Quick Summary: An emotional women's fiction, loving and losing, second chance romance

My Review: August Lane by Regina Black is a contemporary fiction novel. It is scheduled for release on 7/29/25.

About the Book: "A Black country music star who lied about writing his only hit risks his comeback to reunite with the woman he stole it from, a first love the lyrics won’t let him forget.

When Luke’s guitar reunites with August’s soulful alto, neither can deny that the passionate bond they formed as teenagers is still there."

In My Own Words: August Lane and Luke Randall lived lifetimes through their individual and collective experiences. Hurt, betrayal, abuse, and hardships colored their lives. Where the music of love had once allowed a harmony of sorts to exist, a dissonance eventually interrupted.

Question to Consider: Is it possible for two people who are out of sync to ever find their way back to a perfect place of unity and/or to a union of sound?

My Final Say: This story was heavy. It was a raw and potent blend of what happens when the beauty and the ugliness of life collide. It was a journey into the hearts, the emotions, and the minds of a man and a woman who were both flawed and shaped by their circumstances. This novel had substance and grit. It was messy, but it was also really good. It took this reader on a ride, causing me to consider choices, truths, reconciliation and the power of love.

Other: I would absolutely love to hear this in the audiobook format. For that matter, I would like to see it as a Prime or Netflix movie. It would translate well in that medium.

Note: Potential readers are advised to read any author/publisher notes, as content may be triggering for some.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Status/Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Triggers: Yes

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Grand Central Publishing), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for granting access to a digital ARC of this title. It was a pleasure to review. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. This was my first exposure to her work; I cannot wait to read more.

✨Themes/tropes✨
Second Chance romance
Small town romance
Abuse
Addiction
Dual timeline

If I could sum this book up in one word, I’d say: ✨Redemption✨

Have you ever read a book and the whole time you’re rooting for the main characters and wanting better for them? I finished August lane and she and Luke both deserved better from their mothers and life in general. One mother abusive, the other absent. These two trauma bonded and found love and solace in eachother. After Luke makes it big singing a song August wrote, while never crediting her- their relationship takes a hurtful turn and goes unresolved for years.

August Lane is a heartbreakingly beautiful second chance romance that dives into the conversation about black singers in the country music genre. The racism, the barriers, the roadblocks, and the “you don’t belong” energy. It illustrates black country singers attempting to survive and live out their passion in a genre filled with people that don’t believe they belong. Given recent current conversations regarding black artists and country music- I thought of Beyonce, Tanner Adell, Shaboozy and many other current artists in the genre.

Outside of that, this book was about so much more! Love, heartbreak, imposter syndrome, abuse, addiction, and ultimately redemption. The ending was perfect and I loved to see things come to fruition and play out the way they were supposed to. I found the ending beautiful and it sparked so many emotions in me, as someone who loves to see the underdogs win.

Please note: this book is heavy, this is not your run of the mill happy/feel good romance but, keep reading- the way the story ties up makes the heartbreak worth it. CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS WARNINGS

Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to Grand Central Publishing for the Gifted e-arc!

It’s a pleasure to dive back into Regina Black’s signature voice and deep, viscerally true insights. Another stunner from this author, with damaged but still-hopeful characters, a sultry Southern setting, and a fearless, nuanced exploration of Black country music’s history and culture. Black swings big and doesn’t miss.

There’s no doubt about it, Regina Black is a powerhouse of a writer. Her sophomore effort is much more emotional than her debut (do these characters ever get a break?!) but she pulls it off effortlessly. I was curious how I’d get past a Hero who stole creative work from the Heroine (ten years ago, but still! How does one get over that?!) and yet she managed to make come around in the end. This read will appeal to fans of emotional, angsty reads told in dual timeline

August Lane

"This is your life. It's happening right now and it's the only one you'll ever have. Stop asking permission."

Oh my hear this book. This was beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. An emotional second chance romance that highlights the pain of life, the decisions we make and the HOPE that love can bring us. I adored August and Luke's story, how they found their way back to each other and the beautiful way that Luke recognized, "I love you. And there's a right way to do that."

Luke is a sober, one-hit wonder, washed up country singer reality show star when he is approached to perform at THE Jojo's showcase to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It's a paycheck, which Luke needs, and an excuse to go back to his hometown, face some demons and the girl he left behind, who just so happens to be Jojo's daughter. August is still grieving the loss of her grandmother, for whom she was the caretaker, when Luke tumbles back into her life, not the bit star she thought he would be after stealing her song and claiming it as his own. Despite their pasts, the choices they've made, and the stumbles along the way, August and Luke though rocky, the path to each other is worth the stumbles along the way.

I HIGHLY recommend this one. Keep the tissues near by, but don't miss out on the beautiful story of August and Luke, especially if you're looking for:
- Second chance romance
- Small town setting
- Black representation in country music
- Always you

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for this ARC! My opinions are my own. August Lane is on shelves July 29, 2025.

This is my first, but not last Regina Black story. I have heard good things about the author. The representation is there. A black country singer. Also one of my favorite tropes happens to be second chance romance

Thank you r Grand Central titles for the opportunity to read this e-Arc.

Y’all. This book had me absolutely HOOKED—I mean, I couldn’t put it down if I tried! It’s my first time dipping into a country story, and I just knew it had to center Black characters to really pull me in—and it delivered. August and Luke? They snatched my heart and ran off with it. The way their journeys unfold, the battles they’ve faced, and the resilience they carry? Simply stunning.

The story focuses on a Black country singer from a small town who has weathered her share of racism and heartbreak in her career. But the soul of this book lies with her daughter, August, who lights up every page she’s on. And then there’s Luke—a fellow Black country star whose struggles and triumphs cut straight to your soul. These two characters are unforgettable.

I’m giving this book an easy 4.5 stars—it’s THAT good—and I absolutely cannot wait to add it to my collection when it’s released. Trust me, this is one for the shelves!

Regina Black does it again. This second chance romance was everything. The love between the two characters was dripping off the page and it was Swoony, it was nostalgic, and so full of emotion.

While at the start this book started off a little slow, once it got going, it was going. Regina Black never does me wrong. I loved The Art of the Scandal, so when I saw August Lane I had to read it. Especially since it's about black country music artists. It book was emotional, raw, honest, and humorous. Some parts I laughed out loud. It also had a soap opera/behind-the-music vibe that I enjoyed. I'll be talking about this book for a while especially since we are in the Beyoncé Cowboy Carter era (yee-haw). Prepare for this book to be my entire personality.

When I started reading this book I just knew that it would give me all the feels. I honestly didn’t know that it would have me laughing and crying and then getting angry sometimes in the same chapters!

I love the way that Regina Black uses flashback scenes in the book to truly build out these characters. They are so developed as characters early on and it makes me feel like I know them as a real people and I love that!

Luke is a former country music star and is now at the rock bottom of his career. He has one hit that people still pay to hear him sing, but what they don’t know about this hit is that he stole it from August Lane. The same August Lane whose mom is 90’s country superstar, Jojo Lane. Luke is asked to perform with Jojo at her Country Music Hall of Fame induction since they are both from the same small town. This means that he has to go back to the small town and come face to face with August who he hasn’t seen in over a decade, since he stole the song she wrote and made

Now August threatens to reveal his secret unless he writes and performs a new song with her. This book is so juicy and also it’s fast paced so it moves at a good speed and can be finished in about a day. The feelings that these two main characters have for each other is evident in both the present and flashback scenes. I love the transition that we see in both their characters, August and Luke are both very angry and sad people who have been through so much in such a short time, Luke getting a divorce and August losing her grandmother who loved her so deeply.

The book deals with a lot of topics including racism in country music and it just feels so fitting reading it because Jojo is a black woman in country music and her critics and some family and friends didn’t understand why she chose that genre and they treated her and her daughter bad because of it. Luke being black himself was kind of welcomed into the country world which shows how women in general are just treated lesser than in general. It’s always shocking to read about racism in the current day because it’s such a blatant disrespect to another because of their skin color and it just pisses me off as a human being and as a black woman.

Either way I absolutely loved this book and Luke finally has his reckoning with August but she also has hers as well with Luke when she’s made to confront her feelings and stop running away from the way he makes her feel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced read copy of this book for my honest review.

Thank you Grand Central for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. I went into this book completely blind so coming off a historic win in country music made this book hit a little different. The way the story is written with a podcast element and the multiple scenes including dual timelines, gives the feel of a really good audiobook. But for someone like me who sees books visually with sound, it is written like the movies we enjoy on a rainy weekend at home complete with a beautifully written lyrics as the soundtrack. The characters were flawed yet extremely lovable. Understanding the root of Luke’s addiction and pain made me champion despite his wrongdoing. I wanted adult August to win for the sake of the wounded teenager. JoJo’s story shocked me but explained everything I needed to know about both of roles as a mother and a daughter. On top of this captivating story, the author’s ability to gently educate readers about some of the history of the stolen art was a pleasant surprise - especially in light of how country music (the industry and the fans) treats Black country musicians. This is the perfect follow up to The Art of Scandal and has cemented Regina Black as an auto-buy author.

This book was so real, raw and emotional. I loved everything about this story of love, grief and redemption. The FMC August was so relatable and just a sweet soul even when she didn’t believe it. The MMC Luke was a lost soul who just needed to be tethered to the sweetness of August. Their love was so real and beautiful even with the ugly it took to get there. I was so furious with Luke trying to figure out why he did what was accused of him, but I melted after he explained his reasoning. This book was a 5-star read for me and I can’t wait to read more of Regina Black’s work.

Another 5-star read from Regina Black. The characters and relationships are so layered and addictive in this book. I couldn't stop reading it and now I'm off to listen to some country music with new ears.

This book was an emotional ride and I'm glad the mcs got their happy ending but it was a journey to get there. The book starts with the mmc, a broke country musician performing at bars singing his hit song. He gets approached by the manager of a popular black country singer to perform a duet with her during an honorary award. He is thrown back to his small town where he has to face the fmc who hates him because she thinks he stole her lyrics that gave him a hit song.

This book is told in both the past(2009) and the present(2023) and at first I wasn't a fan of the past chapters but everything came together and I think it was necessary for the story to be told. I felt for the main characters cause they had a tough life and it just seemed to keep coming and never-ending for them. Their parents sucked, the fmc had to take care of her grandma with a dementia diagnosis, the mmc had a mom that had a substance use disorder and he later developed alcohol use, abuse, domestic violence, trauma, etc. I can count the amount of times the characters were actually happy and I just wanted them to have moments of happiness despite life. This book is a slow burn even though the characters were best friends in the past and had a thing for each other. It is a journey of character development, finding belonging and each other. Overall well written and highly emotional story and romance. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for this arc.