Built to Last was cute! It did take me a little bit to get into, but once I did, I enjoyed this second-chance romance. I was rooting for Shelby and Cameron throughout the entire book. I loved their interactions and their character development. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

Thank you sweet baby Jesus for no third act break up.

This was lovely. They were both on a tv show as kids and fell in love. After years apart, they reunite for an HGTV-esque home renovation show and turns out those sparks between them never went out.

I loved that there were no games or miscommunications between them. When things came up, they talked about it and dealt with it. I loved that Cam took everything so seriously and was constantly at the job site trying to make sure he knew what he was doing so he didn’t look ridiculous next to her. He was not a natural at house renovations so I loved that he put in extra hours on his own to learn and get the skills.

When Lyle rolled into town and the whole group met in a bar, I felt my whole body cringing because I just knew he would try to sabotage her sobriety for fun so as soon as she made it clear to the bartender that no matter what anyone says, she’s sticking to ginger ale, I felt my whole body relax. Good on you, Erin Hahn.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

“Stay with me and we can build something together.”

This is the perfect, fall book. I’m so glad I was able to read this.

Shelby has spent the last ten years home in Michigan restoring vintage furniture to escape from her former life as a child star and h very public breakup with her former co-star, Lyle Jessup. He comes back into her life to convince her to star on a home remodeling show with her other former co-star, Cameron Riggs, who she has never been able to forget. Lyle continues to stir the pot, but Shelby and Cameron can’t keep their feelings, or their pasts, buried for long.

Shelby is such a great character. She has such great development over the course of the boo, and even within the first few chapters. Her time in Hollywood left her scarred and being back in Michigan, restoring furniture and helping with her father’s business has clearly helped her. She’s independent and smart, and has spent time working on herself. Her newfound confidence is inspiring,

Cameron has always been a runner; he ran from Hollywood and his family, and he ran from Shelby twice. When they’re thrust together to film a pilot for a home renovation show, they must confront their underlying feelings for each other and deal with their old co-star, Lyle. Cameron is excellent book boyfriend material, and it was so satisfying to watch him figure out what he wants to do with his life.

Shelby and Cameron’s relationship develops really beautifully, and they’re forced to communicate, which was so refreshing. No miscommunication to see here. They have honest, revealing conversations that solidify their relationship and they stand up for each other. Both of them have familial issues, but they’re not so distracting that it detracts from the overall storyline, and they provide details into how it’s taken them so long to finally become a couple.

This is a great light read and I would definitely recommend adding it to your TBR!

Let me tell you I am a sucker for second chances, not only that but second chances with a childhood sweetheart.. yes please. I love friends to lovers and this story hits the spot!

Shelby is trying to start afresh, 10 years exactly. A former child star she’s definitely had her fare share in the spotlight, especially with a huge public break up. That is until her childhood sweetheart and former co-star Cameron comes back into the picture. Cameron has been looking to set down roots and Shelby wants to get out of the crazy star limelight, so they team up for a show called Homemade and sawdust isn’t the only thing flying… not with Shelby’s ex being the director.

The chemistry between Shelby and Cameron had me swooning. And of course the banter. There was sweetness and humor and of course the relationship development we see in Shelby herself. This book had a whole lot of heart and I think that’s why it’s now up there as one of my faves. Their love story is full of explorations of having grown up and facing real life problems.
I felt I was watching a real home improvement show head on. And I’m a sucker for home improvement shows.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press for letting me read this book early. I deeply enjoyed Erin Hahn’s writing.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (very descriptive sex scenes)

Shelby Springfield, Cameron Riggs, and Lyle Jessup grew up together on the tween show The World According to Jackson. Even though Cameron was Shelby's first love, Lyle is the one she ended up with after the show wrapped. When Lyle eventually cheats on her and leaving her spiraling, it's Cameron who comes to pick up the pieces... right before he walks away from her again. Now, five years later, the three are reunited for the home renovation show HomeMade- Lyle is helping produce and Shelby and Cameron are the stars. While Lyle tries to create drama on set and online, Cameron and Shelby both see this as their last chance at being together. Can they finally admit their feelings for one another and build a future one house at a time?

Okay, I will admit that the mixed reviews on this one influenced me going in, but I'm happy to say that the more I read the more I enjoyed this book. Cameron and Shelby had great chemistry from the beginning, and I never doubted that they'd be together in the end. Yes, they started off with some miscommunication about the past, but thankfully it was resolved easily. And I liked how they were able to communicate effectively and admit what they wanted after clearing the air. Cameron was a dream book boyfriend, always standing up for Shelby and not being afraid to go all in with her. And Shelby was such a strong female lead who picked herself up after leaving L.A. and found happiness in renovating antique furniture and architecture. Lyle's character was the absolute worst from beginning to end. I wish he had either a bit of a redemption arc in the end or had been put in his place a little more, but I'm glad that Cameron and Shelby took back control of the narrative when it came to the show and their private lives. I heard that some of Shelby's friends might get their own stories, so I'll definitely be on the lookout for those after getting a taste of Erin Hahn's writing!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A second chance romance, I love that trope so much. We meet child stars Cameron and Shelby, and we all know there is always a stigma with child stars, and Shelby was that stigma, Cameron decided to leave that life behind and follow a different path in life, but when Shelby called Cam because she needed him, he literally RAN to her rescue. Shelby has this “bad girl” reputation that she can never let go of even after years of being sober and leaving LA for a more simple life. There was an opportunity being offered to her and her dad and Cam is also part of that, which was so cute to see, I can honestly say that Cam is A DREAM, I loved him from the start. We get the second-chance trope, first loves, a ton of humor, some DRAMA, and enough spice, the ending of this book was so cute.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley & Alcove Press for an eARC of this book. The following review are my honest and unbiased thoughts.

Ach this book simply wasn't for me!! As a lover of all things HGTV and someone who is always down for a celeb romance, the blurb of this book really appealed to me! However in the end, the ex being constantly around through everything off for me. I ended up DNFing because the secondhand embarrassment was just too much. It was a well-written book that just didn't hit right for me sadly.

Oh my god! I loved this romance! I’m a huge fan of second chance romance and this was sexy, adorable and satisfying. I could feel the chemistry between them immediately.
Being childhood stars had a long list of mistakes, bad parent relationships and painful memories. But when this opportunity comes along everyone believes they can make something of it.
The story felt like stepping out into the sunshine after a storm. I still have a smile on my face. And I loved loved loved Cameron! God he was everything!
I started reading this and when I had to work I listened. I recommend both. I really like reading romance but the narrators were amazing and listening was just as satisfying. I hope you don’t let this one pass you buy. It was good.
Thanks OrangeSky Audio and St. Martin’s Press Griffin via NetGalley.

Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Built to Last by Erin Hahn is a second-chance romance for two characters who were teenage lovers, and now face each other again, years later.

Story Recap:
Shelby Springfield was a child actor during her formative teen years, she was one of the three main characters on a sitcom called The World According to Jackson. Her two co-stars were Lyle Jessup and Cameron Riggs. Cameron and Shelby fell in love while filming the sitcom, but when Cameron left suddenly for college, she turned to Lyle.

When Shelby calls Cameron after her breakup with Lyle, he comes running, but he doesn’t stay. He goes back to his job as a National Geographic documentarian, where he flies around the world 11 months a year. After a public meltdown after her breakup with Lyle, Shelby leaves Los Angeles to live with her father in Michigan and learns the home renovation and furniture rehabilitation trades from her dad.

When Lyle asks both Cameron and Shelby to do a home renovation show, with him as the showrunner, both are skeptical at first, but they eventually agree. Will spending time together working on a reality show spark up the flames they used to have for each other?


My Thoughts:
I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at making a reality show, especially a home-flipping reality show. I felt like the author really understood child actors and the issues they face. Each of these three main characters were child actors and they each had different reasons and a different support system when they were on the popular tv show.

I loved this second-chance romance between child stars. When they first became an item, they were so young, and it makes sense that they both had to go and grow up a bit before they could have a real relationship.

I enjoyed this book from the very first page. Shelby was a bit difficult to like at first, but I did warm up to her quickly. I loved her dad, and could totally understand why the tv show people didn’t want him in the show! Shelby’s mother was your typical stage mother, and I could understand Shelby’s desire to lead a “normal” life.

Recommendation:
I recommend Built to Last to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was SO freaking cute and a little bit steamy near the end, but oh so very adorable overall and I absolutely flew through this laugh out loud read by Erin Hahn.

Shelby Springfield has spent years running from her bad decisions and her child actor Hollywood bad girl vibe. She has also spent these years trying to overcome said image while finding her passion in a new life she loves restoring old furniture and renovating houses with her dad.

When Cameron Riggs, the one who got away, comes back into her life after her ex, Lyle the f****r tricks them into piloting a new home reno show, she is furious.

But when the flirtation and easiness returns, she can’t help but remember just how good they were together, and wonder what could be if things were different and maybe Cameron could actually stick around.

5/5 stars and thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy for my review.

Read if you like:
❤️ Love Triangles
❤️ Second Chance Romances
❤️ Childhood Sweethearts
❤️ Banter

Oh my goodness! This one hooked me from page one and was just so cute and well done! The banter between the main characters was so well done and absolutely knocked it out of the park for me!

I also loved the home renovations aspect of the book as it gave something else I could relate to and I just went through a big home renovation project!

I wish there was a little more backstory included, but otherwise this one was a cute and wonderfully done romance!

I'm kind of over food-centric and home-reno-centric romances these days. The market is just oversaturated with them. This one was very enjoyable though! It has a little bit of everything. Former child star, failed singing career, friends to lovers, and a reality tv show about home renovation. I liked that it had a lot of things going on, made for an interesting read!

𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘛𝘰 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 follows Shelby and Cameron, former costars of a famous kid's show now turned ex childhood sweethearts who are asked to work together on a home restoration reality tv show by none other than Lyle, their mutual nemesis. As they alter their way of living to accommodate filming, they also resist sneaking behind cameras for some stolen kisses.

- ~ -

The story was absolutely adorable.

Set in the Midwest, Shelby is licking her wounds in private from the mess that was her life before she left LA. But she's found solace and stability working with her father, restoring houses. And with the support of her friends and community, she's ready to tackle on her ruinous career fame.

Cameron, on the other hand, has spent years running away from his life to film documentaries in distant places far, far away from his father and his expectations. But he also learns to settle and heal as she gets lost in the tiring but satisfactory process of mending houses.

Together, Shelby and Cameron provided plenty of utterly swoony moments and quality banter but I do wish we had more descriptions of their past because what we did have was gold but not nearly enough. I have to mention though, I'm very glad the author refrained from playing the classic will-they-wont-they move and simply gave us Shelby and Cam, standing beside each other being supportive.
(𝘗𝘴. 𝘈𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯).

Also, I have never felt so enraged on behalf of fictional characters but Shelby's mum, Lyle and Marcella can burn.

Lastly, I now desperately want Lorelai and Maren's HEAs in my hands (I genuinely hope they will be written).

- ~ -

4.03 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

I'm even having a hard time trying to find the words to describe how much I enjoyed this. The characters were all amazing and I enjoyed the plot so much. I would read another book with these characters in a heartbeat, even if the story was just about the two of them doing reno on houses.

I also really liked how even though it does follow some normal tropes that it didn't follow one of the major tropes that I see in almost of these types of books. I won't spoil which trope though.

I love a good romance, and lately I've been in my feels, so I was super excited to start Erin Hahn's latest Built to Last.

From the publisher via Goodreads: Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like she does the rough spots on the vintage furniture finds she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a mediocre pop career, a meltdown widely documented by the paparazzi, and a huge public break with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs -- the one who got away.

Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… And then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can't help but come on board.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Shelby and Cameron are delightful characters, well-developed and entertaining voices. I loved the premise and the execution of the renovation show and didn't find the tropes to be too over the top or stereotypical. Fun, witty, and a little bit spicy, Built to Last is an immediate add to cart.

Big thanks to St. Martins and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Erin Hahn is one of my favourite authors and has been since I picked up her debut novel You'd Be Mine. Her first three novels were YA and were written in a way that I was desperately hoping the characters were real and living lovely lives (and that I could listen to the music that Annie Mathers and Jefferson Coolidge had created!). I was thrilled to have the chance to read her first Adult Romance novel and it didn't let me down.

YES to Reunited Ex-Lovers
It's fairly weird to call Shelby and Cam ex-lovers since they were 17 at the time, but I LOVE this trope because it gives readers a chance to see characters reunite after years apart and try to figure out how (or if) they fit in each other's lives anymore. As we slowly unravel Shelby and Cam's past and see how they learn who each other are in the present, we fall more in love with them and get to see them fall in love with each other. I am here for all of it and thank Hahn did a wonderful job!

Felt Like I Was Watching HGTV (in the best way!)
I'm a huge fan of home reno shows (Home Town and Masters of Flip are so sooting to me), so of course the concept of two people renoing an old home immediately grabbed my attention. Although I know nothing about salvaging historical pieces and refurbishing the, Hahn convinces me that she does and that Shelby does an amazing job with it. Ultimately, this was so much fun to read because it was so easy to visualize this as a tv show.

Great Secondary Characters
Hahn has always done an amazing job creating secondary characters for readers to fall in love with, and Built to Last is no different. From Shelby's friends (who are going to be getting their own books!), to Cam's family and Shelby's ex, these secondary characters feel just as real and important as the main ones. This is important to me because I love reading a book where things feel real; I've never been a fan of books where the focus is solely on the main characters. I need the depth of additional people to care about (or hate, *ahem* Lyle).

Overall, I loved this book! I'm so excited for it to be released on October 18, 2022 and have ​already preordered a personalized copy for myself. Hahn has really shown that she writes great adult novels and I honestly don't know now if I'm more excited for her next YA or her next romance because she keeps stealing my heart!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When two childhood actors reconnect after several years under a pilot contract for a home renovation show, Shelby and Cameron cannot contain their strong emotions for each other. With Shelby’s ex and their mutual ex-costar Lyle heads the production, Lyle has other plans for sabotaging Shelby and Cameron’s so-called relationship. Now that they’re adults though, could this be Shelby and Cameron’s real chance at love? At the same time prove to everyone that there is more to them than meets the eye?

This was a sweet second chance romance with a ton of mutual pining. It made me want to scream, “just be together already!” I understood all the complex feelings and history, but man, Shelby and Cameron were just made for each other so it was inevitable that their paths crossed again. As a fan of Erin Hahn’s YA novels, I did enjoy this one!

I loved the premise of this story and some of the dialogue was very funny. But unfortunately I couldn’t finish the book and had to stop halfway. I couldn’t get attached to the characters and just lost interest in their story. I also felt like the premise with the show/house flip got lost in the characters dragging out their constant rehashing of the past. After a while it got tedious how it felt like they couldn’t move past what happened years back and I couldn’t find a connection with them. I was so disappointed because I love HGTV shows and romances, and this felt like the perfect pairing. I’m sure this story will appeal to a lot of people, but just not me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was written for everyone like me who grew up loving Disney Channel and now watches a lot of HGTV!
Shelby and Cam had an adorable and realistic relationship. It was great to see them struggle through confronting their past, and I felt very connected to them as characters. I normally struggle with Dual POV, since I often don’t think the two characters are distinct enough, but Shelby and Cam felt different and complemented each other very well!
I also loved how the conflict didn’t feel like two adults making bad decisions, instead felt like two people wanting to be together but were just torn by circumstances.

I agree with the other reviewers who struggled with the beginning of this book but unlike those who felt it got better, I felt it fell flat. I didn’t care about the characters, and the dialogue felt forced. It wasn’t for me.