A cute, sweet, fun read, about self discovery, theatre, family, finding yourself and growth. A good read esp if you are into the arts

This was a really sweet story with a nod to Mamma Mia!

I enjoyed high school senior Millie's journey to find out who her mother is, in addition to discovering what's really important to her and what she wants out of the future. The relationships are wonderful - quirky, cute, awkward, and so endearing. I love theater so that aspect was fun for me as well. It's a picture perfect ending for a group of people all searching for a bit of their purpose.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free review copy.
I loved Emma Lord's previous two books, so I was super excited for this one. However, I am not the right reader for it. This book is for young adults that love theaters, musicals, and plays. Millie was such a unique character - I enjoyed reading about a young adult that was sure of what she wanted out of life. While she still had things to figure out, she did have confidence that I think is important to portray in these kinds of books. I also loved how friendly she was overall to some of the minor characters that come in later in the story. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition between Teddy and Oliver, though I also did enjoy how they didn't contrast towards the end of the book. I did enjoy the growth Millie had when it came to Cooper, her dad. He's a single father. She has some hard, yet necessary realizations about him and his decisions that can be related to by teens that don't agree with their parents decision on a big

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

So, Emma Lord wrote a book after my nerdy, Broadway-loving heart. This was such a fun read and I didn't want to put it down. It's basically a gender-swapped Mamma Mia with an enemies-to-lovers romance and references to several of my favorite musicals. This is a book where the theater kids take charge, but even if theater isn't your thing, I think you'll still enjoy the excitement and the heart in this book. At the core this is a story about finding family – both those related by blood and those we form strong bonds with along the way. Millie's story really touched me, and even though I wouldn't say there were many heavily sad moments, there were times I surprised myself by tearing up in response to the strong emotions this girl feels inside. There's a lot of running around New York and discovering secrets that makes the story feel like a real adventure as well. I love reading a book that just feels like fun, and that's what this was.

One of the things that made this book was the amazing cast of characters. Millie is an awesome protagonist. She is loud and a diva and loves to be the center of attention, but her big personality is balanced by a real fear and vulnerability that will make readers connect with her. She's got big moods that she doesn't understand, and big dreams that she will do anything to reach. She's also funny, witty, kind, and a great friend. The perfect protagonist for this novel. I also love the fact the supporting characters are just as fun an interesting to read about. Millie's nerdy, anxious dad and uber-cool aunt make an awesome parenting duo. Her best friend Teddy is a super supportive, geocaching nerd with a cute romance subplot of his own, and each of her potential moms have fun personalities that drew me in as much as they did Millie.

Then, of course, there's Oliver. Like many, I am a fan of the enemies-to-lovers subplot, and this one was done so adorably. Oliver and Millie are rivals and they end up competing for a spot at an internship, which leads to many fun shenanigans. I love that they are both mean to each other in a playful way, but that it's very clear that both of them are good people who just need to realize what a cute couple they make!

Overall I really loved this book. Definitely my favorite Emma Lord book to date, and I think the perfect book to usher in a new year of awesome reads in 2022!

Oh my gosh, what a cute and fun read! YA romcoms are sometimes hit or miss for me, but I’m really glad I got to read this Mamma Mia-esque book! It was so so good

thank you to netgalley & the publishers for giving me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars.

when you get the chance is an absolute joyride of a novel, and i'm so glad i got to read an advanced copy of it. emma lord's books never fail to make me smile, and this was no exception.

the plot of when you get the chance is at once extremely simple and ridiculously complicated, something emma lord is excellent at pulling off – it's improbable, but somehow still realistic, and therefore thoroughly enjoyable to read. it's essentially a mamma mia retelling, set in new york and following millie price, a teen girl who dreams of being a broadway star, and with the cutest rivals-to-lovers romance thrown in. honestly, what's not to like?

my favorite thing about emma lord's books will doubtlessly always be the characters and their dynamics. i was rooting for millie, the protagonist, right from the start, and loved all the side characters from the second they appeared on page. millie's dynamic with oliver, her high school rival turned love interest, is truly excellent and i adored reading about them both. i also loved millie's dynamic with her best friend teddy, and enjoyed getting to know all her potential moms throughout the book.

all in all, this was just such a fun read. i mean, yeah, the plot was predictable at times, but honestly that just added to the potential comfort-read status of this novel. it didn't demand too much of me as a reader, but managed to keep me perfectly entertained, and sometimes that's all you need in a book. emma lord truly does not, and i'm beginning to believe could not, disappoint.

original review: emma lord’s books just hit different it’s true … ( rtc closer to pub date !! )

this was a fun, light-hearted YA romcom, perfect for fans of mamma mia, theather, or new york! it was my first emma lord novel and it made me want to read her others! millie is a character you easily see yourself root for. she's childish per moment, but when you realize she's only 16/17, her behavior makes sense.

i really had a fun time reading this book! thank you to the publisher for this advance copy, all thoughts are my own.

Mamma Mia meets Broadway in @dilemmalord newest book When You Get the Chance.

It has been so ling since I’ve read a sweet and fun YA book like this one and it was so refreshing.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by St. Martin’s Press and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Sweet, fun YA book that even adults like myself can enjoy.

When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord is a Young Adult (YA) story that is sure to make you smile. It’s just pure fun from cover to cover. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t tackle serious subjects, it does, but that the seriousness is surrounded by fun engaging characters and a lively plot that will entertain you in the best way.

Millie Price loves everything Broadway musical and is determined to make it to the stage one day. She lives in New York City with her introverted dad who has a tech job and works from home. She gets a chance to attend a prestigious arts pre-college program on the west coast but when her dad is reluctant to let her go, she collaborates with her nerdy neighbor to find her mother, who left her with her father when she was a baby. Teddy, the nerdy neighbor kid she grew up with, helps to find an old LiveJournal Millie’s dad wrote back when he was in college and the journal entries give hints as to who Millie’s mother is. They find three possible “mothers” who all live in NYC. Stephanie, a personal assistant to a high-powered agent, Beth, another theater nerd who hosts theater meet-ups, and Farah, a dance instructor.

As Millie works to become more acquainted with these three women, she continues to cross paths with her arch-nemesis, Oliver, a stage manager at her high school. Oliver and Millie got off to a bad start Freshman year and have worked to aggravate each other ever since. But, when their paths keep crossing and they have to work together, they become closer and feelings start to develop. Millie has her hands full this summer after her junior year of high school. Find her mother and get permission to go to the pre-college program in California.

I just loved this book. Millie is such a force of nature. She is unapologetically loud, dramatic, and unashamed, and I loved her. She is such a musical theater nerd and loves the stage and everything Broadway in such a passionate way, you just can’t help but root for Millie. I enjoyed the way the characters ran around NYC and I could tell the author has a love and deep knowledge of the city that shone brilliantly in her writing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially anyone who loves musical theater. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As much as I was super keen to read more by this author, who is quickly becoming a fave, I was a little worried about some similar echoes to her sophomore debut what with another family-based secret and/or discovery being a main plot point. But honestly this was so different that if you are likewise worried, don't be.

I'll also admit (yes, we're apparently starting off with all the negatives, why not) that Millie took some time to warm up to. And she had her moments (not to be confused with her Millie Moods). But, like all Lord books, the vibes, the warmth, the ensemble, it all just.. works.

I'm not sure this outshines TWEET CUTE but it might be on par with YOU HAVE A MATCH. This has a fewer laugh out loud moments but makes up for it by one of the sweetest best-friend relationships and there is some good quality banter between Millie and her love interest.

This made me both long to watch <i>Mamma Mia!</i> (the story more or less follows the plot of the musical) and also cringe in fear at the idea of someone related to me discovering an old LiveJournal (god, so many horrors, yes, I did just do a quick google to make sure I had deleted mine) but, despite how wrong and weird the whole investigative plot went, I really liked how -- sneaky underhanded intentions notwithstanding -- Millie did it and how it ended up. And much like Millie herself, I actually forgot what the catalyst was that made her finally set out to determine who her mother might be. Sure, it wasn't the real reason, it wasn't the only reason, but it was the push. But in doing so it shed light on all the strength and love and greatness she had in her life even without a mother and that.. that was lovely and sweet and yes okay fine I teared up a few times whatever.

I don't think this contemporary is such a standout that I'll remember it as vividly as, say, Lord's debut, but in an era where my YA consumption is going down, and everything feels like it's already been done to death, this left me feeling really content and delighted and soft and I had a really good time with these characters. With three books under her belt, this author is an auto-read for me and I'm excited to see what she does next.

Nothing stops Millie when she has her heart set on something, absolutely nothing. For better or worse.
Millie has spent most of her life dreaming of being a Broadway star. She even went viral as a little girl singing but wound up so embarrassed by it that she’s been running away from that version of herself ever since.
Millie has been accepted to a very prestigious school pre-college. She waits until she’s accepted before she tells her dad. By this point, she’s put a lot of hard work into getting accepted. She has her heart set on this school and she’s not willing to take her dad’s no for an answer.

Millie does something she’s never done before, she goes looking for her biological mother. When Millie was born, her mother gave her up to Millie’s dad. Millie doesn’t know the details, she’s never really asked. Millie’s dad was only 20 when he found out he was a father. He took on parenting whole heartedly and Millie was raised by him and his sister Faith. Millie was raised in a very loving home and she didn’t necessarily feel the need for her biological mother.
But she has always felt the sadness of the fact that her mother didn’t want her, her mother gave her away.

Through a chain of events, Millie finds her dad’s old Live Journal account from 2003 when he was in college. Millie knows that one of the women he mentioned in his journal is likely her mom.

When Millie’s dad says no to the school, Millie decides to find her mom. She thinks her mom will fight her side, she thinks her mom will understand her need for the theatre more than her dad does.

So she lines up ways to meet each of the women mentioned.
One has an internship available which Millie promptly applies for, much to the chagrin of her nemesis Oliver who applied first.
One is a dance instructor. Millie has two left feet and actually could use dance classes, so she signs up.
One hosts a meeting for theatre lovers. Millie starts attending the meetings and immediately meets the woman’s daughter who is just a couple of years younger than Millie.

By this point you’ll definitely be getting Mamma Mia and Definitely, Maybe vibes. Because there’s a part of Millie that feels connected to each of these women and wants to keep them all in her life.

What started as a way to convince her dad to let her attend school turns into something much bigger. Millie realizes she’s been trying to figure out who she herself really is all of these years. She also realizes that Oliver is not actually a jerk. And she managed to grateful expand her social circle in the process.

I was really smiling at the happy way this story wrapped up.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley, thank you! I love the way this author can create a really emotional story but not make it too heavy to enjoy.

This book was pretty adorable! I didn’t even realize it was a YA novel at first, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to my high school students, especially any who are interested in performing arts, especially musical theatre. I love that there were so many references to musicals with the underlying premise being a play on the Mamma Mia storyline. It felt a little slow for me in the middle, but picked up my interest for the last third of the book and I liked it a lot.

This book was so amazing! It had me hooked from the beginning. Firstly, I really love the cover. There’s just something about it. The plot was amazing. I loved Mamma Mia and I love Millie Mia even more. Millie is just so out there and I think all of us should be as confident as Millie. I love how she finds herself and stays true to herself. She messes up, as we all do, but she always makes up for it. I would so read this again! Overall, I’m obsessed.

Emma Lord does not miss. I loved Tweet Cute and I loved You Have Match but this one absolutely is my new favorite from her. I think Millie as a character was so relatable and well written, and I really loved how this story had a lot of heart.

This was the kind of book where you kinda know exactly what’s going to happen right from the beginning, but it’s still so enjoyable getting to the end. I do have to say that there was a part that actually did surprise me though, which was nice and unexpected.

I also think that one of her strengths as an author is referencing things from pop culture without sounding corny or having it feel forced. Lord can capture a teenagers voice really well, which is good because there’s always the chance of dialogue sounding like it came from riverdale which was so not the case here.

I had such a great time reading this, and I can’t wait for January 2022 when everyone else can too! Easy five stars.

It’s not a matter of if you will become obsessed with Mamma Mia after reading this book, but when—the end? The beginning? The entire book? Time will tell my friends. Time will tell.

When You Get the Chance is beyond amazing. Emma Lord knows what she’s doing and weaves her stories in the best way. If you’ve kept up with her books, think the wit and humor of Tweet Cute with the family drama of You Have a Match.

When You Get the Chance follows Millie Price, a Broadway obsessed teen, haunted by her less than ideal big break from when she was a kid. To rise to stardom, she auditions for a precollege program and gets in. The problem: her dad doesn’t want her to go. She needs her mom to convince him. Enter her mother—or three possible mothers. Millie doesn’t know who her mother is, but with the help of her best friend Teddy, she’s narrowed it down to three women who all love Broadway as much as Millie.

I realized typing that out, that the premise can sound a little shallow, but there is a lot of depth to this book. It deals a lot with self-image and the question of what family is, but humor balances it out and keeps it light-hearted.

Another thing I loved about this book is that you really shouldn’t like Millie, but you can’t help yourself. She’s shallow, conceited, arrogant, selfish, attention seeking—shall I go on? But despite all that, she wiggles her way into your heart and you can’t help but like her. I think part of it is that she knows these things about herself and owns it, but she’s also a good person at heart.

Also, I’ve said this about Emma Lord’s other books, but I’ll say it again—I love that all the characters have personalities. No character is reduced to Potential Mom #3 or Love Interest’s Brother. She finds little ways to reveal her characters’ personalities and I love that.
I will say, I did figure out who the mom was pretty early on. It was kind of a “ooh what if it was her? That would be interesting” type of thing. Turns out I was right. But she does keep you guessing and doubting for awhile there.

And I loved the references to Broadway—especially Mamma Mia. Anybody into Broadway Musicals will probably love this, and even you aren’t, you can appreciate it.
In the end, this book was fantastic! I gave it five stars and I will definitely be preordering a copy. I need it on my shelf!

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!

Best lines:
“You can’t throw my dad into introvert hell if you can’t take the heat, too. All the introverts in this building are going to suffer right now.”

“Sing what?” I ask, pulling my hair out from under the body mic wire. Honestly, they could tell me to start freestyle rapping my own Social Security number and I wouldn’t flinch.

And then I do what I do best—I get impossible shit done.

When You Get the Chance is beyond amazing. Emma Lord knows what she’s doing and weaves her stories in the best way. If you’ve kept up with her books, think the wit and humor of Tweet Cute with the family drama of You Have a Match.
When You Get the Chance follows Millie Price, a Broadway obsessed teen, haunted by her less than ideal big break from when she was a kid. To rise to stardom, she auditions for a precollege program and gets in. The problem: her dad doesn’t want her to go. She needs her mom to convince him. Enter her mother—or three possible mothers. Millie doesn’t know who her mother is, but with the help of her best friend Teddy, she’s narrowed it down to three women who all love Broadway as much as Millie.
I realized typing that out, that the premise can sound a little shallow, but there is a lot of depth to this book. It deals a lot with self-image and the question of what family is, but humor balances it out and keeps it light-hearted.
Another thing I loved about this book is that you really shouldn’t like Millie, but you can’t help yourself. She’s shallow, conceited, arrogant, selfish, attention seeking—shall I go on? But despite all that, she wiggles her way into your heart and you can’t help but like her. I think part of it is that she knows these things about herself and owns it, but she’s also a good person at heart.
Also, I’ve said this about Emma Lord’s other books, but I’ll say it again—I love that all the characters have personalities. No character is reduced to Potential Mom #3 or Love Interest’s Brother. She finds little ways to reveal her characters’ personalities and I love that.
I will say, I did figure out who the mom was pretty early on. It was kind of a “ooh what if it was her? That would be interesting” type of thing. Turns out I was right. But she does keep you guessing and doubting for awhile there.
And I loved the references to Broadway—especially Mamma Mia. Anybody into Broadway Musicals will probably love this, and even you aren’t, you can appreciate it.
In the end, this book was fantastic! I gave it five stars and I will definitely be preordering a copy. I need it on my shelf!
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of When You Get the Chance!

This book was so cute. As someone who doesn’t typically read YA contemporary, I didn’t really know what to expect going into it. I was impressed with how engaging the story was (I read it in 2 sittings).

Following Millie through her Mama Mia summer was was funny, heartwarming, and overall just really wholesome. I loved all the side characters: her not-so-arch-enemy Oliver, her quirky dad Cooper and aunt Heather, and all the potential moms.

If you love coming of age stories and Broadway, this book is for you!

Millie Price, lover of theatre, friend to Teddy and rival to Oliver is dropped on her fathers door as a baby and left for her father and her Aunt Heather to raise. It isn't until she wants to attend a fancy theatre school that her Dad isn't ready to let her go to, that she begins to question who her mother might be. Together with Teddy they begin the detective work to narrow down who her mother could really be. Her hope is that her real mother would be the one to convince her father to let her chase her dreams. The subsequent meddling has unexpected consequences for everyone involved and leads to a series of events and a very surprising ending. I loved the discussion about the "Millie moods", the romance, the theatre references and the coming of age identity searching.