Books Read: Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon

Neither of them expected to fall in love. But sometimes life has other plans.

When Wren realises 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 harbouring 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?

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

I'd like to thank Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and Penguin Random House for my copy of Only Love Can Hurt Like This to review via NetGalley.

As soon as I heard the premise for Paige Toon's latest book I knew it was going to be an emotional read and it sure delivered on everything I was expecting and more. But firstly can we talk about the title, I'm surely not the only one who started humming the well known song as soon as you read the title. 

When we first meet Wren she's in a bit of a rut, she's not really happy in her job and the directon it's taking her but it's whilst out for lunch that the rug gets pulled out from under her. She sees her fiance Scott at lunch with his colleague and what she witnesses makes her realise that they have strong feelings for one another although they haven't crossed that line yet. This brings about a conversation with Scott and the realisation that their relationship is over. Needing to get away from it all and take time out to think about her future plans, Wren decides to head to Indiana to visit with her dad, step mum Sheryl and sister Bailey. And it's whilst visiting them that her life plans will be turned upside down again...    

It's fair to say that Wren has had a complex relationship with her dad but during her stay with her family, they are able to put the past behind them and rebuild their relationship. She also gets closer to Sheryl who she had always blamed for the break up of her parents marriage and by default Bailey who Sheryl was pregnant with. The only relationship that the two sisters really had before this trip were the weeks spent whenever Wren spent holidays with them so spending this time together enables them to really get to know one another as adults. 

Boy can Paige Toon write a brooding leading man and we were lucky enough to be introduced to two, the Fredrickson brothers Anders and Jonas. Anders has returned home to check in with his brother as his family are concerned about his emotional state but it's actually Anders who is struggling with his own demons following an accident which saw him lose his wife. Will he be able to open up himself and take the steps needed to move on? 

Both Wren and Anders are remarkable characters that you can't help but be drawn to. Although totally different circumstances, both have experienced loss and heartbreak and you want nothing but the best for them, for them both to heal and experience love again. It's hard to say much more without giving anything away but there were a couple of gut-wrenching moments that brought me to tears and I very rarely cry whilst reading.

One of the aspects of this book that I really enjoyed was the setting. I've never read any books set in Indiana before and through the descriptive writing I was able to paint a picture as to what I imagined the rural landscape looked like, especially once the creative ideas that Wren and Jonas come up with which have the two neighbouring farms working together to create a fun experience for the whole family. I also enjoyed the side project that Wren embarks on whilst staying with her family, the refurbishment of a long forgotten airstream caravan that she affectionately names Bambi.  

The title Only Love Can Hurt Like This is certainly apt as it's an emotional read that sweeps you up and doesn't let you out of its grip until the final satisfying page.