e-Audio, 10:18:06
Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky
Release Date: January 4, 2022
Published by: Macmillan Audio
Read from: January 12-15, 2022
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Child Abandonment
For Readers Interested In: Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Realistic Fiction, Family Diversity, YANothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream to become a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super-introverted dad, who after raising Millie alone, doesn’t want to watch her leave home to pursue her dream. Not her pesky and ongoing drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not the “Millie Moods,” the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm, always at maddeningly inconvenient times. Millie needs an ally. And when a left-open browser brings Millie to her dad’s embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do. She’s going to find her mom.
There’s Steph, a still-aspiring stage actress and receptionist at a talent agency. There’s Farrah, ethereal dance teacher who clearly doesn’t have the two left feet Millie has. And Beth, the chipper and sweet stage enthusiast with an equally exuberant fifteen-year-old daughter (A possible sister?! This is getting out of hand). But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one, without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go looking for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you’ve had all along?
*MY THOUGHTS*
Even though I’m a huge fan of Emma Lord, I wasn’t a huge fan of her last book. It made me iffy to start this one. And although this one doesn’t have the light-hearted enemies to lovers vibes that was her first book, I shouldn’t have worried. It was super cute!
Millie has wanted to be on Broadway her entire life. But her dad doesn’t want her to go to the school of her dreams that will help her meet her goal. And then there’s Oliver, the guy who annoys her to no end. And let’s not forget her Millie Moods that are ever-changing and surprising, even to her. So when her dad’s LiveJournal from back in the day surfaces, she decides to figure out who her mom was, to see if she can get her to help convince her dad that she is ready to get to this new school. But all the things that happen along the way? Yeah, she definitely wasn’t ready for that.
The thing that bothered me the most about this was how it just seemed like there was so much going on. I felt like there were so many storylines to follow, but it was cut off because they wanted to look at a different one. Like we got to know one of them, and then we met another, and then there was the school thing that was left behind, but also her trying to figure out the play they were going to do at her “old” high school. It was a lot happening. BUT I think most people would say it worked since it was just a contemporary book and not complex, like say a fantasy with a lot of different rules. But for me, I felt like I was going back and forth and it got whiplash.
The characters were ok. I did like Oliver, but I didn’t care much for Millie. I didn’t like how she was acting towards everyone. And then she got to blame it on the Millie Moods. And I thought Lord would go into more detail about this, and explain if she had depression or if she was bipolar, but it made her seem just angsty and mean. Maybe now I’m just finally now getting too old for YA lol
As for the romance, I did love Oliver. I knew from the start that they hated each other, but they would help cancel each other out. And sure enough, the opposites attract in this one was real. I LOVED it. The arguing between them and the playing against each other during the internship was so cute! I can definitely see that I am more of an enemies to lovers romance when its light hearted and funny.
The diversity in this book though was pretty cool. There’s not a lot of Family Diversity in books that I’ve read, so it’s always nice to come across one without knowing. This one features Millie being abandoned as a baby by her mom. She was left on her dad’s doorstep. That’s why she wanted to find her mom. Her dad raised her along with her aunt. But this is why her actions to him made me a bit upset. She was mad at him, and did this huge thing to him without a second thought. But wasn’t mad at the person who’s fault it was.
This wasn’t my favorite from her, but it was still a kind of fun ride. Whether or not you’re a theater nerd, you will definitely like this. Give it a read and let me know which Emma Lord book is your favorite!
Overall, I give this
Real rating 3.5. Rating is a 4 on Goodreads since there’s no half stars.