This book really really surprised me! The chemistry between Max and Sammy, their dynamic, the incorporation of music, the heartfelt moments. This is exactly what I want in a young adult lgbt coming of age story. It’s something I wish I read when I was in high school. I appreciated all of the diverse characters and representation, and how well it was all incorporated into the story. Overall, great read and I’ll definitely be checking out this authors next works.

This book was successful in exploring family trauma and the impacts of abandonment, but wholly failed at a romance, unfortunately. This was meant to be a "second chance" romance but one of the MCs wasn't even aware it was a second chance! And both of them used the other. Not a fan. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

(4.5⭐️) Absolutely heart shattering, all the feels, be prepared to cry your eyes out. I sobbed through most of the story. It is achingly relatable (especially if you spent your childhood feeling lonely and isolated from moving around constantly…prepare to feel so seen and have any old trauma you still have around it dug up and laid bare). And the longing for a mother to actually be a mother, and more specifically the mother you really need was ooooof…right in the feels.

Even though I predicted the backstory with Paloma, I was still so mad about it…that Dina could do that. But I absolutely loved reading all the parts with Paloma after they reconnect, that was my favorite aspect of the whole story. So (spoilers ahead) even though I could see that’s where it was going, I was so upset about Paloma dying. While I liked Max and I did enjoy reading their arc…I honestly would have vastly preferred things be irreparable with Max but not lose Paloma…that was so much more heartbreaking than things not working out with a boy, imo.

Even so, I thought it was wrapped up beautifully and a very touching, heartwarming conclusion. Sammy’s found family is so wonderful and I also really appreciated the queer rep throughout the story. I will definitely be reading this book again and looking forward to future books by Tehlor…and probably snagging the Paolo Santiago books off my kids’ shelves to read in the meantime as well!

Sammy Espinoza’s life is a mess. An attempt to win back her singer ex-girlfriend exploded in her face. The fallout resulted in her being on probation with the threat of her editor pulling her column unless she could redeem herself. And Sammy does plan on redeeming herself. She had just discovered that Max Ryan, a former rockstar and former one-night stand who ghosted her, might be recording his first solo album. If she can get an interview and an inside scoop about his music, she will be redeemed and forgiven. But Max lives in Ridley Falls, Washington, and Sammy doesn’t want to go back. That would mean facing her estranged family and getting answers to questions that she has had for a long time.

When I read the blurb for Sammy Espinoza (I am shortening the title for this review), I knew I wanted to read it. I have a soft spot for damaged heroines, and I love to read about what caused the damage. I decided to wish on it since it wasn’t available on Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine’s NetGalley page. When I got the email that the publisher granted my wish, I was pretty pleased. This book has stuck around in my mind since I had wished for it. And guess what? I am glad that I read this book.

Sammy Espinoza is a fast-paced book set in the fictional town of Ridley Falls, Washington. The pacing for this book was perfect for it. I had no issue following the storyline, and there were zero times I had to backtrack. There was a tiny bit of lag in the middle of the book when Sammy was floating around Ridley Falls, but that didn’t disrupt my reading experience.

I will warn you; you will need Kleenex while reading this book. You will cry because the storyline will have you in emotional knots. Sammy’s issues constitute a significant part of the storyline. It was painful to read in portions (her mother had me seeing red) and, in other parts, joyful and hopeful.

I didn’t like Sammy at the beginning of the book. She was a hot mess. Her character was selfish, childish, and had a massive chip on her shoulder. After cementing that in my head, the author then went on to show the Sammy behind all of that. The real Sammy was insecure, scarred by her childhood, and desperately wanted to be loved. Then that Sammy slowly (it was painful to read at times) morphed into the Sammy I loved. She was a self-confident woman who was happy and surrounded herself with a family she chose.

I wasn’t too sure what to think about Max. He seemed like such a nice guy, but something was also tortured about him. I figured it was part of his act until he saw Sammy after he ghosted her. Then, a side of Max that I didn’t even think existed emerged. I sympathized with him and didn’t blame him for doing what he did after Sammy told him about what she wanted to do.

The secondary characters were the backbone of this book. Sammy had a fantastic friends with Willa and Brooke. Brooke made me laugh. She was blunt and didn’t deal with Sammy’s (or Willa’s) BS. Willa’s parents were characters. And Sammy’s grandmother was just fantastic.

The storyline involving Sammy, her mother, and her father’s side of the family was heartbreaking and infuriating. I got so mad for Sammy as the storyline went on, and it slowly revealed what a jerk and how self-centered her mother was. There was a scene with Willa’s mother and one with Sammy’s grandmother that broke my heart. Sammy’s issues (well, a good part of them) could have been resolved if her mother had done the right thing. I won’t get into that storyline anymore because there will be spoilers.

The storyline involving Sammy, Max, and the article made me irritated. Sammy should have been upfront with Max about why she came to Ridley Falls. But, at the same time, Max should have been upfront with Sammy about his issues and past. But it doesn’t excuse him for just jetting on her. Especially when something very significant happened, and she was left alone.

The end of Sammy Espinonza was perfect. It also gave me one of my favorite quotes, “Three Queers and a Baby.” I did get a giggle out of that. I also liked how hopeful the last chapter was. It made me happy for Sammy and her crew.

I would recommend Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell, NetGalley, and Tehlor Kay Mejia for allowing me to read and review Sammy Espinozia’s Last Review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Sammy Espinoza's Last Review takes us through the main character, Sammy feeling like she hit rock bottom. Making excuses for her mom who always abandons her, her girlfriend just broke up with her, and she needs to save her job before she gets fired. She comes up with a plan to interview Max Ryan a famous musician and also the guy that broke her heart before he made it big. Along this journey she figures out what family means to her and to ask for the things she wants.

I had trouble getting into to this book the first half but picked up in the later half. It felt more of a YA novel but I enjoyed how Sammy found her family with Willa and Paloma. Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing!

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review.

I really need to stop requesting Lit Fic books. they always make me so...sad. That being said, I think this one is worth the read. You get a woman on the verge of losing her job get one last chance to redeem herself by basically finding the one guy who she spent one amazing night with, then got ghosted by 10 years prior and writing an article about why he fell off the face of the planet. Along the way Sammy finds herself through meeting the grandmother she never met/was led to believe didn't want her, figures out what she wants from life, and honestly does more healing without a therapist than with.

So overall, I think this book does what it sets out to. we get the second chance romance (kind of), the main character reconnecting with her chosen family and some blood relatives too, and the chance for Sammy to really lay into her deadbeat mother. Here's my issue though, nothing really kept this on my mind enough for me to absolutely fall head over heels for the story, leaving me just feeling very "meh" about it. Like if this kind of healing journey is your thing, you'll definitely enjoy it, but for me it's very YA almost (and I know this is the author's adult debut, but she does come from YA). I do wish in the end, Sammy's chosen family was one member larger, but it's paramount that the thing happens so the ending can happen and I get why, but like I cried when that thing happened.

Sammy Espinoza is constantly being abandoned. By her flighty mother, her musician ex-girlfriend, fans of her music review column (putting her job on the line), and Max Ryan, the years-ago One Who Got Away and Became a Big Star. But she has a plan to salvage her career and her pride. It will involve going back to the hometown she's been avoiding, confronting the grandmother who abandoned her before she was born, and making peace with the reclusive musician she still pines for.

... This all adds up to a lot of drama. Some of it is kind of silly (Sammy is hung up on a guy she spent a few hours with eleven years ago) and some of it is pretty serious (the stuff about her mother and grandmother). These threads take a while to come together, but when they do, they pack a powerful punch.

Although the first half of the novel feels a bit slow, the second half is compelling, with a highly-emotional, YA-adjacent feel. I was rooting for Sammy, and even though I found some of the plot coincidences (and Sammy's entire career trajectory) implausible, this was an enjoyable and memorable read.

This novel was heartwarming, interesting and engaging. Loved Sammy Espinoza's Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia, with its vulnerable characters, supportive friends, and love/family stories, overcoming enormous emotional obstacles. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the early review copy. All opinions are my own.

- SAMMY ESPINOZA'S LAST REVIEW is for all the former emo girls out there.
- There is so much going on in this book - second chances, friend fights, flighty mom, long lost family and more - and it all works. It all serves to make Sammy and everyone in Ridley Falls feel like real, whole humans even with a complicated romcom plot.
- It's a thoughtful, loving exploration of how emotional traumas linger and affect your actions years later, even when you know what's happening and why. I just love a romance novel that's both swoony and rooted in reality.

Trigger Warnings: break-up, past death of a grandparent, absent parent, alcohol, past death of a parent, drunk driving death, pregnant out of wedlock/teenage pregnancy, injury, panic attack, hospital, sex, alcoholism, death of a grandmother on page, funeral

Representation: Pansexual, Lesbian, Mexican-American

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is a queer, contemporary romance about a music critic stuck in a spiral of epic proportions as she targets her teenage crush for a career comeback and a chance at revenge. What could possibly go wrong?

Sammy Espinoza’s life is a raging dumpster fire. Her desperate attempt to win back her singer ex-girlfriend has landed her in hot water at work and she has one last chance before her editor cuts her column. Luckily, Sammy has a plan to redeem herself, but it won’t be easy. Rumor has it that Max Ryan, the former rock god, is secretly recording his first-ever solo album years after he dramatically quit performing. And it just so happens that right before Max got his big break, he and Sammy spent an unforgettable night together.

Exclusive access to Max’s new music would guarantee Sammy’s professional comeback and, even better, give her the opportunity to serve some long-awaited revenge for his traumatic ghosting. Unfortunately Max lives in Ridley Falls, Washington; and Sammy has a history there, 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?

This is a very cute story! It also gets very steamy! The book has found family and small town vibes, but also touches on some deep themes. I thought the audiobook was quite enjoyable and the narrator does a great job bringing these characters to life. The interactions between characters includes a lot of wit and banter, making the storyline very funny. The characters are also flawed and relatable humans. I love a good cast of messy queers!

Thanks to Ballantine for the free book.
I absolutely love a good found family story, and there is plenty of that here. Sammy returns to her best friends/teen parent's hometown after going through a rough patch to stay with Willa and Brook. Will was such a caring friend, even when she came on a bit strong. Brook provided the perfect balancing between Sammy and Willa when things got complicated. I liked the former rockstar aspect - I will always fall for a story that has this plot. The author did just a great job of capturing Max as a person and not just his fame. There's a good exploration here about how the fame industry and really harm people. And I haven't forgotten about Sammy. She had so many struggles and I enjoyed the situations the author created to make this story feel so authentic and real. It was messy, complicated, and some hard lessons were learned. I also enjoyed the look into learning about Sammy's father's family that she knew nothing about. This took bravery and all of the complex emotions were worked through so well - it had me tearing up at times. I highly recommend this one.

I loved this book, and everything about it. I loved that Sammy had a lot of character development: she’s reeling from a public breakup and almost losing her job. She still had a lot of unresolved issues with her mother, who was constantly leaving her when she was growing up. She returns to the small town where her mom once left her for a year, and runs into the man who also left her when she was 18. The best part of this book is the friendship between Sammy and Willa. I love the way they work through what it means to be a good friend, and how messy it can be. Sammy’s relationship with Max is also beautifully done. It’s hard not to be impatient with them because they have a lot of chemistry, but it’s easy to understand how they mistrust each other at different points. If you have music, this is a wonderful book that talks about why and how music moves us, especially live performance. If you like A Star is Born, you’ll love this book.

thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for giving me this e-arc in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

sammy espinoza’s life is mess. her musician girlfriend dumped her, she’s basically been fired from her music journalist job, and she is in another fight with her mom. her only hope is in ridley falls, a small town in the pacific northwest and the only place she ever felt at home during her childhood. sammy has a plan, one that comes in the form of max ryan, the former front man for seven shades of monday, who appears to be releasing his first solo album since the band went sideways. the only problem is he is also the man who broke sammy’s heart after one magical night several years ago.

when news that tehlor kay mejia was writing an adult romance dropped i was thrilled!! their middle grade series paola santiago is a series that i hold so near and dear to my heart and to know that tehlor was going to set about writing in my favorite genre was an amazing moment. the only thing that competed with that level of excitement was when penguin random house set the arc my way. listen, i LOVED this book. it was like a hug on a bad day and coming home wrapped all in one. tehlor kay mejia has such a talent for weaving prose into their work and making all the little moments in a book so important. it’s more than just a romance. it’s an ode to music and the impact it has on us as an audience. it’s the story of a broken, messy girl coming into herself and falling in love and finding family during the roughest moments in one’s life. it’s finally realizing that you are worthy of love and that you deserve it without having to be something for somebody. i am so glad this book exists!!

A huge thank you to Tehlor Kay Mejia, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is out and ready to enjoy!

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review is a heartwarming story full of second chances, forgiveness, found family and romance. This is the first book I have read by this author and from now on she will be an automatic read for me. Even though Sammy’s life is kind of a huge dumpster fire I feel like she really learns how to grow and forgive even with all of the twists that come up. I thought Max was super sweet and yes kind of flawed, but I love how he was able to forgive and grow himself. I’m not going to lie this book broke my heart ( I might have cried a little), but Tehlor was able to beautifully put it back together. I would suggest this to any of my friends and family and I hope you give it a chance.

I LOVE Mejia's Paola Santiago books and was so excited to be able to read their first adult romance! Sammy is everything. Even when some of her decisions are stressing me tf out, I still love her and would lend her my car. There is a lot going on in this book--a job on the line, a second-chance romance, bio-parental stress, questions of what one really wants out of life, light friendship drama, literal found family...but it doesn't feel like too much when reading. It feels real and complex.

What I love about this book is that all of these characters feel so real and like people I know. Well, except for the rock star, but I would absolutely NOT complain if a Max Ryan walked into my life because damn. Yum. His and Sammy's connection is lovely. Sammy has a lot of growing to do, but she owns it and you get to see her actively working on processing and learning from her childhood traumas as you get through the book.

This all might seem like this book is consistently heavy, but it's not. There are sweet, funny, joyful, and swoon-worthy moments...as well as painful ones. See? Real. I was WEEPING at the end.

Anyway--read this if you want to read about characters who are messy and lovable and doing their best. The romance is great too.

I had a really hard time deciding if i liked this book or not.

One of my favorite parts was at the end when she structures her life as if it was an album, and describes the premise of each track. I wish that was something that happened more throughout the book, I think it would have been really interesting.

Overall I liked the story. I liked Sammy well enough, and Max, the found family trope, and the rediscovery after a break up. That kept me invested in the story.

I don't mind the bit of a storyline where a character is feeling alone, and feeling like they have no one. But its not one of my favorite tropes.. Where the character is always running away from all of their problems and running away from everyone in their lives. I am understanding of the why but it makes it hard to like the characters.

I also had a really hard time wrapping my head around the main conflict. I couldn't understand the pining for someone for like 10 years after hanging out with them for one night. I thought maybe there would have been a bit more of a relationship between them to create such a lasting effect on Sammy. That was the main part I really couldn't get past.

Reading Sammy Espinoza's Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia was such a fun experience. Honestly, I went into this thinking it was going to be okay, probably good but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was well written. I felt for the characters and had so much fun reading it. I didn't want the book to end. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone.

Music journalist Sammy is struggling with her career and makes a last ditch effort to save it by attempting to secure an interview with the rock star who broke her heart years ago. This also means going back to the only place that ever felt somewhat like home and facing the family that refused her from before her birth.

I went into this thinking it would be a lighter romcom. I didn’t expect it to be so emotional, but it was such a beautiful story of learning to let people love you even when life has taught you not to. All of the characters in this book felt so incredibly real and so relatable. I cried so much, for Sammy, for Max, and especially for Paloma.

This was easily a five star read for me and one that I won’t easily forget. I highly recommend it!

Thank you so much to Dell and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book felt like such a coming of age story even while being about a 29 year old. It is an important reminder that no matter how old you are there is no one that has it all figured out. Sammy trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life was so relatable.

I enjoyed the romance but to me the story was more about Sammy, her family, and her self discovery. I liked how Max helped her grow and see who she wanted to be. There were spicy scenes and they were really well written. Max’s character development is really great. He did a lot of growing in the book.

The third act break up was hard for me. The circumstances of it felt a little out of nowhere. It was also frustrating because there were chapters where you had no idea what was going on and the reunion was a little unsatisfying for me.

🎶 happy pub day 🎶

Book: Sammy Espinoza's Last Review

By: @tehlorkay

GOOD THINGS CHECKLIST:

✔️ music critic × musician second chance romance 🎵

✔️ very casual and well-written LGBTQIA+ rep that made my heart happy to read

✔️ small-town romance vibes in a cozy fictional PNW town

✔️ complex family and friendship dynamics, while finding all different kinds of love (found family vibes 🥺)

✔️ a pinch of spice, a dash of sweetness, and a whole heap of real, messy, beautiful characters

available TODAY!! 🥰 shout-out to @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for the advanced copy!