Title: More Than Maybe
Author: Erin Hahn
Pub. Date: July 21, 2020
Rating: 4

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I guess I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought.

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it, read it in one sitting, couldn’t put it down…but I didn’t get the same rushing feeling that I had reading Erin Hahn’s You’d Be Mine. Expected this to be another 5-star read, where I felt all giddy in my chest and wished I could wipe it from my mind to read it again for the first time.
Unfortunately, this book didn’t deliver that for me.

I don’t want to say that I felt “blah” while reading it, because it had some really cute moments, some really serious and intense moments – the conflict in this book is pretty good. But after expecting it to be a 5-star read, I don’t think this book is as good as You’d Be Mine. For everything I thought was good about this book, I also think it could have gone deeper? I do think that it was all a tad surface, and I wish there had been more?

I’m not really sure how to explain it, or even if I’m just trying to find a reason for my slightly let down expectations.
I will say that the formatting in this book left a lot to be desired. Within chapters, there was no visual for the scene breaks, so it felt very jumbled and the plot sped up. I kept finding myself having to re-read passages because there would be massive time jumps and I’d have to figure out how we got there. It grew to be quite frustrating, and it definitely impacted my enjoyment of the book. But I’m certain that wouldn’t be a problem in the final finished copy, so I don’t want to judge too harshly.

I enjoyed the cast of characters, Vada is pretty awesome, and I love Cullen and Zack, and how can you not love Luke? It kind of felt like the cast should have been a few years older? I don’t know. While I loved them, it just felt like something was missing. Maybe I’m still caught up on Annie and Clay and how epic and forever they felt. I just didn’t get the same vibe from Vada and Luke.

As for Cullen and Zack, I would like a novella of them just doing cutesy couple stuff. I kind of wish they had a slightly bigger role, for being the twin brother and best friend to Luke, they felt very side character-ish. So much of this book centers on the personal conflicts that Luke and Vada have with their fathers, and what the future might hold – that’s great, but it also made me feel like I was missing the “living life moments”. I live for the day-to-day moments that fill our lives – I think they make characters more relatable.

I don’t know…I’m so conflicted on my thoughts about this book. I did really enjoy it and thought it was cute, a fun read, definitely a book I’ll be pushing at my best friend who is a massive contemporary fan, and definitely a book I’ll be pre-ordering. But on the other hand, it didn’t meet my expectations, sadly, and annoyingly, I can’t quite decipher why. So, I’ll leave it at this as to not ramble on – if you enjoyed, You’d Be Mine, pick this book up. If you’re a fan of contemporaries, pick this book up. If you’re a Brigid Kemmerer contemporary fan, pick this book up.
More Than Maybe takes place in the same universe as You’d Be Mine, Netflix should really pick up these books to make movies, because they’d be damn perfect, and can we please get recordings of the songs that Erin wrote for these books? I can already tell you that I’d be listening to them on repeat. Do you hear that Netflix, not only would you get a movie out of it, you’d have a soundtrack as well.

I’m super excited for Erin’s next book, and I’m highly looking forward to it. If you have the opportunity to read More Than Maybe early, stop procrastinating and do it, and if you have to wait for its release in July, make sure you preorder and request it at your local libraries!

More Than Maybe explores the emotional highs and lows of two teenagers who develop a close connection with each other through their mutual love of music. Luke Greenly is the son of a punk rock legend of years gone by who puts a lot of pressure on Luke to follow in his footsteps. Luke has the looks, voice, and demeanor to be a rock star . . . only thing is, he hates the limelight. His dream is in the composition of music, not performing it. Vada Creswell is a well-known music blogger who also works at the Loud Lizard, a dive bar run by her mom's boyfriend Phil. She dreams of writing for The Rolling Stone and attending college on the west coast - partly to escape living in the same town with her alcoholic "ex"-dad. Vada has a secret crush on Luke . . . who has a secret crush on her. Cute, right? They begin to text song titles back and forth as a way of communicating their feelings and offering support to each other. And that's what takes this story to another level.

More Than Maybe started out as a cute, sugar-sweet, teenage first love/crush story. During the first part, I thought I was in trouble because this is so out of my wheelhouse. However, I was soon drawn into the emotional depth of each character as Hahn tackled family, communication, and self-worth issues. The plot line deepens as more characters and relationships, both functional and unfunctional, are explored. The evolving friendship and sweet romance between Luke and Vada are handled with care - slowly growing as they learn to trust each other with their feelings. I enjoyed the author's writing style along with the musical references throughout. It's easy to get lost in the melodies in this one. More Than Maybe is a peek into the young lives of two teenagers falling in love. Fans of sweet, young love and low-angst romance will enjoy this story.

If you love cute perfect YA Type romance you gonna love this one. I really appreciate the writing style, very light and fluid, perfect beach read if you want escape for a few hours.
It's about music, love, podcast, family, friendship, such a cute romance to read.

More than Maybe is like a music-nerd’s heaven.  It’s chock full of references to great bands and artists, and as I was reading, I kept wanting to listen to the songs they were talking about.  (In case you were wondering, lounging on the couch listening to The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” while reading a good book is the perfect way to spend a Monday night!)

While More than Maybe is well written, and I truly connected with the characters, it was missing that X-Factor.  Parts of the book felt a lot stronger than others. In particular, the prologue had me itching to read the novel, but it did start off very slow.  It gradually becomes clear that Vada and Luke already know who each other is (which isn’t entirely obvious from the description of the book), and they’ve been casual acquaintances for the last 3 - 4 years. We don’t get a meet cute, and the very beginning is so vague that it’s hard to tell how long they’ve known each other or how well they know each other until a little too far into the book.  

I loved both Vada and Luke and their dynamic, but I felt like the plot was lacking… something. There weren’t many obstacles for them to overcome in their love, unless of course both of them suffering from varying degrees of shyness is truly an obstacle.  Also--Luke is shy, and he’s had a crush on Vada since they met, BUT he’s had a bunch of girlfriends in the past? That part I don’t get. If he liked Vada, why didn’t he ask her out? There needed to be an explanation for this, and it could have been something simple and cliche like “He didn’t really like the other girls as much as he liked Vada, and he was afraid of rejection”. It would be cheesy, but still a solution to this little plothole.

Both Vada and Luke have issues in their lives that keeps the plot fresh.  Vada wants to go to college, and she’s dealing with navigating her relationship with her deadbeat dad and trying to find the courage to ask him for the money she needs.  Luke’s father is a former rock star, and Luke is dealing with the problem that his family doesn’t respect that he doesn’t want to perform music, and he’s writing his music in secret for himself.  There is a very subtle and well-executed character arc that Luke goes through as he discovers who he is.  (Super vague, I know, but I don’t really want to spoil anything).  

While the plot isn’t quite what I was expecting, this romance is very cute, and the novel has a nice, fulfilling conclusion.  

I recommend this book to those looking for a music-themed young adult romance.

*This review will be posted to https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/ and other platforms on July 21, 2020*

Rounding up to 4 stars because my music-loving teen heart would have LOVED it, but my older self is much too jaded for this sweet romance with virtually no conflict. And Luke doesn't seem to have much of a personality, but he's super cute and has a British accent and is talented musically (even if he doesn't want to perform in front of people or be popular in any way), so that's that.

Both Luke and Vada have father issues - Luke's is that his former-punk-rockstar dad wants him to be a successful musician (and he's got the talent, so, yeah), Vada's is that her father is a major jerk who has washed his financial hands of her since she turned 18, but still hangs out and gets drunk at the bar where she works. Vada's mother and step-father (and boss) are love goals, for real, and both are very supportive of her.

Vada isn't a manic pixie in this book, but her best (and extremely peripheral) friend is. Luke's best friend has been dating Luke's twin brother for a long time and they are also gloriously happy with each other and the world. So, pretty much, life is good for all the characters and I guess I like a little more tension?

But, oh, the music! (Except for the opinion that Adam Duritz is the end-all of music and discounting Kurt Cobain 100%, but I guess, de gustibus non est disputandum) Vada and Luke have entire text conversations in song titles. It's enough to make this curmudgeon's heart sing.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Son of a punk rock star, Luke used to love writing songs but doesn’t like to perform them, absolutely doesn’t want to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Instead, he has a podcast with his twin brother. Vada is a music blogger, writes online reviews of bands who perform at the bar where she works. The kicker: both secretly have a crush on each other. When a school assignment unites them as partners, they easily become friends. Their texts and musical knowledge only bring them closer. Until things don’t go as planned and Luke is faced with one thing he hates the most in order to save what matters to him.

First off, I’d like to say: doesn’t Vada make you think of the 90’s movie, My Girl?! And like me, do you think of the scene when Macaulay and Vada jump in the water trying to escape a swarm of bees?

Anyway... I LOVED Luke and Vada’s story! The text messages and all the music they send to each other. Their chemistry. Plus, Luke is British and I couldn’t help but read his POV and dialogue with an accent. Ummm sooo, all the more swoony. Luke actually reminded me of two guys when I was in high school (sans accent of course) because of we always ping ponged songs. Except instead of sending YouTube links, we were making each other CDs! I totally listened to Something Corporate back then, and I loved that there was a mention of Annie from You’d Be Mine. Yup, I found this all to be bloody brilliant!

In summation, I stayed up late finishing this book because I didn’t want to part with it, and I was dying to know how it was going to end. Ain’t nothing better than a cup of coffee in the morning after a few hours of slumber to help with the well-deserved sleep deprivation, am I right?

I’ve had my eyes on this book since forever: a romance in the universe of music seems like my jam...and I wasn’t disappointed!
This was such a lovely book OMG I can’t tell you how many times I swooned with <i>ohs</i> and <i>ha’s</i> and sighs... Luke is the perfect hot music nerd, he’s awkward while being confident in his choices...also British! Vada is struggling with financial issues and with his dad but is also strong, determined and ambitious. And together they were so adorable!!!! Real chemistry here!
The music references were amazing! Can’t say I understood them all but definitely enjoyed them!
I love the lyrics of the songs and my favorite moments were when Vada dances and Luke composes ...it was so powerful!
Some parts may be a bit "young" but it’s not an issue in a YA after all.
It was a very enjoyable, fun and swoon-worthy read!

In book TWs: alcohol, alcoholism, verbal and emotional abuse
I'm a fool for not having read Erin Hahn's debut. It's been sitting on my shelf untouched for months now and I'm kicking myself over it, because if it's anything like More Than Maybe, I'll love it. I have a soft spot for books about famous musicians, so I wasn't sure how I was going to like someone who didn't want the fame, but Luke was so delightful I immediately forgot about my qualms.
More Than Maybe follows Vada and Luke through a dual POV narrative, as the two fall in love and make decisions about their future after high school. Vada lives and breathes music, she works for her mom's boyfriend at his dive bar, and has taken over writing review on his somewhat popular music blog. Her goal is to one day work as a professional music reviewer, and lets her stress out by losing herself in music at dance class. Luke is the son of a famous rock star, and would like nothing more than to write and create music in the peace and privacy of his bedroom. Unfortunately, his dad just can't understand that, leaving him to hide his passion. The two of them having been crushing on each other, and finally start interacting for a school project. Watching them finally become friends and then become something more was a tension filled pine-fest and I loved it (the good kind of pining too). The way they fell in love was so well done, the pacing was excellent and it was extremely romantic while not seeming too ridiculous to believe.
Luke was such a softie, and his awkward crush on Vada just made me love him more as they sent each other texts with songs in them. It was a fun mix of classic songs and more recent music too, a nice change of pace from where teens in YA only listen to music decades older than they are. Despite me loving both of them, Vada was my favorite of the two, if for no other reason than the scenes where she's dancing. Hahn completely nailed why I danced, and to read about another character doing it for the same reason was fascinating and made me emotional.
I really appreciated how Hahn made sure not to have Luke and Vada just abandon everyone else in their lives too. They hung out in groups with their friends on top of spending time with just one another which was refreshing to see. More often than not the main character abandons their friends as they start dating and it drives me crazy because while it might be common, it doesn't always have to be that way. Vada's relationships with her (positive) parental figures and mom made me so warm and happy inside too. It was nice to have responsible and kind adults around in a YA novel, especially since they weren't written that way just as a ploy to make readers like them before killing them off.
If you're looking for a beautiful romance with a side of music and family, this book is for you! Luke and Vada are deceptively charming and their plot will keep you glued to the pages until you're finished. I'm really impressed with Hahn's sophomore novel, and I can't wait to start her debut, You'd Be Mine (which there's a subtle nod to in More Than Maybe).

Usually in books with talented musicians, the central plot involves overcoming doubt or stage fright to let your talent shine. I kind of love that this is not the case here. Yes, Luke struggles with stage fright. But he also knows himself well enough to know that he doesn't want to perform. For him the music existing is enough. His journey is more about learning to make himself heard, to stand up for himself with wisdom and maturity. ANd the importance of listening, of seeing the world beyond the end of his nose and how his decisions affect others. Some of the other elements are a big much but this is ultimately a surprisingly enjoyable read.

More Than Maybe is a Young Adult (or maybe New Adult) contemporary romance told in alternating POV's. Luke is a shy and dorky, but very good looking, high school senior with a long term unrequited crush on music blogger, Vada. He runs a podcast with his twin brother Cullen, and secretly sings and composes songs. His father was a punk rock musician who wants nothing more for Luke than to have him famous - but Luke wants nothing to do with it. Vada ALSO crushes on Luke, and has her own dad issues. Vada has a plan to take her music career to the next level and Luke was decidedly not a part of that plan. But when they work together on a school project, they get close enough to throw some plans out the window.

I LOVED this book. Definitely 4.5 stars for me. I loved the emphasis on music and how even though they are in high school, they are able to work in a bar and have their dreams planned out. It's so NOT how my life was in high school, but I love that they both know what they want - or DON"T want. I loved the characters, especially Luke. My favorite part of rom coms is when the guy also has a POV, and Luke does not disappoint. He is the softest, cinnamon roll of a boy ever and he makes me heart ache. He and Vada are just perfect for each other, because they bond over music and basically create their own language with songs.

There are some plot holes, and a plot line that I felt needed more attention at the end. Basically something kind of major happens and is never addressed again. Would've liked to see more closure with that piece.

Overall, the writing is beautiful, the descriptions and plot are pristine, and I loved watching Luke and Vada's story arcs come together.

More than Maybe was just okay for me. I'm not sure I was in the right frame of mind for a YA romance, which is definitely a "it's not you, it's me" situation. I think I'll try reading this one again someday.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! I loved the writing style and the story and the characters! I'm not a huge music fan but I certainly did keep my finger on YouTube pretty much the whole time, listening to the songs that Luke and Vada texted each other back and forth! Their story was so heartwarming and sweet and I just loved their connections and I had a huge smile on my face every time they were together.

The main character, Luke, is spoiled, immature, overdramatic and whiny. I like Vada, but she didn't really grow as a character in her own right as much as I would've liked. Overall this book wasn’t horrible, just not my favorite. It was predictable and monotonous. I liked the music referenced and it was a good time-filler.

Cute, light read. This would be good for someone looking for a romance, but wants a book that isn't solely about the romance.

I loved this book! Luke and Vada are such a breath of fresh air compared other YA couples. They’re relatable and took me back to my first love. It was so sweet and such a fun read with their love of music matching mine! So many great songs included. Aww! Such a good, fun read!!

4 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 7 July 2020.


Luke Greenly and his twin Cullen host a popular local podcast called Grass is Greenly. The twins couldn’t be more unalike - Luke blonde and quiet, Cullen dark and flamboyantly gay. Their dad is a former punk rock superstar still madly in love with his wife who teaches at the University of Michigan.

Vada is a music prodigy. Her “sperm donor” gave her the genes for musicality and honed her skills. But since he divorced her school principal mom, he hasn’t given her another thing. Vada harbors a lot of anger toward her father, and angst about her future. Already accepted into UCLA’s music journalism program, her dad refuses to even discuss helping her out with tuition. Her escape from reality resides in her job at the Loud Lizard, a local dive bar/club, and her modern dance class.

When the modern dance class invites the music composition class to observe for the annual dance recital, Luke decides he wants to compose a piece for Vada to dance to in the recital. Suddenly Vada, who has been pining for Luke since freshman year, and Luke who has been crushing on Vada just as long, are thrown together. Their shared love of music eases them into a comfortable friendship, but will it ever be more?

With a fabulous setting of the Loud Lizard as a background, the adventures of Luke and Vada finding each other amidst their hectic senior years of high school are draped in current and classic music. The author clearly knows her way around a song, as the whole novel is sprinkled with references to great music - popular and obscure. It plays as a soundtrack to Luke and Vada’s lives.

The unrealistic expectations of Luke’s dad, wanting him to be a music star, are very much like any parent - sometimes pushing the child to be something they don’t want to be. Vada’s tragic relationship with her dad is all too real as well. Her dad moved on to a new family and left his original child behind. Her fears about being able to afford school and achieving her dreams are very much what most teens today experience.

Loved this YA novel. With some graphic language, and themes of Christianity, homosexuality, and teen romance, it might not be for everyone. However, it touches on reality for teens today. I think this novel will be gracing many a teen’s bookshelf for years to come.

3.5 stars
This was a cute, sweet read! The characters were what made the story for me and I enjoyed their dynamics immensely!

More Than Maybe is more than a love story, it’s about family and friendship. Luke and Vada are likable protagonists with amazing banter. The side characters were also very fun to read about. Cullen and Phil were my favorites and I enjoyed their interactions with the protagonists.

Luke and Vada are so cute together. I found it so sweet that they already had crushes on each other at the beginning of the book. However, I found their love story to be a bit mellow. There wasn’t enough tension and drama. This is purely subjective because I am not used to reading cute love stories without drama.

Now, let’s talk about the protagonists: Luke and Vada!
I loved Vada! She reminded me of myself sometimes; ambitious and awkward around their crush. I felt that I could connect to her - her experiences and worries. Luke, on the other hand, I hoped he was a bit more fleshed out. I did not really find him that interesting because I did not get to know him on a personal level as I did with Vada.

I love the music references and could connect to the book as I am a music lover myself, however, I felt that the music/pop references were a bit too overwhelming as it occured on almost every single page.

The reason why this book did not get the full 4 stars is because the plot was a bit lacking. Nothing really happens throughout the book until the last three quarters. But the ending was satisfying and made my heart burst with joy.

Overall, I enjoyed this but I had expected more.

Music blogger, Vada Carsewell, is well on her way to making her a 5 year plan a reality - working at the Loud Lizard with her mom's boyfriend, curating the Liberty Live summer fest, and getting accepted to UCLA's prestigious music journalism program. What she doesn't expect is that the boy she's had a major crush to become a part of that 5 year plan. Luke Greenly, son of a British punk rock star and star of a podcast with his twin brother, does not want to follow in his father's footsteps of fame. He does, however, want to make music. When his secret music hobby leads to a partnership with longtime unrequited crush Vada, the two have to confront their feelings for each other.

I should've known that I was going to love this book. Grungy clubs, music references throughout? Definitely right up my alley. The love story between Vada and Luke was so sweet, and I loved every minute of it. I also loved the complex relationships both leads had with their fathers. We see the effect that these relationships had on the characters and how it impacts the decisions that they make. I also loved all of the supporting characters - I wish they were my friends and family too! I thought that this book was fabulous and highly recommend and plan to put in the hands of some students once we are back in school. 5 ⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3.5 stars

More Than Maybe is an addicting read about music, love, and following your dreams. It gave me a little Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist vibes (which is a huge compliment, by the way) and I enjoyed it!

I really liked the romance and character development in this book. Luke and Vada has such amazing chemistry, and having music bring them closer together made their relationship even cuter in my eyes. They aren't perfect characters, either. Both of them could be quite complex, which I enjoyed. I love when YA novels feature flawed characters. It makes the story much more realistic.

Now let's talk about the music. The music alone gave this book an entire star. Maybe it's because I'm a huge music junkie, but I got so excited every time they talked about a song that I personally love.

Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable read.

If you took the Lil Sebastian Tribute Concert from Parks and Rec, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and 90s/2000s alternative and grunge, you have More Than Maybe. Aka my new favorite book. Aka the best thing I've read. Aka the greatest romantic comedy alternative music lovefest I've ever read. At one point in the novel, Vada describes a coworker's relationship as a Hallmark movie plot and I have half a mind to write this review like that. But I won't. Just know that I binge read it in a few short hours and haven't stopped swooning since then.

Like Vada can recognize a good song or good concert by the number of times she closes her eyes to feel the music at a deeper level, I recognize a good book by the sheer number of times I giggle, kick my feet out, or wheeze uncontrollably. And I did all of those. Repeatedly. Every single chapter.

Okay, well. Anyways. Time to talk about the greatness that is More Than Maybe. Vada has taken over her boss's blog, Behind the Music.She reviews up and coming bands and pushes them towards the limelight as her followers increase. She has a clear list of goals: go to her dream college, run the music blog, host the summer music concert series, and maybe, just maybe get her dad to fund her college. Luke on the other hand dreams of writing music. But not performing. Distinctly not performing. He loves his dad, a former punk musician, but he doesn't enjoy the limelight and just wants to compose. Despite coexisting in similar circles, neither has stepped outside their comfort zones to talk to the other beyond just normal conversation. Even though they both have a maddening, almost stalkerish love for each other. The most perfect love. The love that every alt rock song croons about. It isn't until Cullen, Luke's twin brother, secretly records him singing a love song about Vada and posts it to their podcast, The Grass is Greenly. It boosts Luke to the famous status he has never wanted. And everyone wants to know who the mysterious girl he's singing about is. As more and more opportunities come up for them to connect, Vada and Luke grow ever closer, just like the music that binds them.

I can't tell you one single thing that stood out to me except that everything did. The songs Erin Hahn chose as the background music for this novel speak to the reader's heart as much as they do Vada and Luke. I've developed a strong love of alternative music in the past few years and let me tell you I was utterly surprised I knew every single artist mentioned in the book. The characters felt vulnerable and so relatable. There wasn't a moment that I felt distanced or unconnected, which has happened so frequently in the books I've read. Having the experience of hearing the lyrics to Luke's songs near the end of the book just blew my mind away and made me fall harder. Even more so was seeing their "falling in love" tracklist (okay that's what I'm calling it, even if it isn't really called that) at the book's end. I won't stop swooning for a while and Vada and Luke are officially one of my favorite couples. Ever.