“That's the funny thing about loss, you know? You wish you'd never had to feel a hurt that deep, but you
knew that person and you wouldn't have had it any other way. For however long they were there, they meant something, and that is forever. That's what that word means.”

“…if you can hold on to the magic of the moment while chasing whatever your dreams are, you'll wind up so much better off than me.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Pages: 286
Genre: YA
Tropes: friends to lovers and love triangle.

First of all, I´m going to say that I loved that it was narrated by both Mia during the present, and by Tori (Mia's mother) during the past, I always felt like I was traveling in time with her.

From the beginning, the book forces you not to put it down, since Mia is given a gift by her mother, which is a letter inviting her to look for a series of clues full of her past outside of Sunset Cove and the person who was in life. So, from that moment, you become Mia's companion, in this bittersweet adventure to find out who her mother was, who her father is and what decisions she will make after knowing all of this.

Personally, there came a point where I was more interested in Tori's story than Mia's, I would have loved to read more about her life after creating Fate's travelers, I could even read an entire book about Tori Rose, she is a character with a lot of light, desire to live, to follow her dreams, etc., and although she made mistakes, I found the reflection she gives at the end to her daughter is really important, definitely as someone who loves her mother a lot, the last chapters had me crying and crying, but they were the ones I liked the most. The resolution of the story itself made me feel very satisfied, why Mia goes through certain events during the hunt makes perfect sense.

One of the details that made me fall in love more with this story were the fragments of the song lyrics written by the protagonists themselves, which made the music gain more strength within the development of the story.

"'ll promise we'll last forever in a way I know
we won't,
We're our whispered oaths, our borrowed time,
and a lost love letter,
But tonight we're flying, no looking down, maybe tomorrow we'll be better."

Now, talking about the relationship between Britt and Mia, I thought it was cute, but I didn't connect with it so much, I liked that Britt was the person who accompanied Mia during this journey of knowing what her mother wanted to tell her, so that she too could achieve find herself. But, in the last conflict that the two have, I didn't like Britt's attitude towards Mia, I understand that she was angry, but to the point of not wanting to talk to her anymore, I see it a little bit dramatic.

Overall i enjoyed this book, the main point is the relationship between a mother and a daughter, finding yourself, chasing your dreams and always, always love your loved ones, and expressing what you feel towards them. So, if you like these themes, Mamma Mia, music and maybe you have read and like Daisy Jones, this book is for you.

Thanks to Netgalley, Blackstone Publishing and the author for this ARC in exchange of a honest review.

The Last Love Song is a beautiful, lyrical story about all kinds of love for others and yourself! This is the kind of book in which you get exactly what you expect in the very best way. Perfect for readers of YA romance!

Happy Publication Day to The Last Love Song by Kalie Holford!

5/5 Longs Songs

If you’re looking for a dynamic story with LGBTQ+ representation about friendship, love, grief, mother/daughter relationships, and navigating how to determine your own dreams this one’s for you!

This story follows Mia as she is finally given the chance to get to know her late superstar mother through a series of journal entries scattered through town that can only be found through clues in her mothers song lyrics, works to figure out what her dreams are for herself and her future once she graduates high school. This book was absolutely amazing! I picked it up based in the cover alone and was blown away by the story.

This story is beautiful and messy in all the right ways and made me cry multiple times, which does not happen often! It tells of the many versions of grief that come when you lose someone close to you. The difficulty of growing up without your parents (especially if they are famous) and the journey of finding yourself on your own terms. There are strong female friendships, loving relationships, great LGBT+ representation across multiple relationship dynamics.

Something that also got to me was how atmospheric the story telling was without over doing it in the details which I very much appreciated! There are parts in the book when you can almost feel the ocean breeze at a seaside town and hear the music flowing through Music City, USA.

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Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing Inc for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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This book was really fun to read. The description says its for fans of mamma mia, but I dont think I agree with that. The book gives more paper towns vibes as it follows a freshly graduated Mia Peters through her journey of discovering her moms story. Her mom is a Sunset Cove country music star and left mia a diary with multiple letters to decode once she turned 18. The hunt was really fun to follow and even had me trying to guess how it would end. This book was a cute read with some summertime nostalgia. I would recommend this book if you like musical storylines. The Author did a great job painting the pictures in the book, I felt like I was right there in sunset cove discovering Tori Rose too. The queer storyline is not the main focus, but it is still woven in there and adds some much appreciated sapphic-ness to the book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

The Last Love Song is a beautifully written small town big dreams romance packed with charm, young queer love, and a little mystery.
Kalie Holford has absolutely out done herself in her debut novel. We have queer grandparents, country music superstars, homey small town feels, and a young couple with so many hopes and dreams stretched out before them. I truly enjoyed her main character, Mia, and her complicated feelings of moving forward with her life while still dealing with the loss of her mother, years after her death. The adventure of finding out more about Tori Rose through first hand accounts in her chapters, exploring memorable places through Mia’s perspective, as well as the lyrics of her music was truly unique. I especially liked the Mamma Mia moment when it came to not knowing Mia’s father. It is very evident in Holford's writing that she carefully chooses her words to get specific emotions and physical descriptions to come through the page. The balance of romance, mystery, and young adult coming of age elements was perfectly achieved. I look forward to Holford's future works and her success as a writer.

A beautiful YA/Coming of age novel that maturely and eloquently deals with topics such as grief, belonging and finding yourself.
The romance in this was minimal but always lingering beneath the surface. I appreciated this as it made the novel feel so much more like Mia’s. Her story.
I usually dislike time jumps/flashbacks in books but the way this was written just flowed, it felt right and it didn’t feel as though I was jumping between two stories.

I wish I could have read this at 16


thankyou to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I heard this was a country music, mamma Mia inspired story for fans of Taylor Swift & Kelsea Ballerini and I said “say less 😍” I really enjoyed this one! It hooked me from the start and I honestly could’ve read it in one sitting if I had time to! The mystery was intriguing and kept me turning the pages, the love and tension between Mia & Britt was so messy and so real, and the emotion at the heart is what I really loved! I loved how each of the pieces of Tori’s story was unraveled and how everything lead to the ending that wrapped everything up very beautifully and realistically. I loved how lyrical the writing was and how easy it was to read! My only complaints were that I wish certain aspects were fleshed out more so that when Mia figured out the clues, it would’ve made a little more sense and just that I think it was super insane that no one would really talk to her about her mom her entire life and expected her to not to feel like she wasn’t enough or deserving of her dreams 🤔 But besides that I think this was really great!! 🥰

Eeeeeeh? This one wasn't for me.

We embark on a journey with young Mia Peters as she delves into the life of her mother, the country music sensation Tori Rose, who passed away years ago. Tori's parting gift to Mia is a graduation surprise—a scavenger hunt comprised of letters. With only five days until her closest friend and love interest, Britt, departs for a Nashville performance, Mia races against time to complete the scavenger hunt before Britt's departure.

The narrative unfolds through alternating perspectives, with Mia navigating her present-day struggles while uncovering revelations about Tori through her past letters. As Mia grapples with her identity and the self-imposed pressure of meeting expectations, she discovers that her mother faced similar insecurities.

I found it disconcerting that anytime Mia or Tori engaged in anything musical, it was described as following or going with the music—an expression that felt awkward and out of place throughout the book.

I was puzzled by the lack of information Mia received from the townsfolk, who supposedly revered her mother. The secrecy surrounding crucial details, such as Tori's illness and the circumstances of her departure, left Mia feeling abandoned and betrayed seemed weird.

The breakneck pace at which events unfolded left little room for reflection on Mia's decisions. The rapid progression, coupled with the abrupt unraveling of Mia and Britt's relationship, required multiple re-readings to fully comprehend.

Lastly, as a personal preference, I tend to skip over extensive lyrics in books, regardless of their significance to the story.

This one was a mixed bag for me. There were definitely things I enjoyed: the dual points of view, the idea of searching for your mother through clues, and the character of Britt was a great one. There were things I didn’t enjoy: the pacing was off, I don’t understand why no one would talk to a daughter about her mother, and Mia was too indecisive. All that said, I didn’t hate the book, but I don’t think I’d recommend it either.

This review is posted on Goodreads and Storygraph.

In this heartfelt young adult novel, Mia Peters grapples with the bittersweet transitions of life post-high school graduation, finding solace in her passion for songwriting amidst a summer filled with uncertainty and potential goodbyes. Encouraged by her best friend Britt to dream bigger than what their small town holds, Mia’s world is turned upside down when she uncovers a series of mysterious letters written to her by her late mother, the famous Tori Rose. Tori, who passed away when Mia was still just a baby, was a country music star who not only left a lasting mark on the world of music, but also left Mia with more questions than answers growing up without Tori's presence in her life. As Mia embarks on a touching scavenger hunt throughout the history of Sunset Cove, the town where her mother grew up and Mia has lived with her grandmothers, she unravels the truth about her mother and confronts her own fears about the future. With time quickly slipping away before Britt’s departure to pursue her own music career and the summer coming to an end, Mia must navigate her feelings for Britt, find her destiny, and confront the legacy she’s inherited. The Last Love Song is a captivating journey of self-discovery, love, and a coming-of-age story that pulls at all the heartstrings.

I truly adored this book. Being able to read the points of view of Mia in the present and Tori in the past was a beautiful journey. This book is full of so many important themes about what it means to grow and discover oneself, including finding hope, confronting grief, chasing dreams, understanding regrets, and living the life you are destined to live. I loved all of the characters in this book, and they were all written really well, each playing a very important part in Mia’s journey. This book made me nostalgic for those teenage summer days when you would drive around with the windows down, music playing, and all the possibilities of the open road ahead of you. Mia’s story is sad and beautiful, but most of all, it's filled with love and hope.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of The Last Love Song in return for my honest review.

Here is my review for the last love song by kalie holford. Thank you for letting me read this arc in exchange for an honest review

I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and there was very little character development. The plot was promising but it fell flat and the reasoning behind the story wasn’t worth it in the end.

3.5

I was so excited when I got accepted for this ARC, but sadly, it left me a little disappointed.

This book is pitched as a "queer mamma mia," but I don't see a lot of similarities between this book and mamma mia. There were definitely some, but not enough to label it like that. Even though it's quite a short book, it felt like a long read.

Now, what I did love was the relationship between Mia and Britt. I have a soft spot for friends to lovers, so how could I not like it. The other thing I liked was Mia's scavenger hunt. It was easy to follow and thankfully I didn't have to figure things out myself. Getting to know her mom better every chapter and learning her backstory was really interesting.

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was a sweet queer love story, but it was more than that. There was mystery and grief and heartbreak and regrets and learning how to move on. I loved the writing and the overall plot line of the story, I just think it might not have been for me, which is okay because it is still an amazing story that I know many people will love. In my opinion, it was a bit frustrating for Mia to be so back and forth and the miscommunication between characters was too much for me. But I did love Mia and Britt’s love and how queerness is represented in many different ways in this book and the overall country star vibes and atmosphere.

A heartfelt, queer YA summer romance that sees one young teen about to graduate embarking on a scavenger hunt in order to get to know her absentee (now deceased) famous singer mother better. This was full of heart and a great dual timeline romance between two aspiring singers. There was great bisexual rep and lots of family secrets and drama. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Duggan, Dahila Adler or Emma Lord. and good on audio too Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book has been described with a very Mamma Mia vibe, but with the LGBTQ concept.
We find ourselves with a short but funny story where we accompany Mia a girl who is at a climax of her life, she is graduating from high school, and as such has a thousand decisions to make which will change her life in one way or another.
But it is at this stage where she receives messages left by her mother, who had passed away several years ago, so that Mia could get to know her a little better; so we are sent on a treasure hunt.
It was very cool all the mystery of the search, Mia's thoughts about her future and relationships, the double POV she shares with her deceased mother (great touch, it hurt a lot), so as Mia discovers more things about who her mother is, she discovers herself and that accompanied with that musical atsmosphere, because I didn't mention it, but her mother is, was, Tori Rose a superstar in the Country world.
Do I recommend it? Yes, it's short and easy to read, you have a great time on a country style treasure hunt.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the pleasure of being able to read this amazing story.

#TheLastLoveSong #NetGalle

The Last Love Song by Kalie Holford was a phenomenal debut!
A ravishing YA queer romance inspired by Mamma Mia…… I mean who wouldn’t enjoy this story?
This book had drama, angst and a captivating love story.
I loved everything about this story… from the amazing writing to the endearing characters.
I can’t wait to see what Holford creates next time!

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I lived and loved the Mama Mia vibes sprinkled throughout the story. These characters made my heart happy. The dual points of view between Mia and her mother Tori are written well and brought nuances to Mia growing past grief.

The Last Love Song is a sweet book about discovering who you are and the struggle of separating yourself from someone else’s spotlight. Mia is a bi 18-year-old who always runs away from love because she doesn’t want to be hurt by someone leaving. Her mom was a big time music star before she passed when Mia was a baby and Mia has never been able to know her. No one in her life wants to talk about her mom to her because it’s too painful so Mia feels like she can’t know who she is without knowing who her mom really was, outside of being a music star. For her graduation gift, her mom left her a gift. This gift leads her on a hunt to discover who her mom was and she also discovers herself along the way. It was well-written and give me all the feels. I loved it!

This is one of those books that sits with you. It makes you think about your choices, your regrets, your dreams.

Mia is forever second guessing her choices. Are they her own? Or are they the ones that her mother would make? I can't imaging living with that kind of doubt.

It was a joy watching Mia on her journey of discovering her mum, and herself. It was a wonderful glimpse into the world of music and the level of passion those in the industry have for it.

Easy to read, character driven and mid paced.