Gah, y'all.🥹 This was so good! That's my review. 😂 I'm kidding. Regina Black offered up a romance that is timely, relevant, and surprisingly relatable (given that the characters are celebrity figures). She also takes a hard look at race, fame, and growing up in a small town that doesn't look like Stars Hollow (from Gilmore Girls, for those who may not get the reference). The relationship between August and Luke is convoluted because of how their past experiences and decisions affect their present, and Black did a masterful job in weaving the times (past, present, and future) in and out of the story. Overall, stunning sophomore debut, and I'll be reading everything she writes moving forward. 💖
4.75🌟

"Memories can be kinder to us than we deserve.”

TW: Domestic abuse, abortion, drug abuse, alcoholism, bullying, violence and strong language

August Lane is a small town and second chance romance that is deeply emotional and beautiful. Each of the characters were dealing with their own personal pain. The backstories of both August's and Luke's families were emotional, raw and real. It's the music, family, relationships, trauma and what we do to heal.

The time jumps from 2009 to 2023 with a sprinkle of a podcast interview. The writing was multi-dimensional and fascinating. The romance between Luke and August was a total slow burn. Black educates readers as she centers the Black roots of country music.

I like to think that most authors know that books can be mirrors and windows, and I saw my reflection in this book when it comes to how some parents show up in relationships with their children, especially when having a kid was not the goal. Regina Black does an excellent job of demonstrating that love encompasses more than peaches and cream. August and Luke are representatives that being in love, even from a young age, can be a struggle, and this struggle can intensify when you lack a parental or mature example to follow. Familial relationships are also a significant theme in this book, which teaches so much about healing and growth when you do the work. I loved it! I can easily see this book being adapted for TV or film!

This book was a wild beautiful emotional roller coaster. What I am loving about Regina Black’s writing so far is that she is so multi dimensional- I love how she transforms her writing into whatever pulls her in the moment. You can tell she allows the words to tell her where they need to go, she allows the story to take over. She’s such a chameleon of sorts! I never know what to expect but I’m always pleasantly surprised! I think this second chance small town romance stands with the best of them. Beautiful story!!

Book Report: August Lane

At First Glance: THIS COVER! Instant add to the shelf!

The Jist: A small town romance about the visibility of Black women’s voices in country music.

My Thoughts: Well hello Regina Black, new fan here. Books with themes of the music industry tend to have my name written all over them so when I saw the buzz for August Lane start popping up I was really excited to get an advanced ecopy! I loved the format…getting a podcast transcript scattered throughout and then jumping back and forth from past to present being crucial to the story to see where these memorable characters stories started. Each were dealing with their own personal pain and trying to heal… making this a deeply emotional read full of heart. I would love to one day revisit this on audio because the music on paper is beautiful. This book felt important for many reasons but I loved the discussions around what makes someone a good person? What makes someone a bad person? A worthy Bookclub pick IMO! Also Birdie 🫶🏼 and Silas! So many to love and appreciate.

Notables:
“They had gotten what they came for, a dose of late 2000s nostalgia.”

“A good thing now won’t erase the bad from before.”

“Remember, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

“Memories can be kinder to us than we deserve.”

“You’re my home.”

“What kind of dream is worth having if it breaks your heart?”

My question for Regina: Are there any real-life inspirations… people, places, or moments… that found their way into August Lane?

Thank you Grand Central Publishing for the advanced e-copy!

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Regina Black really gave us everything with this one! Small town romance. Second chance romance where I understood the initial breakup. Pining galoreeeee. Intriguing plot. Complicated backstories and family relationships. I was locked in. I cried 3 times.

August was a soft girl who fronted as a tough baddie basically her entire life. I felt how exhausted she must be (even though she didn't initially show that to me). Like... how absolutely draining it must be to try to impress someone (her mom--a country superstar) who isn't around and never wanted you. That poor baby. I wish we could have seen more of her relationship with her grandmother to feel more of that dynamic, but I liked what we did see of the relationships between her, her grandmother, and her mother. Those relationships were messyyyyy, though.

Now for my baby Luke. Oh this poor poor cinnamon roll. He really did try his best the whole time, but life would not give him a leg up. LOVE CONQUERS ALL THOUGHHHHH. I loved the flashbacks to his and August's adolescence to see their friendship grow.

I felt so much reading this story. The family backstories were more of a plot point than the country stardom which I wasn't expecting, but it pulled at my heartstrings. I do wish there had been one good mother figure... the mothers in this story were tough and made me cry so much.

Pick it up for great writing and a heart wrenching story!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the sophomore book from Regina Black - August Lane! The prose and the story is really beautiful and I cared deeply about August and Luke. I really enjoyed the dual timelines and multiple POVs but at times did find myself having trouble keeping track of whose story/timeline I was in the middle of reading. We get to see a lot of growth from both August and Luke both individually and in their relationship, which I thought was really well done. I loved the podcast transcript interludes with Jojo and would have liked to see a bit more of that storyline/perspective. Overall I'll absolutely continue reading Black's work!

Content flags include parental abuse (on page and described in the past), heavy alcohol and drug use including a main character in recovery, and references to abortion (off page in the past)

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Immediately 5 stars! One of my TOP reads of the YEAR! This is the book I needed to get out of my reading slump. I was immediately hooked from the 1st chapter and completely invested in the story, This author has such a way with words and it’s absolutely beautiful! This author is now on my auto buy list, CANNOT wait to read more! Highly recommend.

This was absolutely stunning storytelling. The emotion and blend of past and present beautifully built up the characters. I took my time in enjoying August and Luke's story. It was heartbreaking, yet loving and caring, goodness that has you yearning for the characters to heal from past traumas.

This was such a unique reading experience for me with the way the book was structured. I loved the structure mimicking that of music. The dual pov and flashbacks, along with the podcast interview, all come together to paint a story that is so raw and real. I have already pre-ordered my copy of this book and can't say enough good things about it!

Thank you Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this story.

This books is compiled of everything that makes an incredible story. Love, heartbreak, broken characters, redemption, and healing. August and Luke are two people who use music and love to unite them with everyone they interact with.

When I started, I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was going to be a cute romance with a focus on black country music. I was sold. But as I read, I realized how much depth “August Lane” truly had. Yes, it’s about music. But it’s also about trauma and what we do to heal.

The time jumps from 2009 to 2023 with a sprinkle of radio interview writing made this story so GOOD! As you’re learning about the healing in 2023, you’re ripped back to the wounds of 2009 and man it’s a trip.

August and Luke have so much stacked against them, but their love for each other in the form of music is the glue that keeps them together after all those years.

I loved this story and would recommend to anyone interested in:

🖤Singer x Singer love story
🖤Black country music stars
🖤Time jumps
🖤Heartbreak and healing
🖤Fighting for justice
🖤3rd person writing with 2 POVS

Content warning:
Domestic abuse, abortion, drug abuse, alcoholism, bullying, violence
Language:
Strong, multiple uses of the f-word
Spice:
Chapter 11 (Pages 157-158)
Chapter 21 (Pages 274-278)

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing a free digital ARC for review.

This was my first time reading Regina Black and it will not be my last! Black created a story that felt deeply textured and true. I admittedly didn't know what to expect, but I'm so glad I read this beautiful book!
August and Luke are flawed, complex humans facing challenging circumstances. This is not a fluffy rom com. It's at times emotionally charged and it took time for me to read and sit with my thoughts.

Please pay attention to the author's note, this story includes difficult subject matter that may be triggering for some readers.

Loved this book. It was a slow burn that was also engaging. I loved the interview and the time jump. I also think she did a really good job of depicting abusive parents and substance abuse. I had no expectations going in and I think that was for the best. This felt like a weighty read but also one that is evenly paced which helps. The character development was both endearing and realistic. I left this book a fan.

If there’s anything Regina is going to do, it’s to write beautifully and tell a story with complex, layered, real feeling characters. This is not a standard fluffy rom-com. There is a lot of trauma and sadness these characters are dealing with as they find their way to each other. I recommend checking triggered warnings but I really enjoyed this book. I think the romance needed maybe a little more time to be fully believable but the arc of the characters individually was so compelling, I could easily forgive it.

August Lane is an emotional journey through pain and healing as two flawed people reclaim their voices and speak their truths.
Luke is a down-on-his-luck one-hit wonder offered the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to perform with Black country music legend JoJo Lane. It sounds like a dream, until he learns it means returning to his hometown, where he lost his family and his first love, August.
August is JoJo's daughter and the real writer of Luke's lone hit.
The book is told in dual timelines. 2009 filled me with dread with each page, while 2023 filled me with hope. Regina does not go easy on these characters. They all felt real, flawed, hurt, and hurtful. Including the secondary and tertiary characters. Every scene, every word felt intentional in creating this world of choices, grief, redemption, creativity, and love.

First and foremost, Regina entertains in this character-driven second-chance romance. But she also gently educates as she centers the Black roots of country music with a natural but unmistakable touch. Regina's voice is a reminder that when it comes to Black folks, we been country.

Like Beyoncé says on the Cowboy Carter Tour: Never ask permission for something that already belongs to you. 🪕

Though I received the arc from @NetGalley, I did not cancel my preorder because I need this book on my shelf.

My country heart thanks you, Regina.

4.5/5. Regina Black, the writer that you are! I absolutely loved this and wanted to highlight and save so many of the poignant lines. I'm such a sucker for a second chance romance, and this really was such a top tier one.

I really loved these characters and felt like there was so much emotional depth. I do think this was a bit more of a slow burn than I expected - which I love, but I can see other people looking for them to get together a little quicker! It almost felt like there was more focus on each of their individual stories and their relationship progressing came later. That's something I love in a romance so not a complaint, and ultimately, all of that worked for me. This is a romance with a lot of depth, and I loved how each of their personal struggles and trauma were explored and brought them closer together.

This was incredibly romantic overall, and I ate it all up. I can't wait to read whatever Regina Black writes next!

August Lane is a stunning second chance romance with an excellence that lies in how complicated its characters are, and how difficult it was for them to mend the mistakes of their past. In contrast to other dual timeline second chance romances, the book does not start off with adults who are thriving–who have grown and are ready to try again–in fact they are so far away from that, so there’s a lot of resentment, anger, and angst present between the two main characters, August and Luke. And it’s not only the main characters who embark on journeys of moving forward and growing, this book is overflowing with flawed people who find their way out not through perfect means, not because they’re worthy, not because they need redemption, but because they just have to in order to carry on.

I loved how August Lane’s characters and story structure really challenged my desires as a romance reader for Point A to Point B success or resolution. Not that it’s sad, but we see characters take steps forward and then fall back a bit in order to get what they want in the moment they’re in.

Other elements I loved were the format–I liked the dual timeline aspect but also how each part began with Jojo’s podcast interview. It was an interesting way to gain insight into her character as a singer and an absent mother. And I appreciated the commentary on race and Country music. Overall, this will be a perfect summer read and will probably go down as one of my favourite romance reads of the year!

4.5⭐️

This was a deeply emotional and messy second chance, dual perspective/timeline romance that deals with a washed-up black country musician/singer, Luke Randall, and his lost love, songwriter/singer, August Lane. Luke is always asked to sing the same song, his one hit wonder that everyone loved, but he's always regretted leaving August and never crediting her for writing the lyrics to the song. August is still in their small town, waitressing, mourning the loss of her caretaker grandmother who suffered from an early form of dementia and her own complicated relationship with her actual mother, famed black country star Jojo Lane, all while being the town's pariah and blamed for home-wrecking and other ridiculous slut-shaming unfairness that small town's are notorious for. When Luke is asked to sing the song with Jojo at their hometown's blues and country fest as a pre-cursor to her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the two are thrown back together to navigate their shared and individual trauma and the prominent racism of country music. Can August forgive Luke? Can Luke help her understand why he abandoned their town/relationship and never spoke up about her amazing lyrics?

I was invested in this from the hooking point of the stolen song, and I just wanted to the two MCs to be happy, as they were so heartbroken and bogged down by trauma--everything from alcohol addiction to childhood abuse and religious trauma. Black writes complex, fleshed-out characters, and I was rooting for them, but I think I would have enjoyed more time with them together instead of them pushing each other away. The HEA comes, but it's a slow burn and the trauma sure had me feeling for these characters. I also enjoyed the podcast interview with JoJo about her career choices dribbled throughout the narrative, as it helped fill in gaps about her relationship with her own mother and especially explained her relationship with August. While I wished she could have found her own HEA, I think her story stands, so that August's can soar. The commentary on racism in country music was so needed in a time where people are still arguing about who deserves to be seen as country and who isn't country enough. Kudos to Black for writing a whole romance novel around this concept.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the e-ARC!

This was such a great book! As a country music fan, I found all the throwback singers/songs really fun to see, and I learned a lot about the genre and the Black history within it. Even if you’re not a country music fan, there’s still a lot in there for you -

The love story was a classic tale of two childhood lovers who’s orbits have overlapped again - they find themselves pushed into working together, and have to navigate through their tumultuous past in order to figure out how to make things work in the present.

This story had so much going on, and I never once felt lost. I don’t know how everything blended so well but the writing, the story, the depth of the characters- it all flowed into this really beautiful book.
I was in a music-themed romance mood after my last read and had this on NetGalley so I was so excited to dive in. I knew the themes were going to be a bit heavier going in, which I sometimes struggle with but the author did a wonderful job of balancing all of those moments with hope & love as well. I really loved how well written each of these characters were, they were all flawed & had their own struggles but were very real. The way Luke and August gravitate towards each other even when they can’t help themselves and heal together was so much better than even their more romantic moments.
I loved the themes of music and specifically the conversations surrounding country music and racism in the music industry itself. It was so well done and was definitely a book I will not forget.

rating — 3.5 out of 5 stars. i wanted to like this one a lot more than i did. it wasn’t bad, per se — there were a lot of pieces about it that i liked, but ultimately they just didn’t work together for some reason. one thing i did really enjoy was regina black’s writing style. there were some really beautiful lines in this work! my problem largely boiled down to the fact that i felt this beautiful writing about a long-ago love didn’t quite match up with the reality of august and luke’s relationship as i was seeing it on the page.

according to the plotline, there’s supposed to be all this angst about how he left her, he betrayed her, left her in the dust in their small town over a decade prior, et cetera — but to be honest, when reading the flashbacks, i didn’t really believe this buildup could lead to something so dramatic in the present day. the song-stealing absolutely would contribute to her anger, that’s not in question. but i felt a little confused by their love confessions when i didn’t really feel like their chemistry or relationship buildup was really there. i can see that that’s how the story is supposed to go, but i don’t see the evidence to back it up, if that makes sense. i was being told that they feel all this love for each other, as opposed to seeing it develop naturally. overall, it had good potential, and i did really enjoy her writing style, but i wasn’t quite convinced to root for august and luke. this will probably work well for those who enjoy country music and a good redemption story, though!