I'm a huge fan of country music and an equally huge fan of romance novels, so I was so excited to see this book and its description listed on NetGalley. Taking a chance on this new-to-me author was worth it. I would definitely read more books by her after this introduction!

Lorelei Jones was a country music star. She had the tour, the fiancé, and the fame. And then she chose to stand up for something she believed in and lost it all...all except the friendship of her ex-fiancé's bandmate, Craig "Huck" Boseman.

Craig was never the one in the spotlight, and he was okay with that. What he wasn't okay with was losing Lorelei after her public "cancellation" and their passionate one night together.

This book was a fantastic mix of second chance and friends to lovers tropes. Lorelei and Craig have a beautiful history that Hahn expertly supports with well-timed flashbacks. Both characters are incredibly likeable and realistic, and as I reader I couldn't help myself from wishing they were real-life talents in the country music business.

The book was artfully put together, with chapters named with song titles, and it was a treat to be able to use my country music knowledge to figure out how the titles paired with the chapter. Hahn also dealt with some current topics that are incredibly relevant, including violence in schools and cancel culture.

I would recommend this title to anyone looking for a great romance with real substance. It manages to be both heartwarming and spicy while also thought provoking. You don't have to be a long-time fan of country music to appreciate this book, but it certainly helps!

I’ll read anything by Erin Hanh at this point (& I have). Was so excited when I saw her newest title on NetGalley. I love the way she writes about music and the interconnected universe of her books. This one was a fun surprise, incorporating characters from both one of her YA books and her previous adult romance. Would recommend for fans of Run Rosie Run— this was obviously less of a thriller but had similar themes of redemption, country music and female mentorship.

First of all, thank you so much for this ARC!

I absolutely loved the story of Lorelai and Huck. I was drawn in immediately and there’s nothing I love more than dual POV, so that made me a happy gal.

The slow burn friends to lovers was so well done and I really appreciated that at the end of the day, it all came down to communication and being open and honest.

Can’t wait for people to read this one!

4 Stars Spoiler alert about Friends Don't Fall in Love by Erin Hahn: the friends fall in love. This novel is a follow-up to last year's Built to Last, though it can be read as a standalone.

Six years ago, country music starlet Lorelai Jones seemed to have it all; the successful career, the supportive bandmates and friends, and a superstar fiancé, fellow country musician Drake Colter. After Lorelai sings a politically charged protest song in response to a mass shooting at a school, the country music world cancels her, her friends, band, and agent abandon her, and Drake calls off their wedding via an Instagram post. The only person who doesn't abandon her is Drake's partner and bassist, Craig Huckleberry Boseman, who Lorelai refers to as "Huck." They spend one night together before she leaves Nashville for good to return to teaching in Michigan.

Lorelai cannot escape the pull that music and Nashville has over her, so she reaches out to Huck about a possible return. He's now a producer and owns his own recording studio. Huck is also hiding a couple of secrets: he's been in love with Lorelai for years and he wrote all of the songs that Drake has been recording and taking credit for. Lorelai and Huck reunite to rebuild her career and neither can deny the attraction between them. They start a friends-with-benefits relationship, convinced that the other could never love them back.

This was such a fun and quick read! It was so easy to cheer on Lorelai and Huck, both individually in their respective careers and as a couple. Their eventual relationship was inevitable, especially given how they built it on a strong foundation of friendship and mutual respect and trust, something that Lorelai lacked in her previous relationships, both personal and professional. Highly recommend this sweet friends-to-lovers romance!

very VERY good. extremely hard to put down. erin hahn is an auto-read for me, and she did not miss with this one. absolutely in love with craig, the swooniest book bf i’ve read in recent memory. while friends-to-lovers taxes me sometimes (just be honest with each other and get together already!), hahn’s newest take on the trope is done astonishingly well. perfect mix of sugar & spice. highly recommend!

#netgalley

Lorelei was a super country star until she played one protest song at a concert and her career was over. Years later, she called up her ex-fiance's co-writer and bandmate, Craig. Craig has always liked Lorelai... and things start between them...

Craig and Lorelei are terrific. Great characters! I have loved her since Built to Last.
Craig is just so sweet. Lovely romance built from friendship... The music business and song writing were also nicely explored and very interesting. It was also nice to see characters from Built to Last. That was another terrific book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Craig is my golden retriever book boyfriend. Soft and cinnamon rolly, but dependable and a little naughty sometimes. I am usually the one falling for the circus amount of red flags in a man, but I felt some comfortable and safe with Craig. I love Lorelai's strength through when her music career faltered and her very public break up. Her persistence to stay true to her convictions through all the muck makes her a very admirable FMC. This was my first friend to lovers troupe, and all I have to say is woooow it's very underrated! I will be keeping Hahn's collection on my TBR.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Erin Hahn for the eARC copy.
Craig is my golden retriever book boyfriend. Soft and cinnamon rolly, but dependable and a little naughty sometimes. I am usually the one falling for the circus amount of red flags in a man, but I felt some comfortable and safe with Craig. I love Lorelai's strength through when her music career faltered and her very public break up. Her persistence to stay true to her convictions through all the muck makes her a very admirable FMC. This was my first friend to lovers troupe, and all I have to say is woooow it's very underrated! I will be keeping Hahn's collection on my TBR.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Erin Hahn for the eARC copy.

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The beginning of this book was chaotic and I almost didn’t finish because if it. It felt like being dropped so,ethereal with no explanation, and it was hard to make sense of. Once I figured it out the book was ok. I didn’t really resonate with either of the main characters, maybe because of the beginning so it was hard to get invested in the outcome,

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Erin Hahn book, and I’m hooked. I will be reading all of her other books now because I love her writing. Let’s say Huck (Craig) is one of my new favorite book boys. The chemistry between the two and the beautiful and hilarious banter are fantastic. The book is set in the (country) music industry where Loralie “falls from Grace,” and Craig is the only one in the industry that stands by her. Craig is hilarious, and I loved him from the start, including his erotic poetry (iykyk).

Additionally, I think having the songs also added to the storyline and showed more of the characters. What I loved most was that it wasn’t like a rush relationship. Erin established that they were friends for years and even showed some of the setups so when the characters eventually got together, it didn’t feel rushed or coming out of left field. This book is one of my favorite reads in 2023, and I will be reading a lot more of Erin’s book now that she’s on my radar.

Read if you like:
Friends to lovers
He Falls First
Dual POV

. I loved that it was dual POV and the friends to lovers was done so well. I feel like the gravity of a change in the relationship like this is often skipped over in books, but this book did a great job of giving us a front row seat to the evolution. I loved the characters and was rooting for them!

DNF around 20%.
I really wanted to like this book but the beginning was so confusing and choppy. I had to make sure I wasn’t reading a sequel I was so confused. Maybe it gets better, but I wasn’t willing to stick around longer.

Hi, Erin, it’s me, your biggest fan. Don’t mind me as I devour your latest book while I ignore all of reality. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, I love more than a guy who falls first and who is thoroughly friend-zones. I am Superman and Erin just wrote my kryptonite.

Craig is the epitome of a sexy cinnamon roll book boyfriend, who drinks only the dirtiest of cabs and has the sexiest hips. He’s kind, but also feisty. He fights when needed, but knows that Lorelei is strong enough to fight her own battles. He’s her biggest supporter and never stopped believing in her talent. He’s one of the ultimate book boyfriends out there and is the heart of this story.

My only issue with this story is the way Loreli was treated in her situation. I think in today's world, she would have been critiqued, but I also truly believe she would have had more public support than the book depicted. I do like how this author wrote about Lorelai’s journey and growth throughout the story and how it complemented the romance aspect of this book.

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC

Who doesn't love a good friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance? FRIENDS DON'T FALL IN LOVE definitely does not disappoint on either front! Lorelai and Craig have been best friends for years. Lorelai seems to have it all—a successful career as a country singer, a popular celebrity fiancé—until she uses music to speak her truth and everything falls apart. Years after returning to Michigan to become a teacher, Lorelai decides she isn't done pursuing her dreams, and reaches out to the person who stuck by her through it all: her close friend, Craig. Craig is Lorelai's ex-fiancé's co-writer and bandmate, but he's secretly been in love with Lorelai for years. Now, he has his own record label and a thriving songwriting career, and so much has changed...except his feelings for Lorelai. Can the duo re-launch Lorelai's career—and maybe even fall in love along the way?

I loved this book! Both Lorelai and Craig were such well-developed, smart, down-to-earth, and charming characters. Their chemistry was palpable, both as friends and as more, and their love story was so sweet to read about. I also really enjoyed the Nashville setting and all of the info readers got about the country music industry that was woven throughout the narrative. The cast of side characters was great, and as someone who read (and loved!) YOU'D BE MINE, I especially liked getting to spend some extra time with Jefferson and Annie again! I definitely want to read BUILT TO LAST now as well. Overall, this was such a fun read, and I would especially recommend it to anyone who loves friends-to-lovers rom-coms, country music, or both! I look forward to Erin Hahn's next book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Craig has been in love with Lorelai for years. They had one magical night together and got out of the best friends zone for that one night. Then, they went back to being best friends, but he is still in love with her. He is a songwriter and producer.

She was a big country singer until she got shut out by the country music community and by her fiancé. She sang a protest song and her career fell apart. Now, she is back in Nashville and back making music with Craig. She also thinks about their one night together and she wants more.

I loved all of the parts about making music. Looking at the songwriting process and how it all comes together was very interesting. I enjoyed the use of flashbacks too. The flashbacks really helped fill out the story of Craig and Lorelai. Their dynamic was electric, and I just wanted to have them see what was right in front of them. They felt so much for each other, but they were afraid to share their feelings and risk their friendship.

Lorelai was such a strong character because she stuck to her convictions, and she didn't back down about what mattered to her. I'm a teacher, and I could relate to the part of her that feels so much for your students. I think it's awesome that she went from teaching to music, and then she went back to teaching after her music career faltered. It was so unique to see a character who really put everything on the line for her beliefs and to put a positive message out there.

I can say so much about Craig! Craig is my new book boyfriend! I loved him. What's not to love? He's a supportive friend, he's attractive, he writes erotic poetry, he's a talented songwriter and producer, and he wears glasses. I think that Craig has so many great qualities, and I love that he wasn't some muscly guy who works out all the time. I think there are too many stereotypical hot guys in romance books, and it was refreshing to see an 'average' guy get the girl.

I loved this book! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book. I would definitely recommend it if you love friends to lovers, country music, and a steamy, sexy love story.

This was a slow burn romance, with a friends to lovers theme, and had a lot more heat at times that I would have expected. The two protagonists are both leaders in the country music world. There's a lot of history there, which is covered throughout the book, and we follow their story as it unfolds over several years (though primarily in the latest). They fumble their way through trying to be friends with benefits, don't communicate very well, and finally find their happily ever after. It's the journey you'll appreciate.

loved this 2nd book about friends to lovers. I loved that they were both writers but bad at taking to each other. Loved the slow burn romance. Loved her friends and great to see the couple from the 1st book. I would love to know what happened to drake lol but I can't wait to read about Maren.

I enjoyed this book so much - being a country music fan definitely helped. I loved that it was dual POV and the friends to lovers was done so well. I feel like the gravity of a change in the relationship like this is often skipped over in books, but this book did a great job of giving us a front row seat to the evolution. I loved the characters and was rooting for them!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this book. Below is my honest review.

Note: content warnings are listed at the end of this review.

This takes place in the same world as “You’d Be Mine” and “Built to Last”. You can read “Friends Don’t Fall In Love” without reading either of those but I recommend catching up with those two books afterwards, if you didn’t read them beforehand. For greatest enjoyment, I’d read the others first.

This books starts off six years ago with brief snippets of country star Lorelai’s life before her country music career imploded and she went back to Michigan to teach elementary school. The flashbacks focus on her life with her ex-fiancé Drake Colter and his bandmate/her best friend Craig “Huck” Huckleberry Boseman.

Present time, Lorelai is back in Nashville after writing a song for her friends Shelby and Cameron. She lives in the other half of Craig’s duplex while working with him, at his studio, on some new music.

This book centers on these two best friends who are oblivious to the others feelings. Will they figure things out? Will Lorelai make it back in country music after her big faux pas? Will we get any cameos from previous books?

I really liked this one. The two leads were sweet, smart, funny, and had good heads in their shoulders. I very much enjoyed watching them bumble through their feelings and relationship, all while being incredibly supportive of each other and their own friends.

I was delighted to see former MC’s return. This is one of my all time favorite things…if you like that too, you will not be disappointed. I’m just hoping we get one more book in this “series” … please? It’s RIGHT THERE. Cough, Wisconsin, cough.

The new supporting characters were well developed … Arlo and Dr. Josh were hilarious and super fun additions.

I was thrilled to see a main character in a romance who has celiac. We need more representation all around, and imho, this was well done and appreciated. (I do not have celiac, though.)

There were several scenes that made me laugh out loud, scenes that made me cheer, and more. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a friends to lovers romance with a country star twist.

CW: discussion of preparing for school shootings at an elementary school and gun violence general.

Friends Don't Fall in Love follows the story of Lorelai and Craig as they navigate the way that they feel about each other after years of being best friends. Lorelai, once a country music sweetheart, is looking to get back into music's good graces after making a social faux-paus by taking a political stand in front of a crowd at one of her concerts. The results of singing her truth and lobbying for gun reform in front of a crowd of country lovers? Her tour was cancelled, she was cancelled and her fiancé broke up with her over social media. At her lowest point, her best friend Craig is there. One magical night, they sleep together and leave it at that. Years pass and Lorelai wants to make it back into the scene, and Craig's record label is just the place to do it. Will they be able to resist temptation?

This book was such a cute read. Friends to lovers is incredibly underrated. I enjoy the slow burn and the tension and all of the build up that leads to two people finding out that the person they needed was in front of them all along. Erin Hahn's characters are fierce, undeniably down to earth and relatable in a way that made this read really enjoyable. The spice was done just right, the tension and the build was absolutely tantalizing. This book is a smash hit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erin Hahn for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I loved Built to Last, but this was a masterpiece. Really, I have no notes. Erin has a way of making you fall in love with her characters individually, which makes them as a couple all the more believable and someone you really want to root for. This is how you do friends to lovers. We knew Lorelei was kick ass, and this really proved it. Craig is a top 5 book boyfriend who really knows how to play the long game, but most importantly, how to be a male friend who is not creepy. I loved the look into the music industry this time, and how fickle it can be. Wait I lied, I do have one note and that is I would’ve liked to see Lorelei and Melissa interact at least once, that could’ve made for some really funny scenes. Either way, Erin you have outdone yourself and i’m hoping to see Maren’s happy ending next.