Member Reviews
I wasn't sure what to expect from this story, but I know that I really enjoyed it. I usually don't like second chance romances, but this one felt different from the beginning. I fell in love with Cameron from the moment he hopped on a plane to Shelby at the beginning. Shelby is such a strong woman and I love her. This was such a fun story and a joy to watch them fall in love..
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Cute story with laugh out loud moments and Romance! Right down my alley and I highly enjoyed this book!
A cute friends to lovers second chance romance that I devoured! Cameron and Shelby have known each other since they were young kids, and have never told each other their feelings!!! There are times where I screamed, I just wanted them together so badly!!
Shelby had her fair share of messed up relationships and they are evident in this one. (yes love triangle, but not terrible!). She goes through many breakups, but through them all she is still in love with Cameron. Five years after this fiasco Cameron and her are reunited for a reality TV show, and the sparks fly again!
I liked this one, simple and sweet but could have done without Lyle, who you will have to read to find out about!
4/5
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!
Unsure if it was me or the book - but I was never truly invested in the story or the characters. However, I ultimately loved the way the story turned out, the home improvement background, and the spicy scenes.
Ultimately, I think second chance romances aren't for me - there is too much emotional longing.
However, I still enjoy Erin Hahn's work and am eager to see if she continues writing in the adult realm, versus her YA stuff.
Another decent contemporary, second-chance romance. I loved the rehabbing/upcycling antique pieces that the heroine worked on, and the fact that the two main characters were roped into working on a reality HGTV type show, but the romance wasn't the strongest for me. Definitely a case of me, not the book - I would still try it if it sounds like something you'd like.
Thank you St Martins Press & Netgalley for the early copy!
This was a breath of fresh air! I loved it from start to finish! The second chance childhood friends to lovers romance, the relationships throughout, and the overall home reality show as a backdrop. It was just brilliant!
I loved getting to know the characters throughout their entire lives, and I loved how we got to see both of them through each others eyes. The dual POV was great, always a fav for me! Some of the side characters were favourites as well, especially Shelby's dad!
I think this will be a top read for many, and I can't wait to hear what everyone else thinks about it! I've read a couple of Erin's YA books, and LOVED them! So when I saw her Adult debut, I just knew I had to read it! And I WAS RIGHT!!!
I can't wait to see what else Erin writes!!
Very cute - and no third act breakup!! It's definitely setting up a series (which I am all for) and delivers on its tropes: second chance romance of two former child-costars during a home renovation show. It's milder on the spicy side for me, but it is very cute and easy to read. I definitely want to check out the sequels.
Built to Last was a cute rom-com with a lot of great moments in it. I loved the character development and watching the characters get to know each other throughout the course of the book. The story was well written and kept me hooked enough that I wanted to keep reading so I could find out what happened.
Built to Last by Erin Hahn has a cute premise, but didn't quite work for me. I especially enjoyed the 'HGTV'-ish parts of the story, but found that the characters weren't ones that I connected with and the book had a slow start. Fortunately it didn't take too long to pick up and I started looking forward to what would happen next. It is the story of childhood actors that have taken some time away from acting and are now going back on their terms, on a home improvement show.
Being a child star isn't always wonderful. When Cameron decides to part ways with Hollywood, he leaves behind the girl he loves, Shelby, and a friend, Lyle. What he didn't expect was for Shelby to jump into Lyle's waiting arms.
Lyle wasn't what he was cracked up to be and a few years later, Shelby reaches out to Cameron for a rescue. He comes running but leaves again before daybreak. He did care enough to leave behind some sage advice in a note.
Fast forward a few more years and Lyle wants Cameron and Shelby to star in a reality show flipping houses. Putting Cameron and Shelby back together again makes them realize how much they have missed each other and have not missed Lyle. When Lyle starts to throw drama out, Cameron and Shelby must fight back.
Opinion
I love the dynamic of the three main characters. Two love each other and hate the third. The third wanting to exploit them to get money? Even better. The supporting characters are awesome as well and I'd love to read about Shelby's friends in another book.
This book is such a good novel. Rekindled love, friends to lovers and small town feel make this book awesome.
Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.
This was my second book by Hahn and I am now a fan! The premise of this book was so intriguing that it made it hard to put down.
Shelby, Cameron, and Lyle all grew up in Hollywood. Cameron gets out but Shelby ends up losing herself and then leaving. There’s a bit of romantic tension between all of them. Well, I mean between Shelby and the boys. There are some times in this book that I found it hard to like any of the characters, to be honest. It was mostly the beginning when they are all terrible people. I didn’t love the way they treated each other and Cam would just turn into a ghost and be gone.
When Shelby finally works on herself and her trauma with her mother, I liked her a lot more. Her change was pretty big and I loved how she found her calling. I did like her romance with Cam but I wish they would have been more honest with each other. There are so many missed opportunities from not communicating! I think that Cam made some big steps to patching things up with his family too.
Lyle is a character that I hated from the start and that didn’t change. haha. There are some amazing supporting characters in this book. I loved Shelby’s dad! He was the best! I think a few of them might be the star of upcoming books?? If not, they should be!
This was a sweet second chance romance with a lot of angst and some spicey moments! I think that both of them had great character development throughout the book too. I can’t wait to see what Hahn comes out with next!
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book was a cute quick paced read. Shelby and Cameron has great chemistry. Her ex was the perfect jerk and he needed a wake up call. I really did enjoy this one.
This is a second chance romance between Shelby and Cameron. Childhood sweethearts thrown together on a home renovation show produced by Shelby's recent ex, Lyle. Cameron was such a sweetheart and his chemistry with Shelby was great. Lyle was the perfect jerk whose antics needed to be overcome. I really enjoyed this one.
everyone needs a cameron in their lives - i was instantly drawn to how much he cares about shelby and the lengths he would go to protect her. their lifelong friendship reminded me of cory and topanga in “boy meets world” - it’s a relationship that’s lasted decades and is treasured by both of them. i also loved how cameron was willing to learn about home renovations in order for shelby’s promo to air and i could tell how much he wanted to succeed (and impress) mr. springfield. shelby and cameron spent a lot of one-on-one time together and i especially enjoyed the scenes where they went on their “dates.” sure, they claimed it was all for the views, but it isn’t hard to miss the chemistry between these two.
despite the love - that was clearly in the air - i couldn’t get over lyle jessup! i thought he was rude and insensitive towards both cameron and shelby’s feelings. lyle threw in way too many unnecessary obstacles during the show’s filming and it pulled away from the main plot and i wasn’t a fan of this love triangle trope. his jealousy spark fueled into other past problems being roped into the plot. it became known that shelby’s relationship with her mom was a rocky one so i found that adding her into the mix of conflicts drew away from the time cameron and shelby were on set together. with that being said, this is a sweet, romantic book that still left me extremely satisfied with the ending
This was a quick second chance romance. I enjoyed parts of it, but found some of overly cheesy and a bit over the top. I did enjoy the HGTV aspects of the book.
Built to Last was a fun, entertaining second-chance romance. I loved the banter between Shelby and Cam! I enjoyed watching them reconnect as they worked together on the home renovation -- plus, for the HGTV vibes.
Loved this one! It's always fun to read a story about two people coming back together years later. I think we all think about past loves at one point or another and try to visualize what the relationship might have been like if it were the right time.
I loved the characters, plot, and spice level. I definitely recommend!
I absolutely love second chance romance when they are done correctly and, in my opinion, Erin did a fantastic job with this one. Watching Shelby and Cameron walk into the future that had always seemed somewhat elusive was just a beautiful thing. Even now, a few months after reading this book, I get warm fuzzies thinking of this one!
** spoiler alert ** Great story! It looks like they’re setting up for a sequel about one of the characters and I can’t wait to read more about it! ❤️
Definitely check it out if you love a good rom com.
Built To Last is an entertaining debut romcom that is a childhood friends to lovers trope. I am addicted to home makeover reality TV shows and cannot get enough of it, so picking up this book in that genre really excited me, and the different view point gave this read a fun take.
I loved and enjoyed the writing. Erin Hahn created such depth in the characters’ background stories as well as the fun to read supporting cast of characters. I am anxious to read Hahn’s future works.