Sammy Espinoza's Last Review was a fun and emotional second chance romance that is a lot more than just a romance. Sammy is struggling to find a new direction after a rough breakup and has one last possible way to save her job - getting a review/interview with a reclusive rock star in the small town of Ridley Falls who just happens to be the same rock star who broke her heart at 18.
I really loved all of Sammy's found family - they provided a lot of humor and heartwarming moments that certainly wouldn't come from Sammy's own biological mother. Max and Sammy's story is not easy - neither character is good at communication which leads to the bulk of the conflict in the novel - and both have the tendency to run from their problems. But the novel was very endearing, warm, and genuine - definitely recommend. Thank you to Random House, Ballantine/Dell, and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

Sammy Espinoza’s returns to Ridley Falls as her career is imploding. She is a music writer/critic whose credibility has taken a big hit. She promises her editor to give her one last chance to find former Rockstar Max Ryan and review his supposed comeback album. Ridley Falls is where he is supposedly living recording. It also happens to be the home of her best friend and a grandmother she has never met. To say there is a lot of issues happening all at once is an understatement.

The book has a melancholy tone, which I don’t mind. There are sweet moments but her feelings are often tinged with sadness based on how she was raised. Sammy’s best friend and her family are the positives in this story and the only real example of normal family life. Max himself is sweet, sexy and has some issues of his own. Neither win awards for open communication. And while I rooted for them. I didn’t love the ending and the jump to the epilogue. I wanted the epilogue to define more for me what is going on in their HEA. This to me felt much more Sammy’s story than Max’s.

I enjoyed the writing and as I’ve said I don’t mind the more serious issues and undertones. This celebrates chosen family and I kudos for the good LGTBQ representation with best friends being happily married women and Sammy herself queer. I’m new to the author and will look for more from her. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Balentine for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

✨️NetGalley Arc✨️

I've had this one my netgalley shelf for awhile, waiting until it's closer to publishing to read. Oh how I wish I would have read it sooner!

Sammy is a hot mess. Freshly dumped, one last chance at her job as a music critic, an even hotter mess of a mom, and no where to really call home besides a small town where her best friend lives.

But this small town has a lot of history. History that Sammy doesn't even know, with the Espinoza family. Not to mention who else lives there. None other than Max Ryan, her teenage crush and heartbreak.

This book is more than just a love story between Sammy and Max. So much more. It's about confronting life head-on. Getting answers to millions of unanswered questions. It's about how family isn't always blood, but found.

And it's so good. 5/5⭐️

Sammy's family complications and her found family were compelling, but the romance was so boring and flat. I never found myself rooting for them, and I was reluctant to pick the book back up because the romance had so little substance. I tried to push through for the other parts, but it just wasn't enough.

The story begins with Sammy being given one last chance to save her career, and out of any other options, goes back to the only home she’s ever known. She runs into Max, whom she had fallen in love with years ago, and to her great embarrassment, he doesn’t remember her! There is so much backstory and complications with the main characters, that I really struggled in the first half of the book.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves second chances, small town vibe, and found families. Thank you so much for NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

I found Sammy Espinoza's Last Review to be an endearing story. While I had some difficulty forming a strong connection with the central relationship, I thoroughly enjoyed the captivating coming-of-age narrative.

If you're searching for a book showcasing the themes of found family, supportive friendships, and music references, this is definitely the one for you.

Thank you, Random House Publishing and NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC of this book.

⭐️: 4.5/5

Music critic Sammy Espinoza’s life and job are hanging on by a thread after she tries to use her column to save her relationship with her singer ex-girlfriend. When she hears a rumor that former rock-god Max Ryan is recording a new, solo album, she makes a plan to leverage her history of one, unforgettable night with him for an exclusive review of his new material in order to make a career comeback, while maybe getting a little revenge for his ghosting at the same time. But her plan means going back to Ridley Falls, where she has a whole other kind of history, and getting the scoop from Max means also confronting the family of her father that never wanted anything to do with her.

I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical once I figured out where the story was going, since one of the biggest pet peeves I have with rom-coms, especially second-chance rom-coms, is the whole “I can’t tell him the truth he’ll never forgive me but now that I haven’t told him, I know it’ll be worse for everyone when it eventually comes out, but that won’t be an issue, he’ll nEvEr FiNd OuT” thought process. I get it, a rom-com needs some drama, but I find screaming at characters in a book to “just talk to each other! Communicate!” quite frankly, exhausting. So color me surprised when the storyline ended up totally winning me over, and even had me shedding a tear or two towards the end. I love that the romance storyline was nowhere near the only storyline in this book, and that it confronts some hard, real topics without feeling self-congratulatory about the fact that it does. Ridley Falls set the scene for a perfect small town romance, and I loved how this one played into a lot of the tropes that we expect to see in rom-com movies. I really loved this read, and I can’t recommend it enough!

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhomse Ballantine for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Delightful, heartbreaking, and so full of love. This book encompasses the saying “blood of the covenant is thicker than water of the womb” in a raw and vulnerable way, leaving me aching with affection for the entire cast of characters in this book. Sammy is so messy yet so relatable, her support network is unwavering, and Max is a stunningly dynamic love interest for someone who doesn’t have a POV in the book. Gorgeous.

Delightful, heartbreaking, and so full of love. This book encompasses the saying “blood of the covenant is thicker than water of the womb” in a raw and vulnerable way, leaving me aching with affection for the entire cast of characters in this book. Sammy is so messy yet so relatable, her support network is unwavering, and Max is a stunningly dynamic love interest for someone who doesn’t have a POV in the book. Gorgeous.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

This book really ended up being very middle of the road for me. I neither really liked nor disliked the characters, the story itself was alright, and it had romance. Even though this is listed as a romance (and seemed to have a good amount in it!) it just didn’t do anything for me. Sammy and Max seemed like a terrible combination and they’re just not easy for me to root for. I don’t want to root for a couple that lacks communication skills and someone who lies before the relationship even begins. Even Sammy’s friend tries repeatedly to get her to tell Max the truth and she just doesn’t. As I sit here trying to write this review, all I can think is “it’s alright”.

I don’t know that I would recommend it but I wouldn’t steer anyone away from this book who wants to read it.

Sammy writes reviews of bands and their music. However, she has been fluffing them to reflect well on her untalented lover who is a singer. She has one last chance to save her job with the magazine, but it involves interviewing the elusive rock god Max Ryan, who originates from her home town and ghosted her years ago. A mess, she heads back that tiny hometown, following clues that he's hiding out there. They run into each other and restart their romance. But the issues that pulled them apart before still exist. Can they get together in the end, issues resolved?

I had trouble getting into the story and almost stopped reading. Sammy was so unformed for her age (29), her married friends who helped save her weren't very interesting, and her relationship with her mother, which was pivotal, was hard to understand for a long time. It just made Sammy seem kind of lame. But then the story got going, Sammy started showing some backbone, and the mysteries were clarified. I did really like Paloma, and her time with Sammy was rich and poignant. The ending was predictable.

I really loved this book. I think the premise was unique and interesting, and both main characters felt robust and deeply developed as characters. I genuinely cried in the third act, and the redemption arcs for both characters felt realistic and genuine. It was a joy to read.

*Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC of this book*

Mejia is onto something with their newest adult book.

I had no expectations going into this read as I didn't really have it on my radar. But I'm so glad I was able to get my hands on an ARC.

The journey I went on with characters was an exercise in gratitude.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This book was so beautiful and warm in tone. It felt like a hug on a warm summer evening with some rather incredible music as the backgrounding force. A really stunning tale.

Sammy Espinoza's Last Review made me feel the same way the lead-up to a thunderstorm does--like the world is brimming with possibility, and at any moment the tension could break and create something beautiful--or horrible.

Sammy Espinoza is fresh off a breakup, and at risk of losing her job. Ina desperate attempt to regain a semblance of control over her life, she promises to get early access to Max Ryan's solo album. The Max Ryan nobody has heard from in years. The same Max Ryan who broke her heart a decade ago. And he just so happens to be from the town she calls home--the place she spent one year of her childhood. She doesn't expect to run into him her very first night back. She definitely doesn't expect him to have forgotten who she is. And she absolutely did not expect that it would be so hard to ask him for an interview on their first date, or their second.
And while this is happening, Sammy has decided to connect with the grandmother she's never met--the only living member of her father's side of the family.

Sammy Espinoza's Last Review is breathtaking. The characters are complex--wonderful and flawed and maddening at times. They both carry traumas they're trying to overcome--traumas that keep dragging them under, making them question if they can change.

Tw for neglectful parents, familial death, and some substance abuse

I adored this small town romance story that was absolutely full of heart, good tunes, and life lessons.

There are so many layers to this story that it is tough for me to write much of a synopsis; let’s just say that Sammy is a music critic who has traveled to the small town that feels like home in order to attempt a career saving article in the form of an interview with Max Ryan. Sammy and Max have history- they met and had one night together prior to Max getting a record deal and disappearing on tour.

The romance portion of the book is beautifully written, with two wounded characters trying to be vulnerable with each other while being scared out of their minds. Sammy has abandonment fears after growing up with a mother who was never properly there for her, and those issues run deep throughout the story. I don’t know if a I’ve ever disliked a mother character as much as I disliked this mom 🫠

I felt so much sympathy for Sammy at times, and then her actions made me so frustrated at others. Her actions are all reactions to the things that have happened in her past, and I was happy when I started to see some character growth from her. Found family is another big part of the story, and Sammy’s family support was beautiful to see once she finally opened her eyes to it.

The small town of Ridley Falls was a fun setting, and I could feel the crisp air and hear the songs in my ears as Sammy blasted them while driving through town. What a great setting for a touching story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The book was sent to me out of the blue as an ARC on Netgalley, and I downloaded it because I’m a sucker for romance although I had no idea what to expect.

I am so glad I read this book! I fell in love with Ridley Falls, with Sammy and her chosen family, and Max Ryan…total dreamboat. The writing and dialogue was snappy and sarcastic, the love story was swoony and fun, and Sammy is the funny, charmingly irreverent and totally badass best friend I never knew I was missing. This book made me want to crank up the music and go for a drive. Or dance in the grass at an outdoor concert. Sing karaoke at a dive bar. All of the above, please!

Sammy is a music critic in Seattle who writes anonymously. When her column crashes and burns, Sammy retreats to the only place she ever knew as home. She has a plan to save her job and restore credibility, but it involves finding a famous musician who hasn’t been seen in years. A hot rock star god who Sammy also happens to have a history with…

The book touched on so many different types of relationship dynamics. Sammy and Max were front and center with the love story, but equally as important was the relationships Sammy sought out with her estranged family, her best friend, and her hot mess mother. It got surprisingly deep, and and you really just root for Sammy to get the family she deserves.

This was a small town romance done right! This was Tehlor Kay Mejia’s first adult novel, and hopefully not their last.

Thanks to NetGally and Random House- Ballantine for the e-ARC!

I went into this book blind and so glad
I did! I loved the writing style which I’ve seen previously reviewed as choppy, but I liked it a lot. It felt real and raw to me, as did the characters. I loved the character growth and although this is a love story, it truly is a story about falling in love with ourselves! I really enjoyed it a lot and would recommend!

I wanted to like this book but I just couldn't- the characters weren't relatable at all and I just couldn't connect to them (as a very character driven person).

Thanks for the opportunity to read this tho.

I wanted to love this book. I tried so hard but ended up DNFing about fourty percent in. The storyline wasnt my cup of tea. the characters werent relatable imo, the FMC was a tad annoying imo. not for me but others might love it