August Lane

by Regina Black

A second-chance love story about a one-hit-wonder country music star who risks his last shot at fame by reuniting with the daughter of a Black country music pioneer, who is not only the uncredited songwriter of his most famous song but also his estranged high school love.

The publication is set for the summer of 2025.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Music, Second Chance

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2025

About the author

Regina Black is a former civil litigator, current law school administrator, and lifelong romance reader who has always been passionate about the depiction of Black women in popular culture. She currently resides in the southeastern United States with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[chan ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is going to be a slept on release... but you need to pick it up

if you're craving an achingly romantic story with complicated characters, messy family dynamics, and a lot of heart & music at the center... i think this book will blow you away. i read a LOT of romance and lately a lot of frothy romcoms. which are fun and have their place. but sometimes you want a book to just really drive home your faith in romantic love. and this really did that.

[Shawnaci Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
- OMG I DIDN’T WANT THIS BOOK TO END!!! This book was everything I need in a romance. So much depth, heartache, and beauty in this story. If you want a story that goes beyond the love story and dives deep into working through your trauma & letting go of the past, this is a great one to pick up.
- The writing style of this reminded me of Daisy Jones in parts of it because of the interviews included. I love that we got multiple povs. It gave me so much empathy for all characters.
- THIS BOOK NEEDS TO BE A MOVIE!! I could visualize every second of it in my head. So so good!!

[Jessica Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audiobook was such an immersive experience that I’m having a hard time believing August and Luke and Jojo aren’t real. Regina Black is quite simply one of the best writers out there. Her level of care, research, the depth of her characters (see: me thinking they’re real???), the plot lines, the HISTORY steeped into this novel are just unmatched. I can’t write an intelligent review about this book. It’s spectacular. It’s the standard. It’s second chance perfection. Regina is just on another level. Truly, seriously the best in the game, and we get to be here to witness it.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS THE BLUEPRINT FOR EVERYTHING GOING FORWARD MY GOD

if you like second chance, angst, music history, stories about people struggling, breaking the cycle, and ultimately triumphing in their own way just read this book

Bookstagram | Blog

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

🎧 While the audio is fantastic, narrated by a full cast including a few of my favorites, I felt myself more drawn to the written word in this case. I think an immersive read is probably the best way to experience August Lane.

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


Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥

Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio for the gifted copies.

[Wulf Krueger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read due to a New York Times book review. Once I saw the cover, I should have known better...

Every chapter introduces a new issue which is promptly resolved in the next. The entire story felt like I had read it before (I hadn't!) because there's not a single original thought in this entire novel. Each and every character, from the saintly ex-con, the alholic(s), the small-town heroine and her estranged mother. There's also the reborn christian grandma (no worse human beings than those!) with her "tough love", the reformed music agent, and many more who feel like you've read about them a million times, or seen their story in some TV trash.

None of them were likeable in any kind either. Another complete waste of reading time.

[Cydney]

I DNFd August Lane at 75%.

Regina Black's writing is beautiful. The prose is engaging and the stories she weaves for her characters are stories that need to be told.

However, I found the characters to be frustrating and somewhat boring. August really had no fight in her, was impulsive and immature, and she came across as starving for the love she was often deprived of and being repeatedly ready to get that love from all the wrong places. Luke had a lot of trauma growing up, but he was just this stubborn trunk of a man who was difficult to root for. I didn't like the decision to have Luke steal August's song, fumble his career, and then have a very Jackson Maine-esque comeback era where he begins to fumble again before he can get off the ground. The flashing between 2009 and 2023 became confusing and was done too many times to make me feel submerged in their love story in either timeline. I cannot grasp how they fell in love with each other honestly. I was most interested in JoJo's story, and she is not in this nearly enough even though she is a huge character and plays a big role in how August came to be who she is.

I thought Luke and JoJo's narrators were fine but I didn't care for August's.

I'm disappointed because this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, especially in the wake of Cowboy Carter and the emphasis placed on untold stories among Black country artists, but this missed the mark for me. I really tried to keep hanging in there, but I couldn't. I definitely think it's worth reading if you're interested in journeying with flawed characters who make a way for themselves through the pain, as the book really does a great job with that aspect.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, /Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC and ALC!

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)]

August Lane is a second-chance romance between a Black pop star and the girl he stole a hit song from - the daughter of a Black country music star. I hesitate to fully call this a romance in the way people might expect because a lot of it is about complicated multi-generational family dynamics between mom, daughter and grandmother. The hero is a recovering alcoholic trying to make amends and there is a lot of messiness between people. I didn't feel like the romance was really the most central plot but I think this may appeal to people who aren't big genre romance readers and want to dip their toes in. The audio narration is great. I received an audio review copy via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎶 🎵 🎶 Happy Pub Day to this beautiful book! I think about that quote below often. 🎶 🎵 🎶

4.25 / 5 Stars
“You let me take us for granted. I loved you like breathing. But then you left and stole my air.”

I will be thinking about this book for a long time. “August Lane” starts with Luke Randall, a Black country music star who competed on a reality tv singing show years ago and is now washed up, as he sings his one hit wonder song, “Another Love Song,” in the bar of a hotel. It's his best known song but also his most painful to sing. After his performance, he gets the opportunity of a lifetime – to sing with Jojo Lane, a famous Black country music star who is getting inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He just has to go back to his hometown, which deeply triggers him, and see August Lane (Jojo’s daughter), his first love and the woman he betrayed. See, Luke wrote the music to “Another Love Song,” but August wrote the lyrics and she’s never gotten credit for it. So August hates Luke A LOT. But she sees this as a chance to finally have her voice heard. With a bit of light blackmail, she convinces Luke to write a different song with her that he’ll perform with Jojo instead and that will be August’s chance to finally get the credit she deserves. But we all know that below hate are some deep rooted feelings and August and Luke have to figure out who they are as people now and what they want to be to each other.

You will probably like this book if you like:
🎤 High school classmates to best friends to enemies to lovers
🎵 They’re each other’s muses
🎤 Second chance romance
🎵 Flawed, deeply complex characters
🎤 Dual timeline (2009 and 2023)
🎵 Angst and aching
🎤 Heavy topics written thoughtfully
🎵 Country music and its history

I loved August and Luke. They are deeply human in their flaws and emotions. Because of the dual timelines, you get to see how they were shaped from kids to adults by the consequences of the adults around them and then their own adult choices. Luke is a recovering alcoholic who grew up in an abusive household. August is a recovering Jojo pleaser (I was going to say people pleaser but she really only cares about pleasing Jojo) who spent years giving up in order to survive the heartache of wanting something you can’t have. I felt so deeply for both of them and was heartbroken on their behalf.

Their love story was complicated but real and raw. Luke was the first person to fully and completely see August for exactly who she was and same for August with Luke and that level of being seen was both scary and soul defining for them as teens. As adults, being so fully seen means that August and Luke know exactly what knives to use and where to stick them to make it hurt as much as possible. You’re both rooting for them and hoping that they don’t hurt each other more.

I loved the writing style and writing structure. I love a dual timeline though sometimes I just wanted to see more of the present because I just want them to get to happy faster. The book also had transcripts of an interview Jojo did which was an interesting way to learn about Jojo and add more information to the plot in both timelines. Regina Black is also an expert in scene and character building. You get just the perfect amount of information to keep things understandable and interesting. She’s one of those authors that has that perfect button at the end of a paragraph that sums up what you just learned in the most creative and telling way.

The book is an exploration of race in country music, which was super interesting and thought provoking, and it also touched on the intersection of race and all aspects of life. It mentions race and disparities in medical diagnoses and treatment with Luke’s mom. It mentions racism and food deserts with the only grocery store within the city limits of a historically Black town being in jeopardy of shutting down. It touches on the history of black homeownership and mortgages. It does it in a matter of fact way that doesn’t exploit these characters but doesn’t shy away from their reality.

But know before you read, this book is heavy. It is done in a thoughtful and authentic way but moments of happiness are few and far between. I sometimes had to put the book down and take a break from it (which I acknowledge is a position of privilege because there are other folks who don’t just get to leave this reality by putting the book down). Take a look at the content warning too. I am happy where I ended up but like August and Luke’s journey, it was a tough road to get there.

Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing the eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: July 29, 2025
_____________
Pre-Read Thoughts: This looks really good. We have enemies to lovers. Angst. Country music. And what it means to be a Black artist, especially a Black woman, in country music. I am really excited.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an emotional ride and I'm glad the mcs got their happy ending but it was a journey to get there. The book starts with the mmc, a broke country musician performing at bars singing his hit song. He gets approached by the manager of a popular black country singer to perform a duet with her during an honorary award. He is thrown back to his small town where he has to face the fmc who hates him because she thinks he stole her lyrics that gave him a hit song.

This book is told in both the past(2009) and the present(2023) and at first I wasn't a fan of the past chapters but everything came together and I think it was necessary for the story to be told. I felt for the main characters cause they had a tough life and it just seemed to keep coming and never-ending for them. Their parents sucked, the fmc had to take care of her grandma with a dementia diagnosis, the mmc had a mom that had a substance use disorder and he later developed alcohol use, abuse, domestic violence, trauma, etc. I can count the amount of times the characters were actually happy and I just wanted them to have moments of happiness despite life. This book is a slow burn even though the characters were best friends in the past and had a thing for each other. It is a journey of character development, finding belonging and each other. Overall well written and highly emotional story and romance. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for this arc.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes. Not a single one. If you’re interested characters who have enough baggage to pop a truck bed’s tires this is ABSOLUTELY your book. And the writing style!?!?! God this prose felt like one big love song. I cannot recommend this book enough!

[jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that quietly breaks your heart and puts it back together. I loved the way the story was told, especially how it used third person while giving us both August and Lucas’s perspectives within the same chapter. I’ve only read one other book that used dual POV like this, and it worked so well here. It made the story feel more engaging in a really natural way. The dual timeline added a lot of depth and tension, and the interview transcripts from Jojo were such a great touch. They offered a bit of context into why she treated August the way she did, which helped me understand her a little more, even when I didn’t always agree with her behaviour.

The author did a really thoughtful job handling difficult topics like abandonment, grief, child abuse, addiction, and religion. Everything felt honest and respectful. I have a super soft spot for characters dealing with trauma and healing, and August and Lucas really hit home for me. Neither of them had the kind of love and support they deserved growing up, so watching them slowly build trust and lean on each other made me feel all the emotions. I love these two characters so much, and I’m still crying just thinking about them and everything they went through.

This story also did an amazing job bringing attention to the challenges Black country artists face in the music industry. It’s a real issue, and I’m glad the author wove it into such an emotional and powerful story. Overall, this was a beautifully layered book about pain, connection, forgiveness, and rediscovering love. I definitely recommend it if you’re into emotional, character-driven stories that’ll have you thinking about it for weeks after.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lochi's Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, August Lane. I had a fellow book bestie recommend this book and the timing was perfect. I was in a reading slump and Regina Black grabbed me by both hands and dragged me out of it. I’m going to be honest, this is the first time I’ve read a book written by Regina and she’s officially an auto-buy author for me now.

August Lane dives into the history of country music, ownership of masters, credibility in song writing, addiction, alcoholism (the list is endless). But the timing is perfect. I’m going to reference Beyoncé because of the revived conversation of how Black country artists are received (my example is Shaboozey recently at the AMA awards, you know the meme I’m talking about). Regina dived into how country music has sustained marginalized communities, how Black artists must fight with ferocity for a seat at the table for a genre that is part of America’s history. Or how for years Black artists go unnoticed and un-credited for the songs we love.

Wow, I’m just sitting here in amazement. Luke and August’s story rises above the other music industry novels I’ve read this year. Its sincerity and ability to rip away niceties makes the story feel larger than life.

Than you Grand Publishing Central for the digital arc!

[Jody Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regina Black's debut, The Art of Scandal was in my top ten the year it came out. So I was both anticipatory and slightly nervous about her second book, worried that it was a one-off accomplishment. Instead, she has leveled up as an author, with this perfectly crafted, perfectly plotted and paced novel of two broken people who are made whole together.

August is the daughter of JoJo, a country music star, Luke is a one-hit country music wonder, and that one hit? A song they wrote together in high school that he took sole credit for. This book weaves together three narrative threads - the 2023 (lets call it) present, their senior year in high school when they fell in love, and the 2024 transcript of an interview with JoJo, all within the structure of song components. "Because every song did have a story. This one haunted him like a ghost." The narrative threads are perfectly matched with each other, and with the song structure; truths are revealed in each part, at the same pace to fit beautifully.

August is an social outcast, betrayed by men who lie to her, friends and relations who use her for social jockeying, and her mother, who has left her to be raised by a grandmother, and makes it impossible for August to "win" her love. A reveal late in the book helps explain her miserable HS and young adult years in her highly churched town, and her strained relationship with her cousin, her only nearby relative. Luke is trying to keep his brother fed and alive in a highly abusive home with their single mom. We see the physical and psychological scars on him, how he leans into August's affectionate touch as a teen "an agonizing joy, the kind only someone raised in a violent house could understand."

The present day, when Luke comes home for the first time to sing with JoJo at his only shot of a comeback shows them reckoning with his sudden departure and betrayal about the song. August wasn't the only person he left without a word. Black wrestles with forgiveness and atonement in this book, some characters are breathlessly selfish and cruel, while others go above what anyone could expect to help others, based on generational debts and old ties.

This book is definitely one for the lovers of an angsty tale. These two have been through the wringer, both separately and together, and they put themselves through all the accumulated pain and mistrust their lives have given them in their path back together. As August says, "I loved you like breathing. But then you left and stole my air." Black is an author the reader can trust with their tender feelings. It never feels as if we are reading suffering for suffering's sake, but rather seeing the stones that have been used to build the walls around these characters' hearts. Which makes the comfort and joy they find in the end all the sweeter - reading the final paragraph of the present-day thread made me actually give a happy sob.

Even though this book deals with heavy topics, abuse, addiction, abandonment, racism, teens being horrible, it never feels like homework or a chore. There is community and family, love and sacrifice. And through it all August and Luke, finding their way back to each other.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the arc.

[ras 🔻 · Rating 2 out of 5]

how many times will i be let down by books before i gave this up permanently

i stayed up hella late bc i thought it had potential at the start but everything starting going downhill and this ended up being just so unsatisfying

im ngl this author is very talented, i loved her debut release and this book had me emotional at times bc of everything the mmc went through but i dont rate based on pity i feel for characters. the author tried so hard writing out the mmc to be this sweet likeable guy but i just couldn’t buy it. it felt like the fmc was so desperate & love starved and such a loner since she was bullied she took any crumb he’d give to her. it was like she’d fall for first person who’d do the most basic nice things for her. she was straight up a doormat, my throat is literally closing up in frustration thinking about it & how fast she forgave him for everything. i need my wronged fmc to be angry & hold the person who did them wrong accountable but that wasn’t the case here at all. she was ready to jump his bones on day two of reuniting even though she thought he was married. plus the mmc’s explanation for staying away was just so weak, i get why he stayed away the years he was an alcoholic but he’s been sober for like 5 yrs? and he couldn’t bother to reach out once, idk i didn’t believe in their love for each other at all

idek how to go on with all the other things that went wrong for me with this book and cant even be bothered to get into the safety details just that it wasn’t safe

[Stacey Reads It All · Rating 4 out of 5]

August Lane was such a cozy listen. Bahni Turpin? Absolute magic. She brought so much heart and soul to every single scene. William DeMerritt, January LaVoy, and Stephanie Cannon all crushed it too, but Turpin really stole the show for me. This audiobook production was amazing!

I also loved seeing Black representation in a romance set in the country music world—it’s rare and honestly so refreshing. I’ve never read book like this.

The pacing dragged in spots, and that slow-burn romance? It definitely took its sweet time. But once it hit its stride, it landed just right and felt worth the wait.

If you’re in the mood for a heartfelt story with standout narration and a fresh take on the genre, this one’s an easy win.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 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!

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

second chance romance but make it about a failing musician and a girl stuck in her hometown who was betrayed by said musician? Absolutely sold.

This book was emotional and healing and so moving. I loved the individual and relationship development. Both Luke and August needed to heal and learn to trust each other all over again to be able to come back together.

The dual timelines and podcast breaks added a lot for me! Because August’s relationship with her mom was so tense I really liked getting to know her through the podcast episodes. I also died reading Luke and August’s meet cute in high school. The nuance of awkward first encounters and balancing tense social dynamics in adolescence was written so well.

The angst and yearning in the present timeline is burned into my brain. Luke was doing the work to get August back and I applaud him. He swept me off my feet.

🎧 the audiobook had four amazing narrators and they added so much to the story. Both leads for August and Luke blew me away. I also loved the podcaster narration as well. I listened to this nearly in one sitting over one day and their performances had me locked in the entire time.

Thank you Hachette Audio and Grand Central Publishing for the arc and alc!

[MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

The writing in this story was absolutely beautiful. Some parts read like poetry or the lyrics to your favorite song. Told in 3rd person POV, we basically get 3 sides to 1 story. One of those sides being told via podcast transcript (points for originality), along with 3 timelines. This made it at times a little less than easy to follow but not a deal breaker.

The romance/connection between the 2 main characters was hard for me to connect. I’m not sure what it was that made it feel unrealistic to me. That being said, I still enjoyed reading how their loved began and ended. This was my 1st book by Regina Black and I will definitely read more by her.

[DeannaReadsandSleeps]

dnf @ 16% on 12/16/24

i just know im not going to like this or believe in their relationship so i’ll just save myself to frustration and quit from now.

[Samantha Gaudious · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s nothing better than musicians, with baggage and drama who are absolutely meant for each other!
You could feel their love through the pages ♥️

Hands down prob the most underrated romance book!!
This is SO FREAKIN GOOD!!!
Absolutely worth the read, go pick it up now, you’ll DEVOUR it ♥️

[Darriona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think overall this was a fine story. Regina Black is a great writer and story teller. I loved the plot of these two country artist who have this crazy past with each other through music. The story of the hardships in the music industry, especially as a Black country interesting to read about. They both had their traumas that seemingly brought them together in the past and present. I like the back and forth that gave us context to how they new each other as teenagers and how they came back together as adults. I also found the background on their family life to be a story that was told well and gave us more insight into why they are the way they are. The interview chapters also gave great context into August especially when it came to her relationship with her mother and grandmother.

Unfortunately the main thing that I didn't quite connect with was the romance. For some reason I just couldnt get into the chemistry between these two characters. I understood their history and how they came together, but I just didn't feel engaged. I thought everything outside of the relationship was a lot more interesting. Depsite this, I feel like I might revisit the book again to see if my opinion will change.

As far as the audio, I thought the narration was well done and I loved the variety of voices for the characters when it came to the POVs.

Thank you Grand Central Pub and Hachette Audio for this ARC and ALC!

[Latoya (jamaicangirlreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want this book to end.

If I got another 319 pages of August & Luke, I would still read it.

What does it take to reclaim what's yours and how much are you willing to sacrifice to get it back.

This was a beautiful, unique love story. And not only romantic, intimate love. love for family regardless of their imperfections and flaws and love of music!

Also, biggest character growth award goes to David Henry

[Kalyani · Rating 4 out of 5]

file this under: love stories that ache like an old bruise

gorgeous writing, complex characters, heavy on angst and development and less centered on plot (which is fine by me!!)

[E.M. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Content warning: Alcohol abuse, physical assault of a minor (on page), neglect

I enjoyed August Lane by Regina Black, which came highly recommended to me by Sanjana/Baskinsuns on Tiktok.

It's the story of a mother and daughter in country music, but also a second-chance romance about a boy and a girl who fall in love through music.

It's the kind of book that would have once been marketed as 'women's fiction' and straddles that genre with romance.

The HEA formula survives mostly intact, but rather than an immersive two-hander romance plot, Black has built a comprehensive sprawling family drama grounded in religious suspicion, misunderstanding, absent parents and abandonment.

In August's small town, everyone knows everyone else's business, and that she's the daughter of famous singer JoJo Lane. But none of them know that JoJo's attention is something August pines for as her grandmother raises her, and the validation that she craves more than anything.

Luke, a football star hiding an abusive family situation, is the only one who sees August for who she is and they bond over their shared love of songwriting. But when Luke betrays August, they set themselves down on a fraught path.

Taking place across fifteen years, August Lane has a lot to say about country music, Black artistry, songwriting as a craft, and working your way through hard circumstances through love.

It would make a great movie.

[Kendra ♡ Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise”

I feel like this song perfectly describes this story. This is soooo cowboy carter coded. I wouldn’t go into this expecting a sweeping romance (like i did), it’s not the traditional formulaic romance we’re used to reading but it IS still a love story. The love here runs deeper than what’s on the surface and reveals itself layer by layer. It’s about love, yes, but also loss, heartbreak, and the messy, beautiful process of rebuilding yourself after it all.

This story centers August, who I was rooting for the entire time. JUSTICE FOR AUGUST fr!!!! I feel like she got the short end of the stick and just got stuck in this life she didn’t want, but settled for because she believed she didn’t deserve anything better but thankfully in the end she got her dream.

Now Luke, i’m torn. because while i think he made some terrible decisions, i appreciated his fight to right his wrongs and he was very instrumental in August reaching her dreams.

Now JoJo? HATED HER!! I really don’t think there were any redeemable qualities about her… my only gripe is that Regina gave her so much page time!😒🤣

Overall, this was an emotional, beautifully written story about reclaiming your time, your voice, and your love. Like I said don’t go into this expecting your basic romance because it is so much more than that.

[Kat🌟]

I have so many feelings I need to sit and stare at a wall for a couple hours

[Katie Naymon · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 🙂

[emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating — 3.5 out of 5 stars.

i wanted to like this one a lot more than i did. it wasn’t bad, per se — there were a lot of pieces about it that i liked, but ultimately they just didn’t work together for some reason. one thing i did really enjoy was regina black’s writing style. there were some really beautiful lines in this work! my problem largely boiled down to the fact that i felt this beautiful writing about a long-ago love didn’t quite match up with the reality of august and luke’s relationship as i was seeing it on the page.

according to the plotline, there’s supposed to be all this angst about how he left her, he betrayed her, left her in the dust in their small town over a decade prior, et cetera — but to be honest, when reading the flashbacks, i didn’t really believe this buildup could lead to something so dramatic in the present day. the song-stealing absolutely would contribute to her anger, that’s not in question. but i felt a little confused by their love confessions when i didn’t really feel like their chemistry or relationship buildup was really there. i can see that that’s how the story is supposed to go, but i don’t see the evidence to back it up, if that makes sense. i was being told that they feel all this love for each other, as opposed to seeing it develop naturally. overall, it had good potential, and i did really enjoy her writing style, but i wasn’t quite convinced to root for august and luke. this will probably work well for those who enjoy country music and a good redemption story, though!

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://smexybooks.com/2025/07/review...