I am so torn about this book. I started out loving it; the look into how hard it is for Black singers not only to break into the music industry, but to fight to do it their way without being put into a box. Especially a Black musician who wants to do country (a genre I don't know much about, but I DO KNOW that it has been seriously white washed and it's roots in Black culture have been studiously erased by music execs). I love those conversations and how Jojo fought for place and is being recognized. I also appreciated the themes of how your childhood and even early adulthood can shape how you not only act with others, but treat yourself. Luke feels like he doesn't deserve love (or happiness or much good) and August is suffering from missing the love from her mother, so she seeks it in places where she knows she is going to be let down. The writing is really beautiful.

However, for me the characters just fell flat. Yes we saw a lot of their trauma and I connected with that and felt deeply for them. But I just didn't feel the passion for music that they supposedly had. Maybe because I'm not a musician, but that part was missing. And it was very slow, which made any character development hard to grasp.

Let me start by saying I enjoy Regina Black’s writing and really liked her debut novel. She’s a great writer who makes you feel the emotions of her characters, and the ones in August Lane were no different. This book had me emotional a few times, especially with the dual timelines and seeing everything the characters had to overcome.

The story tackled important topics—like the erasure of Black artists in country music, the pressure to conform to others’ expectations, and the importance of releasing what no longer serves you.

With that said, there was something missing for me in terms of character growth. Both characters experienced trauma in their childhoods that trickled into adulthood. Their friendship and love were rooted in that trauma, and I really wished we could have seen the romance mature and grow more in adulthood. Because of that, I felt a slight disconnect from the romance.
Still, this is a meaningful story that was an emotional and thoughtful read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC.

August Lane by Regina Black
Rating: 3.25⭐️
Pub Date: July 29, 2025

I love love love second chance romances. The yearning the shared memories and the intimacy between two characters that are trying to get it right the second time around are just top tier in my opinion.
The mcs of this book were so vividly real and had a truly well done character-depth that I got quite in my feelings a few times without even realizing it!
The focus music and its history had in this was so interesting and original, I love when books have a theme and are well developed on that and this was absolutely the case.
One thing that is not my favourite is the back and forth between past and present time, but that is just my personal preference as I always find it stops the rhythm of the story.
This was my fist book from this author but I really vibes with her writing style so will definitely not be my last!!

What a beautiful story of art, muses, creatives and country music. I always am in awe of how Regina writes such multidimensional characters. I always want to pick them apart and examine them. All of the flaws of these characters although, not justifiable, completely understandable on how they reached their decisions.

The flawed and uncovered history of country music so beautifully woven into this beautiful book are just the icing on the cake.

Also the theme of forgiveness, something that surely resounds with everyone, deeply touched me.

A masterpiece!

August Lane deserves to have this book named after her. She has spent years longing for the love of her mother, Country music star JoJo Lane and caring for, and now mourning her Grandmother. She also hasn’t gotten over her first love from thirteen years ago. The relationship was cut short before it could begin. Luke Randall is the one who got away. He’s really the one that ran away, and for good reason. During August and Luke’s budding teenage relationship, August was inspired to write heartfelt lyrics over Luke’s beautiful music. I kept wondering why he claimed their song as his own. Unfortunately “Another Love Song” was his only hit and life had not been good to him over the years.
It’s now thirteen years later and Ms. Black takes her time peeling back the layers of their history.

The story is written from three viewpoints: August, Luke and JoJo’s. August and Luke go back and forth between the past and present. I was eager to see what happened to drive Luke away.

Ms. Black has a way with words and there were great quotes and analogies throughout. August: “ I loved you like breathing, but then you left and stole my air”. Luke: “You see the world in colors I never knew existed. The rain plays you symphonies.”

“Second chance” is one of my favorite themes. This was a slow burn and August and Luke had explosive chemistry. All bets were off once they explored each other physically. They had years of pent of passion that boiled over like a pot. There were twists and turns to get this couple to HEA. I wanted to hear more from August and Luke directly at a certain point. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll leave it at that. Overall, this was a great read and I’m glad we got to see the words of the song that meant so much to August and Luke.

August Lane by Regina Black is a second chance romance featuring August Lane and Luke Randall, in which Luke returns to their small Arkansas town over a decade after stealing and becoming famous from a song in which August wrote the lyrics. This book is a story of rediscovering lost love and involves heartache, grief, addiction, and abuse.

Admittedly, second chance romances are not my favorite, but I have my exceptions. I’m realizing that in order for a book to fall within my parameters for exception, it likely has to include: characters who are creatives (musicians, florists, writers, etc), dual POV, dual timelines, and writing that scratches my brain in just the right way. August Lane has written itself onto my list of exceptional second chance romances.

This book held my heart in its fist from the very first page and didn’t let go. It was emotional and had me feeling deeply for these characters, who honestly felt so *real* in their mistakes and choices. The writing felt cinematic in a way that I immediately felt like I had stepped into the latest Hollywood blockbuster. And the pacing was slow, but in a way that had me stopping to take breaks to just sit, think about, and *be* with the characters— also in the way that I didn’t want this story to end! Additionally, I found myself rereading whole sentences just for the pleasure of reliving the beauty of *good* writing.

I will never fully understand what it means to walk in this world as a Black person, but I can appreciate and recommend the wordsmiths who write their perspectives into stories such as this, especially as this novel highlights and celebrates the largely deliberately ignored history of Blackness in country music and the barriers that real life folks have and currently still face.

August and Luke are ultimately two lonely characters whose roots are steeped in music, which is the vessel that helps them see and understand each other, and reading their story as it flowed back and forth from high school to present day was stunning. Regina Black has solidified herself onto my list of auto-buy authors, and I’m so excited to read more of her work! Thank you, Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley, for the ARC!

August Lane was one of my most anticipated reads for the year. The story follows Luke Randall, a Black country artist who has battled addiction, has many regrets, and has been labeled a one-hit wonder. August Lane is the daughter of JoJo Lane, a legendary Black country star who is slated to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. August and Luke were best friends in high school, but their friendship ended when Luke moved away. August and Luke cross paths again as adults when Luke is asked to perform at JoJo's Country Music Hall of Fame event. Now he is back in town and forced to face the woman he betrayed and left behind.

August and Luke are deeply flawed, and their story is real and raw. Their pain, both shared and individual, completely broke my heart. Both August and Luke grew up in difficult homes, and found comfort and understanding in each other. Their story is told in past and present timelines, and as more is revealed about their past, their choices, and the heartbreak they experienced, it becomes clear that they continued to love each other through everything. Their reunion is messy but full of vulnerability and deep emotion.

This story is more than a second-chance romance. It tackles some heavy topics while exploring how Black artists are treated in the country music genre. Black country artists are often overlooked and made to feel they don't belong. Exploring the challenges and roadblocks they face is powerful, timely, and necessary. Although I enjoyed this story, some aspects prevented me from giving it a higher rating. I felt this story started strong, and I was immediately intrigued by the characters. They are layered, and I so badly wanted to root for them. Unfortunately, I couldn't get behind their romance. The pacing was extremely slow, and I was just not convinced these two were meant to be together. I also found the dual timelines a bit hard to follow.

Narration:
The audiobook was performed by a full cast including Bahni Turpin, William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, and Stephanie Cannon. The narrators themselves did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life, however, it was hard for me to connect to their performances on an emotional level. Generally, audiobooks enhance my experience with stories, however for this book I found myself preferring to read the text vs. listen to the narration. This story is probably best enjoyed as an immersive read.

it was a well written story, my heart broke for both the dmc and mmc and I just wanted them to be happy and not be in this roller coaster right of sad sad and happy. This story was emotional and I am glad it was an HEA.

(Copied from my Instagram post)

August Lane by Regina Black 🎶 it’s out today! Thank you @HachetteAudio for the ALC!

Y’all, fans of music themed romances are being fed this summer! I am living my best life devouring musician romances.

The audiobook is great. It’s narrated by a full cast, Bahni Turpin (a fave), William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, and Stephanie Cannon. They were excellent! Absolutely would recommend it! If you like to tandem read/immersive read (text/audio at the same time) this would be a great book for that.

Read for: country music, family drama, honestly family trauma too tbh, second chances, small town, and dual timelines

[ARC REVIEW]
AUGUST LANE by Regina Black is about how messy love is.

It's also about abuse and intergenerational trauma, addiction, forgiveness, NOT forgiving but letting go...and also Black erasure in country music. It is so dramatic, and I mean that in the best possible way. Prestige premium cable original, not formulaic basic shlock.

Briefly, Luke is a washed up country star from the same home town as JoJo, a huge country star, and they ask him to sing a duet with her at her Country Music Hall of Fame induction. But the problem is, his one big hit is the one he cowrote/stole from August...her daughter. Also he's got a lot of memories from growing up there, and none of them are good.

There is seriously so much going on here, and you definitely want to check the content notes if you've got any sort of childhood trauma, because it does NOT pull punches on the kind of crap life deals you. And it's absolutely gorgeous. Luke and August are both flawed people, and they have made mistakes, but they're both trying so hard and you just want them to be happy.

There's this scene where they're talking about her absent mom and she's trying to brush it off, say it's okay, and he says "I can want more for you" and honestly that kind of encapsulates their whole relationship and it kind of made me cry while waiting for a work meeting to start. Gorgeous.

This was such a wonderful book with flawed characters that felt so real, it was like I could picture seeing them at the store or something.

Regina’s writing is incredibly captivating in that she doesn’t shy away from hard topics or conflict within her books. These characters were flawed and had hardships and struggled with a lot, but they acknowledged that and I think it was such a great thing to see. Humans aren’t perfect and this shows that.

The romance between the characters was great. I liked the way it was written in two timelines, with interview snippets from a later time than the current love story went down in.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. As a Black southern person who has always loved country music, this catered to me so well. Truly a masterpiece.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Wow, this book was incredible! Regina Black created such real, flawed characters that it's hard for me to believe that she created them. They were such lived-in characters with their own pasts, traumas, and dreams. I loved August and Luke! I loved how complicated they were and how they loved each other.

This is a second-chance romance done beautifully. There is a dual timeline, so you can see their relationship build and aftermath in real time. August and Luke met as teenagers with dreams of making it out of their small town. August has a set plan that she is waiting to put in motion, while Luke does not know exactly what he wants, but wants to get out all the same. They have a deep connection from their first meeting, which continues to grow.

Regina tackles so many issues and handles them with care. There is parental abandonment, dementia representation, domestic violence, caregiver representation, as well as all the other issues that teenagers have to deal with. She addresses the issues head on and allows for grace. No one is one set thing, and it is up to the person harmed to determine the next steps.

She also speaks about the issue of country music and who is a 'real' country singer. It is perfect timing to come out this summer as Beyonce is wrapping up her country tour and has faced immense backlash for wanting to sing country music when she grew up in the south listening to country and all other influences. All of the main characters in this story are Black and love country music. It was what they grew up listening to and what inspires them to make music. Luke speaks about seeing Black country singers made him want to pursue his singing career because he could see it happen for them. Jojo answers this same question in her interviews about why she chose country music, but other country artists aren't asked the same questions. I think Regina Black did an incredible job telling these stories and crafting these characters. I am in awe and I can't wait to read more from her!

BOOK REVIEW
August Lane
Regina Black
Swipe for Synopsis

Thank you Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing for the eARC.

My Review:
This book is mandatory reading. Full stop. Regina Black already held a top author spot for me, and the incredible writing in August Lane puts her book on a whole other level of romance. The emotions and angst are to be expected with a second chance romance. Add in the small town politics, music industry dramatics, and characters with personalities that feel so very real, and you can’t help but get sucked in to this story, told in alternating timelines and a podcast interview spread through the book to give it a lyrical structure.

I’ll say it one more time – mandatory. reading. for. everyone. I am considering an audio re-read after hearing it’s a full cast, it’s that good. August Lane is out now.

I don't know where to begin with my review. There were so many different layers to this book that I sometimes felt overwhelmed while reading it. Right away you're hit with a gut punch of a connection with the hero, Luke. He has a pretty pitiful existence and makes no excuses for the state that he's in, so it's easy to want all the good things for him. A once in a lifetime experience is placed in his lap, but taking it means that he'll have to face all of his past demons, namely a girl he once loved named August Lane.

Luke and August's romance is told in both past and present tense. We get to see the beginning of their relationship bloom from a cute little friendship into something worth writing love songs over. If you didn't know the state of the relationship in the present time, you'd think these two would be the type of young love that stands the test of time.

There's so much shame, resentment, and pain woven into their story, that it sometimes was difficult to read. Their moments of pain had me wanting to skim those pages, because I just wanted all the good things for them, truly.

I really enjoyed this book. Through the muddy waters that they tread, a story of hope and resilience and forgiveness reigns supreme.

Perfect for fans of Tia Williams, this second-chance romance is filled with emotion and tension with music providing the perfect backdrop for finding love again.

When Luke Randall returns to his hometown for a performance that will potentially give him new opportunities within the music world, he knows that there’s a good chance that he will bump into August Lane - the woman who wrote the song that made him famous. Emotions rise as they navigate difficult family relationships and confront their past mistakes.

Told in dual timelines, the reader gets to see Luke and August’s relationship unfold both in the past and in the present, which adds to the story as we are experiencing their relationship as they relive their past. I felt like this book was a perfect combination of The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes and Seven Days in June as the characters have so much depth and the musicality adds even more emotion. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Hachette Audio and Grand Central Publishing for advance copies of the book.

I adored The Art of Scandal and this didn’t quite hit for me. I requested it before I realized it had a pile of the issues that I can’t quite do. Alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, drug abuse, and dementia being the main ones. The book isn’t bad - not by a long shot - but I am not the reader for this one.

This book leans a bit more lit fic with a romantic subplot than a contemporary romance. So if you like your romance books with a bit more substance, this one is for you. It has a really interesting Black performers in country music base layer that gets into the darker parts of major celebrity.

I wish author’s notes were included with the summaries on Netgalley so I could have walked into this one with both eyes open.

Audiobook production and narrators though? Chef's kiss. Bahni Turpin, William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, Stephanie Cannon. Gimme 10 more of this combo right now.

I decided to read August Lane after seeing Alicia Thompson’s instagram post about it. I am so glad I did. This book tore my heart apart and put it back together. The titular August is the daughter of a black country musician, left behind to be raised by her grandmother in a small town. The novel is told in differing viewpoints between August, transcripts of a country music podcast with her mom Jojo, and Luke, August’s childhood love. This book I think is classified as a romance, and it is, but it isn’t. I am actually a bit mad at that classification because it negatively affects books- not in the way the readers feel, but in the way the book is marketed. This is literary fiction. This is a sweeping novel about race, culture, expectations, family, trauma, grief, addiction, love, small town America, bullying, forgiveness, and gaining the courage to move from fitting into molds to standing as yourself. This book deserves a wide audience and to be talked about. I think it is hard to read this book and not relate to at least one character.

The world painted by Regina Black is so specific and clear. I could see this book, its place, its characters, its time, so easily in my mind. There were a lot of supporting characters in each of the timelines and they were memorable and easily distinguishable, something that is truly rare. August was so strong. But, man, did she have to be. Everyone put their expectations onto her and no one, other than Luke saw her. But he didn’t have the capability of being there for her as he was dealing with his own abuse and use of alcohol to cope. God the masking that August and Luke had to do to fit in was so sad and so relatable. The work they both did to try to feel worthy and a part of things broke my heart. I so wanted them to have a happy ending but didn’t know how they could. Because the truth is this world beats a lot of people down and lately doesn’t give second chances. I appreciate how taking responsibility and healing was the key to the happy ending. AA was represented so accurately in this book, as were struggles with mental health and grief.

This book is a good choice for fans of Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zetner, A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Neilson, or Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell, or Between Friends and Lovers by Shirlene Obuobi. I could easily see this being made as a miniseries for HBO. I am so glad I read this. 5 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Life can be serendipitous!
Finding one's voice is sometimes wrapped up in losing another's way and losing one's way is sometimes the only way to find the way.
*
Hearts were broken and mended in this off the page raw, emotional and reflective piece.
To elicit such emotions off the pages of a book is some type of mastery. You won't want to put it down! The multiple point of views added context, textures, perspectives and insight that made for a rich unpacking of stories and memorable characters.
*
August and Luke were two peas in a pod, the biggest hearts yet trying to fit in and please others. These two took me on a rollercoaster of emotions! Regina.......phew
A lyrical piece encapsulating difficult subject matters and shedding light on histories within the country music scene for marginalized communities.

Happy Reading!

************************************
Many thanks to Grand Central Pub for the e-arc opportunity!

Thank you to @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @hachetteaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

★★★★☆

August Lane by Regina Black is a soulful, emotionally layered second-chance romance that hits all the right notes—especially in audiobook format. Narrated by a full cast, the story comes alive with a rich, expressive performance that captures both the vulnerability and fire of its lead characters.

At its heart, this is a story about truth, redemption, and reclaiming one’s voice. Luke Randall, a washed-up country singer clinging to fame from a hit song he didn’t write, is forced to confront his past when he returns to his hometown. There, he reunites with August Lane—the woman who actually penned the lyrics that made him famous and the daughter of his musical idol, JoJo Lane.

The dynamic between August and Luke is electric and complicated. Their shared history is full of betrayal, longing, and unresolved feelings, and Regina Black doesn’t shy away from exploring the emotional fallout. Their journey toward forgiveness and creative collaboration is both tender and tense, with music serving as a powerful metaphor for healing and truth-telling.

One of the standout elements is the fictional podcast hosted by JoJo Lane, which adds a modern, layered storytelling device. Through it, we get deeper insights into JoJo’s legacy, the pressures of fame, and the generational impact of silence and secrets.

The book also tackles heavier topics—abuse, neglect, and the erasure of Black voices in country music—with care and nuance. These themes are never heavy-handed but are woven seamlessly into the characters’ arcs, making the story feel both timely and timeless.

If you love second-chance romance with depth, music, and a strong sense of place, August Lane is a must-listen. And with the cast's narration, every emotional beat lands just right.

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #grandcentralpub #hachetteaudio #augustlane #reginablack

In the era of Cowboy Carter, this was a timely read. This was a redemptive love story perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and basically anything written by Kennedy Ryan :) A great read about two flawed and misunderstood people finding their HEA.