This book is a musical theater fan's dream.
There are references to so many favorite popular shows (Newsies, Mamma Mia, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Little Women, Jersey Boys, Rent...there are honestly too many to list) as well as names that anyone who loves musicals will recognize (including Ben Platt, Anne Hathaway, Idina Menzel, and my personal favorite, Darren Criss).
There's even a Very Potter Musical reference. Which is one of my very specific favorite shows that I've never seen mentioned in a book before, ever. I swear, it's like this book was written just for me.
There's also a slowburn enemies-to-lovers plot between Millie (the most talented diva at her New York City arts school) and Oliver (the stage manager who has been Millie's rival for years).
And Heather, Millie's lesbian aunt who owns a club that serves milkshakes and ice cream. I mean, can someone please start one of those in real life?
And a truly adorable romance subplot with Millie's best friend, Teddy, and the daughter of one of the potential moms, Chloe. They met on a geocaching app using screen names before they met in person. I would 100% read a whole book that's just about them. (Chloe's screen name is ParticularlyGoodFinders, the reference I mentioned earlier).
The potential moms (Steph, Farrah and Beth) were all really well-developed characters. Steph works for one of New York's most well-known and most intimidating talent agents, Beth hosts weekly Broadway-themed events in her apartment and has a daughter close in age to Millie, and Farrah is a dance teacher in Brooklyn whose class works on new Broadway numbers every week.
I think my favorite thing about this book was Millie's personality and how different it was from most YA protagonists. Millie is super talented and not afraid to acknowledge it. She doesn't fall into the annoyingly overused "constantly humbling themself" trope of teenage girls. Her confidence was nice and refreshing to read. I mention in other reviews sometimes how I wish not every book about theater had to have an extremely shy MC who hates performing and is forced into it. Turns out, THIS is exactly the book I was waiting for all that time. The theater kids are winning! I might see reviews calling Millie narcissistic or unlikable, but I thought she was a welcome change.
I was also relieved that there wasn't a love triangle with Teddy, or any kind of romance plot between him and Millie. If he's not gay, the guy best friend in books usually ends up being the love interest, but that didn't happen here. Teddy had his own romance story with Chloe, and Millie never got jealous or realized suddenly that she liked him as more than a friend. No, he's just the best friend who STAYS a best friend. As much as I like to read friends-to-lovers stories, I also like to see friendships between boys and girls that don't involve romance.
As for the reveal of Millie's mom, I liked who it turned out to be, and I can honestly say that I didn't see it coming at all! Readers will definitely be surprised.

**I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord from NetGalley. Opinions in this review are completely my own.**
** Possible Spoilers""

This is one of the authors that I have thoroughly enjoyed, so I had been checking Netgalley looking to see if she had any new books out. I read both Tweet Cute and You Have a Match and loved them! I enjoyed this novel as well. I felt like it had some similar vibes to You Have a Match in the whole search for identity part by Millie. I also teach middle school aged kids so I know what a struggle it is to figure out who you are at this age. I know a lot of kids would relate to the story line.

As well, being a musical theatre lover myself, I really enjoyed that part of the novel. I used to perform in musical theatre and I have always wanted to go to New York to just watch a new musical every week, so I could totally relate to Mille. Also, I liked the idea of the GeoTeens. Overall, this book was fun to read, engaging, and had relatable characters that I wanted to know more about.

Despite some serious issues (finding her birth mom and dealing with anxiety) the book was a fun read with all of the musical references and the sweet ‘enemies turned love interest’ storyline. It is also an important book, in my opinion, covering anxiety in a low-key way. The author did a good job at having Millie explain how she feels before, during, and after a “Millie Mood” and even had Millie find a coping mechanism that worked for her. The character of Millie was well thought out, complex, and well written. She had strengths and faults which made her very realistic. Relationships were also very important in this story and well written. Oliver and Millie had fun banter and good chemistry. My favorite was Teddy. He and Millie had a wonderful, close, sibling type relationship. They picked on each other like siblings and had each other’s backs, always. I absolutely loved their relationship.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it, especially to those who love the theatre, or enjoy listening to musical soundtracks.

Thank you Net Galley and St Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #WhenYouGettheChance

A gender reversed Mamma Mia telling wherein a teen girl, raised by her single father and aunt, goes in search of three potential women who may be her birth mother in New York City.

At first, I really disliked the main character Millie. She was over-the-top, self-indulgent and her whole life seemed to evolve around one thing… broadway. It is a testament to the author that as the story progressed Millie kind of grew on me, her obsession and all. By the second half I found what once to be off-putting about her personality to actually be quite charming.

I’ve also read You Have a Match by the same author (I’ve been delinquent in writing reviews lately) and both were very much about exploring non-traditional forms of family. I’m a firm believer that DNA doesn’t make you family, actions do. While Millie’s aunt might not have been her biological mother she really stepped up and stepped into the role.
Just like You Have a Match this story was uplifting, heartwarming and sure to make you smile. The book also features LGBTQ+ and BIPOC supporting characters.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A little meh? I’ve read other books by this author but they’re all blurring together. I wanted more chemistry but I’m sure it will fine it’s audience.

Really cute. I loved Tweet Cute so much - was one of my favorite YA romance reads ever. So I was really excited to get an advance copy of this (thanks, NetGalley and Wednesday Books)!

If you love Glee or was ever a theater kid (I was for awhile, until I realized I was not a good one), you will love this book. It’s also set in NYC, so the rating automatically went up a point. I totally guessed the twist halfway through the book (hate when that happens), so the payoff was not that great when it was revealed.

If you’re looking for a happy, go lucky YA romance, this is your book. Emma Lord knows how to write the best!

This book gave me Mamma Mia feels and I absolutely adored it! Millie's a bit of a diva but has to get an adult/parental consent to move to the west coast to pursue her college dream. When her father refuses to give his approval, Millie's got to find the mother who abandoned her when she was young and get her consent. The only problem? She has no idea who it is and there's three possible candidates: Steph, Farrah, and Beth. I love the premise of this book and it's definitely my favorite Emma Lord book so far!!

Emma Lord feels like the new one to watch in YA. Her writing is amazing and so captivating, I’ve enjoyed it ever since reading Tweet Cute.

This was another really fun book to read through that tackled some harder points at times but it was just extremely satisfying!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When You Get the Chance follows Millie, a lively and energetic theatre buff with big plans for her future. After being accepted into an acting program across the country, Millie is frustrated when her dad does not immediately agree to let her go. She sets off on a quest to find her mother, and finds so much more along the way.

I absolutely adored Millie as the main character in When You Get the Chance, she really made this book special. Her personality is huge, and her emotions are just as big to match. I found myself frequently underlining passages in the book because I loved the detail put into her thoughts and actions. The main storyline of the search for Millie's mom is engaging, and readers will enjoy trying to solve the mystery with her (kudos to the Livejournal reference, I could not get over this). Millie is supported by a great group: an anxious dad, an eccentric best friend, a loving aunt/mother figure, and a rival turned love interest. What's not to love? When You Get the Chance held my interest from start to finish, and is just a joy to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

3.5 stars. An adorable YA contemporary read that will make you smile. The protagonist, seventeen-year-old Millie, dreams of becoming a broadway star and has her entire life planned out, but things get complicated when she and her dad don't see eye to eye. Being the dynamic and ambitious theater kid that she is, Millie hatches an elaborate scheme to find her birth mother and convince her dad to let her attend the prestigious precollege theater program at Madison. A clever, gender-reversed retelling of Mamma Mia, this book includes lots of fun references to Broadway shows and a teen-romance with Pride and Prejudice vibes. Millie is an endearing character who illustrates how difficult growing up can be especially when you are being raised by a single dad and can't always control your emotions. I can see this becoming a popular title in my classroom library. The one issue I have with this book is how perfect the ending is, although it is very fitting for this genre.

Special thanks to Net Galley and Wednesday' Books for sharing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh, the amount of Broadway references- *star eyes*.
I adored this book--the premise, the characters, everything! I'm a fan of Emma Lord's and was so excited to receive an ARC!

Millie is hopeful the senior musical will be Mamma Mia and simultaneously accidentally stumbles upon her dad's live journal with three different women's names--one of whom might be her mom? Cue real life Millie Mia! Millie is on a quest to get to know each of the women, and in the meanwhile meets a new friend, tackles dancing, and works with her nemesis turned love interest, all while trying to figure out her future plans.

Lord weaves family life so well and I adored Millie's dad and aunt, and her best friend/non-blood brother.
I LOVED how everyone and everything wove together. I was cheesing so hard by the end. Loved it!

I had a hard time connecting with the main character at first, but as the story developed she became more well-rounded and relatable.

This is definitely a unique read with its focus on Broadway, singing and acting, and New York, but through a YA lens.

Overall it was a fun read, with a diverse cast of characters.

This is the second I’ve read by Emma Lord this year and have enjoyed both of them immensely! I don’t care that the end wrapped up in a nice little bow or that the plot twist was fairly obvious it was exactly the beacon of optimism I need when I turn to books like this. Now I need to go and read the third!

Oh, this book brought my theater-loving heart so much joy (side-note: it's really great to read a book where the theater nerd character talks about musicals besides Hamilton).

I wasn't sure I was going to like the main character at first. She's loud and blunt and the definition of a theater-kid, but I ended up loving her confidence and vulnerability. My favorite part of the book, though, (besides the thousands of theater references, obviously) was the ensemble. This book was all about finding your family, blood-related and otherwise, and the cast of characters were all kind and loving and eccentric. I loved every one of them.

I work in the theater department at the school I teach at. I can't wait to tell all my students about this adorable book.

Thank you NetGalley for sending this arc for an honest review!

I have no words to describe the awe I felt after I finshed this book. The plot was articulated perfectly that I couldn’t put my hands down. This idea of love, and truth all of it made me wonder who chopped the onions in the house while I was reading this book. No words I’m literally writing this WITH NO WORDS IN MY HEAD because I’m still crying maybe I’m over emotinal and people won’t cry BUT THIS HAD ME IN MY FEELS.

Millie is such a charismatic character, you can't help but like her! This is such a cute Mamma Mia version of a story set in NY! I think a lot of my teens will like reading this one, especially theater kids!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I absolutely adored this book! This might be my favorite Emma Lord book thus far and I think that's partially because it's so completely on brand for me! Emma's writing is emotional and clever and funny and totally draws me in. The broadway dreams mixed with the mamma mia premise is everything I could want out of a book!

Theatre kids will fall in love with this story but also Millie and Oliver. A+ and I can't wait to see what Emma does with her upcoming adult rom coms.

Thanks again to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I will absolutely be purchasing When You Get the Chance for my school's library. There will definitely be readership for this title, and though things seemed a little too easy at the end, that's what feel-good stories are meant to do, right? We don't read a story like this in order to see everything as it would actually be in real life. We read stories like this because we want to believe that things can work out in the end even when we make mistakes, even when things seem messy, and even when they "shouldn't." Emma Lord is quickly becoming on-par with Morgan Matson in my library, which is a massive compliment.

Two things I may honestly say about this fabulous read:
This is the sweetest thing I’ve lately read!

This is my favorite Emma Lord I’ve ever read!

My cheeks, my lips hurt so much because of extra long smiling time! I felt like I did so many sitcom sound effects during my reads: 135 awww, 147 laugh out loud, 74 sighing, 32 giggling resulted with big permanent smile on my face!

This is gender reversed Mamma Mia meets Definitely Maybe with great enemies to lovers premise, a little You’ve got mail vibes ( side story )

This book gives you contagious happiness and pocketful of sunshine with its uplifting, relieving , feel good premise and beautifully resonating , so much likable, unique characters!

Millie Price, a young diva, loud, entertaining, extrovert, self confident, expressive, ball of fire, an aspiring future Broadway star gets her precollege acceptance which means she has to move to the West Coast, living her 37 years old, Tolkien- stalker, dweeb, dorky, earnest, kind father who raised her alone when he was just a college graduated young man and her cool, friendly, successful club owner dear auntie!

But when they didn’t give their consents, she needs an adult’s help for applying her Plan B which means she has to find the mother who left her when she was a baby and she ignored to contact with her for years.

Thankfully her neighbor/ best friend Teddy is a tech nerd who can reach any information in few seconds. He already found LiveJournal of Millie’s father. There are three women were mentioned at this journal who could be the possible mother candidates of Millie. Beth: social worker, mother of Chloe who is a year younger of Millie, Steph: executive assistant of famous Broadway agent and a struggling actress and finally Farrah: a talented dance teacher.

Millie decides to meet with all of these candidates which means she finds herself at the job interview to be intern of very famous Broadway manager. And guess what? She’s competing with her long time nemesis Oliver who likes to push her buttons and challenge her authority at school. And they’re both chosen to be temporary assistants for two weeks for finishing compelling tasks. The one with the best performance will get the permanent position.

Millie finds herself attending Beth’s house parties, hanging out with Chloe to get her out of her shelf, attending dance lessons of Farrah and working so hard to defeat Oliver by achieving her impossible tasks, having morning coffee chats and long career talks with Steph.

But the funny fact about her search is as she gets closer to find the identity of her mom, she finds out more about her true self and learns more about her long time nemesis who may be kind hearted and protective guy with perfect management skills.

Maybe she doesn’t need to move to the West Coast to find her true happiness. Maybe the way to pursue her true dreams just stands right behind her eyes!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!

One of the cutest, sweetest, most adoring, engaging, heartfelt reading I had for a long time! I’m giving my five musical, quirky, dorky, sweet, perfect supporting characters, permanent smile stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Oh. my. gosh. My theatre kid heart is bursting at the seams with this one. A theatre kid living her own real life ‘Mamma Mia’ in NYC? Sign me up!!!

This book follows Millie as she tries to convince her father to let her go to a pre-college theatre program in California. When he refuses she decides to seek out her mom, who abandoned her at her dads doorstep as a baby, to see if she can help her convince her father to let her go.

Millie is one of the most likable characters I have ever read about. She is so charismatic and hilarious. She reminds me of some of my theatre friends and never failed to make me smile and laugh out loud.

For any fellow theatre kid out there I 100% recommend you read this fabulous story!