A book with an excellent execution of second chance romance and a great cast of characters. I loved reading a home Reno themed book after watching so many different tv shows on the same subject. Will definitely look for this one in October!

Built to Last is sweet and charming read that reminded me of a couple of books I’ve read this year and mashed them into a single volume. You have the child star who’s gotten involved in life outside of their gig acting (a la Birds of California), you have the reunion that takes place for a public event, and you have the two co-stars who find themselves in love.  I’ve read the premise before, but the execution is what matters, and this one is definitely worth the read.

The amazingly named Shelby Springfield (is Hahn a Simpsons fan?) is still trying to overcome her past as a child star. She was a costar on the Disney/Nickelodeon style The World According to Jackson, where she played Makayla Jackson, the sweetheart of the titular character. Shelby and and her co-star, Lyle Jessup, dated in real life, and when they went through a horrible breakup as they exited their teens, the world shifted. Shelby tried to break out of the box to become a singer, and instead had a big old public meltdown, and Lyle made creative grist out of their breakup (see: You Chose Wrong, his Grammy-winning hit about her leaving him). Her mother – a pushy stage mother who actually wrote a tell-all book about her – is a nightmare she’s mainly shut out of her life. Now she’s trying to pick up the pieces as a furniture rehabilitator, and is living with her dad while doing so.

Cameron Riggs, who played Jackson’s best friend on the show, has long since carried a torch for Shelby. He’s always hated her mother (his equally negative relationship with his dad is no prize either), and tried to defend her against the world’s slings and arrows. Cameron became a globetrotting documentary filmmaker, but he’s always come home whenever Shelby needs him.

This time, he’s called home for a different reason. Lyle has a proposal for them – a reality home renovation show called HomeMade. Though Shelby is reluctant to step back into the spotlight and Cameron is reluctant to settle down, Lyle coaxes them into appearing on the show. The problem, naturally, will be keeping things professional – which is hard to do when Cameron and Shelby are tempted to give their attraction another try and the ever-scheming Lyle dedicates himself to causing drama. But a shot at redemption for Shelby and a shot at love for Cameron are waiting around the bend.

Built to Last is realistic about the pain that child stars go through. Cameron, in particular, is a likable cinnamon-roll who loves Shelby no matter what but is reluctant to take the relationship further. Shelby, too, is a likable person who’s survived a hellish childhood (her mother is a true nightmare). Hahn gets everything right about tabloid culture, and provides a lot of fun. Lyle – a Justin Timberlake-clone, complete with his very own modelized wife – is a perfect foil for them both.

The romance here provides a nice, spicy slow burn, and it’s a comfortable pace that gives Cameron and Shelby – who are worth liking and loving time to grow on readers. I liked Shelby’s relationship with her father, Cameron’s struggle in overcoming his relationship with his own dad, and Shelby’s reunion with her dream of becoming a singer.

Built to Last is fun and romantic, and a good way to spend an early fall afternoon.

Buy it at: Amazon or your local independent retailer
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This book was cute! It’s a second chance with former child TV stars who have been estranged but reunite to film a home renovation show.

Shelby was once a party girl and pop star following her years on TV, but now she’s sober and back home in Michigan, helping her dad renovate houses. She also has a thriving business restoring old furniture. Cameron is her first love and former co-star, who now travels the world filming National Geographic documentaries. Through the machinations of their former co-star Lyle, now a TV producer, Shelby and Cam are back together to film the pilot of a show where they renovate houses together.

I liked Shelby and Cam a lot, and enjoyed reading about them reconnecting. The home renovation aspect was also fun. I could have done with a lot less Lyle, though. He’s the villain, and he’s definitely there to serve a purpose, but I also felt like sometimes his schemes took away attention from the romance arc. That said, I still had fun reading this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was such a cute story and feel good book. I enjoyed learning more about Shelby and Cam, as well as their good group of friends.

This book is a sweet second chance love story and it was overall cute! It was a nice story but I didn't care much for the characters, I felt like there was just a tad too many. The focus was taken away from the couple with the additional characters. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Second chance love, childhood romance rekindled.

Quick rom-com read with some spice. Great for summer or a vacation.

I enjoyed this super quick read! Thanks for e-ARC St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.

“I don’t think Ada Marie has intentionally touched me since she squeezed me out of the birth canal.” -from Built to Last

3.5 stars

This is a fun second chance romance. The two main characters were child stars together, and now are trying to make a relationship work.

While I liked our female MC and best friends, the male lead felt a little flat to me. He’s always been in love with her, but literally walked away twice. Problems pop up, but are easily dissipated with little effort or sometimes even a real conversation. I would have liked to see more flashbacks, and not just them sort of looking at each other. If you don’t think to hard, it is a decent read- the home renovation parts are certainly a highlight; but the characters don’t seem like ones that will really stick with me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely the light-hearted HEA story I needed after a couple of very heavy reads. Romcoms are the perfect books for me when I want to slip away to a happy place and enjoy humorous banter and fun flirting. My favorite romcom trop is second-chance love so when saw the synopsis for this book, I requested a copy right away!

Shelby and Cameron met while young teens acting in a television series. This story opens with them both working outside of Hollywood - Cameron with National Geography and Shelby building a name for herself in home renovation/restorations. When an ex-boyfriend brings them together again to film a house-flipping TV show, the sparks begin to fly immediately. Both Shelby and Cameron are such likeable characters. Their friends are just as likeable and hopefully at least one of them will get the next book dedicated to their story?! And then there is Shelby's ex - Lyle - and he is super easy to dislike.

I really liked the honest family dynamics. Shelby had a crappy mom who seemed only interested in what she could get from Shelby's fame. Her father, admittedly somewhat absent from her younger years, works hard to make up for lost time. Cameron on the other hand, has a doting and supportive mother, and a father who he feels like he can never be good enough for. He has run a narrative though his own head that's hard for him to change.

The character growth was great to see. I loved the home renovation aspect and the fact that Shelby and Cameron were intent on fixing up these houses for the everyday buyer in that Michigan market. I loved their banter, their chemistry and their easy relationship. My only small complaint is over the way Lyle acted in the end. I'm not sure I believed that outcome was likely. Even with that though, this book was such a fun and enjoyable read. Definitely recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy to read and review.

This is a cute contemporary romance with and HGTV setting. I wish I had connected more with this book, as the general premise is great! However for me there wasn't enough that made sense in the plot, and I feel like the ex-boyfriend Lyle being so involved throughout the book didn't really bring anything to the romance. The tension between Shelby and Cameron breaks quickly and left me wanting more. While we get a few conversations and descriptions of their original romance, it somehow did not feel very much like a second chance romance.. Again I think Lyle being the difficulty between them instead of timing, or other circumstances took away some of the romance. I did enjoy the furniture and remodeling aspects! However, overall this was just fine for me. Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another gem by Erin Hahn! I enjoyed reading this one! Go buy this one and give it a read. Releases this fall and is available for preorder now!
Built to Last is a second chance romance featuring Shelby and Cam, child stars who have grown up and moved on. They come back together to create a home renovation show and have to deal with drama from their ex-costar (producer of their new show), and Shelby’s ex-boyfriend, along the way.
I was given an advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I flew through this book. I love Cam & Shelby!! I couldn’t get enough of them! Although I’m happily married… I WANT A CAM 😫 my face hurts, I may have smiled through the whole book!

Thank you NetGalley & St Martins Press for the ARC

Shelby and Cameron were child stars who fell in love at eighteen but when Cameron went off to college, he left Shelby heartbroken and all alone. She threw herself back into the LA scene but after a bad breakup, she begged Cameron to come back to console her which he did, without hesitation. Once he arrived he knew he couldn’t stay so once again, he left her and went back to his real life. There was only so much rejection a girl could take so Shelby packed up her belongings and moved back home to Michigan, where life was simpler and where she could get on with the next chapter in her life. The Hollywood lifestyle was behind her or so she thought, until she was offered the chance to be the star of a different kind of show.

Shelby was proud of her new life and if doing the new show would also help her father, she just knew she had to do it. But how would she react when she sees Cameron again and will they be able to recreate the onscreen chemistry they once had? Does he really want to leave his coveted job with National Geographic to work with the one woman who has ever really owned his heart? How will Lyle, the third player in the drama treat them, and what tricks does he have up his sleeve to make their lives miserable?

Shelby and Cameron certainly have a chemistry that was built to last!! They fell in love as innocent teenagers who had been thrust into the spotlight of a popular TV show. Ten years after their last scene together, they are once again in front of the camera but this time, Shelby is calling the shots and Cameron is right there by her side. They are a charismatic, but humble couple who have a second chance to entertain their fans, old and new, one room and one house at a time.

I really loved this book. I zoomed through it so fast and can’t wait for whatever Hahn writes next!! The characters were so relatable and wonderful, even while dealing with scenarios totally different from my life

I really enjoyed the first few chapters. Seeing their relationship and how angsty everything was with all of the emotional build up over the years.

Everything was cheesy and went downhill from there. I didn’t understand the point of the last third of the book with Lyle and the
Family drama. I was wayyyy more interested in the secondary characters.

I just felt like the angst quickly went away and the plot continued for a long time.

I love the vibe of the book and the overall theme. It’s very sweet and cute.

Second chance love stories are the best, and Built to Last is no exception to this rule! The story introduces us to Shelby and Cameron, former child stars who are now all grown-up. Erin Hahn does a great job adding depth to these characters and showing us what's behind the glitz, glamour, and hard falls of child stardom. Shelby and Cameron are both likeable characters and I was eager to learn more about what makes each of them tick and how that affects their ability to connect with each other. This book had me laughing and rooting for the underdogs. If you're looking for a funny, sweet, quick read, Built to Last is for you!

For me, the highlight of this romance was Shelby Springfield's relationship with quality vintage furniture and her ability to make it shine. A former child star who has retreated from the world after a messy breakup with her co-star Lyle Jessup, she is sucked into a new opportunity assisting her other co-star Cameron Riggs in a home renovation tv show.
Lyle did not put Cameron and Shelby together out of the kindness of his heart, and it is little surprise when sparks fly between Cameron and Shelby. The two have a lot to work out from their past relationship--Cameron had walked out on Shelby, and he had some explaining to do!
Tapping into the American enthusiasm for home renovation shows, Erin Hahn created a fun world and plenty of opportunities for Shelby and Cameron to stand up for themselves and find their own path.

I thought this was a very sweet book. The characters and plot seemed different from the typical rom-com storyline. I felt like as I was getting towards 3/4 of the book there wasn't any true challenge for them. They had (what felt to me) minor challenges with Lyle and their parents but I kept waiting for something big to happen and it never came. In the end it just felt anticlimactic and kind of let me down as a reader.

This was the first book I have read by Erin Hahn.
I really enjoyed it. At first, I thought it might be a little silly, but the story jumped to present day and the characters were very well developed and realistic.
I related to Shelby and really enjoyed her friends and her relationship with Cameron.
The only thing I really thought was slightly far fetched was Cameron's job, how he went front being an actor to a National Geographic employee like a snap of your fingers.

I am hoping that Lorelia's story is next!
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good second-chance romance and believe me, this is a good one!

Set against a backdrop of farm country Michigan and a home renovation show, Shelby and Cameron are brought back together after years apart. These former child stars spent the last five years growing and learning and healing and now they're thrust back together to do a reality TV show.

Shelby and Cameron are wonderful characters! They're flawed and confused and emotional and human. The whole cast is great, really. I love Lorelai and I can't wait to see where her story takes her. And Kevin is hilarious. I could do without Lyle and Ada Mae but I guess there are always antagonists...

The pacing is perfect. We're able to see how they've grown separately but still have more work to do. And then we get to watch as they learn to do that work together. There are some steamy bits, too, if that's your thing ;-)

This story captures all the heart of Ben & Erin from Hometown, the sense of community and belonging. I want a book nook exactly like the one Shelby restores. It's a beautiful story from every angle and a lovely feel-good read. I highly recommend it!

I was absolutely giddy the entire time reading this book. Erin Hahn is a master at creating characters that come completely alive. This is a pretty quick read but the plot does not suffer at all; in fact, I’d say the pacing was perfect and the plot twists were never predictable. This was definitely a 5/5 star read for me.