Even If It Breaks Your Heart

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn
Narrator: Rachel L. Jacobs, Tristan Wright
Published by Spotify Audiobooks, Wednesday Books on February 6, 2024
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Length: 9 hours 1 minute
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Library, Publisher
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A heart-buckling ride of a romance by beloved author Erin Hahn, Even If It Breaks Your Heart is about two teens finding out that sometimes, the hardest part of discovering what you want is getting the courage to pursue it.

The only thing keeping nineteen-year-old Case Michaels together after the death of his best friend, Walker, is a list Walker left behind of things he wants Case to accomplish in his absence. So far, though, Case hasn’t even been able to continue riding bulls in the rodeo circuit, something he’s done his entire life, balking at the thought of competing without Walker by his side. But the list? Case is determined to follow it to the letter– and he follows it all the way to Winnie Sutton.

Eighteen-year-old Winnie Sutton just wants to keep her family together. She graduated high school early to work long shifts at the Michaels family ranch so she can support her younger siblings and a father who’s more than happy to let Winnie fill the responsible parent role. If she sometimes sneaks out to ride the horses herself and forget about life for a while– well, that’s no one else’s business– until the day she crashes headfirst into Case Michaels. Case sees her riding skills and immediately ropes her into competing for the ranch and becoming his friend.

Winnie and Case couldn’t be more different, but Case can’t help but be inspired by Winnie’s badly-hidden passion for riding and competition. And there’s something about Case that makes Winnie want to try grasping onto a dream for herself, whether that’s a shot at a rodeo trophy, the annoyingly handsome rancher’s son who won’t leave her alone, or maybe both.

This was great! I am beginning to believe that Erin Hahn can do no wrong. I am just mad at myself for waiting so long to read this book. I was drawn to these characters right away and wanted nothing more than to see good things happen for them. Case and Winnie have both had to deal with some pretty big challenges so I loved seeing them start to lean on each other for support just a bit. I found it almost impossible to set this book aside once I started reading and enjoyed every step of my journey with Case and Winnie.

Case is still dealing with massive amounts of grief after the death of his best friend, Walker. Walker left him a list of things that he didn’t get a chance to do that he wanted Case to finish. One of those items was befriending Winnie. Winnie works at the ranch that Case’s family owns. She has been the person holding her family together for the past 10 years since her mother left. She cares for her two younger siblings and makes sure food makes its way to the table and the bills get paid, while her father spends his nights either working or out with friends. Winnie has a way with horses and could be a prize-winning barrel racer if she had the opportunity to pursue her dreams.

Case and Winnie were great characters, who just seemed to belong together. They are both trying to figure out some pretty big issues and I like the way that they always supported one another without any expectations. The chemistry between them was very well done and I appreciated the fact that their relationship progressed rather slowly. I enjoyed the fact that there were a few surprises worked into the story and I loved the growth that we saw in both of these characters.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Rachel L. Jacobs and Tristan Wright both did a great job with the narration. I liked that the story was told from two points of view and thought that the narrators helped to bring these characters to life through their reading. I found their voices to be very pleasant and thought that they complimented each other very well. I am certain that their narration added to my overall enjoyment.

I would recommend this book to others. This was a thought-provoking story that touched my heart and gave me hope. Winnie and Case were great characters who deserved to find their own brand of happiness. I can’t wait to read more of Erin Hahn’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from Wednesday Books.

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