COULDN'T CONNECT TO ANY PART OF THIS STORY

I am clearly in the minority with this book, but I just couldn't get into it at all...

What I disliked

👎Writing: Normally I don't get too hung up on writing, but when pretty much the entire story is written as an angsty teenagers inner dialogue, the writing bothers me...

👎Characters: There really wasn't any one character that I could connect to, they felt flat and boring - especially Mia didn't do anything for me

👎Pacing: The book is quite short, which makes the pacing quite fast - too fast for me to get emotionally connected to anything

👎Scavenger hunt: Mia is following clues left by her dead mother in order to learn more about her, but the scavenger hunt just didn't feel involved to me, it seemed more lackadaisical

👎Premise: The entire premise of Mia living in a town that is clearly very devoted to her mother (!), and yet no one will or can tell Mia anything about said mother just seems super weird and odd to me

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

A love letter to Mama Mia and a beautiful coming of age story. The cover pulls you in right away! Full of heart, queer rep, and friends to lovers. How you live up to your legacies while also being yourself and following your own dreams. This is a beautiful story and I can’t wait to read lore from this author!!

I loved the idea of this book, the comparisons with Mamma Mia, and the use of the flashbacks were so fun. I love dual timeline/flashbacks in books, and loved getting the learn about Mia's mother's past and everything with her. I did want to shake the main character and her on off love interest, the back and forth and the way they talked about their "slip ups" got a little much, but I am happy with how their story ended. I don't think Mia really develops much over the whole book, and don't understand her decision almost solely dependant on what she learnt about her mother but I'm not surprised by this either. The song lyrics were a fun addition, I wish I knew more about Mia and the bands music styles so I could maybe imagine them more, everything in my head felt country because of Tori but I don't know how accurate that was. I loved the queer rep, the wlw main couple, and her grandmothers and side characters too.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book was a case of awesome premise, so-so execution for me. It sounded like a warm, comforting, potentially sob-worthy tale. And it was, except for the sobbing part. I definitely didn't do that.

I liked the format and lyrics. I felt like there were some gaps though, parts where I would've liked to know more of the backstory. I also thought the characters were a bit flat. They were likable enough, I guess. I just didn't really connect with them. Same with the main relationship. It was a cute but kind of bland friends to lovers one.

All in all, I'd say this is worth picking up if you're in the mood for a quick summer read that's light on the plot and heavy on the vibes.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I loved the poetic writing style. I highlighted so many lines throughout this book that were beautiful. And while I appreciated this, I felt there were some things I wanted to see more of. For example, we were told Mia and Britt’s romantic history but I never felt their connection. I had trouble picturing what Britt looked like in scenes. I would have also liked to see a little more into her feelings towards Mia. I know Britt said she loved her and wanted their story to continue but I missed the depth of these emotions.

Also I feel so bad for Mia that her grandmas literally told her nothing about her mom or who her dad is—like not even his name. She was so in the dark. I can’t imagine. But I am shocked with how famous Tori Rose was alleged to be that the news never slipped out. I know 2006 was a different time than 2024 but still.

I loved the characters of the story and really enjoy the whole “treasure hunt” kind of vibes- it gave the book a really lovely feel. I’m super grateful to have been able to read this book in advance and thank you for the opportunity. The reasoning for rating the book 3⭐️ is that at times I did find parts of the storyline quite repetitive as well as the timeline changes being confusing. However the storyline was still great and I really enjoyed this book ☺️

Many of us know how it feels to be compared to our parents, but nothing could compare to the weight on Mia Peters felt standing in the shadow of her mother, Tori Rose. Born Tori Peters, she was a country music star who died too soon and left a legacy and Mia behind in a small town.

This story has a fantastic journey for Mia to find herself while finding clues about her mother. Along the way, Mia realizes that she is letting her mother's past dictate her future. Add in some fantastic song lyrics and amazing friendships and relationships, this book is fantastic a ride.

Such a great debut book from Kalie Holford. 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a really cute read, all about following your dreams while staying true to yourself. How one person’s story doesn’t define how you should write your own. How two journeys can be completely opposite yet still have the same underlying path.

I will admit I did cry through the last, like, three chapters of the book. I love stories about messy characters, especially ones like Mia, and I think the characters were all super distinct and deep. I especially love all the queer sapphic rep and the three generations of sapphic women within the same family. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that in any piece of media before and I appreciated it very much.

The only thing I’ll say is that the pacing felt a little off for me. It felt like things were going too fast at times, but everything evened out in the end. Overall, I think this is a quick, easy read for anyone looking for a mother-daughter story, and for anyone too scared to chase a dream.

The Last Love Song is a coming-of-age book focused on Mia, who is trying to make sense of what she knows about her dead mom and where her own life should go. It is an emotional story and I badly wanted to like The Last Love Song, but the plot never hooked me. While I liked a lot of aspects of this book, I think it tried to take on too much, so I never really settled into the story or the pacing.

THE LAST LOVE SONG is a sapphic YA story about mia, the daughter of a late country music singer, who receives letters from her mother that lead her on a journey through her mom's hidden past. i really wanted to love this book and there were a lot of aspects that i really enjoyed, like mia's grandmas or the town of sunset cove or the cast of characters in mia's story. unfortunately, a lot of the book is weighed down by mia's baggage—she wants to leave her town, but she's scared that she'll suffer the same fate as her mother. for a lot of the story, the way mia's mom passed away is a mystery, fueling mia's fears. but then you find out she died because she was sick and it just felt so unrealistic that her grandmothers wouldn't have told her that at any point throughout her life? not to mention that mia wanted to know her mom so bad, but apparently her grandmas withheld all that information from her as well.

there was a lot of going back and forth between mia wanting to leave, wanting to stay, deciding to leave, changing her mind, etc., that by the end of the book i just wanted to shake the girl and tell her to please go to therapy. i know part of the YA reading experience is dealing with characters who still have a lot of growing to do, but in this case, her stunted growth just felt excessive, like the grownups in her life should've been helping her deal with her grief in most productive ways.

along with all of that, the back and forth with mia and her best friend/love interest britt felt excessive, especially because of the way it was built up. we meet britt as mia's best friend but then mentions of their "slip ups" start being peppered in. and i get that mia didn't want to start a relationship while knowing britt would be leaving eventually and she felt obligated to stay in her hometown forever, scared that if she were to leave she would follow in her mother's footsteps (like getting sick and dying i guess? this is why the grandmas should've told mia how her mom died!!), but also, it's 2024, technology has come pretty far and it's not difficult to get on a flight to go see your best friend/girlfriend in nashville (not to mention that britt's parents live in sunset cove so i'd imagine she would be coming back to see them anyway).

there were parts of the book that i really enjoyed, like the whole concept of mia following the clues her mom left her, how she found her mom's iconic pink guitar, or how the trail led her to a voice mail where her mom left her a message with a song she had written for her. the concept of the book had a lot of potential and the writing was good (if at times excessively wordy, but nothing that a good editor can't help with), but overall, i was disappointed because the book did not meet my expectations.

The Last Love Song was so sweet and fun. I recommend this book if you want to read a coming of age story with Mamma Mia vibes, queer characters, a hunt for clues, and a profound mother-daughter relationship.

Okay, this one just was not for me! I found the endless recitation of song lyrics wasn't very compelling without the music, I could neither understand how wishy-washy the main character was nor how her really cool love interest put up with it, I didn't understand how in any universe a band wouldn't already consider its main songwriter, like, an integral part of the band, even if that person did not also perform. And I know a certain amount of melodrama is necessary in this kind of YA coming of age novel, but the specific kind here (18 year old knows absolutely no integral and basic details about her own parents, and somehow neither does like, the internet, despite it being the entire plot that her mother was famous) was both unrealistic and like, produced in a lab to make me, specifically, mouth-frothingly crazy (not telling kids basic facts about their parents is really messed up! even closed adoptions these days let you know important things like <em>medical history</em>! which this child explicitly does not get told, ever, omg!!!!).

Thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Love Song follows Mia, the daughter of music legend Tori Rose, is about to graduate high school and wishes she knew more of her mother and her long absent father. She finds a letter from her mother that sends her on a scavenger hunt that reveals what she’s been looking for.

I really enjoyed Mia’s hunt for her mother as well as the snippets of Tori Rose that we got in alternating chapters. Mia’s grandmothers also had such a fun dynamic and I wanted more from them!

I think this read a little younger than the just straight YA and it moved a little quickly to really get attached to the characters. It also did not have Mamma Mia vibes other than the fact that Mia didn’t know who her father was. But otherwise this was a fun read.

Overall, I enjoyed The Last Love Song and was very happy and thankful for the opportunity to read it early.

Thank you to NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Why is it always harder to write reviews for books you loved... or is that just me?!
While this is being marketed as a queer YA Mamma Mia... it's so much more than that! There's definitely a bit of Mamma Mia inspo; however, I got a lot of Daisy Jones and the Six vibes. Both of those pop culture phenomenons come together to tell Mia's story.
I am so shooketh that this is Kalie's debut! This book consumed by entire being for two days, and I was not okay when I finished it! The writing was so lyrical throughout, and the structure of the dual timelines was
*chefs kiss.* Mia's in-tandem discoveries about her mom and about her own dreams made me so emotional. This book has left me speechless, so all I have left to say is that you need to read this.

Great fun and easy read, loved the cozy vibes and relaxing feel I was sold when it was compared to mamma Mia and it defiantly fits the bill!

Ugh, I always feel so bad whenever I don't enjoy a book I was anticipating.

Despite how short this book was, the plot really dragged on itself. Mia's repetitive thoughts about her fear of abandonment and her mom not loving her are the primary reason for this, but there are also a lot of exposition dumping regarding Mia's relationship with Britt and how Tori's fame had impacted the town, as well as her life as a whole. The book tried so hard to make these things hit home, but I felt nothing but irritation, because I just wanted to get it over with. Plus, you have to suspend your disbelief at some major points, like Mia not knowing exactly how her mom died. Tori was a famous country singer who died in 2006, a time where the internet wasn't archaic in the slightest. Given how much the book tells you how big Tori was, the news of her death would've been heavily documented all over the web.

As for the characters, I didn't really care about them, either. Mia didn't experience much growth until the last 20 pages, and her romance with Britt was very underdeveloped. She tells us the depth of their history throughout the story, but I never felt it, whatsoever. Several people kept describing Tori as chaotic and larger-than-life, but I never got that. The only thing I felt about her was distain because she named her daughter the name a friend wanted to use if she had kids (The book spun this as a sweet thing, but I still think it was a dick move).

I kept comparing this book to at least two others I've read previously, and I felt bad because this book should be able to stand on itself alone. I just wished I was able to enjoy this move. Hopefully, there will be those who will, but I won't be among them, sadly.

This debut completely blew me away! I absolutely loved the journey of our main character as she discovered more about her mother and more about herself. The Mama Mia vibes were on point and I loved all the song lyrics. Such a great read!

*I received an e-ARC of this title from Netgalley and a physical ARC from the author.

Wow, it's clear that Kalie put her whole self in the writing of this book and it shines from her passion. I love the recent titles I've read with a family-history- and music-related scavenger-hunt element (see also: EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THAT SONG by Jenna Voris) and I really enjoyed following the narrative and trying to piece together the clues alongside the characters. Very Taylor-Swift-easter-eggs coded! And yes, yes, yes to more LGBTQ+ rep in YA/new adult.

The few issues I had were the writing: at times, it got overly prose-y and became clunky and hard to read. It was a slow reading experience for me because I kept getting tripped up in the writing and had to go back and re-read paragraphs. I think Kalie is a talented writer, but I think it needed a bit more editing to keep things flowing and cohesive. I think the style matched the voice of the MC, but it should have been revised for more clarity.

Also, as another reviewer mentioned, I think the comp to Mamma Mia was a bit inaccurate. It was such an interesting part of the plot, but was more of an afterthought than anything else. I think the comp would have worked if the plot element of Mia finding her Dad was more central to the narrative throughout.

Otherwise, I think this is a beautiful story of family and identity, of choice and our dreams. I think many will enjoy this story!

It was a little too Taylor Swift for me.

But it was Taylor Swift if she was 20 years older and chaotically bisexual (she could be, but unlike our fictional Tori Rose, she doesn’t sing about it). I actually liked that we got whole verses of song lyrics scattered throughout - it really sold the whole premise. Though once again, I really wish the diary/letters read more like diary/letters rather than just a chunk of book preceded by “Dear Mia”

I read this book for the sapphic best-friends-to-lovers relationship, but honestly that couldn’t have carried the story so I’m glad that the scavenger hunt was interesting and had a lot of little surprises. Though I would have expected many more tourists whispering about “the daughter of Tori Rose” if they really looked that much alike.

I dunno. Overall, it was fine and it read quickly, but not really for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I would agree that The Last Love Song is a queer Mama Mia. Upon graduation Mia’s mom, a famous rock singer, left her a scavenger hunt to find her old diary entries to find more out about herself. Mia and her best friend and forever crush Britt only have a matter of days to find all the clues before Britt goes to follow her dream in Nashville, but will Mia follower her too?

This was a cute story from a debut author. I always enjoy bi+ storylines; there isn’t enough bi representation in literature. I also liked that music was woven in and thought that the various clues were clever. The songs that were created in the book were also great. I’m looking forward to reading the author’s next book.