Bookish Virginia

Disclaimer: I received a free digital Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of Hearts Made for Breaking from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book’s expected publication date is April 30, 2019. 

Title: Hearts Made for Breaking (Amazon, Goodreads)
Author: Jen Klein
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
My Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars

I read the description of this book on NetGalley and knew I had to read it. It sounded like the kind of quirky YA romance that is right up my alley. And I was definitely not disappointed. There were many great, more thoughtful moments, interspersed with humor and fun personalities. I am glad I read it, and would definitely like to try others by this author!

The premise: Our main character Lark never lets herself get in to deep with boys. She loves making out with them, but never lets it get beyond the surface level as far as getting to know each other, and she always finds some excuse to get the boy to dump her before things go too far. But it’s her senior year, and she isn’t feeling so satisfied with this pattern anymore. Her best friends challenge her to get in deeper with a guy, one who is different from her usual “type,” and to make him love her, and then break his heart. In other words, have a relationship where there are actual real feelings involved. So Lark picks Ardy, the new boy at school, who she is intrigued by even though he is labeled as “undateable,” has a best friend he might possibly be in love with, and there are rumors flying around about his past relationships at his old high school.

Doesn’t this sound a little like a YA contemporary romance version of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? Yes, yes it does. And I was so here for it! I really liked the main character Lark and found her easy to relate to. And Ardy was adorable, though I did think some of the rumors swirling around him were pretty harsh and it surprised me that he didn’t bring them up right away when he started dating Lark. Like a big elephant looming in the closet. Though him bringing them up would have ruined the plot. *Shrug*

I liked the way things played out, and it was painful to watch Lark put her foot in her mouth and totally screw things up, but it all came to a satisfying–if somewhat unrealistic and, okay, maybe a little cheesy–ending.

There are some awesome quotes about love, relationships, and heartbreak too, but I failed to highlight them on my Kindle as I was reading, so I can’t put them in this review. Doh!

Anyway, if you like YA contemporary romance and/or you loved How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, this book will probably be appealing. Likeable main and side characters, interesting (if somewhat predictable) plot, and great chemistry between the main characters. Check it out!