I asked for an ARC of this back in May, because I saw the cover on twitter, and the blurb said it has the kind of second chance at love I can enjoy: they were friends and more as kids and teens, now they’re in their late 20s. There’s enough time and distance for them to have grown from the people who screwed up their chances to grown adults who can make a relationship work.

Reader beware: there’s graphic sex on the page, and some cursing; there’s the tropetastic narcissistic stage mom, and a bastard ex whose motivations are…he’s an asshole? Also, all white, all the time.

The story is told, and quite well, in first person present tense, which takes real skill to pull off, and more so when the narration switches between the two main characters.

The first chapter, set five years before the book’s timeline, establishes the relationship between Shelby Springfield, former child actress turned starlet singer turned master carpenter-slash-antique furniture restorer; Cameron Riggs, former child actor turned documentarian working for National Geographic; and Lyle Jessup, former child actor turned showrunner for an unnamed reality shows channel, and the third point of the professional-slash-romantic triangle.

Except, it’s not really ever a triangle, and the book also deals with other relationships.

Both Shelby and Cameron are likable people who have worked hard to overcome the years they were in the fishbowl that is Hollywood, and to become responsible adults. However, both of them still have some growing up to do, each in their own way.

The set up to get these two together is more than a bit contrived–ostensibly, Shelby needs the show to be picked up so that her father can save enough to retire comfortably, but I wasn’t sold on why Lyle would want Cameron there, other than trying to further humiliate Shelby and somehow make Cameron miserable.

(Honestly, in a book where almost every character has a life beyond “serving the plot”, Lyle, his wife, and Shelby’s mother stick out as one-dimensional plot devices.)

It’s especially weird that, knowing just how manipulative Lyle is, and having had him lie to both their agents, both Shelby and Cameron would agree to work with him. It’s not like either of them are unemployed or unemployable; they’ve built decent careers away from Hollywood and Lyle over the last five years, after all.

But whatever, that’s the premise: they sign on to do the pilot, with Lyle as long-distance showrunner, and a local film crew following along on their first house restoration and flip.

From there, we are introduced to Shelby’s and Cam’s family and friends, and all the pointy angles and comforting spaces of those relationships, and it’s honestly great to see the two of them navigate getting to know each other again, as adults, as they work together, while also coming to terms with other issues in their lives.

Shelby has to work out her guilt over her relationship with Lyle, as well as over some of her ‘wild child’ behavior as a teen and young adult. Cameron has to face his daddy issues (literally), and learn to build relationships with his family while staying in one spot. (On this point, I cheered when Cameron finally confronted his father, and I only wish more of that had been shown on page.)

I appreciated that they don’t jump immediately into a sexual relationship, even though at one point I felt that they had already talked it to death.

Speaking of which, I love that these two actually talk. Shelby notices Cameron’s reaction to something, and explains her reasoning, to make sure there aren’t misunderstandings. Later, when she’s unsure what he means, she asks him to clarify. For a bit, it’s only her initiating real communication between them, but eventually Cameron catches on as to how relationships work, which is excellent.

Also, let’s hear it for consent and responsible sex (aka, condoms for the win!), both when they were teens and now.

Aside: there’s a whole “oh, no, the B&B only has one room, whatever shall we do!” passage that is hilarious and delicious, especially as we get to see it from both points of view–and props again to Ms Hahn for her handling of this trope.

I enjoyed the novel a lot, because both main characters are well rounded people and their growth as people, and towards each other, was believable to me.

I could have done entirely without Lyle, though; every time he showed up, it made me question the setup again–let alone the fact that his motivations just make no sense. A showrunner doesn’t get to make many pilots if he sabotages them out of pettiness, do they?

And look, in a romantic suspense, the motivations of the villain are obvious, and generally make sense, so readers can just take it as a given and move on. In a contemporary romance, having a villain whose only motivation is “he’s an asshole”, as he figuratively shoots himself in the groin, is just distracting. Either make him make sense, or just take him out of the equation.

And don’t get me started on Ada Mae, Shelby’s ‘mommy dearest’, who only shows up, courtesy of Lyle, to make Shelby miserable; or on Marcella, Lyle’s wife, ditto. All in all, I spent too much time dreading the next piano Lyle would drop on the characters’ heads, which distracted from the romance.

The ending, of course, is the best kind of fantasy: not only do these two end together in a healthy, adult relationship, but they get to turn the tables on Lyle in the best way, and they do it by being who they are now, and through their own talents.

Built to Last gets 9.00 out of 10, and I’m looking forward to Lorelei’s book (there’s a bit of sequel bait, but it works in context, much better than Lyle’s actions).

A somewhat read. Shelby is a washed up actress and Cameron does her bidding. They embark on a home Reno reality show and of course stuff happens.
I liked both characters, I just wasn’t completely sold on their relationship.
What I did like was all the renovation descriptions and plans. That saved the book, in my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC for Built to Last for my honest review.

Such a sweet second chance romance between childhood sweethearts and former child stars Shelby & Cameron. Who falls in love when they are 11 with the love of their life? This story follows child stars Shelby, Cameron, & Lyle. Erin Hahn makes you feel all the longing and chemistry between Shelby & Cameron and has you cheering for them to finally admit how they feel. Their every interaction is so tangible you can feel the tension and longing. Loved the character growth and cast of friends who lifted and rallied for Cameron & Shelby to finally have their HEA.

The limelight isn't for everyone and life takes these three in different directions. Cameron chases stories for National Geographic, Shelby moves home and finds herself restoring furniture and flipping houses with her dad, while Lyle lives the hollywood lifestyle. No matter what life throws at them Cameron is always ready to drop everything and show up for Shelby but he never seems to stick around. The three come back together for a chance at a reality show staring Shelby & Cameron restoring and flipping houses. With Lyle as the shifty hollywood exec with an ax to grind who keeps throwing them curve balls.

Very cute read and story between Cam and Shelby but am curious to know more about Lorelei’s story. Really enjoyed seeing the growth of each character and how everything worked its way out when everyone was ready for it.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free book.
Y'all, I love Erin Hahn. Her YA books were so good, and I was so excited for this one. It was such a good romance and I absolutely loved how she had it play out. There was no rushed ending here, only an extremely well fleshed out relationship between two adults who could communicate! I loved the growth of Shelby and Cameron. They didn't only work on a relationship, but they both knew who they were and what they needed as individuals. I feel like Hahn really dug deep into what a healthy, second chance romance can look like in this novel, and I was here for it from beginning to end. This is a fun, bingeable book that has the added extra of a home renovation show - which I love. I will forever be a huge fan of this author, and I hope Lorelai gets a book next.

Read this book if you like: Dual POV, friends to lovers, childhood sweethearts, second chances, celebrities, HGTV vibes, steamy 🔥

Former child star Shelby Springfield has spent the last few years helping her dad flip homes. She had a mediocre pop career, a meltdown widely documented by the paparazzi, and a huge public break up with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. Her other former co-star was the one that got away.

Now she is being given the chance to co-host her own reality TV show flipping houses with Cam. He's been busy filming documentaries and always dips out when things get real. Lyle is the one that stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show. Cameron wants to come home and set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove to the world she's not the messy party girl anymore.

I really enjoyed this one! This is the author's debut in adult romcoms. She also writes YA romance. I love a second chance romance. I'm a big HGTV fan so this was perfect. I would have liked more show and renovation stuff included. The main characters are incredibly likeable, Lyle not so much. 🤣 The character growth is great. This was funny, sweet, and steamy. 🔥 I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-book! ❤️

absolutely adored Built to Last!

I've read and loved Hahn's YA novels so was so excited to read her adult romance debut! Plus I love HGTV/DIY so a book about two former children stars who are both trying to redeem themselves and end up filming a home reno show is exactly what I want to read!

Hahn's wonderful writing style and the way she tackles challenging subjects with such grace are why I love her books so much. I love that Shelby and Cameron were down to earth, it was fun to see them fall in love again as adults and of course the home reno aspect.

I'm so excited for the next two books in this series and that will get to read about two of Shelby's friends Maren and Lorelai!

Do yourself a favor and pick up this book and check it Hahn's backlist too!

One of the great things about life is that you don’t have to stay on one path. We are always growing and changing which Shelby and Cameron show in a beautiful story. These two met as kids and became child stars together. They had an immediate connection as kids but doubts and living up to others expectations pushed them in different directions. Shelby is now an accomplished furniture restorer and has a chance to show the world her confident and successful self with a TV show. What she doesn’t expect is for her ex-boyfriend, Lyle, to enlist Cameron as her co-star. Cameron has always loved Shelby but when the show wrapped, he broke away from Hollywood, going to college then becoming a well-known documentarian. He has struggled with staying in one place. When Shelby and Cameron reunite to film the TV show, will they finally be honest about their feelings? What a fabulous couple and a great journey. They both had to deal with family drama as they worked to find their home and happiness. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

Second chance romance books seem to be a new sweet spot trope for me, because Built to Last was such a good read!

The entire read, I could feel the chemistry between our two main characters, Shelby and Cameron, really well. I enjoyed their banter, their flashbacks for more history, and I loved how they interacted with basically everyone around them. I felt like I was rooting for them as if I was watching the tv show in real life and these were real celebrities.

I also really enjoyed how there was tiny pieces of drama thrown into the story. It made the finale of the book feel like it was earned, more than something that just happened at an end of a story.

The premise of this story is super cute and this would be an easy read for someone who's starting to dip their toes into the world of Adult Romance genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's, I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Shelby and Cameron.. childhood sweethearts getting a second chance at love. You thoroughly want to root for these two to get together and they do not disappoint. They film a pilot together for a home remodeling show and take us through that process. If this doesn’t get turned into an early 2000’s type of rom com movie.. then what is Hollywood even doing?

This book was such a treat to read. I enjoyed getting to know Shelby & Cameron & watch their relationship develop & blossom. The way the chapters were each told by one of them was a great way to write this story. I also really liked all of the side characters & I'm hoping that the ending was setting up a book about Lorelai. Highly recommend reading this book!

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Ahh so swoony!! This is one you’ll want to read cover to cover in a day!!

Shelby and Cameron, and Lyle 🙄, were child actors. Lyle being the star, Shelby his love interest, and Cam the nerdy best friend. But it was Shelby and Cam that truly connected. Yet, when the show ends, Cam packs up and heads to college, leaving Shelby behind, and Lyle steps right in. Now, years later, Shelby has endured a very public meltdown after Lyle cheated on her and absolutely gaslighted her. Cam has been working all over the world for Nat Geo, never putting down roots. Shelby has built a life in her hometown in Michigan, refurbishing furniture and helping her dad renovate historic homes. Shelby is pitched an idea for a home renovation reality tv show. Lyle weasels his way into being a show runner for the project, and brings Cam in to costar with Shelby. Is the timing finally right for Shelby and Cam and is the spark still there? Together can they navigate the attempts Lyle makes to derail their house flip AND their relationship?

I loved every character in this book (well, not Lyle) and adored Shelby & Cam’s connection. I felt so many feelings, and found Shelby just so relatable and down to earth, even having been a child star. Her friends, Maren and Lorelei, were so fun! Every supporting character was well written, and the whole town just seemed so idyllic. I loved watching Cam and Shelby get to know each other as adults and reconnect, and to navigate their relationship on this new level. This is such a well done friends to lovers & second chance romance!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press / St. Martin’s Griffin for the advanced reading copy of Built to Last, receipt of which did not impact my review.

You know those books that you love so much, you’re afraid to see them end? This is one of those books for me. I loved it SO MUCH.

Shelby Springfield is a former child actor who struggled with fame and consequences of not having someone looking out for her for years. However, now she’s doing great - working with her Dad in Michigan to renovate homes and furniture.

A second chance at getting funds to help out her Dad arrives in the form of a potential reality show about home renovations. The kicker? The show runner is her awful ex-boyfriend, Lyle, from the worst time in her life, and her co-star would be her first love and the one that walked away - Cameron Riggs.

Through weeks of home renovation and conversations, the chemistry that was always there sparks back to life between Shelby and Cameron. But secrets and lies are lurking in the wings, just waiting for them to crumble and run once more.

Built to Last was a great story of second chances - both in life and in romance - and fighting for who you are and what you deserve.

I adored it and cannot wait to read more from Erin Hahn in the future!

3.5 Stars. Shelby and Cameron are childhood friends and loves who were child co-stars. When the opportunity comes up, Shelby invites Cameron to join her in the production of a home renovation show and he agrees. The producer behind the show is Shelby’s ex boyfriend which complicates things. Shelby and Cameron still have feelings for each other but with their long history there is a lot to overcome.

This book took me a bit to get into. I was brought in by the prologue and then I felt like nothing happened for about half the book. After the half way point things picked up and I finished the book quickly. I liked both Shelby and Cameron. Both characters were well thought out and I liked that I truly understood both of their motivations. I was a bit more confused by Lyle’s character as his actions did not make sense given his position in the show that Shelby and Cameron are starring in. The whole semi-live triangle thing felt very young adult, so I was not surprised to see that the author comes from the world of YA. This also may have been a factor with the book being fade to black rather than open door. This is not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Built to Last is a second chance, friends-to-lovers romance. It did take me some time to get into it, but once I did, I enjoyed it.

Cameron Riggs and Shelby Springfield were eleven year old actors when they first met. They were co-stars on a show called "The World According to Jackson" and they had a lot of success. Not only that, but Cam and Shelby were one another's first loves albeit in secret. Shelby made headlines with another young man named, Lyle, who was also on the show with them.

Shelby has been working with her Dad flipping houses. They were hoping that they might get a TV show out of it, but the showrunner, who is ironically, Lyle, doesn't think that's the way to go. He's got another idea - bring in her former co-star Cam to team up with her. Will that work after the two haven't seen or spoken in a decade? Will other sparks fly too?

The friendship between Shelby and Cam was great. It took some time for me to buy into their relationship, but in the end it was an enjoyable story.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

For being the first adult romance book for the author, Hahn has hit it out of the park with this swoon worthy second chance romance. I immediately fell in love with both the story and the writing.

Shelby Springfield was a child star with a mediocre pop career until a meltdown that was widely publicized by the paparazzi during her break up to co-star Lyle Jessup. Since then Shelby found her true calling as a vintage furniture restorer working with her father in his home flipping business. She is happy with her new life, even if she is still trying to forget her other co-star and first love Cameron. That's until Lyle stirs the pot and gets the two stars back in the spotlight working all together on a home renovation show. For Shelby it is the perfect opportunity to show the world how she has grown, for Cameron it's an opportunity to finally put down some roots, but Lyle intentions aren't as positive and he doesn't plan to make it easy.

This book has everything I love in romance,
Second Chance love...check
Dual Perspective...check
Super Strong Chemistry and Banter...check
Laugh out Loud Humor...check

I loved, loved, loved the chemistry between the two main characters, it was cute and sweet but sexy when called for. The growth of both characters personally and together as a couple was really well written. I would have loved a couple more throw back scenes from when they first were together on set, but there was enough to anchor the storyline.

I also love a dual perspective and I enjoyed both perspectives. In more dual perspectives there is usually one I prefer over another, but I loved both.

What completely won me over for this book though is the writing. It is so well crafted and so funny. There were so many parts that made me laugh out loud not from the scene itself, but in the way the author writes it. I cannot wait for more adult romance from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this gifted copy of this great story.

Do you like second-chance, low-stakes romances with lovely character development and characters you want to root for?

Built to Last was such a delightful and lovely read - getting to watch former child stars Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs find each other again. Shelby is back home in Michigan getting her life back after years in the Hollywood limelight battling a mother who only used her, an ex who cheated on her with a friend and a world that let her get away with her worst impulses. Now older and sober, Shelby is working with her father to flip houses. Her mostly quiet life is uprooted when her ex comes back into her life with the idea of a house-flipping reality show where she will be paired up with the one who got away, Cameron Riggs.

This is a dual pov story and both Shelby and Cameron have journeys to go through in this book, mostly with their past and how they want to move forward with people surrounding them who they love and who support them. Shelby and Cameron have instant chemistry when they are reunited but there is a lot of hurt there they need to work through.

The drama here is mostly on the periphery and although they have had some miscommunications in their past, Shelby and Cameron are able to navigate them in a mature way I appreciated. If there was anything about this book I wanted more of it was more of them as teens. I would have loved some flashbacks to their time on their show together, falling in love in the past as it ties together with their present.

I'm excited Hahn is writing in this space and I'm excited to see what she writes next.

Thank you so much to St. Martins publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love home renovation shows so I was excited for this book! Overall it was an enjoyable read, but I wished there were more home reno scenes featured- more time with Shelby and Cameron working together side-by-side.
There were a few parts and characters (Shelby's mom and Lyle- their former castmate from their childhood show) which made me cringe and get annoyed. But that was also the point of the author writing it that way!
If you love home reno shows, friends to lovers, and second chance romance, then you should enjoy this one too!

3.5 stars, rounded 4

Shelby is a ex-child star turned furniture restorer. Cameron ran away from his childhood stardom and now works behind the camera with Nat Geo, but he is tired of having no where to settle down. When their mutual co-star Lyle is show running a home improvement show that could change Shelby and her fathers life, Cameron doesn't hesitate to be her co-star after her dad is lack luster on screen. Old feelings emerge and Lyle's jealousy stirs up a ton of drama. Can Cameron and Shelby get through Lyle's antics unscathed? Will their show be picked up for a full series? Will the finally take the plunge on a real relationship?

Oh my goodness! This book was just so sweet and enjoyable. I want more! The redemption story was so delicious. I loved the second chance romance and the love triangle from the past is so juicy. The drama packed a punch without it being over the top or excessive.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 10/18!

I absolutely loved this book! This book has some of my favorite tropes, second chance love & friends-to-lovers, and I really loved the home reno aspects. Cam is the ultimate book boyfriend! His interactions with Shelby were so kind, caring. and loving, I couldn’t have asked for more as a male lead in this one! Shelby was so strong, independent, and intelligent. I loved how she found her passion in life and lifted up everyone around her with kindness and meaningful connections. The sexual tension between the main characters was jumping off the page and those open door scenes were steamy friends!!

The scenes involving HomeMade were so fun, I love home reno shows and this one felt like I was experiencing one in real time! I really liked the community aspect the book brought and the way their families and friends had a part in the renovation. I loved the connections Shelby and Cam had with their friend group, it was nice to see how much they had grown from their LA years to finding their people and purpose in Michigan. Can’t recommend this book enough!!