The Last Love Song is beyond phenomenal. Kalie Holford's debut novel has lit me to and made her an auto-buy author for me. This novel is so beautifully written and deeply vulnerable. I was floored by the journey Mia was taken on my her mother, the music, her love, and her dreams. Holford's incredible story made me cry, smile, and made me remember just how much chasing your dreams matters. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the digital ARC!

Kalie Holford's THE LAST LOVE SONG is warm and loud and magical and romantic. A queer retelling of Mamma Mia, it follows the daughter of a late musician on her quest to discover herself through a scavenger hunt, left to her posthumously by her mother. Readers will resonate with themes of self-discovery in that vulnerable period right after high school graduation, where many teens are figuring out their paths. This book is pure joy.

I would love to interview Kalie on my podcast in April or even in June. The Last Love Song was such a swoon worthy book and I couldn’t put it down!!

Wow, I loved this. It feels a bit strange admitting that I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but that's the truth.

Even though Mia and I have very little in common, I found myself relating to her on multiple levels - her doubts, her fears, and her journey. However, it was Tori's perspective that truly captivated me. Her passion, her love, and the way she described the atmosphere of every moment made me feel like I was there.

The Last Love Song is a sweet tale of figuring out who you are and what you want.

Mia Peters is the daughter of legendary country star Tori Rose, but never got to know her mother because she died when Mia was young. Now her best friend, who she is reluctant to admit she loves, is about to leave to pursue her own musical dreams. She wants Mia to come with her, but Mia isn't sure she wants the life her mother had, since no one will talk to her about her mom's life. Not to mention she doesn't want her grandmothers to lose her to the music the way they lost her mother.

On her graduation night, Mia is gifted with a letter from her mother leading her, through her mother's songs, through her mother's life. Will her mom show her how to make the right decision?

While I liked this book, my favorite parts were written from Tori's perspective. I found her story more compelling than Mia's, perhaps because Mia's decision was treated as this end-all-be-all choice, that she can only make immediately. In reality, if she decided to go or not to go, she could change her mind or life plans at any point. I think this is a solid young adult novel, but don't suggest that the take away should be that you have to know exactly what you want to do at 18.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I love the queer representation. The writing was beautiful and it was a really sweet love story. This feels like everything that those cheesy hallmark movies want to be in the best way possible. Charming, sweet, likeable characters all wrapped up in a nice little book. This is impressive for a debut novel too. It was really well done. I'm excited to see what else Katie Holford has in store in her career.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh Kalie. I just loved this book.

It was a bit of a slow start, but when I sat down to read just a few chapters in the middle of the book last night, I couldn't put it down. This story of Mia and her struggle to find herself among everyone else's dreams is so powerful. Mia graduates high school and breaks up with her boyfriend. She knows that she's not meant to leave her hometown or her grandmothers. But when her grad gift from her late mom is a hunt to learn her mom's story, everything in Mia's life changes. And changes again. In alternating timelines, we get Mia's journey to know her mom and herself and Tori's road to fame and motherhood.

I love a personal growth story and this has romance and love triangles and so much growth. I couldn't stop reading the second half and am going to be gushing about this book for a long time.

For anyone who has ever been a fan of country music, Mamma Mia and romance, this is the book for you! From past and present love stories to music to adventuring around your hometown to learn more about your mother’s past. This is one story that you won’t want to miss.

“The Last Love Song" is a beautifully written YA novel that deserves only 5 stars in my opinion.

Through self discovery and the power of healing through music, we meet Mia. Being the daughter of singer Tori Rose, Mia finds herself embarking on an adventure in the past combined with her future. Leaving behind letters, Tori sends Mia on a scavenger hunt.

While this book’s essence is riddled with young love and the importance of family, it’s message of legacy and following your dreams was a sentimental lesson to all.

Throughout the book, the characters are authentic and heartwarming. There was not one character I disliked. The development of relationships was a strong element and truly captures young love and the insecurities faced.

The book is laced with songs and lyrics as the significance of music stays a vital part of the book. We are drawn to Mia and her journey of self-discovery accompanied by the power of music. The emotionally rollercoaster is handled with such grace and care that it leaves a sense of fulfilment even yearning for more.

I won’t ever forget this book or it’s characters and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to read it as I immersed in the world of love, family and the importance of following your dreams.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I saw "The Last Love Song" first on Instagram and just knew that I need to read it and I was really excited to get the oppertunity to read this EARC before the book will be published.

Mia Peters is the daughter of the singer Tori Rose and will go on an adventure through her moms past and her own future. Her mom wrote her several letters and made a savanger hunt out of them.

When I first heard of the book it was told that it's like Mamma Mia but in gay. I just knew that I would love it and I did that!

The book is pretty fast paced and takes place over the course of a few weeks. I really liked that the book alternated between the present from Mias POV and the letters from her Moms POV.

The writing style was gripping and I couldn't put the book down. It was really fun to read and to follow not only Mia through the adventure but also to learn more about the past of her mom and why she acted the way she did.

I really enjoyed it overall but I somehow got the feeling that something was missing to be a five star read for me. I still really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to Mamma Mia fans but also to everyone who likes books about music or who just wants a gripping and sweet sapphic book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this EARC!

Kalie Holford’s “The Last Love Song” is a wonderful story about finding out what you want to do with your life and making sure that you live it to the fullest. Told through two different characters in two different times, The Last Love Song tells a story of love that triumphs through all hardships.

"The Last Love Song" was a beautifully written and heartwarming YA novel that deserves every bit of its 5 star rating. This book captured the essence of young love, self-discovery, and the healing power of music. It gracefully explores themes of family, legacy, and the pursuit of dreams. The character dynamics, especially the relationship between Mia and her kind-of-sort-of girlfriend, Britt, are both authentic and heartwarming. The development of their relationship throughout the novel is one of its strongest elements. It beautifully captures the nuances of young love, insecurities, and the fear of change.

This was so much more than a coming-of-age story, it's a love letter to the power of music. The way the author weaves the songs and lyrics throughout the narrative is both enchanting and evocative. It creates a deep connection between the reader and Mia's journey of self-discovery and understanding. The way this climax is handled is both emotionally resonant and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a sense of closure and satisfaction.

This was such a satisfying read that was enchanting and soulful. It's a story of love, family and the pursuit of dreams with a cast of characters that will live in my head rent free for a good while.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars

This was such a cute book. Not really my cup of tea, but I am happy for reading it

This is a 3.5 stars for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

This is such a moving, emotional, beautifully-written story intertwining two narratives and timelines—a daughter in the present, a mother in the past—in order to tell a moving love story. I smiled, laughed, and cried!

I received a copy of The Last Love Song as an ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

So this book is a perfect book to read with your parent/kid. I think it would be fantastic to break between chapters and talk about your actual life with your child. I love how this book really drives home the humanity of being a person AND a parent. And how those two things can be really overlapped in a complex web of emotions. I read this book very quickly, because I was dying to find out what happened, and I legitimately sobbed about halfway through. I really feel like it was written in a way that will make you think about it for a long time.

That being said, there are some portions you’ll have to suspend your disbelief. The story is about a girl with an extremely famous mother, who mysteriously died… And somehow, despite being famous, there’s no information about large portions of her life or death on the internet or anywhere. Otherwise a charming and bittersweet story

I had the pleasure and honor of reading this in advance, and LOVED it! Kalie has a lyrical way of writing, and the alternate timeline concept is one I can never get enough of. There are twists and turns that keep you guessing in both timelines - a must read for YA, especially those who love music.

I liked some of this but it didn't really hit perfectly for me. I preferred the present timeline to the past sections from the mom's perspective. I also wanted some more development of the relationship between Mia and her best-friend-turned-romance.

Wow! This book is absolutely amazing. The descriptions are so touching and vivid. As soon as I started reading it I couldn't put it down. I was so intrigued as we followed Mina and Tori Rose's journey. I recommend this book to every other reader out there.

A nice debut from a young author, The Last Love Song follows Mia, newly graduated and conflicted about her future. She feels drawn to a musical career but equally unsure about leaving home. With the help of a scavenger hunt around her town that her late mother left for her, she discovers more about herself and what she wants. I was surprised at how much Mia didn’t know about her mom and was relieved she got her answers in the end; I liked the dual POV/timelines to tell Mia’s mom’s tale. The accompanying love story is a queer, sweet, friends-to-lovers romance. I loved the lyrical prose and will keep my eye on this new author.

A sweet and sentimental story about family, grief and growing up. Getting to see the perspectives of Mia and her mother was a wonderful way to experience such a tender and emotional story.