Review: "Real Men Don't Break Hearts" by Coleen Kwan (Real Men #1)


Real Men Don't Break Hearts is the first book in the Real Men series by author Coleen Kwan and is a new adult (NA) romance set in Buronga, Australia. Six years ago, Ally and Nate didn't like each other and only had Seth, Ally's boyfriend and Nate's cousin, as the one thing that bound them together. Fast forward six years later and Ally still doesn't have much affection for Nate, even though he's even more good looking now, and Nate still thinks Ally's too prissy, even though he now notices just how gorgeous she actually is. Can these two get their blood boiling for each other over something other than utter dislike?

Ally Griffin is desperately hoping the store her grandmother has passed over to her starts turning a profit. She's already two months' behind in rent and bills keep piling up. News of her ex-boyfriend's impending marriage in their hometown has bad memories swirling in her head. Seth jilted her, leaving her waiting for him at the altar with his poor excuse for a cousin as the one who broke the news to Ally. She blames Seth's cousin for influencing him to not push through with the wedding and while she may no longer have feelings for Seth, her feelings for his cousin are still as negative and as strong as ever.

Nate Hardy has returned to Buronga, the very same town he grew up in and etched for himself a reputation for being a delinquent, a reputation that's still casting a shadow over him, even after the success he's achieved professionally. He's quit his job in order to re-start the landscaping his late brother once had and he's also made a rather large investment in the form of buying a building. Of course, he had no idea that the one tenant in the building, who owns a gift shop on the ground floor and lives in the space above it, just happens to be Miss Goody Two Shoes, aka his cousin Seth's ex-girlfriend.

Ally has always kept her distance from Nate and their first meeting after six years shows her that he's still the same arrogant person she's always thought him to be. However, Nate makes a concerted effort to show Ally that he isn't the terrible person she thinks he is. The more time she spends with him, the more Ally can see that Nate is actually a nice guy and that isn't really helping her growing attraction to him. But, she can't help wonder if Nate could be the solution to her problem regarding being with a guy. He's not the type to want a relationship and all she wants right now is something easy-going and casual.

Soon, the girl who's always wanted her own happily ever after and the guy who's a firm non-believer of relationships engage in a purely physical relationship, or so they'd like the other to believe. Ally's well-meaning family isn't thrilled that she's spending so much time with Nate and the pressures of keeping her store afloat while battling her deepening feelings for Nate have Ally confused. When Nate offers Ally a proposition she never expected, Ally decides to go with self-preservation but what's the point if that means having to turn her back on the one guy that makes her feel loved in a way no one else ever has?

This was a good enemies-to-lovers story, a theme that I enjoy reading about, and both Ally and Nate are strong characters with pasts that they're still trying to deal with. The story itself is paced well and I was glad that the lead characters didn't suddenly fall into bed together early in the book. You can see their relationship developing and how their lives as individuals evolve over time. It's also a nice start to the series and helps establish a solid foundation for the supporting characters who will be the leads in the rest of the installments. Real Men Don't Break Hearts gets four stars and now I'm off to read book two! ♥

Date read: 02 February 2015

Learn more about author Coleen Kwan here.

Grab a copy of Real Men Don't Break Hearts on Amazon | B&N | Kobo.

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