Only Love Can Hurt Like This
by Paige Toon
Narrated by Gemma Whelan, Jared Zeus
Why You'll Love This
Two broken people, a firefly-lit Indiana summer, and a secret that makes you want to throw the whole thing across the room — in the best way.
- Great if you want: emotionally gutting romance with a slow-burn twist
- Listening experience: cozy then devastating — pacing builds quietly before it breaks you
- Narration: Whelan and Zeus split the dual POVs with distinct emotional registers
- Skip if: secret-keeping plot devices frustrate rather than hook you
About This Book
Wren arrives at her father's Indiana farm hoping that a summer among cornfields and family will mend a shattered engagement. What she finds instead is Anders, a widower still navigating grief four years after losing his wife. Their connection builds slowly and honestly against the unhurried rhythms of rural life, but Anders is keeping a secret that transforms their budding relationship into something far more complicated. Paige Toon's 2023 novel sits squarely in the emotional tradition of contemporary romance, centering the question of whether love is worth the cost of the truth.
Gemma Whelan and Jared Zeus share narration duties, each anchoring one perspective. Whelan brings a restrained warmth to Wren's cautious hopefulness, while Zeus gives Anders a quiet heaviness that makes his reluctance feel genuine rather than contrived. The dual-voice format suits the alternating points of view well, and at just under ten hours the production never overstays its welcome. Listeners who connect with character-driven romance will find this one rewarding in audio form.