Lorelai Jones had it a thriving country music career and a superstar fiancé. Then she played one teenie tiny protest song at a concert and ruined her entire future, including her impending celebrity marriage. But five years later, she refuses to be done with her dreams and calls up the one person who stuck by her, her dear friend and her former fiancé’s co-writer and bandmate, Craig. Craig Boseman’s held a torch for Lorelai for years, but even he knows the backup bass player never gets the girl. Things are different now, though. Craig owns his own indie record label and his songwriting career is taking off. If he can confront his past and embrace his gifts, he might just be able to help Lorelai earn the comeback she deserves―and maybe win her heart in the process. But when the two reunite to rebuild her career and finally scratch that itch that’s been building between them for years, Lorelai realizes a lot about what friends don’t do. For one, friends don’t have scratch-that-itch sex. They also don’t almost-kiss on street corners, publish secret erotic poetry about each other, have counter-top sex, write songs for each other, have no-strings motorcycle sex, or go on dates. And they sure as heck don't fall in love... right?

Ahhhh this book! My Heart! I love a friends to lovers romance book and this one definitely delivered! It was such an easy and enjoyable read. If you're a fan of country music or a hollywood-esq romance novel, then this is for you! Lorelai was such a well rounded main character. You were rooting for her even when she was doubting everything. Craig was perfect cinnamon roll hero. He falls first and hard! He just needed that little push to finally get the girl. There is plenty of spice to go around. It was enjoyable but nothing over the top or graphic. Overall this book left me with all the feels and a smile on my face!

While this doesn't say it is part of a series, it does intertwine with her books Built to Last and You'd Be Mine. It can be read as a stand alone, but I would suggest reading the first book first to understand some of the side characters. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 10/17

I am a total sucker for Friends to Loves. Add in a spinoff about a country music singer bucking the shackles of the establishment by calling out gun violence in American schools (a la Dixie Chicks criticizing the Bush administration for the Iraq War). And you have a really excellent plot.

I do wish this had less FWB mixed with miscommunication. But it did have erotic poetry and a really sweet MMC. So I did enjoy the novel.

I know that when I read a book by Hahn, I will enjoy it, and this is no exception. The characters were so much fun. I like Lorelai’s strength. Even though so many people have failed her or given up, she’s a fighter. I liked Craig and his devotion to her. He’s a perfect, supportive best friend.

Sometimes, the timeline could have been clearer. We were in the past without a warning that we were in the past. But that could be because I have an advanced copy, which may be fixed before release day. I would have liked to see some resolution with Drake. Craig was on the precipice of deciding what to do with him, and it would have been nice to see it resolved. Why include it if it’s left up in the air?

And although I’m not a fan of burying your feelings, for years even, it works here. This was a fun, light-hearted read that I finished over two sittings. Perfect for these chilly autumn days, lazily reading with a hot tea at hand. It’s steamy and sweet, with sisterhood, friendships, and a lot of fun.

I would have read this faster but life gets in the way. I had something to look forward to every evening when it was time to settle down for the night.
Friends to lovers trope! Count me in.
This a very spicy romance with alot of explicit descriptions. I highly recommend if you like a slow burn with a lot of steam.

I will be reading all the backlist titles for sure.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like this book was designed for me. I knew from the first chapter that I would likely be giving this book five stars because like my favorite songs in a book form. Anybody who knows me knows how much I love music. Music and books are basically my life and country music is one of my top genres. The fact that each chapter begins with a country song, many of which were already my favorite songs, is basically what convinced me to read this book. I love how the book pointed out the hypocrisies and wrongdoings of the country music industry, something I’m personally invested in.

I should also talk about the real center of the book: the romance. OMG I ABSOLUTELY LOVED CRAIG (aka Huck) AND LORELAI’S RELATIONSHIP!!!! I’m a sucker for friends to lovers, but then add in the years of pining, the miscommunications, and the fact that they are the definition of “right person, wrong time” and this book was perfect for me! I wish we hadn’t skipped over so much of their fwb stage, but beyond that, it was amazing!

I should also talk about how this book literally inspired me to write a song. The book is full of poems and song lyrics and it just got me in a super creative mood, so yesterday, I sat down and wrote a song for the first time in like four or five years, so I have to thank Erin Hahn for her magical writing, because this book feels like it was infused with some sort of creative energy!

I also loved the side characters! I read Built to Last in July of 2022 and didn’t even realize that this was a continuation of that story until chapter two! It was great to see Shelby and Cameron again, and I hope that Maren gets a book! I actually went back and reread some of that book (specifically the mentions of Craig), which made my enjoyment of this book even better. I also found out that Clay/Jefferson and Annie, who are featured in this book, have a book of their own, which I definitely want to check out in the future.

Overall, Erin Hahn has created this lovely universe full of country music and HGTV references (two things that I highly value) and I’ve basically decided that I’ll read anything she writes!

I have only one question though: Why wasn’t “Friends Don’t” by Maddie & Tae included in this book? Between the fact that it’s practically the title of this book and it’s a great country song, I’m confuzzled…

This story is so sweet, emotional and sexy.

When I read the title I knew I had to read it , I love friends to lovers trope. Lorelai and Craig have been friends forever, but after one night everything changes and they lose contact. Years later, Lorelai looks for Craig and he begins to produce the songs she composes. I really liked the way the author tells the story, I devoured it in one sitting.

Craig has been in love with Lorelai forever but he didn't want to act first because she was his bandmate's fiancee and second because he didn't want to damage the friendship, but now when She is single, feelings arise again with more force, i loved their dialogues, their scenes together, they are so cute, they don't want to act on what they feel for fear of losing their friendship.

Craig is so sweet to Lorelai, he loves her so unconditionally, I swooned so hard, I loved the way their romance blossoms. Sweet, emotional, so good, this story is perfect for fans of
Friends to lovers
Coming of age
Mutual pining}
emotional

I was really excited for this book because I've read Erin's books before but this one was just really hard for me to get into so I unfortunately had to DNF.

This book was as sweet as pie 🥧 If you’re looking for a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance, look no further.

This book has:
•Friends to lovers and the one-night-stand trope
•A sunshine country star heroine and a cinnamon roll producer/lyricist hero
•He falls first and harder!!! The hero has a secret IG account where he writes poetry about the heroine 💌

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

@erinhahn_author was able to write an adorable love story while incorporating heavy topics such as gun control and how hard it is to make it in the music industry. I really enjoyed the story of Lorelai and Craig. Their friendship is so cute and I’m obsessed with how Lorelai calls him Huckleberry 😍 I also just really enjoyed how much Craig supports Lorelai in everything she does - we all need a Hick in our lives.

I am a country music fan, all music really but I grew up on country so a lot of the references to artists was a nice touch. I enjoyed all of the characters as well as the storyline of the ex trying to make a comeback 🫣 this was a book I could have devoured in a day if I didn’t have responsibilities lol. Also, can someone please write sexy poetry and songs about me? Thanks…

I'm not typically a fan of friends to lovers but Erin Hahn literally writes them top tier and I'm obsessed. All my favorite troupes from him taking care of her, to him pinning for her, to him writing poetry about her. I'm starting to notice a trend....he's so down bad for her and I'm here through the ups and downs. It was worth it!

Friends Don't FallnIn Love is set in the same universe as Built To Last, this time following Lorelai Jones, a country music star who took a political stand at a concert, which then blacklisted her career and ended her engagement (with her jerk of a fiance). But before then and through all that, Craig has been there for her (especially during the jerk fiance stuff, as Craig was in a band with him.) These two don't know they're in love with each other, and when Lorelai decides she wants to make a country music comeback, she puts herself back in Craig's (now a music producer) life, and the two start to realize what they hadn't before.

I don't know why that felt hard to explain. While there is a lot going on in this story, there is also not a ton going on. I enjoyed the music production aspect, and both characters were really sweet. There was just kind of a lot of background noise in this book, it felt like. Also, I really wanted both characters to just stand up for themselves in their lives finally. It was like they both knew how they ought to feel but didn't want to commit fully to taking the reins in their lives. Which I guess, is the theme of their love story too.

Anyway, a cute read!

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Griffin for the e-ARC.

I LOVE HUCK!!
I think he is my new favorite MCM by Erin Hahn.

In Friends Don't Fall in Love we're back in the world of country music. While this is a stand alone we see a lot of familiar faces from Hahns previous books. I would recommend going checking out You'd Be Mine and Built to Last to really make connections.

Lorelai Jones is trying to get her career back after basically becoming blacklisted in the Nashville country scene. With the help of her long time friend, Craig Boseman, a.k.a Huck, she's determined to get her career going again after a long hiatus. Many secrets and requited love gets revealed.

I loved reading and catching up on characters we've meet before and loved how they all tied in. It was also nice to meet new characters and see all the friendships that came about. They say connections really help in life and we see all the various ways past characters get connected to one another in this book. It was also nice seeing Lorelai get the spot light. She was a character you wanted to follow in Built to Last and we finally get her story.

I also loved meeting Craig. His point of view on things helped to balance out the story and give us a good perspective on what really happened before Lorelai lost her career. He's a good representation of guys that tend to get looked over or the ones that get friend zoned. He's not rough and hard edges but also not a marshmallow. He's a guy that has his life together and just wants what's best for those around him. We need more men like this in books!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and think it's great for women and men. Nothing stood out that made it seem like it was written with just women in mind. I can see men enjoying this book as well and maybe relate to Craig.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A fun friends to lovers romance.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Country music
Great banter and chemistry
Forced proximity
Real and relatable characters
Celebrity romance
Spicy reads
Dual POV
Nashville setting
Its always been you
Found family

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
The erotic poetry / song lyrics
The side characters
Celiac rep

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Miscommunication trope

This is the first book I’ve read by Erin and I gotta say, the writing, the story, the characters… all give me plenty reasons to keep reading more by her.

Friends Don’t Fall In Love is a story about friendship, life successes, life failures, learning experiences, love, loss, and everything in between.

Lorelei is ready to make her way back to Nashville—get back into the studio and country music.

Huck is a friend/producer of hers whom she’s been in love with for years.

I loved their chemistry. It was very obvious from the beginning but understandably hidden. I think a lot of people can relate to this story and the experiences both Lorelei and Huck go through—together and separately.

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes—the history and growth you see is amazing and adds so much depth to the story.

I can’t wait to see what Erin comes out with next.

It took me a little bit to get into this but by the end I was happily surprised by this story. I wish it was a little more angsty or had more drama. If it didn’t lack that dramatic problem I was hoping for I would have liked it even more. I did enjoy the main characters and that it was dual pov. I thought the supportive characters were pretty interesting too. I’d love to hear more about some of them and then see were Craig and Lorelei are with their lives.

Friends-to-lovers isn’t my favorite romance trope, but I love country music too much to let that get in the way of me reading Friends Don’t Fall in Love.

The story centers around Lorelai Jones, ex-teacher turned country singer who sang a protest song and lost her career and fiancé overnight. Thankfully, her friend Craig, or Huck as she more affectionately calls him, was there when everything feel apart. After taking some time away, Lorelai feels the pull back to Music City. But navigating a comeback while juggling the history and feelings between these two great song-writers (but terrible communicators!) gets complicated.

As a fan of little details, I LOVED that each chapter title was also a song title (with an accompanying Spotify playlist). In addition, author Erin Hahn weaved in tons of incredible song references throughout, from Huck & Lorelai’s ongoing “game” to the protest song “Ohio” and of course, original lyrics from our songwriter characters.

This isn’t listed as part of a series, but there’s character crossover from Built to Last. I’m hopeful this means Erin Hahn has more up her sleeve for the last friend of the trio—Maren, as we get to know her a bit more in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Griffin for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was like watching a whole season of Nashville and I LOVED it. It would make a great movie - the cast of characters is so fun and I loved the drama around the music. I read the whole book in a day (a day I was sick in bed but STILL).

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and SMP for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Love love love!

I absolutely adored Erin Hahn's first adult romance Built to Last and her YA romances so Friends Don't Fall in Love was such an eagerly anticipated book. I read it the moment I got my ARC in March.

Lorelai is the BFF in Built to Last and we started to get her story as a musician moving back to Nashville to resurrect her music career. I was SO excited to get more of her story, especially because Annie & Clay from You'd Be Mine make a few appearances too. This was such a well-written friends to lovers romance, especially because they hooked up once six years ago and when they get together to rebuild her career they are fighting their attraction to each other.

I love that we got both Lorelai and Huck's viewpoint. Both of them are such great characters and Huck is the ultimate book boyfriend. This is a book you need to read (and I highly recommend reading Built to Last too). The country music setting is so fun too.

I can't wait for Maren's book!

Lorelai is a "failed" country music star that was shunned after making a political statement at a concert - she lost everything, her community, her career, and even her fiance. But she kept one thing, her friendship with Huck (Craig). He stayed by her side even from a distance when she returned to teaching 3rd graders in Michigan but even more importantly he welcomed her back to Nashville with open arms.

Love has always existed between Huck and Lorelai but both are too stubborn to admit it. Together they make music, reignite Lorelai's musical career, and fall madly in love.

This was such an enjoyable read.

I love a good friends to lovers book so I was excited to read this one. It was okay. The beginning is super slow but the book was decent overall.