I became a fan of Regina Black with her debut, The Art of Scandal, and the fandom is deeply sealed with her 2nd novel, August Lane.

We have August and Luke who were best friends in high school and then no longer friends when Luke moved away. Luke is back in the hometown, down on his luck with music career and is joining forces with, Jojo Lane, August's mom for a music festival.

With a small town, they of course run into each other and help each other out. The story is told in dual time lines and dual POV. There is also snippet of interviews of Jojo to get a glimpse of her perspective.

This is a total slow burn and I love seeing both of their growth journey. August and Luke are both flawed and influenced by their upbringing. The way Black writes their development gets you so vested in the story.

Thank you @grandcentralpub for a copy of the book.

Whoa! This book is making my top 10 of 2025 list I just know it.

This book was an emotional ride with the story told in both the past and present time lines. I enjoyed this because there was so much growth in each character there was also so much hurt from the past that each character had to heal from. There is so much I want to say but I don't want to say to much for spoilers but this is an emotional read, an incredible read. A pure love that doesn't come around very often. A story about parental abandonment so be careful with that. There's also so much knowledge about country music and being a Black country music artist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an early copy in exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

This was a moving and emotional second chance romance involving two Black Country singers/songwriters who fall in love as teenagers and get torn apart when one finds fame on a reality show and takes credit for a song they wrote together. Fast forward many years later and a shocking confession brings them back in one another's orbit.

Told from multiple perspectives and a dual timeline style with flashbacks, we see how August and Luke first fell in love, the childhood traumas they endured and later their struggles as adults. In the present August is grieving her grandmother's death from dementia, is estranged from her famous singer mother and Luke is a soon to be divorced recovering alcoholic with a childhood of domestic abuse.

Great on audio narrated by a full cast that includes some interview style segments with August's mother, this is perfect for fans of Seven days in June by Tia Williams or Can't get enough by Kennedy Ryan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: mention of off page abortion (side character), domestic abuse, dementia, alcohol addiction/abuse

I loved everything about this book. The relationship between August and Luke was so deeply emotional and intensely romantic, full of yearning and lust. They are characters who have been through a lot, and witnessing them find solace and comfort in each other after lifetimes of struggle was such a beautiful thing.

This book is more than just a romance though - it’s a love song. An ode to two people who find each other against all odds and work hard to make a relationship possible. It’s heavy and it’s hopeful and it’s written so beautifully. This is book you really want to take your time with and savor every word.

Aside from the romance, this story is also about Black artists reclaiming their country roots and making space for themselves in a music industry and genre that is extremely white-dominated. It’s about cycles of abuse and the people who dare to break them. It’s about Black artistry and excellence. It’s about owning your talent and making the world hear you.

Regina Black continues to climb the list of my favorite romance writers—not only because her sentences are so beautiful, you want to read them twice, but also because her characters come with such rich histories that the entire story feels real. AUGUST LANE is a moving, dual-timeline love story about two imperfect people who figure it out together, and I couldn't stop turning the pages, fully immersed in their world. August and Luke both carry pain, and the way they open up to each other throughout the book—and over time—is as powerful as it is affecting. They have the kind of banter that makes you blush, but they aren't afraid of hard conversations, either, leading to the kind of chemistry and relationship that feels true. I absolutely loved this five-star read from Regina Black, and I plan to read anything and everything she writes in the future.

The way I absolutely tore through this...

From the opening chapter, it was clear that music would be woven into every page of this book. Regina Black is an incredibly talented author, lending a lyricism to her language that not only makes the book FEEL musical, but delivers an emotional punch in the best possible way. I ached for August and Luke so many times as they worked their way through their respective traumas. I like to say that my very favorite kind of romance is "two broken people figure out how to be less broken together" and this is a masterclass in that type of story. A truly visceral second-chance romance where every moment is earned.

The dual timeline is expertly used to peel back layers on both characters, explaining their present-day behaviors, but also exploring what it means to recover from abuse--and that not all abuse looks the same. At the same time, the book is a hopeful one, proving to the characters and reader alike that no matter how awful things seem or how much someone has been through, they're still worthy of love.

And it's not just the lead characters. Everyone who appears on the page is fully fleshed out, often messy, and always incredibly authentic. Reading this book felt like entering a snapshot of a small town, the good and the bad that comes along with that all on display. There's a gentle melancholy to the book, a sort of drowsy southern summer heat, and it fits the story being told perfectly.

This was my first Regina Black book, but it absolutely won't be the last.

This was absolutely beautiful. I loved The Art of Scandal, so I was so excited to read this one and it did not disappoint. It’s dual timeline and it’s a second chance - more than one second chance really. I loved watching August and Luke find their way back together. The dual timeline was so important to the story as a whole, seeing everything weave together and make sense was done so well.

I really loved the small moments between Luke and August, because they were the big moments for them, they were what kept them going. The small moments in time where they were happy together and finding their passion together.

This was not a light read though. Both August and Luke had been dealt a crappy hand. The book talks on alcoholism, substance abuse, parental neglect and abuse - and how all of those things can impact someone. I thought it was written well and with a lot of care. And while it wasn’t always easy to ready, the way everything was so complex and complicated made the story feel that much deeper.

Thank you so much to Grand Central Publishing for the sec in exchange for an honest review!

Had a hard time getting into this book. I was so excited but a lot of parts dragged for me. I would pair with the audio to probably help me but otherwise I love the storyline and the book’s idea.

Whew, Regina Black can WRITE. August Lane is an emotional and layered small-town, second-chance romance, but it’s also so much more than that. The story examines trauma, family relationships, and the treatment of Black artists (particularly Black women) in country music. The characters are incredibly flawed, and the story is all the better for it. They feel like real people. August and Luke’s story will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

I just love how Regina Black writes. It’s so easy to feel what the characters are feeling in her books. But that being said, I feel like the characters in this book were difficult to read because they did not make the best decisions and were kind of messy! That took away my enjoyment of the book a little bit. I did like the aspects of the book that highlight the racism faced by Black country artists, and this is something we should all be talking about more.

Regina Black is truly one of the most talented romance writers around - I was obsessed with her debut The Art of Scandal, and August Lane is just as gorgeous. It’s the writing and depth that sets this apart. August and Luke are living, breathing people because of Regina’s sharp world-building. There’s angst GALORE (my fave), but there’s also so much tenderness between these two, with a sultry slow burn that had me losing it. This is a romance for sure, but it’s also very much about art and betrayal (and forgiveness) and complex family dynamics. I highlighted something on every page, the prose is just THAT lyrical and insightful. What a thrill.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 🙂

"I use it to go back to you. To us. Every time I sing it, I get to fall in love with you again. Hurts like hell when it’s over, but it’s worth it. I want to hurt that way for the rest of my life."

I could not put this book down because I needed to see August and Luke get their happy ending!

What I loved most about August Lane, though, was the storytelling. The way that Regina Black tells the story of August and Luke in the past and present, and how she builds this very realistic world with very realistic people kept me turning page after page. August Lane felt like a documentary about the small town of Arcadia and its messy and deeply flawed people (seriously, I think every character pissed me off at one point). And not to mention the commentary about race and politics surrounding country music made this story, unfortunately, feel like it could have happened in the world we are currently living in. I also loved the how Regina Black wove music throughout the story and used it to connect all of the characters in the small town of Arcadia.

August Lane is a super relevant and raw story, and I look forward to whatever Regina Black writes next!

Four solid stars 🥹

This romance is infused with country music (both writing and singing) and the redemption of both characters.

August is the daughter of country star Jojo Lane and has lived her life in the shadows. As an unwanted child of a teen mom, she’s never truly felt accepted by her mom or anyone in her small town… until she meets Lucas (aka Luke). They connect over their love of country music and the abandonment they’ve each experienced from their moms. But after Luke becomes a country star and leaves their small town, the story picks up to see if they can rekindle their love of country music and each other 🥹

This is the first book I’ve read by Regina Black and won’t be my last!

I loved everything about this book. The story. The music. Pick this up if you like second chance romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

I fear my mommy issues have never felt this seen. August and Luke both have mommy issues up the wazoo; as a result, they both move different toxic coping strategies (August searches for love in all the wrong places and Luke turns to alcohol as a means of numbing himself from abuse). These two stumble upon each other in a festival funhouse the summer before their senior year of high school. There is something of an instant connection between these two strangers; though, this instant connection is soured when August finds out that Luke runs in the same circle as the people that have been bullying her since she started at this new school. Music becomes the thing that keeps drawing them together. August agrees to "tutor" Luke in songwriting, and their love story starts.

August Lane is what I want all romance to be. I want flawed characters getting a hard fought HEA. I want burning chemistry and still the fear of what taking the next step in a relationship will mean. I want their future to be more than a perfect story book ending. I want to know that there will be trials and tribulations and they're capable of walking through them together. Regina Black gave me all that! I know that their relationship is far from perfect; August is still learning to trust Luke again and Luke is still learning to give up the spotlight. The one thing I loved most is that while their relationship is under a lot of public scrutiny, they don't ever publicly acknowledge this. Their relationship is theirs.

I'm kicking myself for not yet reading Regina's debut. After this, I don't think I'll ever be the same. Her writing is so visceral. I can't wait to read whatever comes next. If it's even half as good as August Lane I'm sure I'll love it!

Sometimes it’s hard to put into words how much a book can move you, but August Lane by Regina Black is one of those rare, stunning novels that seeps into your soul and lingers long after the final page.

This isn’t just a second chance romance, this is a story about healing, truth, identity, and the cost of loving deeply in a world that doesn’t always make space for you. Regina Black takes us inside the heart of country music and shows us what it means to be Black in an industry that often erases or overlooks that presence. Through August and Luke’s journey, we see the price of silence, the wounds of betrayal, and the powerful beauty of forgiveness.

You wonder how these two could ever find their way back to each other, based on the salacious past of Luke stealing credit for a song August wrote. And yet, Regina masterfully weaves the past and present, drawing you deeper into the complicated love that still exists between them.

Both characters carry such heavy traumas. Luke’s experience with alcoholism, beginning at such a young age, is written with raw vulnerability. And August, my heart broke for her again and again. There were so many moments I wanted to reach through the pages and just hold them both. No one deserves the pain they endured.

But the way Luke shows up? That grand gesture toward the end? It’s the stuff that true redemption arcs are made of. Emotional, honest, and brave. He doesn’t just say he’s changed, he proves it.

The passion for country music pulses through every page. I loved the snippets of lyrics, especially when we finally got the ones we’d been aching to read. Music is another character in this book—binding them, breaking them, and ultimately helping them find their way back.

August Lane is romantic, devastating, empowering, and unforgettable. August and Luke deserve their happiness. And readers deserve to experience this remarkable story.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for this earc. All opinions are my own.

August despises that song as well. She despises Luke Randall even more, though. She has little interest in making atonement when he arrives ten years too late to express regret for his treachery. Instead, in an attempt to lift her out of her mother's shadow and start a career as a songwriter, she threatens to reveal his lies unless he co-writes a new song with her and performs it at the event. Luke consents to the rogue performance out of desperation to protect his secret, even though doing so could cost him a new record deal.

This was quite a book. I found it to be an emotional, beautifully told story with a heroine and hero it was easy to root for. August and Luke were such sympathetic characters - I wanted them to be happy so badly because after everything they'd gone through they honestly just deserved it. I do wish the romance between Luke and August had been pushed to the front a little bit more because when we did get those moments they were so darn good. And I have to note the ending felt a smidge abrupt and wasn't quite as satisfying as I would have liked. But overall I thought this book was a great read.

Gah, y'all.🥹 This was so good! That's my review. 😂 I'm kidding. Regina Black offered up a romance that is timely, relevant, and surprisingly relatable (given that the characters are celebrity figures). She also takes a hard look at race, fame, and growing up in a small town that doesn't look like Stars Hollow (from Gilmore Girls, for those who may not get the reference). The relationship between August and Luke is convoluted because of how their past experiences and decisions affect their present, and Black did a masterful job in weaving the times (past, present, and future) in and out of the story. Overall, stunning sophomore debut, and I'll be reading everything she writes moving forward. 💖
4.75🌟

"Memories can be kinder to us than we deserve.”

TW: Domestic abuse, abortion, drug abuse, alcoholism, bullying, violence and strong language

August Lane is a small town and second chance romance that is deeply emotional and beautiful. Each of the characters were dealing with their own personal pain. The backstories of both August's and Luke's families were emotional, raw and real. It's the music, family, relationships, trauma and what we do to heal.

The time jumps from 2009 to 2023 with a sprinkle of a podcast interview. The writing was multi-dimensional and fascinating. The romance between Luke and August was a total slow burn. Black educates readers as she centers the Black roots of country music.