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directorpurry's review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol and Death
deelightfulreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Grief, Child death, and Chronic illness
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual content
abookwanderer's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Even If It Breaks Your Heart is my fourth novel by Erin Hahn and once again she has written an emotional story that pulls at my heartstrings. While it technically sits in the young adult genre, I thought this dual point of view novel read older with weighty subjects and mature teens who’ve already graduated from high school all wrapped in the fascinating world of ranching and bull riding.
Set in my home state of Texas, this is not a part of Texas I am familiar with. I grew up in a small town that is now much bigger, and while I went to school with kids who lived on ranches or farms, I have never ridden a horse and I’ve only been to the rodeo a handful of times. So it was fun to experience a different kind of Texas.
We meet Case six months after the death of his childhood best friend Walker who has died from a years-long terminal illness. Walker had a list of things he wanted to accomplish and when he didn’t get to finish it, he left it to Case. This is my second book this year with the list trope and I read a few last year, as well, and I’m actually hoping to get a break from them for a while. It’s a cute and practical technique, but I don’t know how realistic it really is. Thankfully this story doesn’t rely too heavily on the list, and it’s more of just a thing that enhances the main plot.
Case is in a bad way, making bad decisions until he gets to the last point on Walker’s list—befriend Winnie Sutton, a former classmate who is employed on his father’s ranch. Walker and Winnie had been casual friends and he knew she was having a hard time and could use a friend, much like he knew Case would in the future. Sweet, right? I did find it a little hard to believe that Case didn’t know Walker and Winnie were friends when Case and Walker were described as inseparable. It was also a little hard to get past the fact that Case didn’t know Winnie existed even though he attended school with her and she’d worked on his ranch for a few years. Part of me wanted Winnie to keep ignoring the entitled cowboy.
But Case does manage to change his bad boy ways. Although, a little too quickly in my opinion—I wanted a bit more of a transition. And Winnie finds it hard to resist the charming sad cowboy, recognizing a kindred spirit who also needs a friend.
Winnie has less time to worry about Case, though. She’s been raising her two younger siblings on her own because her father works nights and doesn’t do much to help out. Since Case has finally noticed Winnie, he has also noticed that she’s excellent on a horse and thinks she should be competing, making it his mission to help her try.
While this book is sweet and perfectly fine as a young adult novel, I kind of wish it would have been written as an adult one. The characters could have been aged up a few years, and with the heavier subject matter, the author could have leaned into that a bit more.
I was mostly satisfied and happy with the ending—and I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record here—but I wish some of the relationships between our main characters and the side characters hadn’t wrapped up quite so neatly. I know most readers want their endings wrapped up with a nice shiny bow, but I am discovering that’s not always me. Sometimes I want books to reflect real life just a bit more.
If you’re a fan of Hahn’s or need a sad cowboy love story in your life, pick up Even If It Breaks Your Heart. Compelling, romantic, and different, I think it’s one that will stick with me for a good while.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
Check out my reviews and playlist at A Book Wanderer
Set in my home state of Texas, this is not a part of Texas I am familiar with. I grew up in a small town that is now much bigger, and while I went to school with kids who lived on ranches or farms, I have never ridden a horse and I’ve only been to the rodeo a handful of times. So it was fun to experience a different kind of Texas.
We meet Case six months after the death of his childhood best friend Walker who has died from a years-long terminal illness. Walker had a list of things he wanted to accomplish and when he didn’t get to finish it, he left it to Case. This is my second book this year with the list trope and I read a few last year, as well, and I’m actually hoping to get a break from them for a while. It’s a cute and practical technique, but I don’t know how realistic it really is. Thankfully this story doesn’t rely too heavily on the list, and it’s more of just a thing that enhances the main plot.
Case is in a bad way, making bad decisions until he gets to the last point on Walker’s list—befriend Winnie Sutton, a former classmate who is employed on his father’s ranch. Walker and Winnie had been casual friends and he knew she was having a hard time and could use a friend, much like he knew Case would in the future. Sweet, right? I did find it a little hard to believe that Case didn’t know Walker and Winnie were friends when Case and Walker were described as inseparable. It was also a little hard to get past the fact that Case didn’t know Winnie existed even though he attended school with her and she’d worked on his ranch for a few years. Part of me wanted Winnie to keep ignoring the entitled cowboy.
But Case does manage to change his bad boy ways. Although, a little too quickly in my opinion—I wanted a bit more of a transition. And Winnie finds it hard to resist the charming sad cowboy, recognizing a kindred spirit who also needs a friend.
Winnie has less time to worry about Case, though. She’s been raising her two younger siblings on her own because her father works nights and doesn’t do much to help out. Since Case has finally noticed Winnie, he has also noticed that she’s excellent on a horse and thinks she should be competing, making it his mission to help her try.
While this book is sweet and perfectly fine as a young adult novel, I kind of wish it would have been written as an adult one. The characters could have been aged up a few years, and with the heavier subject matter, the author could have leaned into that a bit more.
I was mostly satisfied and happy with the ending—and I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record here—but I wish some of the relationships between our main characters and the side characters hadn’t wrapped up quite so neatly. I know most readers want their endings wrapped up with a nice shiny bow, but I am discovering that’s not always me. Sometimes I want books to reflect real life just a bit more.
If you’re a fan of Hahn’s or need a sad cowboy love story in your life, pick up Even If It Breaks Your Heart. Compelling, romantic, and different, I think it’s one that will stick with me for a good while.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
Check out my reviews and playlist at A Book Wanderer
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Grief, and Death
Minor: Terminal illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexual content
allingoodtime's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
While I enjoy all of this author’s writing, I especially love her YA romance. When she transitioned into writing some contemporary romance, I was afraid we wouldn’t get any more of the magic she seems to have with this genre. I’m so glad she went back to her writing roots on this one. It’s everything I hoped for and more.
Winnie is phenomenal. Without getting too deep, I can tell you that the way she is written is so realistic and it twisted a knife in my gut over and over. Yet, once Winnie found her people and learned she could lean on others, she was able to find joy and happiness. Not that she wasn’t happy on a day-to-day basis before, but there was too much on her shoulders for her to ever truly relax into happiness.
I love the journey Case takes in this book. He’s such a good person, but he’s in the depths of intense grief so doesn’t always act in the best manner. At least not in the first few chapters. Case not only pokes his head out of his cloud of grief, but he learns what it means to live with that grief and continue to a happy and healthy future.
As much as I love romance, the friendship Winnie and Case develop before the romance is special. I was so happy that wasn’t lost after they admitted and acted on their feelings. The story of Case and Winnie is central to the book, but friendship is a huge part of it all. Not just between the two of them, but with others who help them both realize they are not alone. Beautiful.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, and Cancer
Moderate: Abandonment
clairetrellahill's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm not crying, it's just raining on my face!
I am such a fan of Erin Hahn's YA novels. The characters feel read and alive and they are fighting tooth and nail for the future they want, and nothing, not their families, not their pasts, not their circumstances or their grief is going to stop them.
Case Michaels is a bull rider whose best friend has died and he is dealing with the grief and the loss. He's got a list that Walker made for him, though--tasks to complete--and a competition to win for his best friend. Winnie Sutton is a barrel racer--or she would be if she had the money for fees or a horse or hey, even a saddle. But instead she's a trainer at the Michaels ranch and is the main parent figure for her two younger siblings. Case and Winnie collide and pull each other out of their fears and grief and anxieties and inspire each other to go after what they really want. I inhaled this book in one day after having the ARC for months. I think I was just waiting for the right time so I could tear up 50 times in peace. 4.5 Stars.
Heat level: 1 (closed door)
CW: terminally ill childhood best friend's death before the book begins, dead or deadbeat parents, language.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC. EVEN IF IT BREAKS YOUR HEART comes out February 6, 2024.
I am such a fan of Erin Hahn's YA novels. The characters feel read and alive and they are fighting tooth and nail for the future they want, and nothing, not their families, not their pasts, not their circumstances or their grief is going to stop them.
Case Michaels is a bull rider whose best friend has died and he is dealing with the grief and the loss. He's got a list that Walker made for him, though--tasks to complete--and a competition to win for his best friend. Winnie Sutton is a barrel racer--or she would be if she had the money for fees or a horse or hey, even a saddle. But instead she's a trainer at the Michaels ranch and is the main parent figure for her two younger siblings. Case and Winnie collide and pull each other out of their fears and grief and anxieties and inspire each other to go after what they really want. I inhaled this book in one day after having the ARC for months. I think I was just waiting for the right time so I could tear up 50 times in peace. 4.5 Stars.
Heat level: 1 (closed door)
CW: terminally ill childhood best friend's death before the book begins, dead or deadbeat parents, language.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC. EVEN IF IT BREAKS YOUR HEART comes out February 6, 2024.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness
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