Sammy Espinosa’s Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia is a fun rom-com that will make you smile!

Sammy, a music critic, had a childhood crush on rockstar Max Ryan. She remeets him now as an adult as he’s about to launch his solo comeback career.

Love a romantic comedy set in the music industry.

This is my first book by Tehlor Kay Mejia and it won’t be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Dell for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sometimes I come across a book that’s so perfectly *me* that I need to drop everything and devote a day to reading it. Such was the case with Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review. I have two main things in common with Sammy Espinoza: 1. I’m from a tiny town in Washington, and 2. I love music and spent years writing album reviews and other music-related articles. (Though never as a paid employee, in contrast with Sammy.) Those were the two main elements that drew me to this novel, but there’s so much more that quickly won my heart.

Right away, the writing style in Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is absolutely absorbing. It’s told in the first person, and Sammy’s voice is so funny and candid, even as her world is crumbling around her. She’s instantly relatable, and with her nuanced emotions, wit and humor, and drive to move forward in life, it’s impossible not to root for her. She makes mistakes, true. Sammy isn’t always completely honest, and she tends to run from problems rather than tackling them, but from page one you can sense that she is trying her best.

The biggest theme in Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is the importance of relationships. I’ll get to the romance in a bit, but let’s first start with family. Sammy grew up with a single mother; her father passed away before she was born. With no family, she and her mom moved around a lot, but her mom was more intent on getting a boyfriend than acting as a real parent. Sammy spent one year with another family in Ridley Falls, Washington, where she became best friends with Willa. Part of why Sammy is now back in Ridley Falls, staying with Willa and her wife Brook, is to finally connect with the paternal grandmother she never knew. But does Paloma Espinoza even want anything to do with her? The scenes between Sammy and Paloma are among my favorite, and at least one scene fully made me cry. In addition to her new-found grandmother, Sammy also a wonderful found family with Willa and her parents. The friendship between Sammy and Willa, too, is expertly drawn—with its ups and downs and all!

Then there’s Sammy’s tentative relationship with Max Ryan. Sammy met him 11 years earlier, when she was 18, and spent a glorious night with him right before his band got signed and he got famous. Now Max Ryan, former rock star, has spent the last seven years as a recluse, though rumor has it that he’s working on a solo album in his hometown—you guessed it!—Ridley Falls. That’s part of the reason Sammy is back: She wants to guilt him into letting her hear his album before anyone so she can write its first review and save her job. But when Sammy runs into Max, there’s a definite spark there. Never mind that he doesn’t remember her, and never mind that she’s keeping secrets about her ulterior motives. The two just click, and the romance that develops is too fast for all the baggage and secrets between them. These two are so perfect together… yet they both have their personal issues to get through before this can truly work.

Besides the beautifully drawn relationships—family, friends, and romantic partners—one of my favorite elements is, of course, the music. Max Ryan’s band had its roots in screamo, making them the scene kids of my adolescence. Other references to ‘90s bands made me nostalgic, and even Sammy’s devotion to finishing a song on the radio before turning off the car is spot on! Her music criticism and music journalism career is what I dreamed of for myself for so long, as well as her ambitions of working in A&R or at a record label. I also loved the glimpses into Max’s song composition, stage presence, and feelings about fame.

Finally, as a Washington state native, I did feel a little Nancy Drew in trying to determine where Ridley Falls is supposed to be. Two hours away from Olympia, somewhere in southern Washington… not quite my neck of the woods, but still close enough that it felt like I was coming home as I read this.

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is a beautifully written romance and one of my favorite reads this year. It has everything: Emotional depth, humor, likable characters, genuine and diverse relationships, music… I could go on. This is a book I will treasure, and I eagerly anticipate reading more from Tehlor Kay Mejia.

I’m so over these covers, like it’s been done to death a thousand times.
The book was okay at best, but the cover… Yawn.

*4.5

This book was so beautiful and I loved it so much. Sammy connecting with her grandma and learning all about her family and her culture was so cute. Her grandma showing her all the love she never had growing up just warmed my heart and definitely made me cry. The way she connected with Max was so real and I felt it. It went kind of fast but they just understood each other. I also really enjoyed the relationship with her best friend, they were just always looking out for each other.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting read . I found that I was able to read quickly and enjoyed the pacing and premise of the book. I would recommend to others.

I don’t often read or enjoy romances between a man and a woman, preferring to stick to sapphic love stories. The fact that this one really drew me in only speaks to the great writing! I found myself so invested in Max and Sammy’s relationship. While it was a bit cliche at times, I loved the journey this book went on.

I went into this book practically blind, save for the recommendation of Tiffani from Random House Publishing and I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this.

Real, relatable, fleshed out MCs. Believable conflicts. Great cast of side characters that not only added depth, but were integral parts of the story. I also need to mention that I particularly enjoyed the writing style; I was hooked the whole way.

It's got:
- Second chance romance
- Queer FMC
- MCs at a crossroad in life
- Difficult family dynamics and history
- Found family
- Music love

I laughed, swooned, and even teared up. Highly recommend!

I am new to this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Happy to report that I loved the writing in this one. I found this to be very enjoyable, and the secondary characters truly stole the show! My biggest critique is Sammy. I cannot stand any romances that have cheating/lying/revenge etc in them. Sammy starts her relationship with Max wanting revenge after he ghosted her after ONE NIGHT like ten years ago. She then continues to lie to him for 80% of the novel. I just don’t think it was necessary. Without that, this probably would have gotten 4.5 stars. But again, the secondary characters were absolutely lovely and Ridley Falls was a great setting.

3.75⭐️

Sammy Espinoza's life is a bit of a mess. She's gone through a terrible breakup and she's about to lose her job, if she can't convince Max Ryan, the guy who ghosted her a decade ago to let her interview him about his new solo album. Back in Ridley Falls she is going to be forced to confront her past and the family who didn't want her. It's both a wonderful romance and a beautiful story about family that made me cry.

Life as Sammy Espinoza knew it is crumbling down around her. Her girl friend dumped her, she is about to be fired from her job and she’s moving back to Ridley Falls, the place that feels closest to home. She has no clue where she’s going with her life, but she does have a crazy plan to redeem herself and keep her job. Rumor has it that former rock star, Max Ryan, lives in Ridley Falls and is working on a solo album. Sammy promises her boss an exclusive story with a sneak peek of the new album, but can she actually deliver? Sammy also has ulterior motives, Max Ryan ghosted her years ago and she’s never fully gotten over it. Will everything go as planned or will Sammy’s crazy plan blow up in face?

I found this to be a very enjoyable romance that kept me on my toes. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about Sammy wanting to ‘use’ Max to farther her career, but the way everything played out sat well with me. I really liked the characters of Sammy and Max and enjoyed seeing how their pasts formed them into the people they were currently. Everyone has a bit of a secret that you don’t see on the surface and I liked how Sammy and Max’s secrets played out. The whole time I was reading this book I thought I was going to give it a solid 4 stars, but the last few chapters were so good, in my opinion, that I had to give it the full 5. This was an enjoyable romance with some drama thrown in. It was definitely worth the read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I liked the characters in this book more than I would have thought, from reading the summary. A quick read with some attitude!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy of this book.

Tehlor Kay Mejia sure knows how to tell a story. I love a functional dysfunctional family whether they are related by blood or found family. She did a great job with Sammy in developing each relationship.

Was some of it cliche, yes. Was it a good book that kept me interested, again yes.

Pick this one up!

Sammy's life is a mess when she decides to return to a former home. Redemption is there in the form of Max Ryan, a former Rock god, who she hopes to get the scoop on and save her job. The catch...they have history. Sammy confronts her history, finds new ties, and even maybe love?

I'll be honest. I didn't expect to like this book when I started it. But...I loved this book SO much! When you read about Sammy's life and spend time with her and Max, you just get sucked in and fall for this girl with rough edges who just wants to belong somewhere but has always belonged in Ridley Falls. This author is a top notch story teller and I want more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine (Random House Publishing Group) for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of Tehlor Kay Mejia's SAMMY ESPINOZA'S LAST REVIEW. The promise is cute and has lots of promise; however, the execution fell a little flat for me--and the ending had the potential to have greater impact. Additionally, I didn't feel super connected to the characters. Sammy and Max have a great meet-cute (well, second time around, anyway), but from the beginning, we know Sammy's plan is going to blow up in her face later. If the ending had been more of a How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days more of a public situation with the review it would have been cuter.

It was just eh. I wasn’t really invested in the love story between Sammy and Max, I wanted more about her friendship with Willa, her chosen family, her grandmother, and her mother. There was so much more to those relationships than the romantic one. Although Sammy had baggage and trauma in her life and has a lot to unpack in terms of finding herself, it just didn’t felt more like she was a year from 30. It read more like she was in her early 20s and trying to figure it all out. Everyone has their own pace at life but I just wasn’t that invested in her journey. I wish Max and Sammy were more honest with each other and I did love her connection with her grandma. It was sweet!

I adored this big-hearted adult fiction debut featuring a cast of queer characters, found family, small town charm and an utterly cheer-worthy second chance romance between Sammy, a pansexual music reviewer and Max, a Rockstar looking for a comeback.

Great on audio and it seems like there just might be a second book coming??? I would definitely love to return to Ridley Falls and get more Sammy and Max stories. Recommended for fans of authors like BK Borrison or Courtney Kae.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and @prhaudio for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!

CW: recovering alcoholic, absentee/neglectful parent, death of a loved one

Thank you to Tiffani @penguinrandomhouse for sending me Tehlor Kay Mejia's Adult Romance Debut: Sammy Espinoza’s last review. I went into this completely blind and I really enjoyed this book.

I didn’t know what to expect from this music critic who needs to get her life back on track and a musician who is afraid to get back on stage again. Sammy has had a rough childhood and honestly all I wanted to do was love her because she felt so unloved with no family. Max is a musician who walked off stage one night and never came back. But now he would like to get back up there. He and Sammy met just as Max was getting started and he ditched her. Needless to say she never forgot it. She’s now a music critic about to lose her job unless Max Ryan lets her write about his super secret new album.

This one really squeezed my heart but it was very good!

a cute and charming second chance romance that was delightful.

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review had some really enjoyable moments but overall it fell flat for me.

Sammy Espinoza’s life is a raging dumpster fire. To save her music critic job at a paper she has a write an article on Max Ryan. Max, the former rock god, is secretly recording his first-ever solo album years. Max is also the guy that Sammy spent an unforgettable night with years prior and hasn’t seen him since. Meeting up with Max again means visiting Ridley Falls, Washington, where Sammy has history with a family that never wanted her and a million unanswered questions. Going back would mean confronting it all-but what else does she have to lose?

I really liked certain aspects of this book like the characters deep love for music. I really resonated with Sammy on her connection with music. I also enjoyed Sammy’s relationship journey with her grandmother. I thought their growth was really sweet to read. I loved the fact that Sammy was Pansexual it was great to see that rep in this book.

My biggest gripe comes down to the characters and the romance. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters including Sammy. I wasn’t rooting for her I was constantly just frustrated by her. I also was upset with how she treated her friend who I thought was actually acting reasonably. I also didn’t like how Max treated Sammy. TWICE he hit her with the no communication instead of simply stating his feelings and Sammy was way to easily forgiving. If these characters were in high school maybe this behavior could be somewhat tolerable but not adults.

Overall I was entertained! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really tried to get into Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the main characters and writing style. Although this book wasn’t for me, I can see other people really enjoying it. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the arc.