Country music star Luke Randall is facing a stalled singing career when he gets the chance of a lifetime to open for 90s-era country music queen JoJo Lane. But agreeing means letting August Lane, JoJo’s daughter, back into his life, his first love and the woman whose lyrics he stole to launch his singing career.

At this point, I’m convinced Regina Black can do no wrong. Her first book, The Art of Scandal, put her on the map, and her follow-up, August Lane, will surely keep her there. Her stories are rich with emotion; her settings picturesque. And her characters are so incredibly lifelike, they feel as though they exist as much off the page as on.

I went into this story a bit unsure what to expect, and came away feeling as though I had taken a journey with these dynamic characters as they faced childhood traumas, life-changing decisions, and one more chance to try again. The story has a very slow-burn feel to it as we are woven back and forth through the past and present, as the layers of each character are peeled back little by little.

The author tackles the harder themes of child abuse, addiction and the deep racism that is innate in the country music world and yet, never losing site of these characters or overpowering the story. And shining most brightly at the end of each character’s growth arc is this complex, messy, beautiful love story worthy of a love song.

Read if you like:
▪️country music
▪️second chances
▪️family dramas
▪️slow burn
▪️character-driven stories
▪️dual timelines/perspectives

Thank you Grand Central Pub for the advanced copy.

Tension filled slow burn romance
Dual timeline
Second chance

August and Luke ❤️
This was more than a romance. It was filled with heavy topics and emotions. Which Regina Black handled with care.

Full review to follow

This is the winner of the best reading of the month for me and i look forward to meeting this author in my city next week. I loved the timeline and the insertion of the podcast . Loved the complexity of the characters relationship with their families that added a layer of interest and relatability for me. This b
Story gives all the vibes you need especially as country music is at the forefront of social media right now. Loved this book

Complex and layered. This book was about so much and the author balanced it so well. It was about being a black country artist. It was about fame and the impact on families. It captured the difficulties of first loves and heartbreak. It also captured August's struggle to figure out her life while steeped in grief of her grandmother - the woman who raised her. Luke was just as complicated. He had to deal with how his addict mother and her choices affected his entire life. He wrestled with a lot, This book isn't light, but it tackled such important topics like mother wounds and parental expectations. It was beautifully layered and gave me a lot to think about. t I can’t wait to see her on book tour and hear her talk about her inspiration and drive behind this book.

First and foremost, I love a story with flawed characters who grow through the mess and trauma. August Lane is both a heartbreaking and hopeful second chance romance. Set in a small town with the backdrop of country music, two broken people find a way back to each other. I found Luke and August's stories to be emotional and thought provoking. I learned more about myself, but more importantly, learned about the experience of being a Black musician in country music which I found to be one of my favorite parts of this story. And then the romance? The tension and yearning? Incredibly well done. This book does handle very hard topics such as racism, familial abuse, alcoholism, just to name a few so please check your trigger warnings. Overall, Luke and August will stick with me for a long time and have me yearning for more diverse small town stories. I can't wait to read what Regina Black writes next!

August Lane is a story of a small town romance marred with betrayal, painful history, and sincerity in love.

I genuinely loved reading! Regina Black has such a beautiful way of writing. The lines in this book sweeps you up and entangles you into an emotional experience. These characters bore scars, were hurting and flawed yet loved so unequivocal. August and Luke both came from hard times, but each took different forms of the trauma; one took on the dysfunction and the other hid away her heart to avoid the pain. Their lives left them with scars but the love for music ensured their paths maintained ties.

It was a bumpy road to say the least, but once they reach their peak? Perfect harmony!

The social commentary regarding the history and culture of country was reflective, the depictions of racism was both poignant and resonant. The points on small towns and their underrepresented populations definitely reflect reality precisely. Definitely a book I’d recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read this amazing book!

Wow - this is not what I was expecting! August and Luke’s love story is complicated and emotional. It also felt very real. We bounce between 2009 when they are in high school to 2023 when Luke comes home for the first time since 2009 to perform at a concert where August’s mother is being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. This story explores some heavy topics but done in a thoughtful way. Luke is raised in an abusive home and his mother is an addict - August is being raised by her grandmother who gets diagnosed with dementia.

The topic of race in country music is a constant theme throughout. The author did a great job showcasing how much Black artists have to fight to be taken seriously not only in the country music space but in the music industry as a whole.

This was beautifully written and I highly recommend it but this is not a happy, sappy, rom-com where you are kicking your feet the whole time. I recommend checking out the trigger warnings before jumping in.

This book was beautiful. I really enjoyed The Art of Scandal, so I was very excited to receive an ARC of Regina Black's follow-up, August Lane.

This book follows August, the daughter of a Black country musician, and Luke, a one-hit wonder hoping to make a come-back. The story is told using a dual timeline, so we get to see the kids they were in 2009 and they way they make their way back to each other in 2023. Both of these characters have Been Through It, and it takes a lot for them to figure out both who they are and who they are to each other. I definitely cried, but I also laughed and felt hope.

Regina Black has mentioned imagining Luke singing Another Love Song, and that is absolutely true. This book would make an amazing movie/limited series. I would love to see all the performances, and the book gets it almost all the way there.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing, Regina Black and NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5 Stars from me (only detracted because I had to do a little catch-up work with the timeline shifts, but I admit that could be a me/ADHD problem)

"Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they." Linda Martell
This quote encapsulates how I feel about this book-it could easily classify as a romance, general fiction or women's fiction, but in truth it's an amalgamation of all of them. I enjoyed how timely this book felt- the "Cowboy Carter" tour just ended, "Boykinz" is blowing up on social media, Brittney Spencer had wonderfully received performances at the BET Awards and Essencefest, and the list goes on. This story just feels true and lived in-the lyrics to the songs were also poetry: I appreciated being able to sit with the lyrics. And I could easily this story being adapted as a limited series. This book pairs well with "My Black Country" by Alice Randall and would make a great book club selection.

August Lane by Regina Black is a heart-wrenching, blue-toned (melancholy, serene, introspective) meditation on the human condition. Regina Black utilizes the commercial appeal of a country music star’s second-chance love story set in the fictional small-town of Arcadia, Arkansas as the vessel for her social commentary on the grandest of human experiences (e.g., the legacy of Black Country music, fame/stardom) to the ordinary and relatable of human experiences (e.g., stagnation)- the full spectrum of which is worthy of the immortalization that comes with a published story.
Our main character, the eponymous Augustina “August” Lane, for a myriad of reasons like caring for an aging family member, the debilitating pressure of following in her aloof mother’s famous country music star footsteps, and separating from the young love of her life (Luke Randall), has remained somewhat stagnant in her small hometown of Arcadia, Arkansas for the past ten years since graduating high school.
After abruptly leaving and building a career off of lyrics he stole from August, Luke returns to Arcadia after a decade for a crucial career-restarting concert with August’s famous mother. This event becomes the catalyst for shared wounds to re-open, but also a beautiful and tear-jerking second-chance romance. Together, they stitch old wounds closed and finalize their healing and happily ever after, founded on their special and once-in-a-lifetime bond (and a decade of yearning).
While August experienced what some may call professional and personal stagnation during the ten years since Luke left Arcadia, she ultimately does get her transformation and success story in the form of a blossoming and promising music career, romantic love union, and the peace that comes with the acceptance stage of grief.
Black utilizes a podcast transcript (reminiscent of a court transcript), parts of a song, and flashbacks as primary components of the structure of this story, which was very unique and refreshing to me.
On her website, the author provides an in-depth content list of topics contained in August Lane that some may find sensitive. Regina Black handles these sensitive topics with care.
I highly recommend reading and adding August Lane to your personal library. I’ve included additional reading and listening resources inspired by Regina Black’s Author’s Note and Acknowledgements. Thank you to the author @reginablackwrites and publisher @grandcentralpub (Hachette) for the eARC to enjoy before publication.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this read. This book was quite good and I enjoyed it more than her debut book. The first book was not bad but the opening scene set the book up to be more than it was going to be. Anyways, this book was good but a very slow moving but emotional read. This book was hard to get through because of it and it felt like it was dragging but it wasn't. It was just very emotional. I enjoyed it and I would recommend others read this one.

My review is... I cried at the end.

That may not sound like much of a review, unless you personally know me. A post epilogue sob-fest is not something I do often. So believe me when I say, there isn't really more I CAN say about how incredibly moving this story is.

Well, I guess I could also mention how this story made me wish I was sipping coffee on my late-grandmother's screened in porch in Tennessee, listening to the cicada's buzz in the willows, the air thick with the heat and humidity of an incoming storm. How this story had me listening to Cowboy Carter on repeat for days. How I had to restrain myself from messaging Regina Black with "Justice for Luke" like an absolute weirdo. How I had to sit, and think, and feel about the stories we tell ourselves and others. How those stories can both hurt and heal. How Black artists, musicians, and writers have had their work coopted so many times, but have kept going, even though they so often do twice the work for half the credit.

AUGUST LANE one of my absolute top reads this year. Honestly, I cannot recommend this novel enough, although I'm going to try.

4.5 stars! This book emotionally wiped me out. We kept getting glimpses of August and Luke being happy and I wanted to hold on tight to those and hope they lasted longer. I really enjoyed the dual timeline. I think it was necessary to get the full picture of the characters and the story. I also enjoyed the interview setting to get to know Jojo’s POV. This was a slow burn but it makes sense for the story. I’m always impressed when authors include some other form of art/writing in their books and that stands true for the songs Regina wrote in this story. Always grateful for that happy ending in a romance book.

August Lane is the story of August, the daughter of a famous black country singer as she deals with awkward teenage years and challenging young adulthood. As teen she finds friendship and first love with sweet but troubled golden boy Luke as they bond over their love of music. At its core August Lane is a second chance romance but deals with so many things such as longing, loneliness, race, abuse, personal growth and so much more. It is beautifully written. Author Regina Black writes in such a way that the reader with be rooting for August and Luke individually as well as a couple. It’s a rough road to the happily ever after but I definitely recommend it. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the digital arc,

I love a good second chance romance, especially one that acknowledges that both the past and the present can be messy. Luke and August met in high school, connecting over music and their difficult homelives. This book goes back and forth between the present day and when they were eighteen, exploring their current opportunity to connect and what pushed them together - and pulled them apart - in the first place.

This is a heavier book that explores maternal abuse, neglect, grief, racism, and more. The musical elements make for a great backdrop with many poietic storytelling opportunies, and also serves as a way to explore how Black musicians are often ignored in this genre. Well-written, emotional, and raw.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

3.5 stars. Slow moving but overall it was ok. Chapters were too long and there was too much going back and forth in time.

I was really looking forward to this book after enjoying the author’s first novel. This story follows August and Luke, two Black country musicians with a complicated past, as they reconnect and face both personal and professional challenges. The music theme adds a lot of depth, and I liked seeing how their dreams and feelings mix together. The book covers heavy topics and healing, and I appreciated watching both characters grow. It’s an emotional, slow-burn romance with a lot of heart.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I really enjoy romance books that have music as a main plot element. Here we have, Luke, who is a black country artist who has one hit. he has a chance to help with the induction of Jojo Lane who is a 90s black country artist who is an idol of Luke. The twist though is that JoJo‘s daughter August is Luke’s old love and the person who originally wrote the song.

I love seeing August and Luke having to work together to both achieve their dreams but yet at the same time having to muddle through these feelings that come up. The book is a slow burn, but is filled with yearning and keeps you captivated throughout the story.

Both of the characters are complicated and trying to see how their professional goals end up competing with feelings is fascinated.

Thank you BookSparks, Regina Black, and Grand Central Publishing for my #gifted finished copy and Hachette Audio for my #gifted listening copy of August Lane! #hachetteaudio #GrandCentralPub #GrandCentralPublishing #SRC2025 #booksparks #AugustLane #ReginaBlack

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐁𝐚𝐡𝐧𝐢 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐢𝐧, 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐃𝐞𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭, 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐕𝐨𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

August Lane was a beautifully written second chance romance with complex characters but it’s so much more. It was messy with lots of emotions and it’s not a light read. It’s a heavy book that will make you think. It explores race in country music and also all aspects of life, and is done so in such a powerful way. The romance side of this book was good, and I loved August and Luke and their journey. The dual timeline format really worked for me with this book and I loved seeing how everything unfolded between the two timelines. This was definitely not a light rom-com, so don’t read it expecting that, but it was so well-written and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this one!

🎧The audiobook was narrated by a cast of top notch narrators with Bahni Turpin, William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, and Stephanie Cannon! WOW! Talk about a performance! I loved this cast and I could not stop listening to this one! The emotions that they brought were so perfect and I could not have picked a better cast! If you love audiobooks, this is one you won’t want to miss! Pure perfection!

Posted on Goodreads on July 28, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 29, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 29, 2025
**-will post on designated date

For fans of SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE and DAISY JONES, AUGUST LANE was everything I wanted it to be. A second chance romance steeped in Black country music and family drama. Our Discord group was pretty passionate about this one and universally loved the audio narration. There were so many talented narrators in this full cast recording as well as sound effects, truly so much fun at a high production value.