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looseleafellie's review against another edition
5.0
The Last Love Song is a queer Mamma Mia-inspired YA novel that follows Mia, a songwriter who is the daughter of deceased country music superstar Tori Rose. When Mia finds a letter from her mother shortly after her high school graduation, she must follow clues throughout her small hometown of Sunset Cove to unravel Tori Rose's past -- and maybe figure out the path to her own future.
This book is heartfelt, emotional, and bursting with enjoyable characters! I loved the slow-built friends-to-lovers romance between Mia and her longtime crush Britt. The relationships in this book weave so neatly into Mia's character arc as she weighs up the people who make her want to stay in Sunset Cove and the people who make her want to leave with them -- and questions whether it's possible to have both.
As much as I loved the romance elements, the mother-daughter relationship was the beating heart of the story, and the most resonant part for me. Not to spoil it, but a scene toward the end fully made me cry! It was really cool to experience how Tori's story mirrors Mia's story.
I adored the song lyrics sprinkled throughout the book. Each song reflects the character who wrote it, and they helped me get more immersed in the story. I also think it's super cool that the author collaborated with a musician to actually record one of the songs and post it on Spotify!
Long story short, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Sunset Cove. If you're looking for a dazzling, musical debut novel with plenty of heart, you should definitely pick this up!
This book is heartfelt, emotional, and bursting with enjoyable characters! I loved the slow-built friends-to-lovers romance between Mia and her longtime crush Britt. The relationships in this book weave so neatly into Mia's character arc as she weighs up the people who make her want to stay in Sunset Cove and the people who make her want to leave with them -- and questions whether it's possible to have both.
As much as I loved the romance elements, the mother-daughter relationship was the beating heart of the story, and the most resonant part for me. Not to spoil it, but a scene toward the end fully made me cry! It was really cool to experience how Tori's story mirrors Mia's story.
I adored the song lyrics sprinkled throughout the book. Each song reflects the character who wrote it, and they helped me get more immersed in the story. I also think it's super cool that the author collaborated with a musician to actually record one of the songs and post it on Spotify!
Long story short, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Sunset Cove. If you're looking for a dazzling, musical debut novel with plenty of heart, you should definitely pick this up!
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
mel_muses's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
2.0
Whelp, this was underwhelming.
The Last Love Song follows Mia Peters, daughter of the the late sensation Tori Rose, as she prepares for a summer of endings. Her best friend is leaving their small town of Sunset Cove to pursue her dream of music, and Mia is absolutely certain she can't join — no matter how much she wants to — because she doesn't want to end up like her mom. Dead, a mystery no one can solve, and a person no one really knows. But then Mia receives the graduation present her mom made her right before she died. There she finds a scavenger hunt: the promise of answers.
First off, I don't think this book is accurately described by how it's pitched (i.e. bisexual Mamma Mia). The whole "who's my dad" plotline felt ineloquently thrown in there, and didn't have any real bearing on the plot. It's more giving I Kissed Shara Wheeler, but make it friends-to-lovers and centered around stardom, with a touch of the movie The Half of It.
I felt for Mia, and I really did like seeing her start to understand herself and her mother. I also really liked the way music was used in this book. The lyrics of all the songs embedded tell vivid stories. They're powerful and beautiful and I could almost hear them off the page. I also loved the alternating timelines. Rather than describe Mia reading her mom's letters, we saw the world from Tori Rose's perspective. It was immersive and really made the mother's story shine.
However, my biggest problems stem from the writing. Not only was it written so simply that each point seemed to depend on a cliche, it also just did not make sense. In one sentence*, Mia notes that the "coldness has faded from her [best friend's] eyes" and the next sentence claims that her face is "completely unreadable"? Or in another, Tori Rose describes the stage lights glinting off a tattoo on her collarbone — and WHAT? Is she giving herself a double chin staring at her COLLARBONE right before she performs in front of a massive audience?
In both these instances (and many others), I see the intended impact. But the contradictions in the language indicate that these moments were not clearly thought out beyond the drama. And that's frustrating as a reader! I want to feel these things, but you have to earn the impact — not with flowery words, but by painting a powerful story that works in the world you have created. *just a disclaimer that these quotes are from a review copy and may not be the final version.
I also found the scavenger hunt Mia's mother leaves her very random. For me, I felt like the foundations of the clues were not established enough to make it a fun mystery. Especially as the clues got more creative and complex, there was no way Mia could have figured them out. And yet, even though the hunt was random, the plot itself was predictable. I guessed the big reveal a couple chapters in.
Mia's thought cycles were also endlessly frustrating. She just kept repeating the same thoughts (and actions!) throughout. There's only so much self-degradation and self-pity I can read in place of a real plot (I'm telling you, nothing substantial really happens between 5% and 40%).
I did like the Tori Rose romance timeline. I enjoyed how messy and honest it felt. Even if I am not and will never be a music star like her, I connected to the feelings of having to decide which sacrifice would be worth it. Mia's romance, on the other hand, felt strangely forced? I just didn't get the sense that she really wanted it to turn out well. It felt less nuanced than her mother's narrative.
ALSO: Why does no one in this book ever have to warm up?? Not once does Mia or literally any other character mention warming up, or practicing, or being anything less than perfect at music. It just felt really odd.
This book would make a good Netflix movie, honestly, but I struggle to recommend it. It is a short read, but I don't feel it really adds anything new or exceptionally executed to the genre of queer YA.
Trigger Warnings: terminal illness, death of parent (off page, central to the plot), absentee father
I received an eARC via NetGalley from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Love Song follows Mia Peters, daughter of the the late sensation Tori Rose, as she prepares for a summer of endings. Her best friend is leaving their small town of Sunset Cove to pursue her dream of music, and Mia is absolutely certain she can't join — no matter how much she wants to — because she doesn't want to end up like her mom. Dead, a mystery no one can solve, and a person no one really knows. But then Mia receives the graduation present her mom made her right before she died. There she finds a scavenger hunt: the promise of answers.
First off, I don't think this book is accurately described by how it's pitched (i.e. bisexual Mamma Mia). The whole "who's my dad" plotline felt ineloquently thrown in there, and didn't have any real bearing on the plot. It's more giving I Kissed Shara Wheeler, but make it friends-to-lovers and centered around stardom, with a touch of the movie The Half of It.
I felt for Mia, and I really did like seeing her start to understand herself and her mother. I also really liked the way music was used in this book. The lyrics of all the songs embedded tell vivid stories. They're powerful and beautiful and I could almost hear them off the page. I also loved the alternating timelines. Rather than describe Mia reading her mom's letters, we saw the world from Tori Rose's perspective. It was immersive and really made the mother's story shine.
However, my biggest problems stem from the writing. Not only was it written so simply that each point seemed to depend on a cliche, it also just did not make sense. In one sentence*, Mia notes that the "coldness has faded from her [best friend's] eyes" and the next sentence claims that her face is "completely unreadable"? Or in another, Tori Rose describes the stage lights glinting off a tattoo on her collarbone — and WHAT? Is she giving herself a double chin staring at her COLLARBONE right before she performs in front of a massive audience?
In both these instances (and many others), I see the intended impact. But the contradictions in the language indicate that these moments were not clearly thought out beyond the drama. And that's frustrating as a reader! I want to feel these things, but you have to earn the impact — not with flowery words, but by painting a powerful story that works in the world you have created. *just a disclaimer that these quotes are from a review copy and may not be the final version.
I also found the scavenger hunt Mia's mother leaves her very random. For me, I felt like the foundations of the clues were not established enough to make it a fun mystery. Especially as the clues got more creative and complex, there was no way Mia could have figured them out. And yet, even though the hunt was random, the plot itself was predictable. I guessed the big reveal a couple chapters in.
Mia's thought cycles were also endlessly frustrating. She just kept repeating the same thoughts (and actions!) throughout. There's only so much self-degradation and self-pity I can read in place of a real plot (I'm telling you, nothing substantial really happens between 5% and 40%).
I did like the Tori Rose romance timeline. I enjoyed how messy and honest it felt. Even if I am not and will never be a music star like her, I connected to the feelings of having to decide which sacrifice would be worth it. Mia's romance, on the other hand, felt strangely forced? I just didn't get the sense that she really wanted it to turn out well. It felt less nuanced than her mother's narrative.
ALSO: Why does no one in this book ever have to warm up?? Not once does Mia or literally any other character mention warming up, or practicing, or being anything less than perfect at music. It just felt really odd.
This book would make a good Netflix movie, honestly, but I struggle to recommend it. It is a short read, but I don't feel it really adds anything new or exceptionally executed to the genre of queer YA.
Trigger Warnings: terminal illness, death of parent (off page, central to the plot), absentee father
I received an eARC via NetGalley from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Abandonment
booksandbesitos's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This heartwarming book follows Mia, a recent high school graduate, on a scavenger hunt left by her late mother, Tori Rose. Both Mia and her mother grew up with music in their blood. Despite sharing roots and music, Mia knows very little about her mother.
The book contains two timelines, showing the lives of both Mia and Tori.
It's an incredible debut novel. I’m excited to see what Kalie Holford creates next. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and highly recommend it to music lovers, those navigating mother-daughter relationships, and to anyone who want a queer story with beautiful writing.
Almost forgot my favorite detail- There was two grandmothers/mothers and I loved them so much!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
katevdz's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a cute YA debut novel from Kalie Holford. The cover is great, I adored the gay grandmas. This story follows Mia as she completes a scavenger hunt set by her late mother, country music star Tori Rose. It’s enjoyable to go through the steps with her and watch as she uncovers more about her mother’s past. However, it is definitely a book best enjoyed when you don’t worry about the details. There is definitely a lot that Mia doesn’t seem to know about her mom, despite google existing, and lots of little things I found hard to suspend my disbelief for. Overall I had fun following alone with Mia as she learned more about her mom’s life. And I am always here for queer love stories!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness
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