I work at a library, and a previous book seller, so this title is close to my heart, but it joins a "sub genre" already full of titles. I both read and listened to the book, as working with customers who enjoy listening. The biggest negative for me was hearing the reader say the word "water" about 50 times in one chapter and with an accent that made it a little more difficult to understand, though I know it's probably a proper accent for the PA character. Some of the coincidences were just too much, like why would a book store open across the street from an established similar store, seems a crutch to set the story off, and I did read another similar book store revenge store earlier this year. Since this is geared towards YA, they most likely will feel like this is a new and unique title, but for me it is a miss for book lovers.

I found this book and the main character unlikable right from the beginning, and it never got better. DNF due to the immature and mean MC, although I really liked the premise.

This was a fun read. The feud between the bookstores was entertaining but there were also more complex relationships at play. Madeline's family dynamics were sad but also heartwarming and while her relationship with Jasper was a little predictable it was still fun to read. Booklovers will enjoy this romance.

Absolutely loved this! The perfect novel to cap off summer :)

*full disclosure that I am a harpercollins employee*

Last Chance Books was kind of an meh read for me. Some parts I really loved, others not so much (like the ending, which really hurt my book-loving soul).

I will say that while Madeline could definitely be a little off putting (I swear, she has a stronger personality than Katniss Everdeen) I really shipped her so much with Jasper! I also really enjoyed all of her funny pranks on Prologue (especially a certain cash-register scene), even though they were often a little immature.

Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see the addition of a Booktuber side character, which was tons of fun! The booktuber (sorry, I'm kinda blanking on her name right now) even does a cute collab with Madeline in the hopes of saving the bookshop.

So, overall, while I didn't LOVE it, per se, I would still definitely recommend it. Fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and Marissa Kanter are in for a real treat with Last Chance Books!

There were so many sweet elements of this book, which made for a fast-paced, fun, summertime, read. Naturally, I loved being immersed in a bookish world. Madeline is a compelling character, struggling with so much more than just the demolition of her beloved bookstore. A tumultuous home life. An absent father, estranged parents. My three stars to this book comes from wanting *these* topics to be explored so much more than they were. The book felt a little too safe - sticking with the classic, enemies to lovers trope - which felt a little forced. The banter was fun, but just didn’t feel authentic.

Sweet and fun - a great pandemic read. A recommended purchase for collections where contemporary romance and light WF is popular.

(3.5) Wow I thought this was such a cute read from start to finish! I also think that the cover is adorable. I loved the rivalry between the two bookstores and felt like it reminded me a little of Bob's burgers weirdly where the parents do not get along but the kids develop a friendship that could lead to something else. I am not a huge fan of Madelines mom and think as a character I am sort of indifferent to her existence, but other than her I really enjoyed it! I think that Madeline and Jasper are really cute and dorky and have my dream job! I will for sure be getting my own copy of it to pick up when I need a fun read.

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

Cute rom com about rival bookstores. Reminds me a little of the movie You’ve Got Mail. This is a modern young adult book so there is discussion/mention of condoms, erections, sex, drinking, and parental abandonment. I thought this book was really good. I liked that the mc had a different body type than typical skinny mcs in romance books.

I've gotta admit, I just didn't like this one. The characters seemed to be too young and too old at different times, and none of the dialog seemed to work. The casual fatphobic comments with no real resolution was the final straw for me.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to receive this eARC.

Madelines works at her family’s bookstore. That is until a large book store named Prologue opened right in front of her. Compared to her small one, she could not compete with the Barnes and Nobles replica, putting it out of business.

Madeline's determination to keep the store running was everything. She never gave up. She was stubborn and had a set plan for herself. The same with Jasper. I felt as if their relationship sometimes had too much banter. Their relationship was very cute though. However, I felt that there was not enough character development, and the ending was very long. I thought Madeline’s family dynamics were great, and the relationships she had with the other employees were easygoing.

By the end, the plot began to slow down. The relationships and the issues between the characters had already been solved. However, that made it hard for me to get through the ending. It felt sort of unnecessary when the issue with the books occurred. The plot was also easy to figure out since it is very similar to the plot of so many other romance novels. It was not my favorite, however, it was very entertaining and kept me hooked long enough to finish it.

This was a cute book, with references to 'You've Got Mail', but Madeline's focus on the bookstore, when she was planning to go off to college was frustrating.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This one was a real struggle to get through. The premise was so promising but it just fell flat. There is barely a plot and I felt that the rivalry between Jasper and Madeline was not playful, it was just childish and nasty. Madeline read as older than a recent high school grad in some parts and like a middle schooler in others. I didn't really find any of the characters all that likeable.

I did give the audiobook a shot and while the narration is not necessarily bad, the narrator is from Australia and she has not quite nailed the American accent so the accent slips are distracting.

I really wanted to love this but I could barely finish it.

A very cute and light-hearted YA rom-com that fans of You've Got Mail will enjoy. The enemies to lovers trope combined with a prank war between rival book store employees made for an endearing plotline.

“Jasper Hamada, welcome to my shit list.”

What a crazy emotional ride. I did not expect all of the feels. Madeline was full of so many emotions I’m surprised she accomplished as much as she did. But I’d expect no less from her. She is going to go places!

This enemies to lovers was everything I didn’t know I needed. I felt for Madeline throughout the story. She was fighting for her legacy, one which seemed to be fought only by her. I had so many issues with her family. From her absentee mother, her run away brother, and sabotaging aunt (not really, but it felt like it). Then we have Jasper “Hotmada” Hamada and his crazy pranks. She started it, but still. It really did feel like Madeline was the adult most of the time and the only one fighting to keep her beloved bookstore alive. I wish her aunt would have said something before it got so bad. It just seems like everyone was against her. And I’m still mad at Benny, her brother, he’s the one I had the biggest problem with. He yelled at her for being harsh and jealous when he left her to struggle alone and did so many other things. After she was his pseudo mother his whole life and had no one to run to. He never even apologized. His non apology blamed her and the store. I felt so betrayed by him.

I mean they had a bond like no other but it did seem like he took Madeline for granted. Even though she has always been there for him.

“She bolted.”
“She always does.”
He offered me a small smile. “You we’re there, though.”
“Four-year-old Madeline had her shit together better than Dahlia ever has.” Benny sighs, shaking his head. “And that time she convinced you to split your tooth fairy money with her—“
“And I agreed, because I was ten and she made it sound like I was getting double the money, not half—“
“And she helped you pull, like, three teeth in one go.”
I sigh. “Another instance of blood everywhere.”
“I wonder what she’ll break this time.”
“Probably just my spirit.”

When Dahlia returns Benny jumps ship, this seems to be is MO. I understand he’s 16 years old but Madeline never had that option and that’s what frustrates me the most. It’s okay for him to run away because he wants money for clothes and gas money. His words. But Madeline is the bad guy for expecting him to side with her. Y’all I’m still pretty upset. I would have been heartbroken and never forgiven him. But I’m petty and hold grudges. I’ve gone off on a Benny tangent when the book isn’t even about him.

Back to the review.

Madeline and Jasper are sworn enemies. He likes her and feels guilty about leaving his family’s bookstore. She’s drowning in despair and heartfelt. Her rivalry isn’t a game or flirting. It’s her life. It was still very entertaining and I devoured this book. I wish I’d read it before. I had an ARC!!! I’m kicking myself so much right now because this was the best debut novel and it was definitely the best summer read.

I cried so much last night finishing this book my face hurts. I think I gave myself a sinus infection. Haha. Only I would get sick from reading.

This is a sweet read about a dysfunctional family, slightly toxic (I’m looking at you Dahlia), that no matter what loves each other. I mean their aunt Astrid and Benny’s father Sterling raised these kids. And even though they weren’t the “normal” family unit they lived each other very much. The added romance with Jasper, all the book puns and metaphors, and book love made this story so wonderful to read. I really enjoyed it.

I can’t wait for what this author comes up with next!

This book was made for me, book stores, a book-loving character named Madeline (I spell my name Madelyn but same thing!), and enemies to lovers trope. Imagine two bookstores, stuck in a prank war with each other. I loved this premise and I was in love from page 1. I loved Maddy as a character and the romance was adorable.

I would recommend this for fans of Kasie West, Morgan Matson, and YA Rom Coms.

Age Recommendation: 16+

Madeline Moore has one thing she wants: to take over her family's independent book store after college. But when a chain store, Prologue, opens across the street it puts her dreams in jeopardy. Plus the guy who helps to run Prologue is very cute. The audacity! Honestly I have never been a big fan of rom-com books since they always feel way to cliché. But this one was just so real! I literally understood Madeline so well, she was portrayed as flawed and stubborn and her issues were things many people have dealt with. Watching her relationship with Jasper develop and seeing her deal with business problems, family issues and college decisions in the background was what made this book for me. Yes the focus is on her and Jasper, but there are so many issues they are dealing with in the background that make it all the more real. And the ending was perfect for the story. There was character growth and development, and it was still open ended enough to feel like real-life.

A love story for the nerds, enemies to lovers, bookstores and cosplay. Everything book nerds could hope for.

Honestly, I thought I was really going to love this book. It was a YA book with You've Got Mail vibes, was set in a bookstore and features complex family relationships. But for whatever reason, I just couldn't get into it. I feel like some people might find this book cute, but I just found it boring and bland. I couldn't make myself care about the characters, plot, or romance. I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for the eARC copy! I am so grateful to be able to request galleys and this was one of the titles on the HCC Frenzy preview list for the summer catalogue that really caught my attention. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Madeline dreams of graduating college with a degree that doesn't matter at all, because she already knows what she's going to do with the rest of her life. She'll take over the family book store! But when her aunt reveals that the book store is closing due to financial strain and her rivalry with the owner's son from the book store across the street goes from enemies to lovers to "it's complicated," the future gets a whole lot cloudier. Oh, and did we mention that her absentee mother is in town?

This book is getting pretty mixed responses, no doubt due to the fact that the plot is partly predictable and partly not predictable enough. I'll admit the plot twists I didn't see coming weren't always as satisfying as I wanted them to be, or took the plot in a direction I wasn't hoping for. Did that spoil the experience? No! Not at all.

This is a cute coming-of-age story with a side of tropey teenage romance filtered through the lens of a book lover who wants nothing more than to sell books forever, and I think a lot of us reviewers can relate. Madeline is a very empathetic, relatable character, and her complicated family is both charming and I'd even say important in the YA space. This is a broken and blended family that's going to represent a lot of readers who might not necessarily see their situation in mainstream fiction very often.

So what's stopping me from calling this book a full 5 out of 5 stars? Dahlia . This deadbeat mom who decided to drop back in on her teenage kids over the summer is significantly less mature than her teenage offspring and lacks the people skills her social clime through the world of show biz would require. My hatred of this character goes beyond sympathetic hatred for Madeline's sake and settles into the "I genuinely hate this character all on her own" territory, but I honestly don't think we're supposed to. I think we're supposed to pity her and grow to like her.

Overall this is a cute book and I think bookworms who enjoy contemporary romance of the YA variety will enjoy it.