This was another heartfelt, funny contemporary romance from Emma Lord—the Mamma Mia retelling is original and fun, with enough nods to the original while also bringing a really new viewpoint. The romance arc was so satisfying, the scenes funny, and the themes brimming with emotional depth.

When Millie finds her Dad’s LiveJournal from 2003, she hatches a plan to find her mom, loosely inspired by Mamma Mia(she is a Broadway star in the making, after all).

This was so sweet and exactly what I needed to read! I love the premise - combing through her dad’s cringey blog entries and actually finding the women who appear there in the right time frame was chaotic and hilarious. The situations Millie ends up in are fun and meaningful, and I especially enjoyed the internship storyline with Oliver - it was all very sweet from the beginning even though they butt heads.

I enjoyed how it all weaves together, and I even cried during parts - it was lighthearted with just enough emotion to keep me invested in these characters. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a fun New York setting and some quirky characters. It’s a bit of a love letter to theatre, and it left me feeling warm and happy.

3.5/5⭐️

Personally I wanted to like this one more than I did, but I’m sure many will like it unreservedly.

There are basically three plots going on…finding a mom you’ve never known, arch enemy angst/resolution and making decisions (as a teenager) about what comes next in realizing your dream.

The plot was fine, the writing was good. But I had a hard time liking Millie (the main character) most of the time. I understand that as a theater kid, she’s an extrovert who lives and breathes drama, both onstage and off. But she came off to me as abrasive and temperamental, and as she seemed to be spoiled and at the whims of her uncontrollable “Millie Moods” much of the time, I guess that’s not surprising? My favorite characters here were her bff Teddy and arch enemy Oliver.

Yes, I know this is YA, and there’s some growing up to be done, but if I could have responded more favorably to Millie and if the ending had not been so perfectly perfect, I would have enjoyed it far more.

My thanks to #NetGalley , #WednesdayBooks and the author for providing me the free early arc of #WhenYouGetTheChance for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I had high hopes for When You Get the Chance after absolutely adoring Tweet Cute and You Have a Match. When You Get the Chance exceeded all of my expectations! I LOVED it. Emma Lord knocked it out of the park once again!

When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord

Millie has her sights set on stardom. She is a musical theater high school student in NYC but she doesn't quite have it all figured out yet. She was raised by her dad and his sister. she does not know her mother, but she knows her mother was involved in theater. She sets out on a quest to find her mother - she identifies three potential mothers and intertwines her lives with theirs in order to try to learn more about herself through an internship, dance classes, etc.

I struggled with this book. I felt exasperated by Millie's character at times, she was so overblown and dramatic. However, this is a YA book and that may be true to character for Millie. At one point one of the other characters said "I don't hate you, I'm exhausted by you". That stuck with me. Millie is a force to be reckoned with but it was a bit much for me. I will say that while I struggled to stay engaged with the book, it did resolve nicely, with Millie learning to reign herself in a bit. Overall, I'd rate it 3.5 stars,

This was pure YA perfection! I have a such a soft spot for Emma Lord - I mean, she's like a cool older sister on IG (I adore her). I love Mamma Mia so just knowing this was a gender-reversed version where our MC, Millie, needed to find her mom, sign me up!

The writing in this story flowed beautifully. As we follow Millie get into one mess after another, the story and who she is as an individual unfolds in such a pleasing way. It's like Emma Lord found the perfect recipe to give us just enough to remain invested and want to follow Millie. All of Millie's interactions were so great and full of amazing character growth. The enemies-to-lovers storyline was seriously top notch. Like damn, Emma Lord really knows the way to my heart.

The ending/epilogue was absolutely perfect! This family is just so huge and disorganized and a true mish mash but it works so well. You could just feel the happiness radiating off the page and my smile was huge through reading it.

Also, if you're still hesitant about reading this one - the reveal, I promise, is one that you will definitely not see coming AT ALL. I was genuinely shocked.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an e-ARC :)

An adorable YA contemporary with Emma Lord's signature voice. However I miss the more romcom centric approach her debut Tweet Cute had.

Millie (short for Camille, although easily could be equated to Millie from Thoroughly Modern Millie) is a musical theatre nerd in the extreme. It’s good that she lives in New York because she would lost in a small town in the middle of nowhere. We follow her navigating through trying to get her single parent father to let her go away to a musical theatre pre-college, essentially skipping her senior year of high school. When he inevitably says no, her solution is to ask her mother to convince HER to let her go. Only problem, she’s never met her mother. She was dropped off by her mom on her dad’s doorstep when she was an infant, and Millie has been raised by him and his sister, Heather. When Millie discovers that there are 3 potential women who could be her mom living in the city, she takes matters into her own hands. The antics ensue from there.

One thing I loved about this premise, is how much Millie identifies that her situation is reminiscent of Mamma Mia. So far as she and her best friend Teddy, begin calling it her Millie Mia. This book is completely filled with an abundance of musical theatre references (which some may think are too much, but as a musical theatre nerd, I LOVED). And the relationships between Millie and all her supporting cast (hah hah) were very well developed. From her best friend across the hall Teddy, to her arch-nemesis Oliver, to her potential younger half-sister Chloe, her aunt Heather, and to her father, my personal favorite, Cooper. Each relationship feels fully fleshed out and has backstory. And I love how you learn about each of the characters in their lives OUTSIDE of Millie.

One of the biggest things this book also solidified for me. I may read YA books 95% of the time, but I’m in my mid 30s. Do I still fall for the clear love interest? Nope, I’m falling for the single dad every time.

All in all, I loved this book so much. Easy 5/5 from me for this book. My only little nitpicky issue, is that, throughout the whole book, “theatre” is spelled “theater.” Small gripe, but that’s just me. I had to get over it.

Emma lord writes enemies to lovers like none other! This book had me feeling absolutely giddy. I smiled at almost every interaction between Millie and Oliver. Millie is an extrovert in every way and even though I am the complete opposite (a total introvert) I really saw my 16 year old self in her. I really loved teddy and millies sibling relationship. It’s really nice to read about friends like that! This book was honestly one of the best I’ve read this year and I don’t even know how to form a coherent thought because my only thought is “AHHHHH I LOVE IT” I seriously can’t wait for everyone to read about the shenanigans that Millie and Oliver get into!!!

As expected Lord delivers an adorable, yet somewhat cerebral romcom with a satisfying conclusion. In this story, our protagonist, Millie, is a musical theater addict on her own “Millie Mia” quest for her birth mother. There are enough twists to keep the reader guessing and the enemies to lovers trope is well done. I usually can’t appreciate those relationships, but this one worked. Give this to any musical theater enthusiast.

Obsessed!! Seriously just obsessed with Millie and Oliver and Teddy and Heather and Cooper and the whole quirky gang! I’ve actually never seen Mamma Mia (remedying that ASAP), so I’m sure I missed a lot of references, but I loved following Millie’s journey to discover who her mom is! It’s such a great coming of age story as Millie finds a part of herself and a lot more along the way. I loved all of the theater and nerdy references. By the end you feel like Millie is your friend and is some ways that you are Millie and you won’t want the book to end.

I will read anything and everything that Emma Lord puts on a page of paper and binds together in book form.

This was absolutely a 5-star read for me that I couldn't put down. Just a funny, sweet, heart-warming story that everyone should give a read to.

Thank you for the early copy!

It had always just been Millie, her dad, and her aunt. That was their family. But, after discovering her father’s LiveJournal from his pre-Millie years, she embarked on her own “Millie Mia”, the search for her mother.

Can you see it? The big stupid grin I’m wearing. Well, it’s all due to Emma Lord. Once again, Lord has succeeded in lifting my spirits and filling me with joy. I might not have fully bought into what drove Millie to find her mother, but the journey was everything and more.

I swear, I wanted to be best friends with every character in this book. Our star, Millie, actually had a lot of star quality. Vibrant colors and musical notes were emitted from the page with each Millie encounter. She had that sort of B I G personality you expect from a theatre kid, but she also had a squishy heart and some insecurities too. I personally adored all sides of her.

Her aunt, her nemesis, her best friends — all of these characters endeared themselves to me, but it was dad that won my heart. I was just so taken by this man who found himself a single father at twenty years old. He spent all the years since trying to be the best dad he could. If that wasn’t enough, there was this one scene between him and Millie that was so touching that my heart melted. Actual goo. Yes, lots of feels.

As always, Lord had me laughing up a storm. In addition to being great characters, they also had witty personalities and engaged in some amusing conversations. Even if they did nothing, I would enjoy hearing their thoughts and verbal exchanges because they tended to elicit giggles and guffaws from me with each encounter.

The humor, the romance, the shenanigans — I expected them all, but I was surprised by how many twists Lord was able to throw in there. Well done! There were things I saw coming from a mile away, but many others that made me go 😲 WHAT!!! Then Lord wrote the most perfect ending, and BOOM! My sappy heart exploded. So good. It was simply perfection.

This may have been a search for her mother, but Millie found so much more than what she was looking for. She found love in a most unlikely place. She uncovered so many things about herself. She rediscovered the wonderful things she already had. If asked, I would describe this story as a bucket of sunshine which left me with a gooey heart and an ear-to-ear grin.

Emma Lord is my new favourite queen of sweet, fun and bighearted YA reads.

The only things bigger than Millie Price's personality and singing voice is her dream of becoming a Broadway star. What's standing in her way? Her introverted, single dad and her drama club rival, Oliver. When Millie accidentally finds her dad's old journal, she knows what she is going to do- find an ally in her theater loving mother who dropped her off on her dad's doorstep years ago. But how will digging into her past impact Millie's future?

As soon as Millie started rehearsing songs for her Mamma Mia audition, I knew what I was in for. This gender-swapped Mamma Millie storyline was adorable. Think Definitely Maybe but with tons of musical references and musical theater name drops. My sister is long-time Rent-head and I immediately started texting her while reading because I knew she would love it. This will definitely be the bible for theater kids everywhere.

One of the sweetest parts of the book was the father/daughter relationship. Millie's dad made the choice to be a single father when he was only 21 and Millie was the priority of his life. In turn, Millie grew up feeling that her father was parent enough. It was really heartwarming.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. You can pick up your copy of this gem when it's published on January 4 2022!

This was such a cute book. I loved the idea of the "reverse Mamma Mia" while trying to find her mother. Millie was such a fun character, and I enjoyed being with her on her journey. If you were/are a theatre kid, you will adore this book. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

This is a fun romp behind the scenes of the musical theater industry in NYC as aspiring actress, Millie, prepares for her next steps after high school, takes a summer internship with her arch rival, Oliver, and starts a search for her birth mother.

This was quick and entertaining. There are numerous strong females in Millie’s life and for me this was a strength.

Millie herself is a bit neurotic and I did find the references to “Millie moods”, regular emotional breakdowns, overdone and not very believable.

There are sweet romance and many heartfelt family moments. Overall this is entertaining and not too deep.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma Lord has quickly become one of my favorite YA authors. I just read Tweet Cute and You Have A Match a few weeks ago, and I loved them.

Millie (the main character) was very refreshing to read about. It's not the I'm-not-like-the-other-girls trope, but she's stands out when compared to other female protagonists in YA. You never know what she's going to do, and I loved that about her.

The romance was everything I could have asked for. It is important to note that, because romance isn't the main focus, you shouldn't go into this looking for purely a cute and fluffy romance. It is an enemies to lovers, and although I don't like the word "enemies" in this context, but that's the trope so,,,

The real story is about Millie trying to find her mother. There were some very cute moments with her potential moms. I really liked Millie's relationship with her father and aunt.

I love found family more than any other trope, and Millie and Teddy, her best friend, had that. They acted like siblings in every possible way.

Although this isn't my favorite book Emma Lord has written, I still really enjoyed it. It's a quick read and I enjoyed every second of it.

Actual rating: 4.5/5

When You Get the Chance stars Millie, a rising senior who has big Broadway dreams and the talent to back it up. She was raised by a single dad and aunt who have always supported her in all of her endeavors. But when she and her best friend, Teddy, stumble upon her dad’s LiveJournal page from 2003, she starts wondering more about her mom and sets off on a journey to find her in a very Mamma Mia-like fashion. Add in a rivals-to-lovers romance and a great cast of supporting characters and you’ve got an award-worthy read!
I highly recommend listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack while reading this one just to really give yourself the full immersive experience. This book was full of theater and Broadway references as well as a lot of love for Nee York City. If you’re a fan of bright lights in the big city, this one is definitely for you.
Millie was such a fun and energetic main character. She was truly infectious and magnetic and I was rooting for her throughout the whole story. I was totally emotionally invested in her goal of finding her mom and pursuing her dream of starting in a musical. I loved that she was confident in herself but also showed character growth over the course of the book.
This was a fun and fast read that focused a lot on family, finding and being yourself and creating the perfect milkshake. It was super sweet and I can’t wait to keep reading more books by this author!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When You Get the Chance is every theatre kid’s dream read. Millie Price is a star on the stage, but when the chance of a lifetime is on the line, she decides to really get into method acting for the (probably) upcoming production of Mamma Mia and find her long-unknown mother. What results is Millie’s own personal Millie Mia, with its own shocking revelations, dramatic breakdowns, and song-worthy discoveries. But what Millie thinks she wants isn’t necessarily what she ends up wanting, and she has to decide who and what in her life are truly important.

This book is a blast from start to finish. Millie is such a fun, dramatic, no-holding-back character, and while she can certainly be a diva, her ability to make friends with everyone keeps her sweet. Without that sweetness to balance her out, Millie would probably be too much, but I found her to be just right. Her willingness to be all-in to chase her dreams sets her on the path to finding her mother, and Millie tackles the challenge with the same enthusiasm she has for every other aspect of her life.

However, that enthusiasm sometimes gets her into awkward situations, like a competition for an internship against her arch nemesis or dance lessons with her maybe half-sister. I loved that Millie, despite being good at a lot of things, isn’t good at everything. She’s a flawed character, but she knows her weaknesses and doesn’t let them stop her. Her two left feet won’t keep her from earning her place in the spotlight, and her rivalry with her stage manager, Oliver, won’t keep her from getting a summer job. Forget the unsinkable Molly Brown; this is the unstoppable Millie Price, and I constantly had a smile on my face wondering what situation she’d find herself in next.

But Millie doesn’t usually find herself alone in these situations, and the heart of this book lies in her relationships with friends and family. This book portrays many different types of relationships—father/daughter, old friends, new friends, mentor/mentee, enemies-to-friends-to-BF/GF—and they’re all amazing. I especially loved the relationship between Millie and her father, Cooper. The two are really close because he was technically a single father, and the ways they interact with one another just feel really sweet and special. I also really liked the relationships Millie builds with her three potential mothers. Each of these relationships is different, but they all give Millie something she needs, even if she didn’t know it was something she needed.

As these three relationships deepen, Millie’s motivations begin to shift, causing her to question what she’s really searching for and whether the future she began fighting for will be worth it in the end. I loved seeing this shift in Millie’s mindset—it highlights the reality that sometimes dreams can change, but that doesn’t mean you gave up or failed in any way. Rather, it means that your priorities have changed, and in Millie’s case, it means she loses a bit of her divaness and starts thinking a bit more about what her choices mean for others.

Of course, that doesn’t mean she loses all of her divaness, and that plays right into the dramatic reveal of her mother. I honestly didn’t expect things to turn out the way they did, but I was quite pleased in the end. Ms. Lord has done a nice job of laying out little hints and clues that aren’t necessarily clear until you know who Millie’s mother is, and the scene between the two in which the truth is revealed is bittersweet but powerful, as is the scene in which Millie tells her father that she knows the truth.

Drama aside—well, there’s really no putting drama aside in a book about theatre kids. I loved reliving my high school theatre kid days and remembering how over-the-top everything in the theatre feels. I also loved all the musical references, and I totally relate to Millie belting out show tunes when I’m at home alone. As I said at the start, this book is written for theatre kids because they’ll immediately feel a connection to Millie and her friends’ crazy thespian ways.

When You Get the Chance is a book about chasing your dreams but not forgetting the ones who helped you build those dreams in the first place. Featuring amazing relationships and a fantastic leading lady, Emma Lord’s third novel is a hit from the opening line to the final note.

Millie wants to go to this school on the other side of the country, but her father is set against it. The argument, plus discovering her dad's old journal online, spikes one curiosity she'd never really had: how is her mother? So she'll go around meeting the three contenders to get to know them and maybe feel the special connection.

It's strange that I'd usually hate Millie's personality. She's a drama queen, she's moody, she's too confident to the point of presumptuous. And yet, it was refreshing, because her reactions were unexpected, leading the story out of the YA cliché. Even though this is obviously inspired my Mamma Mia, that also didn't make it predictable. It's not that there are so many plot twists it'll blow your mind, but it's far from being more of the same.

Of course, there's a romance going on and it's super cute. I'm in love with this couple. At the same time, it's not the point of the story. I think that maybe Emma Lord had attempted this in her previous book, which was also about biological family, two sisters finding each other. But this time it was much more enjoyable to me. This book reminded a little of Julie Buxbaum, so you'll probably like it if you're a fan of hers.

If I had to deduct point, though, it would be because of the ending. I'm not sure what happened there but I'm sure something must have happened. For the last fifth or so, the book loses rhythm and it feels like the plot is all over the place. Although the conclusion is great, the way it's presented was messy. It happens what I'd want to happen but not how, I think that was the problem for me. The last chapter is basically an epilogue, but there's a lot of stuff going on and we're just told how it all resolved. It's true the book was already dragging so if it had tried to "show not tell" it would be even longer. However, the fix was still not good, in my opinion. Luckily, it wasn't enough to undo how pleasant everything else had already been.

This was a fun and quick read, but it also had depth. I'm sure it would be a wonderful pick for a buddy or a group read. In any case, I recommend it to all lovers of contemporary YA looking for something to warm your hearts and also make you laugh.