Perfect read at the perfect time. This is the story I didn’t know I was looking for. I will certainly be looking to read more books by Erin Hahn, and am hopeful that there are more with these secondary characters as main leads.

Cameron Riggs and Shelby Springfield were child actors, along with their co-star Lyle Jessup. The three have been interconnected ever since. But Cameron and Shelby were always something more. At 18, Cameron got out of the spotlight and went off to college, leaving Shelby with Lyle. 5 years after that, Shelby finally gets out of Hollywood, but with some scars.

10 years later, Shelby has found a niche, restoring antique furniture, while her father flips houses. Believing that this could be a show (think HGTV) she shops it around only for it to land on Lyle’s desk. Now she needs a costar, and who better than Cameron? I love how these characters pull everything together and come out better for it. Their friends make the story that much more. I truly can’t say enough about this book other than you should pick it up immediately!

3.5⭐️

Built to Last was an easy to read, feel good romance. Shelby and Cameron are former child-stars, who fell in love as teenagers on the same show but both fled Hollywood, Cam to go to college and Shelby after a series of unfortunate events. After Shelby has settled down back home and finds a new calling in restoring furniture, she receives the opportunity to film the pilot for a new home improvement show about flipping houses. When getting to the meeting, she realizes the producer will be another former co-star (aka the ex-boyfriend who ruined her image), and her co-star on the new show is supposed to be Cameron. They decide to take on the show anyways, and throughout the filming of the pilot and their first house flip, Shelby and Cameron get a second chance.

Usually I'm on the fence about second chance romances, but I feel like this book did a great job with it. It was clearly a case of right person, wrong time, and both characters just needed to grow. I loved reading the flashbacks to them as teenagers, and as adults there was still a lot of pining and obvious crushing. You can tell they really like each other, and that there was just some miscommunication as to what they truly wanted.

While I'm happy there wasn't a random big conflict thrown in, I did feel like the book got a bit boring, in that you knew exactly what would go down. The conflict of working with Lyle (the ex co-star and boyfriend) also did not make much sense to me, because why would that have been his position for the show, if he is supposed to be an actor and popstar?

Nevertheless, I've loved watching HGTV shows since I was a kid, and the book references actual home flippers, which I thought was pretty cool! It was a cute concept for a romance, and the home flipping and restoration is symbolic in a way, for Shelby and Cameron restoring and improving their relationship. I loved them both, and the side characters were also lovable (Shelby's dad and friends, Cameron's friends Kevin and Beth, his mom <3). The couple definitely made the story in Built to Last, they were adorable.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Late review but happy release to Erin Hahn!

Built to Last is a sweet childhood second chance romance about two former child stars who leave LA and each other behind until something pulls them back together again. I was expecting there to be more angst during Cam and Shelby's reunion, but I did enjoy the story overall. I would have loved to read more about their past as it was alluded to a lot, but I would definitely recommend this book for people who like home renovation shows and a more low-key story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank You Netgalley for the EARC of Build to Last
This is my first book of Miss Erin Hahn and this not disappoints me.
The story is about second chance friends to lovers romance. I love how low conflict the book has. The chemistry of shelby and cameron is superb.

This is an adorable second chance romance! It follows former children TV stars Shelby and Cameron who are working on a new home improvement show after their missed their chance together twice before. Working together to avoid the manipulation of their other former teen costar, the two see if their connection is as strong as it once was.

Cameron is a dream man! His love for Shelby and Shelby's love for him was so precious and was the cornerstone of this book. I loved the premise as well as many of the side characters- except for Lyle who sucks. The two characters work to overcome to challenges of their past and futures while falling again.

I will happily read any book Erin Hahn writes, especially if it is as charming and lovely as this book!

BUILT TO LAST was my first read by Erin Hahn, her adult debut. I've heard great things about her YA novels and was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

BUILT TO LAST tells the second chance love story of Cam and Shelby, child stars of a hit sitcom, brought together years later to star in an HGTV-esqe renovation show. I really enjoyed this story - as a huge fan of second chance romance! - and loved to see the characters learn and grow. Reading others' reviews, it sounds like there are tie-ins and little easter eggs from Hahn's YA writing, so I bet this was even more enjoyable if you've read her other work! All in all, a sweet, enjoyable read about the power of love and growth!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Griffin for the chance to read Built to last by Erin Hahn. This is my first book by the author and her first adult romance and while I found the beginning of the story a bit slow, it soon picked up. I was not a fan of either Shelby or Cameron at the start of the book; Shelby was a hot mess, and was using Cameron, and Cameron was allowing it, but then just up and left. Years later they are hooked back up to star in a home renovation reality show based on the fact that they once were child stars on a tv show. This was definitely a rom-com and I did enjoy the aspect of the reality show. 31/2 stars.

🏡 Built To Last by Erin Hahn

Overall, I really liked this cute rom com. I loved the HGTV vibes, and the second change trope. One of my favorite things was that there was no ridiculous argument near the end of the book that almost broke up Shelby and Cam. 🙌🏻 I was so worried, but I’m glad their relationship continued to get stronger 🥹 also…Lyle is the worst. [thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the #gifted e-book].

Thank you Erin Hahn, NetGalley, and Griffin Publishing for the ARC!

I love a second chance, friends to lovers trope! This was no exception. I loved Shelby and Cameron! The fact they've known each other since they were 11 years old. It's just the perfect childhood romance I was looking for. Super cute!

Normalize romance books whose conflict is not between the couple but between them and life circumstances! (Some people may consider that a spoiler, I consider it a selling point!) Built To Last stars Cameron and Shelby, two former child stars trying to make their own way in the world, Shelby with home renovations, and Cameron with National Geographic documentaries. After many years apart (that did nothing to tamp down their chemistry) they are asked to do a home renovation tv show, which turns out to be run by their former co-star/Shelby's ex who cheated on her/the man Cameron convinced her to leave, who also seems to have some issues with the two. It's a mess. But an entertaining one!

This book was sweet, cozy, and not super stressful, which is exactly what I needed right now. It was really satisfying to watch two child stars grow into their own people, even after a decade off their old show, and become adults with communication skills, making wise decisions, and supporting each other. I can't get enough of it!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the e-ARC! 4.5 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc!

"The Show According to Jackson" was a popular show that launched the careers of Lyle Jessup as the lead, Shelby Springfield, his love interest, and Cameron Riggs, his nerdy best friend. For years they sang, danced, and grew up together. During these years, Shelby and Cam were the ones who got closer and their friendship turned into a relationship, hidden from everyone. Suddenly, they both went their separate ways and Shelby was now known as Lyle's girlfriend in front of the cameras, which then ended in a big scandal. After this, Shelby decided to leave Hollywood behind, moved in with his dad in his small town, and started helping him renovate houses.

I love second chance childhood sweethearts books so I was soo excited to read this book. I loved the banter between Shelby and Cam! I love watching home renovation shows so I enjoyed that part of the book a lot! I loved that basically the complete progress of the renovation was shown, the good and the bad. I did however feel like there was something missing with Shelby and Cam, I would have loved that there were more flashbacks to when they were kids and grew together. After a decade of not having any communication, reuniting and getting back together felt a bit rushed, and there was just something missing between them. I liked the book, but I just didn't love it and it didn't hook me in.

Let me tell you, this book was so great! I loved the premise of this book, and boy am I glad I read it. It was a fun read. It did take me a few chapters to get into it just because I was a little bit confused by the flashbacks. Once it entered the present day I was so ready for this couple to give it a shot! I loved Cameron and Shelby's relationship and I loved how much they mentioned their past. I think that a lot of second chance romances forget that you really want to see how they were before they broke up. This book luckily made you feel sad that they had broken up which in turn made it so much better when they were able to revisit their relationship. I really just had a fun time reading this book, the tension was perfect. The conflicts within the book were also done in such a beautiful manner that I really loved seeing the conflicts resolve. I also enjoyed the side characters, and hopefully there will be sequels where we will get to explore the character dynamics of Lorelai and perhaps her future beau. I look forward to reading more books by Erin Hahn and I will definitely be exploring her backlist! **Thank you to Erin Hahn, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Built to Last in exchange for a honest review.**

Honestly can't decide how I feel about this book. I was kind of bored until half way through, but then thought it wrapped up too quickly.

I loved the "then" and "now" chapters, as well as the fact that we got both POVs. It's a little bit of a love triangle, but done super well and I didn't hate any of the characters - loved seeing the growth of the characters from childhood to present, but also loved the "famous" aspect of it.

Shelby Springfield loved being back in Michigan, working with her father restoring and renovating houses in the area. She had developed a passion for restoring furniture, and enjoyed knowing that people were delighted with her efforts. She was almost able to put her Los Angeles life as a wildly popular child star behind her, after her former co-star Lyle cheated on her and she spiraled into alcoholism and depression. At that time, she reached out to her other co-star, Cameron, who flew in from his National Geographic assignment in Alaska to help her. The letter Cameron left her convinced her to go back home, and she was proud of her efforts and the good work she was doing.

Lyle approached Shelby and Cameron, with an offer to work together on a home renovation show. Knowing that Lyle wasn’t to be trusted, they agreed, but with reservations. They found what Shelby considered the perfect property, and they began filming. Shelby’s dad, a contractor, was there to offer suggestions and advice, and Cameron picked up carpentry skills quickly. Everything was going along smoothly, until Lyle’s long-standing jealousy of Shelby and Cameron’s deep friendship reared up, and he tries to sabotage not only the show, but Shelby and Cameron as well.

What a great story! This was a fun read, with likeable characters and an interesting storyline. I absolutely loved Shelby’s resilience; by going home to Michigan she was able to discover who she really was. Cameron’s willingness to put his life on hold to work on the show with Shelby showed how much he truly cared for her. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop, and their triumph over Lyle and his dirty tricks, with the hoped for HEA at the ending.

This was a fun read. Predictable, but in a good way - you knew things would work out, even though a few times it seemed like the HEA wasn't guaranteed.

I enjoyed the story very much, especially the 'reality TV' aspect. It really helps develop the 'what's real and what's for TV' trope, which is always a win for me. The characters were interesting, and showed real growth.... except for the few who weren't supposed to - they were despicable, as you'd expect. The dialogue was snappy, and real. Overall a very enjoyable debut.

I would recommend this as a good read for any time you want to get cozy with a quick, fun book. I'm looking forward to the next in the series, as well.

This a really sweet romance. Shelby and Cameron were clearly meant to be together. You can practically see the sexual tension between them oozing off the page. They have an enviable network of friends and family who really care about them. However, that is not to say that everyone in this story is a good and admirable character that would be unrealistic. There are clearly likable characters and clearly unlikeable characters, however no in-betweens. Of course, this being more of a romantic comedy in book form than a romantic tragedy, good wins out and so does the reader.

Refreshing and FUN! I loved the characters in this one. They were relatable, real, and raw. The love story was charming. I loved the unique plot and the setting. This was a quick, heartfelt read and I loved it!

First I want to thank St. Martin's Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Like many people in the US, I LOVE a good home renovation show and when I saw this book's description with second chance and home renovations I HAD to request it. This is a story about two former child costars Shelby and Cameron who are thrown back together to host a home renovation show in Shelby's home down.

4.5/5 stars
What I Loved:
- Second chance romance, they fell in love as kids and then reconnecting as adults its one of my favorite types of this trope
- Home renovation, I love these types of shows and the one they are creating is EXACTLY the types I seek out to watch....hello restoring historical homes
- Slow burn, it takes a while for them to find each other but goodness its worth it
- Friends, both Shelby and Cameron have amazing friends that support them and they bring a bit of levity throughout the story

Overall I love this book, and one of my absolute favorite parts is that was a bit off the standard romance "formula", I can't say what without spoiling it but it is the reason why I stayed up WAY to late to finish this book. The only reason why I didn't give if a full 5 stars is I didn't want to re-read it right away....but I know I willl be revisiting soon. If you are a fan of second chance romances with a side of home renovation and ex-famous people PLEASE pick this book up!

Second-chance childhood sweetheart romance

Although very sweet it’s just not very believable that they still harbor feelings for one another. They didn’t have any contact for a long time and just their behavior once they begin communicating once again falls short on convincing me they have deep feelings. Their love seems nostalgic and childish. Doesn’t seem like they are in love now that they are grown adults.

Second Chance romances are my favorite and I’ve been reading a lot of those lately, this one was just above and beyond adorable. I enjoyed all the characters and loved the immense growth that the characters had throughout the book. Can’t recommend it enough!