This was a really quick, fun read that offers a very small peek into the world of country music. Some parts felt a little idealized and unlikely, and I don't love books that make a main character completely without flaws. Annie Mathers has a tragic past and grew up out of the limelight even as the child of two famous parents. The perfect timings that led to her connection with the love interest were one thing, but the way he and everyone always treated her as a pinnacle of goodness without flaw got a little old. Overall, it's a fun, light read to lose yourself in.

(ARC provided by Netgalley, my opinions are my own!)

Clay Coolidge is famous. Like, crazy famous. A good ol' boy of country music whose partying is getting out of control. To help his image, his label sends him to help recruit Annie Mathers, a good girl whose parents were country music royalty. Annie's been avoiding the spotlight, to prove to her Gran and herself she won't end up like her parents. When they meet, sparks fly, but Annie has no intentions of letting a star sway her, and Clay, well, he's not the type to be tied down. Still, neither can quite shake the fact that there's something beyond friendship there.

When I started this book, oh man, did I hate Clay. What a jerk! (But of course, a jerk with a reason. A jerk with pain fueling his drinking.) I warmed up to him pretty quickly. I loved Annie straight away, and her band, too. Before I knew it I was rooting for them, both separately and together. I really quickly got attached to both of them, and to the side characters, too. I'm not a huge fan of country music, but I am a major fan of the world the author created!

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn through NetGalley for review purposes. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this opportunity.
You’d Be Mine is the story of Annie Mathers and Clay Coolidge. Clay is the quintessential country rockstar. He sings songs about beer, babes, and trucks; he’s a superstar. Annie, on the other hand, is an up and coming country star whose deceased parents are country royalty. Clay, who has a bit of a bad boy reputation, is charged with recruiting Annie, and her band, to play on his summer tour so that he can put himself back in his label’s good books. She reluctantly agrees and they end up touring the United States together. But while touring, country music isn’t the only thing that’s brewing. Could there be a bit of love in the air?
I loved this book! I gave it 5/5 stars on GoodReads, because it was just what I needed at the time. I will admit that it took me awhile to get to it (it was one of the first books I was approved to read on NetGalley), but I am so glad that I did get to it and read it. So let’s get into why I loved it!
Firstly, I loved the way that Erin Hahn wrote it. Her prose was was really lovely, and I loved the songs that she included in the story. They really added depth to the tale, and if they ever do an audiobook for it, I really hope they put the songs to music. I think it would really add something. The song that the title of the book came from was probably my favourite. It kind of punched me in the guy a little bit and gave me all the feels.
Secondly, I loved the characters. Annie and Clay were both beautifully flawed. They felt really real and three dimensional. You wanted to cry with them and you wanted to just shake them and tell them to get their shit together. I really enjoyed their dynamic as well, but not just that, I also enjoyed their dynamic with the other characters. Clay and Fitz are my new favourite male friendship I’ve read, and I loved Annie interacting with her band.
Thirdly, I loved the concept. I grew up listening to country music. My parents were always listening to it on the weekend and I fell in love with people like Reba McEntire and Faith Hill. (Faith Hill and Tim McGraw will always be couple goals for me). I didn’t know that I needed a country music contemporary romance book in my life until I read You’d Be Mine, and it turned out that it was exactly what I needed. I loved the look into the world it gave, and I loved how the story centered around the music.
Finally, I loved that the story had a happy ending. Sometimes I don’t mind a jarring cliffhanger, or something that leads me into impatiently waiting for the next book. However, sometimes you just really need something that sums up prettily and it ends happily. So I really and truly thank Erin Hahn for that.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book if you like romance and contemporary and country music. If you don’t, this book probably isn’t for you and I would not pick it up. Don’t be that person who reads a book that isn’t for them and then leaves a nasty review. But if you do like those things, please pick up this book when it comes out in April.

Thank you net galley for the advance read copy of this novel. This was a contemporary romance about two country music stars, clay and annie, that fall in love while on tour. The pair has severAl on/off type events in their relationship as well as grieving lost family members. There was so much sweating and language in this book. I wish it had been cleaner especially for a youth audience. I will try this author again hoping. Overall 4 stars.

This was such an enjoyable read! It reminded me a little of Open Road Summer by Emmery Lord. It has the same vibe. Reading it gave me the same feeling as listening to a slow moving country song, in the heat of summer, on a beach. Highly recommend.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicide, Drug use & Alcoholism

This book was an interesting one, but I have to be the first to admit that Country Music is really not my thing, and since this book was about young Country Music stars it didn't really fit with the type of stuff I read. That is totally on the reader in me, not on the book itself, so I would take my review with a little grain of salt. This book just wasn't for me, but I still was invested in the characters that I was glad I read it. It's a solid book, just not one I would be shouting at everyone to drop everything to read it.

I picked up this book because it looked like a sweet young adult contemporary romance. It does have that in this book, but it also was much darker than I expected. Our protagonist Annie is the daughter of Country Music stars who died when she was thirteen, in a really bad way. I was kind of annoyed that the book drug out telling us how her parents actually died. So I do wish that was revealed much sooner in the book. When you do find out, it makes a lot of sense why Annie has resisted signing to a label for so long. The girl has been through a lot, and she is so afraid of becoming her mother. She makes some mistakes in this book, which I think makes sense for a girl of her age, but she also feels so mature at times. It's clear her grandparents upbringing really stuck.

The love interest Clay is really broken, but the whole time I just really did not like the romance between Clay or Annie. He was just a Grade A Jerk! Even when he starts to change his ways towards the end of the book, I just didn't feel like these two fit together. I do like that Clay gets a redemption Arc in this book and it was good to see his development, but I just never liked the guy. It made it hard for me to root for him, because every time he would do something nice he would turn around a be a huge jerk the next time.

There is only one person of color in this book, that we know about, which is Annie's drummer and best friend Jason Diaz. It's even mentioned early on in their tour that people kept on mistaking him for a roadie. I was glad this was mentioned, but then it's only once and we never really see what comes of that. I did really love Annie's bandmates Jason and Kacey. They gave the book a lot of comic relief, and it was nice to see she had a great support system.

The book is really steeped in Country music, that was cool, but also it didn't really interest me. That is totally a personal opinion, so if you love Country music this would be a perfect book for you.

You'd Be Mine is an emotional story featuring two country music singers - one a nineteen year old out-of-control, damaged superstar and the other an eighteen year old reluctant rising new artist who's skyrocketing up the ladder of fame while toting some personal baggage of her own. Superstar Clay Coolidge is in trouble with his music label after another public display of drunken violence. He's given an ultimatum - talk Annie Mathers and her group-mates into opening for his summer tour or his label will drop him. Annie was born to sing. She'll just have to figure out how to join Clay's tour while resisting the magnetism pulling her to Clay. They may make sweet music together onstage, but she won't repeat the mistakes of her famous parents which led to their tragic deaths. And that means the cowboy with the tight-fitting Levi's and swoon-worthy vocals is off-limits. Right. Looks like it's going to be one long, hot summer on tour!

I love it when a book surprises me, and I've been fortunate to be gifted with several this year. I'll admit I feared this would be just another typical badboy superstar story - pages of nothing but booze and sex. I was happy to discover much more depth, charm, realistic emotional turmoil, and personal growth in You'd Be Mine. The story quickly pulled me into the lives of Clay and Annie. As the summer and story progresses, the tension and chemistry ramps up and the magnitude of the baggage carried by both characters becomes a reality and a barrier between them - making for an impossible situation. Told through alternating points of view (and the lyrics of a few songs), the author does a great job of peeling back the layers and letting readers get inside both character's heads to experience the emotional turmoil, fear, hopes, and dreams driving them - both toward and away from each other. The story tugged on my heart-strings, and I found myself cheering these two on. Clay and Annie's story is supported by a strong, quirky cast that readers will love. I'd love to read more about them (hint hint). Combined with a well-delivered and unique for the theme plot line, it all adds up to a great story I didn't want to stop reading.

Sometimes, love just isn't enough . . . or it's too much. Sometimes people are too broken, too damaged, too jaded, too tired to fight anymore. Sometimes, it's easier to just give up. Clay and Annie's story touches on all of it - it's a tear-jerking country song begging to be sung. I really liked that the author refrained from filling pages with sex, focusing instead on the heart of the characters in this story. It grabbed and held me - page after page, chapter after chapter, right through the end. You'd Be Mine is an emotional, heart touching journey that's well worth the ride! A Must Read!

You'd Be Mine is one of those books that I imagine would be perfect in the big screen. I love the 'hollywood' vibe. Everytime Annie and Clay perform, I could just imagine myself in the front row dancing and singing along. I most probably would have swooned too. And the lyrics. My gods the lyrics! They were heartfelt and soulful. I wished so bad I could listen to the songs.

I wasn't as sold with the chemistry as I would have liked though. It needed more foundation and basis. It bordered on insta-love and everyone who knows me knows I hate that just as much as love triangles. Having said that, I was still rooting for Annie and Clay. Seeing these two struggle with their pasts was heartbreaking. I wanted to give them both the biggest hugs and just hold their hand. Honestly I don't think I'll be as strong as them if I were in their positions at that age.

The rest of the characters were great! Fitz especially was my favorite. I would definitely read his book. I'm not sure about Jason. I kind of like him but I also kind of don't. If that makes sense? I wish there was more 'Under the Willows' scene. I love Kacey, Jason and Annie together. Their friendship felt authentic and I wanted more of it.

My biggest issue is how easily the conflicts were resolved. Even the ending seemed too perfect. I love an HEA as much as the next girl but in this case, I don't think that worked.

Overall I really enjoyed reading the book- every heart-wrenching, romantic and uplifting page of it.

This was an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the characters, the backstory, and plot. I did, however, feel that the ending was a little unsatisfying and abrupt.

This was astonishingly original and very different. Both Annie and Clay/Jefferson had some really hard life lessons being taught to them in this book. I myself personally felt that I grew as I read their story. This book is a definite reread for me.
Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC.

Fan of Emery Lord’s OPEN ROAD SUMMER or Alecia Whitaker’s WILDFLOWER trilogy? This one’s for you.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review, so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book.
Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things.
But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen.
Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.
Erin Hahn’s thrilling debut, You’d Be Mine, asks: can the right song and the perfect summer on the road make two broken hearts whole?
This was my first book by this author. It was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
4.5 star rating!

Loved the premise and literary feel to this. This was a clean romance!! Would definitely read this author again.

This was lovely teenage music magic with a country twang.

And I liked it. Actually, I ended up liking it much more that I anticipated.
It has a little bit of everything, I Like.

Erin does a really wonderful job bringing her characters to life, and I genuinely liked them all. I even ended up liked Clay, whom I found to be a bitter whining prick through most of the book. 😉

I loved this book so much! A sweet YA novel. I think this would be great for fans of the show Nashville, or country music in general. If you liked the movie "A Star is Born", I'd recommend this one too - similar feeling. For me, this was a feel-good novel. I flew through this one and very much enjoyed it. I'd definitely recommend.

I'm disappointed to say I'm DNFing this one around 25%, so I'm not going to give it a star rating. I really try to be cognizant of if a book is grabbing me or not, and this one just didn't work for me. I've (fortunately!) not been touched by suicide, so I can't say how realistic that plot was, but I've had experience with close family dealing with alcohol issues, and this just didn't line up with that. Which can be okay for a story! But in this case, it felt like it was just an attribute to give the plot some meat rather than something that would actually develop the characters.

Clay (Jefferson) is a troubled country music singer headlining his own summer tour. He’s teetering on self-destruction and at risk of being dropped by his label. Annie is a country music legacy, whose infamous parents met their untimely death when she was 13. After posting a video on social media, Annie is visited by Clay who asks her to open for him on his upcoming tour.

Not trying to add any spoilers, so I’ll move on to the book in general. Erin did such an amazing job with creating backgrounds for Clay and Annie. I feel like I can relate to Annie’s character and how it’s important for her to sing songs from country music legends. With my love for classic country, her song references in this story entrapped me. I truly enjoyed reading about their promo photo shoot dressed up as Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, I think I even shrilled. I always tell my better half that he’s the Johnny Cash to my June Carter. We’re big fans of their love story and music they’ve played, so I really appreciated Erin instilling the famous duo in her story.

You’d Be Mine exceeded my expectations. . I’m counting down the days for it to be released so I can purchase it for my library!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I am so in love with characters that are realistically flawed. Both Annie and Clay have been through trauma that impacts how they function in the world. They mess up, they get emotional, and they handle things pretty poorly at times. With all that, the message of this book still comes though loud and clear; you are capable of overcoming your traumatic experiences, even though it can be hard as hell.

Seriously, this book is a damn emotional rollercoaster in the best way. Annie Mathers is messy and kind and caring. Clay is a complete mess, but just trying to find his way. I may have hated him a couple times, but it never stuck. They both have a strong support system, but the way they utilize them is another story.  The characters pull at your heart strings, that's for sure. I don't want to give to much away, but if you're looking for a book that makes you feel all the emotions, this is the one for you. 

Special thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 Unexpected Stars!!

"She sounds timeless. No showy vibrato, no American idol-worthy runs. Her voice is pure. Unadulterated. It's the sound of sweet salvation."

"I've kissed lots of girls. I've slept with a few of them. But I've never in my life kissed someone like this. Felt like this. Wanted like this. It's as though we're one person. Like my soul found its fucking other half and I don't even know what to with that except I can't ever stop this. I will die happily with her on my lips."

"He's more than just kissing in the dark and filled-out denim. He's just as damaged as I am. He's got heartache and grief and loneliness, and if I can't survive him, he sure as hell can't survive me."

You'd Be Mine was such an unexpected surprise. I feel in love with this book from the very first page and quickly found myself addicted to Annie and Clay. Their story hit all the marks for me and left me hanging on every single word. Annie & Clay's story might be young adult, but it still had a very real and raw quality to it. It's a story that any age group can enjoy and relate to.

When we first meet up with Clay & Annie, I just knew their story was going to keep me on my toes. Clay is know as the bad boy of country music, but he needs to clean up his act and reputation. His record label is ready to leave him in the dust unless he can convince Annie to come along tour with him. Annie is a YouTube sensation and has been avoiding the spotlight since her parents passed away. Annie has her reservations and knows all the cons that come along with fame, but when it comes to Clay, she just can't seem to tell him no. She decided to jump and see where this tour will take her...The one thing these two never planned on was the connection they would share. From the very beginning their fans were dying for the two of them to fall in love. But, a high profile relationship is the last thing Annie wants. She's afraid of the wild ride associated with fame and the demons that haunt both herself & Clay. Will Annie take a chance not only on music, but on Clay? Will Clay prove that he is a risk worth taking? There's only one way to find out....

You'd Be Mine is a fantastic debut novel by author Erin Hahn. The characters are fun and entertaining. They keep your eyes glued to the pages and just beg for their story to be told. I loved how real Clay & Annie were. They were both damaged and a little lost. There a lot of comparisons to June & Johnny Cash. Their relationship was amazing in the beginning. Their passion and chemistry, off the charts. But, in the end, the demons took over turning their once happily ever after to a wild and volatile situation. And I could totally see that comparison with Annie and Clay and it is told in a beautiful young adult way. I loved watching Clay and Annie together and seeing them navigate their way through the magic of music and fame; through all the ups and downs life threw at them. Even with all the demons these two had to fight against, I couldn't stop myself from rooting for their happily ever after.

I enjoyed every moment of You'd Be Mine. From the great characters, to the entertaining plot, to the rock star romance and emotion throughout, this story is a must read for fans of music and young adult romance. You'd Be Mine is incredibly well written and has a wonderful flow to it. It blows my mind that this is Erin Hahn's debut novel. She is definitely an author to keep an eye out for and I am super excited to read more from her in the future.

While this book was not my personal taste, it will certainly find an audience. The story is of two talented musicians thrust into the Country music scene, each battling their demons, Honestly, reading this I felt like I was perusing a script for the television series, NASHVILLE. With the references to grief and substance abuse, I felt like the book had the opportunity to be something more. With that being said, I will purchase the book for my library and recommend it to my romance-loving patrons. If that is what you like to read, this book is a good choice.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. A more detailed review reccomending the book will be posted at a later date on my library’s blog (www.myfcpl.org).