When Natalie and Dan met it was electric. An instant connection. He admired her success and talent as an artist, and she liked his good-guy appeal and attentiveness. It was so good-- until it wasn't anymore.

Now, Natalie is sending Ben 16 letters to tell him her version of love-gone-wrong. He doesn't exactly see things the same way, but Natalie is determined to have the last word.

In case you didn't know, I'm a HUGE Lauren Strasnick fan. I love that her characters are never perfect. I love that her chapters are short and meaningful. I love that everything that happens in her book means something to the plot. She's so good at staying focused and not wasting words.

16 Ways to Break a Heart was a dark romance book. Natalie writes Dan notes recapping their relationship and how it went from good to house-burning-down. Dan and Natalie were cute at first, but there was SOMETHING about Natalie right from the beginning that had me feeling WAYS. I was definitely wishing I could jump in the book and warn him away from her.

Don't get it twisted: this book is about a toxic relationship. Even the good parts were tinged with something off. I think the cover and synopsis kind of make this look/sound a little cutesy, and it is NOT that. It is 2 people who kind of bring out the worst in each other. And Natalie is a bit of a stalker.

I personally liked that all the characters were flawed. Initially I was rooting for Dan. He's not an angel, but at least he was upfront about the fact that he was a liar, a coward, and a maybe-cheat. I can accept flaws better when someone cops to them. But once he started resenting Natalie for her successes, I knew me and Dan wouldn't be besties any time soon. Also, he needs some work on how to treat women.

I found it interesting that this book took a realistic look at a young relationship. There isn't a right person and a wrong person, which I think is what happens in many relationships that go bad. We end up hurting each other and get to a point where we can't seem to stop.

I think reading this book in combination with [b:Bad Romance|29102896|Bad Romance|Heather Demetrios|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475530166s/29102896.jpg|47434524] by Heather Demetrios would be a good recommendation for any teen getting into the dating pool. Both show some harsh realities.

OVERALL: I loved this dark romance. It's a quick read that shows how relationships can go from good to bad really fast. Throw in jealousy, possessiveness, resentment, immaturity, and need for retaliation and it's a relationship ripe for implosion.

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