Five Ways to Fall Out of Love

by Emily Martin

This whip-smart rom-com explores the risks and rewards of letting love in, for fans of Jennifer E. Smith, Julie Buxbaum, and Sandhya Menon.

How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways…

Aubrey Cash learned the hard way not to rely on love. After all, Webster Casey, the new boy next door she’d been falling for all summer, stood her up at homecoming in front of everyone with no explanation. Proving her theory that love never lasts seems easy when she’s faced with parents whose marriage is falling apart and a best friend who thinks every boy she dates is “the one.” But when sparks fly with a boy who turns out to be Webster’s cousin, and then Webster himself becomes her lab partner for the rest of senior year, Aubrey finds her theory—and her commitment to stay single—put to the test.

As she navigates the breakdown of her family, the consequences her cynicism has on her relationship with her best friend, and her own confusing but undeniable feelings for Webster, Aubrey has to ask herself: What really happened the night Webster stood her up? And if there are five ways to fall out of love…could there perhaps be even more ways to fall back in?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Young Adult Romance, Fiction, Rom Com

352 pages, Hardcover

First published March 16, 2021

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

After this beautiful cover and promising story line ( I always enjoy reading coming of age genre combined with realistic young romance) I was really expecting something more inspirational, exciting, heartwarming but... yes,you may imagine there is something disappointing coming at the next sentence!

The five facts why I fall out with this book:

- Toxic relationships and depressing outcomes: Aubrey; our cynical, moody heroine loses her belief in love after seeing her parents’ drifting apart and their marriage’s crumbling into pieces. I wish the resolution of the story brings out more positive and promising messages about family’s relationship dynamic but we mostly see how they were arguing and how they hate each other.
- Both Aubrey and her long time crush boy next door Webster who humiliated her in the worst possible way during the homecoming were not likable characters!
- I didn’t like to see how Aubrey and Webster were hateful and how they treated each other. It turned into something extreme enemies to hardly liking each other lovers story. There was too much angst and unnecessary tension between them.
- Aubrey started to date with Webster’s cousin Holland and I have to admit this sweet boy was the best character of the book and I felt so sorry to see him hurt too much which made me more pissed off ! I hated both protagonists more and thought million different ways to punch their faces to pay back what they did to sweet Holland!
- I hate the characters individually but I also hate them as couple, too. So I think I couldn’t relate them in both ways. I didn’t believe in their love story.

Overall: promising start and for the love of Holland and Reese’s characters, I’m rounding up 2.5 stars to 3! But I was really expecting more and I wish I didn’t fall out with the story!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for sharing this ARC in exchange my honest thoughts.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Webster Casey was the dreamy boy next door and Aubrey Cash fell for him from the moment she set eyes on him.

Her parents' marriage may be crumbling but those secret moments with Webster made her believe that love really was possible.

But then…he stands her up during homecoming and when she confronts him at the dance - he completely ruins any hope of true love for her. He's rude, crass and above all...cruel.

And with that comes the realization that love isn't real.

Aubrey resigns herself to that...until she meets Holland. Holland (Webster's cousin) is brilliant and funny and sparks are flying.

But then Webster is assigned her lab partner....and more sparks fly. What ever will a girl do?

I absolutely loved the premise with this one but I really think the author leaned too hard into meeting the title's expectations.

Cause wow. The things Webster said and did? There's honestly not a reason to like him (even when it's explained, it isn't excused).

At one point he thanks Aubrey from taking time from "polishing her rock" to visit with him and his friends.

He constantly delivers these verbal slaps to her and they aren't just a little barbed. They're designed to be cruel.

And Aubrey gets mad at him but "sees his true self" beneath the spite and sticks with him. It's frustrating.

The characters (on a whole) are really felt - Webster is mean, Aubrey is a cynical doormat and Holland...well. He's actually quite decent but he gets pushed aside for not being passionate enough (apparently, passion is mistaken for emotional abuse in this book).

The more I read, the more my mood just plummeted. I really didn't enjoy this book. It has a feeling of trying to take that "he's mean because he likes you" to the extreme and romanticizing verbal abuse.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling relationship quagmire!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💜💛💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎🌎
Character development: 👤👤👤👤

The setting: High School

The Hero(s): Webster - The summer after his parents divorce, he moved in across the street from Aubrey. They spent all their time together and became fast friends, then when she asked him to the homecoming dance he stood her up, never telling her why.
Holland - Webster’s cousin who meets Aubrey at a party at Webster’s house on New Year’s eve in their senior year of high school. Holland attends a rival school, but is extremely attracted to Aubrey and treats her great.

The heroine: Aubrey - grew up in a home where her parents fight non-stop about anything and everything. Aubrey has little faith in everlasting love and sometimes figures why even put yourself through that. She is focused on school and hangs out with her friend Reece.

The Love Story: For the longest time I had not idea where this one was going as Aubrey worked through the relationship issues left with her after growing up with parents that seem to hate each other, seeing her best friend fall in and out of love with different guys all the time and Webster standing her up and turning on her the first time she puts herself out there.



I have to admit I was kinda hoping she would end up with Webster because she seemed to think about him so much. However, it became such a quandary when she started dating and falling for his cousin. I had no clue how things could turn out if she ended up with Webster after his cousin said the “L” word. I began to think this was one of those that would somehow end up being touted as a coming-of-age story and she would end up going off to college alone and focusing on herself.

I really liked Holland. He was hot, nice and sweet. Webster was nice as well, once we get to know him. He was bisexual and I liked how that was dealt with in that he said when he found himself attracted to guys or masc non-binary individuals he started thinking he must be gay, but when he was attracted to girls, he thought maybe he was just confused before, then he finally determined to just love who he loved and not worry about it.

Though the fact that Webster was bisexual was not really an issue in the romance other than the fact that there was some miscommunication between him and Aubrey about how she felt on the issue. The book was more centered on Aubrey’s fears about commitment and how to move forward in a relationship when you are so afraid one of you might someday fall out of love!

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

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[jenny✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because there have to be certain ways of falling out of love that hurt less than others, and I want to know what those are.

So much angst, so many feels!! I’m having a hard time putting my feelings about this book into words—hence why it’s taken me several weeks to write a review that would typically take me an hour.

There were little things that made me like but not love this book—but I appreciated, so much, its rep of an MC who is messy and cynical and scared of love. A lot of that resonated.


✅ Five Ways to Fall Out of Love is quite angsty and I am a GLUTTON for angst.
❌ The angst got messier as the book went on and ended up feeling like a (somewhat unnecessary; definitely repetitive) emotional rollercoaster.

The moment I read the premise for Five Ways to Fall Out of Love, I knew I had to get my hands on this. After all, Aubrey’s story promised heap-loads of angst: after she is totally and unceremoniously rebuffed by her crush Webster in junior year, Aubrey resolves to never let herself be so vulnerable again. She and Webster fall into an antagonistic relationship (that borders on bullying, to be frank), and Aubrey doesn’t think this will ever change—until she’s convinced by her best friend, Reese, to crash Web’s NYE party, where Aubrey meets—or, more accurately, meet-cutes—the charming and funny Holland.

Holland, who happens to be Webster’s cousin.

Suddenly, Aubrey finds herself drawn to Holland, even while she’s forced to become lab partners with Webster for the year. (One of their projects involves co-parenting a fake baby, and it’s HILARIOUS.) As Aubrey has to navigate her growing cynicism about love and finding “the one,” she must also grapple with changing friendships and her parents’ own conflicted relationship.

And the book definitely delivers on the drama!! There are betrayals galore. There’s a love triangle. There’s pining and miscommunications and snubs and patch-ups and meaningful moments of reconnection.

This certainly kept me engaged, the same way a soap opera would keep me on the edge of my seat. But as I read on and realized that the “angst” mostly arose from characters not talking with each other and being open about their feelings and intentions… it became frustrating.

Aubrey’s relationships—with Webster, Reese, Holland, and others—became misunderstanding after misunderstanding, with so many mean and hurtful things said by both Aubrey and the others. I have mixed feelings; on the one hand, this sort of messiness, the characters’ pettiness and selfishness, felt genuine. It resonated. And while I think it’s naive to expect teenagers to be perfectly inoffensive and emotionally mature in every situation, the total lack of communication (particularly between Aubrey and Webster) got so repetitive, it became harder to believe that they cared for each other. I sympathized with the first misunderstanding that shattered Aubrey and Webster’s friendship, but each subsequent misunderstanding felt less and less believable.


✅ The writing is very readable and the banter made me laugh!
❌ But the storytelling was also kind of predictable.

This novel was genuinely cute and funny—and less cheesy/cringe than I thought it’d be. Reese, for example, was relegated to the textbook bubbly-best-friend role, yet her character was fleshed out in a way that felt oddly, nicely, nuanced. I flew through this book and read it in a day; ultimately it was an entertaining, if predictable, story.


✅ The MC is cynical about love, which I don't see repped in YA fic very often and I appreciated IMMENSELY.

Contrary to many readers’ experiences, I actually really liked reading Aubrey’s “pessimism” about romantic relationships. It didn’t feel draining to me; rather, it was an affirming experience reading about someone who feels apprehensive about love and who isn’t eager to jump into a relationship—a refreshing change from YA’s insta-love trope.


❌ The way Aubrey engages with Webster's bisexuality felt uncomfy-weird to me and I can't exactly put my finger on why.

Aubrey says several ignorant things re: bisexuality throughout the book. One could argue that she’s modelling the ways in which most people—cishet people especially—are ignorant about bisexuality and the experiences of bi folks. That sort of messiness could be read, on the one hand, as authentically imperfect, especially since Webster usually calls Aubrey out on her weird comments. (And hopefully, by extension, this signals that the author is aware of the stereotypes and prejudices faced by bisexual people.)

For example, there’s the time she thought he’d go off to college and meet more potential partners because he’s attracted to several genders—reinforcing the belief that bi people are more promiscuous and less “choosy” than monosexual people. Web pushes back on this assumption. Then there’s the time Aubrey keeps inquiring about the boys/men Webster has had romantic relationships with (though she’s never asked about the girls he’s been with), and again Web calls her out for being weird.

On the OTHER hand: is that enough, though? While Aubrey would defend Webster against the blatant biphobia of their classmates, there is only Webster to defend himself against Aubrey’s (more insidious) biphobic comments. In these instances it felt like the sole bisexual character had to stand up for himself and all bi folks—like the responsibility of challenging biases fell solely on Webster’s shoulders. I think I would’ve preferred if there were more characters who were queer (or were better allies than Aubrey) calling her out on her weird, problematic comments. This would make it more apparent, for me at least, that the author was subverting stereotypes about bi people instead of reinforcing them.


❌ Webster’s feminism rubbed me the wrong way.

Intentional or not, this book pushes the idea that feminism is a reactionary event—that is, feminism only shows up when injustice is present, and then feminism makes a big splashy social-justice statement.

In practice, in reality, feminism is SO much more than that. Feminism needs to be upheld at both the macro (societal/political) and micro (interpersonal and intrapersonal) levels.

Webster understands the former; he is totally clueless about the latter. The book really takes the time to underscore that Webster is a “feminist.” For example, he wears a t-shirt that openly proclaims his feminist status. He protests the school’s sexist dress code after Aubrey gets punished for wearing an off-the-shoulder top—which, great for him.

But Webster is also the same guy who straight up BULLIES Aubrey after he misunderstood something she said about him. His hurt feelings were 100% valid. His cruel response? His taunts and harassment in the year that followed? NOT valid. NOT feminist.

Feminism is political—AND it’s personal. I wish the book had reflected this.


✅ Lastly: Aubrey loves dogs and there are several goodest boys and girls in this book. 🥺



BOTTOM LINE: This book made me feel a lot of feels. I REALLY appreciated the rep of family conflict, of friendship breakups (and make-ups), and above all—I very much appreciated its depiction of the messiness of someone who’s cynical about love. I would recommend this if you don’t mind an angst-fest riddled with miscommunication and misunderstanding!



Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 4 out of 5]

”—if it hurts this much to lose someone you haven’t handed your heart to, how does anyone survive losing the one you have?”

I thought that Five Ways to Fall Out of Love was actually a pretty sweet and fun YA read. It was the perfect mix of coming of age and navigating young love, while still having that real world angst vibe to it. Aubrey doesn’t believe in love because she’s watched her parent’s marriage slowly implode over the years. Add that to the fact the one guy she’s felt that deep connection with, rejected her in a super embarrassing way no too long ago. She’s a complete skeptic when it comes to the whole love deal, and FWtFOoL is sort of following Aubrey as she let’s her skepticism go bit by bit. She’s learning and growing, while still staying a little reluctant to fall.

I will say that there is a smidge of a love triangle in this one. It felt real to the high school experience, considering feelings are fickle at any age, but especially when they are newer. I know that some people might take issue with it, so I wanted to mention it. That being said I think it’s clear from the author’s writing where the story is headed from the start, so the other relationships didn’t really bother me at all. Love and life is a journey, and all journeys have stops until you reach your destinations. I loved that family relationships and regular friendships were explored in this book too. How someone’s insecurities and anxieties can impact those around them and their relationships. It’s just an easy read, but there are some good thoughtful bits in this story.

All in all a good YA read. I think this one would be a good read for older teens, and even adults who enjoy popping back into those high school angst feels.

AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC

[Caitlin Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Five Ways to Fall Out of Love was a cute YA read. It featured Aubrey, a girl who is skeptical about love after watching her parents marriage slowly crumble for years. The one person Aubrey had ever felt a deep connection with also rejected his in a horribly embarrassing way. I thought that the high school experience was represented well here. Everything felt real and not too over the top. The main character made a lot of mistakes and could be unlikable at times. However, I felt lie the characters redeemed themselves at the end.

Five Ways to Fall Out of Love is a coming of age novel about navigating young love and family dynamics. There was a slight love triangle here but the direction the story was heading in was always clear. Looking forward to reading more from Emily Martin in the future.

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 4 out of 5]

”—if it hurts this much to lose someone you haven’t handed your heart to, how does anyone survive losing the one you have?”

I thought that Five Ways to Fall Out of Love was actually a pretty sweet and fun YA read. It was the perfect mix of coming of age and navigating young love, while still having that real world angst vibe to it. Aubrey doesn’t believe in love because she’s watched her parent’s marriage slowly implode over the years. Add that to the fact the one guy she’s felt that deep connection with, rejected her in a super embarrassing way no too long ago. She’s a complete skeptic when it comes to the whole love deal, and FWtFOoL is sort of following Aubrey as she let’s her skepticism go bit by bit. She’s learning and growing, while still staying a little reluctant to fall.

I will say that there is a smidge of a love triangle in this one. It felt real to the high school experience, considering feelings are fickle at any age, but especially when they are newer. I know that some people might take issue with it, so I wanted to mention it. That being said I think it’s clear from the author’s writing where the story is headed from the start, so the other relationships didn’t really bother me at all. Love and life is a journey, and all journeys have stops until you reach your destinations. I loved that family relationships and regular friendships were explored in this book too. How someone’s insecurities and anxieties can impact those around them and their relationships. It’s just an easy read, but there are some good thoughtful bits in this story.

All in all a good YA read. I think this one would be a good read for older teens, and even adults who enjoy popping back into those high school angst feels.

AVAILABLE MARCH 16, 2021
*ARC

[katie ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC of Five Ways to Fall Out of Love in exchange for an honest review.

“There’s a difference between giving up and knowing when it’s the right time to let go.”

Five Ways to Fall Out of Love was one of the best books I’ve read this year. It was a sweet, fun, and adventurous read, and full of feels.

Aubrey Cash is a senior in high school who is determined to make it through the year without relying on love. After getting her heart broken by Webster, she vowed to make her life romance-free. With her parents falling out of love, Aubrey’s sure that love does not conquer all.

Until she meets Holland, a basketball player who seems like the perfect guy. And also Webster’s cousin. As they start a relationship, Aubrey learns more about love, although she is still hesitant to let others into her heart. But as tensions grow and misunderstandings occur, Aubrey explores the pros and cons of falling in love, while taking a leap of faith.

Aubrey is fearful of falling in love because her parent’s relationship is deteriorating and she is growing farther apart from Webster. Her cynicism of love leads her to believe that happiness only lasts a little while. Instead of forming a relationship, she would prefer to avoid heartbreak than deal with it.

Aubrey used to guard her heart and keep all her feelings bottled up inside. After Webster, she is reluctant to start a relationship again. So when she meets Holland, Aubrey decides to treat their relationship like an experiment. As the book progresses, she learns how her insecurities affect those around her, and that it’s okay to not know how the future will turn out.

Overall, Five Ways to Fall Out of Love was a great coming-of-age novel, with lots of thoughtful themes, relatable characters, and suspense. I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend it.

[Vanessa Menezes · Rating 2 out of 5]

A promising premise but a messy plot! Unfortunately, didn't enjoy this book much.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like a single character in this book.

We have heroine Audrey, who's cynical and judgmental. Those are the parts I actually related to. But she's also idealistic and very unlikeable. I'm sure there are people out there who think I'm unlikeable, but I've never been idealistic, and her perspective started grating on me the more I progressed through the book. This is the kind of girl who idolises her crush, who thinks they should be perfect, otherwise they're totally thrown to the kerb. In this book she wrecks the heart of Holland, a perfectly sweet young man who's totally besotted with her, because of her stupid lust for his cousin Webster.

I say it's a stupid lust because Webster is not portrayed as a lust-worthy guy. I don't think he's even DESCRIBED physically for the whole story. In fact, I don't think the heroine is!! He's bisexual, and all we do is see him all over various guys and girls. Way to live up to the 'promiscuous bisexual' stereotype. He's also a stupid idiot who jumps to conclusions and in the process wrecks his friendship with Audrey. The two of them have a massive falling-out for ONE YEAR because even though they're supposedly friends, Webster never actually tells Audrey that he overheard her out of context and got offended. This is my worst kind of misunderstanding because all it takes is COMMUNICATION. Only in a book would friends talk so little.

Don't even get me started on the fact that Audrey is dating Holland and emotionally cheating on him for most of the book.

The only memorable thing about this story is that I think it's the first YA I've ever read where the characters engaged in masturbation and oral sex, though very euphemistically.

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[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this and grew attached to Aubrey, Webster, Holland, and Reese. This story gets SO MESSY, but I was here for it! I was rooting for Aubrey's happy ending, even if it didn't result in a relationship.

I've seen many reviews complain that this is more a coming of age story than a cute romance and that's definitely the case. We spend most of the novel following Aubrey as she suffers through her parents' crumbling relationship, develops then overcomes a cynical view of the world and relationships, and makes lots and lots of mistakes.

Five Ways to Fall Out of Love suffers from poor marketing. The cover and gimmicky title sells this book as something it really isn't. Think more Julie Buxbaum than Kasie West. So while I enjoyed this so much, I understand why some readers are disappointed.

4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Brinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was adorable!! I loved how fluffy it was, and how even though its just another high school romance, it felt different.

When I read a romance, I want likeable characters. I want them to be flawed and realistic. I want them to be complex and dynamic. Emily Martin was able to do all of that and more! Webster and Aubrey practically jumped off the page, and even the side characters were loveable.

Too many times, I've read romances with static characters. They start out one way, and by the end of the book, they're still the same. This wasn't the case here. Aubrey started out the book as a pessimist, believing that love was a false idea. I loved watching her challenge her beliefs, and I loved that her change wasn't instant. She had to fight with herself, and it felt real.

I feel like it's super important to acknowledge the semi-love triangle in this. Normally, I hate love triangles. In this though, it was very minor. It was more about Audrey finding herself, and less about which guy she preferred. I loved that take on things, and it was so nice to to have the guys dueling over her, they respected each other, and they respected her.

Its obvious from the title that this is a romance, so I was expecting great things. This delivered on all of them! The main romance was adorable, and I will admit to shipping it from the very beginning of the book. It was so nice to see a YA romance that had ups and downs, it wasn't instant love and happiness. Also, anything that's enemies to lovers is a favorite, so that was a plus.

Also, I've learned that failed promposals are something I want to see a lot more of! The scene where Webster asked her to prom with the cupcakes, and she went out the wrong door was hilarious. I felt so bad for him, and her reaction was priceless. That'll stick in my mind for a while!

If you're a fan of light romances, this is for you! It was sweet, and had the cutest characters. I'd definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Emily Martin for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Dunja *a chain reader* · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 45%. Just not for me. The plot drags. This is more coming of age story is than romance YA. And I really do not understand what is a point in making main male character bisexual, hardly irrelevant for the story.

[Silvia F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww this book was cute through and through. I swear the more kids I have the more emotional these hormones make meeee!!! This book brought back memories of first loves, fears and anxieties about the future. Oh what joy to be young, naïve, optimistic and in (maybe) love!!!

A book that explores first loves, friendships and family relationships in a fast-paced read. I really liked Emily Martin’s writing style- it kept the story flowing and I was glued to the pages. Miss Martin has a way of letting the characters find themselves; she doesn’t sugar-coat the aches and pains of growing up and the difficulties of relationships.

Overall, I liked all the characters. They each had a likeable side and an irritating side, which in turn made them more likeable and relatable (if that makes any sense…). The only critique I have about the book is that there were certain parts that were under-developed. For example, I wish we delved deeper into Aubrey’s relationship with her parents, or explored Webster’s past a bit more; things that were briefly touched on but didn’t tell me enough about the characters.
In the end I tore through the pages and enjoyed it. I’d recommend it to those who are looking for a cute, fast-paced teen romance.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[Naomi (3starsandup) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much @InkyardPress & @NetGalley for giving me this physical ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 16 March 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Aubrey is attending homecoming with her next door neighbour & crush (Webster), however when she arrives she realises that he has actually stood her up for reasons unbeknownst to her. She decides that she cannot rely on love, especially if her parents relationship is anything to go by, but a year later sparks start to fly between her & Webster's cousin.

WHAT I LIKED:
- enemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes
- really enjoyed the snarkiness & banter (although I've seen that some people think its taking the "he is mean because he likes you" trope too far)
- Aubrey's growth throughout the story

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- miscommunication is a key part of this conflict
- the bisexuality rep could have been better

[Jessica *The Lovely Books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow...I just don’t know what to think. Have you ever thought a character chose the wrong guy? On one hand I really like this book and the story it had to tell. But then I think about the main character, Aubrey, and I just can’t put my finger on why I’m having such a hard time connecting with her. Webster, I just don’t know either...

This is a ya romance and after finishing up, it doesn’t feel that way at all. I’m sorry to say but I do not feel the love for the two main characters in the least.

*Copy was given in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick, easy read and for awhile I thought it would be a solid 3 stars. Unfortunately, it ended up going really downhill for me. Aubrey was a completely unlikable character. The cynical stuff I could understand, but she was such a little brat to almost everyone. And I hated how poorly she treated sweet, adorable Holland. Webster was so whiny and had such a chip on his shoulder that I found it a little surprising that we're supposed to be rooting for Aubrey to end up with him? While there was a little bit of good banter, it was not enough to save the book for me. This one definitely wasn't for me and I don't think I'll try anything else by this author.

[Maria (mariareadsbooksalot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute! I liked the best friends to enemies to lovers trope. The angst and the pining were great! There were a few things that just made me feel a little uncomfortable reading as an adult and not an actual teen but I just skimmed a little through those parts. Webster was super cute and I loved him. Aubrey was a great MC with a lot of feelings and I loved that about her. I loved the storylines of love and friendship and overall this was adorable!

[of bessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was in such a book slump, and finally decided on a book to read: Five Ways To Fall Out Of Love. Oh, how do I regret picking this book. It was such a disappointment, to be completely honest. I’m giving it a two and a half star rating as a whole on my Instagram and when I talk about NOT recommending it, but a two star rating on goodreads simply because I don’t think it deserves a bump to a three star to make up for the extra half I’m giving it.
There are some things that I mention in here that will give away the book, but there isn’t any doubt in how the book will end once you start to read it. Proceed with caution when reading this review or dive on in!
The reasons I’m giving it two (and a half) stars:
-immediately I noticed that the author wasn’t ever going to truly show us anything. The connections between the characters, the interactions from the past that we didn’t get to see, and the way we see the characters go through their day: it was all simply told, not shown. Which leads me to my next problem:
-I never got to feel or see the way Aubrey and Webster had a connection. Choosing to pick up from the night of the homecoming dance was a mistake in my opinion. We never got to see an interaction before the incident that made the MC’s interactions change. We were only told that they were inseparable and that they were the closest two people could be (as two people can be in just one summer). I was left feeling like these characters barely knew each other, because even though they had a whole summer together, we were still never shown that chemistry and that friendship. We had little snippets, but I feel like memories could’ve dove deeper, and that the huge gap we had between the two MC’s could’ve and should’ve been bridged waaaaaay before the ending. With that said, it brings up another issue I have with the book:
-the angst, the drama, the chaos, the tension: all so unnecessary! Oh my goodness, was I completely annoyed throughout the book? Yes. Do I wish I DNF? Also yes. The fighting and standoffishness and the silent treatments COULD have worked, but you gotta sprinkle that stuff LIGHTLY and THROUGHOUT the book. I was seriously frustrated with how much this book was like Taylor Swift’s song “The Story Of Us” (great song, terrible way to treat the majority of a book’s story process). I felt like the tension could’ve been treated differently with this book. Something else that I thought could’ve been treated differently is:
-the whole love triangle. I can be a sucker for love triangles when done RIGHT. What this was...oof. I didn’t like that it was between family members. I get it, it supposed to up the tension, but it could’ve easily been just as tension filled if it was a team mate on Webster’s team or a friend in his circle. It made me so uncomfortable the entire time, and questions kept popping up like, “what if Aubrey ends up with one of them? The tension and awkwardness will always be there at family get-togethers, weddings, etc”. I didn’t like how it basically pitted two male characters that were close to each other either. Yes, Webster is popular, but he didn’t have a male family member other than his cousin and his uncle. Why have something or someone come in between that? Like I said, it could’ve been anyone else, other than two cousins, and still be tension filled without it being weird and straight up painful for characters.
-speaking of characters, I liked Holland. I’m glad *SPOILER ALERT* that he didn’t end up with Aubrey, because she wasn’t good enough for him. Reese also deserved a better friend, and so did Veronica (she was opening up to her emotionally at the end of the book and all Aubrey can think of is, of course, Webster, and the drama revolving around them).
-the end of the book...YIKES, OOF, UGH. I was so upset with the ending. It was completely rushed, absolutely clunky, and 100% anticlimactic. I knew the ending was coming, there wasn’t a big surprise there, but I just couldn’t believe that the author let it all tie up into that kind of ending.
other little tidbits that annoyed me:
-how the author treated alcohol within the characters, especially Aubrey. Relying on alcohol to cope, even if it’s because you’re at a party with drama you don’t want to deal with, isn’t something to joke about or speak lightly of. Aubrey “having no intentions on being sober” and continuously drinking even when it’s become clear that’s a bad idea doesn’t bode well with me. Younger readers may not see this as a bad thing, and I feel like the media they consume should showcase a better understanding of what is safe to do, especially when peer pressure, anxiety, and wanting to fit in are all factors experienced among young adults.
-the parents’s relationship. I really feel like this could’ve been given more of a compassion factor. There wasn’t much talk amongst the parents or with the parents and Aubrey.
Okay. Phew. I know that this is a long review, so TL;DR:
-Flat characters, poor story and character development, weird love triangle, unlikable characters, “show, don’t tell” issues, and other things that added up to affecting my rating. Would I recommend this book? No. Would I ever reread this book? Heck no. Go forth with this book with your own open mind, however! Thanks for reading my review!

[Laurie Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much! It's a perfect combination of sweetness and snark, and the banter is top-notch. Characters are extremely well-developed, and readers will easily get swept up in their conflict. A must-read!!

[Dalia Ghorab · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aubrey is a cynic who tries to rule her love life by calculating statistics based on others’ past experiences, including her parents and best friend.
Tangled in relationships with her next door boy and his cousin, along with her parents fighting, she tries to find some semblance of sanity.

I absolutely hated Aubrey and found her obnoxious, insensitive, selfish, immature, blunt and did I say obnoxious? She’s the worst main character since the girl in “to all the boys I’ve loved before” cringe 😬

I have no idea what webster’s sexuality had to do with anything in this mess of a book! Seemed irrelevant and imposed.

A lot of characters were imposed too and seemed more like props with no depth or added value.

I absolutely hated this book.
In short, it was an angst fest laced with misunderstandings and smothered with miscommunications and misconceptions.

[Mia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this one, it was just so boring.

[Nadia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aubrey was ghosted/stood up at her school dance (junior year) by Webster. No explanation was really given but the events around it left her heart broken. Now after a year of being enemies they were stuck as partners in the Life Skills class for the entire semester. At the same time sparks fly between her and Webster’s cousin Holland, her parents marriage was falling apart, and she really wanted to know why Webster ghosted her. She had to learned what love meant to her and how she can achieve and/or risk long lasting love in her life.

Okay, so I picked the book because of the premise, but I have to state that this book epically failed for me. I really disliked that this book had a cat dissection part in it. As an animal lover I cannot get over the cat dissection part of the book. To skin a dead cat was a huge hell no for me. Why oh why did the author feel the need to include this was beyond me. Okay, now back to Aubrey and her mess. I liked Aubrey in the beginning, but then she grated on my nerves. She didn't consider other people feelings and was very self centered. Hard to like a book when the main character was a horrible person. I found five ways of why I disliked Aubrey. Webster was a jerk, and yet his cousin was a sweet heart. I thought her treatment of his cousin was downright shitty. And it felt more like a love triangle which I despise in my books. I also had no idea why anyone would think that Webster was a great guy. The final nail to this shitty book was the problem all along was miscommunication. That was it.

The ending was just okay. Overall, this was a okay book that I’m glad I finally finished.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Annicarter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️
it was really super cute but holy cow the amount of miscommunication had me ready to throw hands, and the mc was insanely pessimistic. but otherwise it was an adorable quick read and i would recommend reading it!

[Rosario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the Netgalley for providing an eARC of Five Ways to Fall Out of Love in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book before the official cover was even out, purely because the description sounded original and just the right amount of emotional roller-coaster. I was right up until the point where I thought this would be a light read.

Aubrey Cash, a senior in high school, has made it her mission to be romance-free due to her family history, and a recent inexplicably fall-out with a boy. She starts finding ways to fall out of love, and keep it that way through her day-to-day life (hence the title!). Obviously, she knows that getting in a relationship is bound to happen, especially because her best friend could not be any more different in the love department and keeps trying to get Aubrey to double date with her and her perfect boyfriend.

Enter Holland, a perfect gentleman and maybe the guy without any critical flaws. Except he's Webster's cousin, the guy who broke Aubrey's heart and her new nemesis. Treating it like a scientific experiment, she bets on her relationship with Holland. And the plot thickens when feelings get mixed up and eventually someone has to get hurt.

Aubrey's cynicism in love resonated with me, as I have thought like her for many personal reasons. I understand that having parents be evidently out of love, does not impact the same to everybody, but Aubrey's views in love are valid. Some people prefer to prevent heartbreak than deal with it.

Whilst reading the chapters, I held my heart more than once, as even though I understood her walls being up, it still hurt as a reader that someone so young could be so careful because what she has been going through. The moments that really got to me where in the life skills class (if you know, you know), and how two people who are right for each other are not necessarily together because love is that complicated. Ultimately, Aubrey's growth is what impacted me the most and how she did it all on her own, which I appreciated. She could have easily changed because she got into a relationship with somebody, but that feeling would only be temporary.

I am excited for everyone to read this and see what they think about it. This is one of the best books I have read this year, and we are midway to it.

[Sindu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five Ways to Fall Out of Love by Emily Martin was a classic YA novel. It's about Aubrey Cash, who learns to detest love after being stood up by her date Webster Casey at her junior year homecoming dance. Adding to that is the constant fighting between her parents at home and her best friend's long list of ex boyfriends, and Aubrey is determined to avoid love at all costs. In her senior year now, Aubrey meets Holden, Webster's cousin. After a lot of convincing, she finally agrees to go out with him. But at the same time, Webster starts to rekindle the friendship they shared before everything went wrong. And when her parents decide to separate, Aubrey just starts spiraling, before finally finding her way.

I really liked the way the author split the book into five parts. It really highlighted the way Aubrey had to completely lose her way and hit rock bottom before finally paving her way forward.
I also really liked that the author wrote Webster's bisexuality into the story instead of just shying away from it. It definitely improved my rating for this book.

While I did enjoy this book, I do have to say that for a YA novel, this book had more sex in it than a usual YA novel. There wasn't anything explicit in it, just more scenes about it, that I felt was more than a teen novel usually has.

There were moments where the characters were extremely frustrating and I just really wanted them to get it together. There was just a lot of instances of miscommunication and a whole lot of drama in this book that could have been handled better. I also felt like the ending could have been a little more conclusive.

I would give this 3.5 stars, just cause it was still an enjoyable book, even though I had some issues with it. I would recommend it if your looking for a classic teen novel about a girl who looks past her cynicism to really understand what love is really about.

Full review at https://echoesoutloud.wordpress.com/2...

*I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.*

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Five Ways to Fall Out of Love in exchange for an honest review.

Guys. I was so ready to be able to be like "Ha! Look! I can give straight-led feel-good contemporary high ratings! But a few chapters in to loving this I found out one of the halves of the main couple is bi so... opps. Look, I have a type and I'm owning it, okay?

Anyways, this was so cute! Tropey? Yeah. Of course. But I think that's the selling point here. Five Ways to Fall Out of Love gives us a cynical perspective character who's given up on love. We have miscommunications. Enemies to lovers. Will they won't they. It's a beautiful mixture of all your fav YA fluff tropes and it was such a fun, light read.

Also, our perspective character manages to be awkward & dog loving & overly-relatable to 'quirky' teen girl readings WITHOUT her or any other character bashing on her entire gender to try and make her seem special? Imagine that.

[AcademicEditor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went back and forth on what to write about this one. On the one hand, I like protagonists that are flawed, especially in YA heroes and heroines. You simply make some bad judgment calls as a teenager. Sometimes you fight with people and treat them poorly. I also like YA books that challenge readers and expand on "nerdy" concepts like Bayes' theorem.

And yet... many of the supporting characters weren't fully fleshed out. The heroine's mother was kind of all over the place, her first boyfriend Holland and long-suffering friends Veronica and Reese weren't as developed as they could be, and the HEA felt kind of abrupt and tacked-on. I was actively rooting against it, once I realized where the book was going. As another reviewer said, the main character works more for the coming-of-age genre than romance.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

[Tara Weiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five Ways to Fall Out of Love has a fantastic cover design and an inspiring integration of Bayes Rules with a premise of plotting science against emotion, but all it does is muddy the waters on some sensitive issues like divorce, bisexuality, and honesty. Aubrey is clearly confused about relationships and knowing when a story is hers to tell. And while the plot begins with Aubrey being stood up for a school dance by her neighbor and romantic interest, Webster (who has told her he's Bi - and she's the only one at their school who knows at first). We start out feeling badly for her, but learn she's just a wavering mess who wants to fall in love, but it is hard when her parents' relationship is broken. And she's insensitive and selfish, so that just makes for a plot that tries to make sense of emotions, but there's no real, firm life lesson. The story arc crashes into typical high school drama of prom and graduation. And just when Aubrey might be breaking some ground on her self sabotage, the story ends. Bisexuality is explored, but in a way that reads as insensitive. There is a good story with strong insights into first love, but I'm hesitant to add this to our YA collection because the perspective on bisexuality seems naive.

[Tarnparit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book in one sitting. It was a pretty easy read.
The romance was adorable.

My rating would be 4.5 stars. The reasons being
-the unconvincing change in one character (talking about Holland)
-Aubrey was kind of annoying, but I get why she was like that and I let it slide because she’s 17 (and I was probably just as annoying at 17)