Last Chance Books is about Madeline, who works at her aunt’s indie bookstore, Books & Moore. Across the street is a rival chain bookstore, Prologue, where Jasper, a cute guy works. Madeline and Jasper start a feud to see who is the better bookstore.

The premise, every book lovers’ dream, is adorable. I love enemies to lovers with books thrown into the mix. I feel like the relationship that happens in this book happened too abruptly. The characters felt like they were written as adults despite them being around 18-years-old. I loved the message of supporting local/small businesses, but overall I felt that the plot needed some work.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ah. I'm so disappointed.

I wanted to love this book. I tried really hard, kept going long after I wanted to give up. But alas, it did not get better.

Madeline is so mean. I didn't like her at all. She doesn't have this awesome arc either, where she learns to be nice. No, she's kind of mean through the whole thing. She condescendingly criticizes a customer's book choice (their BOOK CHOICE! Mind you, this girl is a lover and obsessor of books, so she says, and she's making fun of a customer's book choice?!), she completely makes fun of a guy who plays dungeons and dragons, (to his FACE and not in a lighthearted teasing way), and calling her birth mother basically stupid and vapid for having hot pink as her favorite color. Such nasty, judgemental things to say and the character just doesn't feel remorse for thinking/saying those things. That is just so harmful to have in print for teens.

Second, Madeline's body issues were...terrible. I understand that everyone has doubts about themselves, but hers came up constantly and doesn't end with her loving her body. It's not a story about her body issues, so I don't understand why we highlight it so much just for nothing to come of it to teach the reader to love themselves. It just seems like a terrible way to keep teens remembering that they shouldn't like their bodies, either.

Finally, and most importantly to me: if a child doesn't want to see their abusive/neglectful parent, DONT FORCE THEM TO SEE THEM AND HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. I hated this so much, even when I ended up liking Dahlia's character a tiny bit. The kids repeatedly said that they didn't want a relationship with the mother that abandoned them over and over and over again, but everyone told Madeline to 'give her another chance' and 'come on, she's really trying'. This is just teaching teens that no matter what, adults matter more than their needs and that sucks.

I'm very sorry to the author. I've never left a review this critical before but I couldn't bring myself to lie for the sake of an advanced copy. I won't be purchasing this for my library.

Like most book lovers, a bookstore setting is a favorite of mine. This was a fun YA coming of age with hate to love rival bookstore romance. I especially enjoyed the range of representation (bodies, sexuality, family unit, race& ethnicity).. there was a mix of a lot that made this feel like hey! the actual world! The romantic interest is Japanese which HOORAY more of that, he’s cuteness.

The voice felt sincere and teenagery and the choices to depict sex positive young women/humans was also nice to read.

I really enjoyed this one, but it has lots for me to enjoy! I hope it gets a lot of love from the YA world! It’s a great debut for this author, I’m excited to follow her work now.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to HarperTeen and Kelsey Rodkey for giving me an ARC of this lovely book!

I remember starting this book on a Monday and by the end of the following day, I had already finished it and was feeling too much for fictional characters. The story follows Madeline Moore, a proud bookstore owner-ish that has solely spent her teenage years learning how to manage the family business as she dreams of one day being the one to run it all by herself. But her future might slightly be altered when a new bookstore opens in the neighborhood, or rather in the very same street. She soon develops a hatred towards that business and everything that includes it, even her sexy and irresistible crush.

Madeline (never Maddie) was too funny and confident to not be liked, and although she had massive flaws (as any fictional or real teenager/young adult), I valued her growth that somehow stayed being true to herself. The dynamic between her and Jasper was filled with undoubtable chemistry. to the point where I ended up overwhelmed with too many feels.

Up until this point, I have made it extremely clear that this is. indeed, a love story, however, it also touches on dysfunctional family relationships. self-confidence, and coming-of-age problems. All the previously mentioned topics gives a great storyline to not only the main characters, but also everyone else. as it was refreshing to read that everybody had a purpose and provided to the storyline.

If the beautiful book cover is not incentive enough to make you check it out when it comes out on May 18th, then either you have maybe no love for pastel colors and cute covers, or you are playing hard to get. This book could not be any more important during these times, as it leaves you appreciating small (family-owned) businesses and its importance in our communities.

Last Chance Books was a sweet romance about letting go of things when it is time and learning how to open your heart. I, a fellow Madeline, totally understand that fear of rejection and this story was such a great way for me to work through those thoughts of my own. And although I work at that “terrible chain” mentioned in this book, I found this book charming and fun. I will definitely hand sell this one.

I loved this book. It felt like an anthem for girls who feel so much and don't know exactly what to do with all of those feelings. The representation of a complex, non-traditional family, a heroine who works a job during high school, and a realistic college application process were all refreshingly authentic. I also enjoyed the realistic body positivity. I wish I had this book when I was a teen and will highly recommend it to my teens.

As someone who loved You've Got Mail, this was such a cute YA romance. I'm not sure if it helped that I was already familiar with the movie, and wonder if it might be better suited in upper ya or even for adults who are more nostalgic. That being said I felt that the strong points of the book were the witty banter and the rivalry and the general book love that came through which I think readers of all ages can enjoy. A great title to breeze through!

I really liked the premise of this book! I even recently watched "You've got mail" for the first time, so I can really see the inspiration there. Unfortunately it just didn't work for me. I really liked how passionate the main character is about her bookstore, she grew up with it, she had plans of running the bookstore later in life, but suddenly that gets de-railed with threats of closure. A lot of the plot just went a little too fast. Madeline meets Jasper, and they start the beginning of a romance thing, but almost INSTANTLY she discovers he's an "enemy", at least in her eyes. I feel like the author could have dragged it on just a little bit more with her not knowing, and I would have enjoyed her reaction to this new discovery a lot more. I also think the "pranks" that Madeline does is a bit too much, and of course one of those pranks ends up in another part of the plot I did not enjoy, nor did I think it was necessary. The part I do not think was necessary was the dramatic scene with the "accident". I kind of got confused when that even came up, it just seemed way too extreme for this story, and I really don't think it was necessary, and the climax of this book could've been written in a better way that didn't involve all of the dramatic stuff of that part of the book. Other than that I really liked the family dynamics, and how they developed throughout the book, as the dynamics develop, the whole wanting to save the bookstore plot goes along with it, as well. Overall, this was a decent book but it had quite a few issues that I couldn't really overlook.

I have to preface this by saying You’ve Got Mail is one of my favorite movies so there was no way I was passing up a book with a similar plot line. This is Kelsey Rodkey’s debut novel and it was filled with all the funny banter and swoon-worthy scenes I could want in a romance novel.

Madeline works at her family-owned bookstore Books & Moore when a corporate style competitor, Prologue, opens up across the street. What she doesn’t expect is her connection (initially disguised as hatred) with Jasper, the cute son of Prologue’s owner. This is a comedic but lovely enemies to lovers story (my fav!) and I found myself grow attached to both Madeline and Jasper only about a quarter into the book. There’s also a great side story that delves into Madeline’s family life and history that really adds to her character development. I believe this is categorized as a YA romance and, despite Madeline being 18 and Jasper being 19, they definitely acted immature for their age. The content and the ages fit more into the New Adult category but I can see why it’s categorized under YA instead.

This novel made me feel so warm and happy and was the perfect book escape from real life. It comes out May 2021 which is perfect because this book is begging to be read on the beach or laying out by the pool in the summer.

Last Chance Books is a story about a girl who works at a family-owned bookstore and her rivalry with a guy who works at a competing bookstore across the street. It's also a story about what it means to be family, and how some things eventually change or go away, no matter how much you don't want them to. I really enjoyed this book. I liked the writing—Madeline's voice was relatable. I loved reading characters who were big fans of reading. Last Chance Books had a romcom feel, inspired by You've Got Mail (without the online pen pal storyline), set in YA contemporary. Cute, fun, and great for fans of romcom YA contemporary!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley!

I personally enjoyed this one but I don’t think it is the best fit for my students due to some of the language in the story. I think an older YA audience would appreciate this more or adults who grew up on Meg Ryan movies.

This book was an absolute delight and truly delivered an updated take on You’ve Got Mail. A wonderful option for a compare/contrast assignment. A word of caution and consideration for the strong language used in the book (mature young adults would be best suited for this read).

I read Last Chance Books in one sitting in the span of a few hours...if I do that, then you know it is going to be a good book for me.

This book was a terrific story for any lover of books and romances. I loved the unique characters and relationships in the book (especially the family dynamic and Zelda & Madeline's friendship). This novel inspired so many bookstore memories and relatable reader moments that I lost count. There were even a few parts in the book that honestly surprised me and made me put my Kindle down in shock.

Also on a personal note the book took place in PA and as a fellow PA resident I loved seeing characters from my state talking about places I had been to or heard of before ( For instance, I almost went to Shippensburg and the main character of the book had been accepted there).

I thought the romance between Madeline and Jasper was very cute and they had me grinning so much throughout the book.

Finally, the ending of Last Chance Books was a bittersweet one. However, it was more sweet than bitter in my opinion.

Overall, this story was one filled with romance, friendship, family, and of course books. I loved this book and any fan of rom coms and books will love it too.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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

This book sounded like a book lover’s dream, and I’m one of those people who loves anything written about books. There was something so intriguing about a book about rival bookstore employees in a romance, and this book delivered on that. While it didn’t go exactly as I wanted it to, this book was still charming and fun.

Last Chance Books also highlights how important it is to support local and independent bookstores, because you never know how much your one sale could mean for their business staying open. The concept of Books and Moore possibly going out of business due to a chain bookstore being put nearby is one that is very important for any book lover (or non book lover) to read about, which is why this book stands out to me as much as it does. Madeline’s determination to stop Prologue from ruining their sales is what really drives this story, in more ways than one. Her rivalry with Jasper doesn’t go unnoticed, either, because it grows over time and constantly changes (maybe a bit too fast for such a short period of time, though). You never know who to root for in this story, because they both have huge flaws and I love that.*

Last Chance Books is definitely a 2021 (debut) release that is perfect for book lovers everywhere, especially those who love rivalry romance stories. 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.

*However, in real life, you always root for the independent bookstores.

Kelsey Rodkey had me at You've Got Mail and kept me with her witty banter and bookstore dreams.

That being said, Rodkey gives her story more than enough legs to stand on without the You've Got Mail comp. Sure there are competing bookstores and enemies to lovers, but there's so much more.

Madeline Moore has a complicated life and she reacts to situations in an equally complicated way. She's not perfect but lives her life unapologetically but does make amends when necessary. At first, I didn't like Jasper. He felt too mean. He likes Madeline but knows her store is going out of business, so why doesn't he help her? But then you have to remember that the characters are teenagers and self-obsessed, no matter what their redeeming qualities are, and teenagers shouldn't be expected to have super powers to save stores, especially at the expense of their own family's livelihood.

From the main characters to the secondary characters, Rodkey fills her story with characters who bring the town and everything about it to life. Especially the bookstores and the fangirling and the book events. So true to life. And while I didn't expect the ending, I approve and will still call it satisfying.

this is honestly one of the funniest books I have ever read in my entire life. Rodkey has SUCH a funny voice, and the banter and humor in this book have me completely in love with it. Between the perfect enemies-to-lovers vibes, the hilariously competing bookstores, the incredible complex mother-daughter relationship, and (truly I cannot emphasize this enough!!) the incredibly funny voice, this is truly a perfect book

This was a light read for us bookworms. I loved the setting of the book and will read anything about a bookstore. I gravitated to this book because of the cover. It was a good book to curl up with.

A sucker, that’s what I am. A sucker for love-hate romances, and I have no shame in that game. First, let’s just address that the plot is a slight rip-off of the 90s movie, You’ve Got Mail. An independent book store might be going out of business due to a large chain book retailer with two main characters that may or may not like each other. Thankfully, no AOL messenger emails are popping up in this one, and the characters are much younger. Aaannd, I now I realize I just dated myself with those words. Oh, well.

Madeline Moore is the niece of the owner of Books & Moore, and it’s Madeline’s life long dream to run it someday. It’s her happy place, the place she grew up, the place where she can get away from thinking about her somewhat estranged mom. She’s headed off to college in the fall but knows Books & Moore will be waiting for her when she gets back. Except, according to her aunt, they only have a few more months left before they’ll have to close. Madeline cannot accept this defeat and plots ways to come up with an obscene amount of money in a short time. Her anger toward the closing is easy to pin on the new chain across the street from her bookstore. It’s everything she hates about chain stores, and when she figures out that the very cute boy with whom she’s been flirting with the past two weeks works there, her anger is a sight to behold. Jasper might be easy on the eyes, but he’s just become enemy number one.

As Madeline and Jasper vie for most customers, their ways of going about it culminate into a scene no one could have imagined. Their spite for one another is amusing, and it’s easy to see that they genuinely do like each other underneath it all. Their antics start pretty benignly, and this war is forcing both of them to realize somethings about themself. Madeline is VERY passionate about this store and winning. Quite frankly, she becomes a little too one-sided in this cause. It affects her relationship with her half-brother, her mom, and causing her to delay the pouring of emotion that is inevitable when this store closes. This was fun to read, but seriously, she is not one to mess with when angered; I was a little scared of her. Be prepared for some unrealistic dialogue and banter (but I love that) from two recently graduated teens who feel just a tad too independent and grown-up to be one hundred percent authentic.

I received an advanced review copy of this courtesy of Netgalley.

I could have done without yet another failing book store story, but overall I thought this was a cute YA contemporary. The main characters felt interesting enough to make the story enjoyable and, while this wasn't a super memorable read for me, I'm not upset at the time spent reading it either.

Holy smokes, I loved this book. Like, literally everything about it. I'm so glad I read it before the new year so I could add it to my list of favorite 2020 reads.
It was just entirely charming and I haven't related to a character so well in what feels like ages. 5 million stars out of 10!