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kristinamj's review
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
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
flyingryndeer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-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
5.0
I cried over this book in multiple places and have lost sleep over it now, including the time to write this review, but its worth every second. To call this book a romance as if that is all it is would be a crime, but the romance is an essential part of this. At its core, this is about family- chosen, blood, and otherwise. About all the things it can do to fuck you up and to help you heal. About what- and who- make a home. And it's a book about love, in all its forms. One of the best books I've read in a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Child death, Pregnancy, and Drug abuse
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
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
alyssajp's review
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 against another edition
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
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
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Abandonment, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
sebrittainclark's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
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
Sammy Espinoza's life is a bit of a mess. She's gone through a terrible breakup and she's about to lose her job, if she can't convince Max Ryan, the guy who ghosted her a decade ago to let her interview him about his new solo album. Back in Ridley Falls she is going to be forced to confront her past and the family who didn't want her. It's both a wonderful romance and a beautiful story about family that made me cry.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Grief