If you like a second chance romance, I’d definitely recommend Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review!

This book follows Sammy after a breakup leads her back to her hometown in the hopes of being able to talk her former crush Max Ryan into giving her the scoop on his latest album in order to save her job as a music reviewer. During this time, she connects to a grandmother she didn’t think wanted anything to do with her and deals with her abandonment issues.

I loved the side characters in this book- the friendship with Willa and Brook added a lot to the story. I also really enjoyed the main characters of Max and Sammy although Max did irritate me at times (how hard is it to send a text?!). I loved the relationship with Sammy and her grandma the very most.

Overall this was a cute story and I really enjoyed reading it! Thanks Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to check out an ARC of this book through NetGalley!

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. I probably should have DNFed as I really did not feel any connection to the characters for a majority of the story. Towards the end of the book if started to pick up for me, but I just didn't really feel like I wanted to root for any character.

Cute book. Both main characters are running from traumas of their past. Sammy grew up never knowing when her mom would pick up and leave and wondering why her grandparents never wanted her. Max has suffered panic attacks and never knew if someone wanted him for him or to use him for his fame.

At the age of 18, Sammy meets this budding singer, Max, who promises her amazing things one magical night and then never speaks to her again. This was her first true heartbreak.

Ten or so years later, in order to save her career, Sammy promises to deliver a review of Max's secret album. Can she face the man who broke her heart?

We follow Sammy as she tries to navigate her fears, forgiveness, and love to come out braver on the other side.

"Sammy Espinoza's Last Review" by Tehlor Kay Mejia is a captivating romance novel that takes readers on an emotional journey of love and self-discovery. The book's heartfelt narrative and well-drawn characters create a genuine connection with the reader. Tehlor Kay Mejia's storytelling prowess shines through as they navigate the ups and downs of romance, leaving a lasting impact. "Sammy Espinoza's Last Review" is a beautiful exploration of human relationships and the power of connection, making it a must-read for those who enjoy stories that tug at the heartstrings.

A sweet read! I loved the cast of queer characters, the small town charm, and second chance romance.

It was a little hard to get past the differences in the characters and really see the chemistry, and for that reason I removed a star.

I had no idea what to expect from this book, but I definitely enjoyed it! It was definitely a chest-squeezer!

4.5 stars

This was a great read! Sammy Espinoza is a music writer whose career is on the skids. In order to keep her job, she promises her editor that she'll get an early review of Max Ryan's secret project. Max walked off stage at the Staples Center seven years ago and hasn't been heard from since. It just so happens he's from a town that Sammy considers home. And, he and Sammy have a history. - one that ended badly for Sammy.

Sammy has to balance her need to salvage her career with the feelings she's developing for Max, the person, not the rock star, all while protecting her heart from another Max Ryan crash and burn..

This book is fast-paced, with a great cast of supporting players. It also has lots of positive LGBTQIA+ representation.

thank you to Random House Ballantine Publishing for a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is full of heaviness, humor, and heartbreak. Honestly, I wasn’t sure at first. The writing was fine, but I wasn’t sure about the story. And then it hit me like a gut punch. It was warm, it was sad, it was hopeful. My chest really ruptured wide open when Sammy finally connects with Paloma. She was probably my favorite character, which meant I basically cried the last hundred pages. Sure, the romance was lovely and redeeming (and just the right amount of spicy), but it is a story about family—biological and otherwise.

This book follows a music critic who is hoping to both launch a comeback and seek revenge against a musician launching their comeback. There are small town romance elements to this one that were great. I enjoyed the read!

I absolutely loved this book. The vulnerability of Sammy and Max was so authentic, it made their love story extremely engaging. Surrounding this love story with one of familial/found family love made the overall narrative truly sore. Thank you to Dell for sending me a link to read this early! This is a perfect book for fans of Nora Goes off Script or Funny You Should Ask.

Summer is made for music and all media spotlights of music, so Sammy Espinoza's Last Review is a summer must read. This story has ecerything you hope for in a media-centric story - the miscommunication, the drama, the arts, layered with Sammy and Max's complex history and current personal uncertainty - I couldn't put it down.

I really enjoyed this! Parts of it reminded me a lot of More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn. I loved the music influences and the depth of the discussions around traumatic experiences. There were times that I found myself really frustrated with some decisions made by a few characters, but I think the author does a great job at exploring the history that led to them.

I loved this book!!! It wasn't just a book about her love life, but finding love within her family that she didn't have much time with. Its like a coming of age. I loved Sammy Espinoza and she deserves the world, I know how hard it can be with moms. I cried, I smiled, and loved every ounce of this book.

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is a knockout debut novel, a master class in the definition of family, and an absolute tear jerker.

Sammy is facing a career crisis - after her girlfriend dumps her, her career details as her latest music reviews were about the girlfriend, causing her to lose her credibility with her readers. So Sammy heads to the one place on Earth that ever felt like home, to recover from the heartbreak and savage her career with a new scoop. That scoop? An article on Max Ryan - who’s working on a solo album, and who years ago broke Sammy’s heart.

There are so many layers to Sammy’s story - and as the story develops, I kept being pulled in. Sammy has a complicated relationship with the word family, and abandonment issues that leave her playing defense. Her issues, paired with a budding romance, made this book into so much more than a love story, and I was not expecting to read something so poignant and deep. (There were multiple times where I teared up!). Sammy’s growth at the end of the story is absolutely beautiful, and characters like Maeve and Paloma are going to stay with me long after the minute details of the story have faded.

I cannot wait to see what this author writes next - I absolutely loved Sammy.

I picked this book up on a whim and am so glad that I did. Sammy Espinoza has had a rough couple of weeks. Publicly dumped by her musician girlfriend, Sammy compromises her career as a music reviewer in trying to make amends. Now she has one chance to keep her job and she knows just what to do - go back to her small hometown and Max Ryan, the rock star musician who disappeared without a trace. If Sammy can get an exclusive interview it may just be enough to save her career. And hey - it doesn't hurt that the pair hooked up years before.

While I did enjoy the romance between Sammy and Max I think my favorite part of Sammy's relationship with her newfound grandmother. I loved seeing Sammy getting to spend time with Paloma and especially loved Paloma's first instinct was to teach Sammy how to make Mexican food. It reminded me of my childhood spent in the kitchen with my own grandmother. Sammy's best friend and her wife, Willa and Brooke, were also lovely characters. The secondary characters are really what made this book stand out.

You may love this if you like:
-Seattle/ish setting
-Small town
-Found family
-Second Chance Romance
-Celebrity Musician Love Interest

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for a review copy. I can't wait to read more from this author!

it always hits different when you relate so much to the main character of a book. sammy was such a lovely person to read about with her own deep rooted troubles and watching her face her problems and move pass them with her chosen family was so nice.

I really love what this book seemed to be reaching towards and how it met those goals. It really committed itself to discussing difficult topics and doing it VERY well. Although Sammy is 29, this book really feels like a coming of age book in its own right. It's always very exciting to me when there is a storyline beyond the romance, and seeing Sammy's relationship with her grandmother bloom and her interactions with her found family really made this story what it is. The only thing I wasn't crazy about is that the ghosting trope infuriates me, but that's a me thing and not anything to do with the writer. This was a wonderful read.

I really enjoyed Sammy Espinoza's Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia. I haven't read anything by this author before and after reading this book I am surprised that I haven't heard of her before. This is a found family, small town set, and second chance romance novel. I really liked the ending and how the various plot points are wrapped up. The story is heart warming and includes lots of important life lessons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read Sammy Espinoza's Last Review.

4.5 stars rounded to 5

I’m happy that I gave this book a chance. I didn’t hear too much about it, so I was going in with open eyes. And I have so much to say. Like so much. I need you to read about how much I love this book, but also kind of why I got annoyed with it. I still enjoyed it. I just have some points that I want to address.


Let’s get a start on why I love this book:

-messy main characters are my favorite read. why? they are the most flawed yet relatable characters to read about. no one is perfect in life.

-loving how vengeful the main character, sammy, gets when her ex bails on her. i’m all about the female rage no matter what.

-comforting your past takes guts and courage. and the main characters do it flawlessly and messily throughout the book.

-i love the endless music references that are mentioned throughout the book. i always enjoy listening to music, and discovering new musics

-my girl, sammy, finally learning to forgive herself and setting boundaries. it takes a lot of courage to learn how to forgive yourself, and setting boundaries.


And now, we have to get down on why I got annoyed with this book:

-the love interest wasn’t my favorite choice for my girl, sammy. why? he literally doesn’t communicate about his issues or past until the very end. and don’t get me started on his ghosting behave

-sammy giving the love interest too much leeway. i understand why she has problems with setting boundaries and deserving better from people, but she needs to get a grip.

-that mother is just terrible. there are no excuses for her behavior or why she lied. no forgiveness for her at all.

-i didn’t want sammy with the love interest. wanted her to be with someone else. she deserves way better


I think overall, I truly enjoyed reading this book. Yes, I got annoyed at some parts of the book. But I loved a lot of them so much that it outweighed my annoyances with the love interest and the mother.

This was a fun one! It took me a little bit to get into it, and the premise is a little far-fetched as romances tend to be, but eventually I became really attached to both Sammy and Max and I was on the edge of my seat to see how everything would be resolved! While I did have to suspend my disbelief at the convenient plotlines, this book tackled a lot of issues well - Latinx identity, abandonment issues, mom issues, friendship fights, etc. Besides the great romance, I liked the queer representation and the exploration of dealing with family you’re born into and the one that often finds you along the way.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!