Built to Last is a story about Shelby and Cameron. Both were childhood stars 10 years ago on the same T.V. show. They are reunited 10 years later when Shelby pitches a home renovation T.V. to hopefully help her dad get ahead, and be able to retire. She had given up the party girl life and settled down nicely in her home state of Michigan in her father's business restoring furniture. Cameron left the spotlight before Shelby did, went to college and pursued a career with National Geographic. Before Cameron left 10 years ago, Cameron and Shelby were in love. This is their second chance story.

This is my first Erin Hahn novel, and it won't be my last. This was a good, solid book. This is a second chance romance, who were childhood sweethearts. I loved the story between Shelby and Cameron and seeing their love grow chapter, by chapter. There love is so natural and real, that everyone sees it and just takes it as a given. This book is slow burn in a big way. I found myself even starting to second guess if they were going to get over themselves and get together. Once they do, it is intense. They exchange "I love you" really quickly afterward, but it makes sense in the story, since they have been in love since they were 11. I really liked that there wasn't a third act crisis for this couple. They had waited their entire lives for them to be able to both be in places where they can fully act on their love.

I really enjoyed Erin Hahn's character development, including of Shelby's two best friends and Cameron's college friend. I find that having secondary characters that you can connect with really adds to a story. She even wrote the characters I hated (Lyle and Shelby's mother) so well that I really had a sour reaction to them whenever they were on page.

One pet peeve I had was one of the steamy scenes was a flashback to when they were teenagers. If I am reading a romance book, I don't want my steamy scenes to be between teenagers.

I really liked this book, and though movie stars/former stars is not usually a favourite of mine, I found I enjoyed this one with how it was written. If you like second chance, childhood sweetheart romances, this would be the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

The book to end my two week slump! I love Erin's way with words, the heavy with the delightfully unexpected pockets of humor. There were quite a few moments I laughed out loud.
Former child celebrities, Shelby, Cameron, and Lyle reunite, creating buzz around a home renovation show pilot. Shelby relocated to Michigan and found a passion with restoration projects and Cameron has been gallivanting around the world working for Nat Geo. All is not sweet between the three as rivalries and old flames resurrect.
Erin's adult debut is fantastic and I'm so glad I was able to read it early. It was exactly what I didn't know I needed this month. The setting, supporting cast, character growth, and delicious romance were put together in the best way. I need to see Shelby's friends, Maren and Lorelai, come back for their own HEA's (pretty please?!?)
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Romance open door, mature language

Delightfully cozy, Michigan-set romance with all the trappings of second-chance romance and friends to lovers that anyone could want. If you want slow pining and then a lot of hammering it out (literally and romantically), definitely pick up Built to Last. Truly enjoyable debut adult romance.

I already can't wait for the next book by this author. I immediately connected with her writing. I grew to love so many of the characters and it had a homey feel to it. With tropes of second chance romance and childhood friends to lovers, this rom-com was something special.

Shelby and Cameron were former TV stars and childhood sweethearts. Ten years later they reunite to film the pilot for a home renovation show. The more I read, the more I fell in love with this couple. They fit so well together. After all those years apart, the sparks were still there. Thinking about their scenes together makes me smile. They were flirty, playful and the banter was fun. Reading their inner monologues really made me feel just how much they were pining for each other.

One thing that stood out was how much both characters grew from when they were kids on set. Shelby especially became this warm, good-hearted and hardworking woman. Cameron was such a sweet and dependable guy. They were so perfect for each other.

I read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this one! Such a wholesome second chance romance with a bit of spice peppered in. Home renovation shows are my kryptonite so this whole story just hit the spot for me. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down with a constant smile on my face. The romance between Shelby and Cam was too adorable, and their chemistry off the charts.

Thanks netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Erin Hahn book and I am in love. This was such a feel good story that I needed.

Shelby and Cameron are both child actors who have grown up and parted ways from the spotlight. They were first loves but Cameron has always ran. Jilted ex Lyle is setting them up with this new show to get back and control the narrative.

I love the banter, the reconciling of relationships that were destroyed. Shelby and Cameron both fit into this new life that they are craving for themselves.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I seriously hope that Erin's next book will be about Loralei.

✨Suck it Chip and Joanna✨

This was definitely not bad, but not for me. I’m apparently just really not into reality tv and the drama of that, former child stars, and shitty ex partners who dominate the entire book…so I liked the characters and such but it just really wasn’t a me book which is fine. It happens.

✨

What I Liked:

- Despite being very annoyed with a lot of the plot, I did really like Cameron and Shelby. They were growers not showers for me. I enjoyed getting to see them work around each other and get a little frisky while HGTVing.

- Neutral Ground: This wasn’t enemies to lovers at all. I’d say former-friends to lovers to estranged-friends to coworkers to lovers. I maybe wanted a bit more of a shift from beginning to end with them because it was very evident from the beginning that they were both just hung-up on each other. It was fun but there was no mystery since it was dual POV.

- This was pretty slow burn until it wasn’t because I Love You happened REAL fast after the burn picked up and it was a tad abrupt. But I did like how their relationship was as never in question. There was no third act breakup because nothing was going to break them.

- The steam was nice and very surprising, especially coming from a writer who also writes YA. The language wasn’t very explicit but I thought the scenes were very well written and fit the tone of the book.

✨

What I Didn’t Like (mild spoilers ahead):

- My biggest issue was Lyle. And Ada Mae. All of the conflict was external by the end, which was a lose-win. A loss because I despised Lyle and he did not get a proper shame tour. He still gets to profit off the show, he was a little annoying bitch for the ENTIRE book, and they even vaguely thanked him at the end???? Miss me with that forgiveness bullshit.

- Neutral Ground: But this was a win because there wasn’t a third act breakup, as the relationship was very solid by the end. It wasn’t very interesting to me, but it was refreshing and they were happy.

- Ada Mae was the same as Lyle. She was only partially relevant, but her character was annoying and tedious nonetheless, with a pretty shammy resolution. Sure, she got told off, but then she got to have her two cents in the article, make millions off of a lie-filled book, and then was never seen again.

- And I get it this shit (bad people with less bad endings) happens all the time in real life, but in fiction I like vengeance. I like humiliation. I like complete financial ruin.

- The song/music video was very cheesy at the end and I could’ve gone without it. A little bit too Hallmark.

✨

This one’s hard to rate because I don’t think I’d read it again and I have even less interest in book two…but it was a good book and I did mostly like Erin’s writing. Not a four star read but not a three star one either, I guess.

Objectively I recommend it because I see the appeal, but subjectively I don’t if that makes sense. Former child stars are SUPER big right now and I know this will be well received. I’m rounding up to four stars because a lot of my issues are personal taste, but there were still some things that simply didn’t work regardless.

I love HGTV especially the drama of it…for a half hour show. Reading a full book of such external drama was a little too much for me. I still liked the overall vibes, but got very frustrated with Lyle’s machinations.

Thank you Erin Hahn, St.Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Built to Last comes out October 18, 2022.

Starring Shelby, childhood actor and popstar, who has come a long way from the “party girl” persona of her teenage years. In fact she is a long way from Hollywood, living in Michigan flipping houses and furniture with her dad. Unfortunately it looks like she will not be able to stay out of the limelight for long when given the chance to star in a house flipping show with past childhood co-star Cameron. Cameron also happens to be her first love (well her first everything), too bad Cameron has a bad habit of running away when emotions are high. Will the two be able to not only flip a house but also be able to do a renovation on their relationship.

I thought this was such a delightful book, there was romance, angst and baby chickens (really what more could you want). It was a very easy and comforting book to read. I loved the character development and absolutely loved both main characters. They were funny and flawed but it just made them more real in my head. I especially liked how strong and fierce Shelby was, after years of letting people walk all over her she really grew into a woman who didn't let anyone take advantage of her. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a sweet read, I will for sure be reading more from this author in the future.

Cute story. Not sure when I started reading with the plane ride sounding like it would be a story about lost in the wilderness. Cameron coming to Shelby’s rescue was a good story. I think Daniel and Kevin where great characters that held both Shelby and Cameron when they were not thinking straight. I’d like to tell Shelby’s mother a thing or two and The Jessup’s got what they deserved.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed all of Erin Hahn’s YA books, so when I found out that she wrote an adult contemporary romance I couldn’t wait to read it! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This slow burn, alternating dual POV, second chance romance with a home-renovation reality show premise (and song titles for every chapter) had all the makings of my favorite kind of romance read. Although it took almost half the book to really reel me in, once it did I couldn’t put it down (or stop smiling). Shelby and Cameron are simply adorable together. Their witty banter only made their chemistry jump off the page that much more. This is definitely a feel good book! I’m giving it 3.5 stars (because of how long it took me to get into this book), but rounding it up to 4 (because this sweet and fluffy romance hooked me by the end).

I found the light, heartwarming read I was looking for.
You know the story with compelling voices that you feel like talking straight to you as if they’re your friends? I found here with Shelby and Cameron and all the rest of the cast. Once I passed the awkward moment when you meet someone for the first time and have no idea about who they are and if you’ll care for them (yes, fictional characters are as real as they come), I had a hard time putting my kindle down. The characters and their lives were compelling enough to me.
The “lightness” doesn’t take away from the messed up way child stars are perceived and (mis)treated by media, “friends” and even family (Ada is a horrible human being). The author did a great job with the backstory without letting it bog down the pacing.
The romance is a fluffy, sweet pile of “feel good” this-is-exactly-what-I-wanted-to-read-right-now. Thank you!
However there were a few things that took me out of the story:
Dual-POV in first person is a hard one to pull it off, more often than not distinct voices get lost and at times Cameron and Shelby’s were too similar, I had to go back and check who was being referred in third person to put me back inside the right head.
Lyle and Marcella came across as too two-dimensional, especially Lyle. Shitty ex doing shitty and shady things, totally got it, but I never really saw the character himself. Even Ada Mae we can see it as a well-rounded character. Maybe that’s just the nature of a rom-com, and it was not a big deal. Especially seeing his plans get shot down at every turn.
The end was most certainly satisfactory, and left me wondering if we’ll get to see Lorelai’s story someday.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a second chance romance with childhood sweethearts (who were also child actors). I really felt the connection between the MCs Shelby and Cameron and I loved their interactions. I also loved the concept of a home renovation show! One thing that was lacking for me was the flashbacks. With previous childhood best friends/sweethearts books that I've read, there was so much build up through those flashback scenes and it ultimately helped build up the relationship and connection between the MCs. With this story, I felt that the lack of flashbacks led to some miscommunication. Overall, a really adorable story. I would recommend.

4 stars

This book was really cute! I loved the characters and the plot. It wasn't instalove (not really) which is always a plus with romances these days. This is my 2nd book by this author and it was different than the 1st in a good way. Hopefully the next book I read by her will be her story on Lorelei because I absolutely loved her!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was cute. I love second chance romances. It’s my favorite trope. This book was well written with good character development and solid backstory. Plus, I love love love home renovation romances books. They are so much fun! I enjoyed Shelby and Cameron’s journey back together. This book held my interest from beginning to end. I’ve never read this author before and can’t wait to read more! Huge thanks to the powers that be for allowing me to read and review this book!

This book right here is why I can only read a few romance novels a year. Camron Riggs is so damn perfect that no man in real life could ever possibly live up to his standard, and now my heart aches because I want that. Honestly, I want to crawl up in this book and live in this world forever. It was stupidly cute and adorable and heartfelt I couldn’t put it down.

I have read almost all of Erin Hahns other books and her first trip into the adult romance genre was perfect. It doesn’t have the raw emotional moments as some of her other books do but that’s ok because sometimes you just need to escape and have happy moments.

Cameron and Shelby are everything. Their friendship their banter their support of each other just makes my heart melt. The supporting cast is great too. Shelby’s dad, Kevin, Lorelei, all the rest. I could feel their friendship through the page. I can’t wait to read more of Lorelei’s story.

If you’re looking for an escape from the miscommunication trope and the 3rd act break up trope, and just want a happy, fluffy, friends to lovers, 2nd chance adorable romance with home renovations I can’t recommend this book enough.

A charming second chance romance. I loved the cast of characters.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m not sure how this sat in my NetGalley queue for so long and I’m sorry it did. This was such a good take on second chance romance - not usually my favourite trope - that has me second guessing my usual dislike of epilogues in romance novels and the second chance romance trope itself.

The characters of Shelby and Cameron are really beautiful and make this novel what it is - the Michigan landscape helps too - but these two MCs are beautiful inside and out and it’s a pleasure to have read such a mature love story (even though they’re just 27 and 28). The way that Erin writes their character development and balances the construction and refinishing work (balances or reflects?) is a lovely combination. There are just enough supporting characters and family to support them but not too many to take away from the stars of the show.

I like how Shelby and Cameron have grown in their time apart, but then also grow during the few months of the novel. I think this is key - they both know they’re not ready or where they want to be but they also acknowledge how far they’ve come and what they want for themselves.

I know this is a bit silly sounding but the past few romance novels I’ve read, I’ve barely highlighted any lines or passages because very few spoke to me. This was full of really lovely and at times funny, but always touching and poignant words crafted by Hahn.

I’ll be reading more by this author and truly enjoyed this book.

This is a second-chance romance book. And I had such high hopes for this book because I have been addicted to watching home makeover shows, so this book was right up my alley. Unfortunately, this book fell short for me. The writing style and the story-telling was not my style. I think the general idea of the book about two childhood stars finding each other and falling in love again was great, but the execution was not. I had to force myself to read this book.


Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review!

Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs are two teen actors that grew up in the spotlight. Cameron left Hollywood for college and never looked back. Shelby on the other hand, stayed in Hollywood a little bit longer but ended up having a very public meltdown and breakup from one of her other previous co-stars, Lyle Jessup.

Years later, Lyle brings the two of them back together with a reality show revolving around home renovations. Cameron of course is on board because anything that Shelby does, he wants to be around her. Shelby wants to show the world that she has changed and isn’t the same party girl as she was years ago.
*
Where to even begin with this book, other than the fact that I freaking loved it. This is Erin Hahn’s debut Adult RomCom novel and what a debut novel!! First off, her writing is fantastic. She just draws you into the story and never lets you go. I was laughing out loud multiple times throughout the book and just wanting to know what was going to happen with the characters.

I loved the storyline of two child stars who have always had feelings of each other but it has just never been the right time for the two of them. This couple though, words cannot describe how much I love them. Hahn does such a great job with them and you can just feel the love between the two of them through the pages. I also love how she shines a light on the midwestern community and how people stick up for their loved ones.

Overall, I don’t think I can recommend this novel enough. It’s such a cute story that will make you laugh and just become invested in the characters!

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

What a lovely low-key love story! Built To Last is perfect for readers who enjoy low-conflict romance books and/or who like watching home renovation shows. I’m currently going through an unhealthy phase of watching Ben & Erin Napier on their HGTV show, HomeTown. So, this book was the perfect accompaniment to that!

I’ve read and loved Erin Hahn’s YA romances (shoutout to Deanna for the rec). I thought her transition to adult romance was pretty seamless and well-done. Honestly, she’s one of the very few writers who can get me to enjoy a romance with famous people, which is a feat. In Built to Last, Cameron and Shelby are ex-famous people who are brought back together on a completely different platform. Think a home renovation show on HGTV! They used to work together on a Disney-channel-esque TV show when they were younger and had somewhat of a romantic relationship behind-the-scenes, until Cameron left for college. So, what we’ve got here is a childhood second-chance romance!

I LOVE a good second-chance romance, especially when the two parties are obviously meant-to-be. There’s something very exciting about anticipating that moment when they finally get back together the second time around. And these two had history together that made their relationship feel natural. However, this book does manage to be low-angst. Don’t get me wrong. I loved the progression of their romance, and even more that there was no third-act breakup, but I think would have liked a little bit more tension between the two. What could have really helped here are more flashbacks to their relationship when they were younger. Regardless though, their emotional connection with each other was undeniable. I loved that Hahn shows readers just how much these two cared for each other through small but substantial actions. Plus, I loved how they opened their hearts together and weren’t afraid to unabashedly communicate.

You know I’m usually rooting just a teensy bit harder for the heroine in my books, and while I definitely did root for Shelby, I fell a harder for Cameron. He’s down-to-earth, gentle, and would literally drop everything to come help Shelby when she needed it. A+ boyfriend material, if you ask me. And I’m just weak for a hero who is all-in for the heroine from the very start. What can I say? I encourage simp-like behavior in ALL romance love interests. Cameron is very swoon-worthy and I have no doubts readers will fall for him as much as I did.

I loved what Erin Hahn did with Shelby too. She’s not perfect by any means but the author takes her on a journey of growth throughout her years. She’s been emotionally manipulated and mistreated by so many people in life including her own mother and her ex-boyfriend, Lyle. So, it’s not hard to understand why she had her hot-mess moments, especially when she’s been in the limelight as a young actor. But she ultimately wound up channeling her emotions into a more productive outlet of restoration along with the support of her father and friends. It was such a great way to stand-up to the naysayers and toxic people in her life.

Let me wrap-up this review by saying how fun I found the home renovation aspects of this book. I really am such a sucker for them though you would not catch me anywhere near a restoration myself. Too clumsy for that. I also really liked the secondary cast (other than Lyle and his wife who were irritable gnats) and I loved the foreshadowing of the potential next couple – I’m already a bit feral for them. Shelby’s friends are amazing and provide a wonderful support system to her! Also, her dad?? MVP of the book! I LOVED that man and would totally read a novella of him finding love with his partner!

In conclusion, I was very satisfied with Erin Hahn’s adult debut and I can’t wait to read more from her. Fingers crossed we’ll see more of Shelby and Cameron in future installments! 🙂