On My Bookshelf: More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn

The basic plot from Amazon: Growing up under his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.

Vada’s got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out of this world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?

In More Than Maybe, Erin Hahn’s swooniest book yet, Luke and Vada must decide how deep their feelings run and what it would mean to give love a try.

Why I liked it: In More Than Maybe narration alternates between Luke and Vada. Luke hosts a podcast talk show with his twin brother,Cullen who happens to be dating his best friend Zach. Students who identify as LGBTQ+ will appreciate seeing a solid relationship. Both young men are out and accepted by those around them. 

Luke is a talented songwriter, vocalist, and pianist, but does not want his talents to take him into the spotlight of stardom. His father was part of a famous group, but Luke has no interest in that life. Vada works at a local music venue and writes music reviews on her blog. 

Both Vada and Luke have liked one another for some time, but have been too shy and nervous to initiate any kind of relationship. Fans of When Dimple Met Rishi will enjoy the banter of equal minds. Readers will cheer when they finally do get together.

Classroom application: Music fans will enjoy all of the song references and the setting of the music scene. There is some mature language, but would be appropriate for upper middle school and up. While it is a romance novel, the romance in it is very PG. Possible topics of discussion would be alcoholism, divorce, the dangers of social media, and the power of copyright.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of More Than Maybe for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.