This was a feel-good, dual POV, second chance, friends to lovers romance between two childhood co-stars who are reunited years after their tv show ended when they agree to be on a reality renovation show. Shelby and Cameron fell hard in their teens but when Cameron left unexpectedly Shelby moved on. This new tv show provides an opportunity for these two to resolve their past and see if they might have a chance a real relationship in the present. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! This was my first Erin Hahn book and was good on audio too. I'm looking forward to seeing what's next from this talented author.
Recommended for fans of Maggie moves on by Lucy Score or Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews.

This was a sweet story with a hint of spice that I really liked reading over the course of a weekend. As a person who watches a lot of home renovation shows, I like that we get a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at how they actually work (more realistic than some reality TV!) and the child star angle added another little hit of Hollywood that I enjoyed. Cameron is a bit of a dreamboat, too.

Speaking of Cameron, I felt like I didn’t get enough about why he and Shelby had such strong feelings for each other. I mean, I get that when you’re young and in the spotlight, you would gravitate toward each other, but beyond that, what really made them click? They were protective of each other, for sure, but there needs to be more than that and sexual attraction to make a relationship work. That being said, it was nice to see their relationship blossom. And then there’s Lyle. I hoped there was going to be more to him than just “bad guy” but he was just a trope that wasn’t really well developed. Plus, in what world would a child star/”bad boy” all of a sudden be the showrunner of a home renovation show? That made no sense to me.

This might be weird, but I really loved Shelby’s relationships with her dad and with her friends. I want to get into those relationships more. I’m not sure at this moment whether there will be another book in this series, but I would be happy if it focused on her best friend.

At the end of the day, this was a cute read.

3.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Author Erin Hahn, has definitely made me a new fan with her adult debut!

This well written, second chance romance, has me laughing out loud multiple times through out the book. The pacing was spot on, and I had the hardest time making myself out this book down!

The author did a superb job of writing complex relationships, romantic, friendship, and family. The side characters were fleshed out in a way that I sincerely hope we get books following their HEA.

Do not let the illustrated cover fool you, there is definitely tension and plenty of spice in this book. One of my favorite things about this book is that even though there is a slightly miscommunication early in the book, once Shelby and Cameron are together, they are a united front. We get to see them as a couple work through external drama.

I was immediately drawn into this story, and it left me with a smile on my face. It’s a low angst, low relationship drama, feel good romance!

Second chance childhood sweethearts story done right! I loved Shelby & Cam right away and the author did a great job of showing all sides to both of them. The side characters were great too and I'm hoping for a book 2 with Lorelai!

Okay, this was CUTE. It might actually get me to watch home improvement/design shows. I really liked the premise of this! Ex child stars from a beloved kids show all grown up and back together for a new home improvement show? I dig it. I enjoyed both Cameron and Shelby’s POVs and I liked the flashbacks we got to see how they had grown up on the show and how their relationship began. The only flashback I thought was a little confusing (only because of where it’s placed) was the opening chapter. It was well written, but I felt like it could have been put somewhere else to really give more of an impact. I liked the juxtaposition of Shelby and Cameron’s parents and how one parent was a typical stage mom, practically shoving Shelby into the spotlight and with Cameron’s dad, he was almost embarrassed about Cameron being an actor. That made for an interesting dynamic. I adored Shelby’s dad. He was a gem. Shelby and Cameron definitely have a sloooooooow burn second chance romance, but their banter was great and I thought it was nice to see them go slow and get to know each other all over again. As much as I hated him, I would have liked more Lyle as far as the conflict of the story went. Which there really didn’t seem to be a big conflict in this story other than Shelby reclaiming her narrative and Cameron not running away anymore. There wasn’t really any big dramatic moment which I think would have really worked here. But it was definitely a very sweet story and it will certainly give you all the feels and make you want to build a house.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed reading this sweet second-chance, dual POV romance about former childhood TV stars and first loves reconnecting while filming a pilot for a home renovation show. It felt like pulling on the softest, coziest cardigan and settling in for a quiet night.

The HGTV vibes and many music references added a lot of creativity to the story, and the lead characters, Shelby and Cameron, were fun to root for. All the friends and family we get to know added so much warmth to the story, too.

This book sets up a few characters for additional books, and I’m excited to read their stories! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've read Hahn's YA books and this being her first adult romance with actual sex scenes, was pretty good. If you like HGTV shows and friends to lovers / slow burn you will like Built to Last.

Shelby, Lyle and Cameron were only 11 when they did their hit kiddy show on Nickelodeon or whatever channel, I presume. They grew up together on the show. We meet them first 5 years after the show ended, so they're 22 or so. Lyle has just cheated on and dumped Shelby for her "best" friend Marcella, and Shelby drowns herself in alcohol and calls her friend Cameron, who is in Alaska doing documentaries for Nat Geo. He helps Shelby by being there for her. She sobers up and goes home to her dad in *ichigan. Her awful mom was a typical stage mom / momager. Shelby learns how to restore old furniture and help her dad flip houses. She has a knack for it and makes a career out of it.

6 years later Shelby is 27 or so (the math doesn't quite work unless I had her age wrong) and trying to get a home renovation show ordered. The pilot gets ordered but only after she flies to L A. and discovers the producer is her ex Lyle and he brought in Cameron to be her cohost because her dad doesn't want to be on camera / didn't test well. Cameron has to learn how to do house demo and renovation stuff and he learns from Shelby's dad who likes him. Cameron has to address how he left Shelby and they had a secret relationship before she got together with Lyle. In fact she lost her virginity to him and then he left for college. They have good chemistry and I liked her best friends Maren and Lorelai.

The author did a decent job trying to describe the house that they were renovating even though we can't actually see it. The antagonist in this book is Lyle. At every turn his envy and jealousy is spurring him to sabotage Shelby and Cameron. What doesn't make sense since he's a producer/ showrunner. I couldn't get any idea beyond caricature of his character. If you grow up working on a kid show with 2 other people- how do you get so bitter and spiteful? Especially with the success he has after his child actor career. He tried to paint Shelby as a "drunken slut" even as HE cheated on her constantly. Her poor self esteem from having a horrible mother until she went home to her dad, went through therapy and became an adult and found her thing. I enjoyed the love story though. 4/5☆

3.5 stars

I’ve read and loved all of this author’s YA romance. I was curious how her foray into adult contemporary romance would go, I’ve been rooting for her. While I found this story enjoyable, I had a harder time connecting with this story than I did with her previous stories.

First, I want to say that the characters are lovely and adorable. Cameron is a great big cinnamon roll of a lumberjack. Shelby is kind and thoughtful and just wants to be loved for who she is on the inside. These two suffered a lot from miscommunication. Or, rather, not communicating at all. It all makes sense since they were practically children when they fell in love. Worse, they were just out of childhood but had been treated like adults for far too many years. I love that current Shelby now speaks her mind. She may delay asking the hard questions or saying the potentially embarrassing things, but once she works it out in her head she goes for it because it’s better to know the truth than to fear the unknown. I have to give her props for that. There are a few times I felt she jumped to conclusions. She asked the question but didn’t listen to the answer, or misconstrued the answer because of her insecurities about the past. Yet always, every time, she would come back to it and realize she needed to think things through before assuming anything.

I was overwhelmed by the warmth and comfort these two brought to the page when they were together. That being said, I didn’t get inundated by butterflies or feel any infernos. There was a stable and steady presence in their relationship. There’s nothing wrong with that. As I said, it was a great comfort and that is exactly what a lot of readers are looking for. I just would have liked a tad bit more.

Being the mom of a 28-year-old, it needs to be said that whenever a movie or music reference was made by these characters it kind of took me out of the story. I felt as though the references used would not be used by people that age. Maybe I’m being nit-picky here, but it would throw me off and make me have to actively think about the ages of the characters.

All in all, this was a wonderful second chance romance. There was angst, but it had to do more with external forces and not the couple themselves. Both Shelby and Cameron had things to work through with each other and their families, but they really seemed to be level-headed and actively worked through their issues with each other. I’ll be giving this author’s next contemporary romance a shot, there’s a lot of promise there. For now, her YA romance will remain my favorite of hers though.

Being that I’m a fan of home makeover shows especially Joanna and Chip, I was excited about this book description! A book about childhood friends-to-lovers doing a home renovation TV show together. I enjoyed the banter between them. It was a slow burn read, but picked up towards the end. I found some difficulty to connect with the book at times. Overall, a cute romance read! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars. I loved this read.

There’s just something about a second chance romance! And this one was extra sweet.

Shelby & Cameron are the cutest! Their banter! Their chemistry! Their honesty with each other! It was so refreshing to read.

Some great villains that you love to hate. And several great supporting characters in their friends and family that you just love. (I really need a Lorelei book next please and thank you.)

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read an advance copy.

This book was amazing. Shelby and Cameron were child stars on the same TV show. They were in love with each other from the very beginning as tweens and were each other's firsts in their later teens. Cam went off to college and then traveled the world working for Nat Geo and returned to Shelby's side after 5 years when she was spiraling out of control and contacted him. He encouraged her, in a note, to leave LA behind and then he went back to Alaska. Fast forward 5 years, and their previous costar Lyle wants them to do a home reno show. Shelby had left LA and returned to Michigan where she's been restoring furniture and working with her Dad who flips houses. I loved everything about this story. Funniest line, IMO, Cam is talking to his college friend Kevin who is a big guy and wears suspenders. Kevin says, "I'm 317 pounds of pure sex, Riggs." "I can't be contained by a mere belt." I liked all the supporting characters (not Lyle and his wife). I hope Lorelai's story gets told next.

Who loves a home-reno romance? I do, I do!
Who loves a celebrity romance? I do, I do!
Who loves a second chance romance? I do, I do!
Who loves a hot Patagonia/LL Bean model type heroine? I DO!

Child stars Cameron and Shelby were first loves starring on a hit show together. At 18 they went separate ways, him to college and her to a pop career and romance followed heavily by the tabloids. But she can still always count on Cameron to come running to her, especially when she hits rock bottom personally and professionally. Shelby takes off for a quieter life in Michigan where she picks up refinishing furniture and helping out her Dad's house flipping business, but she dreams of being on television again, this time showing her grown up, house-flipping self. And guess who she's paired with on the show? Sweet, sexy, first love, Cameron. 

This dual perspective story was such a fun tale with oodles of fantastic tropes. I found it funny, sexy, sweet and full of anecdotes about growing up and spreading your wings but holding onto your roots, reinventing yourself, but keeping that central core. There's karaoke, tabloids, TV drama, family antics, Upper Peninsula field trips, some small town vibes, and maybe some barn hanky-panky. This was my first book by this author and I'm definitely intrigued to check out some of her previous and upcoming work.

Shelby has finally made name for herself outside of her child stardom when a producer reaches out wanting to hire her for am pilot of a home Reno show. When she arrives to the meeting, she finds her ex Lyle, as well as her ex Cameron. Cameron has always been there for her even though their relationship was always kept a secret. Now Lyle is the director and Cameron is her co-star. Will they be able to make this show work?

This book was so dang cute. It was like watching your favorite tv stars meet later in life and fall in love, just as you wanted them to do while watching the show. I also love a good home Reno/flipping show, and the way Erin described Shelby’s gorgeous work made me want to get in line for one of her pieces. Either that, or hit up an estate sale and redo something myself! It was just the perfect story, and I absolutely adored hating Lyle!

Built to Last was a fantastic adult romance debut from YA author Erin Hahn! I love home renovation shows, and I also enjoy reality TV, so this book was the perfect mix for me. I liked Shelby and Cameron from the start, and I was rooting for their second chance romance throughout the book.

I love romance books, but I've been struggling with them lately because I feel like everything I'm reading is the same. I liked that things were done differently in this book, especially that there was no third act break up! Yes, there is miscommunication along the way, and Cameron did walk away from Shelby twice in the past, so she has alright to have her guard up around him, but once they put their feelings out there, I liked that they actually found a way to make things work like adults. It was so refreshing to read a book where both characters know where they did things wrong in the past and are working towards fixing it for their future.

I liked that the chapters alternated between both Shelby and Cameron's perspective, so you got not only their thoughts on each other, but got to follow their stories with their families as well. There were some great secondary characters with Shelby's dad Daniel and I loved the relationship him and Cameron formed, Shelby's best friends Lorelai and Maren, and Cameron's best friend Kevin and his wife Beth. Can I ask for a book two that follows Lorelai's story, I need to know what happens with her now! Highly recommend adding this one to your TBR if it isn't on it already!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This was a cute, second chance contemporary meet-cute that probably would work for most people, but didn’t really work for me. Shelby and Cameron were childhood sweethearts, while also starring in a popular television show. They’re torn apart by Hollywood and life choices, and thrust back together to star in a reality show on home renovation (think Chip and Joanna type show). Though they’ve been apart for a long time, their chemistry is immediate. Add into the mix that an ex castmate and Shelby’s ex boyfriend is producing this television show and throwing many curve-balls their way. This book was cute and I enjoyed Shelby’s growth, but the couple did not really work for me - I just didn’t care that much when they finally worked out their reasons to not be together (which were pretty flimsy). To be clear, I think other people could really enjoy this book. I personally just don’t connect with the main themes of the book or the main characters: second chance romance and home renovation, and the characters were all somewhat famous. This is my first book from Hahn, and the writing was okay and actually made me laugh a couple of times (which is a plus for me). Though this book wasn’t my favorite, I do recommend this book for fans of second chance, contemporary romance, and home renovation reality television.

Erin Hahn writes magic. While this wasn't my favorite from her, it was still a solid rom com. I loved the premise and the set up of characters. That, honestly, was my favorite part. So unique and different than all the other romances out there.

Hahn is 100% a "read everything by her" author for me!

This is a heartwarming quick read that’s perfect for lovers of romance novels and HGTV! I like that this has former child stars and where they are now. It is an interesting storyline but not exactly original. I think the writing is good because it had nice flow, but some of the characters fell flat for me. I just wanted Lyle to be gone. I think he played too big of a role and it was hard to get into the chemistry of Cameron and Shelby. Plus it was a very VERY slow burn. A good read but not great, I won’t miss it. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Well to be honest I couldn’t even finish this book so it gets 1 star from me. I was very turned off from chapter 1 with all of the f-words. Six I believe in the first chapter alone. Other language, as well. Words like that add absolutely nothing to a book and alienate half of your audience that don’t care to read them. So yes, I wasn’t a fan of either of the main characters.

I wasn’t I totally sold on the premise of this book, but holy cow did the author pull it off! It’s second chance love, and it’s so swoony and romantic and mature and all of the wonderful things. A fantastic adult rom-com debut from the author, and I hope we get to revisit some more characters from northern Michigan in the future!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was simple, sweet rom com with lovable characters and a fun home renovation reality show theme. Both main characters are sweet and I liked that the majority of the conflict wasn't based on misunderstandings or miscommunication. I'd recommend this to any contemporary romance reader.