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mimi_chartier's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yangelareads's review against another edition
3.5
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Copy provided by Blackstone Publishing.
After high school graduation, Mia Peters faces a summer full of painful goodbyes. Songwriting is her only solace. Everyone she knows is moving on, including Britt, her biggest supporter and kind-of-sort-of girlfriend. Britt keeps pushing Mia to go bigger and do better than their small town, but Mia can not imagine a life beyond Sunset Cove. Besides, she refuses to follow in the footsteps of her late mother, country music star Tori Rose, who abandoned her family to pursue her dream, leaving Mia and her two grandmothers alone.
Desperate for a sign of what might lie ahead, Mia finds the opposite, a mysterious letter from the past, addressed to her in her mother’s handwriting. It turns out to be the first of many. One by one they lead Mia on a wild scavenger hunt through a Sunset Cove she never knew, buried under the memorializing that has frozen her mother in time. Each new discovery brings Mia closer to the real Tori Rose, but with the clock ticking on Britt’s departure, Mia knows she is running out of time. With the summer winding down, Mia must decide if she is ready to face the present, confront her feelings, and forge the destiny she truly wants.
The Last Love Song is a queer YA debut. How is this book a debut? It was so good. The cover of the book was what really drew me in. But this book was so raw and heartfelt. It was so well showcased in Holford's writing. You can just feel all the emotions. This book is great for both a parent or kid to read. It faces so many struggles for both parents and kids and how those things can explore a web of different emotions. I really liked how the two timelines of Tori and Mia intertwined It was just like a scavenger hunt of reading all the letters Tori left for Mia. I wish we got to read the songs in the book, maybe I will need to get a physical copy to read the song lyrics. Also, the queer sapphic representation was something I really appreciated and seeing three generations of sapphic women within the same family was a bonus.
I think this is a quick, easy, and fast paced read for anyone looking for a mother-daughter story, finding yourself, and chasing your dreams. If you like Mamma Mia, Daisy Jones, and these themes, definitely check this one out. I cannot wait to see what the next book Holford has in store for us.
Rating: 3.5/5
After high school graduation, Mia Peters faces a summer full of painful goodbyes. Songwriting is her only solace. Everyone she knows is moving on, including Britt, her biggest supporter and kind-of-sort-of girlfriend. Britt keeps pushing Mia to go bigger and do better than their small town, but Mia can not imagine a life beyond Sunset Cove. Besides, she refuses to follow in the footsteps of her late mother, country music star Tori Rose, who abandoned her family to pursue her dream, leaving Mia and her two grandmothers alone.
Desperate for a sign of what might lie ahead, Mia finds the opposite, a mysterious letter from the past, addressed to her in her mother’s handwriting. It turns out to be the first of many. One by one they lead Mia on a wild scavenger hunt through a Sunset Cove she never knew, buried under the memorializing that has frozen her mother in time. Each new discovery brings Mia closer to the real Tori Rose, but with the clock ticking on Britt’s departure, Mia knows she is running out of time. With the summer winding down, Mia must decide if she is ready to face the present, confront her feelings, and forge the destiny she truly wants.
The Last Love Song is a queer YA debut. How is this book a debut? It was so good. The cover of the book was what really drew me in. But this book was so raw and heartfelt. It was so well showcased in Holford's writing. You can just feel all the emotions. This book is great for both a parent or kid to read. It faces so many struggles for both parents and kids and how those things can explore a web of different emotions. I really liked how the two timelines of Tori and Mia intertwined It was just like a scavenger hunt of reading all the letters Tori left for Mia. I wish we got to read the songs in the book, maybe I will need to get a physical copy to read the song lyrics. Also, the queer sapphic representation was something I really appreciated and seeing three generations of sapphic women within the same family was a bonus.
I think this is a quick, easy, and fast paced read for anyone looking for a mother-daughter story, finding yourself, and chasing your dreams. If you like Mamma Mia, Daisy Jones, and these themes, definitely check this one out. I cannot wait to see what the next book Holford has in store for us.
Rating: 3.5/5
kristinmarzullo's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Such a cute, queer YA story reminiscent of Mama Mia with a unique spin on love, loss, music, and regrets.
What I loved:
The lyrics! I was in awe of how this author wrote both a story and basically an entire album at the same time.
The chapters in Tori's perspective. It was so easy to hear the distinction in the narrative between her and Mia, and I appreciated that it gave us a chance to see them as different people.
The love between Mia and Britt. Having the opportunity to watch friends melt into tender lovers was heartwarming.
The portrayal of grief and experiencing it alongside Mia. It really did feel like the waves that were referenced in so many songs. Mia had moments where she was excited to be finding out more about her mom while grappling with the fact that she was gone and never coming back and that when the hunt ended, that meant the time with her mom would be gone for good. The acceptance she had at the end when she got closure from both Patrick and David and how she chose her own path with Britt was everything I hoped it would be!
What I loved:
The lyrics! I was in awe of how this author wrote both a story and basically an entire album at the same time.
The chapters in Tori's perspective. It was so easy to hear the distinction in the narrative between her and Mia, and I appreciated that it gave us a chance to see them as different people.
The love between Mia and Britt. Having the opportunity to watch friends melt into tender lovers was heartwarming.
The portrayal of grief and experiencing it alongside Mia. It really did feel like the waves that were referenced in so many songs. Mia had moments where she was excited to be finding out more about her mom while grappling with the fact that she was gone and never coming back and that when the hunt ended, that meant the time with her mom would be gone for good. The acceptance she had at the end when she got closure from both Patrick and David and how she chose her own path with Britt was everything I hoped it would be!
a_stylish_bookworm's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I had the pleasure of meeting Kalie last year at Steamy Lit and have been looking forward to her debut romance.
This was such a great story about self discovery as Mia graduates from high school and decides what to do next. She gets a gift of a treasure hunt from her deceased mom who was a famous musician. The story is told on Mia's perspective as she goes on the hunt and learns more about her mom and Tori's POV giving us a glimpse of the past. The narration at part felt so lyrical which worked so well with songs. I wanted to see more romance between Mia and her love interest. Overall, a great debut novel.
Thank you @blackstonepublishing @netgalley for a copy of the audiobook.
adelaide__reads's review
3.0
A charming story about stardom and the importance of friends and family, The Last Love Song explores how grief and regret can plague us, altering the course of our lives forever. While I enjoyed many of the conversations that arose in this book -- especially the ones concerning the falling in and out of each other's lives -- most were too surface-level to really make an impact. The characters themselves fell very flat, and the mystery seemed to be added as an afterthought. There really wasn't enough detail in the clues for me to understand how Mia was able to solve them, and I often found myself suspending belief when she came to conclusions that were far-fetched. Still, this was a cute story, and I really enjoyed what it had to say.
Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
ambereatsbooks's review
4.0
OMG!
I really loved this YA sapphic romance. The Mamma Mia vibes were great. I lived the scaenveger hunt elements. I loved the dual timelines. I loved how we got perspectives from both the mother, Tori and her daughter, Mia. The relationship between Mia and Britt was delightful. I found myself totally caught up in this story and finished it rather quickly. It takes place during the summer near the ocean so it would make a perfect beach read.
If you want a book that will take you on a journey through grief as well as a journey of self-discovery and falling in love then this is the one to read.
onkenzisshelf's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
transportedlfl's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Partner @bibliolifestyle @blackstonepublishing for this free book and to LibroFM for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.
Check out this amazing cover. It depicts the two stories we follow in this new Mamma Mia inspired sapphic YA romance. Mia was raised by her grandmothers and never got to know her mom, Tori Rose. Tori Rose was a country music store, and everyone seems to have pieces of information about her, but no one can tell Mia about who she actually was. And then when she graduates high school, Mia gets a series of letters from her mother that lead her on a treasure hunt to learning her history. We learn about Tori Rose and get chapters from her perspective at the same pacing that Mia learns about her mother.
I found this story so beautiful. While it does include a sweet YA friends-to-lovers romance with Mia's best friend, it's largely a coming of age story. As she seeks out more information about her mother, Mia learns more about herself.
The writing was lovely. I especially appreciated the incorporation of song lyrics throughout and just how much this book centered music. I enjoyed both timelines and meeting all of the characters. And of course, I loved the Oregon Coast setting. This was a delight to read.
Check out this amazing cover. It depicts the two stories we follow in this new Mamma Mia inspired sapphic YA romance. Mia was raised by her grandmothers and never got to know her mom, Tori Rose. Tori Rose was a country music store, and everyone seems to have pieces of information about her, but no one can tell Mia about who she actually was. And then when she graduates high school, Mia gets a series of letters from her mother that lead her on a treasure hunt to learning her history. We learn about Tori Rose and get chapters from her perspective at the same pacing that Mia learns about her mother.
I found this story so beautiful. While it does include a sweet YA friends-to-lovers romance with Mia's best friend, it's largely a coming of age story. As she seeks out more information about her mother, Mia learns more about herself.
The writing was lovely. I especially appreciated the incorporation of song lyrics throughout and just how much this book centered music. I enjoyed both timelines and meeting all of the characters. And of course, I loved the Oregon Coast setting. This was a delight to read.
courtknee__vn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I heard this was a country music, mamma Mia inspired story for fans of Taylor Swift & Kelsea Ballerini and I said “say less 😍” I really enjoyed this one! It hooked me from the start and I honestly could’ve read it in one sitting if I had time to! The mystery was intriguing and kept me turning the pages, the love and tension between Mia & Britt was so messy and so real, and the emotion at the heart is what I really loved! I loved how each of the pieces of Tori’s story was unraveled and how everything lead to the ending that wrapped everything up very beautifully and realistically. I loved how lyrical the writing was and how easy it was to read! My only complaints were that I wish certain aspects were fleshed out more so that when Mia figured out the clues, it would’ve made a little more sense and just that I think it was super insane that no one would really talk to her about her mom her entire life and expected her to not to feel like she wasn’t enough or deserving of her dreams 🤔 But besides that I think this was really great!! 🥰