Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Lucky Caller. I loved this book and will definitely purchase for my school library.

I'm a huge contemporary ya fan, and although I think this will hit the spot for a reader looking for a light read, I want more out of my contemporary ya than guaranteed sweetness. Give me some depth with that sugar!

Ahhhh! This book was so adorable! I loved all of these characters and I really hated for it to end. Lucky Caller is classic Emma Mills. I had a really had a hard time putting this one down once I got started. I really liked how it flashed back and forth in time to tell the full story of how the characters all ended up where they were at the start of the book. I do think that the ending was a bit eye-roll worthy and a little too on the nose...but overall this is a book that I'd recommend.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Lucky Caller. I didn't enjoy this book like I was hoping I would, and I don't write negative reviews. I have purchased a copy of Lucky Caller for my classroom for the students to check out because I think they will love it, it just wasn't for me. Sorry, and thank you again.

LUCKY CALLER hits all the right notes with its witty, wise and heartwarming story. High school senior and middle sister Nina is at a crossroads: her mom is about to marry the nicest dentist which means that her family will be moving from their beloved apartment in a historic building. Nina just wants to survive senior year, and isn’t too comfortable with all the upcoming changes in her life. I got some definite LITTLE WOMEN vibes from this book, and I was so into Jamie (Prince Hapless forever!). I think this book will find readers amongst Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han fans, and I can’t wait to recommend it to my middle school YA readers.

This book was adorable. I also enjoyed the dynamics presented to young people on divorce. It was relatable and the message was well delivered. I highly recommend this book and will be recommending to my students.

I have loved everything Mills has written and Lucky Caller is no exception. I was somewhat apprehensive based on a few early reviews, but my fears were quickly squashed. Nina was a fabulous heroine; full of quirks and insecurities that made her lovable. I especially enjoyed the relationships between her and her sisters. While there was a few serious moments, this was more of a light hearted/feel good read. There was a sweet romance, but it felt secondary to the friendships and coming of age storyline. I cannot wait for whatever Mills writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for my advanced review copy.

Emma Mills is the queen of contemporary YA. Lucky Caller is a great story full of interesting situations and complex relationships. I especially loved the relationship between Nina and her stepfather. In this book, the pinnacle was the ending. I loved the twists and turns that happened to bring about such a beautifully crafted ending.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming YA romcom. I felt like the characters were relatable, especially Nina and her lack of direction during her senior year. I remember being a senior in high school and realizing that "omg I have no idea what I want to do with my life" and the panic that follows when you feel like everyone else has it all together. Now, as a high school teacher, I see that in a lot of my students - the pressure to have every detail in their life planned out and to know what they want to do in the future.

The storyline of this story is endearing and I will definitely be getting a hard copy for my class library.

I loved this story with the backdrop of a high school radio station. The characters were relatable and flawed and real. Emma Mills does a wonderful job of building a great character in Nina. Her interactions with her family and Jamie rang true. Her growth was evident but not heavy handed. A great realistic YA read.

Enjoyed this one and I thought it was really cute. I liked how this book was more focused on Nina's relationship with her family and friends rather than the romance. Though, the romance part was cute too! Nina's relationship with her sisters is basically goals. The whole radio thing is really cool, I'm guessing that there are actual high schools that do that but I don't know any.

This book would be a five star read if, and only if, this entire book was as great as the second half of the story. The first half was almost painful. It was dull, dragged out, and had little substance. I was 35% into the story before any plot even really began. The entire beginning was just a frustrating and long introduction that almost made me put the book down. However, there was a shift that pretty much saved this story. Somewhere between all the radio fun and the romance, this book surprised me by turning itself around. I really, really wish the entire story had been as amazing as that second half. If it had been… well, then I would say it truly deserved five stars. But I can’t possibly rate this book so highly considering how awful the beginning and very end were.

Now, as said, I really disliked the beginning of this book. It was slow, lacked plot, and felt like a long introduction that could never end. On top of that the story felt wrapped up in a rush. The climax was anticlimactic and the plot was paced poorly. The ending was especially frustrating. Everything wrapped up so quickly and neatly that it killed any of the drama that the climax did have. So, sigh. The planning in this book wasn’t great and had a huge negative impact on this story. With a little more action, a more emotional climax, and an ending that didn’t wrap up like a cheesy movie this book could have really been something special.

However, of the few things I liked in this book the romance would be the biggest. The chemistry was adorable, and I really will never get enough of friends-to-enemies-to friends again- to lovers trope. Emma Mills really mastered Jamie and Nina’s relationship and I couldn’t help but want more from them! The other parts of the story I enjoyed were the little quirks of the story. I won’t go into detail about them here (gotta save you some of the fun, right?), but they make the story dynamic and as heartwarming as it is. I really enjoy how this author develops the world and characters and I’m looking forward to possibly giving another one of her books a chance in the future because of it.

3.5 stars. There were a few moments in this book - how the big interview turned out, some humor, and the game the sisters and Jamie played as kids - that I loved, but overall this was slow and I struggled to figure out what the goal/point was of the story. It took a long time to find out why Jamie and Nina were estranged. And the beginning included several plot threads that all felt equally weighted, so I wasn't sure if the story was about Nina's parents, or about the broadcasting class, or about the relationship between the two teens. The climax with the big interview made my reading investment totally worthwhile, but I wish this one had been stronger/a better fit for me. (Language)

"The perfect comeback only comes to you way after the offending incident, most especially when you’re alone in the shower with no one but the shampoo bottle to tell it to."

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

This was my first Emma Mills book, but I'll definitely be back for more! Lucky Caller made me feel warm and fuzzy, and avoided all of the teenage angst that I've started to associate with most YA books. The romance was soft, slow-burn, and intrinsically sweet. Jaime was definitely a cinnamon roll, and I adored everything about our Prince Hapless. The game Kingdom was epic and everything! I really loved that aspect of the story, and how fleshed out their make-believe world was.

I loved watching Nina and Jaime remember their past friendship, and how it grew into something neither of them expected. They were really close growing up (since they lived in the same building and his grandparents would watch Nina and her sisters occasionally), and I really enjoyed the games they played together on the bus! What interesting questions they had! Like... would you rather be a clown forever, or marry one? Something like that! The back-and-forth Q&A sessions had me smiling from ear to ear, particularly when one or both would defend an answer.

As they got older, an incident in middle school threw a wrench in their relationship, and I hated how hurt both parties were afterwards. Nina wasn't a mean person, but she did do something callously (as children sometimes do), and it hurt Jaime deeply. He was still a trooper though, and continued their game of Kingdom when Nina's youngest sister (Sidney) asked. He was fully committed to his role, and didn't let what happened between him and Nina alter something so fundamental about their friendship. He showed up and was there when it mattered, and he always gave 100% of himself.

Nina's family was the cat's pajamas (ignore my 20's references, I'm listening to Lair of Dreams right now)! All of their interactions felt authentic and were totally relatable. They were sarcastic with their mother, but it was playful and teasing. Respectful... but with a hint of an eye-roll. 🙄 They tormented in each other in the best ways, and it was always done out of love. They knew each other intimately, in the way only family can, and could communicate clearly with a look or simple gesture. Mills really captured the essence of family, and what it means to love and be loved by them.

The radio show was the icing on the cake for me! Initially, I didn't think I would like Joydeep's personality (annoying and ridiculous), but it meshed well with Sasha, Jaime, and Nina's. They formed an unlikely group, and bonded over shared experiences (some good, some bad). They complimented each other, and managed to work well despite their differences. Jaime is quiet and shy, but will passionately defend who/what he cares about. Sasha is athletic and self-conscious, worried about her future and enjoying her present. Nina wasn't a pushover per se, but she did tend to go with the flow and rarely made waves. Joydeep was goofy and a prankster, and his random comments always made me smile. Separately, they were interesting, but combined they were a formidable force. Their group interactions were probably my favorite parts of the book.

The Dantist! Mr. Paint! He was so nice! Like, a genuinely good person that enjoys helping others. He's not around a lot, but I liked how obvious it was that he cared. He loved Nina's mother and was invested in their lives, and he surprisingly didn't turn down our foursome's very crazy request. I'm still not sold on his story (if you've read this, you know what I'm talking about), and think there's more to him than meets the eye. Although, I do like that we were left with a little bit of a mystery surrounding him and his past. It made things more entertaining!

It's unlikely that events would have unfolded the way they did, but I'm not complaining. I'm thrilled that everyone ended up exactly where they needed to be, and even forgive Nina's dad for flaking and being an unreliable father. They've accepted that about him, and still love him despite his flaws. They're family. It might not be perfect, but what in life is? I think Mills has captured the essence of what it means to love without reservation, and to appreciate the connections we make with other people. The time we spend together may be fleeting, but that doesn't make it any less important or meaningful.

"And my mom told me that part of growing up is just … learning that people come in and out of your life, and that there are all kinds of levels of friendship, all different types. And maybe you’ll make a friend, and you won’t see them again, but it doesn’t devalue what you had with them or the time you spent together. That’s still valid, even if it wasn’t built to last. It’s not any less … significant, you know?"

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 15, 2020.

Getting a new Emma Mills book always feels like such a gift. I always love her characters and her slice-of-life stories, and for me, Lucky Caller was no exception.

Nina, the daughter of a somewhat well know radio host, decides to take a radio broadcasting class during the last semester of her senior year of high school. She’s always had an interest, and it seemingly runs in the family, so hypothetically, this class should be a piece of cake. Instead, it’s complete chaos and nearly ends in disaster. But along the way, Nina build relationships with new friends, and rekindles one from childhood that fell apart in middle school.

I really enjoyed Nina as a main character. There are definitely times where she made a few decisions regarding withholding information that I didn’t really understand, but overall, she’s fun and sarcastic and awkward, which is definitely relatable. Emma Mills, in signature Emma Mills style, writes in an incredible friend group all ranging in diversity and personality and it’s just so wonderful to read the interactions between all the characters.

I also really liked the romance in this novel. Jamie and Nina were childhood friends and neighbors who grew apart in middle school based on a bit of a misunderstanding and an inability to express their feelings clearly. But once they’re thrown into the same group in the radio broadcasting class, there’s a chance for reacquainting themselves with each other and growing together as young adults. I love the friends-to-lovers trope, and this just ratcheted that up to another level by making them childhood friends-to-lovers, with a bonus of second chance romance! I love when characters have known each other practically their whole lives and have some sort of established relationship because it makes the chemistry more believable and adds to any interactions they may have. Jamie and Nina were very cute and I loved that they found their way back to each other in friendship and in romance.

The plot is fun, but is mostly slice of life, which for me was perfect, but for other may not feel like anything special. I mostly just enjoyed the friend group and their antics. The conflict that arises gets resolved somewhat easily, and the ending is a bit abrupt, but overall, this is a really great read. I highly recommend checking out Lucky Caller, and any and all other Emma Mills books!

*Thank you to Henry Holt and Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

These lines from the novel are a good summary of the romance aspect of the story:

"I’m not like an expert or whatever, but I do know that communication is important. One of them just needs to go to the other one and say, Hey, I like you. If you like me too, let’s you know. Take it to the bone zone."

(Note: There are no trips to the “bone zone.”)

I don’t think I’m giving too much away here, because they could describe any number of books with a romantic plot. Miscommunication or lack of communication is a key complicating factor for couples, and that includes Nina and her childhood friend turned love interest, Jaime. Who is a complete and utter doll, so kind and selfless that any girl should snap him up in a heartbeat. Of course, it takes Nina much longer than that, but she does have her reasons. It definitely doesn’t help that she tends to shoot herself in the foot and complicate matters.

There’s more to the novel than the romance, though. One important thread to the story is about building relationships with family, friends, and other people (classmates, for example) that enrich your life, sometimes in unexpected ways. Those relationships may not last or go the way you want them to, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have meaning or value or aren’t worth your time.

The misadventures surrounding the broadcasting careers of Nina and her fellow students are also humorous. Let’s just say very little goes as planned, but they manage to pull off a coup in the end when they host an interview/fundraiser as a part of their show. The resolution to that part of the plot isn’t very realistic, really, but it does showcase the power of relationships and how people can surprise you in positive ways.

Add to that some pretty funny lines, and it’s a winning combination. Fans of Emma Mills or YA contemporaries in general should enjoy this one.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This book was everything I look for in an Emma Mills book! A perfectly charming contemporary novel with themes of family, friendship, and romance. It was such an enjoyable, fast read, and I laughed out loud on almost every page.

There's so much to love about this book, my one critique is that I wanted more of it. I wanted more of the sister relationships, especially Sidney, the youngest, whose full of joie de vivre and fizzing with life. I wanted more of the dad, especially toward the end — that resolution was a little short for my tastes.

And I definitely wanted more of Jamie and Nina, not because we didn't have enough of them for the book to feel complete but because I loved their dynamic so much I could've read another 100 pages of interactions between the two of them.

This book also does a really nice job of mixing flashbacks and snippets of radio shows in a seamless, borderline-mixed media manner. It was really interesting to have a look into the world Emma Mills crafted so well!

In sum: I'm a big fan, and I highly recommend this book!

Unfortunately, this one wasn't a new favorite Emma Mills book for me. While I did still love the writing and got very sucked into the story, I really struggled to connect to the characters. I also felt like there were certain parts of the story (Nina's relationship with her dad in specific) that didn't feel especially resolved in the end and overall this one really just left me feeling... underwhelmed. It wasn't terrible in the slightest, but I just didn't feel the magic with this one like I have felt from other Emma Mills books in the past.

**Come visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ for more book thoughts**

Nina has one more semester left before she graduates from High School, but first she has to get through her radio broadcasting class. What she expected as an easy A turns into something much more complicated and brings up things from her past she would rather stay in the past- including her neighbor Jaime. Nina needs to figure out how to pass her class, deal with her changing family dynamic and come to terms with what Jaime really means to her.

I have a confession- this is my first Emma Mills book! I own a few of her backlist titles and so many people rave about how cute they are so I had good intentions to read her books I just have not had a chance yet- until now. Lucky Caller was fantastic, so sweet and adorable and yet funny at the same time. I devoured this book, sad when I had to put it down and I ended up reading it over the course of just a few days. I found the story to be so approachable, easily to get lost in and with characters that I rooted for, flaws and all. As someone who listen to the same radio show every morning, the radio dynamic felt perfect, at times as if I was listening to the radio instead of reading a book.

The main point of this book is relationships, be it familial, friendship or romantic. Sure there is a purpose to the story, to make the radio show work out, but it was so much more than that- it was to show the dynamics between the characters and the overall growth of Nina, and that each moment matters, no matter how big or how long it lasts (wipe a tear). I absolutely loved the slow burn love with the most honest and decent of boys, I shipped them so hard from the first awkward encounter (the special cake was a winner for sure!). The friendships were fun to watch develop, strangers who work together for a cause that end up being "bros" (don't ask, just read) who care and root for each other. And finally, the familial love was so wonderful, the support and friendship between the sisters was sweet but also the acceptance of The Dantist melted me just a little bit. I kinda feel like reading this was like getting the best, most supportive hug possible.

The formatting of the story was hands down my favorite part of the book though. The overall plot takes places over the course of one semester in high school, but mixed in were random chapters that helped to give backstory as well as character development- and sometimes just random humor. We get chapters with Nina's dad's radio show transcripts, Nina's radio show transcripts, classmate's radio transcripts, as well as memories of certain moments in the past that were important to Nina. Putting all the pieces together you get a cohesive flow that made for a delightful read.

I can't wait to finally dive into the other books by this author I already own because if they are even a fraction as entertaining as Lucky Caller I know I will love them. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes Ya contemporaries, family drama, slow burn romance, great relationship dynamics overall and relatable realistic characters- and if a radio show has every been important to you.

This review will go live on my blog, The Library Lane, on January 13, 2020.

Lucky Caller is the third book I have read by this author and it is definitely my favorite! I went into this expecting a story with a swoon worthy romance and amazing friendships and guess what? That is exactly what I got and I loved it! I know I can always rely on an Emma Mills book to make my heart happy.

I really adored Nina’s family. She had two sisters, Rose and Sidney, who were incredible. They were always around to give advice and they were so supportive of each other’s decisions. Nina’s mom and her fiancé Dan were great as well. Dan was such a cool dude. Not only was he a dentist, he was a Youtuber too. What a combination. I loved that he was there for Nina when her biological dad couldn’t be. Step parents do not always get the recognition that they deserve so I am happy that the author chose to include this in the story.

Jamie completely stole my heart. He was Nina’s neighbor and friend. I just loved how precious and innocent he was. He had the biggest heart ad truly cared for everyone. I wish we would have had a backstory for him though. I wanted to know more about him and his family.

Then there was the romance and oh my, it was the cutest. It was friends to more which is my absolute favorite trope. This one was a little different though. They had to mend their somewhat broken friendship first. It took a while for that to happen, but it was worth the wait in the end!

I am forever wishing that my high school had a radio broadcast! I am a huge nerd so I definitely loved this aspect of the story. We followed Nina, Jamie, Sasha and Joydeep as they figured out how to run the show. Things start out pretty rocky for the group, but with lots of teamwork they find their way. Their friendship was definitely one of a kind. The banter between the four was 10/10 hilarious. Definitely some great laugh out loud moments.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I honestly can’t recommend it enough! If you are looking for a fun and heartwarming contemporary…Lucky Caller is for you!