I loved Erin Hahn's previous book and I'm so sad this on didn't work for me. I couldn't get behind the main character and the miscommunication was too much.

Five years ago, country singer Lorelai Jones played one protest song at a concert and lost everything (her music career, her superstar fiancé, and almost all of her supporters) before the end of the night. But now she's rebuilding [almost] from scratch because she refuses to give up on her dreams or soften her beliefs for those too scared to hear them. So she calls up the only person in the industry she can trust - Craig Boseman, who's held a torch to Lorelai for years but knows all too well that backup bass and songwriters never get the girl. Now he owns his own indie recording label supporting artists looked down upon by mainstream artists, and he might have just the thing to help Lorelai have the comeback she deserves. But five years ago, these two spent the night together, and when their paths collide once again Lorelai and Craig start to discover a lot of things that friends just don't do... and one of them might just be fall in love.

I received a physical arc of Friends Don't Fall in Love back in April, after winning it in a giveaway Erin Hahn had conducted through raising donations for Donorschoose.org, and it's been so incredibly difficult holding off on reading it because I knew I'd have to wait so long for Maren's book and didn't want to give myself too big of a gap. From Built to Last, we know Lorelai had lost her country singing career after performing a song protesting gun violence at a concert, and I immediately had so much respect for her as a character. As a former and current teacher, she sees just how much this violence is heartbreaking and unfathomable, and used her platform to try and fight back against an institution that perpetuates it. I mentally high-fived her every time she refused to turn her back on her beliefs even if it would make for an easier return to the music sphere. And in turn, I loved how Craig never once asked Lorelai to be anyone but her true authentic self. He knows her personality shines and people are drawn to it, and he fought against her doing an "apology tour" because, well first he knew someone would ask a stupid question or make an ignorant remark and Lorelai would not be able to restrain herself from aggressively educating them, but also because he felt like doing so wouldn't make her feel good in the end. I love characters who are so incredibly in sync and know each other so well that everyone else just assumes they're dating, and doesn't believe it when they're told otherwise, because that's exactly what Craig and Lorelai are - they're people who understand what the other needs so clearly, and it physically hurts when they aren't able to take away any pain and suffering that may occur. But sometimes being so in sync can lead to a lack of communication, particularly when they both assume they know what's best for the other and don't want to begin a romantic (and sexual) relationship because it will negatively affect their friendship. You're both on the same page, just talk it out (and then make out on Craig's counter or something like that).I loved seeing Craig and Lorelai come together to both make an amazing comeback for Lorelai (and a little someone known as Jefferson Coolidge), but to show the world just how talented they are, and have been for a long time.

In conclusion, this was yet another strong adult romance novel from Erin Hahn. I can't wait for this trio of books to come to an end with Maren's book sometime next year, and to read her [perhaps final] YA novel Even If it Breaks Your Heart, which I already know will emotionally destroy me whenever I choose to pick up the NetGalley arc I have of it. I can't wait for readers to experience Lorelai's story, and appreciate just how much of a badass she is, and swoon over just how much Craig has fallen for his best friend. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press/Griffin, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

As much as I loved Built to Last I was still a little worried this one might not hit for me because, even though I do like music, country music in particular just isn’t my thing. I shouldn’t have been worried though!

I loved Lorelai and Craig’s story, the author is beyond good at creating layered characters that you can’t help getting interested in. Like most interconnected books lately, you don’t *need* to have read the previous book to keep up, but if you have you’ll get some peeks into the lives of those other characters which is always fun.

On the serious side - Lorelai trying to make a career comeback after singing a song as a statement lost her a career and fiancé in one swoop is a commentary on how celebs are pushed to toe the line between not coming across as too political - getting told to basically ‘stay in their lane and entertain’ - but also are actual informed people who sometimes want to use their platform to further their causes/believes

On the Romance side - PINING, YES. The ‘I’ll take fwb if that’s the best I can do just to be around them’ And wanting the relationship so badly but fearing losing the best friendship ever if it doesn’t work out. And then practically tanking both due to being stupid with indecision.
The section I just finished had the most thoughtful caretaking too. Sigh worthy, I swear.

I love a good supportive friend group, and both MCs have that which is great (and goes back to seeing more of previous characters)
And if you love a good villain to hate you will definitely have your pick of a few characters for that too!

With an ending full of joy, this is sure to be a re-reader of a book
(I'll even forgive the miscommunication)

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the arc!

This could have been SO good if it hadn’t been for all the F-bombs. I know that doesn’t bother a lot of people, but it felt like it was every other word, and it really took away from the story for me. Also, the story itself started to get repetitive. I also found the characters and their lack of communication to be quite annoying. I really loved the overarching story, but there were just too many things distracting me from this novel that I can’t say I really enjoyed the reading experience. This was simply a case of “not for me”.

This was a slow-burn very spicy second-chance romance that brings us back to the worlds created in You'd Be Mine and Built to Last - I love the character crossovers! I also loved the celebrity romance and the Nashville music scene setting. There's also a nice redemption/comeback story for one of the MCs, which was fun to watch happen. I look forward to reading what Erin Hahn writes next! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy.

Am I Erin Hahn’s biggest fan?
Yes, yes I am.
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I was so excited to read Friends Don’t Fall in Love. This is a spicy, friends to lovers romance set in the Nashville music scene.
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Lorelai and Huck have been friends for a very long time. When music draws Lorelai back to Nashville, these two reunite to help rebuild her career.
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🎤country music
🎤producer/musician
🎤dual POV
🎤friends to lovers
🎤spicy 🌶️
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I LOVE that this books connects to Built to Last and You’be Be Mine!! We get to see some of our favorite characters from past books! 🫶🏻
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Thank you to netgalley and Griffin books for the opportunity to read this book!

First I want to thank St Martin's Press and Net Galley for an eARC of this book. I then want to thank Goodreads for the physical copy of this book. I greatly appreciated it.
This is the story of two friends- Lorelai Jones and Craig "Huck" Boseman. Lorelai does something that causes her to get pushed out of Nashville. Craig drops everything to be with her (before she leaves) and to much tequila -they end up having a one night stand. She leaves and goes to live in Michigan, teaching. Craig gives his old singer his journal of songs (which he turns into hits) and quits when his uncle passes and he inherits his fortune.
Years pass-Lorelai and Craig become good friends, Craig of course is pining for her. He has his own record label in Nashville and is successful. Lorelai moves back to Nashville after a song she wrote gains traction. She ends up living in the other half of Craig's building.
They maintain their friendship but the sexual chemistry bubbles under the surface. Deciding to act on it, they have fun. However, old insecurities and running away from feelings bubble to the surface so they end things.
Lorelai decides to do a big gesture to show Craig she loves him.
Will it be too late? Find out in this story.

Erin Hahn strikes again! Like all her other books I enjoyed this one too. It’s fun, fast, happy, and spicy. I loved reading Lorelai story. I’ve been looking forward to reading hers and Maren’s story since meeting them in Built to Last. It was also great to see the additions to Shelby and Cams story as well. Can’t wait for more books in this world.

<i>Friends Don't Fall in Love</i> is perfect for those who liked the TV show Nashville--you know the Raina slower sizzle chemistry burn.

When this started, I was a bit confused by the timeline because it started at one interval, but then was sooner it made it hard for me to get a good sense of what exactly was going on and who was what and who was doing what. I did appreciate that not everything was told in flashbacks, but the important moments were told as if they were happening to make it flow better.

The slow burn aspect wasn't bad to me but it was one of those situations where it was a slow burn but there was also this whole problem with miscommunication. I can get down with a slow burn, but the miscommunication was hard to get over because if they had <b>just talked</b> things would be different.

There were moments that felt a bit technical and very name drop like in regard to Nashville and current singers and the ins and outs, but also with the recording and hobby's each main character had. I think that was just something that if you're not up on some of that stuff feels like useless pop culture thrown in. If you're aware of what those things are you breeze through the book easier. It's just hard when things are jargon heavy and make you go huh at first.

Overall, I liked this and felt like the romance part was good and steamier than I expected considering the slow burn. The best friends to more really made their relationship seem authentic to me.

Friends don’t fall in love… or do they? I really enjoyed Built to Last, so had to read Friends Don’t Fall in Love as soon as I realized that the fabulous Lorelai, Shelby’s BFF, was our girl (please let there be another book with Maren). After her time off teaching and licking her wounds in Michigan, Lorelai has returned to Nashville to try and restart her country music career after protest song landed her on the wrong side of the country music industry and ended her engagement to another country music superstar. Now she’s back, working with her former fiance’s co-writer Craig, with whom she has some steamy chemistry and history. But they’re just friends now - at least that’s what they keep telling themselves. Craig doesn’t want to hold Lorelai back in her career, so has friendzoned himself, while Lorelai doesn’t want to taint Craig’s fledgling record label or songwriting career with her bad reputation. But when friendship turns to friends-with-benefits, neither one is prepared. Because friends don’t fall in love, right? Sexy, steamy, and sweet, with lovable characters, Friends Don’t Fall in Love is friends-to-lovers at its best.

A sweet and romantic love story. Lorelei is a country music singer that has found herself in trouble with the industry. Craig is an industry writer and producer and also one of her very best friends. The plot of the story spans several years and looks at the redemption of Lorelai’s career. The story is told from the point of view of both Craig and Lorelai. It is simple to read and can hold the readers interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

This book is so fun. I loved the friends to lovers, the cast of fun characters, and the spice. The country music/flare tie in is such a good twist on this take.

𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙁𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙄𝙣 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴.

The way these two are in love with each other - 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳... 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘤'𝘮𝘰𝘯!!! They've not been lovers for long but their love transcends ages.

Craig is the one Lorelai can always count on without fail. And for Craig, Lorelai has always hung the moon, stars and universe. He's been dreaming about her for far too long.

- ~ -

Overall: A sweet, chaotic friends to lovers with a spicy blend to make it all perfect!

3.98 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Thank you for the early copy, NetGalley!

Man, this one checks off all the boxes! Feminist, country flare, spicy, AND hot male main character! Sign me up! And if that’s not enough, a full cast of witty amazing side characters! This book truly had it all and was so, so good! Definitely recommend to all!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this book! I knew I was going to love it because I loved Built to Last.

FRIENDS TO LOVERS - CHECK
SECOND CHANCE - CHECK
COUNTRY MUSIC - CHECK
SPICE - CHECK

This book made my heart so happy. Lorelai reminder me so much of Kelsea Ballerini. Lorelai's featured song reminds me a lot of KB's song Penthouse. Lorelai experiences so much heartache between losing a fiancé and career all within 1 day. Huck is all girl's dream guy. Huck was so patient having to witness what Lorelai was going through, but he was there to help piece everything together again.

I’m in love with Craig “Huckleberry” Boseman. That’s it, that’s the review.

Okay, not really. Lorelai Jones is a goddess and a legend, the kind of badass woman I want to see in Nashville as a fan of country music but a woman who loathes the usual politics of it. I want to be her but also be her best friend. You’ll read this book and totally understand her resistance to love, the way it has broken her heart almost as badly as the country music industry has.

And Craig. Huck. Huckleberry. Maybe not the traditionally hottest guy in the room, but an absolute heartthrob with his glasses, musical prowess, ability to understand Lorelai without her saying a word, and his penchant for writing erotic poetry. His tendency to sacrifice his own happiness for the people around him made me want to shake him by the shoulders as much as it frustrated Lorelai, and then I wanted to shake her when she turned around and tried to do the same. But their chemistry is off the charts. They’re so comfortable together as friends, but you’ll spend the whole novel screaming for them to be more, because the sparks are flying. Friends DO fall in love, dammit.

I feel like Erin Hahn really hit all the right notes for me personally as a reader – pun fully intended. MMC with glasses and a heart of gold? Check. Feminist and fierce as fuck FMC? Check. Funny, supportive, fully realized supporting characters? Check. Beautiful descriptions of music that make me want to run away and live in tiny Nashville venues for a few weeks and forget my real life? Double checked with an underline. Music is a character in this novel, not a plot device, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Hahn is SO good at writing about music, I think I might be jealous of her. But I’m also thankful she keeps doing it, so I can keep reading it.

Seriously, I can’t recommend this book enough. And I cannot wait to read Maren’s story.

Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 10/17

Erin Hahn's "Friends Don't Fall in Love" serves up a delightful, swoon-worthy romance that hits all the right notes. Set in the world of country music, it's a story of friendship, love, and second chances that will have you grinning from ear to ear.

Lorelai Jones, the darling of country music, finds her world turned upside down when a single protest song derails her promising future. The one constant in her life is her steadfast friend and former fiancé's bandmate, Craig Boseman (“Huckleberry”). Their history is complicated, but it's the kind of complicated that keeps you hooked from the first page. When Lorelai calls on Huck for help in resurrecting her career, the chemistry between them sizzles. Huck's unspoken love for Lorelai was so swoony and tension filled, and it made me root for them every step of the way.

These characters are delightfully relatable, with vulnerabilities and quirks that made them endearing. The storytelling is passionate and playful, filling the pages with banter, witty dialogue, and an electric undercurrent of attraction. Using song lyrics as a way to communicate added a unique touch to the story and showcased the deep connection they had from the start. The supporting characters added charm and hilarity to the story and made me wish I was right there with them!

This is a classic case of friends-to-lovers miscommunication which usually drives me nuts, but felt minor in this otherwise engaging tale. We already know Lorelai and Huck are crazy about each other, so it isn’t a case of “if” but “when.” Which lets us focus on other things like the incredible Nashville setting and the drama of their careers. I lived for the moments where someone would put Lorelai’s ex in his place and country music would take her back.

This book skillfully navigates miscommunications, missed opportunities, and emotional hurdles, making Huck and Lorelai’s eventual union all the more satisfying. The steamy scenes were delicious and well earned after all that pining!

If you adore the friends-to-lovers trope, the charming backdrop of country music, and the beauty of second chance love, this book is a must-read. Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy!

Read if you like:
*slow burn
*one-night stand
*friends to lovers
*country music
*celebrity romance
*cinnamon roll hero

This book was done so well! It felt a little more sophisticated than your average friends to lovers story and I loved it. Lorelai and Craig are both adults who have musical careers, even if Lorelai shot herself in the foot as far as Nashville is concerned. She also did in her relationship years ago with Craig when she dodged as he tried to make a move. Now he going to help her make a career comeback. But what about them?

Friends Don't Fall in Love is full of dialogue and banter that really works, but more importantly the longing they have for each other is really put on the page well. You feel the yearning and have to sympathize with them and cheer them on. A lovely romance!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 ⭐️
I had so much fun reading Lorelei and Huck’s book! If you enjoyed Built to Last, you’d remember that Lorelei was Shelby’s country music singing friend. Although it is not necessary to read Built to Last first, it’s sweet to see how the friend group is tied together. Lorelei is a force to be reckoned with and I loved her brashness, her tendency to say exactly what she’s thinking (except for maybe around Huck), and her charismatic personality. She’s a songstress that says what she wants through her lyrics—Yes please! And Craig/Huck is a producer that writes erotic poetry about her on a secret Instagram account—🥵 Absolutely! Needless to say the chemistry between these two was off the charts.
After having a single hookup years ago on the tail of Lorelei’s fiancé dumping her, Lorelei and Huck are long time friends who have been pining for each other ever since. Still thinking of him, Lorelei sends Huck half a song under the guise of wanting his feedback, when the song is really about her feelings for him. Fast forward to them living under one roof and the tension is off the charts. This is one of the horniest books I’ve read in awhile with each MC crazily turned in by the other. Huck is a man that will put out for his woman and definitely prefers to pleasure her over himself first, and there are more than a few “creative” scenes where the reader sees just how badly these two want one another. I loved their dynamic, I loved the musical relationship, and felt that as a Friends-to-Lovers story goes, this set up was so plausible as to why they weren’t together sooner. I can only hope we get Maren’s book next and am so glad to see Erin Hahn writing more romance. I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A hard book to put down! This was my first book by Erin Hahn and won’t be my last. I knew I had to read this book since I recently visited Nashville. The perfect mix of sweet and spicy, this friends to lovers book is a 5 star for me. Hahn created relatable characters with complex back stories and her dual view of writing is admirable. I recommend picking up this book if you like a steamy contemporary romance or love country music!