The Last Love Song, Kalie Holford
The Last Love Song, Kalie Holford
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

The Last Love Song

Author: Kalie Holford

Narrator: Amanda Dolan, Taylor Meskimen

Unabridged: 8 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/09/2024


Synopsis

“A lyrical and moving debut…A magical book that feels like your favorite song playing on the radio.” — Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet ApartA queer YA Mamma Mia! with a dash of Maureen Johnson, The Last Love Song celebrates the music of an uncertain heart—perfect for fans of Nina LaCour, Laura Taylor Namey, and Emma Lord.After high school graduation, Mia Peters faces a summer full of painful goodbyes. Songwriting is her only solace. Everyone she knows is moving on, including Britt, her biggest supporter … and kind-of-sort-of girlfriend. Britt keeps pushing Mia to go bigger and do better than their small town, but Mia can’t imagine a life beyond Sunset Cove. Besides, she refuses to follow in the footsteps of her late mother—country music star Tori Rose—who abandoned her family to pursue her dream, leaving Mia and her two grandmothers alone.Desperate for a sign of what might lie ahead, Mia finds the opposite—a mysterious letter from the past, addressed to her in her mother’s handwriting. It turns out to be the first of many. One by one, they lead Mia on a wild scavenger hunt through a Sunset Cove she never knew, buried under the memorializing that has frozen her mother in time. Each new discovery brings Mia closer to the real Tori Rose, but with the clock ticking on Britt’s departure, Mia knows she is running out of time.With the summer winding down, Mia must decide if she is ready to face the present, confront her feelings, and forge the destiny she truly wants. A dazzlingly soulful debut, The Last Love Song is perfect for anyone who’s ever tried to decode the clues in the lead-up to a new Taylor Swift album.

About Kalie Holford

Kalie Holford lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and two puppies. She loves Mamma Mia!, country music, and love songs and stories. Her passion is writing books featuring messy queer kids who make mistakes, learn to love, and grow alongside each other. The Last Love Song is her debut novel.

About Amanda Dolan

Amanda Dolan is a professional actor in the MFA program at Brown University. Her credits include Richard III, Macbeth, Falsettos, The Rocky Horror Show, Hair, and The Who’s Tommy.

About Taylor Meskimen

Taylor Meskimen is an actress and a narrator. Her audiobook readings include several L. Ron Hubbard novels, such as Gun Boss of Tumbleweed and Death Waits at Sundown.


Reviews

Goodreads review by alaska on February 23, 2024

will i ever stop sobbing over this book? place your bets now!......more

Goodreads review by Virginia Ronan on June 16, 2024

I’m on BookTube now! =) **This ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing.** ”She told me to follow the music, but I don’t know where it’s going to lead.” I was very excit......more

Goodreads review by ishi ☆ on April 25, 2024

⁀➷ 3 stars ☆ ⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆ “i ask you this time: will you follow the music with me?” this was a cute story, but i think my expectations were too high and i was a little disappointed with it :( the cover is gorgeous and the premise seemed really interesting, but it was a bit of a letdown. this will be......more

Goodreads review by Brend on March 09, 2025

The Last Love Song is perfect for anyone who’s ever tried to decode the clues in the lead-up to a new Taylor Swift album. What do you mean by... ''tried''? I do NOT recommend the audiobook! The narrator sounds like she's about to cry at all times! Me too, bitch!......more

Goodreads review by Noi (in & out) on April 09, 2024

3.5~ ------------------- Happy release day! Love the cover 😍 ------------------- Some Moxie X Mama Mia vibes If you squint there are Daisy Jones & Evelyn Hugo vibes Past & Present timeline chapters ------------------- It's not perfect but how is this a damn debut??? Should have highlighted more lines. I l......more


Quotes

“Heartrending and joyous like the very best love songs, Kalie Holford’s debut is a delightful and deeply emotional, gorgeously imagined letter to the past and future.”  Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest

“Like the best duets, Holford’s dual-POV novel thrums with heart and heartache. The slow-burn romance(s) are melodies you won’t be able to get out of your head, and the raw and emotionally resonant explorations of grief, regret, and listening to the whispers—and shouts—of one’s heart is music for the soul. A beautifully written love letter to the enduring power of love and music, The Last Love Song will leave you screaming for an encore.” Jessica Parra, author of Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success

“Drenched in summer and music, The Last Love Song is a sparkling debut that feels like racing alongside Daisy Jones’s daughter as she unravels the mystery of her infamous mother.” Nina Moreno, author of Don’t Date Rosa Santos

“Set atop an aesthetic of country music and scavenger hunts, The Last Love Song effortlessly explores the unique and oftentimes complex bond between a mother and daughter. A charming debut about family, first love, and finding your own voice.” Ananya Devarajan, author of Kismat Connection

“A sweet coming-of-age debut for fans of books about music, this novel is reminiscent of Maureen Johnson’s 13 Little Blue Envelopes and a solid choice for readers of Nina LaCour’s Everything Leads to You.” School Library Journal

“If you’ve ever pored over song lyrics, trying to figure out their meaning, this book is for you.” YA All Day

“An ode to growing up surrounded by memories…For those into tropes, this book checks the slow burn and friends-to-lovers boxes, but it’s much more about both Mia and Britt finding themselves than it is them finding each other. By striking that balance, Holford makes the romance feel that much more deserved.” Write through the Night

“Charismatic and intriguing…If you’re in the mood for a quick, summery story about a girl torn between her mother’s unresolved past and her fears of the uncharted future, paired with a dash of heartfelt country lyrics and a small-town setting to steal your heart, then The Last Love Song’s the book for you!” Nerd Daily

“Kalie Holford’s debut novel is a heartfelt love story about growing up and letting go of the past.” Pine Reads Review

“The Last Love Song is the perfect mix of music, romance, and scavenger hunt.” Audible


Awards

  • Nerd Daily Pick
  • Reads Rainbow Pick
  • Literacious
  • LGBTQ Reads
  • Audible Editors Top Pick
  • Autostraddle Pick
  • YA All Day
  • Barnes & Noble Favorite Indie Book
  • Write through the Night
  • Young Entertainment Pick
  • Pop Goes the Reader
  • Sassy Library Fox Pick
  • SIBA Pick
  • Chick Lit Central Pick
  • Brian's Book Blog Pick
  • She Does the City Pick
  • I Heart SapphFic Pick
  • United by Pop Pick
  • Tea Time Lit Pick
  • SheReads.com Pick
  • Pacific Northwest Book Award