Built to Last was such a fun read! There is home renovation, former child stars, a once-love triangle, and lots of family and reconciliation. What more could you possibly want? Sparks? Chemistry? Yep, there's that too!

This was a quick read filled with all the things we all enjoy about home renovation shows, lessons to be learned, and love. I enjoyed Shelby's relationship with her girlfriends and most especially her father as well as Cam's relationship with his friend Kevin and his wife Beth.

If you're looking for a feel good read that ticks all the right boxes and leaves you wishing to know more about the main characters when the book ends, this is the perfect read for you. Pick it up and escape for a few hours.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Read an ARC.

Full disclosure, I am not into home renovation shows and pop star romances are not exactly my thing either... but I liked this book!

It shifts back and forth in the narrative between Cameron, tv wonderkid turned documentarian, who does not know how or has never tried to settle down and Shelby, tv wonderkid turned pop star turned furniture refinisher. It was somehow refreshing to read the parts about sanding and varnishing. Wax on, wax off, and I would have liked more details about the process or about the house they're flipping.

I did not expect the family reconciliation (or attempted) sections to ring so true. The whole thing wrapped up very nicely but the couple of "article" styled chapters with comments? That was a big miss for me and this review lost a whole star because of it.

Either way, I am curious about other offerings from this author.

You will love this book!
5 Star, slow burn with some spice

Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs have known each other since they were childhood costars on a popular TV show. They had a connection on screen and off that their fellow costar, Lyle Jessup, could not stand! 5 years later, after Shelby and Lyle have a messy, very public breakup, the first person Shelby calls is Cameron, and he comes running. He finds that Shelby is a hot mess and suggests that she leave Hollywood. Shelby goes back home to Michigan to live and work with her dad, finds her passion, and makes a career for herself. Meanwhile Cameron has been running around filming documentaries for National Geographic. Another 5 years passes when Shelby gets a call about starring in a Home Renovation reality TV show with her former costar Cameron! She can't resist, but what the two of them don't know, is that Lyle Jessup is behind the entire thing. Will Shelby and Cameron re-form their connection, despite all that Lyle does to sabotage them?

I loved Shelby and Cameron, and I'm certain you will too! Shelby is a character that you will cheer for and want all the best things for! Cameron is the next perfect book boyfriend that you will swoon over! Lyle, well....you'll just have to wait and find out for yourself!

There are SO many things to love about this book! The beauty of Michigan that is so well described, the profession that Shelby ends up giving her whole heart to, the community that surrounds them, and the amazing cast of supporting characters! But MY personal favorite? Shelby's best friend, Lorelai! She is such a huge support for Shelby and an amazing friend that would clearly do ANYTHING for her bestie! Love a great friendship side story!! Really hoping for a second book about Lorelai and her love life!

Can't wait to get my hands on the physical copy!

Shelby, Cameron, and Lyle grew up together in the spotlight of a television camera. As child stars, they have all wound up with varying degrees of dysfunction. Shelby, trying to overcome the public meltdown, documented around the world by the paparazzi, has withdrawn to the safety of the small Michigan town where her father lives. She left her L.A. lifestyle and career behind, rebuilding her life around her successful furniture restoration business. Loyal to a fault Cameron, has been traveling the world filming Nat Geo documentaries. He is running from the broken relationships he has left in his past. The only time he comes home is when Shelby needs him. He just never stays. Lyle was a conniving, narcissistic snake as a youth and has not changed at all. He is still thriving in the television business and cannot wait to get revenge on Cam and Shelby.

When the opportunity arises to create a reality TV home make-over pilot based on the house flipping business Shelby and her dad have created, she can not resist. The money they could make would set her father up for his retirement. What she did not bank on was Lyle being the showrunner for the pilot or that he wants Cameron to be her co-host. Cameron, her first love. The one that keeps running away.

This delightful story is about childhood sweethearts reuniting after years apart, offering them a second chance at love. Allowing them both to find peace with the past and the present. Shelby’s journey to find personal redemption is the main storyline, but there are thoughtful subplots dealing with coming to terms with the past and difficult family members. I loved the dynamic between all the characters. It kept the story flowing well and kept my interest. You had estranged parents, long-lost loves, friends who were never really friends and the best friends everyone wishes they had. It was a feel-good story with a sweet romance. I did thoroughly enjoy watching Shelby and Cameron team up to knock Lyle down a peg or two and put him in his place. Erin Hahn’s first foray into adult rom com was a win for me. I would highly recommend this to any romance lover. If you are an HGTV fan, this is an excellent book for you. I am hoping best friend Lorelei’s story will be available soon.

Overall, this book was romantic, sweet, and well written. I absolutely enjoyed the premise and plot! Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is due for publication on October 18, 2022.

This book was so frigging cute! I absolutely loved the originality and allll of the characters! I would highly recommend to rom com lovers

Built to Last by Erin Hahn is just the sort of lighthearted love story we need coming out of the pandemic.. It's perfect for those of us who can't get enough of Erin and Ben or Jenny and Dave and their wonderful home renovation shows. In this novel, we follow childhood stars, Shelby Springfield, Cameron Riggs and Lyle Jessup, who have disappeared from the public eye after Shelby and Lyle have a public teenage breakup and Lyle and Shelby then get together and breakup. Cameron has always come whenever Shelby needs him, but this time, when Lyle wants them to star in a home makeover show, will they be able to be together again with Lyle pulling the strings?

This novel is a delight from beginning to end. Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was the epitome of a great rom com. I LOVED the entire storyline. Loved how fun the banters were. It was a quick and fun read. Reminded me of something I would see on the Hallmark Channel.

Thanks publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed the start of the book, but sadly I think Shelby’s overall character turned me off the rest.

Two childhood stars and sweethearts meet up again later for a home renovation show. I didn’t really connect with the characters or the second chance plot.

3.5/5 stars

3.5/5 stars

I ONLY COULD SEE BEN AND ERIN FROM HOMETOWN USA WHILE READING THIS. I MEAN SHELBY HAS A BOB HAIRSTYLE?? CAM HAS A BEARD? THEIR COLORINGS MATCH? Anyways.

This is a very solid rom-com by Erin Hahn. I am not a huge fan of second chance romances, but I was rooting for Cam and Shelby and it worked for me in this novel. The years of shared history and the pining were excellent. (I thought the flashback was weird, but whatever)

The home renovation show was a fun setting and overall I just loved how midwestern this was (yay for the fleet farm reference).

My only critique is that it just got a tad boring as we went along and I'm not sure if that is just my current headspace or if the plot just slowed down. I tend to struggle in romance once the characters get together and I wish we had prolonged the tension of "will they, won't they" for a bit longer.

I also thought it was strange that Cameron knew what a "himbo" is, but didn't know what a hashtag was. The relationship to social media in this was a tad weird, like Shelby doesn't have an Insta??

This novel is very mature, once Cam and Shelby figure their stuff out they're isn't miscommunication between them and there isn't a third act breakup. I appreciated their directness and how Shelby didn't want Cameron to protect her.

Overall, I enjoyed this one, it just wasn't the perfect novel for me.

I'm not sure if Hahn has sold her next adult romance, but if so...it's Lorelai's book right?

I was excited to read this star-crossed, friends to lovers romance because the premise was a little different for me. I found both lead characters to be easy to relate to, and I enjoyed reading both perspectives of the story. While the development of Shelby and Cameron's romance seemed a little slow at times, it was accompanied by some nice character development, which gave the story a richer feel. I am extremely appreciative that the author avoided the seemingly inevitable "misunderstanding/break up" towards the end of the book. Rather than adding unnecessary drama, Ms. Hahn opted to have the characters act like adults. Lorelei seems like an obvious choice for a second book, which I would be very happy to read!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Built to Last was an adorable friends-to-lovers, missed chances kind of book. I enjoyed seeing how much Shelby changed over time and I was happy that Cameron and Shelby finally had their chance. With that said, I kept waiting for the BIG drama to happen and… it never did. It felt a little all over the place with what was happening. Love the home improvement show concept, enjoyed the characters, but the plot needed a little smoothing out. I will definitely still read Lorelei’s story though!

I crossed my fingers, toes, legs... basically anything that could be crossed, hoping for my arc request to be accepted. The premise is just too good. Second chance romance? Yes. Between former co-stars who are friends? Please. And they reunite for a reality tv show? EVEN BETTER. I jumped for joy when my request was accepted. Then quickly downloaded it to read immediately.

Built to Last is everything I wanted it to be. Right off the bat, I fell in love with both Cameron and Shelby. Usually, I take time to warm up to characters but both of them were so likable from the jump. Shelby, especially. She is such a good character. From being controlled to being content, she has one of the best character progressions. And her father, Daniel, is right: she's a survivor.

There was one moment where it was touch and go for me, though. I even paused my reading to mentally prepare myself for the usual tropes to come in and ultimately spoil the story and strong female character. When I finally did pick it back up, I found my preparation was for naught. Hahn didn't force the trope traps I was expecting. They were adults, they were finally being transparent.

I fell harder.

For the characters, the story, Hahn's writing. All of it.

This is such a relaxing and cute love story. It wasn't without its drama (hard to avoid when the showrunner is your cheating ex), but the couple held strong through the obstacles. They are the best kind of friends-to-lovers. The one where you can see their history and feel how comfortable with one another. Their chemistry and interactions with the side characters are just as great too.

Speaking of side characters, now I find myself back to crossing fingers, toes, and legs in hopes that Lorelei, Shelby's friend, will be getting her own book. From the small glimpse we got into her background, I really want to read about her getting her own happiness. And if she does, I will be pre-ordering it the first chance I get.

I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Built to Last was like a big hug. It made me feel all warm and gooey inside. I adored everything about it. The writing was as good as I expected it to be coming from Erin Hahn. I loved how upbeat the story felt even when dealing with the more emotional parts of the story. The characters were fabulous. The second chance love story was sweet. The small-town setting was perfect. The drama was so much fun. There really wasn't much not to like unless you count Lyle and how much I disliked him was still exactly what I would want from this book. 

Shelby and Cameron were two characters I could admire. They both accomplished some big and important things in their years apart. The more I learned about their history and the more time they spent together as adults, the more I shipped them together. They really complimented each other in the best of ways. 

The home improvement show part of Shelby and Cameron's story was so much fun. It brought them together in a cool way and also added to their character development. I also liked how the show pulled in people from their pasts and stirred up some drama. I loved how Lyle, Shelby's ex, figured into the whole thing. Lyle was a great bad guy. 

There were some other great characters in this book besides Shelby, Cameron, and Lyle. Cameron's ex-college roommate and his wife added some great moments. So did Shelby's friend and country music star Lorelei. I adored Lorelei. She had another friend Maren that I didn't get to know quite as well but also loved. These two ladies better get books of their own because I NEED THEM! Like now, please. 

Honestly, I could go on gushing forever about this book and how happy reading it made me. Erin Hahn really hit a contemporary romance sweet spot for me. Built to Last was low on angst, high on adorableness, and full of fun. I highly recommend it.

I am in love with this book! It’s like if Corey, topanga, and Shawn secretly had a love triangle in real life during the later seasons of filming Boy Meets World then grew up and were forced into close proximity again as adults to film a hgtv house flipping show. My 90s/00s heart was so happy with all the child star history to Shelby and Cameron’s (and lyle’s) story.

Who would’ve thought Michigan is where former tv and singing stars go into reclusion? In addition to our trio, we also get to meet Shelby’s bff and former country star Lorelei who also ran from the limelight. She is such a fun character and I hope im right in guessing that Erin is setting her up for her own story.

Lyle (the 3rd child star and Shelby’s sleazy ex) is a character you love to hate and provides many obstacles for Shelby and Cameron to push through as he is their pilot showrunner. He wants to be a bachelor style manipulative producer but unfortunately for him he’s just not that good at it.

The majority of the book centers around the filming of the pilot for Shelby and Cameron’s flipping show HomeMade. Shelby and Cameron are such lovable characters that you can’t help but root for them even as you scream at them to be honest with each other. Cameron is clearly an enneagram 7 like me bc he’s literally spent years running from problems bc it was easier. So, I loved getting to see him and Shelby grow and work through some of those issues together and separately.

I absolutely adored this book and wish it were a real show!

This book was fantastic! The characters are well-developed and easy to care about. I was invested from the very first page!

Built to Last is the sweet home-improvement romance read that I didn’t know I needed. Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs are former child co-stars who are asked to film a home renovation reality tv show. As these two work to restore an old house to its former glory, they are also trying to rebuild what was lost between them.

What I liked: I was impressed with the character development, especially Shelby’s narrative arc. The reader gets to see how Shelby was able to grow and change from the first chapter of the story. This is also Erin Hahn’s adult romance debut and she definitely added some spice, which was enjoyable.

What could be better: I thought Built to Last was easy to get through because it was a pretty laidback story with only minor dramatic moments. For me personally, I think it could have been a bit more exciting but others may like how nonchalant and sweet the book is.

Overall, I would give Built to Last three out of five stars. It was enjoyable and sweet in the moment but I think it will ultimately blend into the background of all the other books I read. I do think Built to Last will be an excellent comfort read for some readers who are looking for a more laidback second chance romance.

Okay but can we talk about that cover real quick? ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.

Built to Last is a sweet, second chance, slow burn, friends to lovers romance with a little "oops one room"! If you love any of those tropes ~ I think you will definitely enjoy this book!

Shelby was kind of a mess, but I'm glad she had found her true passion, doing renovations with her dad, before getting back into a relationship. Cameron, the traveling photographer for National Geographic was a nice enough guy. Though they had that "insta love" from how they felt when they were younger, this book was a wholeeee slow burn with lots of pining while they figured things out. ,

"We can stay , but they’re all booked up. We’ll have to share a room.” 👀🤭

The main characters were likable, (except Lyle who was terrible m! I get why he was needed, but I hated all parts with him haha.) but I do wish they had a bit more depth and we got to know them a little more outside of the reality show and their relationship.

I am a huge HGTV fan! I've seen alllll of the home reno shows, my favorites being Fixer Upper & Property Brothers. So a romance book centering around a home renovation show?! Sign me up! The plot was great, I really loved all of the "HGTV Vibes"!

Overall, this book was sweet, cute, really well written and I absolutely enjoyed the fun plot!

Thank you St Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is due for publication 10/18/22 and I definitely recommend it. This review will be posted to my blogs & Amazon closer to publication day.

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Built to Last is pretty adorable. I’ve come to love a good low-angst contemporary romance and Erin Hahn delivers here. The story follows former child stars Cameron and Shelby as they reconnect and fall in love. The pair have a few rocky starts, first as teenagers and again a few years later after Shelby has a hard breakup and calls Cam for help. The pair finally get a chance to properly reconnect as adults when Cameron agrees to be Shelby’s costar on a home renovation pilot she’s trying to get off the ground. Since Shelby and Cam never really got over their childhood romance the reader gets front row seats to the pair finding out if they’ll work as adults both on TV and off. Their show runner (and Shelby’s ex!) try to throw as much drama at the pair as he can but it’s no match for two people who are inextricably drawn together.q

Overall this book is a lot of fun, the chemistry between our hero and heroine is great, and the story is a well paced romance. I definitely recommend checking it out when it releases Oct 18, 2022.

This book was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

Three former stars: Shelby, Cameron and Lyle Springfield got together for a home renovation show. There's something in it for everyone -- almost. Cameron wants to come home and set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove to the world she's not the messy party girl anymore. And Lyle wants to twist the screws on his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could dream of with anyone. Sparks and sawdust fly as Shelby and Cameron film the pilot for "Homemade" and battle Lyle’s shenanigans at every turn...

A cute fun rom-com. Love Shelby and Cameron together. Fans of HGTV and home renovation shows would love this... :) Add to second chance romance, friends to lovers trope... this is a winner! :) A sweet and lovable story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Shelby is a former child star and during the last ten years she has tried to remake her life apart from the childhood television series. She now preserves and refinishes furniture following in her father’s footsteps. Cameron has always loved Shelby but losing out to Lyle, he has spent the last ten years filming documentaries all over the world for National Geographic. Lyle is now a producer and wants to bring Cameron and Shelby back together with a reality television show about home renovations. He believes the chemistry will make the show a success. The show is important to Shelby because she wants to prove to the world that she has moved on from the messy life she led. Cameron wants to reconnect with his mom and brother and being with Shelby is a plus.
This is a great romance and proof that people can change with the support of family and each other. I thought the developing relationship between Shelby and Cameron was done well. It was fun to see Shelby and Cameron team up to put Lyle in his place.