A bit of a dilemma here, but I really enjoyed this book, except I did not think the main couple should have ended up together. Which is a pretty huge issue for a romance book, so I can't justify giving it more than 3 stars.

I thought this book had an absolutely beautiful contemporary story about Sammy coming to terms with her childhood and her relationship with her mother, and reconnecting with her grandmother.

At the same time, there's the central romance, with two people who get a second chance at falling in love, but who still largely struggle with the same issues. They hurt each other because of that, and while I think it was a beautiful love story and it allowed them both to grow and change, I think they had a lot more healing to do and I felt like the romance should have ended when it did, and they shouldn't have gotten back together. I just wasn't sold on why they should be together.

A beautiful romance and equally moving story of finding family and finding yourself - Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is a fabulous read!

Sammy isn’t looking forward to returning to Ridley Falls but has run out of other ideas to save her career and get out of a rut. Max is enjoying a reclusive life in Ridley Falls and is working on a comeback album. When their paths cross (for the second time in their lives), they find themselves drawn to one another. As they spend more time together, countless secrets threaten to tear them apart…

There is a ton to love about the story - flawed and vulnerable characters, banter, palpable chemistry, and more. Sammy has had a rough upbringing and a fear of abandonment has shaped her seemingly tough exterior. Max is quiet and sensitive while also struggling with his former fame. Together, they make a wonderful pair. While the romance is great, there is also a powerful story of Sammy discovering a family she never knew growing up. I loved it!

Thank you very much to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This romance does what it's supposed to do, which is kind of my problem with it. All of the secondary characters are unformed; they serve only to prop up and propel our main character. Even the hero, for most of the book, is a blank slate, dream guy. Mejia is trying to explore trauma and grief and personal discovery, and I really appreciate that. I just wish the narrative had felt truer to life and less like a machine made to get our heroine to her HEA.

Good enough that I'll keep an eye on more from the author, though.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

Great story about redemption, relationships, and family.
Sammy is a mess. Her job is on the line, her love-life has imploded, and she is back in the ownly town that really felt like home. In order to save hr job, she needs to interview her teenage crush and the man her spurned her. But, as she gets to know Max, she realizes that her crush never ended. And he seems to feel the same way. Being back in Ridley Falls has brought back many other memories as well. Her father died before she was born, her mother has moved them around, chasing after man afterman, and her grandmother, whom she never met, is her only family left.
Can Sammy get the story she needs to save her job, build a relationship with her grandmother, and settle things with her mother?

Sammy Espinoza and I are practically the same person which drew me to this story so much. Sammy’s world is falling apart from around her when she meets her famous rockstar crush Max Ryan from her teenage years. Both Sammy and Max helped each other grow in the best ways. This story wasn’t just about Sammy and Max; it did such an amazing job with highlighting the highs and lows of relationships between family and friends. Sammy’s “found family” is everything and more.

I was hopeful for this book, based on the email I received from Netgalley promoting it, but I found the overall romantic story tedious and uninteresting. The storyline that spoke to me was that between the main character and her estranged grandmother. However, it could have and should have been more nuanced; the mother- once an unwed pregnant high schooler, needed some merit on her side of the story. It is more satisfying to read about complex characters than largely to cast one in the right and the other in the wrong. I would have liked to have seen Sammy's mother had made genuine attempts to have been a stable presence in life.

This is a book that hit me unexpectedly. I could say that in a thousand iterations, but they would all be true. In most instances, this is your average sort of contemporary romance, with all of the usual beats and plot points to hit. But to me, this book is less about the romance, and more about finding one's own purpose, and figuring out who it is that we want to surround ourselves with. Who are the people that see us for who we truly are, and building up boundaries to keep those who can't out. I can't claim that this is the best book I've ever written, but it certainly made me cry, which always gets an additional star from me. Sammy found herself, and while this book has flaws that shouldn't be overlooked, there's far more gained here than could ever be lost.