✨ Review ✨ August Lane by Regina Black, Narrated by Bahni Turpin, William DeMerritt, January LaVoy & Stephanie Cannon

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Audio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Lucas and August are jolted back together in the present day, when he's invited home to sing a song with famous black country star JoJo Lane, August's mom for her hall of fame induction. The story jumps between media interviews with JoJo, the present-day story with Luke and August, and their past love in high school – I loved the sort of epistolary, cobbled together field of this.

Second-chance romance isn't always my favorite but I thought it worked here. Both had a lot of baggage in the past (and still the echoes of this baggage in the present), and I appreciate the ways their characters grew in their time apart.

I loved the representation of Black country artists – with JoJo, Luke and then August, recognizing the long contributions of Black artists, the challenges of "making it" in a white genre, and the importance of having this representation around us. If you've been interested by Beyonce and other's pushing at these boundaries, you might enjoy this!

🎧 While this is mostly narrative between the two main characters, the interviews interspersed between the sections of the book make this feel more like a full cast audiobook, which I loved. The narration for the main characters was great and seamless even when the POV switched between chapters. My only complaint was that sometimes it was hard to tell if the story was in the past or present in the timeline while listening.

Overall another great one by Regina Black!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.25 stars)
Genre: f/m contemporary romance
Setting: small town Arkansas
Length: 11 hours
Reminds me of: anything by Kennedy Ryan and Art of Scandal Regina Black
Pub Date: July 29, 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ Black country artists
⭕️ second chance romance
⭕️ family drama
⭕️ small town stories

Felt like a Tyler Perry movie in book form—full of drama, but not in a good way. While I understood the trauma both August and Luke went through and saw their growth, I just couldn’t connect with them or root for their relationship. Too much happened that shouldn’t be easily forgiven, and the nonstop drama made it hard to care.

I loved the storyline in August Lane. I don't listen to much country music but I can still appreciate what the story is saying even without knowing all the ins and outs of the industry. The characters themselves weren't my favorite but they weren't all that bad either. August Lane was a people pleaser. I wish she would have done therapy or something to help her break that. I don't feel like living HEA with Luke is going to heal that girl scared of abandonment. Luke was a mean drunk and not much he did redeemed him. August gave in to easily. She never knew how to be mad and make it count. The audiobook narrators did a great job - definitely helped to keep me engaged in the story.

✨ 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 ✨

August Lane by Regina Black

🥇🄶🄾🄻🄳 🄼🄴🄳🄰🄻🥇

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
🎶This book was absolutely incredible! I will for sure need a shelf trophy!
🎤The audiobook was done so well with several narrators and POVs. It gave “The Favorites” vibes. There was so much feeling behind every voice that read. It really put you in the story.
🎶I would highly recommend a review of the TW before reading.
🎤I would consider this more of a fiction than a romance but there is a precious love story woven inside. One that will have you rooting for them!
🎶I am a huge country music fan so this book was extremely interesting to me especially because 90s country is my favorite of them all!
🎤This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys country music, slow burn, childhood lovers, second chances, family drama, full cast audio, and dual timelines and POV.
🎶The entire time I was listening I was wishing I had this audio when I was in Nashville a few weeks ago.
🎤The way August cares for Luke 🤗
🎶This book wasn’t all serious, I was laughing out loud at parts as well!
🎤The part about Luke’s childhood was very hard for me to listen to so again, check the TWs.
🎶A big thank you to Hatchette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

❔ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕐𝕠𝕦❔
Are you a country music fan? If so, who are your favorite artists?

If you want incredible storytelling with tough, but lovable characters that have had their happy ending separated by years, may I suggest August Lane? You haven’t read a book like this. Told from the perspectives of August and Luke (with intermittent chapters featuring an interview from August’s country music stereotype defying mother, Jojo), August Lane is somewhat of a redemption story for a girl who has always had to prove she is worthy of unconditional love. Raised by her late grandmother Birdie, August may be the daughter of a famous black country musician, but she is still living in the delta in Arcadia, Arkansas surrounding herself with trouble she can’t seem to remove herself from.

It would be fair for August to have a healthy dose of rage for the many injustices in her life, but somehow she’s still surviving. When a music showcase featuring Jojo is set to take place in Arcadia to commemorate her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, August comes face to face with the ghosts of her past, including Luke Randall, her former teen confidant come musician who’s claimed August’s songwriting as his own. It’s not that Luke set out to be devious, but more allowed credit to be taken by him. So now August and Luke will have to reconcile their past hurts and passion and acknowledge their attraction for each other has never waned.
Regina Black writes pain and tension so well and yet her characters’ brokenness is what draws them to each other. August is full of defiance and survival just as much as Luke, and seeing their story lived out in two timelines (high school vs. now) makes their connection so much more powerful. This is a Master Class™️ in writing raw , flawed, and beautifully human characters and I loved every interaction between Luke and August. It also may be one of my favorite meet cutes I’ve ever read. You know the feeling you get when two people are destined to be together, despite circumstances? August and Luke have that and it’s a joy to see it transpire. I received an early copy from Hachette Audio, all opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Tension: ✂️🔪
Steam: 🪭🪭
Narration: 📣📣📣📣
I really enjoyed William DeMerritt’s voice for Luke. He was a new to me narrator that I just really enjoyed. I think Bahni Turpin’s voice as August sometimes felt a little too pitchy youthful to me? But the more I listened the more I liked her in this role. I would definitely suggest reading this book with your ears.

📕 August Lane by Regina Black is a contemporary romance that is layered with emotion and depth.

🎶 From the shadows of childhood trauma to the warmth of found family, this story is filled with heart and healing. Set against the unlikely backdrop of country music, it boldly explores the nuances of race as two Black main characters chase love, identity, and a place and the people to whom they truly belong.

🎧 The audiobook? A standout. With a stellar cast: Bahni Turpin, William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, and Stephanie Cannon 🤩 —the production is a full-on immersive experience. The seamless editing and heartfelt narration bring every twist of the story vividly to life.

A romance with real depth, August Lane is an experience you do not want to miss.

🏆 I highly recommend this read! Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing and author Regina Black for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own

This is for you, (read us) romance girlies who like our love stories with a side of realism, social commentary and country music history.

The audiobook was especially well dorm for this one, so congratulations and thank you to the cast of narrators.

Absolutely loved it and looking forward to reading mroe for this author now.

Also, thank you Netgalley and Regina Black for this ALC în exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for providing me an early copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Luke Randall lied about writing the song that made him famous. August Lane is the daughter of a famous black country music musician and the true writer of that song. When they were in high school, they fell in love, but circumstances kept them apart. Now Luke is back in town to perform the song he stole with August’s mother.

This is a book that tackles lots of different issues (check those TWs!), with a lot of heart and gravity, and a lot of emotion.

August’s background really broke my heart. She definitely didn’t have it easy growing up, and I just felt for her, especially in the “high school” timeline.

Luke was such a complicated character, also with a difficult past, and when the events around him leaving town unfolded, I was feeling so much for the both of them. 😢

I felt absolutely pulled in by the writing, and loved how the story was structured. Definitely one of those grittier, emotional romances that feel so real.

Audiobook notes: Multi-cast narration for the interview segments interspersed between Dual POV narration. I thought all the narrators did a great job!

What this book is giving:
✅ Contemporary
✅ Dual POV w/ interview segments
✅ Black Country Musicians
✅ Small Town
✅ Dual Timeline
✅ Second Chance
✅ Toxic Families
✅ Heavy topics

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️🌶️½ / 5

Wowowwowow. This took me by surprise! I am a lover of music, but I don’t tend to read books surrounding music, so I wasn’t sure how I would feel.

I am so so happy I read this! We are following August and Luke. It’s a dual timeline 2009/2023(present). August mother is a popular country singer, so her grandmother birdie is raising her. Her grandmother starts showing signs of early onset dementia so she is navigating that and then the lack of the relationship she has with her mother.

Luke lives at home with his abusive mother and his little brother Ethan. He is also addicted to alcohol and that plays a significant role into his life for obvious reasons, but he has also grown up with a mother who is also dealing with addiction.

They become friends in HS, but Luke eventually has to leave due to safety and August didn’t get to say goodbye.

Years later they are both still connected to music in their own ways and it brings them back together.

I really appreciated this book for several reasons, but one of them being the history around country music. White people per usual claiming they started country music, which is not true-so it was wonderful to have the history of country music embedded in the story. I also loved the second chance love that our characters had. It felt so real to me and not cheesy. I loved the depiction of grief, abandonment, love, addiction, and so much more.

Fully casted audiobook was fantastic!

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette for the ALC!

ALC Review: August Lane by Regina Black
Pub Date: July 29th
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, and Stephanie Cannon

Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Country Music singer Luke Randall is known primarily for one song - he's asked to play it everywhere. When he finds himself returning to his hometown for the first time in a decade to help celebrate another black country music star's induction to the hall of fame, he also finds himself facing August Lane...that singers daughter who Luke stole his most well known song from. Luke is determined to make amends but August is determined to protect herself after his past betrayal.

You guys, Regina Black is just so so good at writing really well rounded complex stories!! I always find myself rooting for her characters and I find them super realistic - her characters are flawed but that makes them feel all the more real. For Luke, it's always been August - and I do so love a man that is down bad. And August? She really makes him work for it, and work he does. I loved seeing her thaw towards him while still holding him accountable.

The audio is so immersive - I was so invested and the full cast narration absolutely added to that! This is one I really really recommend doing on audio if you can. I didn't want to put it down and was annoyed every time I had to when real life was happening.

4.5/5. OUT NOW.

Heat Index: 6/10

—celebrity romance a la country

—mommy issues like crazy

—young love to betrayal to redemption (?)

The Basics:

August Lane is the daughter of famed country singer JoJo Lane, a Black woman who accomplished the rare feat of breaking into an industry against her. August... has had a very different experience from JoJo. Part of that is because Luke Randall, the boy she loved as a teenager, stole the song she wrote—and now JoJo's invited him to perform with her. For Luke, it's the chance to revive his failing career... and maybe, just maybe, make it up to the woman he betrayed. But August is no easy win, and he's going to have to do a lot more than apologize to even begin to win her back. He might just have to give up everything he's hoping for...

The Review:

I didn't get this audio ARC until after the book dropped, but I'm so, so glad I did. Because I really want to sing the praises of this book. It's absolutely a romance novel; but it's also, much like Black's debut, The Art of Scandal, an examination of family and especially complicated parent/child relationships. With a side of critique for country music—a genre built on Black artists that has since rejected them at every opportunity.

August is exactly the kind of heroine I love (and she's the star of this novel, for all that virtually everyone is complex and layered)—she's not worried about being likable, she's wounded in the way that makes her bite, and she's hurt and also capable of hurting people. Even though she is right in the overarching plot of this book, she's not always right, and she's not expected to be. She's absolutely human.

Luke is too, to be clear. He's a quieter character than August, he should be. Like, let's be real—if Luke was a swaggering alpha after what he did, we wouldn't be able to stand him. The only way he can get vaguely close to being worthy of August is essentially enter the story knowing he's unworthy. At the same time... He's not a performative, paper-thin grovelbus from the beginning. Because, while he knows he's doing it on August's work, he does want a career again. He wants to be successful. He wants to prove himself. Hell, he does genuinely love country music. He knows what he needs to do. He knows there's only one way he can be with this woman, for whom he's pined for over a decade.

But is he willing to give it all up to get her back? Really, to simply have the shot at getting her back? (Not that they were quite together before—this is very much a "our thwarted first pass" book. And oh, you'll soak up the angst.) This is made more complicated by the torment that is Luke's past—it's awful, but never does it feel like his trauma is an excuse for his actions. It's a part of who he is. It might be an explanation for his justifications. Yet, never does it excuse him. A lesser book would use it for just that.

I won't list all the supporting characters who made me think and made me frustrated and made me laugh. But I have to highlight JoJo. She doesn't spend a ton of time on the page, a sort of specter for both August and Luke in different ways. Regina Black gets around this in a clever way, framing the story through an interview JoJo's giving. She's a woman who both sacrificed and indulged to get where she is, and there isn't an easy answer to "Was it all worth it?" She's sympathetic, but the fact that Luke isn't the first person to screw August over for the sake of music (and I mean, a lot more) adds to the pain of it all.

Okay, I've talked a lot about the pain and the angst—but this book is also a lot of fun. There's the intrigue of the music industry, the gossipy setting of the small town that thinks it knows August and Luke, the way August just dunks on this man over and over and over... And he takes it. But not without snarking back. Because this novel understands the fine balance between a hero who feels bad, and a hero who rolls over.

In a lot of ways, I feel like this has a lot of the qualities of Taylor Jenkins Reid (but much more nuanced, and needless to say much more racially aware) spun into a true romance and amped up to eleven. It's going to please those readers—but it's also perfect for romance readers. As an angst-hound, I loved how many big swings this book took. As a lover of celebrity romance, I loved the peeks behind the curtain. And as a lover of books where there's an HEA but also an acknowledgment that "happy" doesn't mean "perfect", I was so, so satisfied.

On an audiobook note—there are multiple narrators here, and they all do a very good job. Well done on Bahni Turpin;, William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, and Stephanie Cannon.

The Sex:

I'd call this a bit more descriptive than The Art of Scandal, but very much a slow burn, without a ton of sex scenes. What you do get is good—both emotional and hot, and very much the payoff you want.

The Conclusion:

This is a book about second chances and mistakes and redemption. It's romantic in a way that doesn't dodge conflict—and consequences. But ultimately... it feels like a love song in so many ways.

Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was just not the right audience for this one. I thought I'd love it, it sounded so good. It was truly more of a lit fic than a romance and that was not what I was expecting. It is in no way a bad book, it is very well written and the story is good, just not for me.

4.25, rounded to a 4 ⭐️

This was my first book by Regina Black and I truly had a great time! August Lane takes you on an emotional ride with our MCs. Her writing is so well done. You go on an emotional ride and the amount of details she gives are so in depth that you truly just feel every scene and characters emotions. I had a really good time getting to follow this story and read it!

These characters truly went through A LOT. I didn't know much before I picked this up, and I'm glad I went in blind you have everything from childhood trauma to life changing decisions. The slow burn is slooowwww, but it feels like it's built very organically and because of that I loved every moment of it!

Regina Black really touched on some really important themes without loosing the heart of the story and it made them even more powerful imo.

I consumed this via audiobook, and the cast did a really great job at making you feel every point of this plot! I wished I had the written copy too to do an immersive read, but I still really enjoyed it.

The vibes:
-country music
-second chance romance
-dual timeline
-slow burn romance
-a lot of drama & trauma

August Lane is a book I HEAVILY recommend the audio for because I was immediately transported into every single character's shoes.

Luke Randall hates playing the song "Another love Song." It's a song he was forced to heavily promote back in the day because it's the one he realistically can't take credit for. He's singing it at random bars, watching his career go down the drain. Until one day, someone comes into a bar asking him to open up for his idol, JoJo Lane. The issue? He's gotta face August Lane-the woman who truly wrote his hit song.

August can't stand Luke and the way that he disappeared from his life. She hasn't seen him in ten years and now he's back. So she does what she thinks is best in the moment- threatens to expose him if he doesn't cowrite a song with him. Hopefully, all love lost and found will stay on the music and not float into reality.

This is a beautiful, emotionally haunting multi-cast audio production that I highly admit dropping everything and grabbing headphones for NOW. Every narrator's performance brought more to the tone/feel of the writing and the podcast elements?! CHEF'S KISS. Regina Black's writing is magical, go experience it. But check those triggers first.

3.5 rounded up💫 lately I’ve been re-entering my country girl era🤠 AKA I’m finally listening to music other than Noah Kahan (and thus listening to country again) and I’m watching Nashville🎤 so this book came out at the perfect time!

✨second chance romance
✨Black country music stars - both rising and falling - and the erasure of them in the industry
✨dual timelines
✨multiple POVs with a small podcast/interview element
✨family trauma/drama

I really liked this one but it was just missing a little something for me🤔 I wanted more character growth, mainly to see the romance in the present day mature and grow, so I felt a bit disconnected from the characters. The audio narration was fantastic but it was a slow burn that wrapped up tooo quickly at the end!!

The best bits were the family dynamics and the journey of Black artists in a heavily white genre - these topics were much more fleshed out and had more of an emotional impact than the romance! So if you’re looking for some angst and a rawer story with romance this’ll be for you!

I really liked the idea for this book and while it was fine, I didn’t get pulled in like I’d hoped. There were times I got a little confused on the time jumps, possibly because the audiobook had dual narration (which I’m a fan of) as well as the two time lines. I may have enjoyed this more just reading as opposed to listening so that was easier to track? The narrators were really good, so I think this was just a situation of not catching the book at the right time for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and ALC.

Harsh love, hurt love: Forgiveness and reconciliation. A powerful, emotional novel about a pair of marginalized country music singers with tawdry past that surfaces in the present. Luke seeks redemption years later after stealing his one and only hit song from August, his old flame. Told in a dual timeline, along with an interview format, their story was a poignant reflection on how the road to true love and a second chance can be emotional and messy but still end up with a happily ever after.
The narration of this was inviting and compelling. The multiple narrators, Bahni Turpin; William DeMerritt; January LaVoy; Stephanie Cannon did a fantastic job voicing their respective, complex characters. Their voices held a wide range of various emotions matching the feel and tone of the story they were telling. I ended up doing a tandem read to help keep track of the timelines, and enjoyed this so much. What an immersive experience!

Thank you to Book Sparks, Forever, and the author for the free book and to Hachette Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This book centers on so much pain, betrayal, and trauma. Luke Randall's entire career as a singer is based on a lie that he wrote his first hit song. Instead, he had cowritten it with August Lane, the daughter of famous country singer JoJo Lane.

I was utterly engrossed in the story. It felt real and authentic. I could feel the heartache of the characters. There was so much angst and intensity. At times I didn't know how there could be a happily ever after or even if there should be one for all the characters. But that's the beauty of this story; it made me fall for characters in all their messiness. It reflected what love really looks like outside of novels.

The writing is spectacular with turns of phrase that are memorable. The characters and plot are gripping. I am so incredibly impressed with Regina Black. This is one of those books that I will keep thinking about long after I have put it down.

The audiobook production was equally well done with four narrators: William DeMeritt, Bahni Turpin, Stephanie Cannon, and January LaVoy. Bahni Turpin's voice is particularly recognizable, and she did a fantastic job narrating for August Lane.

CW: alcoholism, neglect

A cozy second-chance romance that reads like a Black country ballad — slow, emotional, and heavy on the heart. I loved the Southern vibe and the tenderness in the romance, but the mother-daughter dynamics? Whew. Every mom in this book had me gritting my teeth. From emotional neglect, abuse, to straight-up toxicity, it made the healing arcs feel harder to root for at times. Still, if you’re into soft stories about returning home and reopening old wounds, this one might hit.

What a beautiful story! The way Black weaves the narrative was so captivating. The audiobook contains a full cast and some sound effects making it an immersive experience. I highly recommend this to anyone! This story deserves to go big!