YOU’D BE MINE

A NOVEL

BY ERIN HAHN



ST. MARTIN’S PRESS

WEDNESDAY BOOKS

TEENS & YA

PUB DATE 02 APR 2019





I am reviewing a copy of You’d Be Mine through St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley:



You’d Be Mine is one heck of a debut novel, if You’d Be Mine is any indication, Erin Hahn is going to take the YA market by storm!



Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart, the heir to a country music legacy, which includes all the things her Gran had warned her about. Clay Coolidge is a superstar and definitely one of those things Annie’s Gran had warned her about.





Clay Unfortunately is unable to convince Annie to join his summer tour and now his music label is threatening to drop him. This is what happens when a bad boy image becomes more than an image and becomes a reality. Annie has doing the best to avoid the spotlight since her parents tragic death (aside from her skyrocketing Youtube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and he is determined to make it happen.



Finally swayed by Clay’s Charm as well as his good looks Annie and her band finally agree to being a part of the tour. From the beginning fans want Annie and Clay to be more than tour mates, but neither of them are sure they want such a high profile romance.



I give You’d Be Mine five out of five stars!





Happy Reading!

Wow!! Just simply wow! This book drew me in right off the bat and never let go of it's hold on me. I was drawn back to it to keep reading and follow along with Clay and Annie. Fast pace and I wanted to read it all in one sitting!

Realistically, Annie was mainly the draw. The focus goes back and forth, in first person, between Clay's and Annie's perspectives, but Annie has so much humor and personality and sweet, down-to-earth, hometown-girl-ness that you can't help but fall in love with her, just like America does as she goes on her first music tour, even as we know right off that she's country music's tragic sweetheart before she even sung a note on YouTube because of the double suicide of her parents, country music legends who Annie does not want to end up like, so she definitely wants to stay far away from bad boy Clay Coolidge when he comes knocking on the door to her grandparent's farmhouse inviting her to be his opening act for his summer tour, because his record label says he's fired if he doesn't convince her and her band, Under the Willows.

The tragedies in both Clay's and Annie's pasts connect them, as well as their love for and being in the business of country music. We learn about their individual tragedies a little bit at a time, but it didn't drag out. The book focuses so much on who they are now and their developing romance, but when we do learn about their pasts it feels like a natural reveal. The development of everything in this book (characters, setting, background, etc.) was so well done. I did struggle with the language and this being billed as a teen/YA book with the tragedies, drinking, drugs, sex (not descriptive, just the young age) , and more that is in this book. However, as an adult, I could look past all that and just read and enjoy the book, but I wouldn't let my teens read this. There is a lot of strong language from the beginning and all the way through, along with the drinking/drugs/etc. However, those subjects are all dealt with, I felt, very well. Instead of them being so heavy in the story, while the characters do have to learn to get past them and move forward, they didn't feel like they made the book so dark and heavy. There is a lot of humor and a good light dose of Jesus/religion in the book as well.

Also, the book is extremely heavy on classic country music, even though the young country artists are supposed to be current, the main references are not on today's country artists but, instead, on the classic country artists, their songs, and their influence on both the characters and today's country music in general. So much Johnny and June (Cash for the ignorant... ha ha), plus my favorite of their songs (even if it is originally Bob Dylan...) -- "It Ain't Me, Babe." These references and how the author made them current as a part of these young artists' lives was a huge bonus and connection factor for me. That said, while my teens would appreciate and understand the references, most teens/YAs that this book is supposed to be geared towards, would probably not get them and how important they are to the book. But I appreciated how both Clay and Annie tried to take the classics and incorporate them into their shows. As such, along with other reasons, the book has a slight feel of the movie "Walk The Line," though it definitely stands on its own.

I loved the full-length lyrics included in the book for Annie's and Clay's two songs. I loved the banter, the humor, the realness of Annie, her relationships with her bandmates Jason and Kacey, as well as her Gran and Pops, their farm, what it comes to mean for the characters, as well as Clay's hometown and how he tries to build a relationship with his niece and sister-in-law. I love the roles Fitz and Kacey play for each Clay and Annie respectively, as characters who've known them for a long time, before and now. I love the settings as the tour moves around the country to the culmination in the CMA awards in Vegas at the end of the book. Again, I wish the characters had been just a tad older and the focus had been less towards teens/YAs with some of the (yes, I'm back to it again...) drinking/drugs/sex/swearing/death, but this book was amazing and, honestly, even with all of that, I wouldn't change a thing and I already want to read it again.

I absolutely look forward to more from this author and am still a little bit stunned that this was a debut.

Annie Mathers is the daughter of two country music stars who had a tragic ending. Living outside the stage lights of Nashville, Annie tried to ignore her calling but she was born to write and sing. After she releases a couple of songs on YouTube her star starts rising. Clay Coolidge is one of the country’s hottest young stars, but he’s going down the path her parents took. After another drunk bar fight he’s told that he has to go to Michigan to talk Annie into opening for his summer concert tour. With his record deal on the line, Clay convinces Annie and her band to join them. Even though they are complete opposites, she the good girl and he the bad boy, they strike sparks both on stage and off.

You’d be Mine had a lot of the things I look for in a YA contemporary novel, great character growth, a simmering love story, and a great hook. What I wasn’t expecting was the magical poetry this author wrote for their music lyrics and the gritty feel to the story. Annie was an easy character to like. I’ll admit that she walked a fine line between being a “good girl” and kind of a prude, but it fit her back story and gave her the heart and soul she’d need to sell the reader on her chemistry for leading man Clay.

Clay also had a great back story. A brother who is a fallen war hero and a line of people who want to ride his coattails, making his bad choices pretty realistic. If there was one fault with his part of the story I’d say his demon battling went on just a touch too long. I wanted the story to speed up and it lagged just a tad in the middle. The supporting characters were loyal, funny, and charming and I adored all of their antics and support. Even though this was a story about music and love, at it’s heart it was about family and these characters gave the reader a solid base line on what family should look like.

I mentioned above my love for the poetry in the music lyrics. You could tell this author has a feel for writing lyrically and if she hasn’t done so already, she should think about her own songwriting career! They were pretty special and the story itself? Good, very, very good. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I was given a free ARC of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

The first time I saw this book on NetGalley, I didn't expect too much, I might be disappointed but then as I continue reading, I slowly got hooked. Then, I saw a friend's comment via Twitter that he enjoyed reading this book a lot. I was like, "Hey! Me too!" This book put me in a good mood because of all the music mentioned. There were times that I do search the song on my Spotify just to add more feelings on what I am reading. One more thing that adds up to why I liked this book is that, they're all talking about Country songs! I do love this genre!!! This one is on my top three genres. There's something in Country songs that is relaxing and fun to listen to.

I also love the concept of the book. Concert tours? I always wanted to watch a concert that would feature a country icon (one day hopefully). Anyway, I loved how things evolved here. You'll know more things about Clay and Annie. I loved their up and down relationship and self discovery. It reflects the real things that is happening during concert tours and the young fame.I liked Clay, in my head he's like Luke Bryan, handsome and all. Annie is like Taylor Swift because of how her hair was described here. These two characters have a very deep background that I don't want to spoil in this review. Both characters have issues and they showed how they handled it in their own ways. Both of them wants to escape from the past. Both characters grew as two different people but what I'm sure of they became more interesting at the end of this book.

I listed some of the songs and I listened to it while on my way to work or home while reading the book on my Kindle App. What I would like to do some other time is that, I'll review the book again and make a playlist to share with you all. I could say that I enjoyed reading this book a lot. Took me a long time to finish due to work stuff (apologies!!!) imagine... they even get to CMA! I was like.. wow.. just wow.. I loved every part of it. And it makes me fall in love to Country more.

I hope other readers will enjoy the book as much as I do. Also, I am looking forward to read other books from Erin Hahn. I liked how she writes, no dull time though. I just continue reading and I found myself that the book is almost over. It was simple and fun to read.

PS. While writing this review, I am listening to country songs. It feels appropriate.

I found this YA to be very sweet and endearing. I did feel as though the romance of the story came secondary to the touring and management of the two stars and their tour mates. I was rooting for them the whole way through and I’m glad they got there but it tended to be a lot slower than I typically like.

Thank you to Wednesday Books + Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not a big country music fan, but I found myself sucked into this story so quickly. Annie Mathers is heir to a country music legacy who loves singing, but will do anything to avoid following in her parents tragic footsteps. Clay Coolidge is a country music star known for his bad boy image, his label is about to drop him after a series of PR nightmares unless he can get Annie to join his summer tour. ⁣
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For being YA, I was not expecting how many heavier topics this story would contain. Love, heartbreak, death, suicide, grief, addiction, there’s so much more depth to this story than I had expected from the cute cover. These characters are flawed, and both fighting their own demons due to trauma they’ve experienced. This book reads like you’re watching a really good episode of Nashville, and I was 100% here for it! I loved the ending, but I also wanted MORE. I gladly would have read another couple hundred pages to follow Annie and Clay’s journey. ⁣
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You’d Be Mine was a 5 star read for me. Highly recommend trying it if you love Nashville or contemporary YA!

The first half of this book was incredibly slow and to me completely unnecessary. The backstory and build-up was far too long. Thankfully, once we got further into the tour, things started to pick up. I really enjoyed the story between Annie and Clay (Jefferson). I really enjoyed the serious topics of addiction, suicide, and alcoholism that were touched upon in a YA book. It's something that isn't addressed enough for this age group. The ending was lacking a "big finale" as I had hoped for, since it seemed to just cut out and end at the CMAs. I figured there'd be this grand gesture that solidified that Jefferson and Annie were 100% together and making it work from Nashville to Indiana, but I didn't get that. Otherwise though, very cute book and a fun spring/summer read.

This book is a perfect summer read. It made me want to crank the radio and sing along to my favorite songs with the windows down. Annie comes from country music royalty but is hesitant to join the industry due to the deaths of both her parents, which she partially blames on the fame and pressure of being a star. Clay is the hot, new country music star with a bad boy reputation. He needs Annie in order to save his career after another disastrous night of underage drinking. The two go on tour together and create music and chemistry that takes over the country music scene by storm!

This was, in a nutshell, disappointing. I rarely enjoy contemporary novels and I was really looking forward to a fun, country centric, fluffy romance novel. I did not get that ...

Honestly, this was dark. Surprisingly so, and it was not what I needed to read. Told through their alternating points of view, Clay and Annie are two teenage country singers who go on tour together, Annie opening for Clay. Both main characters are battling a lot of demons, and frankly it turned me off. In particular Clay. Self-destructive is the term that comes to mind. I personally did not enjoy reading about an 18-year-old alcoholic, pill popping, man-whore. It's really hard to sympathize with, and both characters went back and forth with every chapter.

The country music angle felt too ... I don't know ... easy? I am in shape or form an expert in that industry, but something tells me it just doesn't work the way it's portrayed here. It didn't sit well with me as the reader. There were a few original songs written, but I skimmed over them because I was losing interest. There was also a lot of growling with the singing?

I think this book was just not for me, plain and simple. I know one of my best friends will love it, if only for the country music angle so I'll definitely recommend it to her, but I'm taking a pass.

I absolutely loved this story! All of the characters are well rounded and enjoyable to read. This book gave me great summer vides even though I read it in the middle of winter. Annie and Clay both have things they work through in this book and I think Hahn handled their stories beautifully.

A new favorite for sure.

It does not lie when they say if you loved A Star is Born you will also love You'd Be Mine. This book did not disappoint! I adored it.

You’d Be Mine is Erin Hahn’s debut novel. It follows two main characters, Annie Mathers, a sweet girl with the most incredible singing voice, who is heir to her parents legacy to two huge country stars, and Clay Coolidge, who is everything that her grandma warned her about. A troubled bad boy, heart-breaker, and a glorified country star. Clay is so much of a bad boy that his record label threatens to drop him unless he can convince Annie Mathers to jump on board as the opening act of his big Summer U.S tour. Annie on the other hand, has been avoiding the spotlight all her life after the tragic death of both her parents, despite the fact that all she wants to do is get on stage and sing, you can say that performing is in her blood. Clay takes a trip to Annie’s house to try and get her on board and manages to succeed with the help of his southern charm and incredible good looks, she just couldn’t resist so Annie goes on the tour along with her band. From the get go, the fans see something special in Clay and Annie so much so that they want them to be an item, over time they both see that maybe the fans could be right, but Annie struggles to find peace with dating a super star heart-breaker and doesn’t want to follow in the footsteps of her parents’ destructive marriage. She somehow has to convince her heart that Clay may be worth the risk, and Clay hopes that his self destructive behavior won’t bring her down.

It's a wonderful and charming romance that truly warms your insides. You’d Be Mine is a great YA (Young Adult) book. It is sweet, tender, has lots of drama, is uplifting, and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy after reading it. It was simply a great romance novel. It made me really want to visit the southern states so much! Erin Hahn’s writing was spot on, she made it very easy to believe that you were right there with these characters and that you could feel what each of them was going through. I could very vividly see them all come to life in front of me. Especially the scenes with the live music! I literally felt like I was right there on stage performing in front of thousands. Loved it.

If your a fan of classic romance novels then this is the book for you. It's got heart, soul and most importantly, music. A book for all music lovers for sure.

Feel free to check out my full review on my blog by clicking this link- https://www.chrissysbooks.com/post/you-d-be-mine-by-erin-hahn

A cute love story with the fun background of touring, country music, and celebrities. Solid YA fiction, and the end left me with a few good chills.

In You'd Be Mine country music star Clay Coolidge won best new artist at the CMA's, but his bad boy behavior has him in trouble with his label. They insist that he include Annie Mather's band on his summer tour, or they will drop him. Annie comes from country music royalty, but after her mother's overdose and her dad's suicide, she is understandably wary of the lifestyle. Her passion for music wins out and she joins him on the tour, quickly eclipsing him with her standout performances. From the start of the tour fans are rooting for them to become a couple, but Annie has seen the pitfalls of celebrity romances. The story alternates between their views about the tour and each other, highlighting the difficulties in celebrities having normal lives. Annie and Clay bring out the best in each other musically and personally and can't fight their mutual attraction. The story is set in the world of country music, but one doesn't have to be a fan to love this bad boy/good girl romance, which comes out April 2nd.

I was super looking forward to this book. I’m a sucker for cute romances and when you mix in music (albeit country) with serious themes as well, then you’ve got me hooked. This was a really enjoyable read and you should give it a try!

A romantic, adorable story set in the country music scene, and a great summer romance read for the beach! Clay is an experienced star with rough edges when Annie bursts on the scene, but carrying a heavy burden of her parents background in the industry. As their relationship develops it hits highs and lows as they navigate their pasts and futures. Great story and great author. Pick it up for a great summer read!

Annie Mathers is the daughter of Country Royalty who has a tragic story. Clay Coolidge is Country’s current bad boy who is fighting against his own demons. When Clay gets in trouble with the label for another out of control night they give him the option of getting Annie and her band to be his opening act or no tour. Clay and Annie are now together on the summer's hottest tour. As the temperatures and concert numbers rise from city to city, so does the tension between Clay and Annie.

Annie doesn’t want to be her Mother and Clay doesn’t want to keep spiraling out of control. Can they help each other or will they crash and burn? The characters are all well rounded and well written. I want to read more about them all!! I would love for another book with these characters and I would definitely listen to a cd with the songs in the book!!

Fantastic book! I definitely recommend it!

Erin Hahn, you have a ridiculous gift. You'd Be Mine is well written with lots of heart.

Of course, I'm in awe of these mature teenagers, just as I'd be in awe of their musical gifts and good looks in real life, to the point I have a hard time believing they could be teenagers. Erin Hahn could just easily make this New Adult and up the age on these characters and it would feel more authentic. In fact, I really wish I could hear how Erin Hahn hears these characters when they sing and play their music.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit I'm not a huge country music fan but I know my fair share of country music bands and songs. This books revolves around country music. When Annie was younger her famous country music parents killed themselves because of their drug addiction. Annie stayed out of country scene for fear of turning into them. Then you have Clay who blew up very fast as the new hot country singer. Together these two unlikely singers go on a summer tour. They learn about themselves and each other on the tour. They will grow but they also fall hard. They will find a way to their dreams.

I really enjoyed how the author wrote this novel in the POV's of Annie and Clay. I feel like most YA novels nowadays just have one POV. I loved hearing Clay's voice and Annie's. Both characters have a lot of history and problems, which makes them more relatable.

If you are looking for cute summer romance novel with a complex background, pick this one up. I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

4.5 Stars!

This is such a cute summer read that will make you want to drive around singing with the windows down, attend concerts and fall in love.

Clay is the bad boy country star who is known for his antics and is always in trouble.
Annie is a country music legacy, who along with her cousin and best friend, are recruited to be headliners for Clay's tour and to basically help his image.
They have both experienced tragedies in their lives that they believe they have dealt with "just fine" but are both still grieving and that's just the surface of their connection.

It's a slower burn romance and you will be living for every moment of it. The songs incorporated are amazing and I would love to see and hear them become real radio play. A soundtrack would be a great fit for this book! Classics like Johnny & June Cash and Dolly Parton will never go out of style.

If the synopsis and beautiful cover don't draw you in to this debut from Erin Hahn you'll regret it. She will definitely be an auto buy YA Contemporary author to me from now on. If you like Sarah Dessen, Kasie West and Emma Mills you NEED to pick this up.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Erin Hahn for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a total surprise. I'm not much of a fan of romance or country music so this book had a few things going against it to start with but I came to love this book.
I feel like this story had so much heart in all aspects; characters, plot, writing, which made for a really enjoyable read.
My favourite thing about this was probably the characters and their journey throughout, especially Clay. I enjoyed the romance and how the two character's realised that they were bad for each other and weren't in the best place to be starting anything serious, this also called for a decent amount of angst which was great.
My only complaint about the romance is, I wish it had been more developed to start with, I felt like they were falling for each other way to quick.
All the characters were great and I'm glad the side characters were pretty well developed because I came to love them all.
Highly recommend.