I am the least theatre-centric person you'll meet, but for Emma Lord I'll tattoo entire Broadway songs on my forehead.

Alright, my last book read in 2021 is the first I shall shout about in 2022! Millie Price has never known who her mother is, and since being raised by only her dweeby dad and her awesome aunt, she was okay with that. Until she and her best friend accidentally discover her dad's early 2000's LiveJournal. Suddenly Millie has not one but three potential mothers, and she's determined to figure out who it is. Farrah, the dance teacher; Beth, the Broadway superfan; or Steph, the talent agency assistant. This summer, Millie is doing what it takes to meet these women and figure out which is the other half that made her. And if that woman can help convince Millie's dad that letting her go to pre-college on the west coast is a great idea—all the better.

I may not know Broadway, but boy do I know Mamma Mia! I went absolutely feral when I learned what the premise of Lord's new book was about and was about ready to give up a kidney to read it. Honestly, I think it was executed masterfully. The three potential mothers, the way their lives had progressed since being with Millie's father, and how they all intertwined across New York City was so well done and entertaining. Not to mention it constantly kept me guessing about who it could be. The thing is, when you are looking for a birth mother rather than a father, it's a heck of a lot easier to get an answer in the end. I'm kind of pleased that I sort of guessed correctly? Like, I'm really satisfied with how everything comes together and it's such a warm and fuzzy conclusion.

Millie is another great character from this author. She is as spunky and enthusiastic as Lord's other main characters, and I really love that about her. After an unfortunate viral moment when she was younger, Millie has constantly reinvented herself. Every so often, she has a new look, a new style, but underneath she's still the same passionate teenager with big, big dreams. She wants to be a Broadway star one day, and she definitely has the chops to do it. I really loved learning about how she spreads that love of theatre to those around her, especially with how she worked to change her school's drama department to make it more inclusive and worthwhile for everyone. I also really enjoyed exploring the depth's of Millie and her identity. Not to mention she's funny. Lord's characters always have the best senses of humour, and it's part of what makes her books so enjoyable.

Overall, this book was such a hoot! The writing is so much fun and engaging in a way I find most in this genre can't quite get right. I love father-daughter relationships, and the one between Millie and Coop is so heart-warming. Every character is incredibly endearing in their own way, and the romance was so cute! I loved the dynamic between Millie and Oliver, and their individual arcs were fabulous.

In a very difficult genre for me, Emma Lord remains THE YA contemporary author. Every single book I've read from her is a home run and I cannot wait for what comes next!

Millie dreams of being a Broadway star, and when her dad doesn’t agree to send her to a pre-college program, she needs an ally. After stumbling across her dad’s LiveJournal from 2003, she gets some clues about who her mom is. She narrows it down to 3 women, thanks to some Facebook sleuthing, and creates and plan to meet and get to know them, with hopes that she’ll find out who her mom is.

This Mamma Mia inspired book was SO MUCH FUN. If you’re looking for a fun YA coming of age read with a funny best friend, a rivals to lovers relationship, NYC adventures, with your typical high school shenanigans and family drama, all peppered with alllll the Broadway references, this is the book for you. I love Emma Lord’s previous books, but this one os by far my favorite of her work! This book made me so happy so go read it now.

I was very thankful to have received both ebook and audiobook copies because I didn’t want to put this down, and switching between the two formals made it possible to read it all through without really having to stop. Both formats were incredible - but I want to give a shoutout to the narrator of the audiobook who beautiful captured Millie’s larger than life personality and all of the teenage feelings.

Thanks to Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copies!

When her dad refuses to let New York teen Millie attend a performing arts school in California, she decides to enlist the help of her mother. Just one problem: she doesn't know who her mother is. Using her dad's LiveJournal entries from 2003, she narrows down the possibilities. With the encouragement of her best friend, and the interference of her nemesis Oliver, will this be the summer she makes her family whole?

This book is PHENOMENAL. Millie is bold and ambitious, in part because she's made that way, and in part because it's the only way to achieve her dreams. The rivalry and budding romance between her and Ollie is adorable. I love how her courage helps other characters overcome their fears and go after the things they want. I enjoyed Emma Lord's first book, TWEET CUTE, but this one is even better. I highly recommend the audio version—Millie is a performer, and the narrator does a great job of bringing her oversized personality to life.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

In this YA contemporary inspired by Mamma Mia, Millie begins a search for her mother in hopes of convincing her dad to let her go to a prestigious theater precollege. She has three options, based on her dad’s LiveJournal entries from college. Her mother left her at her father’s door and disappeared when she was a baby, and her dad has always pretended not to know her identity.

Often when reading YA novels, I find myself questioning the reality of the story, thinking “where are your parents?”. This was not the case at all in When You Get The Chance. The parents and adults were present and an important part of the storyline. Even though Millie’s dad was out of town for a portion of the story, Millie regularly turned to her aunt/pseudo-mom Heather for help. And of course, much of the story showed her interactions with her potential moms.

I loved all of the potential moms. Beth was my favorite, and her daughter was an adorable side character. I found it especially heartwarming how Millie’s scheming brought everyone together in one way or another.

Although Millie and Oliver’s romance takes a bit of a backseat to Millie’s family situation, it was a great slow-burn enemies-to-lovers plot. They had great banter, and definitely make each other better people. I thought they were a great team. They were both so selfless when it came to the competition over the internship!

If you love ABBA, theater, NYC, or just a really good YA book, this is definitely one to read.

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4 for this YA contemporary romance. It is Millie Prices’s dream to be a broadway star, and no one will stand in her way. Not her drama rival Oliver. Not her Dad who has raised her alone. Underneath all of that drive, though, is a deep hurt and feelings of abandonment from her mother. When she gets into a prestigious drama school across the country but her Dad says no, she plots to find her mother in the hopes that she will grant permission for Millie to go.

“I know people don’t like the idea of all the work that goes on backstage because it kind of takes the magic away from it all. But I’ve always thought that was the best part. Getting to see the end result, and knowing everything and everyone that went into making it happen.”

Ahhh this was a fantastic audiobook! The narrator was awesome and had me happy and scared and cheering right along with Millie throughout this story. Millie is such a great character with so much grit and drive. She is broken with feelings of abandonment and she makes her fair share of mistakes along the way, unintentionally hurting those she loves most. But she also checks herself and is humble enough to ask for forgiveness.

If you were ever in drama in school, or had dreams and aspirations of being in the theater, this is a great one to listen to!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, Wednesday Books, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute YA. I found myself rooting for Millie throughout her journey. I was shocked by the ending, which doesn’t happen often so it was a nice bonus. I really enjoyed both the book and audiobook, the narration was excellent!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I love Emma Lord, and I am not a YA fan normally. I will read everything she writes... it's just so stinking cute.

I loved this story a very good twist on the mamma mia story, I also thought the rep of anxiety was very good. The way it was descirbed as "Millie's Feelings" was very relatable.

Wonderful coming of age story with all the drama that is being a teenager!

WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE is a delightful YA contemporary romance about 16-year-old Millie, a Broadway star in the making, who was raised by her father and aunt. She's never known the identity of her mother, but when she discovers her father's old Livejournal account, she learns of three possibilities. If she wants to get close to her three possible mothers, though, she'll have to learn to relate to a potential half-sister, face her fears about dancing, and rock an internship alongside Oliver, her nemesis in the drama department at school.

This story has all the ingredients for a perfect romcom: the New York City setting, quirky characters, several budding romances, Broadway references galore, lots of snacks, and a fair amount of deception. While the plot has a lot of moving pieces, the various threads of the story are clear and efficient, and they magically (and musically) manage to form a cohesive whole that feels balanced. Like any good young adult and/or romance novel, the real story is the protagonist's journey to self-love, and Millie's is full of drama, hilarity, and tenderness. This take on the MAMMA MIA story is decidedly more substantive than its musical counterpart but still full of energy and lightness.

Personally, I loved all the musical theatre references (I, too, worship only the one true god, Patti Lupone), and I think that readers less familiar with that world can still enjoy this book. While they might not understand every joke, there's enough context to keep them on board.

WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE is the perfect read for a Broadway nerd or anyone looking for a glittery escape!

EMMA LORD NEVER DISAPPOINTS!!! There is SO much to love about this YA contemporary/romance novel!

* Our main character Millie is a GEM - she is fierce, hysterical, hard working, and a girl that goes after what she wants!
* Great daughter/father relationship
* Amazing side characters
* ALL THE BROADWAY VIBES
* a sweet enemies to lovers romance (Oliver!!!)
* SO MUCH CHARACTER GROWTH in our girl Millie - her journey throughout this story had me crying one minute and laughing out loud the next. There were some very mature, meaningful, and deep conversations explored in this novel and while at times I was very emotional, it also warmed my heart BIG TIME.

Cannot recommend this enough!

When You Get The Chance is truly delightful. Emma Lord is the queen of writing heartfelt YA Contemporaries that I desperately needed in high school (especially as a fellow theatre kid).

When You Get The Chance is about Millie Price, a theatre-obsessed, nerdy weirdo with big Broadway talent and dreams. She lives with her introverted father and aunt, who have supported her in all of her aspirations - until she gets into a prestigious early college 3,000 miles away from home. After discovering her dad’s Livejournal from 2003, Millie becomes more and more curious about the mom she never knew, setting off this Mamma Mia-inspired romp.

There is just so much that I loved about this story! While I didn’t personally relate to Millie’s journey (both as an extrovert and in her familial insecurities), I couldn’t help but root for her the entire time. I loved following her on her journey in meeting and getting to know Farah, Beth, and Steph. All of the side characters really helped flesh out this world and made it even more lovable and believable.

The romance between Oliver & Millie was to die for - truly just the sweetest little connection and it filled me with so much serotonin. I loved Teddy and all of his geocaching adventures. I feel like I could have been Chloe at one time in my life and personally connected with her antics. Millie’s aunt Heather is absolutely fantastic and the type of person I want to be (hello owning an milkshake music club?? So cool!) and then there’s Millie’s dad. There isn’t enough of their father-daughter dynamic on page, but I loved every second of it. While there is a beautiful traditional family dynamic in this book, Millie creates this found family on the hunt for her mom that can’t be understated. Everything just works beautifully together!

Sometimes, YA contemporary romances are difficult for me to truly connect with - I feel like I’m reading something for a past-me. But I don’t feel that way with Emma Lord’s writing. She is quickly becoming an auto-read author for me and I can’t wait to see what comes out next!

Thank you SO much Wednesday Books & Netgalley for the advanced audiobook.

This young adult novel follows Millie as she strives to work towards her dream of becoming a Broadway star, and as she searches for her mother. This story continued to pull at my heart strings frequently, and the audiobook narration was so well done. I loved following the journey this story takes Millie on, and the messages that are held within the pages.

She won't let anything keep her from her dream. Not her caring father who raised her on his own and is struggling to let her go. Not Her drama club rival, Oliver. And not the intense feeling that threaten to overwhelm her.

There are several prospects of people that could potentially be her mother, but as she continues her search after finding an open browser of her fathers LiveJournal she comes to realize several things. Finding a new part of her life may not fit into her old one without leaving any marks And that when she goes looking for the past, it somehow keeps bringing her back to what she's had all along.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this audiobook

I LOVED IT!!!!! Everything I needed. Loveable characters, enemies to lovers, singing, theatre. I was laughing and tearing up by the end.

Jesse did such an amazing job voicing all the characters. I was so invested in the story.

What originally had me interested in When You Get The Chance was a viral tweet about the book having LiveJournal integrated into its story. I, a longtime internet user, who used livejournal quite frequently, was immediately intrigued.

When You Get The Chance is a fun story of self-discovery and nothing describes it better than Mamma Mia in the digital world sprinkled with a lot of broadway goodness! The characters are a lot of fun and they all brought their uniqueness to the story,

A great read for something lighthearted, fun, a book that can be its own rom-com, and yet has great themes that explore relationships and family!

Oh such a cute book that I couldn't put it down! The story follows a high school girl named Millie, who wants to be a Broadway Star. Millie secretly applies for precollege program that her father is adamant against but hopes she can change his mind if she earns the money to pay for it. Millie grew up with her father and aunt, not knowing anything about her mom so she sets out to find her after narrowing it down to three women. While meeting one of these women, Millie runs into Oliver, her school rival, and decides she will interview for the job he wants. No spoilers! I definitely recommend this sweet book! I really enjoyed it! Thanks to #netgalley for the early review copy!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and audio ARC of this. I switched back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook while reading it.

This was the exact story I have come to expect from this author - cute, family drama, a little bit of a side romance, and lots of feels. I absolutely loved Millie's Dad and I wish he had been on page more, because I'm a sucker for good parent relationships in YA - and I think her Dad was a good one even if there was more he could've been up front about as far as Millie's Mom (but then where would our Millie Mia plot be?), but she had what seemed like a decent support system in her Dad and Aunt. I loved how all the hijinks to meet up with potential Mom's got so complicated and how they all shook out, and I loved the side characters and the romance plot a lot. Overall, I really enjoyed it and recommend it if you've loved books by this author before, if you loved theater, family drama, or if you just need a fun contemporary with everything that's going on.

The narration was well done, I've liked this narrator on other books (Ghost Wood Song and Coo) and she was easy to listen to and understand, even when I sped up the narration to the speed I prefer.

I think I’ve outgrown YA… I did not like this book. The MC wasn’t likeable and I found her pretty obnoxious throughout the entire book.
Also, it’s “theatre kids”, which I don’t really get. I know that’s a me problem, but it just didn’t help things or make them any better for me.
So, basically, the book is about Millie, who is a self-absorbed theatre kid who is obsessed with becoming an actor. The start of the book has her trying to convince her single-parent father to let her move across the country to attend an acting school that is like a combo of grade 12 and first year college/uni. She has already applied in secret and then is outraged that her father won’t let her go. Really?
Then she decides that she has find her mother (who abandoned her as an infant), so that she can sign off on the paperwork to allow her to go to this acting school. She manages to narrow it down to 3 women, who she begins to kind of stalk. Oh yeah, she’s also obsessed with Mamma Mia. Do you see what’s happening here? Yeah…
Overall it was pretty weak, I figured out the big *AHA!* mom reveal quite early on.
Also, the love interest seems to be a somewhat sweet guy that she has treated like shit for the first 3 years of high school, and then she tries to steal a paid internship from him, just so she can stalk one of the possible moms…
I’ve enjoyed Emma Lord’s other books, especially Tweet Cute, but this just wasn’t good.

Millie Price would be sooo excited to know she has become my favorite Emma Lord character to date. This character was written perfectly....without a doubt. The author painted a picture of Millie with so many colors and huge quantities of glitter that I couldn't help but envision this lively and confident actress striving to one day be a Broadway triple threat. I could see and hear Millie because of how well fleshed out this character was....and as the story progresses, I hurt right along with Millie as she muddles her way through some "Millie sized disasters."

This book is also my favorite to date by Emma Lord. I've enjoyed everything I've read by her up to now, but this one really sucked me in. It had a unique and welcome twist on Mama Mia that I was drawn to. But in addition to that, I loved how connected I felt to each of the other characters in the book as well. For me, this book was a fresh ray of much-needed sunshine.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I loved everything about the audiobook. The pacing, the narration...everything. I highly recommend the audio version with no hesitation. If anything, I think the narrator is really able to amplify how "enthusiastic" Millie is about everything she takes on in a way that helps you really appreciate her character. 5 stars for the audio as well.

This is my third Emma Lord book and now it’s a firm fact for me, when I want an absolutely adorable book that will make me laugh and feel all warm and fuzzy the author will deliver. The premise was both interesting and it tugged at my heartstrings too, Millie’s search for her birth mom made my own parental heart ache, both for her and her unknown mom. Millie wormed her way into my heart immediately, she’s larger than life, over the top and dramatic which made her so endearing to me, I really wanted to mother her myself. As much as I adored her the rest of the characters were all amazing as well, such a well rounded and fun cast. Add in Millie’s absolute love and obsession of all things musical theater and she was just the quirkiest most lovable heroine I’ve met in a long time. Just a really fun and entertaining read and such a bright start to my new year!

Emma Lord never fails to write a story full of developed characters and a unique plot. I enjoyed listening to this book!

Millie Price has big dreams. When she gets accepted to a prestigious pre-college for aspiring actors in L.A., she won’t take her dad’s no for an answer. After she finds her dad’s old Live Journal from 2003 left open on a browser, Millie’s best friend Teddy helps her track down the three women mentioned in the journal who might just be her mother. In getting to know these women, Millie finds herself competing for an internship with her high school rival, Oliver; joining a Broadway fans group where she meets a starstruck Chloe, who recognizes Millie from a years-old video she wishes had never been published; and taking dance classes that highlight just how much she needs to improve her dancing if she wants to become a Broadway star. Along the way, will Millie find the answers she is looking for, or will she just be left with more questions?

I absolutely loved Millie’s relationship with the other characters in this book, especially the friendship between Millie and Teddy. It took me a little while to get used to Millie because she is very in your face, while I very much relate to her nerdy introvert dad, but she quickly grew on me. I wish her aunt’s Milkshake Bar club were a real place; the milkshakes described sounded delicious! Jesse Vilinsky did a phenomenal job narrating the audiobook. The plot was at times predictable, but that did not take away from the enjoyment of the story.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this audiobook.