Very slow burn romance with some good spice. I love the story but the main characters names really threw me off. I’m not sure why I just couldn’t get behind it. The beginning was very slow and confusing but after about 20% through it started to pick up and make more sense. Overall it was cute.

I adored Erin Hahn's previous book, Built to Last, and was super excited that Lorelai got her own love story! Plus, the reappearance of past characters like Shelby and Maren!

I loved Lorelai's No BS attitude with a side of vulnerability. Paired up with Huck's good guy temperament (plus the fact that he's been in love with Lorelai for YEARS!), this duo had amazing chemistry! I loved their friendship turned secret lust turned true love story line, which played out well with the dual POV chapters. The country song titles were a bonus hit, as was the "best song" game that Lorelai and Huck played. Love, country music and a kick butt comeback (and great friends to boot!) made for a fantastic story!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was interesting, to say the very least. I enjoyed the dynamic between Lorelai and Craig and how they rekindled after the years and attempted to figure out what has always been between them. I really enjoyed the premise of this book. It was also complicated and the characters were far from two-dimensional. I would honestly really enjoy this book as an adaptation.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book. It is clear the author knows their stuff when it comes to music, Country music in particular, and it’s always great to read a story when you align philosophically with the main characters.
That said, this story felt like it was carrying a lot of extra weight. Some readers will likely feel this adds a richness to the plot, and for them it may. For me, I like stories to move a bit faster. The writing is strong, and the spice is good. Overall, this was a “Like not Love” for me.
Still, I really appreciate NetGalley and the publisher giving me the chance to check this out. If you’re a country music fan, especially of artists like Kelsea Ballerini or Kacey Musgraves, I’d definitely say give this one a look!

You need to grab a copy of Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn if you want your books to have friends-to-lovers, country singers, dual POV, and to be set in Nashville. Since it comes out in October, go ahead and add it to your reading list and pre-order it. Trust me, you’re going to love it.

Meet Lorelai. She is a singer. Meet Craig. He is a songwriter. Together, the duo navigates their careers in the music industry and writes songs about each other, and for each other. Cue the biggest swoon possible! But will they, or won’t they?

I devoured this title from Hahn. In my first read from this author, I really enjoyed the romance between the two leads and found it to be both emotional and heartfelt. I enjoyed the pace of the story and found the relationship and story to be surprisingly complex for a romance read. I was here for it! I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book for a reread, and more titles by this author! Erin Hahn, welcome to my auto-buy list.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Griffin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first Erin Hahn book and there was so much for me to love about this book. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this book really hits the mark for me. The 10 year pining, the lyrics and poetry, the song references were all *chefs kiss*

The timeline in the beginning was a little confusing for me but once the story got going, I was absolutely hooked. As a teacher myself, I love that Lorelei was a teacher and spoke to the issue of gun violence throughout the book. And Huck….WHEW. The counter scene is etched in my memory as one of the best spicy scenes I’ve read in a while. Huck is an absolute cinnamon roll and a really great MMC.

If you’re a country music fan, you’ll love all the references to different songs and artists throughout the book. I will definitely be on the lookout for more by Erin Hahn and will likely go back and read some of her previous books featuring the secondary characters in this story!

My Thoughts

Friends don't fall in love is not a truism because sometimes they do.

Love between friends can be that of siblings with all that entails, friends with benefits is a different kind of love built on mutual trust. Craig and Lorelai are lucky that they share some of both in the beginning of this story.

They just don't acknowledge it to themselves or each other either.

Best friends whose love of making and writing music together in the beginning of their working relationship turns into something totally different 5 years after Lorelai leaves country music in disgrace.

What that something is was explored in depth as they both learn more about each other with their clothes on

When friends turn into lovers it means something totally different when casual turns into serious then a certain ex has both Craig and Lorelai’s insecurities rearing up which causes the pair to try going back to just a working relationship only.

I say try because as expected the feelings don’t just go away and actually when confronted individually by their closest friends Craig and Lorelai each come to the conclusion that Love is worth the risk of being vulnerable to each other with very satisfying results after a few hiccups before they do so.

Reading about how Craig takes Lorelai in after her life imploded once again and sets her on a new course was both frustrating and sweet at the same time.

I look forward to more from this author in future.
[EArc from Netgalley]

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy of this book!

A good friends-to-lovers book is my kryptonite- add in the characters being Nashville musicians and over 10 years of pining for each other, and it's *chef's kiss*. I really really enjoyed this book! It was a sweet, creative celebrity romance that I thought was done extremely well and even touched on some serious issues that I appreciated.

Things I loved:
- Lorelai and her friendships, her passion, and her dedication towards standing up for what she believes in. In so many romance novels, you'll see an annoying, hot mess of a female main character-- probably in hopes to make them seem quirky- but Lorelai had a good head on her shoulders and was resilient, which I enjoyed.
- Huck is a cinnamon roll.. so loveable.
- it's dual POV
- the "comeback country star" aspect was super fun and had me rooting for Lorelai the entire book.

This was my first Erin Hahn book, but I'm looking forward to reading more from her!

star rating: 3.5

I am typically a really big 'friends to lovers' lover so reading the synopsis for this one AND THE TITLE ALONE i was pumped to get into it. Usually starting. a book with insanely high hopes things tend to backfire on me and I dont end up liking it as much as I would have liked to or thought I would have. The beginning of this one felt so confusing, I almost wanted to give up entirely because of the confusing timeline. I think as the book went on I got used to it a little more so it wasnt as painful to read as the first half of the book. I wasnt really feeling it so I did take a little bit of a break from it but once I did get back from that break, i sailed through it in a matter of days.

Reasons why it wasnt a 5 star for me

This may be a personal problem but I didnt really feel the chemistry between the two love interests, like I dont think I cared if they got together in the end at all, that epilogue did do things to me though.
I kept feeling more interested in other storylines between characters rather than the main one.
Found Lorelei a little annoying at times

Reasons why i enjoyed the book
LOVEDDDDDD the storyline, I thought it was very interesting and new for me and it does make me want to get more into music related stories.
The music references
Gun violence advocacy
loveable side characters
felt easy to read ( the second half)
THE EPILOGUE (bumped it up to a 3.5)

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first bok by Erin Hahn. If you like country music, and friends to lovers, this book is for you. The beginning was a little hard to get into, going from the past to the present, but once I figured it out, its a fun book to read. I loved reading about Lorelei and Huck, and couldn't wait to see what would happen to them.

Friends Don’t Fall in Love was such a fun read and will be perfect for summer! This was my first Erin Hahn book, and I’m adding her to my list of authors to look out for!

This book combined a friends-to-lovers trope with the fun setting of the Nashville music scene, while also including more serious topics like gun violence and what happens to female artists who speak up for social issues. I really enjoyed this book, and I loved Craig and Lorelai!

I do wish I’d read Built to Last before this so I had a better understanding of the world — the beginning was a little confusing and disjointed for me with the timelines and flashbacks. But once I got past that, I had such a good time reading this!

I appreciate the arc and am looking forward to reading more books by Erin!

This book was quick and fun, but I really didn’t understand the behavior of either main character. Mis-communication isn’t my favorite tripe.

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?''

This book is the perfect example of why the author is phenomenal. She cultivated an emotional, heartfelt romance with characters that are multifaceted. Her books are complex and are so much more than a surface level romance. This author continued to surprise me with each book she released. These two writing songs together, and about each other was just so sweet. Just an all around adorable book with a very lovable couple.


ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read this book because I am a teacher and I believe very much that teachers who object to the proliferation of guns, particularly automatic weapons, belong in romcoms. So when I heard about Erin Hahn writing this book, I knew it would feel like it was for me. I had read Built to Last, which I adored, but I was unprepared for the degree to which Friends Don’t Fall in Love felt like a personal gift, tailored to heal my slightly broken soul and remind me to believe that there are more people out there who are kind and thoughtful than there are cruel, materialistic villains.

So the grounding of this book in the very real part of American lives, that is the fear of lockdowns and school shootings, was refreshing, as was Lorelei taking a stand about it as a country singer. But most importantly, I have to take a moment and just gush about Craig.

Good grief I was not ready for Craig; Craig is the dream book boyfriend, Craig writes SECRET EROTIC POETRY; Craig is kind, and, as his older sister puts it in the book, has had most of the toxic masculinity squeezed out of him with hugs. I don’t even like motorcycles in real life, but Craig on a motorcycle in the book is super hot. I’m not a major fan of country music, but Craig producing country music in this book is HOT, and this book is so good that I gladly read an entire book about it and would read more. Most of all, Craig is hot because he is nice, because he shows up when things are the worst, and because he loves Lorelei so deeply and unconditionally and selflessly. Craig is the nice guy who finishes last in ALL the meanings of that phrase.

I want to say Craig is too good for this world, but we ALL deserve a Craig. We really do. Anyway, cheers to Lorelei, the ass kicking, Neil Young singing heroine I want, and Craig, the slightly scruffy king of the countertop grip. I feel like I’m a better person for meeting both of these fictional characters.

Thank you so much Erin Hahn for writing this and to St. Martin’s Press/ St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC.

One of my favorite movies for a long time was “Walk the Line” - I loved the tension and angst and epic story of June and Johnny Cash’s love. Erin Hahn’s “Friends Don’t Fall in Love” gave me similar vibes (minus the problematic cheating of “Walk the Line”).

This is the story of Lorelai Jones, a former country singing superstar who has been out of the limelight and working as a teacher in Michigan ever since her career and celebrity engagement blew up. Six years ago, she sang a protest song and overnight saw it all disappear. Her best friend, Craig (aka Huckleberry or Huck - a middle name I didn’t know I loved until now), was there for her when it all fell apart and they had one night together before she disappeared. He’s held a torch for her for as long as he can remember, but he also happened to be her the bassist in her fiancées successful band. Now, Craig is the owner of an indie label in Nashville and Lorelei is ready to try and get back into music, getting back in touch after years.

This story was about so much more than romance - it was about redemption, staying true to yourself, and understanding your worth. It was also the age-old story of the right person being under your nose the whole time. I adored the way these characters interacted with one another, the romance was really hot (like, more than Erin’s usual), and the sarcasm/jokes/banter were so much fun. Both characters were more mature, and it was nice to see them stumble their way to better communication.

And Craig - oh that glasses-wearing, dirty cab drinking, cinnamon roll of a man. He was so beautifully written and loved Lorelai so much - he was supportive and knew when to fight and when to let go. And the poetry…whew!

I really enjoyed this book and the characters, and would especially recommend it if you’re into rockstar romances or even just a bit of a behind the scenes in music.

3.5 stars. I’m a sucker for a friends to lover’s story so I knew I had to read this. This book was cute and a quick read. There were a lot of secondary characters in this book - at times, I got confused about who was who. I did stop a few times and wonder if this was a book a series but as far as I could tell it wasn’t. Outside of the secondary characters, I liked MC and their story.

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGallery for an honest review.

This book follows one of the characters we met in Erin Hahn’s Built to Last but she’s taken it all up a notch.
Lorelai Jones was a country star when a moment of on-stage activism led to a canceled tour, a public end to an engagement and being shunned by the country music industry. Now it’s 7 years later and Lorelai is attempting a comeback with the help of her best friend and former one night stand, Craig Boseman.

Erin Hahn is doing the MOST in this book - not only is she writing a very sexy friends to lovers, second chance romance, but she’s also writing song lyrics AND erotic poetry, with a side of activism.

Read this if you like Celebrity romance, and/or modern Country music. And there are a healthy amount of Taylor Swift references too.

Friends Don’t Fall in Love is a second chance romance with two main characters who work in the country music industry. Even though it’s a companion book, I had never read anything written by the author and still was able to enjoy it very much. As a main character, Lorelei is likable and relatable. I was a little confused by the number of secondary characters in the book— some of them seemed like they needed more back story, but I attributed that to not having read Built at Last. I loved Huck’s character so much and was pretty charmed by their romance overall. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

I asked to review “Friends Don’t Fall in Love” by Erin Hahn as I was going through a rough time and needed something lighthearted.

Lorelai and Craig are part of the Nashville Country music scene. Lorelai speaks out on an issue that matters to her, but gets a lot of backlash, which leads to a social media breakup with a guy who wasn’t worth her time anyway. Determined to rebuild her career, she reaches out to her close friend, Craig, who had been nursing a crush for Lorelai for quite some time.

Told in both Lorelai’s and Craig’s point of view, the author does a good job in keeping the two voices distinct. I thought moments of this book were a bit too saccharine, but appropriate for this type of story. Hahn does a good job in her descriptions of the country music industry and how fragile musical careers can be.

Three and a half stars.

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lorelai and Craig ‘Huckleberry’ have been friends through thick and thin as they navigate their careers in the country music industry. She’s a singer; he’s a songwriter who was besties with her now former fiance, Drake. And Drake is a whole other enchilada…. Told in dual POV, the story begins with Lorelai’s fall from stardom and broken engagement. Then the story bounces a bit between past and present as Lorelai attempts a career comeback with backing from Craig among other snafus.

I loved the snappy banter, as well as the song and famous star references. The pace was fast and mostly fluid probably because I was having so much fun reading the ‘will they, won’t they’ moments. Which is also why I want to hit my head on the wall! Lorelai and Craig are as direct as they get except with one another. They could. Not. Talk. To. Each. Other.

Oh….Emmm….Geeeeeee…….

In the scheme of things, it shouldn’t really matter because the general story was a lot of fun! Recap: Erotic poetry/snazzy songwriter/producer semi co-mingling with a songtress/school teacher and lots of sexual innuendo galore to match those very spicy bits. It’s all here. The witty banter was icing on the cake! But I wanted them to come to terms with their feelings sooner then they did if only to see how their relationship held up in the long term rather than what I got. Still, 4 stars for the rest of the story. Super fun, albeit a sometimes cheesy read!

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