Every book by Erin Hahn that I’ve read has been an incredible experience. This time it was totally different to what I had read but I loved it.
We have two friends who once crossed the line but let it in the past, but who cannot actually let it go for real and are drawn to each other, if only they let go…
I really liked the characters, Lorelai’s boldness and Craig’s uniqueness. They were very interesting characters and they had so much chemistry. The spicy part was just right and overall, it has a perfect combination of every good ingredient you might want to find in a romance book: drama, humor, banter, etc.
It was interesting to read about the music business, it was refreshing for me since I hadn’t read anything about it.
The only thing I regret is not reading the connected books before reading this one, but I will certainly do it soon.

In our current "cancel culture", this plot feels more possible than ever! I think Lorelai won more than she lost. Craig is a real friend - the one that stuck around when the cancel culture cancelled her. I enjoyed hearing about their friendship and what they did to revive her career. I think this is a romance that is going to "set the stage on fire".

I really, really enjoyed this friends to lovers romance. It was my first time picking up a book by Erin Hahn so I'm unsure if it was part of a series (I will admit I feel like it was but I didn't feel as though I was lost and missing anything). I love that the entire book was based on hiding real feelings. I've read others like it and they just didn't hit the mark that this book did. I hope to read more Erin Hahn in the future.

This was not was I was expecting at all. I really enjoyed Built to Last and was excited to get some cameos in this one. I enjoyed Lorelei and loved the celiac representation. However something was missing for me in this book. It wasn’t bad by any means! But it wasn’t great either. I think it got a little too into the comeback story and let the romance being a secondary plot. Which would’ve been fine if that’s what I was expecting but I was here for the romance lol. So I absolutely do recommend if you go in with your expectations set.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes sans I loved how Hahn used it in Friends Don’t Falk in Love! Craig and Lorelai knew each other through her ex-fiancée who he also played with. Lorelai was so kickass and I really admired her taking a stance on gun control. Unfortunately it ruined her career. I liked the overlap with Shelby and Cameron. I loved learning more about the music industry and seeing the songs they wrote. I loved how much Craig cares for Lorelai, but I wish they’d communicated better. I’m excited for more books from Erin Hahn.

While I didn't head-over-heels love this one quite as much as Built to Last, I still strongly recommend this romance for fans of Alicia Thompson and Jessica Joyce. And Huck is such a dreamy love interest.

Calling all country music lovers- this was a fun read! 🎸🎤🎶
I loved that this story took place in the hometown of country music, Nashville!
Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and it was written well into the story. This was definitely a slow burn but I enjoyed getting to learn more about Lorelei’s story. She is sassy, vulnerable and lovable! Craig is just the sweetest guy and any girl would be lucky to have him on your side! The side characters were also relatable and funny.
I loved the mix of sweet moments, banter and spicy scenes. A few times in the story, I was annoyed with their lack of communication, but i get it- adult relationships are hard. 😬
Overall, an enjoyable romance!

3 1/2

Much like The Chicks a decade or so earlier after they took a stand, Lorelai Jones, country music superstar, finds herself on the outs after singing CSN&Y’s “Ohio” to protest school shootings. Within days, her fiancé dumps her via an Instagram post, her agent ditches her as does the record label. The only person who doesn’t is her good friend, Craig Boseman who seeks her out to console her.

Years later, Lorelai is a school teacher in Michigan but has too much music inside of her to totally give it up so she’s thinking about making a come back. She wants to do it on her own terms and is not a fan of the suggested “apology” circuit that her new/old agent lines up for her. But, as always, Craig is in her corner, and helps her find a way to make the kind of music she wants to make in Erin Hahn’s Friends Don’t Fall in Love.

There is a lot to like about Friends Don’t Fall in Love. First, the characters are different from the norm–although, yes, Lorelai is still beautiful. But Craig is a nerdy, nice musician who writes great songs and erotic poetry and wears glasses. A musical Clark Kent? ha. I did grow a little frustrated with Lorelai’s character though. But maybe I am just getting generally frustrated with the push and pull of relationships depicted in romances and the lack of communication.

I also loved the amount of music Hahn interjects into the story although I disagree heartily with the claim that Miley Cyrus’ version (although I am a Miley Cyrus fan) of “Just Breathe” is emotionally superior to either Pearl Jam’s (which is not really grunge at this stage) or Willie and Lukas Nelson’s version, which is not even mentioned.

And, I think anyone who wants to protest mass shootings has my support.

Now, my main issue with the novel is the big fat dollops of what felt like filler exposition. The case of tell vs. show. With first person POV’s we are privy to everything they’re thinking. Every. Little. Thing. I am a fan of less equals more, especially when exposition makes a novel feel much, much longer than 336 pages.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a copy.

im currently prefer to not have anything to do with st martin press right now. no harm to the author, just the publisher

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Our leading lady, Lorelai, was actually a supporting cast member in a previous book. I enjoyed seeing those characters make a cameo in this book as well! This book had a little too much spice for me that overshadowed the romance between Huck and Lorelai. I adored the friendship portion growing into more and would have been happy focusing on that aspect. I enjoyed a lot of the book, but the miscommunication/hidden feelings get frustrating after a while between the supposedly adult characters. Once they speak their truth, it is a great relief...:)
This was not my favorite book, but still a decent read. I look forward to seeing what else Hahn has to offer.

3.5 stars

I will read anything that Hahn writes, and I have! My first bullet point of love here is the cameos of some of our beloved Hahn characters. Swoon.

Second, pop culture references are a hit or miss for me. I liked her use here, especially the chapter titles. That was a definite if you know you know situation.

Lastly, oh Huck!! I adore him. What a fantastic main. I would have read the entire book in his POV if it was given to me that way. He is magical. Lorelai was equally great, but I definitively have a soft spot for nerdy male characters who get their moments to shine.

I was a tad concerned that the subject of school shootings would have been hard for me but per Hahn's usual ability, she covered this topic marvelously! One scene in the book just had me in tears with the advocacy for children who endure these daily issues of fear with potential safety issues. Thank you for doing this so beautifully.

Overall, it was a definite winner! Thank you to the publisher for the advanced review copy. All thoughts and comments are my own! 4.5 stars rounded up!

As always, Erin Hahn drivers a sweet and spicy romance with characters that feel incredibly real and tangible. We fell in-love with Lorelei in “Built to Last” and I loved finally getting to read her story. This was super swoony and while it did contain the miscommunication trope, the author did it in a not super annoying way 😆.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Erin Hahn delivers another spicy adult romance in the same universe as one of my fav books Built to Last.

I thought this plot and characters were super unique and was surprised the story took the path it went down. Initially, I had hoped Lorelai's book would be with her ex but I'm SOO glad it wasn't and instead focused on her and Craig. I really enjoyed the characters and felt so deeply for Lorelai and her struggles.

I wasn't as invested in the plot as the first one and really struggled with the third act breakup that happened. I also didn't love the time jumps that made you feel less connected to the story.


All in all, I recommend this book!

Thanks St. Martin's Press for the ARC

Lorelai Jones had it all. She was a hit country singer and had a hunky country singer fiancée. Until one impromptu protest song at a big concert derailed it all. However she’s not ready to give it all up, so five years later she calls her old friend, her ex’s ex band mate, Craig and starts all over again. But the apology tour her manager sets up doesn’t go well at all and really, an apology tour isn’t her style anyway. And reconnecting with Craig is as easy as it ever was, but now they have sparks flying left and right after one night five years ago is brought to the forefront of their memories.

Craig’s life has only gone uphill since leaving the band, with his indie recording company doing well and his song writing career taking off. He just needs to get credit where it’s due for his ex band mate taking his songs, especially since one of them is up for a prestigious award. Now if he can only get the girl his heart belongs to…

I adore Erin Hahn’s writing and I’m so excited to finally have gotten Lorelai’s story. This is such an amazing spicy romance. I can’t even come up with the words to do it justice. I love Lorelai and Craig’s characters and their banter is just incredible. The song battle they have, naming a song and trying to come up with one to challenge and beat it, is such a cute game. And it was so fun seeing characters from past books in this world. I can’t wait to see what Even if it Breaks Your Heart has in store for us.

I admire how Hahn writes a “light” read with characters to whom we can connect and root for. They’re well-rounded and flawed as they should be. She’s one of the few authors who does dual-first POV that actually have distinct voices, so that’s an A-plus on my book. Also I like how she writes backstory: it’s there but not really there.
So “Friends Don’t Fall in Love” wasn’t different, although a bit hard to understand exactly what happened in the first chapter, but once I was hooked, I was pulled into it and wanted to know what Lorelai would do (or not do). And a nerd musician as the romantic pair was all the best for me to root for until the end.
It’s a cute and steamy Romance for those who like it.

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

Erin Hahn will forever be one of my top authors and this book has so many reasons as to why. First.. this woman went from releasing a YA straight to releasing this sex pot of a book. And let me tell you, I’m here for it. Lorelei and Craig. Boseman and Jones. Swoon worthy in every way imaginable. The chemistry that was oozing off them from the very first page. The miscommunication of when each other wants. The tension that you could cut with a knife. I was here for it all. Watching Lorelei be a total badass and overcome the odds of making it big again. And Craig there pushing her on giving her that confidence that Drake so foolishly destroyed. Ugh. I wish I could read this book for the first time again.

I read this book relatively quickly, however it didn't grip me to the point that I didn't want to put it down, and I didn't feel so attached that I couldn't stop thinking about it! The writing was mostly okay, but it felt like both characters were just severely over thinking it the situations. There wasn't enough turmoil between the main character, Lorelai and her ex. He's mentioned, and brough into the picture in person, but he doesn't say much and even though he's trying 'so hard' to use her for fame, he doesn't make a single fuss about the apparent situation of her going for his ex-friend/co-worker. It's simply mentioned and brushed aside, and I think that aspect could have added to the writing.

I do enjoy how Huck doted on Lorelai at every opportunity though, after she glutenned, and when they were simply enjoying their benefits. I think Trina was probably my favorite character with her no bullshit attitude and she was probably in the book the least. Lastly, I'm still confused why they even brought up Maren getting anything left to her in a will when it's not mentioned in the story again as any sort of importance??

Thank you Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Friends Don't Fall In Love by Erin Hahn 🎤

Lorelai had it all as a thriving country music star and a superstar fiancé. She plays a protest song at a concert that ends up ruining her career and her impending marriage. After five years, she isn't ready to give up her music dreams and reaches out to the only person who stuck by her, her fiancé's former co-writer and bandmate, Craig. He knew he would never get the girl, but he's always had some feelings for Lorelai. Things have changed though, he's now a indie record label owner and doing well with his songwriting career. He's in the position to help Lorelai chase her dream again. As they continue to reunite though Craig's feelings come back to the surface and Lorelai realizes there might have always been something there between them. Cause friends don't do what they do.

This was so good! The way that the friends to lovers was done in this is one of my favorites. There are a couple time jumps in the first few chapters giving some background to how Lorelai and Craig became such close friends then the rest of the book is from the present timeline sprinkled with some flashbacks. I loved how Craig had always been battling with his feeling for Lorelai but he doesn't want to risk his friendship with her so he pushes them back. He was such a sweetie.

The characters felt very real and I liked the balance between focusing on their character growth and the romance between them. They have a one night stand years in the past that is mentioned in the first chapters. The present is them reconnecting 5 years later with hints back to how good that night was and them wondering if it was a fluke or they could be just as good now. They end up spending a lot of time together, especially given they are neighbors. The things they end up doing together are entirely friendly (wink) but they were too afraid to just come out and say it.

If you liked The Roughest Draft I think you’ll really like this too.

Tropes:
🎤 celebrity romance
❤️ he falls first
😊 friends to lovers
👥 close proximity / neighbors
🔥 a little bit of friends with benefits
🥹 he takes care of her when she’s not feeling well

dual POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
1.5/5 spice level 🌶️

I thought this book was adorable and perfectly spicy! I think the friends-to-lovers trope can be hard (because it feels like one single conversation could fix years of pining! And the miscommunication trope can be hard to read), but I think the author did a great job making this book a fun read!

“Friends Don't Fall in Love" by Erin Hahn is an absolute delight for fans of the friends-to-lovers and one-night stand tropes. This book combines these elements into a captivating story that will keep you entertained from start to finish, leaving you with that coveted happily ever after feeling we all cherish.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is the way it plays with the idea of who falls first in love. Huck's deep and genuine emotions are not only endearing but also incredibly swoon-worthy. The chemistry between Lorelei and Huck is palpable right from the beginning, and it's a testament to Erin Hahn's skill as a writer to make it feel so authentic.

The romance in "Friends Don't Fall in Love" is not just heartwarming but also undeniably steamy. The passion between the characters adds a layer of intensity that keeps the pages turning.

In summary, Erin Hahn has delivered a compelling and entertaining novel that beautifully combines the friends-to-lovers and one-night stand tropes, making it a must-read for fans of contemporary romance. The genuine and deep connection between Lorelei and Huck, along with the sizzling chemistry, ensures that you'll be completely absorbed in their journey. This book is a perfect choice for anyone looking for a steamy and fun romance that hits all the right notes.