This book was cute but I wasn’t as into it as the last book I read by this author. I liked a lot of things about it, but it just didn’t capture my attention as much as I’d have liked.

I really liked Saachi’s character, I loved her drive for revenge and her sass with Fahim. The banter between the two of them really made the relationship. I love a good back and forth between characters like this. The enemies to lovers vibe was great too. This is the sort of enemies to lovers story that I like a lot.

I liked Saachi’s relationships with her friends and family as well. The trauma of her mum leaving was really impactful and I’m glad they explored that so thoroughly. It was a good plot.

I don’t know why this left me wanting, I might reread this in the future and see I get into it more.

This was such a cute story!

After her best friend Mona is left heartbroken after being ghosted by Fahim. Saachi devises a plan to get him to fall in love with her so she can dump him to get a taste of his own medicine. This story was full of friendship, cute crushes and family. It reminded me of Angus Thongs and Perfect snogging, one of my favourite teenage movies. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. The character development was great and I think this story had everything that makes a great young adult romance.

Saachi would do anything for her best friend. So when the unlikeable (at least to her) Fahim breaks Mona's heart, she plots revenge. She will make him fall for her and then gift him some of his own medicine. But she starts to have true feelings for him. Will Saachi still become the heartbreaker she set out to be, even if she ends up breaking her own?

When the book starts with the act of petty revenge on the 'bad guy's' clothes, I knew I was in for a treat. The 1st person POV is witty & funny, an endearing narrative full of her caustic remarks about anything and everything, and gut-wrenching but tender when dealing with her abandonment issues, her familial hurt. Seeing the South Asian culture in England through Saachi's eyes is engaging, enlightening and evolves the character.

Clever, proud to be stubborn and short-fused, I loved reading her verbal smartass war with Fahim, which was all the money. It seems that they've met each other's match. There are outrageous displays and unexpected actions that just warm the enemies-to-lovers & romcom parts of your heart. Even if you — begrudgingly at first — end up liking Fahim like our protagonist does, you still root for our girl and her mission. Or do you? Her aversion not only to him but to romance in general makes it all the more entertaining. How they constantly surprise one another while exhibiting genuineness is wonderful to read. And how incredible it is to really be seen.

I loved the group chat and DM pages; they felt like actual chats. They further the story and expand our knowledge of the characters in one artful move. The interactions are truthful and often sweet. Also, certain DMs make you want to hug the pages as you are chuckling and the writing out of emojis is my new favorite thing. This author always gives us remarkably down-to-earth, either sincere or quite humorous dialogue.

There needs to be a special mention of Abbu and Dev. I just adored them.

Saachi symbolizes how women are or should be fed up with certain male behavior and Fahim how clueless men today can be about how their masculinity and interest or disinterest should be exhibited. Dating etiquette and what it should be is a slippery slope. This book is about being honest with ourselves and what is actually bothering us.

Saachi shouldering all the blame was wrong in my opinion, but I do respect the author's choice and it is true that teenagers, heck, even a substantial amount of adults, do seem to make everything life or death. But a certain someone's hypocrisy was not dealt with. Additionally, for all the buildup, some story threads were resolved too easily. But I did like the apology letter *wink*

Don't judge a book by its cover or in this case a boy by his sometimes assine behavior. We can learn. We can evolve. We can become better.

The cutest YA love story! The flirting, the culture, the growth between both characters. To All The Boys I Loved Before girlies will love this one.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Heartbreaker by Anika Hussain? WOW. This book completely stole my heart.
If you love a slow-burn romance with all the tension and swoon-worthy moments, this one is for you. The chemistry between the characters is electric—seriously, I felt the spark between them from page one. The push-and-pull is done so well that I couldn’t put it down.

The main character has such depth and vulnerability, and the love interest? Definitely a heartbreaker in the best way. It’s not just about the romance though—there’s real growth, self-discovery, and so many beautiful moments that made me feel ALL the emotions.

5/5 stars. A must-read for romance lovers who want all the feels and a totally swoon-worthy book boyfriend.




❤️shaye.readss

3.5 ⭐

This was adorable. I was definitely not the intended audience for it, but I had fun reading it. It was a little predictable but engaging nonetheless.

(The cover art is gorgeous 😍)

Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for an early proof in exchange for an honest review.

4 🌟

as a brown girl who LOVES a good YA romance, I really enjoyed this book! An easy to read book (I finished it in one sitting) with a classic enemies to lovers trope and some good character development. There were bits that felt easily resolved but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment overall.

This book made me actually swoon! Can someone explain why I was blushing whilst reading this book, should I go see someone?

There's so much good stuff to say but let's start with the desi representation. There are not enough romance books that reflect and champion South Asian culture so I'm beyond chuffed that this one revolves around two characters from a Bengali background. Hussain does a phenomenal job and not only subtly educating the reader about the beauty of this culture but it felt so genuine and authentic, as if it was an invisible thread that was woven within and between them both. It's a great example of how to touch on cultures beautiful but also in a way that feels mindful and respectful of not falling victim to stereotypes. Absolutely wonderful.

Let's get into the actual stars of the show, starting with Saachi. Oh my goodness me, Saachi is such a badass! She is so stubborn, determined and driven it was really refreshing to read a FMC who is so certain of herself and with such a developed identity. I loved how much of a good friend she was to Mona, even though she obviously could've made some better decisions at certain points of the story her heart was always in the right place and I was really rooting for her throughout. It felt like she forever had her friends' back and so many of her choices were made to ease Mona's heartbreak which was remarkably kind of her. I loved how aggressively organised she was and that she didn't fit the classic 'damsel in distress' stereotype, at no point did Saachi need rescuing and I really respected that. She's also ridiculously witty and quick, I laughed when she handed Fahim the apology letter and he asks her to read it to him and her first thought is 'can he not read? Have I finally found a flaw in him?' This dry sarcasm was really fun to read.

Fahim is also unforgettable as a character. On their first date, when Saachi accidentally hits Fahim in his nether regions and they go to get food after, Fahim jokes 'but, please, if you can, don't drop anything hot on my junk'. So funny! He's also such a shameless flirt, it was brilliant. When he gets food on his face and Saachi tries to point out where and he breezily just replies 'why don't you just wipe it off for me, boss?' So smooth, I think even my heart stopped beating for a second. He calls her 'boss' throughout which was so cute and I actually appreciated that there was so much underlying respect behind the flirting as if he almost saw her as a pro and didn't doubt her intellect or capabilities. It felt more original than the classic pet names but still deeply romantic at its core. And he never questions her needs. When she tells him that he's going to have to 'earn' her words of gratitude, he flirts back and says 'well, seems I've got to get to work then'. He is unbelievably patient with her, even when Saachi was asking for a lot from him. Beyond the surface level flirting and banter, there's something really gorgeous about how he sees Saachi. When he calls her 'fearless' and essentially gives her a perspective of her identity that she hasn't seen before that felt really cool.

I was also a huge fan of Fathom's thoughtfulness. He goes out of his way time and time again and performs some of the sweetest gestures. I appreciated that he didn't do any of the classic sweeping grand gestures and or public confessions of his love for her. Instead, he gifts her a necklace with his mother's ring on it (awwww!) And accidentally confesses that he's in love with her when he gets flustered (double awww!)

Don't get me started on Fahim and Saachi's chemistry, I might need a minute. It was sensational and buzzy from start to finish. There was such an ease in their dynamic that enabled this really humorous flirty banter to cut through. I loved when Saachi said 'bite me' in arguably an aggressive manor and Fahim just smoothly replies with 'would love to. Where?' It's the enemies to lovers aspect of their connection that made all these comments all the more funny and at times kind of romantic too. It truly was enemies to lovers trope at its absolute finest and I think books like this one is why readers adore this trope so universally, it's very rewarding when executed as well as it has been done here.

And there should definitely be a paragraph to the supporting stars, Saachi's family and friends. Rimi is one of the funniest characters I've read in a long time. When Saachi's brother puts mayo in her shampoo and subsequently she accidentally washes her hair in mayo, Rim's reaction is great ('hey at least if he takes you for dinner you won't need to pay extra for sauces.') Brilliant. All of Saachi's friends, are so caring and it feels like they are constantly looking out for her wellbeing and making sure she's okay which was a nice touch.

It also should be noted that this book was so much fun! I felt like I was part of Saachi's friendship group during the genesis of 'Operation Casper' and then when it evolved into 'Operation Heartbreaker' it was ridiculously enjoyable to watch these girls band together to get revenge on Fahim the ultimate player and heartbreaker. There was also so much fun and joy packed into Fahim and Saachi's relationship too, from all the scenes where he cooks to her to their little picnic date it was so light and fluffy at parts that made it really something special. Hussain does a great job at capturing the conflicting feelings that arise when you start to become aware that you're crushing on someone who you really shouldn't ('calling his bluff, while also willing my damned heart to slow the hell down').

There was also a pretty serious undertone that featured in this book: Saachi's relationship with her mum. It wasn't the forefront of the plot, which I think allowed a lot more air time for the romance to develop and both Saachi and Fahim's character development. But it was touched on and I thought her mum's experience with PPD albeit brief was handled in a really delicate and lovely way. There were definitely moments of family drama between Saachi and her mum ('you're not the worst other in the world...because you're not a mother at all') which was also interesting to read amidst all the fun that was happening between Saachi and Fahim.

My only minor note is that some of the wording could've been reworked I think. 'There was pretty much a quarter of a teenager to every toddler and set of parents there' felt a little confusing to wrap my head around, I had to re-read that a couple times haha. Also 'true enough' felt weird to read, that might just be me.

Plot wise, I didn't really get why Fahim would've only got to know Mona to get closer to Saachi. It felt kind of unrealistic at best and manipulative at worst. Also, when Saachi's knees buckle and she falls to the ground, at school this felt kind of silly. I've never fallen to the ground at school and in sixth form surely she would've been somewhat self conscious of someone seeing that happen? A run to the bathroom to cry or even slide down the wall and cry would've felt better - not a knee buckle. Also, speaking of school, she takes an entire week off school! Is this allowed? I feel like if I'd done this whilst I was at sixth form, my head of year or form tutor would've definitely pulled me aside. And yes, some could argue that this is a relatively classic plot of fake dating revenge plot with the enemies to lovers trope mixed in but I really can't complain because of how well it was written. I think it can be tricky to reinvent the wheel and still make it feel like a somewhat realistic read so it honestly didn't bother me that the plot was arguably predictable.

Overall, a sensational read from start to finish. The perfect enemies to lovers YA book with undeniably sizzling chemistry. It ends so beautifully with a sentence that I think encapsulates the immaculate vibes of this book: 'heartbreak can cripple you but it can also heal you'.

This is a cute, fluffy coming of age book that has the perfect balance of heart, humour and realistic teen chaos.

The book starting with Saachi trying to publicly humiliate Fahim for revenge on her best friend shows her character straight away, giving us an insight into the love and loyalty for those she holds closest. But what starts as revenge quickly unravels into something far more complicated.

The way the teenagers were perceived felt honest. The friendship dynamics, family relationships and messy feelings felt so real their age. Saachi’s internal struggle of liking the very guy she’s supposed to hate, is written beautifully, allowing their relationship to build in both a sweet and believable way.

oh can someone take me back to being a young adult because i want to be young enough to go totally mushy at the knees for this book. wow. spin me around and make my heart break and mend together again. this book is everything you need in a smart,witty, gorgeous funny romance. with characters you can shout for and fall for in equal measure. before the adult adult cynic falls into your heart! but alas i still did that anyway so that shows how good this book truly was. that an old grump like me loved it.
from start to finish everything about this book was perfect. where has Anika been all my book reading life? i shall be waiting for more from her.
its the type of book when you are that age you want to underline and fold down corners.
dont get me wrong though it wasnt young,fluffy or juvenile. no no this book was clever for all us adults. but it just had the sparky something extra of the young.
of course it also had a fair few behaviors that you can let those without the "you should know better" can get away with in those young years. not in a too dark or deep or hurtful way. just these guys are literally still learning who they are.
there were the deeper more emotional moments to this book which only made you fall for these characters more.
i adored this book i dont want to go into the why and whos too much as i would be here all day and id spoil it. you need to come to this book and get to know it and them fresh and fall for it like i did. but you must. you must. you will come away lifted and smiling and wanting more.

So cute! And that opening? Starting with her cutting a million asses into his uniform? I was hooked! This book had me laughing out loud at their first date and swooning over Fahim. It was such a cutesy, light read, and I really enjoyed it!

4.5 stars
I enjoyed this book so much!! It had me captivated from the first chapter. The FMC saachi is so witty and against any real romance towards the MMC Fahim.

Saachi wants to get revenge for her best friend against Fahim… so operation heartbreaker starts to try and get Fahim to fall for her so she can break his heart.

The growth that the FMC goes through in her personal life is so emotional. Both of the main characters have personal issues to do with family which makes the book feel older than the characters are.

The book is a lovely YA romance where the two characters are at sixform. It has first love. Academy setting and fake dating.. one her side. Such a cute and romantic book that will make you laugh .

This was a cute little YA romance that hit the spot just when I needed it to.

Saachi is a great lead female character, she knows exactly who she is and how to handle most things thrown at her, like her mum reappearing after walking out on her years ago and like falling in love with her best friend's ex who ghosted her!!!

I really enjoyed this, it was sweet and cute and a really easy read!

I rated this 3 stars.

This novel definitely gave feisty enemies to lovers vibes, with our female main character, Saachi, hellbent on exacting revenge after the most popular boy in school breaks the heart of her best friend.

The plot was really fun and engaging, and the dialogue between the characters was super funny. It reminded me of some high school Netflix shows, and I definitely feel it could be one itself!

Our FMC Saachi was stubborn, strong-willed, cool, and fiercely loyal. And our male love interest Fahim was confident, bold, suave, and thoughtful. They had great chemistry and matched super well with each other. Both Saachi and Fahim had really good character arcs by the end of the story too.

One thing I would like to note is that I don't think the ages of the characters are mentioned in this novel. I had to search online for how the school year system worked in England - as here in Scotland, we use a different system - so that I could work out their ages. I went through this novel with the Kindle search function to find out if there was any mention of their ages that I'd missed, but I couldn't find any. This is a small detail, but it did leave me a little confused as until they started drinking, I had assumed they were a lot younger.

I didn't realise when I requested this book that it was a teen rom com novel and not a spicy romance, but that's completely my fault for not checking the category!

Despite this - as the mistake is my own - I still really enjoyed this book and think it would absolutely appeal to and be loved by teens and young adults!

Thank you very much to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this!

*I received this book as an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) for free in exchange for an honest review*

If you're looking for a fun South Asian book, STOP!! It's right here!! I loved Heartbreaker from the first sentence down to the last. With fave tropes like fake dating, rivals to lovers and the best friendship group, I ate it up. When they say its like John Tucker Must Die, it really is!

I loved Saachi. She's a fun, cynical FMC, who cares so deeply for her friends that she has blinkers on. Even when she was making mistakes, I was still on her side and I loved that. Fahim though, oh he's a loser in love! This is such an underrated microtrope and again one I love so much. I also thought he was a pink turned green flag, which was written so well.

The writing itself was brilliant. Perfect pacing, I loved the characters development, the set up, the way it hit every beat.

I have to add, that if you're looking for an accurate Muslim representation, this is not it. I'm a little unsure as to whether Saachi is even Muslim, but there were references to Allah .... but then her dad' pretty chilled about her being with a boy, so I dont know, maybe they're more modern. However I know other Muslims want to know this before going in a book. It doesn't take ANYTHING away from the story itself though, which i want to read all over again!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.0 stars.

This YA romance had a lovely mix of tropes that made for a genuine build up of a connection with hurdles along the way that made it that much more special when the happy ending came.

I like the fact that the characters had individual hurdles that affected their connection, but also allowed us to see them grow and heal in some shape or form.

Desi culture which was well represented in this story and I loved the references to the culture throughout.

If you are a fan of to all the boys I loved before, scheming friends with revenge on the brain, a fierce FMC and charming MMC then you will absolutely love this.

The title heartbreaker is apt on so many levels. The main plot is about Saachi trying to break Fahim’s heart because he broke her best friend, Mona’s heart. She agrees to go on a date with him in order to make him fall in love with her just so she can ghost him/dump him at the end and give him a taste of his own medicine. But Fahim is not quite what he seems, and Saachi quickly sees a whole other side to him that leaves her confused and at risk of her own heartbreak.

Then we have Saachi’s relationship with her mother. Her mother abandoned Saachi (and her baby brother and father) when Saachi was only 8, and she’s never forgiven him. Neither has she let her mother explain why. So when Saachi’s mother comes back and wants to reconnect with her daughter, there is a lot more room for heartbreak.

With Saachi trying very hard to avoid having her heart broken, she actually starts to take her friends for granted and actually stops listening to them (especially Mona) and being a good friend. She’s so caught up on breaking Fahim’s heart that she doesn’t realise it’s not what Mona wants. This leads to trouble within their friendship group and sets up more heartbreak for Saachi.

While this is predominantly a romance, this is also a book of family and friendships and learning to forgive. It’s cute and lighthearted, but make no mistake - this will have you in tears.

To quote Saachi: “it’s a privilege to have your heart broken and come back from it” and this is exactly what this book does. It will break your heart and then pick up the pieces, and you will love every minute.

Heartbreaker was an absolute delight - the perfect mix of swoony romance and laugh-out-loud moments. The enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes were done so well, with just the right amount of tension and pining to keep me turning the pages. I loved how the story had that fun, scheming energy (definite John Tucker Must Die vibes) but with a fresh twist that made it feel unique.

Beyond the romance, there was a surprising emotional depth that caught me off guard in the best way. The characters felt real, with their messy feelings and genuine growth, and I found myself rooting for them both as a couple and as individuals. It was sweet, spicy, and heartfelt - everything I want in a romcom. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever Anika Hussain writes next!

Thank you so much to Bonnier Books UK (Hot Key Books) & Netgalley for allowing me to read Heartbreaker in exchange for honest feedback.

This book definitely gave me John Tucker Must Die vibes and I absolutely loved Anika's spin on it! It had me giddy, kicking my feet & giggling away, but it also made me feel all the emotions towards the end when 'sh*t got real'.

The friendship group was fab & I loved Saachi's relationship with her dad & brother. I also loved the storyline with her mum.

I flew through Heartbreaker - I really struggled to put it down because it was just so good!

If you love a strong FMC, great banter, undeniable chemistry, enemies to lovers & a 'one bed' trope, Heartbreaker won't disappoint!

Set in Bristol, Sixth form students and long-time school rivals Saachi and Fahim are your usual teenagers, both working through some family dramas. They find themselves spending more time together after Saachi vows she will get revenge on Fahim for ghosting her best friend or "Operation Heartbreaker". But Saachi didnt count on their natural attraction and similarities, they both begin to open up to each other and the operation starts to fall apart, and her friends arent happy with the way she handles it, can Saachi figure out a way to have it all?

This was a really nice quick read for me, and i loved sassy Saachi and how cute the dates were. Desi culture galore with Mindy Kaling's "Never Have I Ever" vibes, this coming of age romance has family drama, school scheming, personal growth and some wit thrown in.

Themes
❤️ Young Love 👩‍🏫 Sixth-form Setting
🇧🇩 Desi Culture Representation
💞 Enemies to Lovers 🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Family Drama

With thanks to Netgalley, the author and Bonnier books UK for this e-ARC