Singer Lorelei Jones and songwriter Craig Huckleberry Boseman were friends for years as she dated and then got engaged to his band mate—and then said band mate broke up with her super publicly. So they had a one night stand and now it’s six years later. Lorelei wants to get back to the country music scene and Craig has started his own record company and writes erotic poetry on the side. They’re still good friends—but can friends fall in love?

Yes. The answer is yes.

This book was a low-stakes, low-angst romance centered around the Nashville country music scene and featuring cameos of country stars from Hahn’s YA book You’d Be Mine. There was nothing wrong with this book. But I’m going to say something maybe controversial: this book (and maybe the previous) might’ve worked better as novellas. Because the romance is so low stakes, I was left asking myself from about 20% on, why aren’t they getting together now? I didn’t see what was stopping them. It would be one thing if they hadn’t ever thought of each other beyond friends. But they had a one night stand. They had seen each other romantically. I didn’t understand what was keeping them apart. And I didn’t find the plot of Lorelei’s annoying ex and Huck’s stealing lyrics band mate much of a stumbling block.

This is no slight to Hahn’s writing which I have very much loved in the past; it may be just me, and YMMV. Having low stakes romance is fine. I am sure there will be plenty of people who love this very much. But I found myself wishing that if it was so low stakes, why didn’t they get together earlier and have a good portion of the book be cute relationship things?
3 stars. Heat level: 4🌶️

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc copy. This is my honest review. Friends Don’t Fall in Love comes out October 17.

4.5 stars

Lorelei is a former country star whose career came to halt and her fiancé calling off the wedding over social media instead of telling her.

Craig (or Huck/Huckleberry as Lorelei call him) is a former band mate of her ex as well as old friend of Lorelei. After receiving an inheritance from his Uncle, open up his own recording studio. He also has been in love with Lorelei for year.

Huck and Lorelei have a one night stand after she was left heartbroken by her ex and for six year haven’t seen each other. After right a song and sending an email to him, he decides to bring her out and try to record a new album for her. She also moves next door to him in the duplex he own. Can Lorelei escape from the “mistake”? Can being friends with benefits work out between the two?

Friends to lovers is one of the favorite tropes. Again, this didn’t disappoint. I loved both characters, as well the side characters that we have seen as main characters in her other books. It was nice to get a little update on them. I also like that it this was told in pov. Can’t wait to read more by Erin Hahn.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I loved Lorelei in Built to Last, so I was so excited when I heard she was getting her own book and it exceeded my expectations. Love her and love Craig for her. Also, just... love Craig. Like really, really love him. He has secured a spot high on my list of book boyfriends.

I also love the music aspect of this book- I enjoyed You'd Be Mine and it was fun to be back in that world and seeing those characters again! I also don't think I've ever read a book with a music producer MC so that was interesting as well. The found family aspect that runs through Hahn's books is prominent here and I love every single person that Lorelei and Craig have surrounded themselves with.

This is a fun, sweet, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers and it is chock-full of tension, but like, the good kind.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

A slow burn friends to lovers romance, with a side of friends with benefits? Yes, please!

Lorelei had it all: a thriving music career, and a country music superstar fiancé. Until one day, she gets cast off for singing a protest song during a concert. She was dropped by her label, her band, and even her fiancé. Five years later, she still feels like she isn't done with music and decides to call the one person who stuck by her this whole time–Craig Huckleberry "Huck" Boseman, former co-writer and band mate of her ex-fiancé, current owner of his very own indie record label, and one of her closest friends.

Craig has been carrying a torch for Lorelei for forever, so he will do anything to help Lorelei earn back what she clearly deserves–to get back into the heart of the country music world–and hopefully win her heart in the process.

This was so much fun to read! I loved the down to earth characters. I always appreciate when characters are so fleshed out that by the end of the book you feel like they could be one of your closest friends. They're just so well written.

I also loved the insight we got into the country music world! I'm not a huge country fan, so this was all new and quite fascinating.

Also, I just have to say, the understated humor of this book made it extra fun to read. I'm such a fan of Hahn's writing. I can't wait to read Maren's story.

*ARC Review*

Friends Don't Fall in Love is a sweet friends to lovers romance (obviously) with a country twang twist. Lorelai Jones is a has been country music star who is back in Michigan after ruining her career by singing a protest song. She lost her record deal, her fans, and even her fiance all in five minutes. She thinks she will never make it back to Nashville until she gets reacquainted with Craig Boseman, who she lovingly calls "Huck". Craig has loved Lorelai for years, but has tried to suppress it, especially since he was her ex fiance's bass player and writing partner. Now a record producer, Craig is trying to find his own path... and Lorelai fits into it perfectly.

The story follows the two working out their relationship and creating country magic in the recording studio.

It is a really cute read with plenty of personality. I really enjoyed it and think you will too :)

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book!

The story follows Lorelai Jones and Craig Boseman who have been best friends for years. Both working in the country music industry, Lorelai is a singer and Craig runs his own recording studio. The story also shows flashbacks from years ago, showing Lorelai’s life with her ex-fiance Drake Colter who is also a country singer.Around six years prior to the present day, Lorelai does something that makes her get canceled by the country music community which results in her and Drake splitting up. When Drake and Lorelai broke up, she and Craig had one secret night shared together before she moved away that no one knew about except for them. Now, she is back in town and working with Craig to make some new music.. But what both of them don’t know is that they both secretly think back to that one night spent together, leaving them both wanting more from each other.

I’ll be brutally honest, the beginning of this book was not my favourite. It was a bit all over the place and confused me a bit, but once I read more and made sense of everything, I loved the book! I loved how it was dual POV so we got to see both sides, each from Lorelai and Craig. I loved how everything kinda just flowed naturally, nothing seemed rushed or forced between Lorelai and Craig. Erin did an excellent job with the whole friends-to-lovers situation in this book.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves the friends-to-lovers trope! Erin Hahn did an amazing job with this one!

I haven’t had this much fun with a romance in such a long time. Lorelai is a beloved country singer that was blacklisted from the industry after performing a cover of a protest song. Craig (or Huck) is the CEO of an indie record company, but used to be the bass player and ghost writer for Lorelai’s ex-fiance.

We watch as both Lorelai and Craig navigate their respective careers separately and together. I think this was my favorite thing about the story, seeing how they interact with other producers, agents, and musicians. Learning about the ins and outs of the industry was so much fun, while simultaneously watching a relationship unfold.

Lorelai and Craig have been in love with each other for years. But they’re so deep in their friendship, that they both can’t imagine the other reciprocating their feelings. Their chemistry is insane and I adore them. There is some miscommunication, but not so frustratingly.

But readers beware, this story is dripping in pop culture references. Mostly in regards to music, which is to be expected. But there are some references to gifs and memes and interactions with real celebrities.

Overall, this has easily become one of my favorite romance reads of the year.

I'm a huge fan of country music and an equally huge fan of romance novels, so I was so excited to see this book and its description listed on NetGalley. Taking a chance on this new-to-me author was worth it. I would definitely read more books by her after this introduction!

Lorelei Jones was a country music star. She had the tour, the fiancé, and the fame. And then she chose to stand up for something she believed in and lost it all...all except the friendship of her ex-fiancé's bandmate, Craig "Huck" Boseman.

Craig was never the one in the spotlight, and he was okay with that. What he wasn't okay with was losing Lorelei after her public "cancellation" and their passionate one night together.

This book was a fantastic mix of second chance and friends to lovers tropes. Lorelei and Craig have a beautiful history that Hahn expertly supports with well-timed flashbacks. Both characters are incredibly likeable and realistic, and as I reader I couldn't help myself from wishing they were real-life talents in the country music business.

The book was artfully put together, with chapters named with song titles, and it was a treat to be able to use my country music knowledge to figure out how the titles paired with the chapter. Hahn also dealt with some current topics that are incredibly relevant, including violence in schools and cancel culture.

I would recommend this title to anyone looking for a great romance with real substance. It manages to be both heartwarming and spicy while also thought provoking. You don't have to be a long-time fan of country music to appreciate this book, but it certainly helps!

I’ll read anything by Erin Hanh at this point (& I have). Was so excited when I saw her newest title on NetGalley. I love the way she writes about music and the interconnected universe of her books. This one was a fun surprise, incorporating characters from both one of her YA books and her previous adult romance. Would recommend for fans of Run Rosie Run— this was obviously less of a thriller but had similar themes of redemption, country music and female mentorship.

First of all, thank you so much for this ARC!

I absolutely loved the story of Lorelai and Huck. I was drawn in immediately and there’s nothing I love more than dual POV, so that made me a happy gal.

The slow burn friends to lovers was so well done and I really appreciated that at the end of the day, it all came down to communication and being open and honest.

Can’t wait for people to read this one!

4 Stars Spoiler alert about Friends Don't Fall in Love by Erin Hahn: the friends fall in love. This novel is a follow-up to last year's Built to Last, though it can be read as a standalone.

Six years ago, country music starlet Lorelai Jones seemed to have it all; the successful career, the supportive bandmates and friends, and a superstar fiancé, fellow country musician Drake Colter. After Lorelai sings a politically charged protest song in response to a mass shooting at a school, the country music world cancels her, her friends, band, and agent abandon her, and Drake calls off their wedding via an Instagram post. The only person who doesn't abandon her is Drake's partner and bassist, Craig Huckleberry Boseman, who Lorelai refers to as "Huck." They spend one night together before she leaves Nashville for good to return to teaching in Michigan.

Lorelai cannot escape the pull that music and Nashville has over her, so she reaches out to Huck about a possible return. He's now a producer and owns his own recording studio. Huck is also hiding a couple of secrets: he's been in love with Lorelai for years and he wrote all of the songs that Drake has been recording and taking credit for. Lorelai and Huck reunite to rebuild her career and neither can deny the attraction between them. They start a friends-with-benefits relationship, convinced that the other could never love them back.

This was such a fun and quick read! It was so easy to cheer on Lorelai and Huck, both individually in their respective careers and as a couple. Their eventual relationship was inevitable, especially given how they built it on a strong foundation of friendship and mutual respect and trust, something that Lorelai lacked in her previous relationships, both personal and professional. Highly recommend this sweet friends-to-lovers romance!

very VERY good. extremely hard to put down. erin hahn is an auto-read for me, and she did not miss with this one. absolutely in love with craig, the swooniest book bf i’ve read in recent memory. while friends-to-lovers taxes me sometimes (just be honest with each other and get together already!), hahn’s newest take on the trope is done astonishingly well. perfect mix of sugar & spice. highly recommend!

#netgalley

Lorelei was a super country star until she played one protest song at a concert and her career was over. Years later, she called up her ex-fiance's co-writer and bandmate, Craig. Craig has always liked Lorelai... and things start between them...

Craig and Lorelei are terrific. Great characters! I have loved her since Built to Last.
Craig is just so sweet. Lovely romance built from friendship... The music business and song writing were also nicely explored and very interesting. It was also nice to see characters from Built to Last. That was another terrific book.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Craig is my golden retriever book boyfriend. Soft and cinnamon rolly, but dependable and a little naughty sometimes. I am usually the one falling for the circus amount of red flags in a man, but I felt some comfortable and safe with Craig. I love Lorelai's strength through when her music career faltered and her very public break up. Her persistence to stay true to her convictions through all the muck makes her a very admirable FMC. This was my first friend to lovers troupe, and all I have to say is woooow it's very underrated! I will be keeping Hahn's collection on my TBR.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Erin Hahn for the eARC copy.
Craig is my golden retriever book boyfriend. Soft and cinnamon rolly, but dependable and a little naughty sometimes. I am usually the one falling for the circus amount of red flags in a man, but I felt some comfortable and safe with Craig. I love Lorelai's strength through when her music career faltered and her very public break up. Her persistence to stay true to her convictions through all the muck makes her a very admirable FMC. This was my first friend to lovers troupe, and all I have to say is woooow it's very underrated! I will be keeping Hahn's collection on my TBR.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Erin Hahn for the eARC copy.

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The beginning of this book was chaotic and I almost didn’t finish because if it. It felt like being dropped so,ethereal with no explanation, and it was hard to make sense of. Once I figured it out the book was ok. I didn’t really resonate with either of the main characters, maybe because of the beginning so it was hard to get invested in the outcome,

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Erin Hahn book, and I’m hooked. I will be reading all of her other books now because I love her writing. Let’s say Huck (Craig) is one of my new favorite book boys. The chemistry between the two and the beautiful and hilarious banter are fantastic. The book is set in the (country) music industry where Loralie “falls from Grace,” and Craig is the only one in the industry that stands by her. Craig is hilarious, and I loved him from the start, including his erotic poetry (iykyk).

Additionally, I think having the songs also added to the storyline and showed more of the characters. What I loved most was that it wasn’t like a rush relationship. Erin established that they were friends for years and even showed some of the setups so when the characters eventually got together, it didn’t feel rushed or coming out of left field. This book is one of my favorite reads in 2023, and I will be reading a lot more of Erin’s book now that she’s on my radar.

Read if you like:
Friends to lovers
He Falls First
Dual POV

. I loved that it was dual POV and the friends to lovers was done so well. I feel like the gravity of a change in the relationship like this is often skipped over in books, but this book did a great job of giving us a front row seat to the evolution. I loved the characters and was rooting for them!

DNF around 20%.
I really wanted to like this book but the beginning was so confusing and choppy. I had to make sure I wasn’t reading a sequel I was so confused. Maybe it gets better, but I wasn’t willing to stick around longer.

Hi, Erin, it’s me, your biggest fan. Don’t mind me as I devour your latest book while I ignore all of reality. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, I love more than a guy who falls first and who is thoroughly friend-zones. I am Superman and Erin just wrote my kryptonite.

Craig is the epitome of a sexy cinnamon roll book boyfriend, who drinks only the dirtiest of cabs and has the sexiest hips. He’s kind, but also feisty. He fights when needed, but knows that Lorelei is strong enough to fight her own battles. He’s her biggest supporter and never stopped believing in her talent. He’s one of the ultimate book boyfriends out there and is the heart of this story.

My only issue with this story is the way Loreli was treated in her situation. I think in today's world, she would have been critiqued, but I also truly believe she would have had more public support than the book depicted. I do like how this author wrote about Lorelai’s journey and growth throughout the story and how it complemented the romance aspect of this book.

This book is the perfect example of why the author is phenomenal. She cultivated an emotional, heartfelt romance with characters that are multifaceted. Her books are complex and are so much more than a surface level romance. This author continued to surprise me with each book she released.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC

Who doesn't love a good friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance? FRIENDS DON'T FALL IN LOVE definitely does not disappoint on either front! Lorelai and Craig have been best friends for years. Lorelai seems to have it all—a successful career as a country singer, a popular celebrity fiancé—until she uses music to speak her truth and everything falls apart. Years after returning to Michigan to become a teacher, Lorelai decides she isn't done pursuing her dreams, and reaches out to the person who stuck by her through it all: her close friend, Craig. Craig is Lorelai's ex-fiancé's co-writer and bandmate, but he's secretly been in love with Lorelai for years. Now, he has his own record label and a thriving songwriting career, and so much has changed...except his feelings for Lorelai. Can the duo re-launch Lorelai's career—and maybe even fall in love along the way?

I loved this book! Both Lorelai and Craig were such well-developed, smart, down-to-earth, and charming characters. Their chemistry was palpable, both as friends and as more, and their love story was so sweet to read about. I also really enjoyed the Nashville setting and all of the info readers got about the country music industry that was woven throughout the narrative. The cast of side characters was great, and as someone who read (and loved!) YOU'D BE MINE, I especially liked getting to spend some extra time with Jefferson and Annie again! I definitely want to read BUILT TO LAST now as well. Overall, this was such a fun read, and I would especially recommend it to anyone who loves friends-to-lovers rom-coms, country music, or both! I look forward to Erin Hahn's next book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.