Cover Image: Built to Last

Built to Last

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Member Reviews

This was my first Erin Hahn book and it was too good!! The depth of the characters and their relationship was fantastic. I never felt like there was a lull in the narrative. I couldn’t put it down.

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I loved this, and it makes me really excited to read more adult romance by Erin Hahn! I read her early YA (thoroughly enjoyed her country music romance YA, You'd Be Mine, which I felt touches of in this beyond the early mention of Annie) but have fallen behind on her newer work. I really hope this book is followed up by Lorelei and Maren's stories, as they were such fun friends - I mean, a Chicks-esque disgraced country star turned third grade teacher and a former pageant girl and park ranger?!

As for Built to Last itself -- I'm such a sucker for a Hollywood romance, and for a second chance romance, but I loved this specific, special twist on the Hollywood story: taking it outside of LA, neither lead caring about an entertainment career, and focusing on a HGTV-like reality show of home renovation. It led to a lot of fun set-ups and, as a fan of home renovation and the daughter of a contractor who did this kind of work, it was both enjoyable to follow and satisfying to see through for Shelby and Cameron. They were such a winning, sweet couple and their journey to come back together for real was well-paced, without a forced third act breakup/fight pushed in there - they had things to work through and didn't need the typical additional drama. They felt like a real couple, even when dealing with problems most of us don't have to.

I just wish we had seen more of Shelby and Cameron's pasts rather than references, and that there was more closure with people and parts of their lives they forced to face in the course of filming: Shelby's reputation, Cameron's dad and brother, and especially Ada Mae (which was an interesting, surprisingly relevant piece of this book, especially so soon after reading Jennette McCurdy's memoir) and Lyle (who truly deserved more comeuppance than he got). These pieces felt incomplete, when they were often quite interesting, sensitive parts of the book.

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I really enjoyed this book! I loved the second chance romance mixed with a home renovation show as the background, plus the small-town feel. Shelby and Cameron first fell for each other as child actors, but quickly went their separate ways. After time apart, much of which was Cameron running away/staying away from home, they are reunited to film a home renovation show. Shelby has been working on houses with her father, but Cameron has been off filming documentaries all over the world. They are brought together by their former co-star, and Shelby's former boyfriend, Lyle, and while Lyle wants to see a successful show, he also wants to have some fun with them as well, or maybe at their expense. Cameron apprentices under Shelby's father so that he can pull off the renovation on camera, and in the process realizes that being back home isn't so bad.

The romance was sweet and well developed and the setting was well described, and I especially enjoyed the scenes of Shelby and Cameron antiquing. I enjoyed reading about the wood working that Shelby does to restore furniture. Plus, Shelby and Cameron's friends added more to the story, and I could see a future book with Lorelai taking the lead.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

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First off, Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read Built to Last before its release. I give it a solid 5 stars. A great second chance romance for anyone who needs to hit all of their emotions in one day. There is heartbreak, regret, perseverance and an awesome HEA! I do need to know about the next book! After that ending, there must be a spin off coming ASAP! Maybe involving Lorelai, Craig and Drake? Fingers crossed!! Also, I need to know if there will actually be a song released called, WHAT THEY HAVE. I have a feeling that it would be a very popular song.

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Very sweet romance. Fans of the childhood friends to lovers trope will surely enjoy this! I found the premise of the two leads being child actors unique! Their relationship was refreshing and mature.

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I've enjoyed all the other Erin Hahn books I've read so I had high expectations for this one. I think it just hit me at the wrong time as I had just read another Hollywood actor goes off the map type of story so it didn't feel quite as exciting as I wanted it to.

I loved the midwest setting and the HGTV vibes of this one and seeing stories set in the Midwest is definitely why I'll keep reading Hahn's books.

I didn't love the premise and I felt confused about the love triangle aspect. I didn't understand why a former child star/singer would then turn into the showrunner on a home improvement show.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest reivew.

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

I love friends to lovers, a one bed only trope and throw in a reality TV home remodeling show??? YES!!!

This was a hit for me. Shelby and Cam started something at age 17 when their tv/sitcom coming of age show went off the air 10 years ago and now, they are working together again!

This has a great build up to steamy romance and a lot of sweet nothings that left me sighing. What I especially loved was the attention to details about them as a couple but first and foremost as individuals.

Cam really had to make peace with his family, especially his father. He was also struggling with the idea of setting down roots somewhere more permanently than he has been. Shelby has spent the last 5 years sober and focusing on herself. My personal favorite thing about this book is that Shelby is a skilled woodworker and works with her dad on renovations.

If your a fan of romcoms then I definitely recommend this!

Out October 18, 2022!

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This was a super fun read! Two former teen stars, who have had many ups and downs in their life, are tapped to host a home renovation show. It's more serious than it might sound, but it's also really sweet. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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In this swoon worthy, sexy, and funny, second chance childhood sweethearts romance, with a small town home renovation reality tv element, get ready to fall in love with Shelby and Cam.

Shelby was a previous childhood star who has been out of the limelight for over 5 years. After a hitting rock bottom, and leaving her cheating douchebag boyfriend, she runs away to rural Michigan and starts anew with the help of her father. She restores antique furniture and helps her father flips houses. When she applies to film a pilot for a new home reno reality show, and the network brings in Cameron her first love, and past co-star who has also been out of the limelight for years, they both can't help but be drawn right back into each other's orbit.

This was honestly the most pleasant of surprises. It is rare for a YA author to break it into adult romance and smash it out of the park. I found this premise particularly relevant after recently reading Jeanette McCurdy's memoir about childhood stardom and what it does to an individual. And while this is definitely more light hearted, it still felt raw. The chemistry between the characters was red hot, and the steamy scenes were perfection. The found family, and small town themes were so well done. The third act conflict also fit so well into the story without it feeling unnecessary and just for show. Over all a new favourite, and I can't wait for future releases from this author and maybe even in the same universe.

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Built to Last is Erin Hahn's first dabble into the Adult Romance genre, but it was also the first book I had read by her. The description of the book had pulled me in instantly and I can say with certainty, that this will not be the last book of hers that I will pick up.
Picture a show on HGTV with former Hollywood stars, sprinkle in some steamy scenes and lots of cute banter and great supporting actors, and you get Built to Last.
Cameron, Shelby and Lyle grew up together while working on a TV show, and there was always something between Cam and Shelby, but no one actually knew what was going on.
Now, many many years later, everyone (except Lyle) had time to mature and grow. Long days and nights working together on a home renovation show may just be what is needed to rekindle the romance from the past.

I loved this book and thought the characters were well thought out. No unnecessary drama to drive the story along and the steamy scenes... Ay caramba! ;)

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Loved it! I really enjoyed the two MCs and their story. I loved the characters (minus Lyle, that jerk), the small town setting, the second chance romance and the hgtv style reality show. It was so fun and sweet and I definitely need more by this author. When will book 2 be coming?!? Haha!

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The first chapter did not hit the vibe check.

This is me catching up on my arcs during the hurricane.

Thank you netgalley for the e-arc of this book.

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This was a sweet second chance romance, on the set of a home renovation TV show. It was a slow start until everything happened all at once. I do wish it was better paced. I never fully believed the chemistry between the main characters either, wish we had more backstory and details about them when they were younger.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This was my first book by Erin Hahn and I couldn't love it more. Reading this book feels like listening to a Taylor Swift song, and not just because there are Taylor Swift songs in thh chapter header playlist.
The only qualm I had with this book was the first couple chapters. Cameron's first chapter felt like an epilogue, and Shelby's first chapter was a bit of an info dump. But everything else in this book far surpasses those starting points, and once I really got reading, I was so obsessed that I couldn't stop thinking about this book for weeks.
Shelby and Cameron are the quintessential second chance romance. This book is also delightfully sex-positive and feminist. I cannot wait until this book is released so that I can make all my friends read the book I can't stop talking about.

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Shelby and Cam’s story was so sweet with a sprinkle of spice. I love that their love for each other started off innocent as children and that they were finally able to reconnect as adults. The premise of them shooting a home renovation show was cute - I enjoyed hearing about how they were transforming the house. I had two favorite parts 1. the pining for each other. That made for a nice buildup. And 2. No third act breakup! Yes, there was conflict but I didn’t have to sit through 3-4 chapters of them breaking up/getting back together.

The timeline of this story is told through the projects on the house and I always assume everything just takes two days so it was harder for me to follow along BUT that was alright with me.

My only complaint is that when I reached the end, I wanted more! I could’ve easily read another 3-5 chapter of Shelby and Cam 🥰🥰🥰

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“𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒓𝒅 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒖𝒑 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.”

Shelby has spent the last 10 years trying to escape her past. She was a former child tv star who had a well documented meltdown because of a messy breakup with her ex and costar Lyle. It's hard for her to forget her first sweetheart and other co-star Cameron. Lyle, still bitter from 10 years ago, stirs the pot by inviting them both to be in a new renovation show called Homemade. This second chance romance is one you won't want to miss.

Such a cute story about childhood sweethearts that get a second chance at love. I really loved these characters and their chemistry. I loved the tv renovation show storyline and wished we could have seen more of it in the story. Lyle's character is the perfect "villain" in the story too. Overall a pretty solid read but not my favorite.

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Shelby Springfield and Cameron Riggs are called to star in their own home renovation TV shows after spending years away from the spotlight. Not only is this their first time back in the spotlight, but this is also their first time seeing each other after breaking up.

I loved this second chance, childhood friends to lovers story that we had going on. This was cute and lighthearted, and I enjoyed it quite a lot despite not being a massive fan of second-chance romances. I think that the characters communicated well and were well-rounded, but I just wished they did more regarding Lyle Jessup. Either way, I loved Shelby and Cam together and I loved that there was no 3rd act breakup!!!!

Overall, this was a quick and fun read. Would definitely recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

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Built to Last is a fun contemporary romance about two child actors who reconnect after a decade to work on a home renovation show together. Cameron and Shelby are both likable and well-developed characters, and they have a chemistry-laden second chance romance.

I liked this romance, but I did find it a little hard to get into. Shelby isn’t the most likable character at the start of the book, and I hated how she used Cam. And the way Cam left her wasn’t a good look either. Fast forward several years, and Shelby is trying to prove she’s not the party girl that she used to be. She goes through a lot of growth throughout the story and becomes more likable, and it’s easy to see why she struggles so much. Dysfunctional family relationships and being in the spotlight from a young age definitely affects her emotional growth and well-being. The second half of the story picked up a bit, especially when it came to the romance and steam.

Shelby and Cam are in love with each other from the start, and I was a little frustrated that it took so long for them to work their issues out. If only they talked about their feelings, they could have prevented a lot of their problems much sooner than they did. Insecurities and lack of communication prove big hurdles for this couple, as do a few other characters.

I liked how the story focused on the home renovation show, and I think it will appeal to readers who enjoy HGTV. Also, some of the secondary characters are great, and I have a feeling several will be the focus of future books. Finally, the story delves into the struggles of child actors and toxic relationships and how both define, influence, and change people. Though these are heavy topics, the story as a whole is pretty light.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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I loved this book. It was a breath of fresh air filled with the perfect amount of slow burn, charm, and laughs. MC's Shelby and Cameron play off of each other perfectly. The tension between these two was played well without there being loads of "hate/love".

*ARC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. I want to thank you to the valued author, the publisher who took a chance on the author, and Netgalley for providing a copy.*

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3.5 stars, rounded up because I think Erin Hahn crafted some really great characters!

This second chance romance features child stars who come back together to film a home renovation show. Perfect for fans of HGTV and complete with a lot of Michigan love, I felt like I was on location with them!

It is clear that these two were in love from the very beginning, which is adorable and makes for a super sweet story, but I found it lacked a bit of tension for me as the reader. A lot of that was delivered through other folks/scenarios, and it just left me wanting more.

I did really love the characters and would be interested to see where Erin Hahn goes next with her adult romances!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced copy and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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