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.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! Sometimes I have a hard time enjoying supporting characters in books (I don't know why but I know it's a me problem), BUT this book did not disappoint whatsoever. I know Luke wanted a life outside of the spotlight, but I felt like he was a diva. The musical knowledge throughout the book made my little band nerd heart happy, because you can really tell when authors just scan Google for details but no, Erin Hahn did a fabulous job.

Thank you!

A story about love, family, friendship, and of course, music. Erin Hahn knows how to get a reader thinking musically when in the zone. Highly recommend you listen to her Spotify playlist for the book before, after, and during reading!

This is a great YA romance!

I don't know why, but I love any book that has music as a common theme. I love it even more if there are songs mentioned throughout the book that I can listen to while readying and this delivered.  I think it helps get in the same mindset as the characters and now how they're feeling.  

I also really loved these characters. They were just so cute in how they liked each other from the start but were too shy to say anything. I loved how they interacted with each other knowing that and seeing how they got closer. 

I overall just really loved this book and it would make the perfect summer read.  Can we please have a sequel to see either where the characters end up, or Cullen's point of view and his story?

THIS BOOK. I repeat again, THIS BOOK. My goodness, all the heart eyes and swooning and music, oh my. I loved this so much. Vada and Luke's story, their relationship with themselves and each other and music, were everything I could have possibly wanted. The way the author intertwined music and how it makes you feel and particular songs into this story, was just incredible. Plus all the coming of age teenage angst and romance. I loved every single second of it. Music is so healing and powerful and this book was proof of just that. Thank you Erin for writing another incredible book. Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

This was such a great story.  Very touching and very swoony.  I loved the romance and friendship and the story of self-discovery.  The pacing was well done and the characters were all wonderful!!  I hope to check out another title by this author soon.

Vada and Luke–I am still thinking about these characters a week after finishing! This is when you know you have read a great book. I had so many emotions while reading this, and I thought the plot and characters were equally driving this book. I have never read anything from this author prior, but I will be on the lookout for more.

Music is the reason I'm alive on this planet. No, really, I don't mean that hyperbolically - my parents met when my dad leaned my mom a copy of the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album, and their one-year anniversary was a trip to the original Lilith Fair in 1997. Understandably, then, when I read the description of this lighthearted YA romance, I was excited (as I always am when a book includes music as a focal point.) The premise - rock royalty falls for a music blogger - was so interesting (a You've Got Mail for the 2020s.) Unfortunately, and I don't say this lightly, this was just so... bland.

The premise that so intrigued me was ultimately devoid of tension. I'd expected more will-they-or-won't they; what I got was just... they will. As in, both characters had independently developed crushes on each other long before the book began, so the intrigue and conflict raised by that scenario were snuffed out. As were many conflicts of this book, in fact - Vada's father turns up at her workplace? Now he's gone! Conflict with a rival club? It's over in a chapter! Tension when Cullen releases his brother's song? It's all forgiven. As soothing as it was to read a fluffy book devoid of conflict, it was also just SO boring.

Look - I get it. Not every book has to have dragons and world-ending prophecies. Some books are just small, intimate portrayals of human relationships, and that's fine. But God, would it kill this book to have a little more tension? Drama? Intrigue? Make me feel something, goddammit