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).

I like...no, I very much like...no, I love...no, I adore...no, dang it, there are no words to tell you what I feel about You’d Be Mine and Erin Hahn. BUT I can tell you that some authors are moving down on my shelf to make room for a new favorite. Whoever said you can’t write hot romantic scenes without sex, hasn’t read Hahn. Believe me you’ll read the scenes over and over AND OVER. Oh, and Clay and Annie? Well, they are real...real life, real inspiration, real lovable characters. Brokenness isn’t always pitiful..sometimes it’s Beautiful!

Most of what I've been in the mood for recently has been fluffy YA romances, so I jumped at the opportunity when I saw that You'd Be Mine was available to Read Now on Netgalley.  This book ended up being everything I had hoped it would be, plus a little more.

Let me start off by saying that I'm not typically a fan of books (particularly YA books) that deal with heavy topics and You'd Be Mine tackles alcoholism, drug use, depression, grief, and the death of a parent. With that many issues in one YA book, it would be pretty common for me to get overwhelmed and think it's too much. I'm really happy to say that the author handled these topics well and I was not overwhelmed, nor did I think it was too much.

Now that I have that part out of the way, I can talk about my favorite topic: the romance. The relationship between Annie and Clay is so cute. I loved it so much. I thought that the progression of their relationship was written really well and I loved seeing them not only realize their feelings, but also become willing to act on them. And let me tell you, even if I'd hated the rest of the book (and I didn't, at all, I loved it), the whole book would have been worth it because of the last line. I almost cried legitimate tears.

Erin Hahn is such a talented writer and I can't wait to read more from her.

Okay so I loved this book. Cheesy romance, a mix up of a stereotype - I'm here for it. You'd Be MIne made me laugh and Fitz was the big brother figure we all want. But best of all, the characters were flawed which made for the perfect book.

This is a cute romance between two up and coming country music stars. I liked how the author dealt with addiction problems and how they impact everyone. I wish we could have heard the songs, the lyrics were so beautiful!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

You’d Be Mine is similar to a modern day version of Johnny and June. Annie Mather’s is America’s sweetheart, right off the farm. She reminded me of a young Taylor Swift, sweet and innocent, yet a bit damaged. Clay Coolidge is a typical superstar-bad boy, getting all the girls, who’s all but partied his last tour away.
When Clay is forced to invite Annie on his tour to repair his image they have instant chemistry despite the losses they are both struggling with and their differences.
This was a fun story about the lives of these two talented performers. I am not a big country music fan, but I found myself cheering for these young country stars. I would definitely recommend this young adult book!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy, my opinions are my own.
This review will be featured on my blog Monday December 17, 2018.
www.colecampfireblog.com
LanaLCole@yahoo.com

This book reminded me a lot of the tv show Nashville. I was completely stoked about it. I love love love that show. I do have a weird fascination with certain country music artists and a handful of pop artist. 

Annie Mathers is every country label's dream. The daughter of two country stars--one star shined a bit brighter than the other. If her parents' relationship was a healthy one, I would've thought they were like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. But her dad, Robbie Mathers was a good ole Southern boy who married the Yankee country queen, Cora Rosewood. Annie is America's sweetheart who was raised in chaos. Her parents were gone, drunk, or high. But Annie went to the Grand Ole Opry at the rope age of 5. She resisted the urge to sing, record, or anything to do with country music. It has always been in her blood. It took country superstar Clay Coolidge to make her realize that. 

Clay reminded me of a young Kenny Chesney. He sings about drinking and having fun--frat boy songs. Clay has some demons of his own that he has been running from for a long time. One too many bar fights has put him at the top of the labels--it list. To redeem himself, he needs to return to Nashville with Annie Mathers as a label artist. He does just that. She becomes his opening act of his summer tour. Like everything else in his life, it doesn't go according to his plan. 

Annie's sweet as a bell compared to his bad boy reputation has people making connections to other country couples such as Annie's parents and Johnny and June Cash. It also starts rumors of the two in a romantic relationship when they hate each other. Hate is a powerful emotion--one that can turn into love at the drop of a Stetson or ball cap. 

This is a very sweet romance with no sex, very little language, and a sprinkling of religion. Country music and God go hand in hand. It is not overtly religious, Annie goes to church and sticks to her religious beliefs but she doesn't expect nor preach to her bandmates when they engage in various behaviors. 

It very much reminds me of multiple characters in Nashville. 

The only complaint I have is the ending...sucks. The book just stops. No resolution for the characters at all. No happy ever after.

“After all, it isn’t only about how you see yourself. It’s about how the world sees you see yourself that matters.”

I was fortunate enough to receive a Netgalley ARC of Erin Hahn’s You’d Be Mine, in which I discovered the story of Annie Mathers, up-and-coming country starlet, and Clay Coolidge, country megastar with more than his fair share of tight Levis and songs about girls and beer. Though Mathers and Clay seem to be polar opposites when it comes to music choice (Clay: popular hits, Annie: soulful ballads), values (Annie: praying before shows, Clay: carpe diem), and alcohol (Clay: the more the merrier, Annie: teetotaler), a shared experience of past tragedy and a deep love of music draws them ever closer. Predictably, their time spent on the road leads to these two falling for one another, but don’t think that this is just another romance; You’d Be Mine proves to be just as much a search for identity as a search for love. Through her music, Annie seeks to define herself apart from her parents, yet she struggles to tame the nearly paralyzing anxiety that, along with her beautiful voice, is her legacy from her country royalty/addict mom and dad. For his part, Clay struggles with his “good old boy” industry label, battling inner demons in a pursuit of the type of music that would make his late grandfather and brother proud. While the story can at times feel episodic and it’s easy to mistake the characters as a bit older than their professed 18 and 19 year old ages, the careful treatment of addiction, subtle motif of faith, and writing that makes you feel like you’re smack dab in the middle of a sold-out summer stadium concert makes You’d Be Mine a great purchase for high school libraries. This book walks the razor’s edge, at once keeping in the PG-13 realm of romance while simultaneously delving into the dark side of fame. In the end, You’d Be Mine reads like the perfect teenage country dream, and it wins out by dealing with weighty subject matter while eventually tying everything up on a hopeful note. For fans of TV’s Nashville, Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’, Lady Gaga’s portrayal in A Star is Born, and country music in general.

You'd Be Mine walks that delightful line between YA and NA. I'm loving all these books recently that fit more into the Upper YA/New Adult age category. (Don't get me started on how publishing didn't treat New Adult right and they need to give it a second chance and market it properly.)

I'm still dipping my toe back into Contemporary YA and I'm so glad I had the chance to read this one. It hit all the right notes (pun intended). I don't consider myself a country music fan, but I think Annie and Clay could turn me into one. I found myself wishing more than once that I could get a soundtrack full of every song in this book, including the fictional ones!!

Many of the issues tackled in the story are definitely adult, which I think made this straddle the YA/NA line so perfectly. A character struggles with alcoholism, suicide is mentioned and discussed, there's drug use and casual sex. The topics, however, are handled so tenderly that they never felt overdone or anything. Everything fit.

One thing I really loved in this book were the religious aspects. As a Christian myself, I really appreciated how religion so seamlessly fit into the lives of the characters. It was not looked down upon or overly represented or anything -- it's just part of the characters' lives. That was super refreshing for me, and I love that it gives readers the freedom to form their own opinions of religion within the context of the story.

All in all, I adored this book. It's going to be a perfect summer read and will have everyone wishing Annie and Clay were real. I can't wait to read more from Erin Hahn!

I am somewhat amused that this book is coming out so close to the release of the latest iteration of <i>A Star is Born</i>, as this has its share of parallels. A story following some country musicians on tour and the meteoric rise of the tag-a-long musicians, this hits a lot of notes that you’ve heard before, but it doesn’t take away from a quality story here. A solid YA effort on a whole with the proper balance of heartstring-tugging and will-they-or-won’t-they interplay, it’s basically a well-crafted teen romance that doesn’t forge a ton of new ground because it doesn’t have to.

Oh man that was a swoony ride and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's no secret Emery Lord's "Open Road Summer" is one of my favorite YA books. This one is really similar, except we get multiple perspectives, way more damaged characters, and what it's like to establish yourself as a country music star. Overall I really liked mostly everything about it, but I'll read the final version when it comes out in April, then make some more specific comments.

What a great romantic ya read set in the world of country music. This was a fun story, but also very deep. A lot of emotion and thought provoking as the two main characters fight to find out how real their relationship is, while also dealing with their past. I enjoyed this story and will look for more by Erin Hahn. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

"You'd Be Mine" follows two young country music stars on their path to self-discovery, dealing with past family deaths, and romance. Clay Coolidge is a sensation- he seemingly has it all, but he hasn't coped with the deaths of his grandfather or brother, who died as a soldier in Iraq. He deals with it by drinking- which is an unhealthy behavior, he knows it, but he doesn't know what to do about it. After an incident with underage drinking (he is underage) and a fight, Clay's label is ready to drop him and cancel his tour. They offer him a second chance if he can get Annie Mathers to sign onto the tour.

Annie knows she is ready to sign and begin touring, but she has a lot of fears about it. Her parents were country music royalty until they committed double suicide when Annie was 13. Annie is afraid of turning into her parents and ruining her life. She clings to religion and an unwillingness to drink or participate in those aspects of music star life to prevent what happened to her parents from happening to her. When Clay comes knocking, Annie is up for the tour, but afraid of having a relationship.

Over the summer of the tour, both Annie and Clay must face down their demons and begin to heal if they have any hope of a future. Told in alternating parts, we see how they each must confront and deal with their pasts. While I found the first third a little slow, the pace sped up and got more intense later in the book. By the middle, I was pretty invested in Annie and Clay as well as a potential relationship. Their journeys to healing were really powerful to watch. This is a very angsty and push-pull romance that builds somewhat slowly- though I wouldn't want it to go faster. They both have a lot to deal with and this doesn't happen overnight.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and watching Annie and Clay begin to grow up and move forward in their lives and with their music. Be prepared for a somewhat rough and angsty but real and intense ride to romance with content warnings for alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicides (past).

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is an excellent love story. The characters are easy to love. The storyline is great. It’s a must read