Yes, please! More Than Maybe and all Erin Hahn has to offer please!!!! It doesn't matter that I'm a full grown adult with kids almost Vada and Luke's age. This book is heartwarming, swoony, and absolutely wonderful. Almost everyone has had a crush (whether or not it was so bad it debilitated them) so it's super easy to empathize with them. It's a chance to experience what happens when you click with that ONE person and it's a chance to fall in love with love.

Hahn has definitely embraced what I can only assume is a vast knowledge or her inner music nerd for More Than Maybe. While her first novel proved a love for music, it seems Hahn has unearthed her knowledge and given us all some new songs to add to our playlists. Whether you "gel" with the new (or in some cases, old tunes), you will fall for these characters one quirky conversation at a time. I don't just mean Vada and Luke. I'm not so secretly hoping Hahn would give us Cullen's story too because I'm a sucker for HEA and my hopeless romantic soul needs Zach and Cull to be forever. Phil is a keeper as well and would love to see him in the future too. Or maybe...More Than Maybe I need to tell you that this book is everything you want, hope and love about young adult books- regardless of your age.

More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn is an wonderful young adult romance, which I enjoyed. Luke Greenly and his twin brother, Cullen, grew up with their famous punk rocker dad. Luke has great talent singing and writing songs, but he does not want to be in the spot light. Vada Carsewell works for her mother's boyfriend Phil, who owns the Loud Lizard. Cullen and Vada have admired each other from a far, and are now getting to know each other. I really liked all the music references in this book. I even found myself looking up the songs lyrics. I love the quirky people and situations in this book, and watching the characters grow. I found this book to be a quick read, and highly recommend it to all YA romance readers, young and old.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.25/5 stars. This was a really sweet YA romance. Loved having music as the background, though I wish I could hear the songs that were written (much like Daisy Jones & The Six).

A cozy, delightful novel! With endearing protagonists, a setting that is warm and lived-in, conflict that can be resolved predictably, and song references to boot!

Strengths: Protagonists that are distinctly drawn, focus on loyalty to family while also maintaining the importance of following one's personal dreams/goals, setting that excels in building a sense of familiarity

Weaknesses: Predictability, degree of cursing (excessive!)

Thank you to NetGalley, publishers, and Erin Hahn for early access to this title! Would recommend!

The publisher kindly invited me to the blog tour and offered me an advanced reader copy via NetGalley. Yet, this review reflects my unbiased opinion.

More Than Maybe is a book that speaks to the soul of the reader and another precious YA contemporary by Erin Hahn. In case you're new to this author, she has also written You'd Be Mine, which is superb and perfect if you love country music like I do. The author is excellent at writing perfectly relatable characters and creating a narrative that could very well be real, and not fiction.

I truly enjoyed reading More Than Maybe. I don't think I've read a book with two main characters that I identify with so much. Luke is an adorable introvert (like me!) who knows what he wants to do but isn't sure how. Vada is the ambitious girl with big dreams and a clear path as to how to get there. She has also had a strained childhood, with a dad being M.I.A. or causing trouble when he's not M.I.A.. Not to overshare, but I was Vada. I also had a Phil-like figure in my life, but damn, Phil is the one in a million stepdad. These two characters were so me that it felt like I was reading a story based on my life. It was a shock, a relief, and a delight at the same time.

I loved the characters. I also loved how the romance wasn't the center of the story. It was about two teenagers finding their way towards their dreams and the future they want to achieve. All the characters are fully fleshed out and well-developed. I do believe relatable characters is the author's specialty, so she definitely didn't disappoint!

There wasn't a thing I disliked about the book. The pacing and plot line were a little too slow for me, and I didn't feel an urgency to resume reading the book. But this was just me.

Other than that, the book is great, and I am really glad that this book will be out in the world. I strongly believe that this story and these characters will touch and resonate with many readers and teenagers.

4 stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

More Than Maybe is ya contemporary that showed up in my life just when I needed one.
I was craving for a story like this, and am so grateful it was in my hands in the exactly right time.

Therefore, because I enjoyed every single page of this book (the bitter and the sweet) I had to rate it so high.

Music (or songs to be particular) plays big role in both Vada's and Luke's life which, as a result, has that it has big role in this story too.
They send music links to each other through the story, and I imagine if a reader goes and listen to them while reading, it makes the reading experience so much richer.

I haven't played all the songs, but some I have.

I have to mention here that one particular song (Anna Begins by Counting Crows) was triggering for me, as it puts me in the dark place, and I couldn't help myself, I had to listen to it again and again.
However, it is important to emphasize that it is purely, 100% personal.

The novel is written in first person, from two perspectives: Vada's and Luke's.
I enjoyed Luke's POV little more, as he was more interesting to me as a character.

This was really good coming of age ya romance, and I would recommend it to ya contemporary lovers out there.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free review copy. All opinions are my own. 

I was so excited to review this book by Hahn because I loved You'd Be Mine last year, and I enjoyed this one just as much. She puts so many music references in this book that I just loved. I think it really adds to the experience, especially if the reader takes the time to look up the lyrics or listen to the songs that are mentioned in the book. 

I also loved Luke and Vada. They each like music and are connected to it in their own ways, yet their friendship is also brought together because of this shared love and passion. There are also complicated family dynamics and problem solving for these characters as they are about to embark on adulthood. There is a great balance in this book between the music, friendships, family relationships, and potential love in this story.

I read Erin Hahn's first book, You'd Be Mine, last year and loved it for the inside view of rising stars in the music industry. More Than Maybe is also set in the music world, but with characters who have already risen, and descended, in fame and influence.

I loved the characters and relationships in this book. I found them so charming, but realistic. This book also had lots of music references that had me jumping on Youtube to look up all the bands mentioned in the story. This was a simply joyous book.

What I Liked:

Characters:
Vada is a girl with so much going on. As a senior in high school, she has been accepted into college, but needs to find a way to pay for it (no wealthy parents here). Her whole life is centered around figuring out what she'll do. Even with after school jobs, and possible scholarships, she's falling short. She really needs her bio-dad to step up and help pay for college. But he's got a new family and doesn't feel it's his responsibility. I can totally relate to the stress and anger she feels. I loved that she never gives up. Her journey moves from anger and helplessness to acceptance and embracing all the positive things (and people) in her life.

Luke's dad has already had a successful music career in England. You can tell his dad really misses the fame and power he had. Luke knows that he has the talent to follow in his dad's footsteps, but wants no part of the notoriety that comes with fame. He would much rather work in the background, composing music, than performing it. I liked that Luke knew what he wanted and would not be persuaded from his own goals.

Parents:
I loved that these were not just stereotypes of parents, but a variety of realistic people. Luke's parents have a longer-term marriage, and his dad is projecting his own aspirations onto his kids. This happens so much! Vada's parents are divorced and now with other partners. Her dad is a total jerk, wanting his daughter's respect, but not helping her out in any way.

But the most wonderful adult in this book was Phil, Vada's boss who is also dating her mom. While he's an anchor for Vada and her mom. he is not there to save them. I thought that showed a great deal of respect for them.

Music:
There is so much wonderful music in this book that I can't possibly list them all. I enjoyed how the characters connected to the music. There is already a playlist on Spotify!

Loved the many, many songs in this story and how they were used as complete texts to send a message. Playlist at the end was great. Followed the trope, but in a good way. Teen romance fans are sure to sa-woon (h/t Sarah Dessen).

Young, hardcore music fans this YA romance is just right for you! The main characters, Luke and Vada alternate narrating the chapters and as the reader, you are constantly rooting for each of them. This book is perfect for when you are in the mood for light-hearted romance. The characters are fun and whimsical but also appeal to teenagers looking into college and serious about their futures. The music trivia is an added bonus and helps the reader understand the characters. The best part of this book is the characters aren’t heavy on the angst; instead they are smart, well behaved but still rebellious teenagers. The characters aren’t stereotypical teenagers or clichés. And Hahn does a good job of giving each one a unique personality and fleshing out each character’s role in the book.

Do like YA romance? How about music, are you a music lover? If you answer yes to either of these questions, you will most likely enjoy this book. If you answer yes to both of these questions, you will probably love this book!

Vada is a Hugh school senior, and she has a plan. She wants to be a journalist that covers music and musicians. She works at her mom’s boyfriend’s bar, The Loud Lizard, where many bands play. She has taken over the bar’s music blog and has quite a following. She’s hoping to go to a prestigious college in CA if she can figure out how to finance it (maybe she can talk her dad into helping). She has also had a crush on Luke for years, but she doesn’t have time for that.

Luke and his twin brother, Cullen, have a popular podcast and they record it at The Loud Lizard. Turns out Luke’s had his eye on Vada for a while too, but has been too shy to do anything about it. And he’s a talented musician that has no interest in performing, much to his former punk rock dad’s dismay. Vada and Luke get paired up on a school project, and this forces them to spend time together.

I loved how awkward, snarky, and, sometimes angsty their communication was! They do a lot of communicating by sharing songs, so if you are a music nerd, you must read this! I am not at all musical, so think I missed out on this aspect of the story, but still enjoyed it! I will continue to read whatever Erin Hahn writes. This was a fun YA romance that made me smile and feel the feels!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

More than Maybe

All the stars


All the stars. I loved this book. I
Immediately fell in love with Veda and Luke. They are adorable and I love how they describe music and know
Every song and lyric. This book has an amazing playlist made from songs they send each other or represent certain moments. I loved everything about it.
Veda wants a to be a music critic. She already does to concerts and reviews bands in her blog. She wants to go to college on the west coast but is having trouble affording it and her father who is barely in her life is refusing to help. Luke is the son of a famous punk rocker. He loves music but not stardom. He wants to write but not perform. He works on a podcast with his brother. They record it at the club Veda works at. Veda and Luke have crushes on each other but don’t really talk to each other. One day they are thrown together at school and the relationship grows from there. I highly recommend this book. It a really heartfelt. It pulls you in like a great sing and keeps you there.

I'm stuck between rating this a 3 or a 4, so 3.5 I suppose it is!

More Than Maybe was an adorable contemporary romance about two teens (young adults, really) that are brought together by their shared love and passion for music, despite all the problems they face in their day-to-day lives.

On the one hand, there's Vada, an aspiring music journalist who has a solid plan for accomplishing her dreams without the support of her absentee father. On the other hand, there's Luke, who's long since buried his talent for singing and song-writing.

The book mainly focuses on how their relationship grows, stemming from the pair's similar tastes in music. I found this book and it's characters sweet, if a little 2-D. The romance is built well, although the storyline itself is quite predictable at times. There were also many, many pop culture references, not all being music-related either, which I wasn't all that fond of.

Additionally, Cullen, Luke's twin brother, and his relationship with his boyfriend, Zach, was cute, even if it wasn't focused on much. The issues that Luke faced with his father seemed very abruptly solved, in an unrealistic "change of heart" kind of way.

I think my favorite character was Meg, Vada's close friend, due to her blunt way of speaking and effervescent personality.

I would recommend this book to all who enjoy a (relatively) short, casual contemporary romance, and of course, music fans.

What a sweet first love story! I think this is a perfect little summer read with lovely, sweet characters. Vada and Luke do well at transcending the cliches often present in YA love stories and telling us something new.

I loved the POV switching between the two leads, and tying the story together with music references was really smart. I loved that the author allowed the characters to build a genuine loved based on common interests and shared values. It was such a nice change from a lot of other YA I've picked up this year, and I will definitely be suggesting this one to the teens in my life.

Loved this book, can't wait to read more from Erin Hahn. Thanks you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

More than just a good book!

More Than Maybe starts with Luke and Vada as the oblivious kids in high school trying to be themselves. Vada has a five-year plan for her future and working at the Loud Lizard is the start especially when her mom is dating her boss and Luke is happy doing the small podcast with his twin brother that accidently goes viral.

I think this is one of the better teen books that I have read this year about music, family and interfering friends that make you realize that you have fallen in love with the characters

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lada. That’s their ship name.

I stumbled upon Erin Hahn’s You’d Be Mine last year when browsing on Netgalley and immediately fell in love with Annie and Clay and their whole dynamic. That same dynamic was seen a little differently in More Than Maybe. The music was still front and center but instead of wanting the spotlight, they; Vada and Luke; much preferred promoting and writing the music.

Hanging backstage if you will. Erin Hahn had made difficult topics front and center yet again in More Than Maybe From addictions to going to college to emotional abuse and a lack of privacy that I think everyone with siblings can empathize with.

The songs were bomb and the writing was bomber. (Is that a word?) Hahn talks of topics and uses words that young adults are actually concerned about and are actually using. Not to mention that the book was full of amazing tattoo inspiring quotes. It’s another one for the bank. I wish I could have something to say that it wasn’t good. Or something that irked me about the book but nothing. It was absolutely amazing. I loved it.

A love letter to music lovers, this incredible book is officially the newest member of my favorite books of 2020 list!

I’m not even sure if I can formulate the right words to properly express all my love for this book!! Low on angst, I loved how the Vada and Luke’s relationship blossomed through their mutual love language of music! They expressed themselves through their favorite songs when they couldn’t find the right words themselves and I have never related to something more! My taste in music may not be as eclectic as this book but I’ve always had a hard time finding the words for how I’m feeling until I hear a song that’s like it was written for me in that exact moment and that’s basically what this entire book is like. There were sooo many times where I actively stopped reading because a song was mentioned and I wanted to play it so that I could immerse myself into this story even more and that’s what made this book so special for me.

This book is all my favorite songs put together on one playlist set to repeat! And if that statement speaks to your heart at all, then this book is for you!

Luke is a Londoner in Michigan, where he is mildly famous for his podcast, which he hosts with his twin brother. Secretly he wants to write and play his own music, but he knows what the industry is really like because his father was in a punk band in the 80s and he doesn’t want all of that. Vada works at a musical bar and wants to go to college in California, even though her ex-dad won’t help her pay for the tuition. She runs a music review blog for the bar/venue where she works and her dedication to her music career is impressive. She does research, she listens to everything, good, bad, and in-between, and she works hard.

Luke and Vada are individually crushing on each other, and when his composition class and her body movement class are partnered up they have an opportunity to interact. The descriptions of how she feels moving to music are lovely. Soon Luke finds himself working at the same bar as Vada, and just as their relationship begins to develop, Cullen shares a recording of one of Luke’s songs, one he wrote for Vada, on their podcast without Luke’s permission and there is fallout, with the song going viral and all of the things Luke didn’t want coming to pass.

There are a number of things to like about this book. The text interactions and song exchanges between Luke and Vada are pretty cute, but surprisingly they both shine at in-person bon mots, even though both claim to be introverted and awkward. To be fair, they do each have their share of awkward moments, but even those are relatively charming, especially for a reader who is really hoping for a happy ending here. Additionally, I like the genre aesthetics game Vada plays, and Luke’s ability to pick out a song that perfectly fits the people he meets. They are both games I would like to try, but without the main characters’ encyclopaedic knowledge of music artists and songs, I would probably end up doing my friends a disservice in selecting their songs.

Speaking of doing friends disservices, the main characters’ friends are given a bit of a short shrift: Zack is Luke’s best friend and dates his twin, Cullen; Meg is too-pure-for-this-world and very involved in church things, won’t swear, and wants to spend a gap year with Vada in California, but hasn’t told her parents. She leads into a seemingly unrelated segment about relating to God that goes nowhere. Parents get a little more development, and clearly have their own lives, which is nice, even if the parents themselves are not always (nice).

This was a fun, quick read that I definitely enjoyed doing musical “homework” for. In non-COVID times, I bet libraries would have a hard time keeping it on the shelves.

This was cute!
The use of music as a way to express feelings is something I love in books and More Than Maybe did it well! A+ for music knowledge!

The characters were great, especially Vada and Luke and I loved Vada's relationship with Phil, her boss.

What I didn't love was how unbelievably slow-burn this was without much reward for the wait! Let me say this I'd rather have the burn to end at 50-70% not 80%! It's frustrating! There were also some parts I just wanted to skim through because they didn't feel overly relevant.

Writing, story and characters were great! But overall I was a bit disappointed with the execution.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book courtesy of Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book y'all. THIS. BOOK.

From the first chapter I knew I would love this book and here's why:

GLASSES

That's right, glasses! The very first time we see our male main character, Luke, he is dealing with his glasses and the rain! I was sold right there.

I've always been aware of TV and movie characters rarely having glasses but I never really thought about book characters not having glasses. I suppose it's because I can imagine them however I want to imagine and probably unconsciously add glasses to a lot of people. Let me back up, I've worn glasses since I was 7 years old. For 22 years now I've had to deal with glasses in the rain, and fogging with temperature changes, and pushing them up and I never realized how much I wanted that in written text. I did have contacts for awhile, still do but hardly wear them, but for the majority of my life it's been glasses. I completely adore and am in awe with the fact that Erin Hahn put in the story just how much Luke fidgets with his glasses. How often he has to clean them on a rare dry spot of his shirt after being in the rain. How they fog up going from an outside cold temperature to a nice warm house. Everything he did involving his glasses made me love the writing in this book even more, especially since it continued through the entire book and wasn't just a one off mention and then the glasses were forgotten.

Wow, okay. Didn't expect to talk about Luke's glasses for so long.

Now for the rest of the book.

It was addictive. I didn't want to put it down. I have even cut back on playing Animal Crossing to read this book...now that's saying something! (looks at the almost 700 hour play time) I completely adore Luke and Vada and all the supporting characters. Each one is unique and special and I want to hug them all....well..maybe not Marcus.

Although I adore our main duo, the stand out character for me is Phil. Phil is everything you want in parent figure character. I love his love for Vada and her mom, for the dive bar, for his employees, and for just about everything. I'm very happy we got to see so much of him and that he wasn't just a character to mention to prove an adult has been around.

While all the side characters got good page time, I still want more of them! I love them all and all their quirks but I want to know more about them too!

Not only is this book filled with a love for music but Luke and his brother, Cullen, have a podcast. I adore this fact and the podcast plays a decent roll. I'm interested to know if the audiobook plays up the podcast and makes those few segments sound more podcast and less book.

The plot is also fantastic. At one point I was mad at myself for not highlighting all the song titles to go back to later and listen to them all. Luckily this is a digital arc and I can search for them. I loved how into music they were and especially how Vada explained a concert experience. It's very interesting to me how someone gets into a concert. For me, I'm like Luke and Vada. I get into it to the point of not caring who's around and I sing and I dance and I have the time of my life. I also love watching others get into it as well. What I'm saying here is I connected with our two lead characters and their love of music and man am I missing live performances right now.

This book also didn't completely fall into a typical YA romance format. You know from the very beginning that they like each other and the romance felt real and happened gradually. There is some drama and conflict, but not as much as I was afraid there would be at one point. In some ways this book reminds me of Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett (my favorite book) and I think that could be why I have such strong feelings about it.

I could go on and on about how adorable and well done this book is, but I'm afraid I'll start getting into spoilers. If you love music and fun romance then this is a book you should pick up, you won't be disappointed!

Also, did I mention GLASSES?!