etGalley Review | No Rating⭐️

I tried. I really did. Started off fine but there were some plot holes that I couldn't piece together and the timeline didn't make sense at times.

I appreciated the anxiety rep, really! It's an important topic and reading about characters dealing with anxiety and all that comes with it is a great way to break the stigma and normalize talking about mental health.

I did, however, DNF at about 35%.

ARC REVIEW- 💕💕💕

Well I didn’t expect this! It book kind of sneaked up me and I would happily do it again!

I loved Jared and Alli story it was so genuine and raw which I live for…

I’m glad we got to see the couple be together and the growth they had with each other while experiencing all the struggles most couples have to face…

Also the way she touch on mental health in this book is insanely incredible, I’m happy Jared finally got to terms with his own story and could become a better man for it!

The whole story was just great, I was kicking and screaming, emotional, and Ethan kind of made me shout 😂😂 like go away!!

100% recommend to my book girlies❤️

this book had potential but i felt like the author’s writing style is just not my cup of tea. it felt like something straight out of wattpad and a bit messy so it was difficult for me to stay interested. in the end i just skimmed through.

Heartstruck follows the story of Alli and Jared during second year of college. It's a friends to lovers, fake dating with a sprinkle of second chance romance in the mix. I enjoyed the dynamics, the anxiety rep and the family struggles backstories.
However, I did not enjoy the writing style of the book, it felt a bit juvenile at times. The actions were too descriptive and felt unnatural.

This was really sweet. The fake dating was kind of unnecessary but it brought them together so I can't be mad about it. The two of them have so much going on in their head all the time and being with each other just let's them calm down. I just really like them together.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This was such a sweet, comforting read that tugged at my heart in all the right places. Alli and Jared’s story starts with fake dating but slowly unravels into something tender, vulnerable, and real.

Alli’s journey with anxiety and trying to find her place in college felt so authentic, and Jared’s guarded softness? Ugh. I was hooked.

It gave me a similar cozy emotional vibe to Wonderstruck by Seraphina Chen, which I absolutely adored—so if you loved that one, you’ll definitely want to check this one.

A perfect pick when you’re craving something tender and hopeful with just the right amount of angst and butterflies.

Heartstruck is a friends to lovers mixed with fake dating romance. Sadly it wasn’t really for me.

It wasn’t the story itself that wasn’t for me but the writing style. There were too many moments for me where I physically rolled my eyes. The story was probably meant to be sweet and a bit quirky but it sadly fell flat for me.

I also couldn’t really connect with Alli or Jared. They know each other since they were young and that made the fake dating not feel really fake from the beginning on.

The story was cute and I definitely recommend it to romcom fans. It was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this EARC!

i really liked the vibes of this book, however i felt that their problems were made problems by themselves, like self sabotage, but their love for each other was super cutesy and cheesy and i love that, this is a cute fluffy romance with some deeper themes with mental health and that representation is always good in books.

Heartstruck by Seraphina Chen is a friends-to-lovers, fake dating college romance. Alli is struggling through her sophomore year, dealing with anxiety, self-doubt, and familial pressures. Jared just transferred to CCU after struggling with unwanted attention at his previous college. Alli and Jared have known each other since they were young, but their relationship is now changing. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it was a struggle for me. The writing style felt very juvenile and the plot just did not make sense, with the story just not making sense and the conflict being forced.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing book loved the characters and plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. I loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

[ARC Read] I really enjoyed this, I thought it was the sweetest and cutest fake dating situation to happen. Alli and Jared's connection and friendship was just the cutest and made me smile throughout this book, I loved both characters individually and together! Thank you NetGalley for the access to read this early!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Heartstruck is a cute banterful university romcom. If you’re are into fake dating, slow burn romance, sport person with a soft side, this book gives you that.

I really liked the main characters who you can vibe with. A girl with anxiety and a boy with an unforgettable past. It’s a very easy read and you can follow the story very easily.

Heartstruck

I really liked the character development and growth that Alli went through in this story. I was happy to see her standing up for herself by the end. I think we've all had an overbearing relative like Tia Mary in our lives at one point or another.

I didn't realize this was the second in the series. I'm going to look into the first- Serena and Tyler's story!

This was an overall good read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy to enjoy!

I was expecting this to be the traditional college romance but it was a little different and I have to say that I enjoyed it. Alli and Jared have such a sweet connection, that you couldn't help root for them.

Alli is part of a large Mexican family and seeing those relationships and the struggles that come from them, were greatly done. I come from a large Hispanic family and I could identify with so much of Alli's life and struggles. I loved seeing her learn to stand up for herself and set boundaries.

Jared is the first college football player that I have read that does not enjoy the attention and fame of being such a widely known athlete. It was refreshing to see that although football was something important for him, it wasn't everything.

A few things to note, there are a few phrases that are written in Spanish but the book doesn't provide the English translation for it. I am fluent in Spanish so it wasn't an issue for me but I could see how it might bother others. I don't think not knowing what those phrases mean deters from the overall story.

There is a 3rd act sort-of breakup. I know many people don't like that so just a heads up.

Overall, for me it was a great read. I enjoyed it and found it refreshing.

This is my first novel with the author, not knowing there's a book prior to this one. This is a good one.

The pacing is good, the tropes are good, the lead-ins, the break, all that are good.

Jared Collins, wide receiver for the college football team, and Alli Castillo, former HS Cheerleader, now nose to the book nerd; reconnected at college. They both weren't exactly avoiding each other, but they weren't exactly thrilled to be back into the orbit. Their connector is Alli's BFF, also Jared's sister, Serena.

Unavoidable, they have classes together, and he realized she needed a confidence boost, and he needed the fight the girls off his back. His last school caused enough trouble for him to carry on. They came up with being fake boyfriend/girlfriend. Yet somehow the actions is more than fake, what's going on?!

They finally came together and this is an open-door. And they finally be honest, it was done so beautifully for them to be so honest and laid the cards out. Of course, drama ensues, he has baggages, she has baggages, and all of the planets aligned just right to tip off all the insecurities young people each carrying.

I will say, their break was done well, not in a useless way, but you can sense both of their insecurities and hope are tugging. I do appreciate the break to move the plot along, and them coming back together was yet another very honest, all-in kinda of conversation, which is very mature and very honest.

All that said, I'm glad Jaren has the football family that he has, who senses his needs and barge in anyway. Totally hates Alli's family, why the hell does her mom AND dad not stand up for her is beyond me. But family dynamics, amirite?!

Thanks to NetGalley & author for the ARC, truly enjoyed it.

There was a lot I liked about this one. The banter was super cute, and their friendship felt really natural and sweet. I loved how they showed up for each other in the small ways.

Jared was such a softie (in the best way), and I really liked Alli too. She had a lot going on emotionally but was still confident and resilient. That said, my biggest issue was how underdeveloped their history was. It kept getting hinted at, but never fully explained, which left things feeling a little unfinished. Also, there was a side character who got introduced early on and then totally disappeared by the end? Felt like a loose end.

Still, despite some things that could’ve been fleshed out more, I enjoyed my time with this book and it keep me hooked.Thanks to Seraphina Chen and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

a sweet and gentle read with added fun and emotional depth that give it an all rounder great time of a read.
the characters all had me rooting for them. the parts that touched upon the deeper theme were touched upon well. which must be hard in a book like this. i think that balance must be really hard, especially in this day and age when struggles like this are far to real. so you must want to represent it sometimes but also offer people a time away from it in books or something to feel you can get safety from it when its touched upon in books. and there is always also the need never to make it trigger or harm those who do struggle. again, i appreciate anyone who tries and does get this balance right. because at the end of the day we all want to be SEEN for being us. and that is what this book gave me in buckets.
the writing of this author is new to me and i really enjoyed her. i think she could be someone i look out for in whats to come.
the banter and interactions with our pair were great. and i liked how they had history but also were coming to this new age and new stage kind of new. added to that the fake relationship that grew to something more... haha it was sweet and cute.
this book felt very wholesome and cosy. it felt like a feel good book and im always in for one of those. the added history for our main characters added some lovely depth and made their connection better which isn't always the case and sometimes seems only for drama. but for these two it felt real and made the coming together of their relationship work.
i really enjoyed this book. i cant imagine coming to the author game. in this day and age it must sometimes take an epic feat. so i bravo to this author.

I really wanted to like this one, but I couldn’t get into it. The writing style was very stilted and unnatural, and didn’t make a lot of sense sometimes. Honestly, I ended up DNF-ing because I wasn’t really sure what was going on more often than not.

Ok so I read this book very fast, however I don't feel like I loved either character or felt the chemistry.
The spicy scenes felt awkwardly written and didn't really fit, like one minute I thought it would be closed door and the next it was open but a little messy.
The push and pull he had towards her annoyed me and the fact she was so quick to forgive after he broke her heart twice didn't seem believable to me!

⭐️ Rating: All the stars in the sky
🌶 Rating: 2/5

I am absolutely IN LOVE with this book!!

I could not put it down at all! I was just so smitten with the characters and so invested in their relationship, I needed to know what happens next!

This book is everything. I love romance books that include mental health representation and anxiety as well because that means that I can connect with the MMCs more since I know how it feels. It also shows that not all romance is cute and fluffy. There are hard times and it's important to know and acknowledge those hard things in order to become better. And Heartstruck tackles this wonderfully 💕

Jared is a book boyfriend. He really is because what do you mean he looked at Alli's Amazon wishlist and got her a puzzle from there??!!😭😭😭

And Allison making matcha?!!!! FOR JARED!!!!😫😫✋🏼 They are just so perfect for each other. Literally had me giggling and kicking my feet with those two🥰

I also loved the whole Mexican household. Because don't I know how chismosos everyone is 😒
ANYWAYS, I woul 1000% recommend Heartstruck for anyone starting romance and all romance readers like me ☺️