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courtofsmutandstuff's review
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I really liked this, and it gave me definite Abby Jimenez vibes (though it came across my feed as an Emily Henry recommendation). I love a good second chance romance or celebrity romance, and this includes both. It definitely is on the heavier side content wise, but it's very good and well rounded. Highly recommend.
Now, for the grandma: I just KNEW that Paloma was going to die and she does! It was really lovely the week they have together, but it also completed SUCKED for Sammy, and I'm glad of the growth she has regarding her mom .
Also, I can't get over how I first read a (really great!) Rick Riordan Presents book by this author, and now a really great romance. She contains multitudes!
Now, for the grandma:
Also, I can't get over how I first read a (really great!) Rick Riordan Presents book by this author, and now a really great romance. She contains multitudes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
kristinamj's review against another edition
challenging
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Child death, and Car accident
juliaegreene's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
3.5
not really sure how to rate this even though i finished it almost a week ago. this book is really sammy's, and honestly, she's a fucking disaster. she's about to lose her job and is hoping to find a reclusive rock star to review an album that may or may not exist (she also got ghosted by him 11 years ago), her relationship with her mom is on the rocks, she doesn't know her late father's family or culture at all, and she's going back to the town she lived in for a year when she was 9 to figure it all out. she is 29 years old. but despite that, this is a coming of age story. it's about figuring yourself out, family (whether it's blood or found), falling in love and finding a path. the real star of this book is sammy and paloma's relationship. the writing is engaging and the cast of characters is well-rounded. sammy and max's relationship was not my favorite, especially with how they just kept hurting each other in the exact way the other had asked them not to. my biggest frustration was how messy it all gets. as sammy continued to lie to the people she cares about and herself, avoids her problems and pushes people away, it got harder to support her. (i listened to this on audio and there was a lot of yelling at her in the car.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death
Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent
nearbethexperience's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
This felt so much more well-rounded than most romances and I loved it. The book is just as much about Sammy repairing her relationships with her chosen family as it is about the romance. I love that the romance only falls into place after both parties genuinely work on themselves. For such a short book it does amazing at capturing a plethora of messy relationships, with a happy and satisfying ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
bookishmillennial's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
This fits more into coming-of-age fiction with a romantic subplot rather than a capital R romance. I love either! I just want to help level others’ expectations.
This book is told in first-person, present-tense POV of Sammy Espinoza, who was almost let go from her music writing job and was just publicly dumped by her musician ex-girlfriend. She is returning to the one place she ever felt she could call “home,” a small town in the Pacific North West, Ridley Falls. With her mom constantly traveling the world and following her next love interest, Sammy has learned to expect abandonment from everyone who claims to care about her.
She had stayed in Ridley Falls for one year with her friend Willa and Willa’s parents, and heard that a former one-night-stand (from 11 years ago), Max Ryan is returning to Ridley Falls to record his first ever solo album at his home studio. Sammy hopes to write a review on him that will save her job, but things get complicated when she starts developing feelings for him again. You could call this a bit of a second-chance romance, but I think it focuses a lot more on Sammy’s growth, as far as the way she views love and connections, especially with her neglectful mom, her friends Willa and Brook, and her estranged grandmother Paloma (who lives in Ridley Falls too👀)
There is a lot of miscommunication and “ghosting” in this (not just romantic ghosting!) so be prepared! I think it all felt quite authentic though, and I really appreciated the representation of:
This fits more into coming-of-age fiction with a romantic subplot rather than a capital R romance. I love either! I just want to help level others’ expectations.
This book is told in first-person, present-tense POV of Sammy Espinoza, who was almost let go from her music writing job and was just publicly dumped by her musician ex-girlfriend. She is returning to the one place she ever felt she could call “home,” a small town in the Pacific North West, Ridley Falls. With her mom constantly traveling the world and following her next love interest, Sammy has learned to expect abandonment from everyone who claims to care about her.
She had stayed in Ridley Falls for one year with her friend Willa and Willa’s parents, and heard that a former one-night-stand (from 11 years ago), Max Ryan is returning to Ridley Falls to record his first ever solo album at his home studio. Sammy hopes to write a review on him that will save her job, but things get complicated when she starts developing feelings for him again. You could call this a bit of a second-chance romance, but I think it focuses a lot more on Sammy’s growth, as far as the way she views love and connections, especially with her neglectful mom, her friends Willa and Brook, and her estranged grandmother Paloma (who lives in Ridley Falls too👀)
There is a lot of miscommunication and “ghosting” in this (not just romantic ghosting!) so be prepared! I think it all felt quite authentic though, and I really appreciated the representation of:
- single parent/child dynamic
- teen parent/child dynamic
- losing a parent before you were even born!
- alcoholism/addiction/sobriety
- found family
- sensitive, messy bisexuals
- 29-year-olds at a crossroads in life & having their own midlife crises
steam rating: 2/5
cw: child abuse, death/death of a parent, grief, sexual context, abandonment, toxic mother-daughter relationship, gaslighting, addiction, alcoholism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
whatchareadingheather's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-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
I think this book did a fantastic job at hitting a range of emotions that you might not have been expecting in a book categorized as a contemporary romance. I definitely found myself heavily relating to Sammy's personal connections and life experiences, and I think anyone who may struggle with feeling like they have no one in their corner would appreciate this book. I don't think this book particularly needed spicy scenes considering the deeper topics being discussed, but also, spice is a part of life and I appreciate the author being realistic about that aspect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Abandonment
jillkaarlela's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
Taylor Swift songs: “Wildest Dreams”, “afterglow”
Age rating: 15+ (2 brief steamy scenes, 0.5/5🌶️)
if you are a fan of Ashley Poston (“The Dead Romantics” and “the Seven Year Slip”) you will LOVE this!! I know I did! Just without the paranormal aspect. This was a story about finding identity, family, dealing with past trauma, and finding love in the midst of that. I loved watching Sammy’s chaotic, messy, very human journey throughout this story. I truly connected to Sammy, even though I have not experienced the same circumstances. I also truly loved all of the side characters!! All of the relationships, especially with Sammy and her found family were so beautiful and loving. I will not lie, this might lead me to read a lot more celebrity romances and enter a delulu era, but I’m not mad about it. This book really felt like a warm hug, while still being very entertaining. I will be reading any other romances this author writes. I listened to the audiobook but I WILL be picking up a physical copy!
Plus, I love the representation in this book! We love a Pansexual Latina FMC! And I loved Willa and Brooke’s relationship/marriage! It was so healthy and loving and supportive!! We love seeing queer joy represented!!
Also side note: the audiobook narrator was fantastic!
Tropes:
Second-chance-romance
Celebrity mmc (singer)
Found family
Small town
Pansexual Latina fmc
TW: recovering alcoholic, abandonment issues, parental trauma
Age rating: 15+ (2 brief steamy scenes, 0.5/5🌶️)
if you are a fan of Ashley Poston (“The Dead Romantics” and “the Seven Year Slip”) you will LOVE this!! I know I did! Just without the paranormal aspect. This was a story about finding identity, family, dealing with past trauma, and finding love in the midst of that. I loved watching Sammy’s chaotic, messy, very human journey throughout this story. I truly connected to Sammy, even though I have not experienced the same circumstances. I also truly loved all of the side characters!! All of the relationships, especially with Sammy and her found family were so beautiful and loving. I will not lie, this might lead me to read a lot more celebrity romances and enter a delulu era, but I’m not mad about it. This book really felt like a warm hug, while still being very entertaining. I will be reading any other romances this author writes. I listened to the audiobook but I WILL be picking up a physical copy!
Plus, I love the representation in this book! We love a Pansexual Latina FMC! And I loved Willa and Brooke’s relationship/marriage! It was so healthy and loving and supportive!! We love seeing queer joy represented!!
Also side note: the audiobook narrator was fantastic!
Tropes:
Second-chance-romance
Celebrity mmc (singer)
Found family
Small town
Pansexual Latina fmc
TW: recovering alcoholic, abandonment issues, parental trauma
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Cursing, and Abandonment
alyssajp's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy and Medical content
tenderbench's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, and Addiction
lololovesthings's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
4.25
4 stars!
I thoroughly enjoyed the queer, second-chance romance with a hefty dose of family drama that is "Sammy Espinoza's Last Review" by Tehlor Kay Mejia (in her adult romance debut). I found this book to be unputdownable. Stories about music are right up my alley, and this one did not disappoint. This book is refreshing, engaging, compelling, and at times, heartbreaking. Mejia takes quality time building up here characters and the relationships between them so they feel realistic and natural. I loved the chemistry between main characters Sammy and former rock star Max Ryan, who spent one fleeting evening together when she was 18. What started out as a night full of truthtelling, intense connection, and massive promises quickly turned into shattered dreams and resentment for Sammy, and she has been bitter about it and flailing in life ever since. When she returns to his (and her parents') small hometown of Ridley Falls, Washington, she may get the opportunity to confront Max Ryan about their one night together 'lo those many years ago. Sammy falls back into old habits when she finds that it is easier to reestablish her and Max's bond because their fierce connection is still there. I felt so deeply for both Sammy AND Max while I was reading this book. They have both known trauma in their lives, which has shaped who they have become as adults. Sammy's mother is a total flake who only cares about herself, and Sammy's father died before she was born. She has serious abandonment issues, which were not helped by the fact that Max, well, abandoned her when they were younger. Still, they have found their way back to each other, but what will become of their reunion? There is also a found family aspect to Sammy's story that I loved. Her best friend Willa and her wife Brooke are Sammy's chosen family since she doesn't have/hasn't had anybody solid to rely on in her life. All that may change when she meets her grandmother Paloma, who up until this point has wanted nothing to do with her. This book is bursting at the seams with emotions, and I loved every minute of it. It is touching, it will make you think and feel and want and love and appreciate music and unabashed queer joy and life and connection. Please take a chance on "Sammy Espinoza's Last Review." I promise you won't be disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I thoroughly enjoyed the queer, second-chance romance with a hefty dose of family drama that is "Sammy Espinoza's Last Review" by Tehlor Kay Mejia (in her adult romance debut). I found this book to be unputdownable. Stories about music are right up my alley, and this one did not disappoint. This book is refreshing, engaging, compelling, and at times, heartbreaking. Mejia takes quality time building up here characters and the relationships between them so they feel realistic and natural. I loved the chemistry between main characters Sammy and former rock star Max Ryan, who spent one fleeting evening together when she was 18. What started out as a night full of truthtelling, intense connection, and massive promises quickly turned into shattered dreams and resentment for Sammy, and she has been bitter about it and flailing in life ever since. When she returns to his (and her parents') small hometown of Ridley Falls, Washington, she may get the opportunity to confront Max Ryan about their one night together 'lo those many years ago. Sammy falls back into old habits when she finds that it is easier to reestablish her and Max's bond because their fierce connection is still there. I felt so deeply for both Sammy AND Max while I was reading this book. They have both known trauma in their lives, which has shaped who they have become as adults. Sammy's mother is a total flake who only cares about herself, and Sammy's father died before she was born. She has serious abandonment issues, which were not helped by the fact that Max, well, abandoned her when they were younger. Still, they have found their way back to each other, but what will become of their reunion? There is also a found family aspect to Sammy's story that I loved. Her best friend Willa and her wife Brooke are Sammy's chosen family since she doesn't have/hasn't had anybody solid to rely on in her life. All that may change when she meets her grandmother Paloma, who up until this point has wanted nothing to do with her. This book is bursting at the seams with emotions, and I loved every minute of it. It is touching, it will make you think and feel and want and love and appreciate music and unabashed queer joy and life and connection. Please take a chance on "Sammy Espinoza's Last Review." I promise you won't be disappointed.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Abandonment