This was such a fun, heartfelt, steamy, thoughtful romance! I loved the layers to the characters' past—their history as child stars, the flashbacks to the development of their relationship over time, and the ways their past came back to haunt them as they healed... all so satisfying, and it made the payoff feel so much more earned, genuine, and emotional! The scenes kept me turning pages, the characters delivered all the banter and steam and heart I could want from a romance, and it even had me wanting to watch some HGTV. A total delight, and a great entry to adult romance for Erin Hahn.

This is a fun and charming read!

+ second chance love (child co-stars to adult co-stars)
+ home renovation show (YES, please! I'm a sucker for HGTV)
+ amazing best friends (I hope that Lorelai and Maren will get their own books. I think they will!)
+ a behind-the-scenes look at celebrity life.
+ Shelby's dad
+ Shelby's obsession with Cameron's thighs!

I'm always a fan of a cheesy rom com, it's one of my favorite genres. This one didn't disappoint in that aspect, I loved the connection between Cam and Shelby. I really enjoyed their story, however, I really disliked Lyle which makes sense considering he's the villain of the story. I kept hoping for some true redemption from him or some sort of downfall for his character instead of him finding extra success off of Cam and Shelby while constantly trying to drag them down.

I enjoy second chance romance novels, but I always need a good redemption arc and the main character at fault to apologize accordingly. I was a bit frustrated with Cameron at times, but when you take into consideration how young they were when everything went wrong, it's easier to make allowances.

I loved Shelby and she loved Cameron wholeheartedly from the very start and that made me grow to love him too.

Built to Last by Erin Hahn was a sweet second-chance romance with no third-act conflict and for that I am thankful. I hope Shelby's friend Lorelei gets her own book so I can see more of Cameron and Shelby being happy and together, together.

Erin Hahn's Built to Last is a sweet and satisfying second-chance romance about two child stars who are trying to recapture their love.

Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs starred with Lyle Jessup—their former friend and Shelby's ex-boyfriend—on a super-popular tv show when they were teenagers. Shelby and Cameron had a secret romance before Cameron left the show, and her life, leaving Lyle to console her.

A decade later, Shelby has created a new career for herself with her dad, restoring furniture in the old homes he flips. Cameron has become a successful documentary filmmaker. They're brought back together, ironically, by Lyle, who has an idea for a new home renovation show, one that he'll produce.

For very different reasons, they agree, despite their reservations about Lyle's involvement. As they start to become reacquainted, they also understand things about each other that weren't clear before.

I read this one in close to one sitting, drawn in by Hahn's compelling characters, intriguing plot—fueled by flashbacks that illuminate the past, and steamy romance.

This is a wonderful and well written story. It has well thought out characters and the setting is lovely. Shelby and Cameron are former child stars who have moved on to different things in their lives. The author creates a plot to show how their lives have changed but yet they are still haunted by their past. It is also a very romantic love story of two young people who have been in love with each other for a long time. They have to separate the public life from the private feelings in order to find the truth and real happiness.

SO SO SO ADORABLE!!

The beginning pulled me in from the very first chapter. I was already hooked on Cameron and Shelby. The love he already felt for her?!

*SWOON*

AND?!?! NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP!!!!!

(complete side note but the social media aspect/comments were awesome)

Just loved this book so much! (Here's hoping we get a Lorelai next book 😍)

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.