Pacing felt weird for me - but overall enjoyed! The MC had her moments, and I didn't realize this was part of a larger series. Fun read tho.

Good book that had a few slow parts. Not bad just slowed down the pace of the book for me. okay overall.

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and J. C. Peterson

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

"Lola at Last" by J. C. Peterson is a charming and relatable romance that explores the complexities of love, self-discovery, and personal growth. Peterson's storytelling prowess shines as she crafts a tale of friendship, unexpected feelings, and the journey to finding one's true self. The book's relatable characters and heartfelt plot create an immersive reading experience that resonates with young adult readers. Peterson skillfully delves into the emotions of young love and the challenges of navigating relationships and identity. "Lola at Last" is a touching reminder that sometimes, the path to love and self-acceptance is filled with twists and turns, leaving readers with a warm and satisfied feeling as they accompany Lola on her journey of transformation and connection.

This story was really cute. I got really upset in the beginning , but the author did a great at providing Lola with annoying traits and then making me care for her as the story went on. She really did remind me of Lydia’s Pride and Prejudice and it was such a unique modern adaption. I would have loved to see a little more built up with the romance. I love constant romantic and flirting scenes.

Lola at Last is officially up there in my top 3 favorite YA romances! It was funny, it was sweet, it was adventurous, and it was a breath of fresh air. I loved all of the characters (especially Ezra--new book boyfriend material!), the writing style (witty and sarcastic, with a beautiful reflection of hiking and nature), and the many, many lessons learned. I am just....astounded by how much I loved this book. Absolutely a breath of fresh air!

Lydia Bennet was given a modernized look in Lola at Last by J C Peterson. This was a really good YA novel, with a great voice and pacing!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

I enjoyed this book, however I did not really like Lola. The book was fun and entertaining, but not one of my favorites.

This is a nice, modern story of Lydia Bennet - her name is Lola. It started with a background story of what happened last year then the boat incident then the camping. Enjoyed this part of the story. Love the reflection, realization and reformation then the temptation. Aside from being contemporary, we all can relate to the story . The story contains life lessons that is applicable to anyone (even if you ar not as wild/carefree as Lola). A great entertaining read, with some self-improvement lessons.

Another great addition to this series following the Barnes sisters. This story follows Lola, one of the younger sisters of the family. Lola is loud and crazy and sometimes makes rash decisions that get her in trouble. When one of those choices leads to her burning down her sister and brother in laws yacht she is forced to go on a summer adventure learning to hike and survive in the wilderness. Along the way she discovers her true inner self and must bring that self to the forefront and make herself known in new ways to the ones who know and love her. A solid story of knowing who you are being being ok with you are.

I wish I had never requested this title.

The blurb was extremely interesting but Lola is just a crappy entitled person who gets chances she doesn't deserve. I thought I was getting a protagonist who got into trouble because she's a complex person, not a selfish one.

The writing was okay, just fine. Not horrible but nothing spectacular.

I'm not going to lie, this was a pure cover pick for me, but I am delighted to say that the cute cover largely matches the inside. This follows Lola Barnes, the youngest Barnes sister, and a modern version of Lydia Bennet. Lola at Last is actually the companion to this author's debut, Being Mary Bennet, but its not necessary to read that first. I think this is a really fun way to modernize the Bennet family and make them appeal to a younger audience. I loved the sister relationships in this, and think they were the strongest part of the book.

The weakest part was Lola herself, who takes far too long to move from her spoiled, popular girl characterization and move into someone who cares about other people and nature. Her whole character revolves around a program called Hike Like a Girl, which she is forced to join after burning down a yacht. I loved her journey with hiking and nature, but its a long road to get there. The best part of this plot is the group of girls in the program with her who are diverse, smart and funny, and always hold Lola accountable. Yay! Someone has to, since her too kind love interest and equally spoiled sisters don't.

Ultimately, this was fun, but not super amazing. It definitely has a space in teen libraries and I think Lola's story is entertaining and relatable. There's a great supporting cast, and a ton of lovely descriptions of nature, but nothing that truly makes this stand out. This gets three stars, but I don't have any super negative feelings!

Keeping this short and sweet today. I’d like to give my thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this arc copy.

I really enjoyed this light young adult novel and it’s been a while since I read one. My emotions were surprisingly on high with this one and made me want to reflect a little bit and go outside and enjoy nature. I didn’t realize this was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice’s Lydia Bennet but I can kind of see it now. Lola Barnes was having such a hard time in this book and my heart went out to her even though she was kind of whiny and for lack of better terms bitchy.

I’d recommend picking this up for the summer!

This book is the Lydia Bennet retelling of my dreams! I loved reading about Lola's journey to not only find herself, but accept herself. The whole cast of characters was chef's kiss, and I loved how Peterson wove the Barnes family in throughout the story to add depth and chaos, as any good Austen retelling should do. Can't wait to read what this author puts out next!

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.


I was not expecting to like Lola as much as I did. Lola starts off as a spoiled brat who takes no accountability for her actions and just wants to be popular with her old friends. After setting a yacht on fire while with those popular kids, Lola has a choice: police or Hike Like a Girl. When we get a deeper look into her, we find that she’s also just like every other teenager - she wants to fit in and belong. It actually broke my heart when I read these parts because Lola tries her best to fit in and she just doesn’t. Nobody really wants to be her friend.

This isn’t a YA romance, there are some romance elements that I thought were funny and cute. But instead it’s about a teenage girl finding what makes her happy and what makes her Lola.

I loved Being Mary Bennet and couldn't wait to read this companion novel! I love that this family is based on Pride and Prejudice, with this book following Lola, a modern-day Lydia Bennet. It's so easy to forget that Lydia was only 15 years old. Yes, she was annoying and made stupid decisions, but she was a young teenager still trying to figure out who she was and who she wanted. I loved that this book highlighted this struggle while discussing how to want to be cared for and want attention without being a "mean girl" who is willing to put others to the side for attention. I also loved that Lola was forced to make this discovery and try to become a better person through a hiking camp. It was a fun combo! I love these books and can't wait to see what J.C. Peterson writes next!

Lola has been a disaster for a while until she finally hit rock bottom. As a result, she was sent to France for boarding school for her junior year but has returned for senior year. She acts out once again in her anger of being pushed away by her old friends and ends up being forced to join Hike Like a Girl as a punishment. In the end, its a great coming of age story. Loosely based on Lydia Bennett's character from Pride and Prejudice, there are many character traits that do highlight this. On the other hand when you start reading its hard to even like Lola who comes off as a spoiled, entitled and vapid brat. It's a great read in my opinion if you can get past Lola before she starts changing.

🦇 Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ All my life I've been told to be quiet or stop being silly or dramatic. Because I was the youngest in my family or the classmate with an opinion or the girl trying to make jokes at the wrong time. Like I have audacity for taking up space. Maybe I'm loud and dramatic to prove I can be, to prove that I exist on my own even though sometimes it feels like everyone around me wants something different. ❞

❓ #QOTD When was the last time you were one with nature?❓

🦇 After a scandal at school and getting shipped off to a French boarding school, Lola is ready to return home to the Bay Area to reclaim her throne as a popular kid. Nothing is the way she left it, though. Her posse has abandoned her, Lola's lost her popular status, and her twin sister Kat is pulling away. After a stunt involving a tiny fire and a yacht (seriously, it was practically a dingy), she's forced to join the nonprofit Hike Like a Girl to—you guessed it—hike and become one with nature. Ew. When everyone expects Lola to fail and call it quits, she strives even harder to prove she's not the trainwreck everyone sees.

💜 J. C. Peterson does a wonderful job at shining a spotlight on certain realities. While Lola is forced to face the consequences of her actions more than once, her male counterpart gets off scot-free, demonstrating the double standard women often face. Lola is real and raw, too; she's a young, energetic, somewhat spoiled and shallow young woman who makes mistakes. Lola's many character flaws give her plenty of room for development. I didn't realize this was a modern Lydia Bennet story until I was halfway through, and it definitely changed my perspective because Lydia is...a challenge. You're more likely to enjoy this book from the start if you recognize her as the realistic but nearly unlikeable character she is. The prose is entertaining and high schooler-appropriate, too (a feat I've seen many seasoned writers struggle with).

🦇 It's a truth universally acknowledged that Lydia Bennet is the most difficult among the sisters to like. Writing a modern-day adaptation starring an entitled, attention-seeking, brattish MC is no easy feat. Unfortunately, we're not given any reason to like or connect with Lola until far into the story, making it difficult for readers to empathize with her (many) complaints. Lola also has a tendency to recognize her own destructive behavior, only to shrug it off and carry on. While it's refreshing to see a female character so confident in who she is that she doesn't need to change for others, it's frustrating to read as we wait for Lola to experience ANY character development. Lola has one tantrum after another without considering how her reactions affect those around her, and her apologies (which take ages) never feel genuine. Her reactions were only for the purpose of adding drama. Many of the supporting characters lack depth, while characters like her mother seem over-exaggerated. Since Lola is living a luxurious lifestyle, she's difficult to relate with on any level as well.

🦇 If you're a fan of Jane Austen or Austen adaptations like the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, you need to dive into this duology! Also recommended to anyone who knows what it feels like when people see you as "too much." Newsflash: you're not.

🪶 Austen Adaptation
🧸 Coming-of-Age
🌿 One With Nature
🌈 Queer Ships

❝ If you only define your self-worth through everyone else, you'll always be disappointed. ❞

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

☆REVIEW☆

“Two roads diverged in a wood. And I chose the one that led to me.”

Lola at Last is JC Peterson’s second novel — a sister story to Being Mary Bennet and a twist on Pride and Prejudice — that follows the escapades of sassy and sarcastic Lola Barnes. Lola’s life is going up in literal flames after she sets a yacht on fire. In order to avoid jail time, she’s forced to spend the summer with Hike Like a Girl, a nonprofit that teaches hiking and wilderness skills to young women. Lola is less than thrilled, whining that “I can’t camp! I mean, look at me. My hair is lavender. The term “sports bra” offends me.” But eventually, through the woods, Lola finds her true friends and true self.

I devoured this book in two sittings and found myself completely absorbed in the story and atmosphere. Peterson’s writing is sharp and witty and her characters feel like people you really know. Lola is such a chaotic, messy, and endearing character that no matter how many mistakes she makes, you still find yourself rooting for her. And I for one think she would really appreciate that my hiking boots are pink. I also adored Kat and Corinne’s story and hope we get to see more of them in the future.

This book felt like something meant to be truly experienced rather than just read. The nature scenes are written in such a way that you truly feel like you’re in the middle of the woods yourself. And as a fellow rock climber I really enjoyed seeing my favorite sport depicted on the page. Peterson’s writing feels like a love letter to the outdoors and to messy, complex women everywhere.