Mia Peters is facing some serious post-graduation blues as she faces a summer of goodbyes. As a songwriter, she has a talent that will take her places if she lets it, but she doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a once famous country music star who abandoned her family in pursuit of her dreams and has since died. Mia's biggest supporter is Britt, who keeps pushing Mia to do bigger things than their small town. A wild scavenger hunt around town, seemingly set up from the grave by her mother, helps Mia confront her feelings and embrace her future. I absolutely loved the relationship between Mia and Britt, and Mia and her grandmothers. We always hear the phrase "coming of age story", but this is one where I really feel that is true. Mia has some big decisions to make, and the way she goes about them is relatable and inspiring. There were some plotholes that are easily forgiven because this debut novel is so well done. Described as a Mama Mia or Daisy and the Jones lookalike, and can stand behind these vibes, but the book, in my opinion, is one of a kind and stands on its own merit.

This book has a fun premise but it really quickly started to feel overly cheesy, angsty, and unrealistic. I think it needed to dive a little bit further into the tough topics it brushed upon, and also give us more time to really understand why the mother/daughter dynamic was the way it was to kick off the entire plot - if the mother was leaving a trail of scavenger hunt clues for her daughter, there has to be some reason she couldn’t have told her all of those things while she was alive, or else it just feels gimmicky (and in this case it did). There were also sooo many song lyrics included that again felt overly angsty and like they were supposed to represent the deep feelings that the rest of the narrative was missing but for me missed the mark.

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with this eARC.

From the first time I saw that cover, I already had a good feeling about this book. No, I don't usually judge a book by its cover, but the description also confirmed that I would like the story. Mysterious letters from her mom's past, scavenger hunt, music, sweet romance ... well, everything hooked me to keep reading. Mia's journey was relatable. It's all about finding yourself and chasing your dreams.

I would recommend this book to everyone!

So, I really like the concept of this book. I like that the town is so queer-normative, and I admire the author for writing all those lyrics.

That said... I just did not connect to the story. I liked the first 20% and the last 20%, but I never really connected with Mia, and her friendship/romance with Britt was really flat and I didn't care about it at all. I also really dislike stories where I have to wait forever for any information on the main character, and that was the whole concept of this book. And the scavenger hunt idea is cool, but like all those clues still being around 17 years later? No one touched them, they didn't get damaged? I found that really hard to believe. There's so many things about this book that you kind of have to suspend your disbelief to be able to enjoy.

I found I was only really continuing to read the story because I wanted to see Tori's chapters (which was like, 1 out of every 6 chapters, and they were very short) and because I wanted to find out who Mia's dad was. And the moment I was most interested in the story was the last 20%, when we did finally find out who her dad was and was FINALLY able to make a damn decision about her life.

The way this book became a new all time fave instantly is something I hadn’t experienced since reading Clap When You Land. This book follows the story of Mia, daughter of the country legend Tori Rose who one day didn’t come back from her last tour, and now as she’s facing the summer after high school as everyone around her is set on moving on from Sunset Cove and the uncertainty of following her mother’s footsteps or staying with her grandmas.

Following a scavenger hunt to put together her mother’s diary by following some letter’s she got as a graduation gift she starts a journey through song lyrics and the memorable moments.

Told in dual POV we get to know who Tori Peters was, and learn what led her to the ending that she had. Inspired by Mamma Mia, we have the mystery of who’s Mia’s dad and how Tori became a legend who shaped Sunset Cove into what it is today.

The writing from this book was captivating, from the first moments I couldn’t put it down, and which every letter as I got my answers I grew curious on how everything was going to turn up. The story gave me all the feels, one moment I was in awe of how inspiring Tori was and the next I was crying with the lyrics, I knew it was going to be an instant fave halfway through it and that ending did not disappoint.

Perfect for fans of Mamma Mia and Taylor Jenkins Reid, this book is the go to read coming of age for this summer, it will leave you thinking and give you all the feels.

After graduating high school, Mia faces a summer of goodbyes. With her friend Britt urging her to chase bigger dreams, Mia uncovers a series of mysterious letters from her late mother, a country music star. Each letter leads Mia on a journey through her hometown, revealing secrets about her mother’s past. With time running out before Britt leaves, Mia must decide whether to stay in her comfort zone or embrace the unknown and forge her own path.

In a way, this book felt like a mix of Mamma Mia meets Daisy Jones and the Six and the vibes were really engaging overall. If you’re looking for a fun, quick read (and are willing to suspend your disbelief for a time) then Mia’s journey to find out about her mother’s life will surely appeal to you.

The story has a lot going for it—we have an adorable queer pair of grandmothers taking care of Mia, a set of small-town secondary characters that are charismatic and intriguing, and we have a romance that keeps you guessing. Oh, and loads of lyrics that tug at your heartstrings!

While I adored the premise of this book, the execution felt a tad strenuous at times. Maybe it was the concept of the whole book but to me it would have translated a lot better onto the screen rather than a page—and that comes down in part to the writing.

As an example, when it came to emotions, the prose often fell into the dreaded telling instead of showing—especially when it came to trying to explain emotions with clichés that were then just explained right afterward with bland statements like “I felt sad”, which was a bit nonsensical. Also, at one point, the reader gets told in every chapter that Mia is sad, that she feels torn, that she can’t get what she wants in almost the same words as before but we’re rarely shown that. Over and over we have this repeated thought cycle without any sort of change (not so much in the emotions themselves but the words to describe them). Mia and Britt’s relationship especially suffers from this and it takes a bit of the magic out of the will-they-won’t-they struggle. All that being said, though, I still found myself rooting for them to find a way to be together, no matter whether physical distance was going to be an issue or not.

By far my favourite part and the one where the prose truly shines is the exploration of Mia and her late mother’s relationship. With the help of the scavenger hunt of clues, Mia unearths so much about her mother that she didn’t know and learns that after all this time, a lot of people she might not have spent a lot of time with in her hometown (felt a bit suss considering it’s a small town where everyone is supposedly a tight-knit community but we’ll deal with it), had the puzzle to the mystery that was her mother’s death all along.

Tori Rose was a strong character whose true voice shone through the lyrics that are included in this book. I could imagine myself listening to her on the radio and (like a lot of individuals in this book were willing to) wanting to follow her around the world. In that regard, the book was truly immersive and made me crave the chapters from her point of view. I guess that’s always a possibility with alternate timelines that one is more intriguing than the other.

While the big plot twist is quite predictable, I still had a fun time watching Mia try to piece together the clues her mother left her and the way it brought her and Britt closer together.

If you’re in the mood for a quick, summer-y story about a girl torn between her mother’s unresolved past and her own fears of the uncharted future, paired with a dash of heartfelt country music lyrics and a small town setting to steal your heart, then The Last Love Song’s the book for you!

This was a really good young adult novel!

There is an underlying romance to it lingering on the surface, but it is about so much more than just a romance- it is about a daughter connecting with her mom who has passed away and it is also about finding yourself especially at such a pivotal time at age 18 and starting your life.

I really liked the two timelines- Mia’s story in present day and then her mom’s story from the past. I loved how the timelines intertwined so well with the set-up of the scavenger hunt and letters her mom left her.

What a great debut! Such a quick and easy read- recommend checking it out!🩷

I swear everyone in this book has an insufferable boner for the vague concept of music, and are every single one of them are some of the most selfish people I've been forced to care about. That is saying something given how most of the central characters are women, and no one more selfish than the central characters, especially Tori who EVERYONE is in love with, despite how much she has screwed over everyone. I feel like the author would be better off as a songwriter for country music, because that ethos expanded over a queer teen story was just so SO frustratingly pretentious. For what was a relatively short novel, it dragged so much, every twist and turn of the plot and the scavenger hunt was so cringe and contrived. The way people talked to each other, especially Mia just felt so stilted and unrealistic. Literally the only people I could stand were the lesbian grandmas (would much rather have read their story) and sometimes Britt, who reflects my own frustration at being caught up in this mess. So one star for them, and one star for entirely too many songs in this that would be of far greater emotional impact in a Taylor Swift album.

**I received a free ebook from the publisher on Netgalley for review purposes.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Last Love Song in exchange for an honest review.

Mia Peters has just graduated high school and is at a crossroads in life. She loves songwriting and making music but is afraid of following in the footsteps of her famous country music star mother, Tori Rose. Mia has been raised by her two grandmothers and knows next to nothing about her mother's life and why she abandoned her family to pursue her dream of music. After graduation, her grandmothers hand over a gift that Tori Rose left for Mia to open upon graduating high school. Inside this gift is a letter from her mother that leads Mia on a wild scavenger hunt through her town, with every discovery filling in a piece of the puzzle as to who her mother really was.

I loved the idea of this book:
+ sapphic romance
+ a scavenger hunt
+ mix of romance, self-discovery, and mystery

However, this just didn't work for me, personally. The characters fell flat and I felt like I didn't really get to know them; there was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. I had to just take things as they were with regard to the farfetched scavenger hunt Tori designed for Mia; I didn't really understand how Mia was putting together some clues and had to disbelief most of the time. I found myself rolling my eyes and groaning at some of the dialogue, though maybe I just wasn't the right audience.

My biggest gripe with the book is the fact that Mia knew so little about her mom yet lived in a town with restaurants, clubs, tours, etc. devoted to her mega-celebrity mom. I just cannot accept that she wouldn't have found out *something* about her mom in 18 years and think it was cruel of her grandmothers and others in the town to literally share nothing with her.

Again, others seem to love this, but it sadly was a disappointment for me.

I liked this book! I enjoyed that it didn’t feel choppy and flowed well and the characters were likable and had noticeable enjoyable flaws and perks :) 3.5 stars

🌟:4.5/5
Calling all Mamma Mia fans! This book combines a young woman's journey to know more about her mom's past with a wonderful sapphic love story to create an emotional and romantic debut.

My favorite part of this story was absolutely the back and forth between the two timelines. I loved getting insight into Mia's mom's past by reading chapters from her perspective when she was growing up, and it was integrated so seamlessly, which I appreciated. Being able to read from Tori's perspective made me feel that much more connected to her (and that much more heartbroken over the fact that Mia never got to know her it's fine I'm fine... I'm not fine but I still loved it).

Mia goes on a profound emotional journey throughout the book as she learns more of her mom's history. This book was an emotional rollercoaster, from reconnecting with Tori's band members, to the secrets that get unveiled with each of her mother's journal entries. This story is bound to tug on your heartstrings the more Mia feels connected with her mother all the way to the bittersweet ending, knowing the truth behind Tori's regrets. I loved seeing Mia find strength in her mom's story and ultimately coming to pursue her dreams because of it.

Mia and Britt's relationship was undoubtedly the highlight of the book. You all know I'm a sucker for a friends to lovers story, and these two had such a wonderful dynamic. I enjoyed the angst of Britt's imminent departure, and how the scavenger hunt brought them together for "one last hurrah" that ultimately leads to them deciding they want more. Britt and Mia also had wonderful chemistry, and I was living for all the little moments of their relationship.

If you're looking for an emotional and unputdownable coming of age story with a wonderful romantic subplot woven throughout, then this is a book that needs to be on your tbr!

A charming story about stardom and the importance of friends and family, The Last Love Song explores how grief and regret can plague us, altering the course of our lives forever. While I enjoyed many of the conversations that arose in this book -- especially the ones concerning the falling in and out of each other's lives -- most were too surface-level to really make an impact. The characters themselves fell very flat, and the mystery seemed to be added as an afterthought. There really wasn't enough detail in the clues for me to understand how Mia was able to solve them, and I often found myself suspending belief when she came to conclusions that were far-fetched. Still, this was a cute story, and I really enjoyed what it had to say.

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars

This book is perfect for anyone who loves Mamma Mia, Taylor Swift, queer girls, and messy teenagers acting like messy teenagers! It's also a look at just how complicated grief can be - especially for someone you've never known, but everyone else around you thinks they do.

The writing style is romantic and poetic and even tragic at times. An absolutely perfect book for summer if you can handle the heavier topics regarding grief, loss/death of a parent, and abandonment. I would've liked to see maybe a discussion of the main character Mia receiving some counseling or having a plan for how to deal with her mental health journey with professional outside help - especially because it does affect her life and is acknowledged somewhat by her loved ones, but I understand this is a YA book and that may not be within the scope of what to expect for the genre.

It was missing that special something that prevented me from giving it the full five stars, but this was still an enjoyable read, and the first book I've finished in a while, which should count for something.

This book? It's like a whirlwind that swept me off my feet and left me reeling! I'm talking full-on emotional rollercoaster here! And let me tell you, trying to put into words how it made me feel is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle—impossible! All I can manage to blurt out is: WOW.

This was such a cute, quick read! I really enjoyed the story, the characters, the pov’s from Mia and Tori and the music aspect. I recommend this book if you want to read a YA, friends to lovers, small town romance!

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this arc.

Such a cute, queer YA story reminiscent of Mama Mia with a unique spin on love, loss, music, and regrets.

What I loved:
The lyrics! I was in awe of how this author wrote both a story and basically an entire album at the same time.
The chapters in Tori's perspective. It was so easy to hear the distinction in the narrative between her and Mia, and I appreciated that it gave us a chance to see them as different people.
The love between Mia and Britt. Having the opportunity to watch friends melt into tender lovers was heartwarming.
The portrayal of grief and experiencing it alongside Mia. It really did feel like the waves that were referenced in so many songs. Mia had moments where she was excited to be finding out more about her mom while grappling with the fact that she was gone and never coming back and that when the hunt ended, that meant the time with her mom would be gone for good. The acceptance she had at the end when she got closure from both Patrick and David and how she chose her own path with Britt was everything I hoped it would be!

Mia Peters mom was a famous country star, Tori Rose. Mia has grown up in her shadow without really knowing anything about her. Her grandmothers' have been grieving their daughter. Mia thinks Tori abandoned them and her. Britt is her best friend and is in a band. She wants Mia to join them on their tour. Tori Rose created a scavenger hunt with lyrics and clues around their hometown Sunset Cove.

I'm so impressed that this is the author's debut. It is written so well. I loved it. The relationships between Mia and her mother brought tears to my eyes. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

"The Last Love Song" was fantastic. Mia is such a raw and vulnerable character and I just wanted to hug her and tell her that she is loved and valued...and to follow her dreams! Britt is a loveable and authentic friend/partner. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Blackstone and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review! 4/5 stars.

I was so excited for this one, that cover and the story, but I just could not connect with the story or the characters. I am definitely in the minority with this one and it will appeal to a majority of the audience.

i think i will never be the same person again after reading this book to be honest. it left me bawling me eyes out and in the best way possible. the raw emotions i felt seeping out of the characters are also so amazingly written. happy release day to the author and thank you so much for allowing me to read this amazing book of yours. thank you as well to NetGalley for always catering such wonderful reads!

everyone should read this for real ! GRAB A COPY NOW !