***4 Stars***

The description hinted that there would be some...heavy situations, but the reality of what went on in the book with all of the characters was a quite intense. It was a bit of shock, but one that drew me in and had me wanting to not only see where these characters would find themselves in the end.

Annie and Clay were interesting characters. More weathered than their ages would suggest, haunted by their pasts and yet still young, despite it all in how they deal with the world around them. Annie, I really liked. She has this light, this goodness, inside her that comes through regardless of the demons from her past that chase her. Clay, I really liked as well, but he had his moments where he put the most petulant toddler having a temper tantrum to shame. His mercurial mood swings definitely kept me on my toes, but when he was ‘good’ he was a charmer and quite compassionate which had me rooting for him to figure his issues out and work at becoming more.

As for Annie and Clay’s romance, it was that perfect mix of angsty and sweet. Music was what tethered them to each other, and despite a good dose of push/pull going on, I really enjoyed watching their relationship evolve throughout the book. They both had some huge demons riding them hard and I liked how they ended up being each other’s safe place, even as they tended to be triggers for some heart breaking moments.

I have to give the author props for going big on her debut novel with the issues that are brought up throughout the book. Some will definitely be triggers for some readers, but I felt as if they were handled realistically as it pertained to the characters they impacted. The writing was engaging, though there were a couple spots where things dragged a bit for me and I liked the dual first person POV’s. The various characters that populate this world were all well written and brought a lot of depth to the story and I really liked Fitz, Kacey and Jason and definitely wouldn’t mind catching up with everyone in the future to see what they’re all up to.

~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~

Rep: POC | TWs: DRUGS, SUICIDE, DEATH, GRIEF, ALCOHOL ABUSE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE

“I wrote this song for a boy. A boy I fell in love with against impossible odds. So this award is for you, Jefferson. If I had to choose my favorite, you'd be mine.”

Oh my goodness, what a super cute story! I really loved Annie and my heart truly went out to Jefferson/Clay. It was so well-written and sweet. I felt it truly captured the modern country music scene, as well. Annie's backstory is heartbreaking, but not too far off my own childhood. There is so much grief in this novel! Both Annie and Clay are dealing with loss in very different ways (you could actually argue he isn't truly dealing with it) and trying to cope while also taking on the country music scene and everything that goes along with it.

The alternation of chapters really allows you to get inside both of their stories rather than being entirely one sided. This truly is a story about them both and their intertwining journey to healthy places in themselves. They are truly beautiful together and I love it. Annie worries that her relationship with Clay will end up being as co-dependent as her parents' marriage. Clay thinks he's not good enough for Annie, seeing her for what she's worth. I felt that essentially tells you all you need to know about this story. There's a lot more to it, but they are so damaged in the beginning. This story shows them allowing each other to grow, amongst several setbacks, and heal from their individual traumas. It tells a story of how people respond very differently to trauma, but, when you have support, you can overcome nearly anything.

My favourite aspect was the theme of being better than your parents were. It reminded me a lot of my own journey. My parents both had their separate issues, but I like to think I've overcome my upbringing to become more successful than I could have been if I'd followed either of their paths. I saw a lot of myself in Annie. I also have a parent with a drug problem and it's hard to live with the thoughts that come with that. It's very clear the drugs come first and children are an afterthought for those types of people. There's nothing we (as their children) can do to change it. People have to want help before they'll get clean. It's definitely never easy.

I thoroughly enjoyed the addition of song lyrics. Although, I think the duet they sing is Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton (not Dolly Parton - that was a different duet).

I've told so many people to add it to their lists, so if you haven't already, go check it out. I loved this FIVE STAR read.

Thank you again for allowing me to read this early!

I liked this book, though I struggled with connected with them as characters. Country singers hitting the road on tour, with lots of drinking (underage) and lots of damage for different reasons. A little heavy of a book, but I did like the ending and how it showed their development.

You’d Be Mine is an engaging and intense read aimed at older teens who love their fictional love interests damaged and slightly broken. Even though Clay does fit into some very obvious YA tropes (he drinks even though he’s underage, he sticks to hooks up instead of relationships, and has the bad boy rep around the studio executives), but as the novel progresses, we see he is more than this stereotype, and Hahn does an excellent job of drawing us into his troubles, and sympathising with him.

Annie is also damaged by parents, initially neglectful and now dead. She’s been unable to break free of their memory as huge country and western stars (particularly her mother), and this has stymied her own career. This pair of broken kids need each other, and so we go on a summer road trip with them, as they perform on stage and spend time together off stage.

It’s not an original plot for sure, but Clay and Annie are interesting and well developed. We also have many side characters who also play important roles, especially Annie’s band mates, who are both family and friend to her. Hahn includes some of both Clay’s and Annie’s song lyrics, and it’s a good way to demonstrate their feelings for each other, and their growing sense of identity.

You’d be Mine is a romance, but it’s also an insight into the lives of performing teenagers, and the pressures they put on themselves to succeed. There’s also a strong family element, and as both MCs have lost their closest family members, there’s a lot of grief and loss for them to overcome. It’s lovely to see Annie acknowledge her physical attraction to Clay, even though she isn’t one to act on impulse. Clay is also a gentleman (most of the time).

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Wednesday Books for providing an advanced copy of this novel. Recommended for readers who love summer romance novels, with a darker edge, who love their female lead to be thoughtful and kind, but also one who stands up for herself. There’s detail here, so it doesn’t skim the surface, instead delving into issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, and suicide. But ultimately this is a love story, so you won’t be surprised that it’s a happy ending.

The Story
As you readers know I tend to pick a song as a "soundtrack" for each book. Sometimes that's easy, sometimes they just come to me. You'd Be Mine is almost in itself a song on it's own. Following the story of country singers had me listening to Hahn's own playlist that she put together (see her site for the playlist) and ultimately I have this strong desire to go to a country concert, a ho down, a rodeo, anything that will get my fingers tucked into my belt loops, kicking my feet and dancing with some cowboys and cowgirls. The funniest part of all of this? I've never really listened to country music. Now I am jumping out of my seat to get my butt to the next honkytonk. With all that being said, I can say that I was enthralled by this contemporary YA.

You'd be mine was a little more than just a romance between two country singers. It dealt with some heavier issues that made my cold heart hurt. Trigger warnings include: drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide, loss of war victims. As the tour continued I thought I would get tired of hearing about them being in a bus, on a stage singing, but through the character development the story progressed drawing you in. Through the story songs are included to help show what the characters were feeling as well as brought in the whole music bit back into the book. All I want is for some youtube singer to put a little diddy with it so the songs can be real.


The Characters
The dynamic between Clay (Jefferson) and Annie was definitely the driving factor of the book. And while I love a fun ya contemporary having a character driven book where the protagonists have to overcome their personal obstacles are my favorite. Annie and Clay both have their individual issues while simultaneously needing the world to love them for who they were. Annie needing the validation of her own talent outside of the shadow of her parents. Clay needing the love for who he is outside of just being a hot country singer. The combination of the two had my heart breaking so hard as Clay struggled with his self esteem, which is usually bestowed on female protagonists, with the draw that Annie had to just show him some genuine love. Ugh, my heart is clenching thinking about how much Annie helped him accept himself for who he was and to have a desire to be a good person in general.

Many thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

What an adorable story this was. In many ways, it reminded me of the movie Forever My Girl, but with both main characters living the country star life. A sweet, transportive story with song lyrics readers will be wishing they could hear in real life!

Unfortunately, three/three and a half star reviews are the hardest to write. While I enjoyed the book, I wasn't blown away by it. For me, it was simply okay - making it hard to elaborate much more. It is fair to say You'd Be Mine was a hopeful and quick read to break up the slow monotony I've been experiencing in my other current reads. I was impressed by Erin Hahn's ability to transport me completely into the world's of these two young country music stars. Even though heavy topics were discussed in this story, like suicide and addiction, the overall tone of this story felt positive and cheerful. The first half of the book held my interest well and I was eager to see where the budding romance between the two main characters would take me.

I think this would be a great novel for younger readers hoping to escape their everyday lives and instead imagine the lives of the rich and famous. Thankfully, the characters were more down-to-earth than one might imagine based on the blurb, making Annie and Clay more likable than I expected. However, I was kind of annoyed by the characters being from Northern states while playing up their deep Southern accents. I understood it was part of the persona, but for me, it detracted from the story.

Overall, I think this was a really cute read for it's intended audience. I would have enjoyed it immensely myself as a high school reader. As an adult, I appreciated reading a YA book that wasn't inundated with numerous sexual situations or descriptions. Though both characters were deeply flawed, I think this book set healthier expectations of what girls should look for in a relationship compared to many of the YA books I've read recently. Annie's standards were high and she refused to make the same mistakes as her parents or settle for anything less than she deserved. Kudos to the author for that!

You'd Be Mine releases tomorrow!

You'd Be Mine, by Erin Hahn, is set in the world of country music. This is a YA book full of romance, friendships, and finding one's own way in the world. This was a fun book to read, full of romance, friendships, and music.

What I Liked:

Setting:

I know absolutely nothing about the world of country music. But I now feel as though I do know a thing or two. The author clearly is a fan of the genre. And it shows in how lovingly she depicts not just the music scene now, but also how she gives the reader a sense of country music history.

I also liked her depiction of life on a summer music tour. Yes, there were the requisite groupies, booze, and drugs. But there were also times when the band got out of the tour bus to explore the places they were visiting. The author also did a great job of conveying how fun a summer concert is. It made me want to run out and buy tickets to a show!

Characters:

Annie is a very broken girl. Her parents were country music legends, but were all too human in real life. Most people in the music business can't see that. All they see is how much money they can make cashing in on Annie's pedigree and talent. She is understandable wary of the attention.

I liked that Annie was torn between her love of performing and getting caught up in the star-making machine that is the music business. I also liked that she was understanding of other people's views. She was very clear about not wanting to have sex before marriage. But she didn't feel the need to force her opinions on others.

I liked Annie's friends, Jason and Kacey. They were fully formed characters who were equal partners in their band, Under The Willows. I liked that the author referenced the problems Jason was facing, being mistaken for a roadie because he was a person of color. This was a nod to the fact that there isn't really much diversity in country music. Hopefully, this will change.

Behind The Scenes Look:

The most fun parts of the book were the behind the scenes look at the country music industry. Life on the road, writing songs, recording, doing photo shoots and interviews. There is so much asked of talented singers. Is it any wonder some get addicted to drugs and alcohol?


Besides showing all the work the singers do, the book also showcased the work of the tour managers, and record company representatives. I liked that the author did not make these people into caricatures, but presented them as actual people. They care about doing a good job, and about the performers. Many times, they sacrifice their personal time to fix problems that crop up. It takes more than just a talented signer to put on a show.

Descriptions Of Music:

I don't know how she achieves it, but the author does a wonderful job of describing the emotions behind a song. As Annie and Clay perform, we get a real sense of how they think about the music and how they convey that to a audience. I loved all the lyrics of the music, and wish that these song would be recorded. I would really want to listen to these songs!

Religion:

I found it refreshing that some characters really did go to church and prayed. I liked that this was just part of who they were. Annie is not a holier than thou kind of person, but she sticks to her beliefs about God, and sex before marriage. I also liked that the focus of the book was not how Annie would be tempted.

What I Was Mixed About:

Clay:

I wasn't overly fond of Clay. He was often a tremendous jerk to Annie and the other characters. Plus he seemed extremely jaded for an eighteen year-old. Maybe being in the music business will do that to a guy but I found his cynicism difficult to buy. I didn't see what the big deal was with him writing a few songs that were off brand. Considering the amount of money he was making for the record company, I think he shouldn't have been worried.

What I Didn't Like:

Set up:

The instigating incident of the book happens in the first chapter without much build up. Everything is very convenient. Clay needs to stay in the good graces of the record company, and he needs to get Annie to agree to tour with him over the summer. I wish there had been more background as to why Annie would be so reluctant for this opportunity that most people would kill for.

First of all, thanks to Wednesday, St Martins Press, & Netgalley for the ARC if You’d Be Mine! I was looking forward to this book because the cover is so pretty and they story seemed to draw me. Unfortunately I feel pretty neutral about this book.
I started it and another book then basically had to take a long break because of work stuff.
I liked the idea of this story. It was like Country Strong meets A Star is Born and I was digging that aspect, but I’m not sure, nothing fully jumped out and pushed this star to a 4 or higher. I liked the music built in and the characters. I did wish I could learn more about Annie’s parents and their struggle. And I was very confused by Clays age throughout the story. There were times where I thought he could be in his thirties or late twenties, but then I believe they say he is 19, so it throws me off.
It really seems like this book was written to be an adult book, but the editors were like “can you make them younger and we can market it as YA?” I just wish they felt young. Everyone was very emotionally mature or seemed older.
Overall I’d give You’d be Mine a 3.75/5

You'd Be Mine is a thoroughly enjoyable young adult novel about Annie, aspiring country singer and daughter of two (dead) country legends, and Clay, a hot young country singer who persuades Annie to join him on tour to keep his label happy because his public image (and private life) have taken a big hit.

It's fairly standard ya stuff--falling in love, dealing with family issues, deciding to be yourself--but the writing is *outstanding.* Annie and Clay have scorching chemistry, and both of their troubles with their respective pasts feel genuine. Annie's anger at her parents/fear of turning into either of them was especially well done.

If you're a fan of Walk the Line (such an enjoyable movie!) this is a perfect pairing. Sweet with a lot of solder, and you can't help but root for Annie and Clay as a couple and for themselves. Highly recommended.

2.5 stars

I thought for sure when I read the synopsis this was going to be a great read for me. I normally love stories revolving around the entertainment field, in this case the country music industry, I like romances and well-developed characters with interesting backstories. And while this book had those elements, I found myself bored for so much of the story. There was only one brief moment towards the end I felt any type of emotional connection to the characters. Given so many of the early reviews for this book have been positive, I think this is much more of a case of a book just not being right for me rather than it being a bad book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

You’d Be Mine is exactly the kind of contemporary book that I love. It seems like it will be this soft, sweet, adorable book, yet when you get into it, you realize it actually packs a LOT of emotions and harsh topics just as well and I loved it SO much.

Told in two POV, I really enjoyed Annie and Clay’s stories as individuals and as they came together, too, these two lovers of country music, Clay the superstar and Annie, reluctant to follow her parents’ footsteps into the spotlight. They’re both characters battling with their past, their own demons, finding ways to grow and fight back alone and, together too. I adored them individually and together as a couple and SWOON, they had such amazing chemistry.

The music setting, concerts, country music, travelling and everything else really got my heart too and made me want to sing along with them, go on tour with them and, in these harsh, complicated, realistic moments they had to deal with real life, hug them, too. Heartwarming, adorable, beautiful, promising debut. I’ll be looking forward to everything Erin Hahn writes next.

I first heard about You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn on Instagram. Someone I follow had posted about how much she loved it so I decided to check it out and I absolutely LOVED it too! I guarantee, this book will break your heart and then make it sing!

As a big country music fan, I loved the music and the writing. The characters are easy to connect with. The inner conflicts are relatable and the pace is perfect for the story. The realness and rawness of Annie and Clay, the two main characters, was admirable and the romance between the two was heartbreaking. You just want them to get over their demons and let themselves be together. They are both teenagers with a hurtful past they are still trying to grieve through but they make such beautiful music together. They complete each other perfectly.

I usually don't read much YA romance but it definitely made the top of my favorites! I swooned, laughed and cried through the whole book. It was simply amazing and I didn't want it to end. If you're a fan of Country music, or like to read romance novels, run to the bookstore and get yourself a copy! You will not be disappointed!

I do not know how to feel about this book. Like it felt iffy. I loved the characters and the story but the alcoholism story was not realistic. They glossed over it in such a manner that it was rather disturbing.

Don't get me wrong but I enjoyed it with its huge flaws.
The characters were likable, along with the dialogue was great.
full review to come

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn was a special read. It combined some great elements about love and life, but also heartache, masking pain and expectations. I enjoyed the country music element as well.

Annie Mathers is country music royalty. She is taking the world by storm opening for the Clay Coolidge, a superstar. They both seem to click off each other and all the publicity is great for the tour, but both have too many shadows. After all stars that burn that brightly are meant to either burn out or burn each other. The long road trip and all the excitement is bound to make one want it all.

You’d Be Mine is sweet, poignant story that tugs at Your heartstrings while making you wish for the stars. Annie and Clay make you want to believe. Erin Hahn has written a great read.

I had high expectations for this one, but it fell a little short for me. This felt like a movie or TV show I’ve seen before, set in the country music world on tour where two musicians fall in love. Ireally struggled with the main characters. Clay was a hot mess, an entitled superstar with a bad reputation. He was hot and cold to Annie, and the switch in personalities was exhausting. Annie was a sweetheart with a great reputation. She was incredibly talented, but she was also trying to outrun her parents’ reputation and their awful deaths. I personally found her a little too pure and way too judgmental in the beginning. But, I think both characters saw a lot of growth in the end.

It was a dual point of view. Kind of an enemies to lovers trope, with Clay needing Annie to go on tour with him to save his reputation. He was a jerk to her and she retaliated a few times, mostly through song. Unfortunately, I didn’t see the chemistry and romance between these two at all.

I think the best parts of the book were about the music, and the tour. I love country music and the playlist to go with this was awesome. I would also really love to get to hear Annie and Clay’s music in real life. The lyrics were all good throughout the story. The ending was pretty darn near perfect too.

This is a debut novel from this author and even though I struggled with the characters a bit, I am still looking forward to her next novel.

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

So I'm not really sure how to go about talking about this book because I didn't feel it; but I don't feel that I ever will; which is disappointing but it happens. This book is a YA novel following Clay Coolidge, a huge country music star who's record label is going to drop him if he doesn't clean up his act and get Annie Mathers, an possible rising star and heir to two country music legends to join his summer tour.
Now, this is probably an unpopular opinion but I do rather enjoy country music. So I was interested in this book for that reason. But this book didn't really do much for me. It was kind of juvenile and I couldn't care about either character. Clay and Annie weren't well written or developed enough for me to care about them and therefore, I didn't care enough to keep reading. I guess I just wanted more than this book was able to give me. Maybe I'll try and pick it up again in the future. Who knows.

I have been so excited to read You’d Be Mine since the moment I first heard about the book. I’m a fan of a lot of country music and a sucker for celebrity romance type books, so you better believe I freaked out when I got the chance to read this debut early.

Clay Coolidge, one of country music’s biggest upcoming stars, is a train wreck in the making. Due to his latest mishap, his label is about ready to drop him and cancel his tour...unless he can get country music legacy Annie Mathers to sign on as his opening act. Annie knows what the spotlight can do to a person firsthand, especially after her famous parents’ tragic deaths. After hiding out in Michigan on her grandparents’ farm for the past few years, she knows it’s time to step on stage, even if she’s weary about what might happen.

First off, You’d Be Mine is a LOT darker than I was expecting. I guess I didn’t really read the synopsis closely because oh boy there’s some much tragedy and sadness in Clay and Annie’s lives. Even though the story was different than what I expected, I still enjoyed it immensely. It rings true to country music and is definitely similar to Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s story—I watched the Walk the Line movie a couple months after reading the book and I got all the You’d Be Mine vibes from it! While there is a lot of references to country music, non-fans of the genre will still love Clay and Annie’s story.

You’d Be Mine is told through dual POV and I really enjoyed switching between Annie and Clay’s voices. Erin Hahn did a fantastic job of capturing each of their charm and really brought the characters to life. Their struggles and sorrow were so poignant and it would be easy to mistake these characters for real people. I also loved the additions of Kacey and Jason (the other two members of Annie’s band) as well as Fitz (Clay’s fiddle player) as they brought some light-heartiness to an intense story.

I loved the setting too as they traveled from city to city throughout the summer on their tour. Some lyrics from some of Annie and Clay’s songs were included during some of the performance scenes, which was a great addition. I also really liked when the novel slowed down while visiting Annie and Clay’s hometowns. While Annie and Clay grow pretty drastically as individuals and with each other, I would have loved to see a little more romance between the two. They go through some pretty dark stuff, but their relationship sometimes seemed as it was just this inevitable thing instead of something they really worked towards or wanted.

Overall, you do not want to miss out on You’d Be Mine! Full of music, angst, and heartache, this debut is perfect for YA contemporary fans looking for an older and darker romance.

*TW for drug/alcohol abuse, overdose, suicide, and death of a soldier*

I truly enjoyed this book! So many times while I was reading I found myself thinking, “now THIS is how you write YA.”
The Good:
Annie and Clay are strong, well developed characters with believable motivations (this is so important for me). The supporting characters were also great.
Yes, this was a romance, but it was also so much more. So many times in romance novels there is insta love or lust but Annie and Clay needed to work through a lot of things in their lives before they could allow themselves to love and that made their relationship so much more impactful.
It was fun to read about the performing, the touring, the country music!
The Not So Good:
The ending lacked a little bit of a romantic punch for me. It was a happy ending, but the details of the HEA were more subtly implied. I guess this worked for the story, but I kind of wished for a little more.

A great and unique read. Highly recommend!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Annie never wanted to inherit her tragic family legacy. She worked hard to do things differently, but was unable to resist the lure of being on-stage. When she signed on as Clay Coolidge's supporting act, she never expected to fall for him. This was the type of man she tried to avoid, because she refused to follow in her mother's footsteps, but would she be able to repel the magnetic attraction that existed between her and Clay?

• Pro: I cared so much for both Clay and Annie. Both were living their dream, but haunted by their past. I wanted them to peel back those layers, and release their inner demons, because their happiness was of the utmost importance to me.

• Pro: Clay was a country music superstar, so you would count him to be pretty lucky, but I thought he was even luckier to have a friend like Fitz. Their friendship ran so deep, and though at times, I thought Fitz was a little bit of an enabler, he showed that Clay was his priority, when push came to shove.

• Pro: It was fun being on tour (for the most part). Yes, there was some drama, but there were also all these great performances, that we had a front-row seat to. Hahn did such an excellent job capturing that energy and spirit of the live performances, and she had me wanting to tap my foot along with the music.

• Pro: I was so shipping Annie and Clay. Both of them were sort of damaged, but they sure made beautiful music together - literally and figuratively. Sometimes their emotions were all over the place, but it was easy to see how well they fit with each other and could really see each once another.

• Pro: I am not what you would call a country music fan, but I loved that there were so many nods to country music royalty. That made the setting feel more authentic for me.

• Pro: The ending left me feeling all the feels. It was so sweet, and what a fantastic setting Hahn selected for that moment. I would have liked to have seen a little bit of the after, but I did cry some happy tears, so job well done!

Overall: I had an incredible time on this summer tour, which was fun, emotional, and so, so satisfying.

Not what I was expecting at all…in a good way. From the description of this book I thought it would be a fun and cute romance that I would enjoy. While it is a fun romance, it’s also very deep and serious. And I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

At the very beginning I thought I might have some problems getting over seeing Clay as a jerky Justin Beiber type. (I’m not saying Beiber is a jerk now, settle down. There’s no denying he had some rough patched through the years though.) While I enjoy stories and romances with characters of all ages, this seemed a bit different since the characters are still quite young but dealing with things that make them seem older. I was afraid this would end up a story of the poor little rich kid who needed to learn to grow up. That’s not the case at all here. Clay has his issues, but you’ll find that he has dealt with a lot in his short life so far. He comes by his issues honestly, not because he’s a spoiled star.

Annie has such an innocence about her, but she’s sharp as a tack. There are several instances where her friends/bandmates, Kacey and Jason, try to shelter her from things they are feeling and doing because of her perceived innocence. I love how she tells them that just because she has made certain decisions doesn’t mean she is going to judge them for making different choices. It’s refreshing and honest.

There is definitely chemistry between Annie and Clay, but in the beginning it’s sometimes hard to see it through the circumstances. Trust me, those glimpses here and there for the first part of the book will turn into a full-on inferno soon enough. Even so, they are both so aware of their own fallibilities they have a hard time seeing this magnetic pull as a positive things.

This is a beautifully written debut novel. Not only do I appreciate the love the author shows my home state of Michigan in a country music story, but I enjoyed the friendships she created in this story. I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.