An Optimist's Guide to Heartbreak

Heartsong #1

by Jennifer Hartmann, Ulrike Gerstner (Translator)

Wie Sonnenschein an einem verregneten Tag

Lucy Hope ist eine echte Optimistin. Mit ihrer heiteren und aufgeschlossenen Art begegnet sie jeder dunklen Wolke mit einem Lächeln, selbst wenn es sich dabei um ihren ehemals besten Freund Cal handelt. Nachdem ein traumatisches Ereignis die beiden vor Jahren auseinandergerissen hat, wünscht sich Lucy nichts sehnlicher, als die Freundschaft zwischen ihnen wieder aufleben zu lassen. In der Hoffnung, dass die Nähe sie wieder zusammenschweißt, bewirbt sich die junge Frau kurzerhand als Aushilfe in Cals Werkstatt. Doch wie kann sie den sturen Pessimisten davon überzeugen, die Vergangenheit hinter sich zu lassen und mit ihr in eine gemeinsame Zukunft zu blicken – auch wenn diese schneller zu Ende sein könnte, als beiden bewusst ist…

Genres: Romance, Grumpy Sunshine, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Slow Burn

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2023

About the author

Jennifer Hartmann resides in northern Illinois with her own personal romance hero and three children. When she is not writing angsty love stories, she is likely pondering all the ways she can break your heart and piece it back together again. She enjoys sunsets (because mornings are hard), bike riding, traveling, bingeing Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and that time of day when coffee gets replaced by wine. She loves tacos. She also really, really wants to pet your dog.

Reviews

[jessica yeung · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable in a “so much angst and tension, the room feels a little hot” kind of way. which always makes for a fun read!

and im a fan of a lot of the tropes used in this story. best friends older brother. grumpy vs sunshine. childhood friends/sweethearts. and its especially that last trope that got me hooked on this.

which is why i would have enjoy this more if the author had alternated between past and present POV chapters. there are some flashback scenes nestled throughout, but dedicating whole chapters to who lucy and cal were as children really would have sold me on the connection they had and had me rooting more for their chance to rekindle what they once were. but we dont get that as a reader, so i feel like im missing half the story.

but still, i did enjoy reading this. it was quick and easy to get into, so i fully expect myself to pick up the sequel.

↠ 3.5 stars

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING AND I NEED BOOK TWO NOW!!!!

I want to start off by saying this does have a cliffhanger, so be prepared for that before getting your hands on book two (it's a duet). This book had so many tropes I loved. Best friend's brother. Grumpy, tattooed hero, workplace romance, sunshine heroine, SLOOWWW BURRRNNN. Seriously, the tension between Lucy and Cal is everything. They have a history but haven't reconnected in years. Now, Lucy is in town and decides to get a job as a receptionist at Cal's mechanic shop. Cal doesn't want anything to do with Lucy because she brings up painful memories for him, but he can't avoid her now that she's working for him. There is so much chemistry between these two and the slow burn of their romance just killed me (but in a good way!!). And can we talk about how jealous and possessive Cal would get? I was swooning this whole book, but also so nervous because I know that Jennifer likes to kill us with the emotions. So many emotions!!! I loved every second of this book!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

And sometimes, when you think something is coming to an end, it’s actually the beginning of something beautiful.

I've read most of Jennifer Hartmann's books, and An Optimist's Guide to Heartbreak felt different than anything I've read of hers. It was 100% my kind of book. I mean, grumpy/sunshine plus all of the feels. Those are some of my favorite things!

Lucy is an optimist and truly a joy. Reading from her perspective kept a smile on my face. The book starts with Lucy moving into a new home she just purchased. The home next door to her childhood home where her best friends, Cal and Emma used to live. She hasn't seen or spoken to Cal since they were children, but she's reconnecting with him by applying to work at his auto repair shop.

Cal of course is the grumpy in this friendship that turns into a very sloooooow burn romance. There is so much I want to say about Cal, his past, and him in general but this ended on such a cliffhanger and I don't want to spoil anything about it. Just know I loved it so much and I'm waiting on pins and needles for the next book in this duet!

"I’m no good for you, but somehow, you’re the best thing about me—it’s a recipe for disaster."

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (Semi-Hiatus-attempting return) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 48%

I LOVE (maybe not so much recently) Jennifer Hartmann but I can’t deal with this anymore. The FMC is not just annoying quirky but freaking neurotic and extremely immature. When I tell you the awkward moments that passed between me and this book with some of the things that came out of her mouth that are just plain ridiculous for a 23 year old.

I’d say it’s boarding second hand embarrassment. I’ve read grumpy/sunshine before and I liked the trope well enough but the contrast between these two in my own opinion is just too much.

⚠️Spoilers below:⚠️

So not only is Lucy (FMC) this neurotic hot mess that totally overreacts to EVERYTHING to do with Cal but she is traumatized by the death of her friend who passed away when she was 12-13 years old and now at 23 she’s basically stalking the real estate market to purchase the childhood home of the deceased friend who happens to be the sister of Cal.

She then proceeds to walk into his auto shop for a job. Stalker much? After 10 years? Le sigh. Cal is obviously has some PTSD going on about his sister and possibly other family matters (I didn’t read far enough) and here comes Lucy with her bad heart issue (possibly deadly disease?) and plops back into his life after 10 years - for why??? Has he not suffered enough?

So remember how I said Lucy was overly immature? At 23 years old, she’s still a virgin who has never kissed a guy since Cal which was a peck back when she was 12. Come on! I can not.

It’s a shame this was a miss for me but it’s just to cringe. Next.

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 3 out of 5]

– 2.75 stars

i’m not particularly fond of Jennifer Hartmann’s romances, but i keep trying, because i like that that she at least tries to be more original than the run of the mill ‘fake dating alpha ceo billionaire marriage of convenience’ books that keep getting spit out. not saying that An Optimist Guide to Heartbreak is the most unique story, it’s really not, but i liked that i didn’t read this story 300 times before. yes, the bar is that low.

Things that make us sad aren’t all bad.
Sometimes, sad things serve as a gentle reminder that we still feel.

begging authors to stop making ‘sunshine’-characters only loving the color yellow like it’s their only personality trait and word vomiting. Lucy Hope (yes that’s her last name i’m not kidding) was a bit too QuIrKy. i like sunshine characters, but moderate sunshine characters that have an optimistic outlook of the world, not whatever Lucy tried to portray. my theory for why Lucy is dying is that it’s just karma getting back at her for naming her dogs Key Lime Pie and Lemon Meringue 💀💀💀



all in all not very memorable cuz i read this in january and now i don't remember all that much about it

[m · Rating 1 out of 5]

one very optimistic star for my uwu girl 🥺👉👈 and her grumpy emo bad boy 🥺❤️

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

🅰🅽 🅾🅿🆃🅸🅼🅸🆂🆃'🆂 🅶🆄🅸🅳🅴 🆃🅾 🅷🅴🅰🆁🆃🅱🆁🅴🅰🅺 Is the first full length romance book in the (Heartsong) duet by Jennifer Hartmann.

As soon as I saw this doing the rounds, from the author, to the cover, to the blurb, I couldn't wait for release day!!

This was a no frills kind of romance book, (no unnecessary drama) one you could see unfolding in life, even the twist thrown into the midst was realistic. I prepared myself for the cliffy the author threw me over and had a wee bit of a inkling it would unfold how it did, but it still had me screaming for the next book, which I’m so excited about.

Book by book I’ve read by this author just gets better and better, her ability to pull me in as effortlessly as she does is magical, her characters always leave their stamp on my heart. This couple was no different, the grump and the sunshine was the perfect balance.

'𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆. 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑰'𝒎 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒄, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒏'𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔, 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚.
𝑨 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕. ' - 𝑪𝒂𝒍



He was so closed off, and she just embraced life, completely opposite but the same when it came to their emotions. And all throughout they both captured my heart and my attention. She had me blushing with her ceaseless rambling and he had me swooning for no particular reason. They were both flawed but perfect..

I enjoyed the past glimpses into her best friends diary, the heartbreak they both carried around with them on a daily basis, the losses they’ve both endured.

If you’ve not read this author before take your pick because her books are amazing.

* Teaser used is off the authors facebook page *

                  

[Rebecca (life's chaotic catching up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy Read with my gorgeous girl Cara! Thanks for the rec Summer!!!

I had so much fun reading this book! Was it a great book? Nah... not at all!!! 😂😂 But reading it with my girl Cara and the Great Sour Patch Kid Debate it conjured made it totally worth it!! (Team RED/BLUE forever!!!!) Cas and Alex I will be sending you all of my green and yellow sour patch kids from now on! 😜

Lucy and Cal were childhood friends/sweethearts, they lose touch with each other after a tragedy and then 10 years later meet again and try to reacquaint themselves while dealing with their past.

Basically, there isn't much plot. The plot is the Grumpy/sunshine trope but not much else. I never really warmed up to Cal, why are we supposed to like him? Seriously, I was rooting for the bartender Nash the whole time!! Lucy is fine, a little too sunshiny and childish for me but ok I get it.

The question is, will I read the second book? Yep. It ends on a cliffhanger and God help me I want to know what happens and Cara and I are suckers but we are in this together! 😂💙💙💙

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

An impeccably structured story about enduring power of love. An untraditional love story of Epic Proportions
If you want your heart shattered by mere words, pick up ANY book by Jennifer Hartmann and she will take a hammer to it, stomp on it for good measure, then proceed to incinerate its ashes.
Total annihilation is always a possibility when reading her books, yet I lap at each and every word like manna. Despite my soul being crushed, my eyes puffy from unstoppable tears and a permanent acute pain in my chest, this is one of the best books I've read.

"Cal told me to break for him, and that’s what I’m doing.
Optimists fall, too.
This is how we break."



This beautiful story of Callahan and Lucy Hope is the biggest oxymoron of all.
Hopeful and hopeless, sweet and spicy, heartwarming and heartbreaking, loving and lovelorn, all in the same breath. Lucy is Hope personified, tracing back her steps to her childhood home. But her life is on a one way street ending in a cul-de-sac.

"Idle and songless.
Unforgotten, still preserved, yet missing everything it’s meant for.
Just existing."

I can't give you much deets, but suffice to say I was clenching my hand to my chest at most places, willing myself not to sob uncontrollably. Their relationship oscillators between flirtation and rejection. a war rages between minds and bodies. One says push, the other pulls like magnets.
At times it got too much and I wanted to jump in the book and shake some sense into them.
Unbelievable storytelling with compelling characters that you adopt as your best friends. Jennifer's prose pierces straight through to your heart. My mind is still spinning in all directions, long after I've closed the book last night and having cried myself to sleep.
What I believed was the definition of true love having been shaken, questioned, stretched beyond the tolerance levels of my heart.



It's Grumpy- sunshine trope
It's second chance at love
It's virgin heroine and growling alpha trope
It's childhood crush
It's best friends brother
It's growing up pains

"Beautiful things never last, and that’s why fireflies flash."



It's Everything and Anything my heart needed and wanted and packaged so beautifully, I'm rambling and speechless at the same time.
Need the next book like yesterday Jenn!!!
5 stars for Adventures and Disasters
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[Leticia (jerseygirlsbookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Deceptive Cadence: When you think something is coming to an end, it’s actually the beginning of something beautiful."
There’s so much I want to say about this book, but I know I can’t. You should go in blind. There may be times when you’ll think you have it all figured out, but you probably don’t. I thought I did.
I can tell you, however, that I was crying my eyes out, and I was only 20% in. I blame Jen and the way she is able to effortlessly touch my heart.
I still can’t believe I got to ARC this book. Saying I’m grateful is an understatement.

"I know that life’s truest treasures live inside the unexpected moments. The little curveballs that sweep us off our feet and steal our breath."
I have a lot of highlights, my Kindle tells me there are 88 of them. I wish I could choose them all because each of them tells a story. This is an emotional book. A book that digs deep into memories of times that are gone but not forgotten. But there’s also a lighter side to it that somehow even made it more emotional for me.
I know; I’m weird like that.

"But I know he has his demons, and they look a lot like mine."
This is the first book in a duet and is mostly told from Lucy’s perspective. It could be weird after reading so many books in dual POV, but it feels right. It gives you a window into who she is, why she does what she does, and her internal struggles. It shows you a woman who is so good, with such a huge heart, that it’s hard not to love her immediately.

"I just mean…not everything that makes us hurt needs to be forgotten or banished. It hurts because it mattered. And things that mattered once, will always matter,"
We also have a front-row seat to the way she grew up, with her best friend Emma, and her best friend’s brother, Cal, and all the things they used to do together. The family they shared and became because friends can be more than family. Friends can be everything.
Until something happened, and they became memories.

"I think that’s the difference between a disaster and an adventure," he says. "It’s the people you experience them with."
Ten years later, Lucy buys her best friend’s house to live in. She knows about the memories, but she welcomes them. Because of that, and obviously, because she needs a job, she also applies to work at Cal’s auto shop. He’s not the same person she knew; he’s distant, grumpy, gruff, snarky, everything she should stay away from.
Except Cal is also perfect.

"How are you like this without coffee?"
"Like what?"
"Like a kitten that just O.D.’d on catnip."
Their relationship is a complicated one. It’s grumpy/sunshine at its best, or optimist/pessimist if you prefer. He’s the clouds to her sunny day, the bad milk in her coffee (if she drank any, that is), but he’s also everything.
Everything she missed, everything she’s always wanted, and everything she can never have.

"I allow him to fill that black hole that hides inside me until there’s nothing left for it to take."
They both broke me in different ways. I’m the pessimist, so I’m a lot more like Cal than like Lucy, but certain things about her—I can’t even. I have tears in my eyes writing this, and I sort of hate it, but I also love that a book is able to make me feel like this.

"I’m no fucking good for you, but somehow, you’re the best thing about me."
They have a long way to go, and it’s both about their past and their present. Maybe their future. The smallest things made me smile because they were all so important. Orchids. Music. Sad songs. Bells. Ravioli. Snow angels.
Everything about them was special, heartwarming, and heartbreaking at the same time.

"Things that make us sad aren’t all bad. Sometimes, sad things serve as a gentle reminder that we still feel."
Books that make us sad aren’t all bad, either. This one wasn’t. A lot of it reminded me of myself, and some of it reminded me of things I once had. All of it reminded me that I can still feel. And I loved it even more for it.

P.S. This book ends on a cliffhanger. The first book comes out on January 17th, and the second on January 31st, so there’s a two-week wait if you decide to go in now. I hope you do.

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 3 out of 5]

i waited to rate this after i finished the duet and with that being said….. this is a no from me🧍🏻‍♀️

the first half of this book HAD me. i was obsessed. but they absolutely lost me with one little line. i got so physically mad… i’m still mad actually.

+ cal pissed me off. and now that i think about it, so did lucy.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm always excited when Jennifer drops something new and i'm kinda used to her books being different type of romance with hint of mystery and they always put me through emotional trauma but i guess this ended up being totally opposite of what i expected.

This is part one of a duet so beware it ends with a cliffhanger. Also i'll put spoilers in my review so if you don't want to know the plot twist don't read any further.

So the first thing was that the trope is grumpy/sunshine and the h was way too sunshine-y for my taste and the H not as grumpy as i'd expected.

They're childhood best friends who lost touch/haven't seen each other for more than 10 years after something traumatic happened with the H's sister. It's never really revealed what happened so i thought maybe there'll be some kind of plot twist with this storyline but so far nothing, maybe in the next book? That was my first disappointment. I get this is part of a duet but everything was so vague. Did she die? Was she kidnapped? Is she in a coma?

Anyways my main issue were the main characters, Cal and Lucy.

So Lucy is in love with him her whole life and after not seeing him for 10+years she started acting very immature imo. I just couldn't connect to her character, didn't understand her actions bc once the big secret is revealed --

SPOILER - she has a heart defect and is dying i couldn't understand why she came back in his life again since she knows how much trauma Cal has suffered with what the hell happened to his sister. So why starting something with him and giving him false hope if she knows she's gonna die??

Tbh this whole storyline with her dying was very absurd to me bc it didn't line up with her actions and as much as i liked to sympathize with her i couldn't. Her actions were very contradictory from what she was saying in her inner monolgues. She wants a relationship with Cal even when he said he didn't but then when he wants to try she pulls back saying how she doesn't want to put him through the trauma of dealing with her death.

MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.

That connection that they were supposed to have from childhood was non existent honestly and i think that's why i didn't enjoy this as much as i expected. the emotions were lacking.

I don't think i want to read the second book since the story is so predictable.

[babygyalreadit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fastest I’ve read a book all year. From the moment I opened it on my kindle I knew I would be sucked in like I always am by Jennifer’s words. I don’t understand how she does it each and every single time but she does.

I went into this book completely blind, not a clue what it was about. I didn’t even read the blurb. That’s how much I trust her writing. What I came to learn is this is a childhood friends to lovers and also grumpy sunshine trope. Our hero and heroine lost touch for 10 years after growing up together. They’ve suffered immense loss both his sister who was also her bestfriend and father. Lucy also has lost her dad.

There is so much yearning and angst between these two trying to pick up the pieces and get to know one another. Cal is obviously fighting against that, to protect himself & Lucy has secrets she’s keeping from him, also to protect them both.

What’s amazing to me is that, I knew from the prologue what would happen and somewhere along the way I got so wrapped up in the story I talked myself out it being a possibility. Until 82% and my heart absolutely broke for both of them. No spoilers but this book ruined me and their story isn’t even over yet. I can’t wait to read book 2.

This book does end on a cliffhanger so be ready to jump straight into the next book.

Thank you to Jennifer Hartmann for the arc in exchange for an honest review

[Surajat Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ I told my parents the bike was the best gift I ever received, and nothing could ever top it. I meant it at the time.
But then… Cal smiled at me.

I wanted feel good…but I am a little bit broken? (Positive)

A beautiful story about childhood best friends turned strangers turned friends again. Some grief and heartbreak thrown into a grumpy sunshine mix to lighten up the book.

I think it needs to be said from the get go - Lucy is very much a cliched cute awkward girl. Very much a “oh look at me I’m so bubbly and cute and helplessly say these awkward sexy things by accident” 🙄. That being said, if you go into this taking it for what it is you’ll enjoy it. Also, we get some context around Lucy’s ‘innocent’ trope which helps explain things. Especially after her reveal towards the end. So I’d advise to push through if you can.

Now although I’m a little broken after that, there are some real fun moments in this. Most of which can be attributed to Lucy’s best friend Alyssa, who in the first scene mistakes Lucy’s banana bunker for a dildo 😂😭 there are many more precious (hilarious) moments in this book that balances the grief. But grief and heartbreak are important elements of the story so maybe don’t pick this up as a light read like I did hahaha.

It ends on a cliffhanger, which I didn’t expect (yes, I went in blind after hearing this was cute). The cliffhanger is a bit of a sad one, but you know it’s not the end…right Jennifer? RIGHT?


————————————-
I NEED a feel good right now

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐ Jennifer Hartmann knows how to write. I was hooked from the start and I needed to know what the heck was going on. This one is beyond emotional!!!

I am a sucker for grumpy x sunshine and Cal is GRUMPY af. Lucy's character broke my heart while reading this. I have seen so many reviews about how her character was annoying and I just don't understand how or why. Cal and Lucy are clearly grieving in this book and Lucy is hiding a traumatizing secret from Cal. Yes, her character is a tad immature, clumsy, and chaotic, but I love her. I do not understand the hate.

This story in particular has you at the edge of your seat the entire time because you're dying for answers. Once 80% hits, I was legit gasping... I immediately started the second book because I am hooked.

"It’s fascinating how two people burned from the same experience can come out on the other side with completely different scars."

"Things that make us sad aren’t all bad. Sometimes, sad things serve as a gentle reminder that we still feel."

-grumpy sunshine
-childhood best friends
-grief & health issues
-workplace romance
-forced proximity
-inexperienced fmc

[Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read** · Rating 2 out of 5]

***2 Stars***

This confirms that Jennifer Hartmann is not the author for me. Apparently, a traumatic past/event allows someone to be an asshole. At least that's the message I'm getting with now the second book of hers I've read (the first was Still Beating).

Cal and Lucy were part of a childhood threesome of amazing frienship . . . Cal, Lucy, and his sister Emma. Inseparable. Thick as thieves. Best friends. And possibly the potential of something more between Cal and Lucy . . . until tragedy struck. But I barely felt any of that between Cal and Lucy.

There's too much of a disconnect between past and present. You get snippets from Emma's diary sharing moments of Cal, Emma, and Lucy's bond that showcases how tight these three were, and some other brief flashbacks, but these snippets weren't enough to build or carry the emotion.

If maybe the book started in the past so I could connect to these characters and their shared history, feel that childhood bond, then maybe I would feel more in the present, be emotionally invested in the loss, feel the awkwardness of how Cal and Lucy are strangers as adults yet have this deep past connection and shared history and pain . . . but nope, I didn't really get any of that. I just felt like they were strangers who had been neighbors when they were younger. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them as adults, in any way.

Also, Lucy buys Cal's childhood home filled with all these memories, yet it's barely discussed? She's almost never even home! So many missed opportunities to build emotion, backstory, develop these characters into something more than the whole grump/sunshine formula.

And don't even get me started on the whole sunshine/grump attempt. Lucy is so damn quirky, bubbly, and sunshiney that I seriously considered wearing sunglasses while reading. And then throw in that she's a 22 year old virgin (of course) and this just felt too much like your typical "not like other girls" formula.

And let's not forget grumpy Cal who was such a hot and cold asshole that went way beyond grump. One example - Lucy has been back in his life all of five minutes and some guy is flirting with her at a bar and Cal gets completely possessive and tells him that they're fucking. I’m sorry, his words were “Aggressively Fucking.” WTF? Cal had barely interacted with her at that point.

I won't even really touch on the "romance" aspect of this because if I'm being completely honest, it's a toss up between non-existant and ick.

Lucy felt downright childlike at times so being solely in her head while she lusts after Cal felt gross and awkward, and Cal's hot and cold, sweet one minute and vulgar the next didn't make me feel anything. And the only heat I felt from their one sexual encounter was fiery rage.

Alright, I need to stop or I'll just vent until my fingers fall off.

I was going to continue with the second book just to see how this all ends, but I'm told that Cal continues to be an ass (and in a few scenarios an even worse one than this book) and Lucy continues to make excuses and forgive him, so I'm not going to waste my time. Especially not for a couple that I don’t feel has any chemistry and that I'm not rooting for.

Lucy needs to grow up and get a backbone, and Cal needs some therapy to deal with his past issues and learn how to treat people.

This officially ends my relationship with Jennifer Hartmann. I’ve learned my lesson that the promise in the blurb isn’t delivered in the pages.

[Sammie Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my god, this book…it HURT me. Like, I feel like my fucking heart has been ripped out of my chest, stabbed with a butter knife, and then yeeted off a cliff. What in the HELL?! Book two better make everything better, and I mean the mother of all fucking grovels. If Cal isn’t crawling on his hands and fucking knees on broken glass and legos, then I. Do. Not. Want. It.

Where to start? Lucy Hope is an eternal optimist, a bright and shining ray of sunshine, and all around Good Girl. Cal…well. Cal used to be a normal guy. But after tragedy struck twice, he’s grown into an angry, bitter, lone wolf. He doesn’t do happiness, frivolity, music, smiles…none of it. Enter Lucy. After a decade apart, she and her childhood best friend’s brother are now working together in Cal’s shop. And desire his standoffishness, they start to become close again. Maybe too close. Because Lucy can’t love Cal. And Cal refuses to love her.

And when Cal finds out Lucy’s secret, he’s feeling betrayed in all new kinds of ways. Because this whole time he held Lucy at arms length while she just kept clawing her way closer. He knew it wouldn’t last. Nothing good ever does. So yeah, if you can’t tell from my little synopsis, I am firmly team FUCK YOU CAL!

I haven’t had a book batter me like this in a while, so I guess I was due. And if it were going to be any author, I should have known it would be one of my favorites, and general angst queen! Lol. As soon as I dry my tears and curb my impulse to hunt down any guy named Cal just to exorcise my rage against him…I’ll start book two and hope for the best.

[Marilla ☘︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 -The second book better fix my ❤︎ -Stars!🌟

Long story short- Not only did I NOT make it through this unscathed - I was completely obliterated.😭

I don't have time to gather myself though. I'm jumping right into the next one, because I need some answers asap, and because WTF was that ending!!


My heart screams Nooo! But my mood-reader brain is telling me I need to read this right NOW..
I just hope I get through this somewhat unscathed.😭💔

[Olga Rudnitska · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

- slow burn
-friends to strangers - to ?
- health issue
- trauma in the past

Я знала, що це буде трагічна історія. Але ця книга була як Люсі - світла та сповнена надії.
Я б на цій книзі і зупинилась. Не хочу далі, не хочу щоб жили вони довго і щасливо. Тут я хочу прийняти реальність.

Ще на початку я знала що тут до чого саме з Люсі. Тому це не новина була. Але поведінка Калахена просто 😡

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nov 2024 Patreon Exclusive

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd Read, Jan 2024:
Was feeling slumpy after a recent amazing book, so decided to jump into a reread of a favorite from last year! I just love Lucy and Cal so much. He’s perfectly moody and broody and she is sunshine and joy. I love them to pieces and I’m so glad I reread them.


1st Read, Jan 2023:
I know it’s only the end of January, but I just found my favorite book of the year (so far). The way I am completely and utterly obsessed with An Optimist’s Guide to Heartbreak! I started this and finished it in one sitting, staying up until 6am to devour it. 😅 Like, I already want to reread.

This is easily my favorite Jennifer Hartmann read now, and I’ve already had other 5-star reads from her in the past. Lucy was everything and more, she instantly became a favorite heroine. I loved her joy and awkward texts and happiness and naïveté and hope. She made me smile and laugh so much and I just am in love with her. Cal is the complete opposite of Lucy, extremely closed-off, broody, grumpy (basically my kind of hero).

Cal and Lucy have a past, they knew one another as children and grew up as next-door neighbors before a tragedy in life tore them apart. It’s been 9 years since they’ve seen/spoken to one another (when Lucy was 13) and Lucy finds herself purchasing the house Cal grew up in when it becomes available for sale, it holds all the best memories for her. She wants to track down her old friend Cal and does at the car repair shop he owns.

Lucy asks to interview for the receptionist position in the auto shop and the story takes off from there. I didn’t know much going into this one at all and it honestly encompasses so much that I don’t even think I could fully describe it all. The angst and tension between these two is out-of-this world amazing! Lucy is the joy to Cal’s broodiness and she’s determined to make him smile and fill his life with joy again. We have a tattooed hero who has a kitten, alllll the angst, a heartbreakingly achy shared past, a hand flex, that close proximity when they work together and when she ends up staying with him a couple days when her house floods, adorable dogs, an absolutely possessive hero, music (she sings and plays the guitar weekly at a bar live), such a satisfying slow burn, all the emotions! Ugh I am wrecked and obsessed and already want to both continue on to book 2 and reread this book over again!

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Whelp. I can’t love them all I guess.

[TwinreadsandReds-Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-3.75 stars

[Mads · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

(⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2.5/5) I’m not sure how I felt about this one. It wasn’t my favorite book of Jennifer Hartmann’s & I’ve really enjoyed most of her work.

I found Lucy to be semi-likable but she did annoy me sometimes. She was just a little too much but we can all relate to being outwardly a little awkward in our own ways. On that note though, she needed some differentiation. She was very typical sunshine girl & I felt like she didn’t have much of a personality outside of that. I couldn’t relate to her.

Lucy basically shoved herself into Cal’s life knowing how she felt about him & then wanted distance, but worked for him?? It was confusing, I don’t know if I understood her purpose of reconnecting honestly. I didn’t feel the chemistry I wanted, like it was there in a way but they seemed so incompatible. Maybe it would’ve made sense if we saw his “before” but they didn’t seem to match well. I was so confused why she even wanted to seek him out again. The elusiveness in the story kept me less engaged & more confused about why they behaved the way they did. This was the epitome of “I can fix him” & then also “I have this giant secret that I’ve kept from you & I missed you but also let me break your heart after you’ve lost everything already”. Inserting herself into his life knowing it was temporary because she “missed him” read as selfish considering she knew how they BOTH felt and knew it wouldn’t have changed over time & that she wouldn’t be able to stay away. As if just being his friend would have made her revelation any better. I didn’t resonate much with the plot. I really didn’t feel like I could connect to Lucy or Cal. His ex also felt super random to the plot.

It didn’t quite invoke the emotions I’ve read in her other books. It was ok, just wasn’t my favorite. I’ll still read the second to wrap it up.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel traumatized by this book. There’s so much sadness and feelings of hopelessness spread throughout the story that my heart literally HURT while reading it. And to make matters worse the cliffhanger is a doozy. I can’t stand the thought that I need to wait another 11 days before the conclusion. I’ve never in my life searched for an arc so hard until I met this book. And I can’t even find a signup. I’m so sad 🥺

I don’t want to say much about the plot for this book because it has the potential to spoil the entire duet so I’ll be keeping my review short. First, this is an EMOTIONAL story. Had my husband not been in the same room as me while I binged this in one sitting I would have been sobbing like a baby. So be prepared for tears. Secondly, this book deals with some very sad topics (mainly heart defects). So if things like that bother you then I would skip this book. Thirdly, this book is NOT spicy. Don’t go into it thinking its going to have a ton of sexy scenes or a lot of buildup towards them. It’s very light on spice and will HOPEFULLY have more in the next book. My fingers are crossed for MANY reasons when it comes to this. Finally, this is a great grumpy/sunshine novel. He’s a brooding blue collared mechanic who has no intention of every being in love and she’s an optimist who walks on the clouds with her head held high. Truly, their relationship is the epitome of this trope.

Sound good to you? Then grab this book. Just wait until the second book releases unless you want to feel totally lost like I do. 😂

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Emotional Novels
• Grumpy/Sunshine Trope
• Books that depict real human issues

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[frau.gedankenreich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich habe das Gefühl, als wäre das Buch von zwei völlig verschiedenen Personen geschrieben worden.
Anders kann ich mir nicht erklären, wie ein Buch so stark starten und dann so vor die Wand gefahren werden kann.
Ja, es gab Momente in dem Buch, die ich super gerne mochte, aber dann gab es eben auch Momente, die absolut keinen Sinn gemacht und viele "red flags" in mir gehisst haben.
Es wurde dann zum Ende hin so wild, dass ich das Buch am liebsten abgebrochen hätte, obwohl nur noch knapp 50 Seiten zu lesen waren.
Das liegt zum einen Teil daran, dass ich für gewisse Typen und "Tropes" heutzutage weder Verständnis, noch Akzeptanz, noch Geduld aufbringen kann, zum Großteil aber daran, dass die Charakterausarbeitung so "gaga" war.
Den zweiten Teil werde ich nicht lesen, ich habe absolut keine Lust mehr drauf und der erste Teil hat mir eh alles erzählt, was ich wissen muss.
Ihr "TikTok"-Menschen feiert echt die merkwürdigsten Bücher...

[Aya ☕︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why not so many people like this book, I absolutely loved it! I Love how tragic it is if this makes sense... it's why I read books by Jennifer Hartmann it's the painful realistic aspect of life

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

SKIP CHAPTER: 18, 20

[Meli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grumpy, Sunshine und die verstorbene beste Freundin

Emma war Cals Schwester und Lucys beste Freundin, doch ihr Tod hat alles verändert. Lucy und Cal haben sich schon seit Jahren nicht mehr gesehen, doch nun kehrt Lucy zurück in sein Leben und ist entschlossen, Cal wieder etwas fühlen zu lassen.

Denn der Verlust seiner Schwester hat Cal schwer getroffen und nun scheint er alle Gefühle zu unterdrücken. Er ist verschlossen und versucht, Lucy auf Abstand zu halten, weil zusammen mit ihr auch die vielen gemeinsamen Erinnerungen wieder hochkommen und dabei versucht er, die Vergangenheit hinter sich zu lassen. Man merkt schnell, dass er zusammen mit dem Schmerz auch alle Freude aus seinem Leben verbannt hat, doch Lucy scheint hinter seine Mauern zu gelangen.

Allein Lucys angeknackste Gesundheit bringt Cal dazu, Gefühle zu zeigen, denn es ist klar, dass er sich Sorgen macht und sie beschützen möchte. Lucy ist ein Sonnenschein, ein Gegensatz zum mürrischen Cal, und damit positiv, optimistisch und vielleicht manchmal etwas naiv. Das lässt sie zusätzlich verletzlich erscheinen, daher kann man Cals Sorgen schon nachvollziehen.

Auch in ihrer Abwesenheit fühlt es sich fast so an, als wäre Emma noch da. Es gibt nicht nur kleine Schnipsel aus ihren Tagebüchern, man fühlt auch noch ihren Einfluss und wie sie noch im Herzen der Protagonisten ist. Man spürt die Trauer der Charaktere und die komplizierte Verbindung zwischen ihnen und diese emotionale zweite Chance hat mir wirklich gut gefallen. Nach dem offenen Ende bin ich auch gespannt, wie es weitergeht.

[Barbarzynka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ta książka jest pod wieloma względami przeciętna, a bywa w niektórych momentach również bardzo zła, ale .... ile tu angstu..... To mi było potrzebne ❤️

[Luciana (✿◠‿◠) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5)
Hace rato tengo ganas de leer esta bilogía y por fin me animé. No sé qué esperaba, pero me encantó.
La sinopsis no es muy clara, solo había entendido que se conocían desde pequeños (amo ese cliché).
Ambos protagonistas me encantaron. Ella puede parecer infantil, pero también entendí por qué, creo que está justificada su actitud y su inocencia, eso hizo que me gustara mucho tambien, fue una protagonista diferente a la que suelo leer y me gustó.
Con él me encariñé, pensé que me iba a caer mal por la sinopsis, y nada que ver.
Además, es un libro diferente a los que suele escribir la historia, este es más un drama, pero sin traumas de por medio. Es una historia que puede parecer lenta y repetitiva porque la dinámica entre ellos no varía mucho, sin embargo, hay ciertos diálogos y escenas que resultan graciosas y a mí me sirvieron para disfrutar la lectura.
Lo disfruté y vale aclarar que tiene MUCHO drama. A mí me encanta, pero sé que no a todo el mundo. Estoy segura que el segundo libro va a tener más drama aún.