I have many library patrons who would enjoy this book. The story and characters were interesting. I kept trying to put it down in order to get other things done but kept returning to it instead. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Before I get into the bulk of my review, I want to say a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Build to Last is an adult rom-com about two child stars who find their way out of that world. It’s been 5 years since Shelby has seen her ex-costar Cameron and in that time they’ve both built lives for themselves. Shelby doing carpentry and woodwork for her father’s business and Cameron shooting documentaries for National Geographic. But they’re brought together to shoot a pilot of a home remodel show called ‘HomeMade.’ They are forced to confront their past and to decide if they want to build a future together. Built to Last comes out on October 18th and is available for pre-order now.

There is so much to love in this romantic comedy. I found Cameron and Shelby adorable and instantly relatable. Their love and their fears all feel authentic and realistic. I also loved almost all of the side characters and could see them having love stories of their own in a companion series. There’s so much I want to know about the distillery owner and his wife or the ex-musician and her ex-boyfriend. I really hope the author gets the chance to explore these background characters’ backstories. I like the setting and also the sense of community the author built up around our main characters. I think it’s what helps make the two main characters seem so realistic, but also it feels cozy and warm. I think it’s coming out at the perfect time of the year for something that reads the way Autumn feels.

The place I struggled with this one was the Hollywood aspect of it. It felt like there was constantly a hurdle that our couple had to jump over while trying to just remodel a house and discover if this is something they want to do after the pilot is shot. Not to mention dealing with their own issues from when they were younger. I felt like Lyle was a mustache twirling villain in this story which is annoying since he seems to only be there to move the plot along. He also never seems to change despite the ending. Maybe he could have gotten some sort of redemption if he would have done something nice or apologized at the end. Anything to make him into less of a caricature of a villain.

Overall, this was such a cute romance and a quick read despite how many days it took me to read it. I had a lot of stuff going on this week so I was only able to read a chapter a day for several days. But when I finally got the chance to just sit and read, I got through this one so fast. By the last 150 pages, I never wanted to put it down.

Built to Last by Erin Hahn
Cute HGTV story staring Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs - once childhood stars and sweethearts getting a second chance at love. Plenty of old memories and friends and ex's, angst, cheating, deception, redemption, love, tears and some steam to get to their HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Tear-jerker Easy-to-read Great world building Happily Ever After Wonderful characters Entertaining Romantic Funny Page-turner. I was happy to read and review this book.

This one sounded so cute because I love a home renovation. Maggie Moves On is the main one I think of. But add in the childhood friends to lovers and mutual pining and I was sold.

There was a lot of drama in this one. Lyle was something else. I didn't love the idea of him being involved in the project even thought it was his idea to bring them together. He was super childish and obviously not over what happened when they were younger. I honestly would have felt bad for his wife, if she wasn't just as bad.

I did love the strong female friendships in this book. Lorelei and Maren were pretty great. I hope they get their own books! I know there were definite hints to Lorelei and her ex Drake getting a book, so I will be looking out for that.

I will say I wanted more explanation or closure about Cam's family situation. I wasn't completely sure why he and his dad were so at odds? And I guess he felt like his dad liked his brother more? That wasn't super clear to me. And did we get a reason for his parents divorce? I would have liked more development on that front,

But if you love a sweet love story and home renovations, you will like this one!

Check it out October 18!

Built to Last is a heartwarming, second-chance romance about remodeling homes and building relationships on a strong foundation. I absolutely loved getting to watch this love story unfold. I thought the characters had great chemistry and OH MY GOD THE YEARNING IN THIS BOOK WAS UNMATCHED. If you love HGTV and a happily ever after, this book is for you.

Huge thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This just WORKED. I have loved all of Erin Hahn’s YA books so of course I was ready to jump into her first adult romance!

First things first: the sex scenes were AMAZING. (Could’ve stood for more but I am being greedy.) The tree trunk thighs are no joke!

Erin Hahn does women supporting women like maybe no one else. I want to be best friends with her characters but more than anything I want to be best friends with their best friends. I would be an amazing best friend to Lorelei just saying.

Can I humbly request that Julia Whelan narrate this audiobook??? I would love that. But honestly any narrator would do a wonderful job with this material.

Former child stars with a history are thrown back together for a reality home renovation show. Dig in for some entertainment! I really enjoyed getting to know Cameron and Shelby, both from their past and current lives. We have some great side characters in their best friends, and Shelby’s dad. There are so many fun and sweet moments throughout this book, some personal growth in our characters, and who doesn’t love a home renovation?! I have read a previous Erin Hahn book that was YA, and quite enjoyed it even though that isn’t my favorite genre. This is her debut into romcom and I hope she continues on this path! The banter and chemistry were fantastic.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of Built to Last from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

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.