But how can you expect to add a new chapter to your life and expect the old one to seamlessly integrate it? And why is it that whenever you search for the past, you inevitably find yourself back where you started?

My Review

Such a great book! I suppose I can say with certainty that my favorite contemporary young adult novelist is Emma Lord. Reading each of her books that have been released so far has not disappointed! She does a wonderful job at capturing the emotions and imperfections of teenagers while also demonstrating how hard they work and how much they develop.

The dynamics of odd families as well as the anguish of not knowing who you are are well captured in this novel. The plot centers on Millie Price, a fervent Broadway hopeful, as she looks through her father's notebook in an effort to identify her mother. Despite Millie's struggles with severe outbursts of rage and irrational emotions, the book makes no reference of any mental illness Millie may have.

Despite being out of control, Millie was surprisingly self-aware. Her conceit was often very understandable. She occasionally came out as a bit harsh with her dad, and I didn't like how she often made decisions behind either her aunt's or his back. In many ways, Millie was treated like her own child by her aunt Heather. But a lot of ordinary teenagers would have behaved in the same way.

This book's romance is significantly deeper and more involved than the romance in You Have a Match. The chemistry, connection, humor, backstories, and development of Oliver and Millie's relationship are all excellent. The fact that they didn't even fully split up in the third act was great! Actually, Oliver did nothing wrong during the entire narrative. He spoke with such sincere intentions and said things that made me melt. He is very sweet and angelic!

I also found the story and all the supporting players to be really entertaining. I also occasionally laughed out while reading! Emma Lord is an incredibly gifted writer, and this genre of book is perfect for her writing voice. Strangely, the tone of her work, which juggles seriousness and humor, fits my preference for YA.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. There were also a ton of musical allusions! if you're a frequent theatergoer? You won't be let down, I promise! So please give it a try if you haven't already ;).

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.