I really wanted to like Hearts, Strings and Other Breakable Things. There were parts that had me wrapped up in it, but overall, this was a real disappointment.

In this charming debut about first love and second chances, a young girl gets caught between the boy next door and a playboy. Perfect for fans of To All The Boys I've Loved Before.

Mansfield, Massachusetts is the last place seventeen-year-old Edie Price wants to spend her final summer before college. It’s the home of wealthy suburbanites and prima donnas like Edie’s cousins, who are determined to distract her from her mother’s death with cute boys and Cinderella-style makeovers. Edie has her own plans, and they don’t include a prince charming.

But as Edie dives into schoolwork and applying for college scholarships, she finds herself drawn to two Mansfield boys who start vying for her attention. First there's Sebastian, Edie’s childhood friend and first love. He’s sweet and smart and . . . already has a girlfriend. Then there's Henry, the local bad boy and all-around player. He’s totally off limits, even if his kisses are chemically addictive.

Both boys are trouble. Edie can’t help but get caught between them. Someone's heart is going to break. Now she just has to make sure it isn't hers. (Goodreads)

I received an eARC of Hearts, Strings and Other Breakable Things from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book needs trigger warnings for discussions of parental death, life in foster homes, body shaming, a dubiously consensual kiss, and a friendship breakup.

Hearts, Strings and Other Breakable Things had a lot of potential for me. Edie gets adopted by the wealthy family that she hasn't seen in years that treats her as a charity case when all she wants is to be loved by someone. She wants a family and friends, and eventually, she gets that.

The Romance

As you can guess from the blurb, we're set up with two romance options - One of them is childhood friends to lovers and the other is enemies to lovers. For once in my life, the friends to lovers romance was not my preferred choice. The enemies to lover relationship with Henry starts out as fake dating to make Sebastian realize he was jealous but then they develop real feelings for each other... and then Edie dumps Henry to be with Sebastian the instant he's single.

I liked Sebastian as a character, but he made a terrible love interest for both Edie and Claire. Really, he needed to pull his head out of his ass and figure out what he wanted on his own, not jump from one romantic relationship to the next.

Henry was a goddamn delight. He's the perfect playboy with a heart of gold. He was and the parts of the book where they were together for real were my favorite parts. I feel a little betrayed that they didn't wind up together in the endgame. Normally I wouldn't say that, but they spent two-thirds of the book's timeline building their relationship and making it as strong as it could be. They even wound up in the same city after Edie graduated and that's definitely Henry on the cover! But no, we don't get that. We get Sebastian even though he barely put in any work for the relationship. I hope Henry gets someone great in the future. Just saying.

The Family

Most of Edie's family got very little character development until the very end. It would have been nice to see a lot more of Bert standing up to his wife. I didn't love that Henry had basically slept with Edie's cousin Maria and that Maria was so cavalier about her relationship with her almost-fiance until Rupert finally got tired of her constantly being all over other people.

It also really stunk that we barely get a mention of Edie's mother unless it's inconvenient for Edie. She should have been much more present in Edie's mind, in my opinion.

The Friends

Claire was a really two-dimensional antagonist in this story. She was jealous, she was catty, she was the ever-popular "mean girl" to Edie. I liked that some of the other girls stood up to her quietly, and that Edie and Maria got to build a real relationship on their own, but we barely spent any time with them.

There's a huge plotline of making sure that Edie has enough money to pay for tuition in the fall because her family won't pay for it, but it really got shafted in the end to make it clear that Edie has made up with her friend and has a happily ever after in college.

Honestly, this book could have been a lot better with a few tweaks. Some things could have been trimmed out or the book with ease. The book could also have been made long enough to properly manage them. In the end, as you can tell, this book really disappointed me on every level.

It might be more your thing, but it certainly wasn't mine. You can check out the reviews on Goodreads to see if someone else you trust thought differently. If you trust me, though, check out some of my other book reviews.

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is a (sickeningly) sweet YA contemporary retelling that reminds of TATBILB and a mellowed-down version of Gossip Girl. It is also said to be a retelling of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, which I do not have a clue about because your girl has not read any classics at all.

Anyway, for a quick warning about the story, you must be prepared to deal with a love triangle, rich teenagers managing their rich people problems and one little outsider in the community a la Dan Humphrey.

I, for one, have no qualms about love triangles, and I do love myself a little push and pull. I was in the mood for a cheesy cliche romance and this is what I got with this read. But though I liked most of the book, I hated the final choice made by the main character, Edie. The final pick for the love triangle is not one that I would absolutely go for, and that choice frustrated me a lot. But, I don't know if the author stick to the plot movement in the same way as Jane Austen did. Oops.

Well, if I were given the chance between Henry, the playboy, and Sebastian, the boy next door, I absolutely know who would I go for. But the story is not about me, oops. I love both of these male leads, though. If you are after cute conversations, swoon-worthy quotes, and clever banter, both of these young men could deliver.

Looking at the main character, Edie, though, she wasn't really my favorite. I did not really feel a connection with her and I actually just feel 'meh' about her and the decisions she has made. Her cousins and the other characters are borderline ridiculous, but those antics made quite a story to tell. I have to admit I loved reading about all of their girlish drama.

All in all, I'm thankful for the presence of Henry because I absolutely adore his character. His presence gave something sweet and hot to the story a la Chuck Bass. As the book progressed, I knew I would love the scene as long as he was there! Anyhow, this book was still a great one for a quick read and I am looking forward to the next books by this author.

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is a young adult contemporary romance by Jacqueline Firkins. This book was so stinking cute. I absolutely loved it! it is a retelling of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I have read almost all of Austen’s books, but Mansfield Park is one that has escaped my attention. Regardless of the fact that I have yet to read it, I was very much able to enjoy Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things, and in fact it made me want to pick up Mansfield Park to see if I enjoyed it as much as this retelling.

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is perfect when you are looking for a fun, cheesy and sometimes angst-y young adult romantic comedy. (hint- I am almost always looking for something like this. It is a classic combo for me) In Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things, we meet our main character Edie, who goes to live with her aunt following the death of her mother. Edie is an interesting character. Though I almost immediately felt for her because of her situation, she didn’t immediately win me over. However; as the story progressed I grew to understand her better and like her more. Edie is focused when she gets to her aunt’s and will not allow the distraction of boys. Of course, this is where we enter all the adorable boys of Mansfield, planted just to try and make Edie lose sight of her scholarship aspirations. But also to provide a bit of much needed fun.

There is a bit of a love triangle in this book, so be aware of that going in, but I loved that there was a lot of emotional depth explored in Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things. Henry and Sebastian (our main love interests) are both great, and though I had a clear winner on who I was rooting for, I can easily see a case for both guys. I think readers may be split on who they ship with Edie. Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things was funny, sweet, and vastly entertaining. I really enjoyed this book. I think it would be perfect to read this holiday season when you are looking for an adorable romance.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and HMH Books for Young Readers for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

I guess I can add an additional disclaimer here and say that I personally have never read Mansfield Park nor watched any of the adaptations of this book, so I was pretty lucky enough to go into this pretty much blind. It actually worked out in my favorite because I got to take this book as if it were its own thing, no retelling to speak of, and just see what I would enjoy about it. Which, yes, I did get to enjoy it and I was pretty content with my time reading this.

The first thing that made me appreciate this book really was how Edie had to deal with her privileged relatives. It sucked honestly, because it was like her cousins were so out of touch with reality that didn’t exist outside of their rich circle, that it was pretty frustrating to hear them say some pretty rude and hurtful things to Edie. However, I was seriously impressed with how she was able to control her actions and not beat the crap out of her cousins whenever they would say stuff. All that retail work must have paid off, seriously. And I appreciated that Edie herself paid attention to the kind of privilege and luxury that they had and never let it get to her head, especially since it wasn’t hers permanently. If that makes sense. I don’t know if it’s because she didn’t come from that life, but she was really good at calling out privilege – internally maybe – when she saw it. I know she didn’t probably want to call it out verbally all the time because that would isolate her in this world, but she didn’t shy away from her thoughts.

I also felt so bad for Edie and the grief that she was going through, and how her crappy aunt basically told her to get over it. Like… her mom died and her aunt was like “yeah well, she was my sister and you don’t see me wallowing in grief. Get over it.” That wasn’t verbatim by the way, but it might as well have been. I couldn’t imagine not being allowed to mourn for the one person in my life that actually gave a crap about me, did what she needed to in order to give me a life, and was just suddenly gone just like that. That was her real family, her mother, and now she’s basically alone.

Not to mention that she was in foster care for three years before her aunt finally took her in. So what does that tell you about “blood is thicker than water”. I know that’s not the full quote, but everyone focuses on that part, and in this case, that was a huge lie.

Then, I liked how musically inclined she was. I have never been able to write a song in my life, no matter how much I enjoy singing and listening to music. My brother is the musical one in the family, composing his own music and all that. So I thought it was really cool how easy it was for her to write a song just like that. I was a little jealous of that because it’s so creative and I’ve always wanted to be creative but I could never do something like that. I think if she was willing, she could have used that to help her get through her grief as well, not just the feelings she was having for an old childhood friend. But that’s okay. Music can help us figure out a lot of things in life, not just pain or love.

It may not have been “perfect” but when is a book every legitimately perfect? I still thought it was enjoyable and I think that there will be a few contemporary romance fans that will enjoy this, whether they are fans of the original story or not.

I've read a few retellings of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Some I liked. Some I couldn't even get through. But this one I loved! Immediately engaging, it's fun, sexy, and highly entertaining while it navigates family, friendship, crushes, first love, and second chances all the while staying grounded and realistic. The ending may surprise you, but if you love contemporary and/or retellings, this one is sure to be a winner for you! Don't miss it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
3.5 STARS

This debut novel was a light and cute contemporary YA. It started out a little slow for me, but about 30% in, it really picked up and i zoomed through it. My favorite thing about the book is that there is a lot of heart poured into this story about self discovery and family relationships. I did feel that the character development fell flat a tiny bit. It almost felt as if Edie, even though she went through all this self discovery, didn't change at all. I think this is why I didn't absolutely love the romance although it was cute. I was not much of a fan of the ending. It might just be me, but I felt that she picked the wrong guy.

Overall, even though a few things fell flat for me, this was a sweet and enjoyable story, and I am glad that I picked it up.

Special thanks to Netgalley, HMH Books for young readers, and Jaqueline Firkins for the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions

3.5 stars

An enjoyable, cute read.  A little slow but I like the family dynamics and Henry.  I wasn't really a fan of the ending so it lost me a little.  Maybe it's just me but she picked the wrong guy and you can't make me change my mind (haha!).  The cover and hearing that is was a loose retelling of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park immediately made me request it and I'm glad I did.  

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for offering me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favourite books of 2019. A wonderful Jane Austen retelling full of heart. Every aspect of the writing, from the family dynamics to the romantic moments was utterly blissful to read. I have spoken about this book a lot on my YouTube channel and look forward to having Jacqueline Firkins on for a liveshow.

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things is a swoon-worthy young adult romance novel written by Jacqueline Firkins and published by HMH Books for Young Readers. The book will be released on December 17, 2019. 

Seventeen-year-old Edie Price only has a few months left before she graduates and finally starts college. The last place she wants to spend this time is at her aunt’s lavish home in Mansfield, and the last thing she expects is to find herself torn between two Mansfield boys vying for her attention. One heart is bound to be broken, and she only hopes it will not be hers.

This book was a fast and sweet read, where the main character, Edie, finds herself in a home where she feels unwelcomed and at a school full to the brim with mean girls. The love triangle/romance makes the story interesting. The text was easy to read, and overall, I enjoyed the story, even if I struggled with a couple of things. 

What bothered me a little was that all the characters were mean to Edie in one way or another. Her best friend is largely absent from the story, and there could have been more interaction between them because I did not think much of their relationship and it is supposed to be strong when it comes to best friends. The family was impossibly selfish and superficial. Even the make-overs organized by the cousins felt like charity cases. 

As for the boys, I would have walked away from them both if I were Edie. I cannot deny that they are portrayed in ways that make them attractive and fascinating to Edie and I loved reading about them. The boy next door is perfect for her, even if he already has a girlfriend; however, he does not seem to know how to stand up for himself or even to have an opinion even if it gets better at the end. The bad boy is funny, but he does a 360 too fast. There are also parts that make me think he is not ready to handle a relationship.

That said, I found the way that Edie navigated through this toxic environment engaging, and I wanted to know who she would pick in the end. I also enjoyed the witty banter with the boys, which was fun. This is a 4-star read for me.

YA Rom Coms seriously are my weakness. Ever since To All The Boys I’ve Loved, I could just read them and watch them all. I was really excited when I got approved for this title to be included on the blog tour and get a chance to read it before release. I really enjoyed the modern take on the Cinderella fairy tale and how the author wasn’t afraid to even have the characters make comparisons in the actual story.

The Love triangles were fantastic. More like a love octagon really. It was hard to figure out if this was going to be a friends to lovers trope or an enemies to lovers. I will say that I was #teamhenry and that is not who I thought I would be rooting for when I read the synopsis.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (5 out of 5) Oh to be young and in love ❤❤. This book was such a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed stumbling along with Edie as she tried to find herself in a new school with new friends. The author did a great job building the characters and then surprising you just a little bit with how they would turn out.

This was such a cute story!!  I saw this was a Jane Austin retelling of Mansfield Park so if you like classics with a modern YA twist you would really enjoy it! I could not put this one down, At first I was completely against Henry but I found myself actually really liking him towards the end. And then of course Sebastian is super likable from the very beginning so who wouldn't like him!This was a bit of a love triangle and I was here for it. I absolutely enjoyed this and had all the sweetness I always look for in YA Romance! Reminds me a lot of To All The Boys I Loved Before!

I tried to get through this book but I found it too saccharine and simplistic. I went in not knowing it was supposed to be an Austen retelling, which might have made a difference, but I'm not familiar with the story. What I read felt like it was trying way too hard to be relatable. Edie read like an adult pretending to be a pouty teenager and her aunt seemed like the wicked stepmother from every fairytale. I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

I really hoped that I loved this book but I did not.  I could just not get into it and did not finish.  I blame myself only.  I normally love YA.  It is just that this poor girl is suffering a hardship and she is thrown into a rich world that only cares about things when all she needs is a hug or her mom back.  

I do hope to someday come back to this one and give it a proper review.  But for now, I am DNF with no rating (Note:  Netgalley made me pick a star rating so I chose 2 bc 1 felt too harsh).

I cant stay away from a Jane Austen/Jacquline Firkins mix! Her and her beautiful story. The dialogue was Witty,  well drawn characters and plenty of swoon worthy moments 
This book has been made a winner on my shelf, and this talented debut author a must-buy from now on. 

But note its a slow start but worth it in the end~

This book was a light, sweet read that's perfect for fans of YA contemporary.
There is a lot of heart poured into this story when it comes to self discovery and family relationships. Which this aspect was my favorite thing about this book. I do wish that we got a little bit more character development especially from our main characters. They almost felt like they were the same exact characters in the end that they were in the beginning. I think this is why I didn't fully love the romance although it was cute. (Henry deserved WAY better.) At times it felt rushed or the pacing was off which made it hard to follow.. But overall it was an enjoyable read. <3

Confession: I had no idea this was a retelling of Mansfield Park and I haven’t read that, BUT the great thing is you really don’t have to to appreciate the story!

Let’s start off with the characters. All the characters (ALL OF THEM) are flawed and I LOVE IT. And yet you still will find yourself rooting for people. It’s awesome! It’s very rare to see every character be not-so-perfect and especially when it comes to a novel with a lot of secondary characters!

Edie was really relatable in the sense that she was a musician and a reader with extensive random knowledge of quotes. I loved the scenes where she would quote authors and I especially loved the jokes she would tell!

The other main characters were Sebastian and Henry. I’m not going to lie, Henry was totally my favorite character. He was flawed and one of those typical jocks that had a soft side. Like, duh of course I’m gonna love him! I loved learning about his character and the scenes with him and edie were definitely the highlight of the book.

Sebastian was… average. Edie kept going back to him because he was the “boy next door”, but he had a girlfriend. While he and Edie’s few interactions were cute and I could see them together, I also just didn’t care for him that much. I didn’t really get why Edie was pining over him, but whatever.

Edie’s cousins were also intriguing. They weren’t completely the “snobby egotistical” girls and it was fun getting to know them especially as they started to come more into their character and stop hiding behind facades.

The plot itself had a few different layers and I was so surprised when one of my favorite tropes (I won’t say which because it’ll ruin the fun) was implemented! I liked that Edie had more than just the love interest conflict. I liked the strained relationship with her friend from back home and the little blog posts she would do to try and keep up with her.

The only reason I didn’t rate this a 5/5 was because there were a few things I had a problem with. Some of the lines were just sort of cringe-y but overall, the story was great. And though I was very very angry with how the book ended (not because it was bad, but it just didn’t go the way I hoped), this is definitely a recommendable book because it was fun and interesting!

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys music, book quotes (especially cheesy Shakespeare), hilarious “man walks into bar” jokes, flawed and three dimensional characters, friendship drama, pining over the boy next door, really fancy parties that you have no businesses being at, really dramatic poker games, pixie sticks, and high school drama! If you like boys next door and arrogant but actually really sweet “bad” boys, really great gifts, a weird sort of love triangle and trying and failing to “find yourself” in an effort to get scholarships, this is the book for you!

I have some pretty complicated feelings on this book,  I won't lie. Maybe it is because I have never read or even watched Jane Austen of which, Hearts, Strings and, Other Breakable Things is a retelling but the plot was so satisfying  to me. I wanted to know more about Edie's past and her mom passing away or about her best friend who she was fighting with and less about whatever outfit her cousins wore and the fact that Edie kept flopping between two guys while getting on her cousins about doing something similar, really rubbed me wrong. </p>

Sebastian is an old friend and first crush and I instantly shipped them because childhood friends to lover is one of my weaknesses. But he had a girlfriend and the constant flirting without truly flirting so we don't get in trouble isn't something I liked. In my eyes it could be emotional cheating but I am also a big "if you aren't in love or aren't happy, break up!!!!" kind of person. Especially if you can't be yourself with your partner. Claire was made out to be the "big bad bitch" and yeah, she does suck for not supporting her boyfriend but like... He and Edie DID have feelings for each other so her jealousy wasn't totally unfounded.

These are just some of the reasons that in the end, I gave Hearts, Strings and Other Breakable Things a low rating of 2 teacups or stars.

Edie's lost her mom, and her aunt FINALLY decides to have Edie come live with her family in Mansfield. Besides two cousins, Julia and Maria, Edie also has fond memories of the boy next door, Sebastian.  Only after making a re-connection with Sebastian, Edie meets his girlfriend, Claire. 

Edie has to spend her senior year navigating the waves of her cousins, Claire, Sebastian, and Claire's brother Henry, upon whom Julia has a crush, with whom Maria wants to have a fling, and who seems to have a genuine interest in Edie.  But Edie has to focus on coming up with college tuition, not boys.  Boys are a distraction.

This cute, contemporary novel takes the reader on a journey with Edie as she tries to repair a friendship back home and build new ones in Mansfield.  The story is well plotted if not particularly exciting, but it does leave the reader with a satisfying happily ever after ending.

I was provided with an ARC of this title from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Is your life filled with "what ifs"? Edie's certainly is. The boy who burrowed into imaginary fur coats with her searching for a way to Narnia, who climbed trees with her, and gave her the only kiss she's ever received, is her "what if." 

Edie doesn't really fit in with her rich cousins, and to her aunt she is a charity case meant to portray sainthood to the Junior League. She wears comfortable, kinda grungy clothes, she's very openminded and she's not afraid to be herself. 

This is a lovely exploration of the journey to find yourself in a world that wants you to just be quiet and blend in. It's a heartbreaking, yet uplifting story of a girl who takes all of the terrible things in her life and lets them build her inner strength.

I liked this so much more than I thought I would! It's actually an extremely well-done love triangle. If you're in this for kissing though, BEWARE THERE IS NONE UNTIL AFTER PAGE 287. There is also a LOT of mocking and mean-girling, which really got to me, especially since a majority of it came from Edie's aunt and cousins and no one ever really called them out on it.