⭐️ 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 ☺️

a friends to lovers story with a sprinkle of second chance. we follow alli, a college student who is stuck with family who judges the choices she makes and a ton of loss confidence, as she adventures another year at school. but, she finds herself in class with no other than her best friend’s brother, jared. who not only had to transfers school due to crazy stalker fan girls but was also the guy she was in love with growing up. when jared notices some issues that could be solved with the help of a fake relationship, they embark on a wholesome, steamy fake relationship together. feelings and puzzles ensue.

i thought this book was overall okay. it was cute in a sense that they had grown up together so knew each other. the beginning had a lot of heat due to their past but the way their relationship folded into one another was smooth. i didn’t think they were too memorable but i still thought they were interesting enough to read about. there were also a couple plot points that totally got dismissed and we never heard from again so like okay lol just a simple football x ex-cheerleader story and a lot of goofy conversations. i did enjoy their banter, it made their conversations sometimes easier to get through.

this is so rough, you guys. i barely made it through a chapter. I kept rereading the same page because everything the author writes is so awkward or it just doesnt make sense. its the way she writes, its clunky and doesnt flow at all. i was questioning my sanity. early on the character says "i was just having a moment" and the response from the teacher was "dont we all?" i am not kidding i reread that at least a hundred times trying to figure out how to make that response make sense.

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Heartstruck is a sweet, slow-burn college romance with fake dating, late-night study sessions, and just enough emotional depth to keep you turning pages. Alli’s struggle with anxiety and finding her place in the world feels authentic, and Jared—brooding football star with a soft side—brings a grounded vulnerability that complements her journey.

Their chemistry grows steadily, with some genuinely heartfelt moments and quiet tension that builds through shared glances and fake kisses that become increasingly not-so-fake. While the plot hits some familiar beats and the pacing drags a bit in the middle, the emotional arcs feel sincere, and the exploration of mental health is handled with care.

It’s not a game-changer in the college romance genre, but it’s definitely a comforting, feel-good read with a soft emotional center. Fans of fake dating and introspective characters will find plenty to enjoy.

This was such a cute story about friends navigating their way through life and love! Jared and Allison are childhood friends who happen to have a history together. They meet again in their college chemistry lab and something just feels right for them. I just want to be apart of their friend group. They seem like such fun people! I am so glad that in the end they were able to love each other where they are and not changing just because someone has negative options!

It’s a 2.5 for me. I was excited to read this because I read her other book and liked that but I think this one just wasn’t for me which is sad because the characters were really cute and I loved how it focused on mental health too. 🥹 I think someone else will absolutely love this romance but this time it wasn’t my match.

This was such a cute read. I loved everything about this book. The story was cute and easy to follow and had a good mix of characters. This was a new author for me and I will definitely be reading more by them. I highly recommend it.
💜 Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Heeheehee, this was so fun.

I always love a fake dating situation and this had a really good one. I think that the dynamics of these characters was just so much fun. These two characters have also known each other for a long time (basically, a childhood friends to lovers situation), so I felt like that really added a lot to their dynamic and how fun this was.

And yes, we get both POVs.

This book follows a fellow anxious girlie and the new football star at their university. The two start fake-dating and it turns not-so-fake. It gets a little messy, but in a fun and entertaining way. Sometimes, I find that the drama in romance books can be a bit annoying and childish, but this didn't feel that way to me.

Their dynamic was really just so great, they had some really nice wholesome moments that I adored. I think it matched with the tension of their chemistry really well.

This was super cute and I read it so fast. Would definitely recommend if you need a new romance read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Heartstruck is a cute cozy, university, rom com similar to Elle Kennedys Off Campus Series. While I did, enjoy the setting of the book and liked some of the family dynamics in it. Unfortunately, the authors writing style feels a tad immature for me and takes away from the story.

This was a fun, easy, and cute read. In a world full of traditional cutesy romances, this one stood out very well. I would put it up there with the likes of henry, hazelwood, and Jimenez. The banter was great, I do wish that the slow burn, burned a little bit brighter however it was one i really enjoyed regardless.

3.5 stars. This book was hard for me to rate. There were many parts in this book that I enjoyed. They had some cute banter and were there for each other. I loved how sweet Jared was, and how he would always show up and the little things that he did for Alli. I liked Alli too. She has a lot of emotions and really worked through them. She was sweet and did the little things for Jared as well. There were a few things that took away from the story. First, there seemed to be plot holes. They start as lab partners, they start because she crushes on another guy but half way through they don't mention much of any of that. Also, the history with Alli's mom and the history between Jared and Alli could have been explained better. I liked how this book had mental health rep. I thought parts to it were done very well, but other parts could have been better. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It had a little bit of everything from a college sports, fake dating, book.

Thank you Seraphina Chen and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It is so nice to read a sports romance where the chemistry continues to grow but each side has good character development. I really enjoyed being able to read moments from MMC side and gain an understanding of him through his eyes. The slow burn was perfect between the FMC and MMC, and the fake dating trope is always top notch. Worth a read!

This book made me feel so many things and I loved each and every moment of it.
I loved how the author write about important topics such as anixety and dealing with family drama/trauma. Alli's character standing up for herself while also we see how she strugles, Jared's pov was so interesting to read, how he had his own problems and dealt with it but in the end everything worked out for them.
Their relationship was so good to read about. They found hobbies together, were there for eachother in hard times and talked through their problems eventually.
No useless drama, everything was perfect.
Would recommend for sure.

I really love sports romances and this one did not disappoint! This slow-burn with complex characters really sucked me in, especially with the fake dating and i cannot wait for more

Books have always been my “happy place.” For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of traditional romance. Lately, I also become a huge fan of “sports romance,” so I was glad to get a chance to read this.

I am sometimes hesitant to read books from authors that I have not read before, as I sometimes have a hard time getting used to their writing style. Seeing that this was only the second book from the author increased that anxiety a little bit. I need not have worried too much, though. Although there were some minor things that bothered me, overall I had no issues.

I really did like the story, but I definitely was not a fan of the majority of the side characters. I started to realize that their main purposes were to add roadblocks and issues. Ultimately, I’m glad that they were able to overcome their issues.
I did like that this book has an epilogue; however, I would have liked it to be a bit further in the future. I feel like it didn’t give as much of a payoff as it could have.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Heartstruck is a heartfelt, slow-burn college romance that pairs two broken characters—Alli, a sophomore struggling with anxiety and belonging, and Jared, the brooding football transfer with secrets of his own—in a “fake dating” setup that feels anything but fake. What I loved most was how real Alli’s emotions felt—her inner thoughts, insecurities, and moments of growth hit home in a way that made me root for her on every page. It’s emotional, swoony, and tender in all the right ways, and I finished it wishing I could spend more time in their world.

Start to Alli and Jared's romance was a bit confusing.

Hints of a shared past history were dropped in at the start of the book. However, It's fleshed out only in the middle.
What really confused me was Jared's relationship to Serena. Siblings but didn't get that they were step siblings till I got to the middle (see above).

Author does a good job with Jared's push/pull relationship with his estranged mom. Makes sense on how he feels conflicted in the present given the past. Not as clear is Alli's toxic relationship with the extended family matriarchal family member. Somewhat explained given Alli's mother own history. However, would have liked to seen that developed more at the start.

As the plot thickens, he mixed signals the main characters exchanged makes sense given their respective histories with family members. Felt author did better job though with Jared's character than Alli's. The latter feelings of inadequacy aren't explained as well as his. Also, felt he rather than she should have worked for forgiveness. Too often it's a male character who does the groveling and given Jared's more likeability would have liked Alli to step up.

This ARC was Independently Published and furnished via BookBuzz.net and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
#Heartstruck #NetGalley

I wanted to love this more than I did.
The setup? Classic. Fake dating, moody football boy, anxious girl trying to find her footing in college—I was all in. And yes, there are definitely swoony moments: late-night chats, slow-burn touches, and a few scenes that made me bite the inside of my cheek. I get why people are raving about Jared’s soft side and Alli’s emotional arc. There’s real vulnerability here, and I respect that.
But… the emotional payoff took way too long to land for me.
I’m someone who craves instant connection—even if the characters hate each other at first, I want to feel the pull right away. That spark between Alli and Jared is buried under too much buildup and, frankly, a love interest detour I didn’t enjoy. I don’t want to read about the heroine crushing on another guy while the actual love interest is right there! It made it hard for me to invest in their dynamic at first, and I didn’t really ship them until very late in the book.
The fake dating setup had so much potential for tension and chaos, but it stayed a bit too soft for my taste. Once the chemistry did kick in, it worked—but by then, I’d already spent a good chunk of the story feeling emotionally disconnected.
That said, the writing is smooth, the inner monologues are well done, and I do appreciate the focus on mental health and emotional growth. It’s a solid read—it just didn’t fully hit for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’m still glad I read it, even if it didn’t become a favorite.

Omg! I want to go back and reread this book! I loved it soo much!

If you love
Fake Dating
Brothers best friend
Friends to lovers
Childhood friends

This is the book for you! Alli and Jared are so cute together I love the slow burn between them! The Fake dating between them that they can't seem to ignore is just to cute! I will definitely keep reading more from this author! I have already recommended it to my sister who loves books like this!

Review: Heartstruck by Seraphina Chen

This story hit me right in the heart. I went into Heartstruck expecting a sweet, swoony college romance—and it gave me that and so much more. It’s tender, emotional, and honest in a way that really stuck with me.

I saw so much of myself in Alli. That feeling of trying to start over, of second-guessing everything when life doesn’t feel as shiny as you hoped—it was written so well. Her anxiety and quiet loneliness felt so real, and it made her connection with Jared all the more special.

And Jared? He’s got that mix of protective and vulnerable that totally melts you. Watching them go from reluctant lab partners to fake dating to something so real and aching with tension had me glued to every page. Their late-night study sessions and slow-burn sparks gave me butterflies.

What I loved most was how this book balanced the romance with real emotional depth. It’s not just about the falling—it’s about how hard it can be to let yourself be seen, especially when you feel like you’re falling apart inside.

If you’re into fake dating, soft-but-steady character growth, and romances that feel as healing as they are heart-fluttering, Heartstruck will absolutely steal your heart. It did mine!!