*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGallley in exchange for an honest review*

Former child star Shelby Springfield has been out of the public eye for years, finding happiness in her father's home renovation business and her own furniture refinishing. But everything changes when her former co-star (and ex-boyfriend) drags her into a house flipping show. To make matters worse, their other co-star, Cameron Riggs is brought on as co-host. There's more to Shelby and Cameron's relationship than anyone knows, and it's only a matter of time before the secret comes out on set...

I really enjoyed this book, it was full of heartfelt emotions and had an emotional depth that I really love as a reader. It explored more than just the relationship between Shelby and Cameron (and by extension between Shelby, Cameron, and Lyle). The commentary of the way we fetishize child actors, particularly young girls, was striking and very on-the-nose. Every time the characters looked back on the happy parts of their childhood, as the reader I could feel that same tug of nostalgia, and when they thought back on the less happy parts I could feel that sadness too. The author has done a spectacular job of making this book emotional.

I loved seeing Shelby grow up and stand up for herself throughout the novel, and I felt the appropriate level of hatred for Lyle too. The parental relationships in Shelby's life were also so well done, her mother is the absolute WORST and I liked that even though she had a great relationship with her dad (now) she held him accountable for his mistakes while she was growing up in Hollywood.

This book still had that bubblegum tween show feel to it, despite being really steamy and I thought that worked really well. It was a great choice on the author's part, and she executed it perfectly. I find as a reader my ratings hinge on the epilogues, and thankfully this book had a great one.

This book releases on October 18th, and I would definitely recommend it to my romance fans out there!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an e-arc of Built to Last by Erin Hahn.

I was instantly drawn to this book because it has my favourite type of cover for romcoms. I don’t know what it is about these covers but I am like a bee to flowers or a moth to a lamp.

There is also another aspect to this book I didn’t realize I love to read about. Books about reality tv shows. I have read a few books this year (and last year) about tv chefs and news anchors. I didn’t think this would be a trope that I enjoy, but here we are. I am apparently a fan!

In this book we follow two child actors that have left Hollywood in pursuit of happiness. We are first introduced to the characters in the midst of Shelby’s hardships. After being publicly broken up with and humiliated, she calls her old cast member, Cam, to come to her aid. It had been a few years since they had left the show they had stared on together and he was currently in Alaska working on a documentary for National Geographic. Still he received her plea for help and he caught the first flight he could. Shortly after arriving to her aid, Cam writes Shelby a letter and leaves for Alaska again. The story jumps years into the future. That’s where our two main leads find each other again and and try for their second chance.

Shelby Springfield is now happy, she works with her father flipping houses. She loves to restore old pieces and make them look new again. She has an idea to pitch what they do for a reality show.
Unfortunately the producer the channel has leading it, is her ex boyfriend Lyle. He was a terrible person in the past and Shelby doesn’t think he’s changed. Fortunately he chose Cam to be her co-star for the series.
Can Shelby and Cam work through their past for a second chance or will meddling Lyle ruin it?

I enjoyed this book. I found myself getting so angry at Lyle and I would have to remind myself that it was just a book, he was just a character in the book and I was reading it for fun. I was fully emersed in this world and all I wanted was for Shelby and Cam to be happy, finally admit their feelings and for the show to succeed.

Occasionally I found Cam to be a little to dense that is was almost to unbelievable, how many hints do you need man?!

Would I recommend this?
Yes. Definitely. If this is a genre you like, then you will most likely enjoy this novel.

Really enjoyed the character story and development throughout the book. The author took you on a journey from celebrity to navigating a “normal” life. It invoked so many different feelings throughout and I couldn’t put it down!! The villain was written so well. I hated him throughout the entire book. So well written!

Shelby and Cameron make for the most adorable couple, after they both got their heads out of their asses and learned how to communicate. In all reality, I adored this couple and their friendship. As someone who loves books AND home renovation shows, this was the best of both worlds! I would absolutely watch HomeMade in a heartbeat.

I really enjoyed this story of second chance love between two former child stars and childhood sweethearts. Particularly, I found the building of the house as a metaphor of the characters' building back their love. The characters read a bit juvenille which I suspect is because the author has previously written YA. I look forward to the author's next adult book.

Built to Last is a very sweet, fun second chance romance. The plot was interesting and I normally love second chance romances but ultimately the story fell a bit flat for me. I really enjoyed the side characters & I loved that you could feel the chemistry between Shelby & Cameron. This was a really cute, quick read if you’re a fan of HGTV.

Second chance romance with some forced proximity. I really liked this book and how well written it was. I hate miscommunication issues but it makes it even more realistic. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Griffin for providing me an E-ARC in exchange for a honest review!

I enjoyed reading this book! This book is a second chance romance between two childhood actors who grow up to find themselves, and end up finding their way back to each other.

I enjoyed watching Shelby grow up and finding herself — and doing what she loves to do. Also, I enjoyed watching Cameron opening up about his feelings, and being able to communicate to Shelby.

The flirtiness between Cameron and Shelby was everything, even the little steaminess 🔥🔥

tw: cheating, alcoholism, verbal abuse

Built to Last seemed so adorable in its blurb, but it quickly became a DNF for me. The writing wasn't great and the premise of not speaking to someone in 5 years and then coming running based on a phone call was way too far fetched.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Built to Last by Erin Hahn is a second chance at love novel. The characters and their professions were really interesting and added a lot to the book. Overall, the book was okay although it is definitely not a clean romantic read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I completely love a second chance romance, and it wasn't different this time. I loved the premise and thought the book did what it was supposed to do. It wasn't the best romance I've ever read but it wasn't the worst either. The plot was ok, I hate miscommunication and even though we understand what happened it didn't make it easier for me to read it. My only problem with the plot is that sometimes it felt like it could've been better executed. There were a lot of cringes scenes that made me roll my eyes multiple times. I also didn't like the references to "the real world", the popular brand names and social media. I think the main characters were really sweet too, but too perfect sometimes. I adored both of them.

Built To Last is a fun read that hits the right balance of lighthearted and serious. Having both Cameron and Shelby’s perspectives helped me to get to know both characters better. I also enjoyed going back and forth between the time lines. I’m hoping for a sequel!!

This is a sweet, entertaining and beautiful story of f second chance. The characters hooked me from the first words and I couldn't put it down for a single second.
Shelby and Cam were friends who had a relationship while they acted on a show together, sadly their relation ended because miscommunication, but now ten years later, they are offered the chance to do a home renovation reality show together,.

Now that they meet again the electrifying chemistry explodes and they can't help the feelings that were hidden, I loved them together, the slow burn romance is so sweet, swooned so hard , the author did an amazing job narrating their interactions, I couldn't get enough of them together.

Highly recommended for fans of
Second chance
Slow burn
Forced proximity
Coming age
Cute and funny
Friends to lovers

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

This was such a sweet second-chance romance. Shelby and Cameron were child-stars on a popular show, and secretly crushed on each other during those growing-up years. After the show was over and they went different ways, they always harbored feelings. So when they are asked to get together to co-star on a home renovation show, sparks fly.

The chemistry was very real, and I loved watching these two work, flirt, and communicate. I also loved Shelby's dad and the the group of friends surrounding both of the main characters. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good, swoony contemporary romance.

Thanks to Netgalley and Erin Hahn for the ARC of this book.

I was so exited to receive an ARC of Built To Last by Erin Hahn from NetGalley!

This second chance romance book was so good! I couldn’t put this book down!

This is my first book by this author and they do an excellent job painting a picture for the reader. I do wish there was a deeper dive into the characters’ backstories in their early days together. The author also keeps the story moving very well. No big time gaps but some minor fast forwards.

I love a good romcom with spice and this did not disappoint.

I hope there’s more to this universe with some of the side characters we met as well!

Keep an eye out on October 18th for the new release!

I loved this book! It was an charming, sweet story that was also a great beach read. I love how this authors writes and would definitely give it 4 stars.

I enjoyed this book so much! Normally, I don't love the miscommunication trope, which DEFINITELY exists here. HOWEVER, I loved it. I thought the friends to lovers plot lines were executed so well. The chemistry between Shelby and Cameron is adorable and undeniable. The banter was so sweet and I loved how the book wrapped up their histories with what they want from life now. I thought that Shelby's relationship with her father was a really compelling sub-plot that made her so loveable. Overall this was such a lovely story to watch unfold.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Built to Last is an incredibly sweet romance that deftly blends elements of the childhood friends to lovers and second-chance romance tropes. Former child star Shelby Springfield left Hollywood a decade ago after a terrible public breakup with one of her former co-stars and a subsequent meltdown. Since then she's gotten sober, started a lucrative business as a furniture restorer working alongside her house-flipper dad, and built a nice little life for herself... and then Hollywood comes knocking on her door, in the form of a home reno reality TV pilot gig. The hitch? Her ex is the showrunner... and her co-host is another former co-star, the one who got away. Can Shelby navigate her way through this without losing herself... or blowing her second chance?

I love that these characters had weight and substance, real problems and flaws along with their many charms. Supporting cast featured equally real-feeling characters, and I'm looking forward to reading their love stories someday soon too!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Since it's been, oh, a few years since I've reviewed a book I'll probably make this one short and sweet. Hey! Kind of like this book! I first read Erin Hahn's work with "You'd Be Mine", a sweet little YA that I loved. I figured this book would follow the same formula when I requested it and I was pretty much right.

Shelby and Cameron are childhood sweethearts that have strayed away from each other. Cameron chose a path that was basically him running away from his fame and the love of his life. Shelby lived the celebrity scene until her boyfriend cheated on her and her life kind of fell apart.

They are brought back together by Lyle, the cheating ex, to start in a television show together. There is definitely chemistry between the two of them and since the story is told in alternating POVs there isn't really a "do they or don't they" mystery here.

The banter is cute and the side characters were some of my favorites. Friends who root for you are the best and these guys have some good friends. Lyle caused some unnecessary drama for the sake of "the show" but it was as expected. For characters in their late 20s he seemed very immature. Or maybe I'm just really old now.

I liked Shelby's growth a lot and felt that Cameron got off kind of easy. He left her when she needed him and, while I know it wasn't an ideal situation, everyone just forgave him like the Prodigal Son.

This was a really sweet story with a super sappy ending for all. It took me a bit to realize that the chapter titles were all songs and that irked me a bit. The book wasn't "music" themed so it didn't make sense and felt a little "2010 Twilight Fanfic" to me. Trust me, I would know.

Still, check this one out if you're looking for something cute and fluffy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.