Country Music ✅
Friends to Lovers ✅
Comeback Story ✅

Leave it to Erin Hahn to rekindle my love of country music in this sweet little romance. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of the ebook from St. Martins Press via Netgalley) and blew through it in just a few sittings (would have been quicker but ya girl was busy this week!). 

With ties to another of Hahn’s novels, Built to Last, Friends Don’t Fall in Love can be read as a standalone. If you are at all musically inclined, I highly recommend this one. Not only are there a ton of nods to great country musicians, but we get some steamy poetry, some meaningful lyrics, and some pretty good representation of all the work that goes on behind the scenes of becoming a star. 



Lorelai was a great female lead. Even considering her fame and her fall from grace from her earlier years, she’s still down to earth and relatable as she tries to climb her way back into the country scene. We even get some insights to life with Celiac Disease from her! She’s made mistakes, took some time to come to the right conclusions, and struggled a bit in the communication department, but it’s hard not to root for her. 



Craig … oh boy … Craig 🔥. You want to talk about charm, talent, and romance ? Craig’s your main man. Now add his good looks and boom - you’ve got yourself a swoon worthy male lead. Craig is the guy you want in your corner, or in your bed honestly. Once again, communication not the best - but that seems to be par for the course in this book. 



There wasn’t too much conflict outside of self sabotage, but I was still hooked and wanting to see how everything would pan out, while simultaneously yelling “JUST SAY YOU LOVE HER/HIM!” Several times at my kobo. Any book that titles the chapters after country music songs is a book I’ll gladly read (and make a Spotify playlist for https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50kHHcJIewl8pAPY9oFYeI?si=f5598bc31c6745e3 )

With a love that spans a decade, this romance is too cute to put down. My only dislikes were the unfinished business with Lorelai’s ex, Drake Colter, and at times I found the “I can’t do this to them, I'll ruin their life” etc. vibes a little much. Other than that,

4 ⭐️

Lorelai Jones was thriving country singer with a superstar fiancee. She was at her peak, until a protest song ruined it all. Five year later, she decides to try again and calls up the one who's always been there, her ex fiancee's former bandmate Craig Boseman.

Craig Boseman has always had a thing for Lorelai Jones, but he knows backup bass players don't get the girl. Now an owner of his own indie label with a songwriting career, he helps Lorelai make the comeback she deserves. And maybe another shot at making his feelings known.

It's a classic friends-to-lovers with a dash of spice! A type of story that makes you say "about time they get together." Lorelai and Craig have an undeniable chemistry and not just in music making.

I enjoyed this slow burn yet spicy, friends to lovers romance. I loved the Nashville music scene and tying in then very real scenario of seeing your career gone in a flash by singing a protest song. I also loved Huck. His unwavering support of Lorelei and their chemistry was perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Friends Don't Fall in Love in exchange for my honest review!

A really romantic and spicy Friends to Lovers story from Erin Hahn! I really enjoyed her book Built to Last so I was SO excited to get an ARC of this. It didn’t disappoint either, it was just a really endearing story. It was heartfelt, the characters truly loved each other and felt so deeply for one another. Definitely recommend.

Lorelai Jones was a country music star, filling stadiums with her fans. Her engagement to another country music superstar had captured media attention all over the world. Then one night, Lorelai, a former elementary school teacher, sang a classic protest song during a concert, and in the blink of an eye, her career imploded and her relationship ended, and she was suddenly a total pariah. She returned home to Michigan to lick her wounds and restart her teaching career.

The only person from her music days who continued to stand behind her was Craig "Huckleberry" Boseman, her ex-fiancé's former bandmate and a very close friend. They've always been attracted to each other, and Craig longed for more than friendship from Lorelai, but never wanted to jeopardize their relationship, even after her engagement fell apart.

Five years after Lorelai left Nashville, she reaches back out to Craig, who is now an indie record producer with his own studio, to get his opinion on some songs she's written. He encourages her to come back to town so they can work on a comeback album. When she returns, Craig finds that his feelings for Lorelai are even stronger than before, and her talent is even more polished. And as Lorelai gets more excited about the possibility of a comeback, she also realizes that her attraction to Craig hasn't lessened either, but rather become more intense.

Meanwhile, Lorelai has to try and navigate the mercurial world of country music, which hasn't quite forgiven her for speaking her mind about gun control. Should she apologize for her views in order to get a second chance, or should she risk everything to be true to herself? And can she and Craig figure out if they can be together for real, without jeopardizing everything they have?

This was a fun, sweet, and pretty steamy read. Erin Hahn is an auto-buy author for me; I've read both her YA books and her adult fiction, and Friends Don't Fall in Love features characters from all of her other books. I definitely enjoyed this look at the tug-of-war that exists in the country music world between traditional conservative views and more liberal ones, and what cancel culture looks like first-hand. Lorelai and Craig are great characters with terrific chemistry.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. It will publish 10/17.

Lorelai and Craig first met when Lorelai was an up-and-coming singer in the country music world and Craig was the backup bass player to her fiancé, one of the biggest stars in country music. When Lorelai plays a protest song at one of her concerts, her career -- and relationship -- goes up in flames. Five years later, Lorelai decides to give a music career another shot, and she moves back to Nashville where she reconnects with Craig. Craig has quit his band, founded a growing indie music label, and launched a burgeoning song writing career. Craig is just what Lorelai needs to reach the success she is destined for -- but the two also cannot deny a connection that they've had for years. Despite trying to set limits, each can't help but wonder if they may have a real future with the other...even as they are sure the other does not feel the same way.

This was a well-written story about second chances at both success and love. Lorelai and Craig are both such engaging characters, as they seek to see in each other -- and themselves -- what is clear to their friends, family, and fans.

Highly recommended!

For me, this was just OK. I felt like the way the beginning was set up made it hard for me to really buy into the relationship between Craig and Lorelai. It felt like the first 50% really dragged because of the amount of background that had to be set up. But I do love a cinnamon roll hero (especially when he falls first). Overall, it was sweet but not going to be one of the more memorable romances I read this year.

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5🌟s! I loved this book and the romance between Huck and Lorelai was a slow burn with the most terrific payoff!

I loved how Huck and Lorelai were friends first and foremost, they had the kind of bond that soulmates have. Even when her life imploded and everyone abandoned her, he didn’t. I love that no matter what happened, he stood by her and up for her.

And while this books is definitely a slow burn for these two to admit feelings for each other, the spice is still very much there. And the poetry that Huck writes is not as explicit, but steamy as well.

This book is written with a lot of back and forth timelines, and I struggled a bit with all the changes in the beginning, but I read an early copy, so they might have ironed that out. The flashbacks were definitely important, but it was hard to keep track initially.

Two things I would have liked to have more closure on: his erotic poetry instagram and what happened with the songs he wrote for Drake.

But mostly, this is just great romance with low angst and a lot of emotion. If you like country music, you’ll like it even more!

5 stars!

I absolutely loved "Friends Don't Fall in Love" by Erin Hahn! It's a friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first, second chance, slow-burn romance full of angst, music, and hidden feelings. I am shocked I liked this book as much as I did because it's got miscommunication up the wazoo, which I typically hate, but it's handled really well here under the guise of wanting to preserve a friendship between main characters Lorelai and Craig (aka Huckleberry, aka Huck). I care approximately 0% about country music, but this book made me want to get my honky tonk on. Erin Hahn paints such a beautiful, rich tapestry of Nashville, the area, the setting, the music scene, and the liveliness, that I almost booked a trip right when I finished the book! Maybe in my dreams, haha! Lorelai and Craig are such wonderful characters, and they truly feel like real people. They are fully fleshed out with expertly crafted backstories. We know about their jobs, their families, their friends, their history, and their friendship that spans decades. Lorelai and Huck hooked up only once, six years prior to the events of this book, and it nearly broke them... but they are both pulled back in by each other over time because they are and have clearly always been in love with each other. The pining, the swooning, the angstiness, the tenderness, the sexiness... I was enthralled by their journey and their story. The original music written for this book is also terrific! I also love the part about what happened to Lorelai after she took a stand against gun violence, live, in concert, which is the catalyst for her being blackballed by Nashville and country music, one that sends her running and hiding back to Michigan to teach third grade. Right after her "protest" was the night she slept with Huck...and then she left town for years! AHHHHH! There's a great commentary here on how female musicians are supposed to toe the line and not speak up about what they care about for fear of being seen as "woke" or "rocking the boat" too much "in a male-dominated industry and genre of music. It is very much reminiscent of what happened to The Chicks (formerly known as The Dixie Chicks) after they spoke out publicly against George W. Bush in 2003 after 9/11 and during the war in Iraq. For the zoomers, it was WILD time, and difficult to watch unfold, even if you weren't a fan. Think: people calling for their imminent d3aths, burning their CDs and merchandise, having their very popular songs and albums dropping from the charts instantly until they were ultimately blackballed from radio stations, continually getting threats against their families and kids, promotional opportunities were gone in a flash. I don't know a lot about country music, but I know enough from what I hear in the news, and it seems like the good and the bad elements of the genre are captured accurately here. The same seems to be happening, to a lesser degree, with Maren Morris right now. Back to the story. This book is sexy and loving as heck. I loved it, and you should read it. Can't wait to read Erin Hahn's other books!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Hahn, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This was a great read with lots of back and forth between the main characters. I loved the strong supporting people for both Huck and Lorelei. The music pieces of the book were really enlightening. The back stabbing, the conservative folks who couldn't accept a protest song all made for side lights in the story.

It’s a meh from me. The story was uncomfortable at times and parts of it made no sense. The tie in with the last book was decent but also muddled at times. Why is there a character from every state moving to Michigan? It’s just weird. I may have exaggerated but I get that the author is from Michigan and I don’t think this is needed.

Something here just didn’t work for me and it wasn’t just the weird sex scenes.

Friends Don't Fall in Love by Erin Hahn was a book I was really excited to read and I enjoyed it. It was a cute, well written, friends-to-lovers romance that I devoured.

Lorelei Jones had one of the most promising careers in country music along with a fiancé who was also a country music star. Everything came crashing down all at one time when Lorelei chose to play a song in concert as a protest and it blew up. Not only that, but her fiancé decided he wanted to move in a different direction to escape the press she was getting and he ended their engagement. She decides the best thing for her to do is to leave Nashville, however before she does, she spends one hot night with her good friend, Craig. A night they don't speak about after that.

Fast-forward five years, and Lorelei is ready to make a comeback in her music career. The first person she reaches out to is her friend Craig, who is now an accomplished music producer. Now that she's back in Nashville, the connection and attraction between Lorelei and Craig is impossible to deny, but neither of them is willing to voice that it goes beyond the bedroom because they are afraid to risk losing their friendship if the other doesn't feel the same way. Can these two take the leap that is necessary to see if they can make this a forever kind of love?

I really enjoyed this book and I am such a fan of music that it was a story that I was drawn to immediately. I appreciated how the songs were used to tell the story and how much they played into the relationship between Lorelei and Craig. This was a quick read for me, but I feel like that was because of how much I connected to the storyline and the characters.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I enjoyed this book. It was a slow burn but they did have some good angst. The two main characters have great banter and chemistry and some good spice as well. However this does have a pretty annoying miscommunication trope.
This book has friends to lovers, cinnamon roll hero, he falls first.

Told in first person, present tense in alternating points of view, the novel starts with a flashback to the hours after Lorelei Jones, à la Dixie Chicks in the Dubya years, dared to sing a protest anthem at a sold out stadium–with the predictably awful consequences. Coming to her rescue is her friend–and abominable ex-fiancé’s bandmate–Craig “Huck” Boseman.

An unforgettable one-night stand and six years later, Lorelei is working towards her comeback to the music scene, Craig is still writing amazing songs while heading an indie label recording studio, Drake-the-slimeball is still a slimeball, and no one brings up the sex.

Except the pressure has never stopped building.

Beware: a lot of swearing; a lot of drinking; a character with a history of alcoholism; politics exist and matter; living with chronic disease; explicit sex; masturbation; references to school shootings and gun violence.

First things first: as one could guess from the blurb, the characters are politically progressive, and politics are mentioned–specifically when it comes to school shootings and gun violence, but also in Lorelei’s internal dialogue, the presence of married gay people, and so on.

If this is a problem for you, this book (and likely this author) are not for you.

Speaking of the characters. I remain not a fan of first person, present tense narration, but Ms Hahn makes it work, and I’m invested in Craig from the first page. Who wouldn’t love a leading man who describes himself thus:

“That’s me…Best friend trope in the flesh. (What? I’ve read romance. Well, I’ve read the “aliens fucking” ones, anyway.)” (Chapter 1, Craig)

I was glad to see that both of the main characters have good support systems. Craig has his siblings, nieces and nephew, his partner at the recording studio, and Lorelei; while she has him and her friends Shelby and Maren back in Michigan.

This is particularly important as regards to Lorelei’s recent celiac disease diagnosis–and props to Ms Hahn for writing a heroine living with chronic disease and showing how it affects all aspects of her life forever more.

Most of the characters, including some that only appear briefly, or near the end of the book, feel like actual people rather than a collection of traits–which is a neat trick to pull given the narrative voice.

As with Built to Last, texting and social media play an important role in Lorelei’s and Craig’s lives, both personally and professionally. (In the book, Twitter is still Twitter, because, who could have predicted, right?)

The setting is very firmly music–especially country. I know nothing about country music, and next to nothing about popular U.S. music (yes, I know), so I’m sure plenty of nuance that will make music fans’ hearts melt was lost to me. Nonetheless, the banter between the leads still works perfectly without getting all the layers.

And there are enough details about the business side of making music to make it real; from label contracts to agents to the importance of radio, and so on.

Now, as to the story; there are essentially three plot threads: one involves Craig’s songwriting and his ex-bandmate Drake, the other involves Lorelei’s comeback, and the third their relationship.

In all honesty, I wish more of the book had centered around the first two; there’s quite a bit to mine regarding the legal issues between Craig and Drake that I would have loved to see resolved on page, for example.

Instead the story focuses mostly on their relationship, which in turn hinges of their feelings of inferiority.

Which, granted, in Lorelei’s case is grounded in the trauma of having the man who actually had asked her to marry him after years together, dropping her via a social media post (followed by her agent, her label, her bandmates, and pretty much every other professional contact she had).

And, okay, Craig is the kind of unassuming person who prefers the background to the limelight, and has never had “the confidence of a mediocre white man”–at one point, he even thinks that *of course* Lorelei will give in to Drake, and renew *that* disaster of a romantic relationship.

Which. Really?

So it made sense to both of them to fall back into the safe friendship they had nurtured during the earlier years of their friendships, when Lorelei was Drake’s girl and later fiancée, and the boundaries between them were clear.

The problem for me is that it’s been six years, and now we have two adults over thirty, who have both faced pretty serious life setbacks and found a way forward, who somehow cannot hold a frank conversation with each other without getting derailed by assumptions and misunderstandings.

Oh, they do manage to have sex repeatedly–on page and off–and then go back to “of course she can’t love me” and “I’m a millstone around his neck”, and back again, which made the last third of the book drag for me, and made the final conversation feel a bit too facile.

A final thing that bothered me is that both of them, but especially Lorelei, drink a lot–to celebrate, to commiserate, to have fun, to pass time with a friend. For every occasion, there’s alcohol; and a lot of the time, it’s drinking to get drunk. Not tipsy. Drunk.

And while there’s a mention of another character becoming a teetotaler after a bad run with alcoholism/addiction, there’s nothing about Lorelei’s drinking. I found that very jarring.

In sum, though I generally enjoy Ms Hahn’s writing voice, her the characters, and the world she has created for them, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as her previous one.

Friends Don’t Fall in Love gets a 7.75 out of 10

Don't let the cute cover fool you; this book is surprisingly SPICY. Of course a guy with the name "Craig" has an anonymous erotic poetry Instagram account. It's always the most unsuspecting ones who are the kinkiest. And don't let the title fool you, either, because these friends most certainly DO fall in love. Craig (or "Huck" short for Huckleberry, his middle name) is a 36-year-old music producer in Nashville, and Lorelai is a 33-year-old disgraced country music star turned school teacher wanting to return to music. Once upon a time, Craig was in a band with Lorelai's now-ex-fiancé, who unceremoniously dumped her through an Instagram post after she protested gun violence at one of her concerts (he was an abusive prick, so she's better off). Craig is a talented songwriter wrote all of the band's songs (including one clearly about Lorelai) but was never credited, not even as a co-writer. After her "scandal," Lorelai moved from Nashville to Michigan, and now, five years later, she has returned to Nashville, living in one part of Craig's duplex and hiring Craig's record label to produce her comeback album. This book is perfect for he falls first (and harder) lovers, because Craig has been in love with Lorelai forever, but it's been a right person, wrong time kind of thing. Seriously, they're the epitome of "it's been a long time coming, but / it's you and me, that's my whole world / They whisper in the hallway, 'She's a bad, bad girl.'" I could write an entire essay about how Lorelai is the poster child for Miss Americana.

This book started off pretty choppy, with several consecutive time jumps that left me both confused and wanting more. With all the history behind their relationship, I constantly felt like I was missing some context. For this reason, I struggle with books where one of the main characters is (secretly or not so secretly) already in love with the other. I don't get to witness the process of them both falling in love with each other. There is also some lasting miscommunication and uncorrected misunderstanding regarding what each person wants from the other (i.e., casual or serious). And yes, this leads to a third act breakup. Even though this book is a standalone, it heavily connects with You'd Be Mine (Annie and Clay) and Built to Last (Lorelai is best friends with Shelby and Maren), neither of which I have read. Craig and Lorelai are both great main characters (though Craig has some major side character energy, lol). They're likable but flawed. With a name like Craig, his personality needs to do all the work (haha), so I'm glad he is a cinnamon roll (I guess you could call him a beta, though he def takes charge in the bedroom! Beta on the streets, alpha in the sheets?).

At times, I felt so frustrated for and with Lorelai. For her because of how she has to resign herself to such disgusting and crude sexism to gain back her career. With her because she couldn't see an alternative to the "apology tour" and hiding her true thoughts and beliefs. I don't doubt that country music, especially the industry (and labels) as a whole, is still ultra conservative, but the tides have been changing over the last few years. And then there are progressive icons who have long carved out a space in country music (take Dolly fucking Parton, for one). So the fact that Lorelai couldn't see this as an opportunity to embrace rather than stuff down her values was hard for me to relate to or understand. She eventually gets to the point of being unapologetic, and I was rooting for that growth.

As a Swiftie, Lorelai's situation totally reminded me of Taylor Swift, specifically the frustrations she expresses in Miss Americana. While Lorelai is nowhere near as famous as Taylor (it's hard to reach THAT level of fame), she has to deal with the repercussions from her label and the country music industry after speaking out about injustice (though Taylor no longer writes country music). In Miss Americana, Taylor and her dad argue over what she should do: speak out and potentially lose fans or keep quiet. I definitely see more spunk and an activist inclination in Lorelai than I do in Taylor (as much as I love Tay, her feminism is very white/performative and she doesn't speak out nearly as much as she should), and I could really relate to Lorelai's inner turmoil over her return to country music. When I requested this book on Netgalley, I wasn't expecting the overtly political messaging in it, but I really appreciated it. I could feel how near and dear the subject is to Erin Hahn. And despite my hang-ups, I did enjoy this book, and I liked Craig and Lorelai together.

Do yourself a favor and read this book if you like:

👩🏻‍🎤 Taylor Swift-coded FMCs (and your fav Taylor song is Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince)
👩🏻‍🎤 he falls faster AND harder
👩🏻‍🎤 she upgrades from her ex to a much better model
👩🏻‍🎤 friends to lovers, SLIGHT celebrity romance (they're not UBER famous)
👩🏻‍🎤 country music (but like, make it progressive)!

Thank you SO much to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Sweet friends to lovers story. Be warned- you will automatically ship Buck and Lore but get frustrated at all the miscommunication. Their feelings for each other couldn't be more obvious if they were hit with a truck but alas, the miscommunication trope is strong with this one.

A very cute and sweet friends to lovers story between a ruined country musician and her ex fiancee's cowriter who also happens to be a musician. Lorelai Jones had it all: a thirving country music career and a superstar fiance, but it all came crashing down when she played a tiny protest song at a concert and ruined her entire future including her impending celebrity marriage. Five years later she finds herself coming back to music and back to the one person who was with her through it all, her best friend, and her former fiance's co-writer and bandmate, Craig. Craig Boseman has been in love with Lorelai for years but he knows that as the backup bass player, he'd never get the girl. Yet things are different now and now he owns his own indie record label and is starting his songwriting career. Lorelai and Craig have a secret, the night where everything went wrong for Lorelai was the night they both finally caved into their feelings for each other and had a one night stand, a one night stand that both of them still think about five years later. Yet neither wants to destroy the friendship they have with each other and can't tell if the other one is trying to give them a sign that they want more, cue miscommunications, deciphering poetry posts, song lyrics, and the age old "lets try being friends with benefits" routine. All the while Lorelai is trying to start up her music career again and dealing with her ex fiance trying to get back into her life when she's trying to figure out if she's ready to open her heart up to the one man who has stolen it and Craig is trying to finally get the credits that Drake owes him for all the songs he's written and finally tell Lorelai that he wants a serious relationship. This is such a sweet and fun country music romance, seriously Lorelai and Craig are so in love with each other but are struggling with the "we've been best friends for years but also I want to be with you" and it was so much fun to read about. This was a really cute read and I had fun with it! If you enjoy a good friends to lovers romance give this one a go, it's so cute!

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one at 21%. The beginning is super confusing, the timeline genuinely doesn’t make sense and the “6 years earlier” “4 years earlier” etc, really threw me off.

I couldn’t get into it because of that and how choppy it was, and I just didn’t feel a connection with the characters or the plot.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy, I know a lot of readers will eat this up! Friends to lovers and country music should be a fun read if you can get through the first bit.

Friends can fall in love!

Lorelai Jones had been an up and coming country star planning her wedding to her fiancé until she played Crosby, Still, Nash and Young’s Ohio to protest all of the school shootings. Lorelai was blacklisted in Nashville with no career and no fiancé so she retreated to Michigan to lick her wounds. Now she was back in Nashville to try Nashville again with the only person on her side was her friend Craig Boseman who had played bass for her fiancé but now he ran his own record label and wrote music.

Craig Boseman had always carried a torch for Lorelai Jones but now she was back in Nashville and maybe this time he would make his move if Lorelai doesn’t make a move first.

Friends Don't Fall in Love is related to You'd Be Mine and Built to Last if you want more books about Lorelai’s friends and you really need to put them on your list to read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lorelai Jones is back in Nashville a few years after her country music career ended abruptly when she sang a song in protest of school shootings. She's still persona-non-grata, but sharing a duplex with her old best friend, Craig (who she calls Huckleberry) definitely helps. He gets her in a way few people do, and he's a producer now, which makes him the perfect person to bounce new ideas off. And so what if they slept together right before she left town all those years ago and she can't stop thinking about it? So what if she knows her favorite erotic poetry account is run by him (and, she suspects, is about her)? They can keep things friendly and professional, can't they?
But Craig has the same feelings Lorelai does, and as the two get closer again, it gets harder and harder to avoid crossing that line. Again. Because he also can't forget the night they slept together--which just may have been the night he realized he was in love with his best friend's ex-fiancee.

Friends Don't Fall In Love is sweet and heartfelt, and everything I've come to expect from an Erin Hahn book--though there's a little less trauma in this one than in some of the others. It's a wonderful read and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

tw for mentions of school shootings