A semi-spoilery review of a cute and sweet rom-com by Erin Hahn
It’s fall, y’all. Time for some cozy rom-coms? Time for some cozy rom-coms.
Hello and welcome back to my blog! I’ve got an overall cute and sweet rom-com review for you. If you like one-sided pining, the life and music of Nashville, and women who own their shit and are unapologetic about it, this one’s for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!
“Friends Don’t Fall in Love” centers around our two protagonists Lorelai and Craig. (Or “Huck” as he’s more commonly – yet intimately – known.) Lorelai is doing her best to bring her country music singing career back from the ashes of her controversial concert many moons ago where she sang Neil Young’s “Ohio” after (yet another) horrific school shooting. Of course, knowing the culture that is country music, (and the demographic of people who listen to it) it didn’t go so well, and her career basically imploded before she even got off the stage.
Enter Craig “Huck” Boseman. Once Lorelai’s ex-fiancé’s music partner. He now works for himself; starting a music production company in Nashville, he offers to help bring Lorelai back from the brink of musical extinction by producing her next album. However, there’s a small snag: Craig’s been in love with Lorelai since the moment he met her. Can he put his feelings aside and have a professional relationship with her after all these years? Or will feelings finally come bubbling to the surface for not just Craig, but Lorelai as well?
Overall, this was a cute book, but nothing too exciting for me, so I gave it 3 stars out of 5.
The big yet ridiculous thing for me was how I was unable to get over picturing Lauren Graham’s face every time I read the name “Lorelai.” I know, I know… they’re not even spelled the same. (Lauren Graham’s Lorelei is spelled with an… well, you can clearly see it right there.) But some of the characters in the book would even call her “Lore” – I mean, what am I supposed to do with that other than have my mind travel back to Stars Hollow?
But I digress. Here’s the skinny on how I felt about this book. There are mild spoilers, so watch out if you don’t want to be spoiled!
I feel like there was something missing with this book. The longing Craig felt for Lorelai was done well, but the romance itself felt… I don’t know, clunky? The moments leading up to Craig and Lorelai hooking up (the second time) felt very romantic and sweet, and yet they were like, “Yup, just being casual, no strings!” But I’m sitting there thinking that if that stuff happened in the real world there’s no way the two of them wouldn’t know they loved each other. I think that’s what was annoying about it: How can you not know?? Y’all wrote songs and erotic poems about each other?? And y’all know it?? And yet here you stand on your own two feet, trying to be FWB?? UGH I say, UGH.
However, Craig and Lorelai’s friendship is adorable and I truly enjoyed that. Him going to her when she was at her lowest after performing “Ohio” and just being there for her. It was a very sweet thing to do, especially when her ex-fiancé was being an ass. I do wish they didn’t hook up (the first time) during that night. It would’ve been amazing if they either got really close to doing it, or maybe just had that feeling, ya know? That connection. That buzzing under the skin. That tingling in the lips. That desire that slowly comes bubbling to the surface yet you try to tamp it down because hello, you’re going through a crisis (your bff is going through a crisis) and you don’t want to complicate things even more especially because you still have a fiancé. (especially because your bff still has a fiancé who is also a good friend [and business partner!] of yours.)
Also, I couldn’t get over how the author made Lorelai’s ex Drake into such a ridiculous caricature of an ex-fiancé. It’s like, fine, break up with Lorelai because you’re afraid it’ll “ruin your image” and all that jazz, but the way he did it? Did he seriously screen record himself going into his calendar, tap on his wedding day, and erase the calendar entry for his wedding LETTER BY LETTER?? I had to put my kindle down and sigh heavily. I just… who does that? I’m not saying it needs to be completely realistic, but idk what in the sociopathic world… It made everything he did after that feel so plasticky and ingenuous. Like, no dude. I know you’re not going to Lorelai’s house to win her back because you love her. You’re trying to prove a point. You’re trying to “win” some game that no one’s playing but yourself. Go away now, thank you.
I did enjoy the side characters, like Lorelai’s friends and the musicians Craig works with – Jefferson and Annie. They made the world feel more lively. I wouldn’t mind seeing some sort of spin-off book with those two. That’s kind of a big thing in the rom-com world right now: lots of spin-offs or “sequels” of books with intertwining characters. (e.g. Abby Jimenez with “The Friend Zone” and “Part of Your World” books. All in the same universe, if you will.)
Overall, I had a good time, I just felt let down by the main romance, which is a bummer.
Thanks again to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! “Friends Don’t Fall in Love” is out now!
monicareadsthrough.com 