**Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. This in no way affected my review of the book**

"We want to be moved and changed and knocked over and pieced back together. We want to swoon and taste and cry and scream to the sky, yes, Yes, this."

I experienced all of those emotions and more while reading Erin Hahn's More Than Maybe. And I indeed will be screaming to the sky "yes, this!" I can say with no hyperbole that this very well may be my favorite book of the year. It will be incredibly hard to top it. I loved it wholeheartedly.

More Than Maybe is about Vada Carsewell, a music blogger who works at a local dive bar, and Luke Greenly, a boy who has a podcast with his twin. The two have mutual crushes on each other without the other knowing and are connected by their shared love of music. When the two start to work together on a school project, the feelings intensify and might lead to them becoming "more than a maybe".

First off, I just have to say that the music recommendations from this book were out of this world (I will forgive the Taylor Swift mention because the others very much outweigh her). The fact that The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" was mentioned more than once had me swooning in my chair, as it is one of my favorites and helped me connect with the characters impeccable taste even more. The songs I didn't know I looked up and there wasn't one among the bunch I didn't enjoy. I love books where at least one character is deeply into music, but this felt like it was on another level of good taste. Bravo on the playlist.

I also really enjoyed Vada and Luke as separate characters and as a couple. Vada is shown to be intelligent, competent and strong willed, but also has vulnerability to her. It's nice to see a female lead who can be tough and soft at the same time. I have no doubt Vada could hold her own in any given situation, but she doesn't have to come off as too tough for feelings. I love that rawness about her. Her home situation also closely mirrored mine as a teenager (single mother with an out of the picture, but still kind of around and emotionally negligent/abusive father). So on that personal note, I related to Vada and her relationship with her mother. That felt very real to me. Luke describes himself as a "high-functioning introvert in a houseful of raging extroverts" at one point and that also spoke to my soul. He's very private, but also very funny, caring, and willing to put himself out there for those he loves. The two together had a slow burn romance, which I love. It didn't feel rushed or forced, but natural. More romances like this, please!

The minor characters were also interesting. I liked Luke's twin brother, Cullen, and Vada's best friend, Meg, a lot. They were fun and didn't feel like filler characters like some background characters can. The way family was portrayed in this felt accurate to the way you feel misunderstood as a teen trying to branch out into newfound adulthood without feeling disrespectful to the parents, which I don't often find in YA books. I never felt like the protagonists were unfair in their handling of themselves with their parents. I liked that Hahn never felt like she had to portray the parents as uncaring or inept so that the teen protagonists had something to react to. It was very well done.

Overall, this book was just masterful. It is both humorous and heartbreaking. It will bring you to high highs and leave you sobbing in a puddle on the floor. To borrow Vada's review technique, if this book were a song, it would be an eye-closer the whole way through. You should sprint --not run-- to your local book store to pick up this one. I loved each and every minute of it and know that Luke and Vada will be with me for a long time to come.

This is a standout YA book and I really loved it! Luke is a talented musician who avoids the spotlight after growing up with a famous father. He channels his creative talents into a popular podcast with his twin brother. Vada is a music blogger and dancer who is focused on building a future in music journalism. They each have a secret crush on one another as they form a friendship based on their love of music. One of the aspects of this book that I loved was the song choices sprinkled throughout Vada and Luke’s conversations. Have your music app ready as you read! The love story is written in such a respectful and mature way. Vada and Luke develop such a sweet connection based on mutual respect and support. There are strong storylines around family dynamics that really add to the plot. You will fall in lovee with the positive relationships and your heart will break for the tough ones. The supporting characters are also so well written but never fall into stereotypical teen roles. I was so sad to get to the end of this book! I want more of Vada and Luke’s stories.

Thank you to Erin Hahn, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyable and fun, though not without authenticity and heart. While a little mired in teen movie cliches it still resonated beyond all of the things that had been done before. Good for fans of John Hughes and Cameron Crowe movies. I liked how ordinary this was underneath the hipster facade, which didn’t seem to fully work, because cool kids today don’t reasonably idolize Counting Crows. In fact no cool kids ever have. Despite that, I enjoyed this.

Erin Hahn writes excellent contemporary ya, a rare thing these days and her sophomore novel is just as well done as her first, with a great story, well drawn characters, and best of all, a moving, thoughtful plot. Very highly recommended.

How do I describe a love story that makes you all mushy inside? More than Maybe- the air of potential in the title is everything, expectation, and wanting.

I am going to preface; like Luke Greenly, I have a thing for Gingers. I do not dye my hair with fidelity to mask the fact that my red locks do not grow naturally. *sarcasm* I loved everything about this book- the music, the British accents, nerdy awkwardness between the two main characters. It is like an amplified version of who I wish I could be cool enough to be, Vada. This is a sickly cute story that deals with self-confidence, defying expectations, music (did I mention that already?), family issues and expectations. This dual perspective narrative is everything, because I love being able to know what is going on in each of their minds. There have been quite a few dual perspective narratives that I have read recently, and I think this is one of the better written ones.

Vada has always had a plan for her music career: Taking over the music review blog, working for Phil (the owner of the best dive bar Loud Lizard), study under Phil to absorb his amazing taste in music, and lastly, run Liberty Live the big summer live concert event before she goes off to California for college. Luke has always wanted to stay in the background: he has a podcast with his effervescent Twin brother Cullen, he composes music (but hates performing), has a dad who was a famous British Punk rocker in the 90s. Luke is always the first one to read Vada's reviews as soon as they are posted, and Vada (would never admit it to them) listens to Luke and Cullen's podcast every night before bed.

Both are super awkward and have a hard time reading and giving signals. Slowly they become closer friends through a top secret school project. Luke starts working on Loud Lizard to continue getting close to her. This adorable love story is amazing. With some issues that both main characters face there is enough conflict while also showing how love can overcome all of the problems.

Erin Hahn's new novel will be coming out in late July 2020. It will be a fun read for all who are interested. http://kaitlynrcarpenter.weebly.com/blog/more-than-maybe-by-erin-hahn

More Than Maybe is the dream book for all of us readers who adore music. Not just casually. I mean those of us who have weirdly intimate attachments to songs and artists. This book is basically a love letter to music and its magical powers.

Vada loves, lives, and breathes music. Working at her mother's boyfriend's dive bar to help put on live shows, engaging with music via dance, and writing stellar reviews on her music blog are all of the ways she has dedicated herself to the music industry. And she doesn't plan to stop there. With a 5-year plan to begin her career in music journalism, Vada is determined to succeed.

Unfortunately, her plans do not include charming Brit Luke Greenley stealing her heart. But sometimes, the best things are unplanned, as Vada's mother wisely points out.

Luke is quiet, totally charming, and very talented when it comes to writing and singing his own music. Despite being the son of his legend rockstar dad, Luke wants absolutely nothing to do with his father's fame––or his dream for Luke to follow in his footsteps. In fact, Luke hates the idea of performing, large crowds, and all of the stardom and attention that comes with it.

As Luke and Vada connect over their mutual love of music, they both must overcome the things (or people) holding them back. Of course, cuteness, angst, and lots of musical shenanigans ensue.

While you might think Luke and Vada are the stars of this book, I couldn't help but fall in love with all of the secondary characters and the way the family and friend dynamics were shown. Vada's soon-to-be stepdad, Phil, shows Vada unwavering support and is the absolute cutest when fawning over Vada's mom. How could we not love him?

Meg, Vada's best friend, is absolutely adorable! I really wish she had been a little more developed and more present in the story, as she really shined on the sidelines. Cullen and Zack, Luke's brother and best friend who happen to be totally in love, are relationship goals, especially when it comes to baking cupcakes and working together to support Luke.

More Than Maybe is bustling with delightful characters that I would die to see more of. A sequel, perhaps? (A Cullen and Zack sequel would be perfect, honestly.)

Not to play off of the title or anything, but this book really left me wanting more. Not exactly more of the story, although I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think I just wanted to feel a little something more than I did. For me, it wasn't one of those books that hit hard emotionally, and I was really craving that. That's absolutely not to say this book doesn't pull at the heartstrings, because it totally does. I just wanted to feel it a little more.

To be fair, I pinned higher, possibly unrealistic, expectations on this book based solely on the fact that this book is set in Michigan (Ann Arbor, specifically) and I dearly miss my home state and all of my people there. There was no way this book could possibly live up to my expectations and deliver the level of emotion and nostalgia I was craving in that regard. I think a visit home is terribly overdue for me. Michigan, here I come!

All in all?

More Than Maybe is totally adorable, fun, and full of music references and romance. It is a delightful and sweet contemporary that gives you a good dose of midwest/Michigan vibes.

This is a cute YA romance with a kind of Eleanor & Park vibe - two high school seniors who slowly fall in love around a shared interest in music. There weren't really any huge points of conflict or surprises, which left me wanting a little more out of the story. I'd say this is well-suited as a YA beach read, but am not sure it will resonate as much with an older crowd.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This ADORABLE YA novel follows two high school seniors: Luke Greenly, son of an ex-punk rock star, a secret composer, and podcast host, and Vada Carsewell, music blogger and local music venue employee.

This was such a fun read for me! As a music lover myself, I loved the song references throughout and will definitely be listening to the playlist at the end of the book :notes: In addition to that, the characters were so passionate, the relationships (between Luke and Vada, Vada and her boss/mom’s boyfriend, Luke and his twin brother) all felt very real, and the development of those relationships from the beginning to the end were beautiful to read.

My one complaint is that I wish we got to experience more of Vada and Luke as a couple. The few chapters we got were swoon-worthy :heart_eyes: and I wish there was more!

This was a sweet love story that absolutely captured my heart. Luke and Vada tugged at my hearstrings like nothing else and I was cheering for them from start to finish. A classic summer beach read.

This book is full of wonderful characters and a sweet story that’s bound to have you cheering for Luke and Vada. Music fans are going to fall in love with all the musical references throughout and you’ll have plenty of new songs to add to your spotify playlists. I loved the LGBTQ+ representation and the kind nature of so many of the characters.

While it’s really important to make sure I read just before I review a book, l also don’t recommend waiting until the day before it’s due to be released either. I am unable to give myself time to ponder the style, the plot or any of those other elements that require some thought before writing a review.

So, just so you know – I just finished More Than Maybe not 30 minutes ago, and I am still aglow with the lovely grand gesture and the perfectly pitched epilogue, and the tremendous bond that is the love between Vada and Luke.

They share the story with alternate chapters. Luke is a British boy, all charm and music nerd, a perfect counterbalance to wannabe music journalist Vada. I loved that they both had secret crushes on each other, which is a bit different to the usual plot where it’s either the boy or the girl who has the long-term crush. Here we see Luke feverishly checking every time Vada posts a new music vlog, and Vada going to sleep listening to Luke’s soothing voice through the podcast he presents with his twin brother, Cullen.

Both have music in their blood – Luke’s father is an ex punk rocker, now mostly retired looking for purpose. Vada’s horrible father used to be the lead singer of a local band. They broke up when drummer Phil quit and Marcus, now insurance salesman, having abandoned Vada’s mother, regularly turns up to Phil’s bar (where Vada works), and tosses around blame and regret while drinking himself to embarrassing levels. He refuses to help Vada financially and still expects her to babysit his new children. I don’t want him to take up any more of the review, actually. He’s basically a nightmare of a character and father.

So while Vada and Luke share secret longings for each other (Cullen and Luke record their show in Phil’s sound booth), neither of them are bold enough to take any steps beyond stumbling small talk. Of course, fate intervenes, by way their class schedule. Vada takes a dance elective, mostly to use the improvisation time to drive out her demons through movement and song. Luke’s composition class is given the opportunity to create a piece for one of the dance class for the end of year final assessment. While Vada dances without knowing Luke is observing, she convinces herself no one will ask to work with her. But there’s no way Luke can pick anyone else!

While in actuality, there is very little collaboration going on between them, it does begin a series of texts, sharing stories and adventures, in which they get to know each other, allowing us to see them as well. This includes the acknowledgement that Luke is not interested in a life of performance, even though he has the voice of an angel, and the song writing ability of a legend and the network opportunity his father Charlie is only too willing to exploit. Luke’s decision to keep all his composition work private means he feels misunderstood by his family, and this is played out when Cullen decides to release a video of Luke singing a song inspired by his love for Vada. It goes viral. He denies there ‘is a girl’, and the aftermath of this decision provides much of the drama of the middle of the book.

Hahn develops characters that seem authentically teen. Cullen and his boyfriend Zack are more than side characters, as is Vada’s best friend Meg, and all the bar workers – lumbersexual Ben, and dread headed Kazi. I also liked that Vada’s mum and her lovely romance with Phil, and LUke and Cullen's parents are very much part of the story. Complicated messy families who still work together to overcome their issues are very much welcome in YA fiction.

Hahn drops in many musical references and although personally, I am aghast at Vada’s aggressive dislike for Stevie Nicks (what the?), most of the bands and songs reflect Vada and Luke’s growing relationship and inform much of the plot. Luke’s own songs are raw and when he lets others in, we see his vulnerabilities and how much he’s prepared to do for Vada.

Thanks to publisher, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for advanced copy. This is a super romantic story with two main characters deserving of the dreams they want to follow. They are usually thoughtful of other people, but yeah, they make mistakes and then try to do better. I have previously reviewed Hahn’s first book, You’d Be Mine, another teen romance involving teen music stars, and I am here for both of them. More than Maybe will be released in the US on June 21. Recommended if you love your fictional boys shy and a little bit broken, your fictional girls feisty and goal oriented, and a range of side characters who try to make our protagonists step up and risk love.
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A sweet, romantic build up for two relatable characters. I love the use of songs to add another dimension to understanding them. Though not a musical person myself, I looked up the lyrics and was able to understand their feelings and developing relationship better.

I first looked at this book on Netgalley because of the cover, then the first thing I read is a glowing review from Kathleen Glasgow, author of one of my favorite books Girl in Pieces , and then the description is about two teens who love music. Music and reading are both like oxygen for me. I was sold. I let it sit for awhile knowing the publication date was not until summer. Scrolling through my Kindle TBR list and I thought it sounded fun and light and what I need to distract me right now.

I was so right! Because the biggest bonus is the book is set in Ann Arbor! I'm a born and raised Michigander and Ann Arbor is basically my backyard. It was fun to envision the places Luke and Vada visit - shout out to Pinball Pete's! Luke is a Brit, who has been transplanted to Ann Arbor (I have to go with A2 from here on out in this review - it's the true Michigan way to refer to the city) by his retired punk rock singer dad. Vada has been raised in A2 by her single mom and her sometimes around deadbeat dad. Luke and Vada have been crushing on each other since they were freshman, but neither have done anything about it and it's spring of their senior year. They are paired up in a hokey way due to a school project. But as you read you don't care how they got together, their relationship just works and they start with the texting.

They communicate a lot by texting each other songs that tell the other what they are feeling. And that list is extensive and full of some gems! I loved all the song references. (Molly by Sponge is my favorite summer anthem and made me blast it for my 14 year old daughter with the sunroof open driving down the road. But I digress.) The music is HUGE part of this story and I love the way Vada says some people listen to music and others live it. Missing live music in the summer of 2020, man, this line hit hard. Luke and Vada going to concerts and experiencing live music had me all kinds of jealous.

I loved their romance. It was cute. My only two complaints were Vada's hate for Stevie Nicks. What is up with that? And there is a scene where Vada is naming music aesthetics to match food. When a grilled cheese is mentioned she should have said jam band lot scenes, not a 60s beach party, but I'll forgive her for it. I definitely appreciated the playlist at the end, but felt the books needs a list of EVERY song that was mentioned in the book. Maybe the publisher could make a Spotify playlist...

Overall if you are looking for a cute, innocent YA romance this is your book. I know I loved it more for it's location so my review is probably biased, but I think this is worth your time if you love YA novels and music.

This book sucked me in so fast. The writing was easy with chapters split between Vada’s POV and Luke’s POV. Hahn did an amazing job giving each of them distinct voices and personality; I had no trouble imagining them in my head. Luke has definitely made it onto my fictional crush list! Even a lot of the secondary characters, like Luke’s brother Cullen or his dad or Vada’s boss and mother’s boyfriend Phil. The cast of characters were so much fun to read and really well developed.

Along with the great writing and the characterization, I thought the plot was perfect. Not too unrealistically upbeat and not too angsty or depressing. I thought Hahn did a great job balancing the happy and positive of a new relationship with the obstacles that both Vada and Luke run into when it comes to some of their family and decisions dealing with their future.

Overall, I really loved getting sucked into this world and going along the journey with Vada and Luke. Perfect for those wanting a great YA romance.

Two sort of shy music lovers with crushes on each other get pushed together for a school project, but will family drama and social media mishaps keep them apart?

More Than Maybe was fun and fresh and I really enjoyed all of the characterizations but particularly Luke and Vada the two main POV of characters who carry the weight of the story. While they hesitate to talk to each other and reveal their fondness for the other, it never feels like the lack of revelation is forced for the plot. The family characters of both main characters provide humor, although I feel like in both Vada and Luke's cases, their mothers are probably the least srongly personalized or given deep characters. None of the parents are given a lot of time, but I feel like both mothers are somewhat short changed.

I love the references to music throughout this book (although poor Stevie Nicks!) and the way the texts and songs are going back and forth. This book definitely needs a playlist if it doesn't have one already (looking at you marketing team!!)

I liked that the story deals with issues of agency, and boundary drawing, and some serious issues, without ever feeling gritty or dark. It's still fun. Definitely would recommend this to teens who like music and romances.

i absolutely loved erin's first book 'you'd be mine' and i was so excited for this one because it's about music and they're always fun to read.

i've never read anything like this before, it was so interesting! and SO! CUTE!
i adored luke. he has my whole heart. every single character (minus marcus gross) was perfection! everything was perfect. cullen and zack were adorable.

i loved luke and vada's interactions, especially when they would send each other songs. (gonna compile them all into my own playlist to feel what they felt)

GAH i love when characters from previous novels are mentioned i was SO happy when annie was mentioned!!

all in all, i really enjoyed this book and i can't WAIT to see what erin comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, and I'm still not quite sure what I read, mostly because I felt I wasn't totally liking the book at times. There were parts I really enjoyed and others I was just "meh" on. Overall, I think it was a good book, but nothing I thought was totally memorable for me personally. In the end I unfortunately don't have much to say about the book as I felt that it was good for passing time, and a cute read.

The Writing
The writing was good! I think Hahn is a good writer, and I did enjoy the descriptions and the dialogue, i even enjoyed the chat conversations which I feel like can sometimes make things awkward in the book.

The Pacing
The pacing wasn't great for me. In fact, I know at times during this book I began to zone out and I struggled to keep my attention focused on the book. It just wasn't making me want more.

The Plot & Characters
Cute, again, like much of this book. Both the plot and characters were tied up with each other in this book, and it really doesn't work without the other. Anyways, the plot was fine and I really enjoyed the subplot about families, and I think that was well done. The romances in this book were cute all around, and again, the relationships between the characters were crafted nicely.

Overall
I think this book just wasn't for me overall. Something about it just didn't click. And therefore it is a me, not the book kind of thing! If you like music and such you will probably love this book!

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I LOVED THIS!!!! I adored Luke from the moment he brought up Teen Wolf, and Vada from the second she was her badass self. As a lover of all things music, and someone who married a drummer in a punk rock cover band, this book just delighted me from start to finish. Love, love, love.

My YA girls kids are going to love this one. Well-developed characters and not your typical love story.

First off, I love a good British love interest, so this book got started on the right foot with all the slang. The book's casual language feels authentic and relatable, even through its dual perspectives. Luke and Vada are cut from the same cloth and a perfect match in this slow burn, cute YA romance. It's a quick, fun, and engaging read that you can polish off in a single setting. It's a sugary-sweet, slow burn romance that I couldn't put down. By the end, it's so darn cute and very enjoyable to read. Just like her first book "You'd Be Mine," author Erin Hahn perfectly melds the music world with teen romance for such an adorable YA read. Awww. But, I definitely think I preferred this book over "You'd Be Mine." Everything just felt so authentic and genuine.