, lived-in world of Indiana farms that's comforting both for Wren and the reader. The tangled web of relations in Wren’s family and her journey to begin to heal some of the wounds of her childhood are the strongest parts of the novel, messy but real. Wren and Anders’ relationship is a bit rushed; it feels more superficial when juxtaposed against Wren’s complicated, realistic family relationships. Some plot threads go nowhere, and others appear out of thin air. Anders’ big secret doesn’t come into the story until two-thirds of the way through, complicating things but without much time for characters to explore or truly reflect on it.

This book was both thought provoking and evoked emotion. This made me think about the expectations that others place on us and the expectations that we place on others and how unfair that can be. Toon urges us to risk everything, to never play it safe when it comes to the heart, and to know that caring is always, always, worth the cost' Caroline Leavitt One thing this has taught me. I need to read more of this authors books I always thought they might be a bit twee (sorry) . Synopsis: Needing a fresh start and a place to heal her broken heart, Wren decides to visit her dad and stepmom on their farm in Indiana. There, she crosses paths with Anders, the son of the family who lives next door and the two begin a special friendship. As feelings start to emerge, Wren is hesitant to move forward as she’s been left behind one too many times while Anders is harboring a secret and afraid to get too close to dealing with his past.

Need Help?

Even while her novel was breaking my heart into tiny pieces, I couldn’t put it down. Emotional and riveting, this is a story of big secrets, and even bigger love.”—Jill Santopolo, author of The Light We Lost When Wren travels to from the UK to the U.S. to spend the summer with her dad and step-family on their farm in Indiana-their paths will cross, and maybe, just maybe, their hearts will begin to heal. ❤️‍🩹 This is going to be totally massive, because it has everything: family, love, secrets, sexy descriptions of brooding, hot men… just sublime’ Laura Jane Williams Paige Toon's writing is emotional and riveting. Even while her novel was breaking my heart into tiny pieces, I could not put it down' Jill Santopolo