Cover Image: You'd Be Mine

You'd Be Mine

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Member Reviews

"Who wants the man behind the curtain when they can have the Wizard?"

"You'd Be Mine" is about two Country music stars trying to deal with their own problems in their own ways.

Annie wants nothing to do with Clay's bad boy image: She'd rather make her own path towards fame than be saddled with being in his lime-light. Clay needs Annie for her voice on his tour or else his career is history...

The beginning was great - It kept my attention, enraptured me with how the characters dynamics were being played out and how I wanted to know how they would change over the course of the book. Annie's personality was refreshing to Clay's bad boy persona. I liked how she brought out her witty banter whenever Clay tried to make her feel inferior.

In the middle to the end of the book is where I started to lose interest.

It felt like the last couple of chapters were just filler. There really was nothing substantial that the reader needed to know.
I think the only things worth keeping were the bonfire scene and the explanation about her parents and his brother for backstory.
Other then that, there was nothing really keeping my interest. It all just started to be about the tour and their music than about the character's growing relationship.

The grief plot line was one of the good things about this book. I liked how the author touched on how different grieving is for both of the main characters and the way that their grief could bring them closer together - because no one really knew how they both were feeling besides each other.

I also really liked the glimpse of how hard it is to be in the spotlight. How being in the public eye all the time takes a toll on the person behind the lights and the music. It made the story more real - tangible, even.

Overall, "You'd Be Mine" was more than just two teenagers stuck in the positives and negatives of fame. It was about grief and connection, passion and music. It was a refreshing take on the lives of two characters who are so different, but because of their shared passions and shared grievances, they started to fit into something more, something connected.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this book early and share my thoughts on this story.
Look for "You'd Be Mine" when it comes out in April of 2019.

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This is the first book I have read by this author and I truly enjoyed it. I am huge fan of country music so this book hit home with me. I was drawn to the characters right away. I was so sad for both of the characters and all the things they had both experienced but enjoyed going on the journey with them in the story. The characters were developed and believable and the plot was engaging and kept me wanting more. In all this book was very well written and exactly what I wanted to read.

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This is the perfect book to read if you like Johnny Cash, June Carter, Country Music or summer's on the road. The live shows were well captured and felt clear, realistic and heart pounding. Highly recommend played the mentioned songs while reading this one, as it made the entire experience so immersive.

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This is going to be an interesting one for me to write. I typically review primarily "Christian Fiction" books; this does not fall into that category. However, in my continued efforts to find just plain GOOD material - interesting story, compelling dialogue, witty repartee, strong plot, etc. for my teenage daughter, it is a constant challenge to discover books that would be considered (even remotely) clean. I loved the summary of this book and initially thought it might be a good fit.

I was wrong that the book would work for my girl (seriously, there is a tremendous amount of language/drug use/alcoholism/teenage sex, etc.); but for myself, I truly did enjoy the story. It was actually compelling. It is a good story. There is witty repartee and a strong plot. I also found it incredibly hard to believe that this is the author's first book, because it does not read like a first book AT ALL.

Country music royalty baby Annie Mathers is just about ready to make her professional music debut. Current country music superstar/heartthrob Clay Coolidge may also only be 18, but he's already lived quite a bit (and really, done a lot he shouldn't). In an effort to repair some of the damage to his image, Clay is "enlisted" to convince Annie that they should tour together, as his label wants nothing more than to sign her.

Annie's parents had an explosive relationship that ended tragically, and she is determined to never repeat their mistakes. But, she loves music more than anything - and decides to give the tour - and maybe a friendship with Clay, a shot. Clay is fighting demons he doesn't even recognize and is drawn to Annie's heart and character. He is drawn to her, but will he ultimately figure out who he loves more - Annie, or himself?

Couple of things to note:
This is a topic that (at first glance) has been done repeatedly, but there were numerous fresh takes to be found here.
IwishIwishIwish that authors everywhere would find a way to be "real" and "honest" and "true" without all of the extra dirt. Truly. There absolutely is a way to do this without all the naughty. Go a little deeper and figure it out. Note: I did, however, appreciate that if sexual experiences had to occur, she wrote it without the full descriptors. Kudos to Erin Hahn for that one.
I'll still recommend this book. I do not think it is for the YA market though - it reads like an adult novel, just with characters who are figuring out who they are, and are only 18. But this really shouldn't (please Jesus) be a book for teens.
The cover is gorgeous.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Wednesday Books in exchange for my honest review.

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I enjoyed Annie and Clay's battles with their pasts, but I was never 100% convinced of their relationship. Not being very versed in classic country, I felt a little disconnected to most of the musical references. I recognized the names, but am not familiar enough with the songs to be able to pick them out by their title. Over all I was compelled to finish the story. I liked it, but didn't love it.

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Cute, if a bit melodramatic, country music tour romance. Much soul searching, much chemistry, very little action and a fairly satisfying conclusion.

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There are some trigger warnings there’s mentions of suicide, alcoholism and drugs.

This book follows a girl named Annie who happens to be smart, genuine and talented daughter of country music legends. One day there is something tragic that happens when she’s 13 and leaves Annie all alone and shocked from the event, she refuses to follow in her parents footsteps.
Clay and he is the country swoon worthy bad boy. He gets drunk and arrested one night an his music label makes a deal with him. But he needs to convince Annie to sign to there label, will he be able to? Or will she run because she doesn’t want to be in the spot light?
I think this would be a great summer read to sit at the beach and read.
If you are a fan of country music you will love this book. so make sure to check it out in 2019.

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CW: Suicide mentions, alcoholism, & drug addiction

I wanted to love this so bad. But, it just did not click with me.

This book follows Annie, an up and coming country music star and Clay who has been an artist for awhile. Clay of course is a “bad boy” and needs the innocence and allure of Annie to “save” his tour. Did I know going into this that this would be cliche? Yes and honestly there isn’t anything wrong with cliches. I was excited to see the girl being at the same level as the guy, rather than her being a normal girl. It was an interesting twist, but not enough to pull me in.

I could not connect with the characters. They don’t have much depth and are just not that likable. Both of them have gone through terrible tragedies and have serious baggage as a result. The thing is, the baggage is only mentioned when needed to advance the plot or cause “drama” between characters. Not that the characters need to be sad all the time, but they both have past traumas and it only surfaces at very specific times. I like character driven novels and the characters in this novel did nothing for me.

I think this would have been better as an adult romance novel or a new adult novel. Some of the themes were a little dark for a YA contemporary novel and the story would have had more of an impact if the characters were older. If this was aimed at a older audience we also could have explored the darker themes rather than just mentioning everything in a cryptic way.

Overall, it was an okay book. I see why some people like it and maybe if I was younger I might have enjoyed it more. The novel is strangely dark at times, especially considering I thought it was going to be a fluffy book about two country music stars. I would have liked to see the characters be slightly older so we could address the darker issues head on, rather than skirt around them.


Clay: I don’t deserve her
Me: You really don’t, but this is a YA book so just get with her so we can go home

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You’d Be Mine is a modern young adult retelling of Johnny and June Carter Cash’s relationship - the bad boy with demons who hit it big and the girl who grew up in the spotlight of country music going on tour together. I thought this was a very sweet love story. Not gonna lie, it made me tear up a couple of times. And I enjoyed reading it next to my Amazon speaker and playing the old country songs that were referred throughout the book while I was reading. You can preorder this book now and it hits shelves April 2nd, 2019. I would give this book 4/5.
Thank you to @netgalley and @erinhahn_author for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.

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Thank you to St. Martins Press for this ARC!
You'd be mine is a story about Annie Mathers, the talented daughter and heir of country music legends. Tragedy touches her life when her parents both die, leaving Annie orphaned, traumatized and left to pick up the pieces of her young life. Send in troubled country music bad-boy Clay Coolidge, and Annie is thrown for a tailspin. Clay knows that his label is fed-up with his philandering and trouble-making ways, so they give him an ultimatum. Convince Annie Mathers to sign with them and go on tour with Clay, or they will drop as an artist from their label. This is no easy task as Annie has been avoiding the spotlight since her parents deaths shook her. Annie is convinced by Clay's undeniable charm and swoon-worthy good looks, and she and her band eventually agree to join his tour. As Annie and Clay tour together across the country, fans are convinced that a romance is brewing between the two country stars, and Annie and Clay can't help but wonder if they should play into this idea. Feelings grow, and tensions rise. Will Annie and Clay over-come their demons and finally give-in to happiness they could find together? or will their pasts stop them?

I really enjoyed reading You'd be Mine by debut author Erin Hahn. This book had a sassy main female character in Annie and a swoon-worthy bad boy in Clay. The chemistry between the two was through the roof and when they connected with each other it was really sweet. Both of them had pasts that haunted them and changed the way they formed relationships with people, and each other. I really liked that not only was the character Annie giving her audience on tour an "education" in country music but I also, as a reader got an education in the genre. I loved all the characters in this book so much! They were funny and sassy and REAL (despite the whole celebrity thing)! It all made me love them and really had me rooting for everyone to find what (and who) made them happy! This book takes you on a journey of love, heartbreak and redemption and I encourage readers to open this book and dive in!

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This book was sweet, sparky and enjoyable.

I enjoyed the story and how it mirrored the Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash and it was light enough to recommend to a teenage audience, only touching on some darker themes.

I wasn't keen on the song lyrics and found that they took up too much of the writing but other than that great. This would be a really nice summer read for a teenager or young adult.

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I loved this book so much. It felt like my face was melting from smiling so much while reading it. I teared up a few times too (sometimes I teared up *while* smiling). This book is just amazing.

Annie is such an amazing character. Smart, opinionated, talented, loyal to her friends and herself, and genuine. I loved her immediately and rooted for her till the very end. She's amazing.

Clay is so layered (Shrek and Donkey would say he's like an onion) and well-written you can't help but want to know everything about him.

The side characters are perfectly written, the story is perfection, and the references to music will make you want to put on your boots and your best summer dress and go find some good music.

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CWs: alcoholism, drug overdose, graphic description of suicide, PTSD, panic attack

You'd Be Mine tells the story of two country musicians: Annie Mathers, the daughter of two famous parents who died when she was 13, and Clay Coolidge, the bad boy in country music. After Clay is arrested drunk one time too many, his label makes a bargain with him - he convinces Annie Mathers to sign to them, and tour with her, and they don't drop him. Despite their reservations, they're attracted to each other from early on, though Annie doesn't want to end up like her parents and Clay has his own problems to deal with.

If I'm honest, I was, at the start at least, expecting something a little different to what I got. I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but it wasn't quite this. I think maybe it was that the MCs hit off so early, I was kind of wanting something with a little more slowburn. Perhaps with them not really liking each other to start, but growing on one another. But instead, they were attracted fairly early on. But then, their romance isn't that large a feature in the story, insofar as it's not the only plot. Instead, it's a fairly character-driven story, about Annie's rise to fame and Clay's dealing with his grief and alcoholism.

I liked that about this book. The characters were also so intriguing and realistic that I didn't feel like I got bored of the plot, or lightness of it, although the trope of sweet, innocent girl and bad boy is a little overdone and I did get somewhat bored by that. (Especially the whole "I'm not good for you" thing, which, okay, I understand in this context, but can we talk cliches?) I also really liked that Annie's love didn't "save" Clay from his alcoholism. Instead of falling into those tired, awful tropes, Clay gets himself help and afterwards they get together for real.

What I didn't really like about their relationship, however, was this: Clay at one point humiliates Annie in front of an enormous crowd - just before he hits rock bottom - but he never apologises for it. Not even after he's all better. It's just kind of brushed under the rug and never mentioned again. And I hated it. He treats her like shit in front of a whole stadium crowd and yet it's passed over, almost excused as a result of his alcoholism (and at this point, slight paranoia). Also brushed under the rug is the fact that he effectively cheats on Annie during the tour. Okay, so maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but he kisses Annie a few times and then, without talking to her, and without them obviously coming to the joint decision to stop, he hooks up with Lora. And, yes, all of this happens at the worst point of his addiction, just before he overdoses and hits rock bottom, but it's still on him. And he should still apologise to Annie. But he doesn't. After he's recovered, it all appears to be forgotten. So yeah. That kind of ruined the end for me.

Overall though, You'd Be Mine was an easy, well-written read. I just wish I'd cared a bit more about the relationship between the characters.

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Country music fans will enjoy reading this story about a girl from music royalty who joins the tour of a boy who enjoys fighting and partying a little more than playing music.

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Two teen country singers, both struggling with hard life experiences, join together on a summer tour that impacts both of them. This is an unflinching look at how the bad things that happen can lead down two, separate, distinct paths: one leading to possible destruction and the other to wholeness.
Clay lost his older brother in the war and never allowed himself to grieve. Rather, he used booze to fuel his on and off stage persona. Annie found her country legend parents after their murder/suicide leaving her traumatized at age thirteen. Both have music to drive them until they meet and together they start the hard process of coming to terms with their pasts.

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You’d Be Mine is such a perfect end of summer book. I’m glad I read it when I did. I loved the country music background, mention of current country music singers, and a bit of insight to the industry. Clay and Annie both have had to deal with serious issues in their lives and are forced to grow up quickly. Mistakes are made along the way, and a chance for learning emerges. This book deals with some sensitive topics such as alcoholism, drug use, and suicide, but I felt that it really shows how hurtful these things are and how important it is to try and overcome them.

I kind of wish there was more of a highlight on Annie and Clay’s relationship. They had a rocky relationship (in all aspects of the word) but I feel like when the book ended, I wasn’t quite there with them yet. I would have likes a bit more time to see their characters grow.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

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Annie is the daughter of country music royalty, who refuses to follow in her parents' footsteps. Clay is a country music bad boy. The love story is cliché, sure, but it's done SO WELL. The characters are marvelously layered, the story is engrossing, and the author doesn't shy away from harder topics like grief and substance abuse.

Equal parts sweet and hard-hitting, this book was everything I love blended into one. It's a sparkling, must-read debut.

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As my first e-arc ever, I didn't know what to expect but I loved this book (4.5/5).

Let me tell you that as a French girl, I don't know anything about Country music, its culture and so on. At best, I know what we can pick up in films which might be a little stereotypical I guess.

Anyway, my first impressions: I wasn't swept away by the very first chapters; it was OK but I didn't truly care about the characters at first, and was worried it will just stay on the surface of things (of their personality & their aspirations).
Then, the story unfolds and as Annie and Clay are falling for each other, we're falling for them.😍

I particularly loved anything music-related, it is at the core of this romance (they respectively fall in love with their music/ talent before even falling in love with each other).❤🎼🎵
The lyrics of their songs are so important to the story, it was one of the things I enjoyed the most in this novel! I wish there was a soundtrack with it!!😆 I'm kind of hoping a singer will read this book and play it!!
While I was reading, I listened to the songs that the characters performed on their tour and discovered Johnny Cash and June Carter's voice for the first time (I already knew "Jolene" which is mentioned too). I love how music is a way to lay bare their souls, to declare their feelings; it is when they're playing/ composing that they're the most vulnerable!

As for the romance, it is really cute! And Clay seems really attractive.😍 I think I would have liked it better if the characters were 25 years old (NA) and if there were some steamy scenes between those two! There was SO MUCH potential, and even if it takes a few chapters to settle in, the chemistry is really there!!

The other characters were quite interesting too: Annie's cousin, Fitz, Jason. Real friendship with no rivalry or jealousy! it's refreshing!

Oh and I almost forgot but I really need to say this: the last sentence -though rather simple, left me oh-so satisfied with my read 😍...we often talk about the first sentence of a book but the last one is just as important and the last sentence of this book put a huge smile on my face and made me want to read even more.

So as a whole, I recommend this YA contemporary (mostly romance); I would have put 5 stars if there had been more love scenes.

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Thanks to the author for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

Loved it, ...could not put it down. Take two young country music singers and send them on tour together to see if they can fall in love. Works for me.. Annie and Clay are both highly talented young adults who have lost a lot in their lives. Both... kind of solo, in the go it alone stages of their lives. Clay lost a grandfather and his brother, and Annie lost both of her parents. Now the two have joined forces in a tour that seems to be endless as the two learn about each other and what they could be.

What did I like? The whole damn thing. Clay was spiraling down just as Annie's career is taking off. As they join forces Clay tries to shut her out which only seems to bring the two closer. Great characters and great tragedy just bring the book to an exciting pinnacle.

Would I buy this book? Hell to the yea. Its decidedly YA but adult tones which make it a perfect read for just about anyone. Just enough drama and hype to keep the book rolling. Really enjoyable read.

Words for the author? This is my first book by you and I just loved it. I would beta read for you anytime. Great book!

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Country music star Clay Coolidge has the fame but his life is falling apart. Annie Maters, child of a famous, dead, country couple is just starting out. Clay and Annie find themselves on tour together. Will they be each other's undoing or will love build them up?

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little predictable but I fell in love with the characters and the journey they take together. Watts' lyrics and details describing the tour are so enjoyable that I now need the soundtrack to this book.
If you're looking for a story with drama and romance, pick up this book!

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