I really need to stop reading retellings of famous rom coms. While I do have a soft spot for You've got Mail in my heart I really don't care for the story anymore. This was also a high school aged romance so I should have known I would not enjoy it as much. I just couldn't get over our main character. She just was not that likable and and came off super overdramatic. I just could not get into this at all. I did like the bookstore setting but not much else. Pass.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A GREAT premise that unfortunately fell short for me! I tried to give it a few chapters, but I got so frustrated with the main character and couldn't connect with her, so I abandoned. Hopefully others will not have the same feelings as me and enjoy it!

This was a really cute contemporary rom-com and I loved the You've Got Mail (ish) vibes to it. I really appreciated the Rodkey didn't go out of her way to soften Madline, our main character, or make her more palatable. She was kind of abrasive and impulsive at times and that's ok! I also loved the fandom aspects to the book and reading this made me really look forward to whenever my local indie starts hosting in person events again because I miss the book community a lot.

I liked the premise since one of my favorite movies is You've Got Mail and this was a YA version of that. I loved the descriptions of the bookstore and really liked some of the side characters, like Zelda and Astrid.

I thought the romance developed very quickly and didn't think that was super realistic. I didn't like the MC as I thought she was whiny and wanted everything her way. She felt comfortable cussing out her aunt, which made me uncomfortable. I also didn't like how naive she was about the store closing.

Pretty okay but not my favorite YA book in recent memory.

Such a cute romance that definitely has the feel of You"ve Got Mail, or any other rom-com. I loved the setting of the bookstore and though parts were predictable, I still enjoyed it!

Rival bookstores? You’ve Got Mail in book form! What more can a bookish romance reader want? Madeline’s passion for her family bookstore, along with her growth was really refreshing to read and YA rom-com readers will delight in the enemies-to-lovers thing that Jasper and Madeline have going on.

Funny and witty with a charming You've Got Mail Premise, but the conflict and stakes often feel low without and the progression from enemies to lovers doesn't always ring true.

I would not call it the next literature best fiction of all time but it was a quick and easy read.
The type of book that you want to have around for a summer read.

In many ways, this is a standard romance novel. There is a strong business rivalry between Madi and Jasper, so of course they will fall in love and that rivalry will cause misunderstanding between them. Also predicable is the arc with the absentee mother. These sorts of conflicts follow a fairly standard path. The store arc is a bit more nuanced and interesting. This is not deep reading, probably doesn't have much staying power. But it's an entertaining read with solid characters.

(3.5)

If Kelsey Rodkey’s next effort is as fun and seamless as Last Chance Books, then she’ll be one to watch for a long time. While I remain confused about where this trend in YA of “books about book lovers” has come from, I can’t deny how heartwarming it is to read a book infused with such a love for books in general (even if the fangirling made me…cringe, to say the least). When you add an enemies-to-lovers romance and perfect pacing to that equation? You simply get a really great time and a truly good reading experience.

I loved Madeline and Jasper’s relationship, but it was their banter that really sung here. It was genuinely brilliant and the pace at which they could throw simultaneously realistic and novelistic quips at each other so easily was astounding. Their rivalry lasted for just the right amount of time. You got a very comprehensive sense of their dynamic, and it was undoubtedly well written.

However, I never got a good sense of who Jasper was outside of his dynamic with Madeline. That was my biggest gripe with this book. The only thing you really come to learn about him is one sole interest; he had no true depth. Considering the strong undercurrent of family in this novel, I would have liked to learn more about Jasper’s and their relationship. The centrality of Madeline’s family never left room for his. I actually think this book would have worked better for me if it was written from a dual-POV.

But I actually loved the family element of this book. I loved reading about Madeline’s explorations of her changing family dynamic, even if she could be frustrating at times, and I especially loved that this book left much unresolved. It felt true. Rather than tie a neat and pretty bow on the messiness of it all, it showed a path forward not without consistent hardship, and I really liked that.

Overall, this was a good, strong book. The plot was solid, the conception strong, and the pacing and writing were just so great. But I wish it had given me just a bit more to work with across the board. It was a cute, fun book and while I loved the reading experience, it just didn’t strike me as all that memorable or unique enough to stick with me for long. But if you’re looking for a simple and sweet summer/beach read, it’s time to snatch this up, and I cannot wait to see what Rodkey does next.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ecopy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily. Madeline Moore & Jasper Hamada have started a book store war. Madeline works at Books & Moore. Jasper works at Prologue. What happens when they start to like each other? I enjoyed reading this book. The sparks between Madeline & Jasper were so good. Kelsey Rodkey did a nice job with this book. I did feel like the characters could have grown a little bit more than they did. I give this book a 3 out of 5 Stars.

When Madeline Moore’s crush walked in to her family’s bookstore, she sold him her favorite book, the first in a series. She was hoping he’d come back for more. Partly so she could see him again. And partly because they need the business.

This is Madeline’s last summer to work in the bookstore, Books and Moore, before she heads off to college. Her aunt Astrid, the one who raised her and her half-brother, is the owner of the bookstore, and Madeline’s dream has always been to take it over. Small independent bookstores have always had struggles to stay in business, but lately they’re having even more trouble. A new Prologue moved in across the street, with shiny new shelves to draw customers in. Books and Moore is an older store, with a mix of new and used books, and the dust and smells that go along with that.

And then he came back. He liked the book Madeline sold him so much that he came back for the second one. Jasper Hamada came back. And he asked for her number. Madeline was on cloud nine. Nothing could go wrong.

Until he walked out the door, across the street, and into Prologue, where he put on his name tag before getting to work.

Madeline’s crush worked for the enemy!

And just like that, it was on. Madeline was determined to take Prologue down, along with Jasper and that smug (yet adorable) smile on his face.

But that wasn’t all that threatened to ruin Madeline’s summer. Her mother, Dahlia, is coming to visit, which always ends badly. And then she finds out that they’re raising the rent on the building Books and Moore is in, and Astrid has decided to close the bookshop at the end of the summer.

Now Madeline has to save her store, take down the competition, deal with the issues in her family, and ignore those warm feelings for Jasper that just won’t go away, no matter how hard she tries.

Last Chance Books is the modern, new adult retelling of You’ve Got Mail, or of the movie that came first, The Shop Around the Corner. These movies are classics for a reason—because they make us want to root for the underdog and for the lovers to find each other, no matter what. This inviting story takes the best of that classic love story and adds in lots of updates, from the bookish YouTube star to the cosplay. Author Kelsey Rodkey’s debut novel is a funny and heart-warming story of family, friendship, flirting, and finding yourself.

I loved Last Chance Books. It reminded me a little of myself and my own insecurities when I was that age, and it reminded me of some of the great rom com movies that I have loved for years. I really like Madeline and wanted her to find her spark, whether it was at her bookstore or somewhere else in the world, and I couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book to know her whole story. Such a charming novel!

Egalleys for Last Chance Books were provided by HarperTeen through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Madeline Moore has a passion for books and a plan for her future that includes working at her family's independent bookstore Books and Moore once she graduates college. However their beloved bookstore, that has been in the family for generations is struggling to make ends meet, and the addition of a competing bookstore opens up just down the street, things do not look promising. Madeline would do anything to save her family's bookstore and ensure her plans for her future come to fruition, even if the manager of the new chain bookstore, Prologue, just happens to be young and cute. Nothing is off the table, even a prank war, as Madeline sets out to ruthlessly take down the competition. However nothing about love or war is ever simple and Madeline finds herself caught in the precarious position of having to choose between two seemingly impossible choices.
Last Chance Books is a delightfully funny, heart warming, and charming debut novel that is every book lovers dream. Madeline is a feisty main character with a fierce love for books, her family, and their bookstore. Jasper challenges her at every step, paving the way for plenty of awkward first love encounters, laugh out loud high jinx, and character growth for Madeline as she learns more about herself while falling in love for the first time. The combination of the enemies to lovers theme with competing bookstores thrown into the mix served to draw readers in and immerse them into the world of young love and the cut throat world of running a bookstore in this modern age. Last Chance Books contains all the elements of a successful romantic comedy, with dynamic characters, a compelling premise set in a bookstore, and plenty of laughter, love, and pranks. I highly recommend Last Chance books for readers looking for a fun, refreshingly light read to add to their ever growing summer reading list.

I have never seen You've Got Mail, but now I want to !!! Really enjoyed this book. Thank you for the advanced reading copy.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an early copy of this book.

As a bookworm what is not to love?! Bookwars.
Last Chance Books is the debut novel by Kelsey Rodkey. It tells the story of Madeline and Jasper, teens who work in rival bookstores across the street from each other. 
Perfect for book lovers everywhere. It’s a fun story full of determination, family dynamics and letting go of something/someone you can’t control, even when you love them.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I loved enemies to lovers in most cases but this one had characters that I just didn't like at all so it wasn't very fun to read.

There rom-com aspects of this novel were exactly what I needed. Such a cute romance! Perfect for book lovers this summer.

I liked this book, but there were parts of this book that also nagged at me.

Here's what I liked about this book:
1. It's an ode to the indie bookstore.
2. It shows what it's like to have a complicated with a seemingly absent or definitely absent parent.
3. It shows what it's like to have that dynamic added on to having step or half-siblings.
4. It shows what it's like to just have a really complicated family life in general.

Here's what I didn't like:
1. There's a point in the book when Madeline just sort of... guesses that Jasper's mom is Japanese. Jasper's mom doesn't say she's Japanese to Madeline or say or do anything exclusively Japanese to make Madeline think this. It's not until later in the book when Jasper himself mentions a wedding they went to in Japan that the reader gets any indication from Jasper himself that his family might be Japanese. It's either the author purposely wrote in Madeline's unconscious bias or accidentally wrote one in, which is fine because everyone has unconscious biases, but it nagged at me.
2. I don't want to give too many details away, but the ending also bothered me.

Madeline Moore loves working at her family’s bookstore. What she doesn’t love is the new small-chain bookstore that’s opened up across the street. And what she especially doesn’t love is the super attractive boy who flirts and steals her ideas for said new bookstore, thus starting a prank-war of dramatic proportions.

I had a lot of fun with Last Chance Books. It was very reminiscent of You’ve Got Mail, with Madeline giving off major Kathleen Kelly vibes. Madeline’s heart and soul is poured into Books and Moore, despite her aunt (the owner) repeatedly saying they don’t have the money to keep the shop open.

There’s more to this story than the rivals/enemies to lovers of Madeline and Jasper Hamada. Family dynamics play a big part: parents’ expectations of children and children’s expectations of parents. Madeline and her brother are raised by their aunt, with their mother making guest appearances prior to the book’s beginning. When their mother wants to stay for a longer period of time, that’s when they start to cling to the normalcy they’ve known.

There are moments when the witty banter between Madeline and Jasper is almost TOO good and polished, like it would be Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks having the clash and not two teenagers. And while I love me some good banter, when it feels incongruous with how teens react to one another with well worded and quippy quips is when it takes me out of the book.

Kelsey Rodkey has a great voice and I really enjoyed every moment between Madeline and Jasper. I’m excited to read what’s next for her.

4 stars.

I'm a sucker for a feuding business story, as well as one where if we can just put on the best darn talent show this town's ever seen we can save the orphanage! Um, metaphorically, that is. So when they're combined, along with grand gestures and family drama? Sign me up! I also appreciated (not to spoil) the ending of the novel. I feel it sent a strong message about endings, and our perception thereof.