Alright, time to bust out your ABBA playlist and prepare for the wacky, exciting, heartfelt, and music-filled adventure that is Emma Lord’s upcoming novel, When You Get the Chance. Check out all the things I liked about this book below!
Title: When You Get the Chance
Author: Emma Lord
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publishing date: January 4, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
My Rating: 5/5
Summary:
Nothing 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?
*Thank you to Wednesday Books for a free e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.*
So, Emma Lord wrote a book after my nerdy, Broadway-loving heart. This was such a fun read and I didn’t want to put it down. It’s basically a gender-swapped Mamma Mia with an enemies-to-lovers romance and references to several of my favorite musicals. This is a book where the theater kids take charge, but even if theater isn’t your thing, I think you’ll still enjoy the excitement and the heart in this book. At the core this is a story about finding family – both those related by blood and those we form strong bonds with along the way. Millie’s story really touched me, and even though I wouldn’t say there were many heavily sad moments, there were times I surprised myself by tearing up in response to the strong emotions this girl feels inside. There’s a lot of running around New York and discovering secrets that makes the story feel like a real adventure as well. I love reading a book that just feels like fun, and that’s what this was.
One of the things that made this book was the amazing cast of characters. Millie is an awesome protagonist. She is loud and a diva and loves to be the center of attention, but her big personality is balanced by a real fear and vulnerability that will make readers connect with her. She’s got big moods that she doesn’t understand, and big dreams that she will do anything to reach. She’s also funny, witty, kind, and a great friend. The perfect protagonist for this novel. I also love the fact the supporting characters are just as fun an interesting to read about. Millie’s nerdy, anxious dad and uber-cool aunt make an awesome parenting duo. Her best friend Teddy is a super supportive, geocaching nerd with a cute romance subplot of his own, and each of her potential moms have fun personalities that drew me in as much as they did Millie.
Then, of course, there’s Oliver. Like many, I am a fan of the enemies-to-lovers subplot, and this one was done so adorably. Oliver and Millie are rivals and they end up competing for a spot at an internship, which leads to many fun shenanigans. I love that they are both mean to each other in a playful way, but that it’s very clear that both of them are good people who just need to realize what a cute couple they make!
So, if you couldn’t tell, I absolutely loved this book. I really enjoy Emma Lord’s books, and this might be my favorite one yet. I think this is the perfect book to usher in a new year of awesome reads in 2022!. I definitely recommend this one, and you’ll definitely have fun reading!
What was the last musical or movie-musical you saw?
Thanks for reading!
Faith Noelle 