by Ruby Lang
ASIN/ISBN: B0CK59MYYC
Publication: September 30, 2023

**I was provided a copy of the book by the author. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.**

This is a second chance romance between two people who find themselves drawn back to each other after a not-so-serendipitous meeting at a reunion. Nat purposely attends hoping she will see Ben, and Ben, well, Ben cannot seem to be just friends even when he tries to set boundaries.

Lang writes insightful characters who are complex and vivid. They feel as if they are more than just characters in a book. They leap out of the pages, transforming into the best friend at the top of my contact list or, at times, what I imagine would be a wiser, more introspective version of a grown-up me. Nat and Ben’s authenticity made me want the story to never end.

I wanted to hug Nat and tell her she was enough. Her vulnerability tugged at me as she hoped for more but felt unworthy. Ben is never vindictive, opting to try protecting his heart instead. Even as I wanted him to give Nat one more chance, I was afraid of what might happen, if it might lead to the same end. Their attempt at a second chance is one that explains how and why time can mend the things we have broken.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is a short book with a long title that packs an emotional punch, one that remains long after the last page. Lang broke my heart, but she mended it well. Like Lang’s other novellas, I expect to return to this one again.

I needed to highlight emmalita at Cannonballread for describing the novella so well: “Novellas can sometimes feel rushed, but I am Trying to Break Your Heart is like breathing – it takes all the time it needs.”