I'm all for a lighthearted romance but I just couldn't get through this one. Apparently this is supposed to be a Jane Austen retelling? I'm not sure. I love having a smart, main character that can stand up for herself but there are just so many tropes in this with the crush who happens to have the most popular girlfriend who looks like a supermodel, the bad boy she'll eventually fall in love with even though bad boys aren't her 'type', and the losing a best friend(that one I think was deserved though: you don't kiss your best friend's boyfriend and expect her to forgive you). I've read books before with these tropes but it was just too cheesy for me to be good. Maybe it turns out to be okay but I just didn't like the characters enough to find out. Maria with her off hand comments and calling her mother "Dear Mama" annoyed me so much I almost stopped reading as soon as she entered. Yes, teenagers say 'like' a lot but the similarities end there. Essentially nothing in this book is realistic. I'll just go read the Jane Austen book this is based off of.

Such an adorable read. I loved the humor and swoon. However, my favorite part was the incorporation of poetry. I was very bummed on who ends up together since I shipped another relationship. That being said the growth in realizations the main character goes through to discover how her actions have been received by those around her is enlightening. 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Just a good little YA romance.
What I loved: The bonds that were built in unlikely places.
What I liked: The story was good and just the right amount of predictable.
What I hated: Going to be honest without spoiling this for anyone...but I really wasn't happy with who she winds up with and I have deep reasons why that I can't wait to discuss with others.

Great little book, very easy to recommend.

This was a really cute summer.m read! This is a retelling of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. I liked the characters! The story flows well and you definitely want to see who she ends up with.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

I don't know why I keep reading Jane Austen retellings when I know I don't like Jane Austen's stories. However, if you are a fan of her work, you will probably thoroughly enjoy this one.

In this modern re-imagining of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Edie (Fanny) Price has recently been rescued from foster care by her wealthy aunt and uncle. She will live in her aunt and uncle's spacious abode along with her two cousins, Julia and Maria as she finishes out her senior year of high school. Her cousins are nice enough however the real excitement is the boy next door, her old friend Sebastian. Unfortunately Sebastian has a new girlfriend named Claire. Claire's charming brother Henry however proves to be a nice distraction. He is wealthy, gorgeous and humorous and best of all seriously smitten with Edie. The only problem is that Edie is still hopelessly in love with Sebastian.
This novel was everything I expected and more. I was never a very big fan of Mansfield Park however I loved this new take on the classic and I far prefer this ending to the original. The characters were relateable yet still retained a similar voice to the original characters. Henry of course stole the show with his wit and charm however I enjoyed the dynamics between the others as well. The story moved along at a quick pace and kept me smiling throughout. I highly recommend this story to Jane Austen fans as well as those looking for a quick and satisfying romance read for the summer.

I came for Jane Austen, but stayed for Jacquline Firkins and her beautiful Mansfield Park retelling. Witty dialogue, lovely prose, well drawn characters and plenty of swoon worthy moments make this a winner on my shelf, and this talented debut author a must-buy from now on. Well done!

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is an adorable ya romance. You'll just fall in love with Edie Price and root for her till the end. This book had me flipping through fast to find out what happens. Great story and lovable characters what more can you ask for.

A contemporary book about a young girl trying to find her way after tragedy has changed her life. Edie is trying to not make the same mistakes of her past while figuring out her future. This book had moments, and then really was unrealistic in so many ways. The drama was forced, and the characters weren't tangible. I'm fine with the cheesy parts, but there was not a point that made it a well-written book for me. The story line fell flat, and from all that she went through, she really was just like her cousins. Nothing was real in this book, from the school, the relationships, the story, it all was too forced. Not a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!

A YA contemporary retelling of Mansfield Park! As I am absolutely powerless to stop myself from reading every Austen retelling/adaptation/inspired novel that crosses my path, I absolutely had to read this - and it was definitely a step above the pack!

Very cinematic, giving me flashbacks to the movie Clueless, this book takes the best parts of Mansfield Park - the question of superficiality vs. depth, the questions about what love actually is and how to know when it's real, and leaves behind some of the judginess/priggishness of the original. And of course, it absolutely had to not make them cousins raised together, and also change the character names - Fanny and Edmund do not translate well to modern life! Henry's charm, Maria and Julia's petty rivalries... those remained and really shined in the new time period.

It did have to invent a backstory wholesale for Edmund/Sebastian, since he was no longer a part of the family, and it wasn't as compelling as I would have liked. I can't quite give it 5 stars, but a solid 4 that I think will be enjoyed by Austen fans and teens - and I would love to see it adapted by Netflix or on film!

Cute light summer read! Loved the characters and rooting for the right guy to "win".

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this story. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down! I was constantly rooting for Edie to get together with her true love. I felt her heartache as well as her joy. Firkins did a amazing job at bringing these characters to life.

‘The whole delightful and astonishing truth’ is this modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park is a must read!

Edie (Fanny) Price is a foster kid who is spending the last few months of her senior year with her wealthy Aunt Norah and her two daughters. Maria and Julia (the cousins) aren’t necessarily likable but they are relatable and more complex than Austen’s original characters. Edie quotes women’s authors including Edith Wharton for whom she was named (loved that!). Sebastian, the boy next door, her old friend has a new flame, Claire. Claire and her brother, Henry, are wealthy, gorgeous, and irresistible. Edie sees Henry for the player that he is, but when she needs a friend he’s there. Even if he realizes that Edie is in love with his sister’s boyfriend. Friendship, love, family, lust, and messy relationships prove that this story is timeless (and timely). And the ultimate prize isn’t a boy... but a college dream.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This novel was a contemporary young adult romance where the main character, Edie, is in love with someone else's boyfriend who also happens to be her best friend. I liked the pacing of this novel and the build up to the ending where I was actually rooting for the other guy ☹️. There was no actual sex scene (thank you) but some pretty steamy moments in the book. Overall an ok summer read.

This book was written really well. Even for an ARC book, I didn’t notice any typos, any run-on sentences, or anything that pulled me out of the book. It was a super easy read and honestly so much fun. Edie Price is such an interesting character, but one thing I will say is that none of these characters are without fault. I think that’s one of the wonderful things that this author has done with their characters. You don’t have the stereotypical girl with absolutely no faults and the horrible girlfriend of the boy you totally deserve. Everyone has faults and it’s wonderful.

This book is a light, easy read. It’s a great book if you’re looking for a holiday or vacation read. This book is a great read that you can put down when you want to, but it’s still interesting enough to keep you reading when you can. It’s not particularly hard-hitting, instead, it’s incredibly fun. I think that this is a great escape from reality type of book. It’s not going to make you cry, but it’ll probably make you laugh. I truly think the best way to describe this book is just fun.

Cute book. Took me about 3 chapters to really get into it so don’t let that throw you off. I finished it off in about 2 days.

This book needs to be a movie! It’s such a sweet love story. The sort just flowed. I really enjoyed it.

This book was received as an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group - HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a real refreshing treat and perfect for the start of summer. All the components of this book was such a joy to read and learning about the kind of girl Edie is and the boys she met over the summer visiting her gifted cousins. The publishers were right in the fact that fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before can relate heavily to the story of this book and their hearts will be melting right at the very first moment. Our teen readers will love this book and want to read it over and over again.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

If you're looking for a quick, fun romance than look no further than Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things. When Edie Price moves into her estranged Aunt's house in the suburbs she makes a vow to herself that she's there to focus on her education, but soon she finds herself caught up between two different boys. Should she give her heart to the kind and creative boy next door who isn't available at all? Or should she go for the bad boy who makes her laugh, but might be too available? This kind of quick, dramatic contemporary is exactly the kind of book I find myself craving during the summer. This one was particularly romantic. I actually found myself just as torn between the two love interests as Edie was.

**4.5 Stars**

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group and NetGalley for this opportunity to read this eArc.

I read this last night, thinking to go for some light teen romance story and a few hours later, past midnight, with my heart racing, I thought, THIS BOOK.

Reading the book, I thought, is this a Jane Austen Mansfield Park retelling?! Yes, I silently screamed it in my mind, as to not wake anyone up but I didn’t get the memo! The blurb said nothing obvious about it, except Mansfield is the town they live in? Duh – I should’ve caught that. And though I have never read Mansfield Park, I have watched the movie…a million times. I love Mansfield Park. I love the story of Fannie Price and her sweet love in the end. Now because I know the way Mansfield Park ends…I was feeling all kinds of conflicting emotions while reading Hearts, Strings and Other Breakable Things – (I love the title by the way)…because I did NOT want it to end like Jane Austen’s ending. Not that anything is wrong with Miss Austen’s version. But there is a character in HSAOBT (yes I just did that, sorry) that made me want a different ending!

Edie Price is in foster care but goes to live with her aunt Norah. She has two cousins, Julia and Maria, who try to give her a make-over and help her fit into their life. The sisters are always arguing and Maria is just over-the-top but I find her hilarious. There is a next door neighbor, Sebastian, who Edie shares childhood memories with, and who she has the biggest crush on. But alas, he has the perfect girlfriend, Claire. And Claire has a devastatingly handsome and player of a brother, Henry, who is breaking hearts left and right. Henry has his eye kind of trained on Edie – but she isn’t having it. Edie is smart, not into the materialistic things, she writes music, loves to read and pines for Sebastian.

Well…Henry and Edie, stole this book. If you know Mansfield Park then you know how it ends, but I was team Henry. He’s such a player but when that player falls in love, whew…it’s an amazing thing. So the ending was inevitable but oh Henry. There is a scene between Edie and Henry that just smolders, like there is no kissing involved, no sex, it’s innocent but it stopped my breath. 10 seconds of 🔥. It was funny, intense and sexy at the same time and I fell in love with Henry.

Speaking of sex – there are situations in the book, which I was fine with because Edie is coming of age and learning these things. She’s allowed to feel this way and dream these things, what teenager doesn’t when going through puberty? And with Sebastian and Henry around, who can blame her? 😅

Like Mansfield Park there are other things happening besides Edie’s love life. She’s dealing with a broken friendship with her BFF from back home who isn’t talking to her. I liked that Edie wasn’t perfect and did something she needed to own up to. She also has to figure out her future – what to do about college, missing her mom, and learning about love.

I absolutely loved this book and I only knocked off half a star because I wanted Henry to be the one. But it’s basically a 5 star read for me, so just round it up. HAHA. Henry and Edie’s relationship was the book, the sexual tension between them is off the charts and the sweet moments between are swoon worthy. I couldn’t sleep after I finished the book, thinking of THAT scene and how broken my heart was for him. 😫 🤣 Also um, can they make this book into a Netflix movie so I can see that scene come to life and like…rewatch it a million times? K – thanks!

So basically I need more books from this author ASAP – with more scenes like that particular one! This is a fantastic retelling and I am definitely adding this to my book collection.