3 stars – Not terrible, just not for me

How to Break My Heart had a really fun premise featuring a cozy small town cafe owner, a billionaire brother back in town, and a wedding to plan? I was all in. Plus, it had some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, best friend’s brother, forced proximity, and a good bit of spice. But sadly, this one didn’t totally hit the mark for me.

The biggest issue? The writing style. It felt kind of all over the place and didn’t flow very well, which made it hard to stay in the story. Things felt rushed, and I was confused at times. It honestly read more like a debut book, even though it’s not.

The main guy, Aston, was hard to connect with. I usually love a possessive MMC, but this guy took it too far. He came off more controlling than swoony, and considering he and Eva hadn’t seen each other in eight years (after just one high school kiss!), his behavior didn’t make much sense. Eva was okay, but some of her scenes were kind of cringe, like that birth control convo? Nope.

And Maddy… oof. She wasn’t very likable and felt super spoiled. Most of the side characters didn’t have much depth either, which was a bummer.

I will say, the small town setting and the cafe vibes were cute, and there were a few sweet moments here and there. I just think the author tried to throw in too many tropes and didn’t give any of them enough room to really develop.

This was my first read from Kat T. Masen, and while I didn’t love it, I’m open to checking out more of her books in the future. If you’re a fan of her writing or like trope heavy romances, this one might work better for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kat T. Masen, and Atria Books for the eARC of this book.