If you love home Reno shows and hallmark movies, this is the one for you. I only wish there was a bit more “will they/ won’t they” moments.

2.75/5 stars

This was really cute! I couldn't get completely engrossed in as I would usually like to, but I "awwwwed" a couple of times. I really wanted more. I wanted more angst and development between the characters in a relationship. It just didn’t feel like there was any wowing moments in the read.

The life of childhood stars according to what I know is not quite easy, from personal negative impacts to strains on relationships with family. Kudos to Hahn for exploring these and incorporating romance. I did like that portrayal in the book!

Would recommend it if you're looking for a cute read. It’s easy and simple and gives good feels but it left something to be desired for me! It’s not memorable

The miscommunication killed my intrigue with this book. I liked so much of the premise and the characters. Home renovation and forced proximity is just my absolute dream so I did have high anticipation for this book. Aside from the miscommunication I also struggled with being told they were so in love, it was always each other, that they had insane chemistry etc instead of more so showing us.

Built To Last was my first read from Erin Hahn and it was so great! I will be looking for more of her work. This is her first foray into adult rom-com.

I really liked the premise of the home renovation show with the close proximity. I love the second chance romance, the dual POV, and the way Erin Hahn writes. The characters feel very real and alive. Shelby and Cameron are very likable and it felt like I needed more of them after the book was over. I would have loved to know more about them from when they were younger and knew each other originally.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin Hahn, and St Martin's Press for the e-ARC. This review is my own opinion.

I struggled to get into this book. I didn’t love the child star aspect, but I love home reno shows and that part was fun. Overall, it ended up being a cute and sweet story.

This was a fun childhood friends to lovers romance. I always enjoy a romcom with a home renovation storyline and this one delivered. The characters both had depth, growth, and chemistry, so it was easy to root for their HEA. There were a few minor issues, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

Thank you SMPRomance and NetGalley for the gifted ebook of Built to Last! All opinions in this review are my own.

I absolutely devoured this romance over a weekend! Second chance is one of my favorite tropes but I also really liked the home renovation show angle to act as forced proximity. The first chapter is told from Cameron's point of view, which immediately hooked me.

Basically, this romance checked so many boxes for me, I'm not surprised I enjoyed it so much!

I did not finish this book. I did not finish because I am busy with school. Also it has been released now for 5 months so there's no need to review it now.

This was an enjoyable read. I think I expected it to be more about the show and building, so once I let my expectations go, I was able to get into the story more.

This had such an interesting premise but unfortunately it fell flat for me. It took me awhile to figure out why I wasn't connecting to the story or the characters and I think it comes down to two main things for me: a lot of the drama in this story revolved around the miscommunication trope, which is one of my least favorites in general, but it also made no sense - I understand when they were younger, but they are adults and still can't have a regular conversation? The other thing was I just didn't see the love story with Shelby and Cameron. I was told how in love they were with each other, and that it's always been each other since they were 17/18, but we weren't shown any of this, and their chemistry was lacking. All of their interactions and dialogue were just physical attraction and lust, and I never really saw anything deeper, and so I just really didn't care. There were also just too many undeveloped side characters who literally had no purpose but to help the lead characters. I did like the whole home renovation aspect, but I do think even parts of that seemed too unrealistic to suspend belief. I think there are a lot of people who would enjoy this, but unfortunately I was not one of them.

Built to Last was my first book by Erin Hahn and her debut adult romance. I devoured this in one sitting with all it's second change childhood sweetheart cozy goodness! I loved the story, good banter, pace, and the home improvement setting. It's just perfect combination for chemistry to brew between Shelby and Cameron (and to turn into steam)! I found both characters to be likable and loved the dual POV aspect of the book. I definitely recommend this romance - it is made up of all things I want in a heartwarming and steamy romance book! I can't wait to read more from this author.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So, so good. I loved Shelby and Cameron! I am a sucker for second chance romances and this one hit it! This was my first book by this author and now I just want to read all of her work. I loved her writing style and the dual POV was perfect.

If you love renovation shows, Hollywood glamour, and second chance romances then don't hesitate to pick this one up.

Loved this one!! This was my first read by Erin Hahn and I can’t wait to pick up more from her! I loved the dual POV - I’m always a sucker for books with dual point of views. Cameron and Shelby are just so easy to love! I would have liked to get a deeper look into their childhood and how they came to know/love each other but I loved how Hahn brought Cameron and Shelby back together! This is a must read for those who love second chance romances and home renovation shows!!

A nice and sweet romance with wonderful characters. My first time with this author and I am intrigued.

Ok this was really cute!! I've only read one other Erin Hahn book (You'd Be Mine), but I want to read more! I enjoyed her writing style a lot. I love stories with dual POV and Erin Hahn did a great job bouncing back and forth in this one! I would have liked a liiiiittle bit more from their childhood and to see how they grew up and grew to love one another, but overall I was very pleased with this one.
Perfect for fans of second chance romances and those obsessed with home renovation shows!

Adorable book. Loved all the characters and the personality and it was comforting to read. It was refreshing to not have to deal with the typical ‘misunderstanding’ plot that follows once the couple gets together. This felt more genuine, less dramatic and just felt cozy to read.

Erin Hahn detours from her usual young adult novels and joins the adult romance scene with her newest book, Built to Last, which comes out on October 18th. While this is my first time reading one of Hahn’s books, this definitely won't be my last!

Romance lovers: this book’s for you! This book, which is reminiscent of Funny You Should Ask and How To Love Your Neighbor combines a second chance romance with HGTV-esque themes.

The chemistry between Shelby and Cameron was so well written that you can’t help but want their relationship and careers to flourish! And the way their story is written is so nicely done! The chapters just flow into one another so well that you’ll be finishing this book in one sitting! But on top of the main characters, all of the side characters are so great and really add depth to the story!

To be honest, these characters are too good to have their stories end here! (Erin Hahn you better have a sequel up your sleeve!)

If you love second chance romance, home renovation shows, or a peek behind the glitz of Hollywood, read this book!

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

Built to Last is Erin Hahn's first adult novel and it did not disappointed. There was the same strong characters and plenty of growth that was seen in her YA novels, with some added spice.

Shelby and Cameron had been young stars on a show together, things imploded, and they went their separate ways. Shelby stayed dating fellow costar Lyle for a few years before having a very public breakup. Cameron went to go work for National Geographic. Fast forward a few years and now Lyle (ex-boyfriend extraordinaire) is producing a house flipping show and wants Cameron to be on it with Shelby.

Everything about Shelby and Cameron reconnecting was fabulous. You could see how they struggled with the past, and how if they could have a future, and what they both wanted and needed. It took time and work for them to find what they were looking for.

Loved the show premise. Hated that Lyle was a scumbag and made their lives hell by surprisingly them with guests as they filmed (former friends, bad moms, etc). He needs a good kick in the pants.

By all accounts, this was an average adult contemporary romance. The main characters end up with a happy ending and the plot is largely based on popular, trending story tropes. But what this story was missing was an emotional center. That was the one storytelling element I was craving the most and this story failed to deliver it.

The plotting was simple and straightforward. The story relied on four main tropes: second-chance romance, friends-to-lovers (in the past), close proximity, and miscommunication. Usually, that combination is a recipe for success in contemporary romance. But I couldn’t help but feel that the story was coasting because of the trope use. It never dug deeper than those tropes and that was a disservice to the story—and to the home renovation setting. Because that was the missing piece this plot needed—to engage with the setting more. The romance plot overtook the home renovation plot; personally, I wish the latter plot was the alpha-plot. There is a rich array of details that could have been used to add more external conflict—and it would have enriched the descriptive details, as well.

In truth, there wasn’t much in terms of character development or emotionality in the writing. And I do think those go together, at least when it comes to this story. Shelby and Cameron didn’t change much throughout the 336 pages. They fell in love, but it wasn’t a plot where the romance propelled much change. In terms of Shelby, her life continued on, and she was able to heal the emotional wounds that Lyle had given her in the past. In terms of Cameron, he learned that his home (or his “anchor”) was Shelby and found a calling in renovating homes, much like she did. They were subtle changes, but they were also changes that I wished were more pronounced. And the pronouncement of those changes could have come in the form of deeper emotional writing. For the most part, the emotions skirted the surface of the story. I never felt drawn into what a given character was feeling and wished I had a better connection to the emotions undercutting the plot.

This is a minor note, but Lyle’s characterization was markedly different than how it was presented in the synopsis of the book. The synopsis made Lyle out to be a hero for bringing Cameron and Shelby back together. In truth, he was nothing short of a bully and brought about emotional trauma and distress to our main character, Shelby. That piece of marketing was something I wished had been adjusted prior to publication.

Overall, this book was great to read in one sitting. But it lacked the depth and descriptive writing that carries a story off the page.

TW: toxic/neglectful parent, past cheating

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I tried to read this book so many times and I just kept losing interest. I'm not even sure if I can say why, it just didn't suck me in. I finally gave up trying.