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liciaaaaa's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity and Cursing
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
kelly_e's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Title: Built to Last
Author: Erin Hahn
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: October 18, 2022
I received a complimentary eARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Sweet • Hospitable • Basic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like the rough spots on the vintage furniture she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a widely documented meltdown and huge public break up with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs—the one who got away.
Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… And then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can't help but get on board.
There's something in it for everyone—almost. Cameron wants to set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove she's not the messy party girl anymore. And a jealous Lyle can’t help but try to get in the way. But for his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could ever dream of, nothing is getting in the way of their second chance at love.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I added Built to Last to my TBR based on the cute cover and the home renovation/reality TV show elements. I wasn't aware of Erin Hahn's previous books, but it makes sense she'd have a backlist of YA titles because I did find aspects of it in this adult romance.
Told in dual POVs, Shelby and Cameron's characters initially drew me into the story. They had good banter and it was clear to see how deeply they cared from one another despite everything. I was engaged with their story through the first half as I was getting to know them. Yet, by the second half the conflict has been resolved and not a whole lot happened from this point on. The ending wrapped up a little too nicely for my liking and made it less believable. There is a lot of backstory with this one, to the point it overtook the romance. Because of all of this, the characters felt one-dimensional.
I did really enjoy the house flipping, getting a behind the scenes look at show production, and the furniture hunting. The small town setting was portrayed realistically and some of the secondary characters were absolute gems.
Overall, Built to Last had a many solid parts, however, they ended up coming together in an underwhelming fashion. It certainly was a bad book, but rather a typical romance that won't stick in my mind. I'd read this author again if there was a book the piqued my interest and could see how readers who read a lot of rom-coms might like this one more than I did.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• second chance romance
• childhood friends
• house flipping
⚠️ CW: sexual content, toxic relationship, toxic friendship, emotional abuse, child abuse, gaslighting, abandonment, infidelity, alcohol, mental illness, alcoholism, eating disorder, cursing
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Child stars have this weird quirk where they're never really kids to begin with, but they never grow up either."
Author: Erin Hahn
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: October 18, 2022
I received a complimentary eARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Sweet • Hospitable • Basic
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like the rough spots on the vintage furniture she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a widely documented meltdown and huge public break up with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs—the one who got away.
Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… And then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can't help but get on board.
There's something in it for everyone—almost. Cameron wants to set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove she's not the messy party girl anymore. And a jealous Lyle can’t help but try to get in the way. But for his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could ever dream of, nothing is getting in the way of their second chance at love.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I added Built to Last to my TBR based on the cute cover and the home renovation/reality TV show elements. I wasn't aware of Erin Hahn's previous books, but it makes sense she'd have a backlist of YA titles because I did find aspects of it in this adult romance.
Told in dual POVs, Shelby and Cameron's characters initially drew me into the story. They had good banter and it was clear to see how deeply they cared from one another despite everything. I was engaged with their story through the first half as I was getting to know them. Yet, by the second half the conflict has been resolved and not a whole lot happened from this point on. The ending wrapped up a little too nicely for my liking and made it less believable. There is a lot of backstory with this one, to the point it overtook the romance. Because of all of this, the characters felt one-dimensional.
I did really enjoy the house flipping, getting a behind the scenes look at show production, and the furniture hunting. The small town setting was portrayed realistically and some of the secondary characters were absolute gems.
Overall, Built to Last had a many solid parts, however, they ended up coming together in an underwhelming fashion. It certainly was a bad book, but rather a typical romance that won't stick in my mind. I'd read this author again if there was a book the piqued my interest and could see how readers who read a lot of rom-coms might like this one more than I did.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• second chance romance
• childhood friends
• house flipping
⚠️ CW: sexual content, toxic relationship, toxic friendship, emotional abuse, child abuse, gaslighting, abandonment, infidelity, alcohol, mental illness, alcoholism, eating disorder, cursing
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Child stars have this weird quirk where they're never really kids to begin with, but they never grow up either."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Cursing, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship
theespressoedition's review
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Classism and Abandonment
fatkidatheartreads's review
emotional
slow-paced
3.0
childhood friends turned adult costars x friends to lovers x renovation show costars
i liked Cam, he was a great guy.
i liked Cam, he was a great guy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism
kalynaobyrne's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I really enjoyed this book! The book follows two former child stars that have a second chance romance when they team up to shoot a pilot for a home renovation show. I loved that the big conflict was more external than internal. I really liked that their former co-star was the villain. I thought it added an interesting aspect. I really liked that Shelby and Cameron sorted their stuff out individually and when they finally had their conversation, it was healthy and worked for them. By communicating clearly they were able to avoid the miscommunication mess that is in so many romance books.
I loved all the side characters! Based on some of the reviews I’ve read it seems like some of them may be getting spin-off books which I look forward to reading!
Overall, this was a 4.75 for me! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism
kfmcf's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved this book. I thought the characters were cute, the story was fun, and it was sexy in a very grounded way. I don't think it's perfect but I made me laugh and think and feel and escape reality for a bit.
I am a big fan of the really slice of life rom coms, which this very much is. Yes there's the added aspect of ex-child stars but they're adults. could do with out the proposal trope but that's just me I think. I just don't think marriage is necessary all the time right away.
I also very much want to read Hahn's YA books now. And I'll pick up whatever her next adult romance is as well!
I am a big fan of the really slice of life rom coms, which this very much is. Yes there's the added aspect of ex-child stars but they're adults.
I also very much want to read Hahn's YA books now. And I'll pick up whatever her next adult romance is as well!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism and Emotional abuse
Minor: Addiction
tostita's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a really charming story about two former child stars reconnecting and falling (back?) in love. I was a little frustrated with the MMC’s slow uptake on the very clear (I thought) signals the FMC was sending him. But of course they do manage to get it together, despite the shenanigans of their former costar/her ex. This is one of the rare romance novels that does not feature a third act breakup, and it’s not missing at all. I needed to see that they now had the fortitude and commitment to stick together during the tough times, and they did. The supporting cast is wonderful and I’m looking forward to the best friend’s story which I presume will come next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Alcoholism
culzean's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship
bringmybooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, & St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗬𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦 ✨
This is such a bummer for me, but it really feels like one of those "did I read the same book as everyone else?" type of books - Built to Last has a 4.1 rating on Goodreads and I just don't get it. I didn't buy into their love story and didn't feel as though there was enough of a reason for them to pine after one another the way they did. It also felt like a lot of angsty spicy times - which I don't necessarily mind - for absolutely no reason which gave a feel of their relationship being built on a physical attraction and not much else.
The strongest parts of this book, for me, were those discussing the home reno aspects - I loved reading about the restorations that Shelby did, and loved all of the parts talking about the specific home renovation project they were working on for the TV show. (But in my opinion that was not enough to carry the book)
All of that being said: I like Erin Hahn's writing and as this was her debut adult novel, I would definitely try another by her - which we will get, because this is a first in a series! Erin has stated that the second book will feature Lorelai and the third Maren, so I will definitely give Lorelai's book a try before making my final judgment on EH's foray into adult novels.
Also all of THAT being said, I am super in the minority here so if the synopsis speaks to you I would still give it a shot! I think you'll know pretty early on if you're going to have the same issues that I did.
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗬𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦 ✨
This is such a bummer for me, but it really feels like one of those "did I read the same book as everyone else?" type of books - Built to Last has a 4.1 rating on Goodreads and I just don't get it. I didn't buy into their love story and didn't feel as though there was enough of a reason for them to pine after one another the way they did. It also felt like a lot of angsty spicy times - which I don't necessarily mind - for absolutely no reason which gave a feel of their relationship being built on a physical attraction and not much else.
The strongest parts of this book, for me, were those discussing the home reno aspects - I loved reading about the restorations that Shelby did, and loved all of the parts talking about the specific home renovation project they were working on for the TV show. (But in my opinion that was not enough to carry the book)
All of that being said: I like Erin Hahn's writing and as this was her debut adult novel, I would definitely try another by her - which we will get, because this is a first in a series! Erin has stated that the second book will feature Lorelai and the third Maren, so I will definitely give Lorelai's book a try before making my final judgment on EH's foray into adult novels.
Also all of THAT being said, I am super in the minority here so if the synopsis speaks to you I would still give it a shot! I think you'll know pretty early on if you're going to have the same issues that I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Alcoholism
Minor: Eating disorder
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Disney-like child stars meets HGTV meets second chance romance? And it’s dual POV?! Perfect premise!
Cam and Shelby just oozed chemistry and amazing dialogue. I loved how open and honest they were with each other after having dealt with years of miscommunication. It was super refreshing to read a romcom where the main characters aren’t torn apart by their dumb decisions, just torn by circumstances, which is very realistic.
I also thought Cam and Shelby’s respective friends added a lot to the book. Even though there were a lot of characters, each was fully fleshed out and added something to the story.
The song titles for the chapters was amazing! I even ended up making a Spotify playlist with all of the songs, because Erin Hahn clearly has great taste in music!
The novel did a great job at making me feel connected to Shelby and Cam from the first page, with me already being mad at Shelby on Cam’s behalf by page three! I felt that way the whole book.
While the writing felt a little off and clunky near the beginning, since this is an ARC, I’m hopeful those issues will be corrected with the published edition!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Erin Hahn for providing me access to this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, and Eating disorder
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