4.5 / 5 stars

Mamma Mia is my favorite musical of all time, so it was a delight to read this YA romance based off of the musical. It was so fun to follow Millie on her adventure around New York, trying to find her mom. In the end, she found so much more family than she ever could have imagined.

Emma Lord is really great at writing sibling / friend relationships, and this book was no exception. I loved watching her get to know her three potential moms and the way these three women ended up in her life all together at the end. There were no loose ends in this HEA.

The only thing that threw me a little was the romance bit. It felt awkward and unexpected—almost like it was an afterthought. I didn't mind it, but the book would have been wonderful without this aspect as well. Regardless, Emma Lord is now on my list of authors that I will buy and read anything they publish!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars
When I saw ~ for readers who loved the musical Mamma Mia ~ I knew this would be a fun read.
Awww ABBA ~ “Dancing Queen”!

In “Mamma Mia” Sophia the main character is getting married on a romantic Greek island. She has secretly invited three men who dated her mother and one she is sure is her dad and wants him to walk her down the aisle.
Yes! I can still remember ~ Dot Dot Dot aka …
Here is a link to the video trailer ~
https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3165782297?playlistId=tt0795421&ref_=tt_ov_vi

This story is it the opposite in that Millie Price is trying to find her long lost mom and has narrowed it down to three women.

It was a fun read. After viewing the trailer I found myself singing “Dancing Queen” and the other songs throughout this story.
Yep there is still some ABBA in me!

I always enjoy reading the ‘Author Notes’ as well as their acknowledgements.
In this case, Emma Lord’s ‘Acknowledgements’ is a bit of a story!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Wednesday Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 4, 2022

Thank you Net Galley for offering me this ARC.

I really enjoyed this and breezed right through this book. What a fun read this was! As an adoptee myself meeting biological family and reading about these instances can be overwhelming. However, Emma Lord wrote this so well. If you love all things musical, and fun love this is your book!

How do I start this because I honestly don't know. Well, let's just take a moment to praise Emma Lord because here she is, doing it again. Anyone who's met me knows that I very rarely give four stars to contemporary books, I rate them on almost a completely different brain scale than others. But, here we are with the second book by Emma Lord, up at four stars (and she's only published three), like she really takes the cake as my favorite contemporary author at this point. Go read Tweet Cute. Now.

Okay, so When You Get the Chance is about Millie Price, a high-school actor who has big dreams for broadway. Once her dad tells her she can't go to precollege in LA (they reside in NYC), Millie makes it her mission to find her mother (who left her when she was a baby at her dad's doorstep) because she knows that her missing mom was also a broadway girl like her and would most likely side with her over her dad. This obviously lends way to a Mamma Mia! inspired plot point in which she attempts to find her mom (unlike Sophie who is finding her dad). Also unlike Mamma Mia!, she does find out who her mother is at the and so if you're like me and thought at the end of Mamma Mia! that is was crazy that Sophie didn't just take a DNA test and find out if Sam was actually her dad (because we were all rooting for Sam, you know it), this book is more for you than any other.

Honestly, I have nothing to say other than I loved it? It could have been a five star read, the only reason it wasn't is because it was just very predictable. All the twists were fairly obvious, and we enjoy them, don't get me wrong, but still. Also, I'll be honest, the romance also fell flat. Yes, enemies-to-lovers, blah blah blah. But, while it was important (kind of) to the plot (KIND of), it wasn't highlighted. Which I am not against, romance is not my favorite thing to read, but I do read it a lot (specifically contemporary romance) which is really weird, but also it's more like I like fluff and I don't like details…Like make me squeal but I don't care about your problems, I guess? This is going into rant territory, back to the book. Oliver and Millie are very cute, and of course, I ship them like crazy, and like I said I don't love romance too much, but I kind of wish there was more? There were moments where I was like, "If Oliver shows up right now, I think I would die from emotions" kinda think, ya know?

Anyway, this was the most confusing review, I literally just wrote words down and didn't proofread it whatsoever…But, eyes peeled for When You Get the Chance, for all my contemporary and Mamma Mia! lovers, this one's for you.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me an eARC of 'When You Get the Chance' in exchange for my honest review.

OMG! This was absolutely fantabulous! Just a blast to read--especially as a once high school theatre kid myself (though I was never nearly on the level of our obsessively-determined-and-dedicated protagonist Millie). Emma Lord returns us to New York City with this one and even includes a mini-easter-egg shout-out to her debut 'Tweet Cute' at one point; she still switches it up though as this novel not only focuses on the Arts (rather than a business rivalry), but takes place during summer break! So as much as school is discussed and future educational decisions are key to the plot...we never actually see the inside of a classroom or even a hallway.

So to break it down: Millie is determined to see her name in lights--on Broadway specifically. And she is accepted to this super-competitive precollege of her dreams in California. The Catch? Her super-nerdy-but-adorable-and-single dad is not so happy about the potential move. Being the stubborn and single-minded diva that she is, Millie decides the best way of resolving this impasse? Find her long-lost mom (who essentially left her on her dad's doorstep as an infant). This whole debacle even has a title: the 'Millie Mia'! Inspired by the oh-so-true-to-life plot of 'Mamma Mia' of course.

This book is oh-so-hilarious yet oh-so-sweet and heart-warming all at the same time (a lot like the musical it mimicks actually). I had such a ball reading it the first time and would read it again without question. I also loved and have to shout-out the ensemble supporting cast! While Millie is absolutely front-and-centre throughout, it is her relationships--those already existing and those she builds over the course of the summer--that keep her from becoming a one-note caricature of a character: her dad, her aunt, her best friend/surrogate brother, her three potential 'moms', her potentiall l'il sis, her boss, her rival/love interest......

And can I just say--Emma Lord's 'Enemies-to-Lovers' game is on point! She nailed this trope with 'Tweet Cute' too and I am living for the competitive-yet-somehow-supportive (???) rivalry between Millie and Oliver in 'When You Get the Chance'. These two make me laugh out loud and sigh all at the same time.

Altogether, this is a completely over-the-top-in-all-the-right-ways read for me and I 100% recommend! 5 STARS!

YES PLEASE!! Emma Lord does it again with When You Get the Chance. This was a sweet retelling of the "Mama Mia" story told for a teen audience with the mother character in question. I enjoyed the boisterous, over the top characters. This was a sweet, light romance that was great for a summer beach read for teens/tweens.

Much like a broadway show, make sure you have a box of tissues handy as Emma Lord will have you feeling ALL the feels. This ticks all the boxes: Broadway references, unexpected romances, and figuring out who you are in relationship to the people around you. Fully bingeable, you'll want to set aside a long evening to enjoy "When You Get the Chance" in one sitting.

I adore dad/daughter relationships in YA novels. To me, it's the least written about family dynamic and I wish that would change.

I think Millie's relationship with her dad is the best thing in this story, so it's a shame there isn't much of it. But what is shown is so heartwarming. I understand that Millie's focus is on finding her mom, but I wish there was more page time dedicated to her strengthening her bond with her dad. Her dad is just too precious, I wanted to read more about him!

But I think theatre kids will really love this story. It's BROADWAY, in all caps, with musical references on every page! It also has all of the makings of a cute YA story - funny, charming MC with an equally funny, charming best friend, high school shenanigans, rivals becoming crushes, and NYC adventures.

Overall, a great addition to EL's bibliography!

**On a side note regarding publishing/cover design, I really wish there was more of an effort made when putting the MC on the cover. The MC in this is specifically stated as being strawberry blonde and the girl on the cover is not. A very minor detail, for sure, but to me that just shows a lack of care to get the details right and that's disappointing. This isn't the first time a cover doesn't match an authors description, and sadly, it won't be the last. I just wish publishing would pay more attention. Getting the MC to be represented accurately is the least they can do.

“When You Get the Chance” is a beautiful, quirky, contemporary young adult novel about how you can find happiness in your chaotic life.

I love stories that warm your heart because of the charming characters. Most of the people in the tale are adorable, and people you wish were in your life. I adored Millie in the lead as she tries to find the identity of her mother. I loved the conversations she has with her father and the bond she shares with him. Even Teddy, Beth, Chloe, Farrah, and Heather shine in their way. The author nicely focuses on all of them, where you feel happy for even how their story turns out.

Another highlight of the story was Millie and Oliver. I thought the author wrote their friendship and chemistry flawlessly, and it is the kind of thing I love to read in a YA contemporary novel. They start as enemies, neck to neck for the internship, and realize they must work together. It was fun to see how their dynamic changed and thawed their dislike to eventually get closer to one another. I would love to read a sequel on just these two.

Moreover, I enjoyed the storyline of Millie’s mother and how the author executed it. You can see the contrasting emotions that Millie goes through from love, anger, shock, and acceptance, and the author addresses the aspect in a light-hearted, humorous manner. On a side note, I also enjoyed the backdrop of the Broadway setting where most of the story takes place, and it was interesting to see how the Broadway manager worked.

Overall, “When You Get the Chance” is a delightful story that you should read if you are in the mood for a fun Young Adult contemporary novel.

I became a fan of Emma Lord the first time I read Tweet Cute. When You Get The Chance, not only reminded me why I love Emma Lord's writing but also why I love the ya genre.

This book had the kind of effervescence that's hard to find in any genre that's not Young adult. Through all it's highs and lows, there's always an undercurrent of hope that makes books like these so good.

WYGC was an absolutely wonderful book that spoke to not just the musical theatre fan in me, but also put into words so many things I feel everyday of my life.

Millie is an amazing lead. She's bright, confident and just unapologetically her that you can't help but like her. She's got the kind of guts and passion that most people spend their whole lives searching for. And when she gets it in her head to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby, she puts everything she has into it.

This book is a spin on one of my favourite musicals, Mamma Mia. Over the course of the summer, Millie goes on an adventure to find out who her mother is after reading her father's journal and narrowing it down to three people. And while it's still got all the adventure and joy of the musical, it's also got tons of growth and self discovery that is on par with a lot of ya novels.

One thing about Millie is that she gets into these "Millie Moods" where she feels things in abundance, be it positive or negative, and they always come spilling out of her, whether she wants it to or not. And that's something I felt on a deeper level, because I sometimes feel the same way, where a split second can change my entire disposition and I just need to get away for a second and breathe. Reading that in this book just made me feel seen and gave words to things I've never been able to describe about myself.

The side characters were also quite delightful! From Millie's aunt Heather, to her best friend Teddy, they were all quirky and unique in their own ways and they all had substance which just made everything so much better. And don't even get me started on Oliver, the nemesis turned love interest. His personality is the perfect compliment to Millie's. They're super different but they come together so well! I loved the progress they made through this book and I'm totally rooting for them to go all the way!

Overall, this was a bundle of joy, filled with growth, musicals and the can-do attitude of a strong lead and everybody around her! I'd totally recommend this if you're looking for a wonderful ya romance! It's perfect for fans of Tweet Cute or authors like Morgan Matson!

I enjoy stories when archenemies become romantically involved. It causes great tension and it's so much fun them trying to hold back and then giving into each other. The story is full of love, finding true family and great friendship. The story is very uplifting. Millie has never known her mom who dropped her off at her dad's apartment when a baby. She begins to search for her mom to her back her up to go to Madison for precollege in the theater. Her best friend, Teddie finds three possible women through an old social media site that her father used in college. Meeting each one, they all seem to fit the bill.

I felt like Emma Lord wrote this book specifically for me and other former theatre kid Mamma Mia-obsessed millennials who had a Livejournal circa 2002-2008. Every single song reference from the early 2000s felt like a personal attack in the best possible way. If you like Broadway musicals have re-read the new adult Casey McQuiston's Red White & Royal Blue multiple times during the pandemic, enemies-to-lovers tropes, and reading sweet YA books with happy endings for everyone-- this is for you.

Millie's a talented theatre kid in NYC who applied and got into a prestigious theatre pre-college program on the west coast. The problem is that she needs her dad's permission. He's reluctant to say yes, Millie accidentally stumbles upon her dad's Livejournal from 2003 and is convinced that by using clues from Livejournal, she can find her mother (who abandoned her as a baby) and convince her to get his consent. There are three possible candidates: Steph, Farrah, and Beth and Millie and her best friend Teddy devise ways to get her in contact with each of them through theatre fan meetups, dance classes, and even an internship (that her very cute arch-enemy Oliver Yang, the stage manager, at her school is also vying for). In the process. This book manages to introduce an absolutely charming and realistic crew of diverse characters and they even touch upon some more serious issues without being too much.

Speaking of 'too much', Millie is a character that may come across as 'too much' (she's a confident diva but doesn't cross the line to being a jerk; she has a heart of gold and has a right to be confident in her talent) and yet she reminds me of at least four different people I know who were theatre kids when I was in school. I immediately pre-ordered this book. As mentioned before, this is definitely an 'everyone gets a happy ending' type of book which is EXACTLY what we need right now.

I love the premise of a Mamma Mia parental search and big-personality teens with a passion for theatre and an enemies-to-lovers trope. I just wish I liked the actual book as much as I'd hoped. For me, it came down to the descriptions (often too many, or too long) and the dialogue, which felt like older characters, not the words that teens would say. I would still recommend it to friends who love Broadway and theatre, but perhaps only that limited list.

I was in a major reading funk until I started this delightful book. I loved all the theater references and I especially loved the Mamma Mia spin off. What a fresh take on Mamma Mia! Watching Millie come into her own and stop trying out different roles was so refreshing. Millie and Oliver with their frenemy banter was so good. I thoroughly enjoyed all the strong friendships in this book including Coop's old friendships being revived thanks in part to the Millie Mia. This book was just what I needed.

This was a great book about love, loss, and learning to let go of the things you can't change. I really loved reading this book and it kept my attention from the very beginning.

After reading TWEET CUTE by Lord, I knew that I would KILL to get my hands on anything else that she writes. Emma Lord writes relatable stories with gorgeous & well fleshed out characters that keep you rooting for them all the way to the very last page!

WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE was no different, my friends!
I absolutely loved the "is this a romance?" story between Millie and Oliver from their very first introduction. And while, yes, ultimately this is a novel about a young girl figuring out that she does not have to keep fitting herself into a variety of "roles" and just be herself to find the life she's always wanted to live - it is also a adorable story about finding love where you weren't looking for it.

For multiple characters!

SO, the "Millie Mia" of it all: Millie is a high school junior who has just gotten into the drama school precollege of her dreams BUT her introverted father won't allow her to go across the country to enroll. For whatever reason, Millie believes that if she finds her theatre world mother (whom she has never known & never attempted to find before this moment), that woman will convince her father to allow her to go.

In the same vein as the musical Mama Mia, Millie is able to narrow the contenders for her mom down to three women:
Beth: a musical super-fan with a teenage daughter
Steph: an aspiring actress who works as a receptionist for a talent manager
Farrah: A dance instructor at a hole-in-the-wall studio

With the help of her best friend Teddy, Millie makes plans to meet all of these women and try to figure out who is the woman who left her on her father's doorstep all those years ago. To avoid spoiling the end, I won't say any more on that front.

Some things I really loved:
- The back and forth sass between Oliver and Millie was truly entertaining.
- Millie seeing little bits of herself in each of the women that she was investigating.
- How even Lord's "background" or "side" characters are still well thought out & don't feel like a flat, two-dimensional character. Every person you're introduced to is fleshed out & you do kind of understand their motivation and past.

All in all, 10/10 would recommend!

This book represents the best of what has drawn me to YA books in the past. It is heartfelt. It is cute. It has meaningful moments. It has characters that are not overdone but who show growth. It does everything so very well.

Recently I have found that YA books weren't as enjoyable for me and I can't put my finger on exactly why. Sometimes the characters are overdone. Sometimes to give them room to grow they are unlikeable at the beginning. Sometimes they don't have realistic flaws. Sometimes the angst is just too much for this adult reader who's children just left their teen years. This book however, is not like that at all.

Millie is a character that had traits like my theatre loving daughter. However, she was also her own person. She felt real, likable. She made mistakes but never in a way where you weren't rooting for her. There is an enemies to more romance that is really cute and developed just right. All of this is balanced beautifully with her Mamma Mia like journey to discover who her Mom is and answer some questions she has about herself. The journey was so enjoyable and the ending hits all the right notes.

When I say I had a smile on my face the whole book I wouldn't be lying. If you enjoy sweet and not too heavy YA then put this on your to-read list. I can’t recommend this enough.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy.

When You Get the Chance is Lord’s upcoming release and honey, honey you will want to read this Mamma Mia inspired story! This is a tribute to all the theatre nerds out there and this high school theatre kid adored it.

Millie is trying to navigate her big teenage emotions and high drama personality aka her “Millie Moods”. It’s hard for her not to think these parts of her might be something that her birth mom could understand more about her than her very introverted and nerdy dad. Between wanting to know more about herself and hoping that her birth mom might help her in convincing her dad of a plan Millie has for her future, she decides to try to find this woman.

I loved the secondary characters in this book and you get a lot of great ones- from the three potential moms, to the aunt (who I kept picturing as Chessie from The Parent Trap), Millie's geocaching neighbor/bff, and many more. There’s also a sweet slow burn hate to love romance through the book.

Millie wants to be on Broadway and she knows exactly the path she wants to take until her dad doesn't allow her to attend the school of her dreams. In an attempt to find an ally, Millie sets out to find her birth mother. A fun read. 3.5

I'm very happy to say I really enjoyed When You Get the Chance. From the characters, to the underlying bliss, to the writing, to just the way this book came out overall. It's very impactful and engrossing, and the kind of book some readers will finish in one sitting.
Theater and humour are all entangled with emotions and balanced perfectly and I absolutely adored the Millie and Oliver.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.