Erin Hahn knows how to write a romance with characters you are just dying to see succeed, and this one is no exception!

This story is about a second opportunity with a childhood sweetheart really hits. They have the ideal chemistry together. I enjoyed watching how the feelings between them grew and thought their banter worked wonderfully. The only thing we really didn't get was a flashback to when they were kids. If I had been able to see that, I would have loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Built to Last was a cute read! I found the chemistry fun to dive into. Cameron and Shelby were fun to root for, and I love the history they shared. There were times I found their voices a bit annoying if I’m being honest, but the further I read the more I grew to like the characters.

3.5 carpentry stars

It took a while for me to warm up to the characters in this romance book. We have a love triangle with three former child TV series stars. Shelby Springfield had a highly public relationship with her co-star Lyle and a spectacular breakup – at least according to the paparazzi. But does her heart truly belong to her other co-star Cameron?

The trio has been apart for ten years, Shelby escaping to her hometown in Michigan, working with her dad in construction, Cameron traveling the world making documentaries, and Lyle is a TV executive.

Shelby decides that she wants to tackle a TV series again, but this time with her dad on a homebuilding show. Testing shows that the two don’t have quite the right chemistry and I’ll bet you can guess what comes next! A repeat pairing of Shelby and Cameron.

Can the duo bring sparks to the screen and their personal life? Or will Shelby be reunited with Lyle? Will their TV series be a hit or a dud?

I did end up rooting for Shelby and Cameron in the second half of the book. I think there might be a sequel coming with some of the characters in this one and I’m hoping that author’s writing starts off strong in that one.

Built to Last could feel like another recycled version of home makeover shows featuring couples. I don't watch those shows and I still recognize the couples! But there's something really sweet about this story about Cameron and Shelby, a pair that worked together as child stars that leave Hollywood behind, and are brought back together under the Hollywood lights when an opportunity to work on a show together presents itself through none other than the third (and awful) member of their childhood trio. The childhood crushes on each other work. The needing time to find themselves as adults works. The unrequited love that brings them back together works. And despite the fact that it's all very implausible in real life, it feels like a very natural story. Even though the story is primarily about Cameron and Shelby reconnecting and falling in love, the supporting cast helps round the story out. Shelby has a chance to connect with her dad as an adult, something withheld from her by her self-serving and hurtful mother. Cameron begins to make inroads of his own with his brother and his dad. Kevin and Beth, Cameron's friends, and Lorelai and Maren, Shelby's friends, help form a sense of support and community in the book. The story also doesn't rush right into the romance, Hahn allows it to build so the readers want it to happen just as much as Cameron and Shelby do, which means when it happens it feels that much more rewarding. And stay tuned, because I'm pretty sure a story about Lorelai is in the works to follow. A complimentary copy of the book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don’t know why, but a romance book with a home renovation angle will always catch me. Typically, second chance romance or celebrity romance doesn’t draw me in, but I love this book. It was a quick read, very sweet, and a little spicy. My brain kept envisioning a Boy Meets World dynamic between the main characters, which was a happy throwback memory along the way. The chemistry between the main characters was clear, and I found myself instantly invested in their HEA. I also really liked the side characters and would love to see this as a series – perhaps a book for Lorelai? I wish there had been a bit more Kevin and Beth along the way. This was my first book by Erin Hahn, but definitely not my last!

This book was super cute!! It honestly took me a while to get into it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Erin Hahn made the characters seem super relatable, even though they were child stars and well known.

Loved the ending. I gave it 4/5 stars on Goodreads :)

Built to Last follows Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs, two former child acting darlings who reconnect after years apart from both each other and Hollywood. After struggling to break free from the clutches of her past reputation, Shelby has made a name for herself restoring old houses with her dad. Cameron has been exploring the world as a documentarian. Both their lives get flipped upside down when they sign on to star in a home remodel show run by Shelby’s ex and their former costar, Lyle. Drama and love ensues!

This book was a lot of fun - what second chance romance, friends to lovers romance book isn’t? Especially with a spectacular setting like a home remodeling show. It had just enough drama and spice to keep me interested without being overbearing. Extra plus - the main conflict in the book wasn’t a miscommunication issue with the main couple, but more of a them against the world thing. I can definitely see this one being popular once it’s out. 🥳

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I have many library patrons who would enjoy this book. The story and characters were interesting. I kept trying to put it down in order to get other things done but kept returning to it instead. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Before I get into the bulk of my review, I want to say a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Build to Last is an adult rom-com about two child stars who find their way out of that world. It’s been 5 years since Shelby has seen her ex-costar Cameron and in that time they’ve both built lives for themselves. Shelby doing carpentry and woodwork for her father’s business and Cameron shooting documentaries for National Geographic. But they’re brought together to shoot a pilot of a home remodel show called ‘HomeMade.’ They are forced to confront their past and to decide if they want to build a future together. Built to Last comes out on October 18th and is available for pre-order now.

There is so much to love in this romantic comedy. I found Cameron and Shelby adorable and instantly relatable. Their love and their fears all feel authentic and realistic. I also loved almost all of the side characters and could see them having love stories of their own in a companion series. There’s so much I want to know about the distillery owner and his wife or the ex-musician and her ex-boyfriend. I really hope the author gets the chance to explore these background characters’ backstories. I like the setting and also the sense of community the author built up around our main characters. I think it’s what helps make the two main characters seem so realistic, but also it feels cozy and warm. I think it’s coming out at the perfect time of the year for something that reads the way Autumn feels.

The place I struggled with this one was the Hollywood aspect of it. It felt like there was constantly a hurdle that our couple had to jump over while trying to just remodel a house and discover if this is something they want to do after the pilot is shot. Not to mention dealing with their own issues from when they were younger. I felt like Lyle was a mustache twirling villain in this story which is annoying since he seems to only be there to move the plot along. He also never seems to change despite the ending. Maybe he could have gotten some sort of redemption if he would have done something nice or apologized at the end. Anything to make him into less of a caricature of a villain.

Overall, this was such a cute romance and a quick read despite how many days it took me to read it. I had a lot of stuff going on this week so I was only able to read a chapter a day for several days. But when I finally got the chance to just sit and read, I got through this one so fast. By the last 150 pages, I never wanted to put it down.

Built to Last by Erin Hahn
Cute HGTV story staring Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs - once childhood stars and sweethearts getting a second chance at love. Plenty of old memories and friends and ex's, angst, cheating, deception, redemption, love, tears and some steam to get to their HEA.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Tear-jerker Easy-to-read Great world building Happily Ever After Wonderful characters Entertaining Romantic Funny Page-turner. I was happy to read and review this book.

This one sounded so cute because I love a home renovation. Maggie Moves On is the main one I think of. But add in the childhood friends to lovers and mutual pining and I was sold.

There was a lot of drama in this one. Lyle was something else. I didn't love the idea of him being involved in the project even thought it was his idea to bring them together. He was super childish and obviously not over what happened when they were younger. I honestly would have felt bad for his wife, if she wasn't just as bad.

I did love the strong female friendships in this book. Lorelei and Maren were pretty great. I hope they get their own books! I know there were definite hints to Lorelei and her ex Drake getting a book, so I will be looking out for that.

I will say I wanted more explanation or closure about Cam's family situation. I wasn't completely sure why he and his dad were so at odds? And I guess he felt like his dad liked his brother more? That wasn't super clear to me. And did we get a reason for his parents divorce? I would have liked more development on that front,

But if you love a sweet love story and home renovations, you will like this one!

Check it out October 18!

Built to Last is a heartwarming, second-chance romance about remodeling homes and building relationships on a strong foundation. I absolutely loved getting to watch this love story unfold. I thought the characters had great chemistry and OH MY GOD THE YEARNING IN THIS BOOK WAS UNMATCHED. If you love HGTV and a happily ever after, this book is for you.

Huge thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This just WORKED. I have loved all of Erin Hahn’s YA books so of course I was ready to jump into her first adult romance!

First things first: the sex scenes were AMAZING. (Could’ve stood for more but I am being greedy.) The tree trunk thighs are no joke!

Erin Hahn does women supporting women like maybe no one else. I want to be best friends with her characters but more than anything I want to be best friends with their best friends. I would be an amazing best friend to Lorelei just saying.

Can I humbly request that Julia Whelan narrate this audiobook??? I would love that. But honestly any narrator would do a wonderful job with this material.

Former child stars with a history are thrown back together for a reality home renovation show. Dig in for some entertainment! I really enjoyed getting to know Cameron and Shelby, both from their past and current lives. We have some great side characters in their best friends, and Shelby’s dad. There are so many fun and sweet moments throughout this book, some personal growth in our characters, and who doesn’t love a home renovation?! I have read a previous Erin Hahn book that was YA, and quite enjoyed it even though that isn’t my favorite genre. This is her debut into romcom and I hope she continues on this path! The banter and chemistry were fantastic.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of Built to Last from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Built to Last is a story about Shelby and Cameron. Both were childhood stars 10 years ago on the same T.V. show. They are reunited 10 years later when Shelby pitches a home renovation T.V. to hopefully help her dad get ahead, and be able to retire. She had given up the party girl life and settled down nicely in her home state of Michigan in her father's business restoring furniture. Cameron left the spotlight before Shelby did, went to college and pursued a career with National Geographic. Before Cameron left 10 years ago, Cameron and Shelby were in love. This is their second chance story.

This is my first Erin Hahn novel, and it won't be my last. This was a good, solid book. This is a second chance romance, who were childhood sweethearts. I loved the story between Shelby and Cameron and seeing their love grow chapter, by chapter. There love is so natural and real, that everyone sees it and just takes it as a given. This book is slow burn in a big way. I found myself even starting to second guess if they were going to get over themselves and get together. Once they do, it is intense. They exchange "I love you" really quickly afterward, but it makes sense in the story, since they have been in love since they were 11. I really liked that there wasn't a third act crisis for this couple. They had waited their entire lives for them to be able to both be in places where they can fully act on their love.

I really enjoyed Erin Hahn's character development, including of Shelby's two best friends and Cameron's college friend. I find that having secondary characters that you can connect with really adds to a story. She even wrote the characters I hated (Lyle and Shelby's mother) so well that I really had a sour reaction to them whenever they were on page.

One pet peeve I had was one of the steamy scenes was a flashback to when they were teenagers. If I am reading a romance book, I don't want my steamy scenes to be between teenagers.

I really liked this book, and though movie stars/former stars is not usually a favourite of mine, I found I enjoyed this one with how it was written. If you like second chance, childhood sweetheart romances, this would be the book for you! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

The book to end my two week slump! I love Erin's way with words, the heavy with the delightfully unexpected pockets of humor. There were quite a few moments I laughed out loud.
Former child celebrities, Shelby, Cameron, and Lyle reunite, creating buzz around a home renovation show pilot. Shelby relocated to Michigan and found a passion with restoration projects and Cameron has been gallivanting around the world working for Nat Geo. All is not sweet between the three as rivalries and old flames resurrect.
Erin's adult debut is fantastic and I'm so glad I was able to read it early. It was exactly what I didn't know I needed this month. The setting, supporting cast, character growth, and delicious romance were put together in the best way. I need to see Shelby's friends, Maren and Lorelai, come back for their own HEA's (pretty please?!?)
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Romance open door, mature language

Delightfully cozy, Michigan-set romance with all the trappings of second-chance romance and friends to lovers that anyone could want. If you want slow pining and then a lot of hammering it out (literally and romantically), definitely pick up Built to Last. Truly enjoyable debut adult romance.

I already can't wait for the next book by this author. I immediately connected with her writing. I grew to love so many of the characters and it had a homey feel to it. With tropes of second chance romance and childhood friends to lovers, this rom-com was something special.

Shelby and Cameron were former TV stars and childhood sweethearts. Ten years later they reunite to film the pilot for a home renovation show. The more I read, the more I fell in love with this couple. They fit so well together. After all those years apart, the sparks were still there. Thinking about their scenes together makes me smile. They were flirty, playful and the banter was fun. Reading their inner monologues really made me feel just how much they were pining for each other.

One thing that stood out was how much both characters grew from when they were kids on set. Shelby especially became this warm, good-hearted and hardworking woman. Cameron was such a sweet and dependable guy. They were so perfect for each other.

I read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this one! Such a wholesome second chance romance with a bit of spice peppered in. Home renovation shows are my kryptonite so this whole story just hit the spot for me. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down with a constant smile on my face. The romance between Shelby and Cam was too adorable, and their chemistry off the charts.

Thanks netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.