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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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
This book has That Quality to it, where you start it, instantly become invested, and can't stop reading it. I was supposed to do other things with my day but NO I had to read this book NOW. It's a really emotional story about grief and abandonment. If you are looking for a rom-com without heavy themes, this is not for you. However, if you're up for it, this one is just magical. My single complaint is that the entire tension between the romantic pairing is miscommunication and I *despise* that trope. I got Sammy to a certain extent, but then when Max got in on it too I was like ... alright guys, c'mon. If you can get past it being a constant presence in the story, the rest of the novel is fantastic!
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House/Ballentine for an advance copy of this book!
This book dug deeper into heavier topics than I was expected! Sammy Espinoza returns back home after she is hanging on a thread in hopes that she can convince her former crush Max Ryan to give her the scoop on his solo album that could save her job. But coming back to her hometown is with mixed emotions as she is scared to confront her family history and meet the grandparents who never wanted her.
I did end up really enjoy this book. When I was reading it, I was super into it but I wasn't finding myself itching to go back to it. It wasn't until I received the audio where I could listen in tandem where it really helped push my reading along. The narration from Victoria Villarreal was excellent! I thought they did such a wonderful job with all the characters!
I really enjoyed the friendships in the book. Willa & Brook were such wonderful characters and I loved anytime they interacted with Sammy. And Willa's parents were such wonderful people!! I love when they were featured.
One relationship that so wonderful to see the journey that Sammy develops with her grandmother. I love how we had such a negative assumption about her based off what we knew from Sammy. But Sammy herself was wrong about her because of the lies her mother was telling her. It was beautiful to see how close they came in such a short time & Sammy was able to learn about her grandfather and more importantly her father.
The female main character frustrated me mostly because I wanted her to be honest about her intentions with Max Ryan right from the start. Whenever I think it was going to happen something got in the way. I would have been curious the direction the story would've gone in if she had confessed early.
The love interest Max Ryan, made me so mad!!! Moreso towards the last quarter of the book. One thing I do not tolerate when it comes to any sort of relationship is ghosting. I understood why he suddenly disappeared but still could've left a note, a text message, SOMETHING. Despite that I really did love his character and come on I'm a sucker for a musician.
It may seem like I did not like the book but I really did!!! I really love Sammy & Max together. They just connected in a way that felt genuine and at the root really connected by music. I think that is why I was so frustrated in why they harmed one another because they had such a good thing going when it all could've been avoided. Of course one of my favorite moments was when they were singing karaoke! You know I will always point that out in a review.
If you are a fan of music, queer representation, found family, second chances this is the book for you!!!
This book dug deeper into heavier topics than I was expected! Sammy Espinoza returns back home after she is hanging on a thread in hopes that she can convince her former crush Max Ryan to give her the scoop on his solo album that could save her job. But coming back to her hometown is with mixed emotions as she is scared to confront her family history and meet the grandparents who never wanted her.
I did end up really enjoy this book. When I was reading it, I was super into it but I wasn't finding myself itching to go back to it. It wasn't until I received the audio where I could listen in tandem where it really helped push my reading along. The narration from Victoria Villarreal was excellent! I thought they did such a wonderful job with all the characters!
I really enjoyed the friendships in the book. Willa & Brook were such wonderful characters and I loved anytime they interacted with Sammy. And Willa's parents were such wonderful people!! I love when they were featured.
One relationship that so wonderful to see the journey that Sammy develops with her grandmother. I love how we had such a negative assumption about her based off what we knew from Sammy. But Sammy herself was wrong about her because of the lies her mother was telling her. It was beautiful to see how close they came in such a short time & Sammy was able to learn about her grandfather and more importantly her father.
The female main character frustrated me mostly because I wanted her to be honest about her intentions with Max Ryan right from the start. Whenever I think it was going to happen something got in the way. I would have been curious the direction the story would've gone in if she had confessed early.
The love interest Max Ryan, made me so mad!!! Moreso towards the last quarter of the book. One thing I do not tolerate when it comes to any sort of relationship is ghosting. I understood why he suddenly disappeared but still could've left a note, a text message, SOMETHING. Despite that I really did love his character and come on I'm a sucker for a musician.
It may seem like I did not like the book but I really did!!! I really love Sammy & Max together. They just connected in a way that felt genuine and at the root really connected by music. I think that is why I was so frustrated in why they harmed one another because they had such a good thing going when it all could've been avoided. Of course one of my favorite moments was when they were singing karaoke! You know I will always point that out in a review.
If you are a fan of music, queer representation, found family, second chances this is the book for you!!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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:
Complicated
Sammy Espinoza ruins a great job to try save her relationship with her girlfriend. She's got one chance left to salvage her music column, but it will involve heading to her hometown, of sorts, in Washington, to track down an old flame, Max Ryan. A former and beloved rock star, Max has been in hiding, and rumor has it, he's recording a new album in their hometown. If Sammy can review it, she'll win back her job. But can she forgive her history with Max to do so?
I loved this book very much! It's such an ode to music, but also has great banter and romance. There's a lot of lies and miscommunication and family issues! Sammy's mom is a bit of a mess, always abandoning her daughter for her latest love (including leaving her in Washington for a year with a whole other family). But Sammy can't see that: she's constantly making excuses for her. So Sammy has a whole host of frustrating excuses for her mom--and life--due to these abandonment issues: shutting down, bailing, and just being a general doormat for her mother. Apply this to Max--and you can see a whole train wreck about to happen. Oh Sammy. Some of the miscommunication was a bit too much (just tell him what happened with your job, Sammy!).
But the rest of the story was really picture perfect. Max and Sammy have amazing banter and chemistry. The small town setting is just lovely while the theme of found family is so well-done. The book is filled with diverse characters, including pansexual and queer folks. Parts of Sammy's story truly made me cry. It's such a funny, sweet, and touching tale. The book deftly explores abandonment and anxiety as well as love and music. Overall, a truly lovely read. 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of Sammy Espinoza's Last Review from Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in return for an unbiased review.
I loved this book very much! It's such an ode to music, but also has great banter and romance. There's a lot of lies and miscommunication and family issues! Sammy's mom is a bit of a mess, always abandoning her daughter for her latest love (including leaving her in Washington for a year with a whole other family). But Sammy can't see that: she's constantly making excuses for her. So Sammy has a whole host of frustrating excuses for her mom--and life--due to these abandonment issues: shutting down, bailing, and just being a general doormat for her mother. Apply this to Max--and you can see a whole train wreck about to happen. Oh Sammy. Some of the miscommunication was a bit too much (just tell him what happened with your job, Sammy!).
But the rest of the story was really picture perfect. Max and Sammy have amazing banter and chemistry. The small town setting is just lovely while the theme of found family is so well-done. The book is filled with diverse characters, including pansexual and queer folks. Parts of Sammy's story truly made me cry. It's such a funny, sweet, and touching tale. The book deftly explores abandonment and anxiety as well as love and music. Overall, a truly lovely read. 4.5 stars.
I received a copy of Sammy Espinoza's Last Review from Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in return for an unbiased review.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
medium-paced
Sometimes it feels like when life gets you down it won’t let you up again and you’re afraid of messing up any good that comes your way. This is Sammy Espinoza. She’s trying to find her way but not being true to herself or the people around her. This was a peaks and valleys read. When the story hit a peak it was gooood but I feel that I spent too much time down in the valley just waiting for Sammy to get on with it and figure out her life. The story took turns I was expecting and turns that I wasn’t expecting. Big city girl returns to her small town to find herself. Second chance romance.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent
Listen. This book was SO GOOD. I didn’t know what I was expecting but it was so much better than I could have ever imagined. Don’t get me wrong, it also HURT MY FEELINGS. A LOT. But the second chance, found family, finally finding a safe place to land, uncovering things that desperately needed to be uncovered, all the music…it was all so good.
I loved Sammy so much. She was lost and searching for a way to safe her career and instead she found herself. It took place over just two weeks and so much happened! I loved her and Max, and her and Willa and Brook, and Maeve and Larry! And Paloma! They all had such important relationships with Sammy but it wasn’t until now that she knew what to actually do with that. And I loved watching her figure it all out. I loved watching her go back to the one place where she has family, found and biological, and find some sort of peace. It took a second, and it wasn’t easy. But she finally came home and it was exactly where she needed to be.
I also really loved Max’s story! It was very much Sammy’s story, but his journey was so important to Sammy too!
Also I LOVED MAX AND SAMMY. The way they fell right back into their easy relationship. And they were able to use each other to work through their problems. While it hurt that Max didn’t recognize her immediately…he did eventually! And he was able to tell her that all those years ago she changed everything for him!
The last quarter or so…HURT. I wasn’t expecting any of it. And while I loved what happened afterward and the full circle moments and the realizations and the declarations…I was tearing to the whole time.
And I love a good epilogue! It was so so sweet and a perfect button to the story!
Thank you so much toNetgalley and Penguin Random house for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Was so distracted by the writing I couldn’t get into the plot. The writing really needed another edit, lots of unnecessary words and tangents. The characters felt fairly immature which just isn’t my thing.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is a somewhat promising adult debut from YA and middle grade writer Tehlor Kay Mejia. I’ve read a bit of her work before, and am pleased that some of the aspects I’ve enjoyed in the past are present here, like the Latine culture and great queer rep in the main and supporting cast.
I love the small-town atmosphere, including some found-family aspects. While I have some other issues with Max, I do respect what he gets out of solitude in this little isolated town. And Sammy’s own past connection to it plays a pivotal role in her growth, and I love seeing her come to appreciate them.
I do like Sammy as a main character. She’s a music reviewer, and her love of music comes through in a strong way. And as a reviewer myself, even if it is for a different art form, I love how she engages with her community and enthuses over the things she loves. Her relationship with her mother is a particularly complex aspect of her life, and I felt this was explored well throughout.
But the romance was hard to root for. They’re quite dysfunctional, going beyond the standard miscommunication to being quite toxic at times. I do see where it’s coming from to an extent, as both have their share of childhood trauma, but I personally wasn’t won over by them by the end, especially with the ridiculousness of the third-act breakup. I’m all for a messy romance between messy people, but the execution wasn’t really to my personal taste.
Whether this book works for you will depend on your personal preferences. If you’re interested in a contemporary that has equal emphasis on multiple dysfunctional relationships (both familial and romantic) in a person’s life, and sees them attempting to put their life back together, I’d recommend giving it a try in hopes you enjoy it more than I did.
emotional
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
*4.5
This book was so beautiful and I loved it so much. Sammy connecting with her grandma and learning all about her family and her culture was so cute. Her grandma showing her all the love she never had growing up just warmed my heart and definitely made me cry. The way she connected with Max was so real and I felt it. It went kind of fast but they just understood each other. I also really enjoyed the relationship with her best friend, they were just always looking out for each other.
I received an arc through netgalley.
This book was so beautiful and I loved it so much. Sammy connecting with her grandma and learning all about her family and her culture was so cute. Her grandma showing her all the love she never had growing up just warmed my heart and definitely made me cry. The way she connected with Max was so real and I felt it. It went kind of fast but they just understood each other. I also really enjoyed the relationship with her best friend, they were just always looking out for each other.
I received an arc through netgalley.