The concept of a Mamma Mia + scavenger hunt sapphic YA novel really intrigued me but the execution of it fell a little flat for me.

The most interesting part was Mia learning more about her mom’s life. I would have loved to see more of the past timeline. The romance felt like such a small side plot that I didn’t have enough time with the characters exploring their relationship to make me care about them being together.

It also slightly enrages me that for 18 years of this girl’s life, out of all the family and friends that loved her mom and love her, not one person thought to open up more to Mia about her mom’s life.

Though I felt a little underwhelmed, this was overall still a good read and I would try another by the author in the future.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc!

Content warnings: death of a parent (central plot point), absentee father.

Mia is participating in a scavenger hunt designed just for her from her dead mum. That sounds morbid, but it isn’t.

Growing up, Mia took any scrap of information about her mum that she could – from any source. And on the day of her graduation, her grandmothers gift her something her mum had left for her before she passed away.

There’s a letter to Mia, and instructions on where to find her first clue. This is what Mia has been waiting for – getting to know her mother like everyone else did.

Along the way, she discovers so much more.

This wonderful book has amazing depictions of family and friendship and getting to know yourself, too.

Plus, the music side of things is wonderful, rounding out those wonderful Mamma Mia vibes that are present throughout the book.

Thank you to Kalie and her publisher for letting me read this one – it was incredible.

net galley review what do you get when you mix country music with a gay teenage romance plot? the last love song cute story about chasing your dreams and finding yourself through music loved the scavenger hunt storyline but the pacing felt really slow ultimately appeals to anyone who likes queer ya romance and summer vibes

THE LAST LOVE SONG by Kalie Holford is a moving atmospheric novel about a young girl searching for the last few pieces of her mom that she left before her untimely death, in the midst of her hometown consistently paying homage to the country star her mom was. This novel is already a top read for the year for me; I was absolutely gripped by the audiobook, as well as each and every one of the characters. This novel delicately handles the confusion that can come with parental grief, and the fear of hurting others through the process, but how desperately important it is to feel those emotions alongside others.

Mia Peters’ story is so full of hope and pain and love and dreams, and I loved every moment I spent in it. A truly brilliant read, one I also think would make a fantastic film. I sincerely cannot wait to read what Kalie Holford writes next.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing a review copy.

I would like to thank Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Brief Summary: Mia Peters is stuck. She can feel the pull of a bigger life as she writes songs in secret, but she is also the daughter of Tori Rose, a famous country singer tragically taken at the height of her fame. As Mia prepares to start her life after graduation she looks around the town that has raised her and immortalized her mother wondering what her next move should be. Luckily she has a rainbow of clues pointing her in the right direction.

Thoughts: This book is a slow burn. It took at least five chapters before this book really hooked me.

How Holford was able to not only write a book, but all of the songs included in this book is impressive. Although it was a bit of a slow start, the way that Holford was able to integrate two coming-of-age stories, two love stories, and two musical worlds ended up bringing me to tears.

This is a love story, but I would not call it a romance novel. Mia and Britt do have friends to maybe lovers vibe throughout the endearing book, but the real focus of this book is Mia and Tori and their relationship as mother and daughter. The way that Holford writes Mia as a confused teenager trying to grapple with her grief is breathtaking. So many times throughout the book I just wanted to hug Mia and tell her it would be okay and I felt joy at her every success and sadness at every failure.

Tori was a little more difficult to read throughout the book. We only catch glimpses of her from the stories people share with Mia and letters, but I could never really say I understood her...at least the younger version of her. Tori chases her dreams and finds herself in a love triangle. The mystery surrounding her drives the narrative of the story. I did wish that there was a little more explanation of Tori's relationships with the women she was friends with throughout her life. I feel like with her bandmates and classmates we just see snippets of Tori's relationships with her friends. The love triangle had me hooked and I had a favourite, but her friends made such big sacrifices for her and it was a little hard to understand why.

Holford's writing made me feel and I truly did cry at the end of the book. I found Mia to be such a dynamic character even though she was a teenager. I read somewhere that this book is similar to Mamma Mia. In many ways, I agree with that description, but it feels more like the sequel rather than the original because Mia is just surrounded by a shrine of her mother. I do wish that we had been able to see any part of the town that was not some roadside attraction to draw fans of Tori Rose. It felt a little weird that this was all the town offered, but maybe that is supposed to make us feel the oppressive weight that Mia must feel having grown up there.

I would recommend this book, but I do think that you should go into it understanding two things. First, this is a book about a mother-daughter relationship. Other relationships are described in its pages, but this is the central focus of the book. Second, the music is going to guide you through the book. If you are a fan of puzzles and how song lyrics help you answer those puzzles this is the perfect book for you. I would also recommend having a tissue handy for the tears at the end.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of a parent, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Gaslighting and Cursing
Minor: Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual content

'The Last Love Song' is a beautifully written story full of music, love, and hope. Told by a fresh voice in the YA scene, this story is one that you just know will become important to people and resonate with audiences across the globe. I cried, laughed, smiled, and squealed while reading - this is one emotional rollercoaster. I loved these characters so much, and I can't wait to see what the author does next!

DNF @46%

This book had potential but unfortunately had so many things that could have been better.

Firstly, the entire plot was just so contrived. The town is basically a memorial to Mia’s mother and yet nobody can, or will, tell her anything of substance about her mother. Instead her mother leaves her a scavenger hunt to find pages of her old diary when she graduates high school. Why her grandmothers would refuse to tell her anything about her mother, who knows.

The emotional turmoil of Mia’s relationship to music and performing also felt very artificial. At almost halfway through the book, I still have no idea what was holding her back aside from some mysterious incident the last time she performed.

The entire book just lacked emotional depth. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters because everything was just so overdramatic and unrealistic. The plot of discovering who her mother was on a personal level should have been really heartfelt and instead I was just frustrated the entire time by how little sense anything made. Oh, she also doesn’t know who her dad is for some reason.

Aside from the plot, the writing was just bad. Repetitive descriptions, overly dramatic dialogue and purple prose really pulled me out of the story. And if I have to read about ‘the music’ one more time…

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've had my eye on this one since it was announced, and it didn't disappoint. I love a good romance, and this sapphic story that combines friends-to-maybe-lovers with a girl's yearning to know and also divorce herself from her late mother was amazingly done.

Bi Mamma Mia?!?! Say less. I've been eating up queer YA recently. Some favorites are Imogen, Obviously and Cool for the Summer. I knew I was in for a treat just reading the brief synopsis. Full review to come.

We are all about the dual timelines right now, and I am for it! Yes there is a romance aspect, but I was much more interested in Mia learning more about her mother's past. This is the kind of "mystery" for me, since I'm not really a "whodunnit" gal. But it was so entertaining to follow Mia on her journey.

While I could see where some plot points were going chapters ahead, I don't think most readers will! I'm just the odd one in the bunch.

If you're always trying to be ahead of the curve by reading A+ debut authors first, be sure to grab "The Last Love Song" today!

Thank you to Blackstone for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story sucked me in from the very beginning. It was a really touchy and beautiful story about finding who you are and what you want from your life. Mia's mom ghost is following her everywhere , she wants some answers which no one is willing to give her, so when she gets her gift from her late mother for her 18th birthday in scavenger hunt form, she finally can get some answers.

I enjoyed 2 storylines aspect where we get daughter and mother narrative and don't get me started about every part's playlist. I wish someone get to sing those songs, the lyrics were so beautiful.

The writting was so quick pace and really enjoyable. Only negative I have is overdramatical elements at some parts, which it could be me to little by little outgrowing YA stories or not...
Overall it was enjoyable debut, I had a good time.

It has the vibes of Mamma mia and Daisy Jones & The Six, so if you enjoyed those and you like young adult stories you should give it a try.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

When I heard people saying this book was like a queer Mamma Mia! I knew I needed to read it ASAP!

The writing of this story is so lyrical, and I know that can really bother people, but I personally love it. I love when it feels like I'm reading a song, it makes me feel the emotion of the character more I find. Mia was an amazing MC, so mature for her age - which is great in my eyes because I personally am not a fan of 18 year olds acting like they are 12. We see her come to term with so many relevant and relatable problems - leaving home, dealing with the loss of a loved one, being lied to by family, discovering ourselves, admitting our feelings for another, SO MANY THINGS! On the flip-side, we get to see snippets of Tori, Mia's mom, living a life that most teens would only dream of living - becoming a famous singer. It was great to follow along on both stories and see the similarities and differences between the two characters in and around the same point in their lives.
I will say, the Mamma Mia-ness of this story was not as front and center as I had been hearing from some reviews - but I still definitely got it and enjoyed that journey.
The only place I found this fell a tiny bit behind was the pacing...it was quite slow in the beginning and then very rushed at the very end. I would have loved to see a bit more time in the end to really see Mia say goodbye to her life in Sunset Cove.
Overall, this was an AMAZING debut and I really can't wait to see what else the author does!

Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are completely my own!

First of all, I want to say that this is probably a very good book for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six. But unfortunately, I hated that book too. I just didn’t enjoy reading it at all and I had to force myself to finish it. The timeline is all over the place, the plot doesn’t make sense, the stakes don’t even exist and it’s just confusing all around. The reasons Mia does stuff for are just….weird and they don’t make sense. But not only her but everyone in this town. Why the fuvk not tell this child anything?? There wasn’t even a good reason for it it seems just a ll pointless and stupid.

Some quotes that killed all my hope for this book…I’m sorry I tried but I don’t like the idea at all and I despise it. The writing itself probably wouldn’t be as bad if the plot wasn’t so horrible.
“I felt it!!”
“I’m not following him I’m following my calling”


“We did cover the possible murderer point, right?”
“Singing like that? David!! There was something there! I felt it”

All the characters are horribly stupid and useless and I hated it. I’m sorry

“Maybe you should look back sometimes when you’re running away, and think about why you’re really leaving.”

I’m sorry… but this is a DEBUT?!

I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Kalie as she prepped for her debut young adult contemporary release and she is an absolute SWEETHEART, which only made me love her book that much more.

I listened to this beauty, and the narrators Taylor Meskimen and Amanda Dolan did a phenomenal job capturing the innocence and daring personalities as they intertwined with love, loss, and longing through the story. I will say that this is NOT a book to multitask while listening to! It’s an incredibly quick read with SO many details peppered throughout that you will most definitely miss something if it does not have your full attention (I rewound multiple times to catch small details before learning my lesson).

“You can outgrow places and people and still love them.”

Kalie writes with such a poetic and lyrical voice that you can’t help but be entranced by her words. By Mia and Tori. By their tension-filled history despite never really knowing one another. And by their scavenger hunt, where Mia not only gets to know her mother, but also herself each step of the way.

“To love the music is to never grow up.”

This beautiful book is a love story to friendship, first loves, friends, dreams, music, and mothers and daughters everywhere. It’s filled with life lessons, hopes and dreams, and every form of love imaginable.

For example, just because someone is gone, does not mean they’ve disappeared…their story isn’t over yet, because it lives on in you and all the people who knew them.

This is truly the love story songs are written about.

Tropes:
- LGBTQ+
- Queer Mamma Mia!
- Friends to lovers
- Chasing dreams
- Scavenger hunt
- Young adult

This was such a really fun and enjoyable concept for a book! It was such a clever premise with delightful characters. A great YA read!

“𝘐𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.”

I’m not sure if my emotions have just been fried after everything that’s been going on this month, but this book made me cry several times. 😭 I felt so much for Mia and her character. I empathized with her situation, looking so much like her famous mother and wanting the same type of dream, but being so scared of it.

I also loved how the book wove in playlists and really stuck to the music being the forefront of this story. While it’s a love story, for both Mia and her mother, it’s also a story about finding your music. 🤍🎵

This was a very sweet coming-of-age about a girl finding her mom, herself, and her love for her girl best friend and accepting that love. Highly recommend to anyone who wants a heartwarming story about two girls from a small town branching out to get their dreams!

This was an interesting story with an interesting concept. I liked that we went to a sort of scavenger hunt with the main character. And it was pretty fun (except from the whole dead mom thing). In the end, though, I was left feeling like something was missing. I think, maybe, the characters might have lacked a bit of depth? It was a pretty heavy subject but beside wanting to know, I wasn't truly affected by the characters' feeling and such.
Overall, I did enjoy this though and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun sapphic YA novel with some heavy subjects.

This book has got to be one of my favorites that I read this year! A solid 4.5 stars for this debut!

After finishing the book (and sobbing), I knew that this was the book I had wished to have read growing up. As someone who loved music beyond belief (I am too embarrassed to share my old email with y'all) and was not sure what she wanted to do with her life growing up, this would have been wonderful to have this.

Mia's path, of finding who she is, through her mother's stories, her true love and her hometown, is emotional and inspiring. I highly recommend this book!

I liked the premise and the cover art was lovely, but the voice wasn’t distinctive enough to draw me in, and I wasn’t connecting to any of the characters. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the book and the overall writing was strong, YA usually hooks me from page one. Yet I kept losing interest, putting the book down, and ultimately DNF at 18%. Maybe if I’d watched Mama Mia and gone into the book invested in that film and its characters, I might’ve felt more inspired to read on.

While this wasn’t my cup of tea, fans of Mama Mia and readers who do connect to the voice will probably enjoy this more than I did.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

4.5

The Last Love Song follows Mia as she adventures on a quest to learn more about her mom, country singer Tori Rose. The story is essentially a bi Mamma Mia book. I might just be easy to please but I genuinely enjoyed reading this debut novel. I didn’t listen to the audiobook, but I did make my phone's voice reader read it to me so that might have impacted my experience.

Things I liked
Mia’s relationship with her grandma’s
I liked the found family aspect with Tori Rose’s band
Sapphic best friends to lovers

Things I didn’t like
Sometimes, the will-they won’t-they between Mia and her best friend Britt FRUSTRATED me. Like they don’t wanna be together because Britts gonna leave and they don’t wanna mess up their friendship?? Like ur already making out and acting like a couple so like what's the difference? Although it frustrated me and was sometimes cringy, it is realistic for teenagers and I have to live with the teen cringe if I’m gonna read a YA book.

*I received this ARC from NetGally to read and review in exchange for an honest review.*