I completely adored this book! You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn is the story of Clay Coolidge, country music's teen heartthrob and resident bad boy, who made his name singing about booze and girls. After one too many drunken nights out, Clay is given strict instructions to clean up his image or risk losing his contract. Step one is convincing Annie Mathers, girl next door and country music's newest darling, to sign on for his summer tour. Annie is the daughter of two of country music's greatest stars, whose tragic deaths 5 years ago still haunt her. But despite her reservations, Annie agrees to be a part of the tour. What follows is a gorgeous story about love, friendship and facing your inner demons.

I am fascinated by the "ordinary" lives of celebrities (like what does Beyoncé eat for breakfast??) so I loved reading about being backstage on a music tour. I also loved that this book was as much about the music as it was about the characters. And even then, it's not just a cheesy teenage romance. It's emotional and touching, full of heart and witty banter. The friendships between Annie and her bandmates, and Clay and Fitz, were wonderful to read. These two characters felt much older than your average teenage summer romance story - they are tortured and complicated, but sweet and innocent at the same time, and I loved their chemistry. I also really loved the song lyrics that Hahn has included throughout the book! Erin Hahn: when is the soundtrack coming out?

You will love this one if you're a fan of the TV show Nashville or A Star Is Born. I highly recommend it! I would LOVE to see this as a movie!

This one is out on 2 April - keep an eye out for it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity for review! The characters were easy to follow and connect with and even after the last page I still find myself wanting more! I hope this is the start of a series!

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really cute with a lot of angst. Great plot and lovely YA novel. The dialogue is great and so is the plot. At the end I loved Clay and Annie and I just want to read about them all over again.

ARC provided by NetGalley

This is a cute book, but it definitely had more angst than I expected.
I enjoyed getting to explore the country music industry from the POV of two young rising stars. I loved that the Clay was a real fan of Annie's music and it was cool seeing her come into her own despite her parents' legacy.

However, I could've done without Clay repeatedly lashing out at Annie when he couldn't deal with his feelings, and I feel like his mental health could've been handled better. The romance didn't have much of a build, so there were parts of it that felt disjointed for me. Overall, it wasn't bad for a debut novel. If you like angst and country music, this book is for you.

Loved this one so much! I'm not normally a country music fan, but the dynamic between Annie and Clay had me wanting to pull out my Johnny Cash albums and do a rewatch of Walk the LIne immediately. Can't wait for it to be out in the world.

If you’re looking for hot rockstar tour bus sex, you won’t find it here. Instead, we have two lost young people with major hang ups who fight their attractions for each and end up falling in Love.

I enjoyed the fully detailed description of performances.

It wasn’t about 25 year olds acting 18 or vice versa, it was about 18 year olds feeling lost and out of control: 18 year olds who haven’t yet lived enough to know exactly what they want for the rest of their lives. It’s about watching those 18 year olds grow and shed their past while stepping out into their own light.

It is extremely tame in the romance department, but it faces some dark realties.

There is sadness as each of the MC’s must face their respective loss and grief. There is hope in love, not necessarily the romantic kind, but the love of family, and if not the one you are born into, then the one you choose and that chooses you.

The negative for me is the side characters. They start out with a great foundation, but I feel like the never really develop into fully rounded characters.

A a young adult contemporary romance novel that gives the readers a look into the world of country music.

You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn (April 2)
Overview: Clay Coolidge is the new hotshot in country music, but his tour hinges on him signing his opening act, Annie Mathers. While they doubt Clay can keep his cool on the summer tour highlife, they know that Annie has a promising career ahead of her because she's the product of two of countries hottest, and most infamous, country superstars. Even though the door starts as a business deal, it winds up being a journey of self discovery and a love story of its own. Overall: 5

Characters: 5 Annie and Clay are more than just celebrities or musicians. They're real people, and, while you get a glimpse at their larger than life sides, Hahn never lets you get swept up in the glitz and the glamor. They are two brand new adults in a brand new world, still mourning losses from their old one.
Annie has been trying to outrun her parents, and their famous double suicide, since she found their bodies at thirteen. She's inherited her parent's talents, and she loves to perform, but she's paralyzed at the thought of show business destroying her like it did her parents. She also wants to make it clear that she's not Cora and Robbie. She never will be. But taking the opening gig on the hottest tour of the summer brings her almost too close for comfort. Because she's had her grandparents and her cousin to ground her and give her a stable life, she's much more rooted, sensible, and better prepared than Clay. Her biggest boundary is her fear of history.
Clay hasn't had a parental figure in his life for too long. His father left, his mother died of cancer, and his brother died at nineteen in the line of duty. Then Clay's career took off, and he drowned his pain in alcohol instead of confronting it. Though Fitz, his brother's best friend and Clay's bandmate, does his best to keep him grounded, at only twenty, it's hard for him to know what to do for Clay.
The characters really take centerstage in this story, and I absolutely loved that.

Plot: 5 The plot was more than I was ever expecting. It's sold as a cute romance between two young musicians on tour, but, more accurately, it's about two people trying to figure themselves out and then figure out if they're good for each other. Even though you root for Annie and Clay, Hahn does an amazing job grounding the book and reminding the reader how toxic Clay can be when he's at his worst, especially for someone like Annie who suffered from her parent's drug and alcohol. Annie wants to help Clay, but she doesn't stay with him, and she doesn't "save him." I love how Erin made Clay in charge of realizing that his sobriety is important, and she didn't have Annie drag herself through the mud over him. There's plenty of drama, but the story is told in a healthy, realistic way, which can't be said for some novels on the YA market.

Writing: 5 I love that Hahn chose to write the story with two eighteen/nineteen year old protagonists. While it's not set in college, they're out of high school and they're having to wonder about what the rest of their lives will be while they're setting their plans in motion. (As a side note, Wednesday Books seems to be putting out a ton of these Older YA books which is super cool, and I hope it continues.) Annie and Clay have very distinct voices, and they jump off the page as real, messy people. Even if you're not a country fan, this sweet story will steal your heart.

Make sure you swing by on Friday to catch my interview with Erin where we talk about the book, her writing journey, and what's next for her!

Lovely plot, lovely heart warming story. Will definitely recommend this book to friends and family as it is a perfect read to make us feel better on the cold winter evenings.

I really loved this one! What a sweet YA Contemporary Romance about two young country stars. I really love country music, so that made this book even more enjoyable for me. I really love books that have a slow burn and this one definitely fulfilled that. This book was just full of sweetness, charm, friendship, romance and a little bit of tragedy (it wouldn't be country music without it). At the end of the day, it was just a hopeful and feel good read. I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

You’d Be Mine follows Clay who is a famous teenage country star. He has been behaving badly and is set to recruit Annie Mathers, who is the daughter of two very famous, but deceased, artists. Together they set on a summer tour, where they get to know each other and themselves.

I have a hard time finding out what to write for my review of this book. It is not a bad book, but not something that really captured my attention for all its attempts. It is first and foremost a love story, and I guess here is the main problem for why I didn’t enjoy that much. I just didn’t care. I didn’t care that Annie liked Clay or Clay liked Annie, and their reason for being together or not being together. I already knew they were going to end up together, so all the battering just felt like a buzz in the background to get to a point.

There is also a lot of music in this book. It is not like a minded it, when they talked about how much music meant to them and how it was their life. It believed them and I wanted them to have music and be happy in it. I guess I cared more about Annie and Clay’s happiness apart from each other, then together. They both have pretty complex and interesting backgrounds.
They both need to face their past in this story and it was interesting to see how it played out. Clay’s character developed was okay, but not really surprising. The same goes for Annie, even though she didn’t really develop that much. She was really the same throughout the whole book.

I just felt that even though the story had all these bricks holding it up, it wasn’t delivered in a convincing way. The writing didn’t really capture me, and it felt flat and boring telling the story. I guess I was supposed to be touched and care for the things happening on the page, but I just didn’t. The words didn’t flow into me, but through me. If you get what I mean, hehe. It has interesting ideas and moments that could touch me, but it doesn’t quite get there. It was also quite predictable all the way through, but I think that could have been okay if it had just been more engaging?

I liked it okay enough. If someone asked me if I recommended it I would say, maybe, depending on their tastes. But it is not a book that would pop into my mind unless I’m being asked about it. 3/5 stars.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with this eArc.

I was given an ARC on NetGalley for and honest review. So, here goes...I LOVE THIS STORY! I don't typically read a lot of young adult contemporary romances. At this point, having young adult children of my own, it's not something I gravitate towards anymore. However, I'm so glad this one was sent to me. This one goes a little behind the scenes in the land of country music (and having resided in Nashville the last 10 years - this really resonated). Annie is hesitant about using her talents and stepping into this world. Her parents, being legends, among country music and she's seen it all. Especially the not so bright side that her parents both succumbed to. It is her talent, that is making her step into this world since her talent alone has labels fighting over her for her to be their next big star.

Clay, the bad boy that's not all that bad, has a music talent all his own. He's a jump first and think later kind of guy. The label is trying to talk him into befriending Annie and getting her join his next tour. It's a will he or won't he situation. That's about the time that the sparks fly, the words demand to be read, and the book was virtually over. I loved every minute that I was caught up in the whirlwind of country music and those meant to be. A definite recommend!

This review will be posted to my blog, Goodreads, and Amazon on March 15th.

I'll start by saying that I do not typically read contemporary, but the cover and description of this particular book piqued my interest. Someone mentioned parallels to A Star is Born-which I loved and have been obsessed with. I agree with this comparison, the vibes are totally there, but it is definitely still its own story.

Another detail that I loved was the influence of Johnny Cash and June Carter. That was a detail that slipped my attention until I was about 30% into the book.

Annie Mathers, one side of our duo is the daughter of two mega country stars, making her Nashville royalty. Naturally talented, beautiful, and destined for stardom because of her heritage, the first twist is finding her hiding out on a farm in Michigan. While performing is in her blood, she has been reluctant to take on the stage since the death of her parents. As she puts it, she was fully prepared to ignore her destiny and go to college and lead a normal life.

The death of Annie's parents was one of the first details I liked about this book-which sounds weird. But I thought it was really refreshing that they weren't offered sainthood just because they were dead. Annie's mom is described as having the success of Prince, while her father is described as having a pill problem and a mean streak. Though they don't play an active role in the story, they are still fully fleshed out characters who influence it in a unique way.

Our other POV character is Clay Coolidge, a teenage delinquent masquerading as a country star. It is probably cruel of me to call Clay a delinquent, but when we first encounter him, he isn't doing himself any favors. Obviously he has talent and is certainly swoon worthy. Who doesn't like a cowboy who can sing? However, Clay was probably one of the first things that bothered me about the book. He has his own tragedy, a brother who died at war. At the beginning of the book we find Clay displaying the typical behaviors we have come to expect from this type of character: drinking, fighting, avoiding loved ones, and barely hanging on to his career. It was all a bit cliche, though not enough of an offense to keep you from reading the book. Hahn does it right, but there was still a bit of a nagging feeling for me.

I don't want to give away any major spoilers, so I will just give you this:

1) The author has a strong grasp on language, description, and dialogue. She makes you feel your surroundings from as mundane as a sound check, to as interesting as a historic Nashville bar. DEFINITELY got A Star is Born vibes in that scene.

2) Whether or not any of the characters are cliche, they are likable and I did care about them. I particularly liked that Annie had connections other than Clay and that her friends/bandmates were a part of this story. I really liked Kacey's character.

3) This book is written for teens-this is not a knock against it. I applaud the author for handling tough topics in a way that kept the youthful POV in mind.

4) This book has been described as "swoony" by others and I would agree with that statement.

SO should you read it? If you have any inclination toward romance or contemporary I would say yes. I think you will enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for the opportunity to read it early.

This was a fun read. Definitely one my students who love a little romance would like!
Although most of us wouldn’t know what it’s like to be a country music star, Hahn does a good job of making us feel right at home with these two country music legends.
Truth: I don’t even listen to country music and so I thought, at first, I wouldn’t really gel with the characters. I was wrong. The characters are easily relatable (we all know these type of people even if they aren’t famous or talented) and the story rolls along nicely. #youdbemine #netgalley

I recieved this ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
You'd be Mine is a young adult musical contemporary romance book. The romance is swoon worthy and the character challenges and back story give it that chemistry that makes it a great read even with the stereotypical setup. Annie is a rising country star who is avoiding her destiny and Clay is a teenage music star who drinks too much and a complete opposite. The point of the story is that Clay Asks Annie to go on tour with her. The book pulls you in and makes you feel like you're in the concert and any book that can do something like that to me or pulls me in the setting is a winner.

So. I only ever really read contemporary novels when I’m in a slump and can’t get out of it, since the majority of books I read are fantasy. I believe I saw this one recommended in an e-mail via netgalley or maybe on twitter and was like “this sounds pretty dope why not”. Never in a million years would I think I’d get approved let alone like this novel, and yet, there I was, absolutely loving every moment of this book. Country Strong is one of my absolute favorite movies, and this novel felt like the younger version of it.

Now there are some definite trigger warnings for this series, so please be aware before going into this book that there are TW for: suicide, self harm, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse – most of the latter with one of the teens in the novel. I also feel like because of this, this book borders on the line of young adult and new adult, me feeling more so towards new adult. I wouldn’t recommend this for teens under the age of sixteen to read.

This book follows the lives (and dual POVs) of Annie and Clay, two young, teenage country stars. They go on tour together, and struggle with events from their past, fame, and their growing feelings for each other.

I found the writing of this novel to be very easy to read, and it all flowed very well. It felt lyrical, which in a way fits the premise of the book, about two music stars. Back to me liking the movie Country Strong – this book definitely has similar elements of the setting of being on tour, and being under stress as a teen star. I also really liked the way the author incorporated showing us the parts where the characters were on stage, singing, and interacting. I felt like I was there at the concert, feeling the music, feeling the summertime (OH HOW I MISS SUMMER *glares at the cold outside). The author really knows how to bring the setting to life.

I really enjoyed the relationship dynamics between the characters. Annie and her bandmates Jason and Kacey are best friends, and they absolutely are there and support and care for each other. It’s nice to see healthy friendships in books. It was the same between Clay and Fitz, best friends and bandmates. Their dynamic was fun to read, as well as Fitz and Kacey’s relationship. It was more behind the scenes and I kind of wish we saw more to it, but…this was Clay and Annie’s story.

I actually like the way the relationship between Clay and Annie was handled. At first it seemed like it was one of those plots where the girl magically fixes the guys issues with her love. But it wasn’t. Clay was still struggling with his mental health and substance abuse despite loving Annie. There is a part of the book where he gets to slow down, and heal, before resuming the relationship. It’s nice to have a relationship that’s realistic like that, because sometimes we are too in our heads dealing with our own problems, and need some time to back up before trying again. It was also nice to see someone dealing with substance abuse getting the help they need, and characters supporting them, making sure they put their mental health first over their careers. Annie & Clay’s relationship is also a slow burn, intense romance that I was sooo down for. I loved it so much.

My only really negative thoughts on this, and it ties into what I said before about this being a new adult, is that I often forgot these characters were teenagers. At least, Annie and Clay. The supporting characters definitely felt and acted like teens; but Annie and Clay, the way they read and were written, they definitely read older than eighteen to me. I don’t know if maybe it’s because the tone of this novel features more serious issues, or what, but I really feel like this book is more for the older end of the YA audience.

Overall I found this story very enjoyable. It gripped me from start to finish, I wanted to follow through Annie and Clay’s relationship, see if they both figured everything out at the end. I thought the ending was very well done, and very up-lifting. I recommend this to the older end of the YA spectrum 16+. If you like musical books, contemporary romance, and amazing storylines, you’re going to want to pick this one up in April.

This is the perfect summer romance, with just enough complexity and heartache to make the story stick with you for months. I fell in love with Annie and Clay, and felt absolutely immersed in their lives and the country music scene. The character development was really top notch: they both had so much depth, and I found myself laughing and crying and grinning triumphantly as I read. And Annie’s faith is something I desperately wished I’d seen in books when I was a teen—imperfect, but real—the type of thing I wish we saw more of. I absolutely tore through this one, and Hahn has proved herself an author to watch.

This was just okay. It was cute and sweet at times but I felt like the story just lacked.....something to pull me in. I didn't find their meeting, their interactions or their story to be entirely believable (count me shocked when finding out it's based on a real love story). I wanted to be pulled in and read their love story but, instead, I found myself annoyed with them and their lies and games.

Meh. It was cute but I wish I'd liked it more.

I was so super excited to receive this book via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion.
***
Wow, what a fun filled, tumultuous ride this book took me on. I’ve always loved Contemporary romance novels and this one was epic in its own right. I thought it would be really predictable but luckily it wasn’t as much as I thought it would be. I loved that it was musical centered and man, can the author write some catchy lyrics! I disliked how dramatic the protagonist was being at times but that was just a small dislike. Clay was such a great book boyfriend even with all his baggage. I liked that Erin Hahn tackled some deep topics and it wasn’t just fluff. Kudos to her for writing an awesome debut novel.

Highly recommended!

You'd be Mine is a mash-up of Country Strong and Walk the Line. It's full of hope for people to change and not become their parents. Clay and Annie are the perfect couple pairing. Erin Hahn's lyrics written to incorporate with the story lend some poetry to the characters and showcase not only their talents but their feelings for their lives and each other. This is a perfect summer read and will make you want to go on your own festival tour.