This book was such a warm hug, I really enjoyed the romance, the found family and the depth of characters.

A great read for music and book lovers alike, Tehlor Kay Mejia’s novel Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review (which comes out today) shares what life is like when you’re trying to look towards the future, even if you haven’t fully reconciled with your past.

I don’t think Sammy’s story can be classified as strictly a romance because there were just so many moments of self-discovery for her to go through before getting to the actual love protein of the book.

While I found myself wanting to just throw my book across the room and knock some sense into Sammy, I still appreciated her journey as a person and seeing her reconcile her past with her present.

The full cast of characters was really well developed and I’ll admit to shedding more than a few tears at the ending.

Overall, this was a great adult debut and if your looking for a pseudo-coming-of-age adult romance novel, then this is a great choice!

*I received an ARC from Random House in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was fun. Not one that I would immediately flock to at the book store based on the description. I didn't really resonate with the character of Sammy, so I think it was hard to connect to the book.

Sammy needs a career resuscitation and knows just the person to do it. When she heads back to Ridley Falls to find former rocker, Max Ryan she is also faced with confronting her family and past.

This one was cute and endearing. I just loved the characters and the setting.

This was a complex read for me, but one that I really enjoyed.

On the one hand, I love a second chance romance - a missed connection. I also love a good rock star romance.

That said, Sammy was the only child of a single mom and has daddy issues. Big ones. Like me. How do I keep stumbling on these books?

I could have used some trigger warnings for abandonment, parental gaslighting, and many deaths/grief. Maybe they were in the physical copy and I skipped over them on the audio?

Despite that, I really did enjoy this story. The writing was beautiful and made me cheer for the FMC at the same time I was cringing and thinking, "Oh, honey."

The side characters were well-developed and not just there to boost up the FMC.

I will say, the ending felt a little rushed. I love an HEA but it felt like everything was resolved in one fell swoop. Which, good on the author for having that plotted out, but it was jarring. We were in the depths of despair and then all of our wildest dreams came true. Some middle ground for a quick breather would have been appreciated. Emotional whiplash takes me out of the story.. It could have been that I was reading the story at 2am because I couldn't put it down. A double-edged sword.

I look forward to reading more by this author. Her middle grades and YA seem perfect for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book that I sat on too long. I ultimately switched back and forth between the ebook and audiobook (from Spotify) for this read. The narration was hard to turn off. I loved it.

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐚𝐲?”

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬. “𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰.”

Tehlor Kay Mejia's Sammy Espinoza's Last Review is a small town romance centered around the relationship between lead singer Max Ryan and music journalist Samantha Espinoza.

This cover is really misleading. Since the blurb was a little unclear and the cover was bad, I really had not wanted to start this. But it wasn't all that horrible of a novel.

The characters were okay. Like, they each have their own unique features, but as far as getting closer and developing a connection, that was another story.

However, especially Sammy, they behaved as though they were in their late teens or early twenties, even though both characters were in their thirties. I would have also liked to read Max's pov. Also, Sammy and her mother had a really toxic relationship, and I kept getting so frustrated  because she kept going back to her mother.

There were a lot of questionable parts and continual squabbling between Sammy and her best friend, which made the book overall tedious and repetitive. I also feel like there could have been a lot more in the book regarding Max’s story and Sammy’s relationship with her mother.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and to the author, Tehlor Kay Mejia, for providing ‘em with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was such a beautiful story about music, life and love.

I adored reading about Sammy, especially with how heavily music influenced this book, it just felt right up my alley. Seeing Sammy struggle with family issues, the miscommunication and anxiety reps in this books, and the diversity was all really amazing and something we need in books more.

The banter in this book was so good, the romance was sweet and I was rooting for Sammy and max as individuals and a couple the entire time. This was so much fun and I would definitely read it again and recommend it to others.

Representation: Queer MC, multiple queer supporting cast

Rating: 4/5 One thing that endlessly frustrates me in romance generally is the amount of chaos or negative things happening because of a lack of communication. I will still read it, and enjoy it in the end, but it is SO frustrating. Sammy takes this to a whole other level, hiding the fact that she's on the verge of losing her job if she doesn't get this one thing done, hiding a whole ton of things from the people that love her and care about her. I really liked the chemistry between Sammy and Max, their banter was great. I wasn't expecting the family side plot, where she reconnects with her grandmother and learns more about her heritage. I really enjoyed that, and just wish we had some more of that.

This was such a cute story, with really lovable characters. Not a dry eye in the house in that last 10%.

It felt too on the nose sometimes, like I was being handed where the story has headed and I would’ve liked a bit less predictability.

The story was so easy to digest and very fun to read.

Sometimes the world doesn’t give you closure. Sometimes you have to make it yourself.” – Tehlor Kay Mejia

Content Warnings from Storygraph:
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Minor: Racism, Alcoholism, Body shaming

I was disappointed that this one wasn’t as good for me as I had hoped. I found the chemistry to be lacking and the book to be slightly depressing for a romance

This is an interesting romance set in the backdrop of the music industry. Sammy and Max have history together, and it comes back up when Sammy decides to interview Max, who is now a huge, elusive rockstar, to clear her name at her job. The whole ordeal teaches Sammy about her true value, love, and what family means.

Loved all the insight this one gave as to the inner workings of the music world! The characters were lovable and unique.

I can never resist a romance with a music theme, and this second chance story with a reclusive former front man and a music critic who has one last chance to save her career was nice. I loved the family story between Sammy and her found and biological family, and the ways she very clearly let readers know how it affected her current relationships. Max and Sammy's connection and the way they understand each other- complete with being able to forgive things that I don't know I'd be able to- was clear.

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me and was a DNF but I am sure other readers will feel differently! Thank you for the ARC!

This was an OK second chance romance where trust is fragile and there is a lot of baggage. I didnt really connect with it and I feel like I struggled with how it was written.

Thank you for the eARC

I really enjoyed this book! This book is perfect for you if you enjoy books about music, queer representation, second chances, and found families. This was my first book by this author and i'm excited to check out more of their backlist!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think that I wanted this to be Nora Goes Off Script and it just wasn't. I appreciated how complex Sammy was and how she had a lot to deal with but I think that it might have been too much to work with. Tragedy after tragedy after mishap after mishap to the point that it became kind of unbelievable. I did not really know how to keep empathizing with her because it got to be so much.

3 stars.

There are stories that, quite simply, change the fabric of a genre in my eyes, and Tehlor Kay Mejia astonishes with the strength of their storytelling and the powerful emotional resonance with their searing new novel.

This book introduces Sammy, our main character whose life is pretty messy right now. She's on the verge of losing her job after trying to win back her ex, But Sammy's not giving up just yet. She's heard a rumor that Max Ryan, a famous musician she once had a memorable night with, is making a secret comeback. If she can get exclusive access to his music, it could save her career and let her get back at him for ghosting her. To do this, she has to go back to Ridley Falls, a place with a complicated history for her. It's where she faced a family that didn't want her and a bunch of unanswered questions about her past.

Sammy is a lovably imperfect character, and her journey is both funny and touching. The story keeps you interested right from the beginning, and the small-town backdrop adds to the charm.

"Sammy Espinoza's Last Review" is a fun and heartfelt read. It's about getting a second chance and dealing with the past. If you like stories that are part comedy, part emotional adventure, you should definitely give this one a go.