Erin Hahn's young adult fiction is cozy, funny, and full of very realistic characters. Her adult fiction also has some of the same characteristics to make it very readable. Especially if you like country music, and the music industry in general, this is a fun one to read. The chemistry and friendship between the two main characters is also fire. I like the way they are there for each other, and when it's time to really talk about their feelings, they do it both through song and conversation.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Great read, friends to lovers trope. Characters we met in Built to Last which I also loved. Enriched by details of song writing, music producing, country music scene in Nashville, celiac disease. Themes of making a comeback, being true to your self and your principles, friendship, honesty, helping other artists. Loved it!

Erin Hahn’s Friends Don’t Fall In Love is sharply-written, sexy, romantic and lovely. With great tenderness, Hahn explores a friends-to-lovers romance – and deconstructs the music business with great honesty and aplomb.

Country music star Lorelai Jones has a bumpy romance with her equally famous fiancé Drake Colter. As always, she turns to her best friend, songwriter, Drake’s bandmate and sometimes songwriting collaborator, Craig Boseman, when the wheels fall off. As always she goes back to Drake while Craig goes on with other women. It seems as if that’s the way it’s doomed to be.

Then Lorelai plays a protest song in support of gun control at one of her concerts, and her career – and her engagement to image-conscious Drake – quickly falls apart. This is fine with Craig. He's not a fan of Drake who has treated him poorly by welching on publishing rights to songs they’ve co-written. Plus Craig dislikes the way Drake has treated Lorelai. He's less than happy, however, when Lorelai soon disappears from the music scene.

Five years later, she texts Craig, looking for help launching a comeback. He now runs a small independent record label, and after years of coping with Drake’s thieving, he’s become successful as a producer. But being in close quarters causes Lorelai and Craig to reconsider their choice to just keep things on a friendly level. Can Lorelai mint a comeback and have Craig in her bed, too?

I loved every last drop of this book. Friend’s Don’t Fall in Love works as a triumphant comeback story, as a tale about a woman who figures out her best friend is the one she should’ve stood beside the whole time, and as the story of someone combatting an industry that demands certain rules be played by.

Lorelai is spirited without being TSTL; Craig is handsome and smart and artistically creative. They both have realistic reasons to avoid talking about love and pursuing it even after getting into a sexual relationship. And the connection between them is definitely hot and definitely well-explored. (There’s a scene in a kitchen that will knock readers’ socks off.) And I’m always a sucker for best friends falling for each other. Everything about them works and makes sense.

The supporting characters are fun, including the clearly skunky Drake.

On top of that, the way the book takes a deep dive into what defines the music industry helps bolster this one even higher. It both takes on a conservative country culture and also leaves room for artists who adore working within the milieu.

Friends Don’t Fall in Love is a pinnacle when it comes to contemporary friends-to-lovers romance stories. It’s one of the best books of the year, and one of my favorite contemporary romances of 2023.

This was a fun read and one of my favorite tropes (friends to lovers), sadly I just did not connect with the characters. So I'm giving this 3.5 stars because it was a great story, I just felt disconnected the entire time I read it.

On the bright side, the writing was beautiful and I am so excited to be introduced to Erin Hahn and I added her other already published novels to my tbr!

A huge thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

There’s just something about Erin’s characters that you can’t help but love. I really liked Craig and Loralai’s story and how enjoyable yet vulnerable it was as both try to forge their own paths while staying true to themselves.

I’m not a big fan of the miscommunication trope, especially when the characters are adults and are set straight by young family members (Craig) or by their friends who claim to not know much about relationships (Loralai). Nevertheless, Erin’s writing has a way of captivating you and keeping you entertained even through tropes you typically dislike. I liked the vulnerability of Loralai’s story regarding being a teacher and speaking out about gun violence and school shootings (so definitely trigger warning there), even when it cost her her career. I really liked the Celiac representation and how gentle Craig was with her and how he tried his best to help her avoid foods that would cause attacks.

One little detail I didn’t like was the line regarding the radio DJ looking and “seeming like the type of guy Taylor Swift would sue” (this is me paraphrasing but it’s pretty close to the exact line). I get what direction the author might’ve been trying to come from regarding the sleaziness of the radio DJ, but it comes across as a little insensitive to Taylor’s court case and what she went through. It was a very off handed comment for a pivotal case that Taylor got a lot of hate for (and was considered sensitive for) and it just gave me the ick how it was said and felt a tiny bit tasteless. Maybe that’s just me though.

I thought the spicy scenes were well done and I liked how doting Craig was. I loved Loralai’s fiery personality and I enjoyed the music concept although no matter the book, song lyrics in books are so cringy. It’s an enjoyable book if you can look past the miscommunication that leaves you a little frustrated and wanting to lock them in a room together early on to talk it out.

Overall, it was an enjoyable continuation of Erin’s interconnected series and I liked the raw vulnerability of it and the lesson of staying true to yourself. Once they finally got together, they really were a great power couple. I’m looking forward to Erin’s future work and I can’t wait to see who the next book is about.

3.5 rounded up to 4

This slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance features appealing characters, an interesting setting and a serious subplot about the costs and benefits of finding and using your own voice. Friends Don’t Fall in Love features Lorelai Jones and Craig Huckleberry (Huck) Boseman. Both are in the country music business, based in Nashville. Lorelai is a rising young star and Huck is a talented writer who also plays guitar in the band for Lorelai’s fiancé Drake Colter. They becomes friends through Drake and by spending some time together writing songs.

After Lorelai plays a protest song at a concert, it all goes to pot and she loses everything. Drake dumps her, her record company lets her go, and her agent drops her. Realizing that her name is mud in Nashville, Lorelai heads to Michigan, where her best friends live, and back to teaching.

Five years later, Lorelai still thinks she has something to say and reconnects with Huck after writing a new song. Huck now owns an indie record company that he was able to start after a surprise inheritance from his great uncle.

Although Huck and Lorelai had a one-night stand (after Drake dropped her and before she left Nashville the first time), both are determined to ignore their feelings and keep thing professional as they work together on a new album for Lorelai. Their fears about losing their longtime friendship have them going through several iterations of their relationship (friends, friends with benefits) before they both acknowledge how important the other person is—and has been—to them.

The story is told in an alternating dual POV that jumps back and forth in time. The flashbacks help to round out the background about their relationship but seemed somewhat random in terms of where they occurred in the story.

This is a well written tale that builds toward a believable HEA for Lorelai and Huck and their supportive community of friends and colleagues.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

I like the author's writing style, and I've enjoyed others of her work, but I'm not sure if the adult genre is for her, or maybe it is that I find her Y/A books more appealing.
This story is kind of plain and even from the beginning I couldn't get invested.

If you are a Nashville country music fan, you will like this novel. An ousted country music start Lorelai is making a comeback with the help of her friend and record producer, Craig/Huckleberry. When Lorelai made a stand against gun violence at one of her concerts, she lost everything. Her record producer, agent, and fiancé all turned their back on the star, and now she has to fight her way back to the top.

The relationship between Craig/Huckleberry (the use of both names interchangeably caused me some great confusion at first) and Lorelai is a classic friends to lovers scenario. They have been friends for years, but constant miscommunication has kept them both from revealing their true feelings for one another.

I struggled with the writing in this novel. Some sentences/paragraphs were overly complicated and the time jumping at the beginning was very confusing. I enjoyed the storyline, but felt jilted by the writing in some areas of the book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was a steamy friends to lovers romance which is filled with pop culture and music references throughout along with social commentary and its place within the country music scene.

Craig and Lorelei’s history of friendship, music texting games and songwriting was just a joy to behold and I could picture this so clearly as if it were a movie. I adore a nice male love interest when he also can deliver the sexy which “Huck” definitely can.

The side characters and friendships were so fun and I definitely will read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley for my arc review copy. This was a solid 4 star read for me as I didn’t want to put it down.

Lorelai first showed up in the author’s previous book Built to Last as the bestie, and I was eager to read her own story. It did not disappoint!
Friends to lovers is my favorite type of romance, and you can tell how much Lorelai and Craig care for and respect each other throughout their entire story. Lorelai and Craig have a history together, and we get to hear from both of them as they are reacquainted. He previously worked with her ex in the country music industry. and they had a one night stand with each other a few years ago. Their sexy story jumps back and forth from past to present. And don’t let the cute cover fool you - this one’s very spicy! . I appreciate the unique plot and atypical character elements - older main characters, restarting careers, country music insider nods, chronic illness rep, and my favorite - a skinny, clumsy, non-athletic, poetry writing, music producer whiz mmc. Craig is the most unique hero I’ve read in a very long time. All the stars for Friends Don’t Fall in Love - I can’t wait to read more from Erin Hahn.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

A bit too angsty for me, but I did enjoy Huck and Lorelai. I normally enjoy a good music storyline with musicians and song writing, but the villain in the story, Drake, is caricaturist and over the top.

Lorelai Jones had an epic fall from Nashville’s graces when she chose to sing a song protesting gun violence in concert. Her tour was cancelled, her engagement was called off and she fled Nashville and the spotlight all together after feeling abandoned by everyone in the music business except her best friend Craig Huckleberry Boseman. Six years pass before Lorelai returns to Nashville and to the life of her friend. Little does Lorelai know that Craig has been writing songs and poems about his less than friendly feelings for her all this time, and having her in close proximity again will make all of it much harder to hide.

Friends Don’t Fall in Love is a great friends to lovers romance where the underlying trope is definitely “it’s always been you” from both sides. Craig’s pining for Lorelai was obvious from the start, but it took a little longer for Lorelai to come to terms with her underlying feelings. I really enjoyed the commentary on the Nashville music scene and how brave Lorelai was to stick to her beliefs even knowing they got her cancelled the first time and could again. Strong female main characters like Lorelai are so fun to root for, and I loved the journey to her happy ending both in love and in life.

Recommended for spicy romance readers and especially those that enjoy: 🤝friends to lovers 🎸communicating through song lyrics 👩‍🎤Flashbacks 👢 critical commentary on the Nashville country music scene ✍🏻 anonymous erotic poetry 🌟 well deserved comebacks 💞 swoony happily ever afters

this book was cute. i'm a sucker for friends to lovers, so this was exactly what i wanted. this was a fun, easy read for the summer!

I’ve read a couple Erin Hahn books, some YA and more recently her first adult hgtv vibes romance. I’ve really enjoyed her writing style and was very impressed with her first dive into romance last year.

That being said, I was eager to try her newest book which follows a character we were first introduced to in Built To Last. I loved Lorelei and Maren when we met them as Shelby’s friends in book 1, so I’m excited to see their stories play out. In this case, we’re getting to see what’s next (and in the past for Lorelei).

Tropes / features include:

Friends To Lovers
Second Chance
Older Mains
Music Industry / Country Music / Celeb Romance
Poetry

I thought it was an interesting story, but definitely had a very different feel (for me) from the first book. The pacing and flow took a bit to get into since the story dies jump from past to present to give some of the backstory.

I enjoyed Lorelai and Huck’s relationship, though the miscommunication tried me a bit at times 😅 I always love to see a romance with representation of different experiences, so the chronic illness rep and seeing some slightly older hero and heroine was refreshing. I will say do not be fooled by the truly adorable cover art, this one was spicier than I expected.

I think fans of country, and shows like Nashville will find this one to be a great find. I look forward to trying floors from the author in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and SMP Romance for the opportunity to read an early copy!

Craig and Lorelei made for a fun read! I loved the setting of this taking place in Nashville (having live there myself once upon a time) and the city certainly makes itself into its own character.

Thank you for the advanced readers copy this is the perfect book to read while traveling!

This was extremely enjoyable. If you were a fan of the show Nashville you will probably really like this book! It's got friends to lovers, country music stars, controversy, and delicious spice. Don't let the cover fool you, this book is dirty. Our MMC Craig writes erotic poetry that will leave you sweating.
I was hooked from the prologue. The story flowed so well. I loved both characters so much, the mutual pining was real.
This was my first time reading this author, but it won't be the last!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!

Lorelai is a country music darling until she steps out of line by speaking out about the 2nd amendment at a concert. Almost immediately, she is out her fiancee, her record contract, and her publicist. She feels all alone, except for her best friend, Craig Huckleberry Boseman. After an incredible one night stand, they remain friends and try to move on with their lives. Years pass and Lorelai is ready to re-enter the country music scene. Craig has become a talented producer and is more than willing to help Lorelai. Lots of pining and a little forced proximity may help these friends realize they are actually in love.

Definitely a fun, easy read. I enjoyed both main characters and their POVs were fun to read. I found myself pulled back to the book to see how things were going to resolve which is always a win for me!

I know I haven’t post in a while, and I’m actually 10 books behind on reviews (and that list keeps getting longer), but I was in Disney last week, plus 4th of July. Long story short, I’m back! I received this ARC last month, and couldn’t wait to chat about it. This story is a beautifully told friends to lovers. It is also a celebrity romance. Lorelei started off as a young up and coming country singer, but after taking a political stand during a concert she was blacklisted from the industry. Not only that but her fiancee dumped her with an Instagram story. Fast forward and Lorelei decides back to Nashville to try and give it another shot. She knows she has a great song, and with the help of her long-time friend Craig, they could make magic. Craig has always had a thing for Lorelei, and when he finds out she’s coming back in town, he thinks he could maybe win her heart in the process.
This story was written so well, and I am a huge fan of buildups and slow burns, which this story did have. The friendships in this were fun, and I couldn’t get through it fast enough. Overall, I highly recommend! 4⭐️s 🤗

Friends to lover romance set in the country music scene.
Pros:
1. Older protagonists
2. Protagonist with health issues.

Cons:
1. Pacing
Thanks to Net galley and the publisher for the EARC.

Jonesin' for more Craig and Lorelai!

Agh! The angst! The longing! So much pining in this story! And I loved every last bit of it!

Craig and Lorelai had a ONS years ago when Lorelai was at her lowest point, having just tanked her country music singing career and her personal life along with it. Now she's trying to stage a comeback, and always-faithful Craig is right there to support her any way he can. He's a successful record producer now, and her landlord, so she's extra careful about taking advantage of him and risking their delicate friendship as well as his solid career.

I adored the slow-burn approach to their romance, and how the real villain in the story is both of their tendencies to overthink every single thing. Fear of failure and insecurities are often huge obstacles to overcome, and this author does an amazing job of making our main characters feel so relatable even though they're famous "stars."

One of my favorite parts was the use of country music song titles as chapter headings. You don't have to be a country music fan to enjoy this book, but it certainly doesn't hurt. There's a bit that addresses the gun culture in the US, and I appreciate the way the author focused on the personal aspect rather than the political. I adored Lorelai throughout the story, but never more so than when she's all fired up and laying it all on the line.

The beautiful epilogue showcases everyone in the right place, and I could not have loved this story more. The writing is absolutely lovely, and the author demonstrates her own hidden talent for writing memorable song lyrics. I highly recommend this romance and am looking forward to reading more from this amazing author. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.