Thank you to Wednesday Books for sharing a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream of becoming a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super introverted dad, who raised Millie alone since she was a baby. Not her drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not her “Millie Moods,” the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm. Millie needs an ally. And when an accidentally left-open browser brings Millie to her dad’s embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do—find her mom. 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? Chockfull of musical theatre references, pep, and found family, When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord is absolutely delightful. I maintain that she is the queen of the modern rom-com novel, and this new installment does not disappoint. Lord takes on a Mamma Mia (or Millie Mia!) retelling in this new story featuring a young actress looking to dig up the past and find her mom in the hopes of clarifying the best path forward for her future. The only thing Millie has are a handful of names from her dad’s LiveJournal and the knowledge that her mom is just as interested in theatre as she is. I loved this plotline because it showcases all of the women in Millie’s life, and how they add to her understanding of what it means to love musical theatre. This story is about finding blood family, but it’s also about discovering new friendships and staying open-minded. Millie is very set in her ways and firm about the path she would like to take, so watching her form new bonds with the women she’s “mom-testing” is extremely heartwarming to say the least. For the romance lovers, as the blurb hints, there is an enemies-to-lovers slow burn relationship developing between Millie and Oliver, her stage manager and new coworker. They challenge each other, collaborate—knowingly and unknowingly—and argue. Lord’s banter is some of my favorite dialogue in today’s YA scene. She keeps it witty and fresh, but there’s always a sweet backstory to provide substance under all of the fluff. I won’t share too much about the sub-plots, since I think they’re best discovered on their own, but this book managed to perfectly balance interesting character developments for both main and side characters the whole way through. I am usually a main character girlie, but I found myself invested in the stories about Teddy (Millie’s best friend), Cooper (her dad), and Heather (her aunt). The whole novel keeps the pace spinning and the plot never dragged, which pleased me. I adored this novel, as I do with everything Emma Lord writes, so it’ll be no surprise that When You Get the Chance earned 5/5 stars from me!
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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