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dianaschmidty's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
I feel like this book was designed for me. I knew from the first chapter that I would likely be giving this book five stars because like my favorite songs in a book form. Anybody who knows me knows how much I love music. Music and books are basically my life and country music is one of my top genres. The fact that each chapter begins with a country song, many of which were already my favorite songs, is basically what convinced me to read this book. I love how the book pointed out the hypocrisies and wrongdoings of the country music industry, something I’m personally invested in.
I should also talk about the real center of the book: the romance. OMG I ABSOLUTELY LOVED CRAIG (aka Huck) AND LORELAI’S RELATIONSHIP!!!! I’m a sucker for friends to lovers, but then add in the years of pining, the miscommunications, and the fact that they are the definition of “right person, wrong time” and this book was perfect for me! I wish we hadn’t skipped over so much of their fwb stage, but beyond that, it was amazing!
I should also talk about how this book literally inspired me to write a song. The book is full of poems and song lyrics and it just got me in a super creative mood, so yesterday, I sat down and wrote a song for the first time in like four or five years, so I have to thank Erin Hahn for her magical writing, because this book feels like it was infused with some sort of creative energy!
I also loved the side characters! I read Built to Last in July of 2022 and didn’t even realize that this was a continuation of that story until chapter two! It was great to see Shelby and Cameron again, and I hope that Maren gets a book! I actually went back and reread some of that book (specifically the mentions of Craig), which made my enjoyment of this book even better. I also found out that Clay/Jefferson and Annie, who are featured in this book, have a book of their own, which I definitely want to check out in the future.
Overall, Erin Hahn has created this lovely universe full of country music and HGTV references (two things that I highly value) and I’ve basically decided that I’ll read anything she writes!
I have only one question though: Why wasn’t “Friends Don’t” by Maddie & Tae included in this book? Between the fact that it’s practically the title of this book and it’s a great country song, I’m confuzzled…
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Erin Hahn for providing me access to this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism and Pregnancy
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