Last Chance Books

I looooove this book so much! Kelsey Rodkey will forever be one of my favorite authors. Her voice is so authentic, full of the perfect balance of snark and vulnerability, and her characters are so incredibly relatable. The banter in this book is perfect, the love and respect for bookstores shines, the enemies to lovers hijinks are hilarious, and the romance is tender and sweet. This is true romcom goodness at its finest.

3.5 Stars - It’s not my usual genre (fantasy/thriller) but I loved the quirky light hearted nature to it. A girl who loves books and will passionately defend them and her bookstore from the forces of evil (or just the bigger, newer bookstore across the street). This very much feels like a beach read/book hangover story (which it was for me) as in it’s a fun read and there’s no big plot twists, wars, magical creatures, crime, mystery, etc. Though there’s nothing that I really disliked about the book, I don’t find it super memorable and I don’t see myself reading it multiple times.

Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 This is a sweet story about a love of books and the deeper meaning attached to that love. The all-out book war is highly entertaining and the characters are adorable and sweet. I appreciated Madeline’s drive to save her family bookstore, and Jasper’s determination to play the game with her. I also enjoyed experiencing Madeline try to deny her feelings for Jasper until it was almost near impossible. It’s a cute, sweet story, and I would absolutely recommend😊

What a fun YA novel! Character development, family relationships, friendships, frenemies, and details of final summer at home, draw you in for a great read. All the feels of young romance and coming of age. Highly recommended for young adult readers, or lovers of romance of any age.

When Madeline Moore’s crush walked in to her family’s bookstore, she sold him her favorite book, the first in a series. She was hoping he’d come back for more. Partly so she could see him again. And partly because they need the business. This is Madeline’s last summer to work in the bookstore, Books and Moore, before she heads off to college. Her aunt Astrid, the one who raised her and her half-brother, is the owner of the bookstore, and Madeline’s dream has always been to take it over. Small independent bookstores have always had struggles to stay in business, but lately they’re having even more trouble. A new Prologue moved in across the street, with shiny new shelves to draw customers in. Books and Moore is an older store, with a mix of new and used books, and the dust and smells that go along with that. And then he came back. He liked the book Madeline sold him so much that he came back for the second one. Jasper Hamada came back. And he asked for her number. Madeline was on cloud nine. Nothing could go wrong. Until he walked out the door, across the street, and into Prologue, where he put on his name tag before getting to work. Madeline’s crush worked for the enemy! And just like that, it was on. Madeline was determined to take Prologue down, along with Jasper and that smug (yet adorable) smile on his face. But that wasn’t all that threatened to ruin Madeline’s summer. Her mother, Dahlia, is coming to visit, which always ends badly. And then she finds out that they’re raising the rent on the building Books and Moore is in, and Astrid has decided to close the bookshop at the end of the summer. Now Madeline has to save her store, take down the competition, deal with the issues in her family, and ignore those warm feelings for Jasper that just won’t go away, no matter how hard she tries. Last Chance Books is the modern, new adult retelling of You’ve Got Mail, or of the movie that came first, The Shop Around the Corner. These movies are classics for a reason—because they make us want to root for the underdog and for the lovers to find each other, no matter what. This inviting story takes the best of that classic love story and adds in lots of updates, from the bookish YouTube star to the cosplay. Author Kelsey Rodkey’s debut novel is a funny and heart-warming story of family, friendship, flirting, and finding yourself. I loved Last Chance Books. It reminded me a little of myself and my own insecurities when I was that age, and it reminded me of some of the great rom com movies that I have loved for years. I really like Madeline and wanted her to find her spark, whether it was at her bookstore or somewhere else in the world, and I couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book to know her whole story. Such a charming novel! Egalleys for Last Chance Books were provided by HarperTeen through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This book was very enjoyable with a nice amount of romance 🌶 and a cut enemies to lovers trope with a dash of betrayal. Definitely recommend.

I did not finish this book even though I read most of it. Nothing at all like a Morgan Matson book, save your money. It moved so slow and felt like it went on forever with no real captivating moments.

That was cute and fun. I enjoyed it. The pressure and sarcasm throughout the whole book kept me wanting more. I loved for every interaction with “Hotmada”.

Great book, my daughter read it in 2 days

I loved the you've got mail vibes. It's utterly charming, and the MC is really relatable. It's a perfect summer read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 4.5 stars Last Chance Books is a story that takes place over the summer, with Books & Moore being on the verge of closing down and a new bookstore, Prologue, opening across the street. Madeline Moore, who works at Books & Moore will do anything to try and keep the store open, even if it means going to war with Jasper, the son of the owner of Prologue. I love a book set in bookshops! The idea of two rival stores going to war with each other had me super eager to start this book! The book was super easy to read and I breezed through it very quickly. The book did really feel YA, with the characters making rash decisions and not always handling the situation in a correct way. Madeline is an awesome character, that is super determined and loves book so much. She is really relatable because of that, as I’m a big book lover as well. I would’ve loved if my family owned a bookstore at which I could work, but alas. I also liked how complex her character was. She acknowledged her faults and it was really refreshing to see. I rooted for her, but screamed at her at the same time. Jasper was the perfect rival to balance Madeline out. Their relationship progressed quite naturally and I liked how it was depicted. It is a bit of enemies-to-lovers, but not as extreme as some other books. Zelda was a super fun character as well! She felt like the side-kick friend who I would've loved to "play" if this story took place in my life. While the book has its romance and a really fun plot, it was really a story about Madeline’s journey and coming to terms with some of her baggage so she could move forward. It was a really strong point that this book made with that. Overall, it was a super sweet story with a super fun plot, complex but likable characters and an awesome location, that I really enjoyed reading.

DNF at 20%..