When You Get The Chance by Emma Lord Book Review

“I know you didn’t take this internship to perform, but just a reminder from one actress to another—-take all the chances you get! You never know where they’ll lead.”

(pg. 151)

About

Author: Emma Lord

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

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Other Emma Lord Book Reviews

Tweet Cute

You Have a Match (Coming Soon!)

Synopsis

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? 

Review

Spoilers Contained Below

To all the theatre lovers,

I never grew up watching a lot of Broadway productions or theater productions in general because I didn’t grow up in a city that had many shows. And back then, there weren’t many theater productions being broadcasted on television compared to these days and all the streaming services. But I always appreciated musicals and theater because I know there had to be hard work, dedication, time, commitment, effort, and love that went into producing such a grand story with music, drama, and action. What I always admired most about theater was how it was live and how most times actors and actresses were seemingly perfect—-saying their lines right on cue with a tantamount of emotion that made me feel what they felt. I always admired the stage, the setting, costume, design, lighting, and music. I especially love musical productions because I think music adds a layer of excitement and storytelling that is incomparable. Also, my first musical that I was aware of was High School Musical, and I’m counting it as a musical 🙈.

I don’t think you need to have been part of the arts or grew up around it to appreciate or love it. I love the theater.

So, I loved When You Get The Chance because it packed the same theatrical, magical, wholesome, and beautiful punch that a well orchestrated production has.

I certainly admired the book. I want to shout out Emma Lord before I get into the rest of the review because I read Tweet Cute two year ago (honestly, it felt like five years ago with how 2020 was 😅)! I remember it was such a fun and surprising book because I thought Tweet Cute would just be about a Twitter war between two people who fall in love with each other, but it turned out to be so much more than that. I liked it. I still have yet to read You Have a Match because I didn’t get around to it last summer, but it’s definitely in my TBR pile on my shelf. I wanted to read When You Get The Chance before You Have a Match because, not going to lie, but When You Get The Chance looked much more compelling 😆 and I would like to save a summery book for summer. Given all that, what I’m trying to say is I’ve read one of Emma Lord’s books, and this is her third book and I must say, I can tell that her writing has improved in style and depth. That’s not to say her writing was terrible or bad in Tweet Cute because I liked her writing and she developed the story well, but in When You Get The Chance, I could feel how much she has grown as a writer since Tweet Cute in adding more stylistic sentences or depth to characters that created a more connection. And I think that’s an amazing and beautiful thing—-that Emma Lord has grown as a great writer to a stronger one. Again, this isn’t a diss and I hope it’s not coming across as one because I truly respect her writing. But you know what I mean. We all start somewhere and that work might be good, but when we continue to practice, we develop in our work and we become better.

That’s what I noticed with Emma Lord’s writing and I think she deserves more credit because growing as a writer is a huge deal and it takes time. I hope that when I become a writer I can grow just like her 💗. And like any writer, she is growing. But I don’t know if it’s because it’s been a while since I read Tweet Cute, but When You Get The Chance had really stellar writing and I just wanted to mention it because growth is wonderful and I know she’ll write even stronger books in the future. I am definitely a fan of her work.

As mentioned above, I felt like she added more depth and layers to her character that was easy to connect with and understand.

I really liked Millie Price. What a strong, persistent, go-getting, passionate, and firecracker of a person. She is everything I wasn’t as a teen 😂.

I just really admired her spunk and attitude because it’s not something I grew up with and I respect someone who knows what she wants to do and goes after it with so much fervor and no apology.

Millie Price was a force to be reckon with and she was wrecking it 👏🏼!!

The only point of insecurity or embarrassment Millie felt was this whole Little Jo thing where her dad filmed her singing when she was younger. The video showed Millie being kind of pitchy because she was a kid, how else was she supposed to sound? But the video went viral in the theater world, so as she grew up, many people recognized her as Little Jo. Millie didn’t like that because Little Jo wasn’t who she was anymore—-a young, pitchy singer. She was a teen full of spirited talent, but it felt like all everyone could see was this younger version of herself. I understood why she wanted to reinvent herself because she didn’t want casting producers to look at her and see only one thing when she was so much more now. I also admired her hard work and dedication to make a name for herself to grow past being just “Little Jo” to everyone. It was sheer determination that she changed her look and chased her dreams of being on Broadway or in theater. I say all this because some people are born with talent and some people are born into talent. When you’re born into talent, you have all these opportunities because you know the right people to get into these big name productions, but when you are born with talent, most people have to work their butts off to make a name for themselves and to be seen. Millie did just that and I have nothing but respect for the effort she put into her talent to go after what she wanted.

But part of staving off Little Jo, Millie always changed up her look so no one could just see one thing or Little Jo. I felt like chaining up her look to be something else was her defense mechanism so no one could ever look at her and think of Little Jo. I understood that because if I had this embarrassing (to me) viral video of me as a kid singing like a dying fish, then I wouldn’t want people to associate me with that image either.

Another part of me felt like she should have owned up to being Little Jo because people would connect Little Jo and Millie Price and see how much she had grown. Again, there is strength and beauty in growth. I also think people shouldn’t have given her shiz and made her feel bad for being a pitchy little girl singing. I mean, how rude can people be? If someone wants to sing, they should sing and no one should make fun of it, especially a little kid!! All little kids are going to sound cute or funny—-not everyone can be instant angelic voices. Most develop or grow into it

Part of Millie’s grand plan to get into Broadway or be a breakout theater actress was to fast track her way through high school by going to Precollege in California—-all the way across the coast. I was in high school when I was offered to fast track through college by taking my first year as a senior in high school through this education program at the local university. I didn’t fast track my senior year because something in me didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do and I trusted that. I don’t regret that decision at all. Yes, it would have been nice to save a year off from college and graduate in three years, but I enjoyed my senior year much more because I spent it in class with all my friends and people who became my friends. I made many new memories that I always grin back at. I also think about how much I learned from the classes I took because I wasn’t solely taking online college classes in another room with the same fifteen people everyday. I was learning, laughing, and having fun. If you want to fast track your high school experience, then I say trust your gut about which direction you want to go in. I know some people do not have the best high school experience and maybe fast tracking might be your way, ask your counselor because I’m no counselor. Also, fast tracking can also be a good choice financially, again, ask your counselor. But I think if you enjoy the people in high school and you want to enjoy your last years before going to college, honestly, there is no rush to do high school. Soak it up because you won’t get those four years in high school again.

High school is a time where you see the same people everyday and you make memories.

There’s no rush to grow up and chase your dreams straight away because it’s not like when you want to hike a mountain you fly up there and suddenly you’re at the top. You have to work your way up there, and sometimes that means stumbling, falling, getting redirected. It takes time.

I felt the same rush Millie felt my freshman year of college when I wanted so badly to be a published author that I queried my first manuscript that same year. I just wanted to be an author and maybe part of me also wanted an escape from college because I was depressed and didn’t want to go there anymore. So I queried the story I worked on in hopes that maybe it could go somewhere and I could take a year off or so and pursue writing. I also felt like I was running out of time to be a published author because so many published authors (in my mind) were young when they started. I felt like if I didn’t do it now, then it would be too late or I wouldn’t be good enough. I rushed through the process, not really enjoying or soaking it up for what it could be. But now I know that I want to take my time with the querying process and with other parts of my life and be in the moment. Yes, I would still like to achieve my dreams—-climb that mountain—-I’m just taking a longer and different path than I ever thought I would. And you know what? I’m enjoying the view. I’m soaking in the journey. Sometimes we need to do that.

But Millie went off on her dad, Cooper, about letting her go into Pre College. I could understand her persistence in wanting to go because the school was a huge opportunity to further her career. But also, as a single dad, I think it must have been hard for him to say no. He couldn’t afford it, nor did I think he wanted his sixteen-year-old daughter so far away from him.

I think she couldn’t see it at the time because she was so focused on wanting her future to be here already, that she wasn’t enjoying the present with all the love and happiness around her.

Her dad was her rock. He was a single dad. I love a single dad. Hold up, not in the way you might be thinking 😂! I grew up with a single dad who raised my siblings and I, so I have admiration for single dads.

I have so much respect for single parents in general because I can’t imagine raising a full-fledged human being all by yourself—-having to feed, provide, work, check in, and take care of a person alone. That’s not easy. So I had no idea how my dad did it with my siblings and I because gosh knows we had our days where we weren’t the easiest kids to take care of. I also can’t express my gratitude in knowing how hard my dad worked and works to provide for us. There really aren’t any words.

And there really aren’t any words to explain how much I loved Millie and her dad’s relationship. They had such a unique and special bond because she was the only child and she popped into his life when he least expected it. The story went that Millie’s dad was young and still in college or just out of college when Millie was left at his door for him to take care of. The mom left Millie with him because she didn’t want to be a mother. I could understand that because the mom was young and she probably had her whole life ahead of her and she didn’t want to give up her dreams to take care of a child. I feel like women get a lot of shiz if they chose themselves over their child sometimes, and yes, the situation depends. But I feel like women should be able to have a career and start a family and it shouldn’t be one or the other. Back then, it must have felt like a choose one option or a no option because the mom wanted to chase her dream. I couldn’t fault the mom that because she at least recognized that she wouldn’t have made the best mother and gave Millie to the father—-a father who she knew would take care of Millie and love her the way she deserved. That’s the best thing a parent can do in certain situations—-put their child in the trust and care of other people who can give that child a better life.

Millie would have these flashbacks or thoughts a lot about the dad and her. I loved hearing her always thinking about the dad because it’s always been the two of them, so those thoughts cemented how much they knew each other and loved each other through this disagreement they had.

One of my favorite moments in the book was the scene towards the end where Millie and her dad had a heart to heart about many things I’ll talk more about later. But what made the scene special was how close I could feel her dad and her were. It was so beautiful.

“But that’s not why I wanted you. I wish I could explain it. Maybe one day if you have kids of your own, it’ll make sense. But she handed you over to me and you just scrunched your face at me and screamed, and I knew you were mine.”

(pg. 234)

I just started to tear up at that part because of the way the dad already knew he loved Millie and wanted her in his life. I loved how he took care of Millie all these years, never really knowing what he was doing but figuring it out along the way because he knew Millie was one of the greatest loves of his life. My heart swelled when Millie also told her dad that he was a really good dad. Parents just never hear that enough or hear that at all. We take it for granted that it’s a tacit that they’re doing great, but maybe we should remind our parents that they are good parents (you know, if they are) because they are human and are trying their best, and continue to try their best for us.

I also latched onto this scene because I couldn’t help but think of me and my dad. If I’m being honest, yes, I was a daddy’s girl. I wouldn’t do anything without my dad or go places if he didn’t go. We never had a heart-to-heart moment like Cooper and Millie, but I like to think we shared many happy and heartfelt moments where we knew we loved each other, especially when I was younger. Now that I’m older and this pandemic has been going on, we haven’t had the same relationship because I feel like sometimes I want space and to figure things out by myself. Of course, I still love my dad, but I guess that’s how most people feel when they get older—-they want more independence.

Millie didn’t only have her dad, she had her Aunt Heather. Aunt Heather was the dad’s older sister who I think moved in with them. It’s kind of wild and cool that the older sister would live with the younger brother as adults because most siblings move away from each other or stay close by. But I loved how Heather supported her brother because she probably knew he had no idea how to raise a little girl. Heather was Millie’s mother figure who knew her better than most—-her moods, her passions, her secrets, her unknown secrets, and everything in between. I also loved loved loved Millie’s bond with Heather because it did feel like a mother-daughter situation. I also loved the little family they had in their apartment or the pasta days where Heather would boil the noodles, the dad would get the sauce, and Millie would buy the bread. Then they would eat and talk over a fine meal. I loved that 🥰.

“I’ve grown up in a city too big to measure with dreams too big to hold, but I’ve always had that tether keeping me safely on the ground.”

(pg. 187)

Because Millie had all these relationships in her life, she never really wondered who her mom was. I mean, she did wonder, but didn’t actually want to know until her dad told her no to Precollege. Millie worked her butt off to get into Pre college—sending multiple additions, going round after round in secret—-and now she had a place and her dad said no. If I were her, I would have also felt angry and disheartened because she thought Precollege was a step up in her dream of becoming a Broadway star. Her dad was stopping her from achieving that, so of course, she thought they were on different sides. But again, I think she couldn’t see how maybe Precollege wouldn’t be right for her.

With the dad giving her a hard no, it blew up into this whole fight about how he never told her about the mom and how this shouldn’t be only his decision to make because it wasn’t fair. All Millie knew about the mom was that she probably liked theater because the dad’s the most antisocial butterfly there was. She wanted to find her mom so she could convince the mom to back her up on going to Precollege. Thus, began her search to actually look for her mom.

I would just like to say, her plan sounded kind of far-fetched because she didn’t really know the mom, so what made her think the first thing the mom would do would be to back her up on this big decision. And second, I just found it rude that she wanted to gang up on her dad with the mom who she didn’t even know but all of a sudden wanted the blessing of. Speaking of blessing, part of reinventing herself had to do with the mom. I felt like Millie always thought her mom might have seen the Little Jo video and thought her child wasn’t good enough and that was a reason the mom never found her or came back. I also think Millie worked her butt off subconsciously thinking about the mom because she wanted the mom to be proud of her one day and love her. I think that’s really tough because she didn’t grow up with a mom and she wanted the mom to love her—-the one person you think would really love you—-but because the mom didn’t, maybe Millie was finding ways that the mom could.

But back to the mom search.

I loved Teddy and Millie’s friendship. He seemed like such a cool, chill, and adorably nerdy guy. I kept imagining Kai from Doogie Kamehaloha because I just watched that and Teddy gave me those chill vibes. I also loved how they grew up together and were like brother and sister and would do anything for each other. They stumbled across a site called LiveJournal that the dad used to use; I’m thinking it’s like an online diary, maybe like the equivalent of Myspace. They found old messages/updates the dad wrote about three women in his life around the time Millie was born, making Teddy and Millie believe that one of those three women had to be her mom.

There was Farrah, Steph, and Beth.

All were friends with Cooper in college at the right time.

A Millie Mia as they called it.

I have to say, I FREAKING LOVED that they called it a Millie Mia 😆💗!!!! As a devoted Mamma Mia fan, I was screaming! Iconic. And with the whole musical and theater theme, perfect 👌🏼.

If any book has a Mamma Mia aspect to it, I’m sold.

It was such a fun journey to see Teddy and Millie go on this Millie Mia.

What boggled my mind was how easily Teddy and Millie found these women 😅. I know they used GeoCache and the power of the internet, but DANG what were the odds that they would all be nearby and conveniently doing things that would allow Millie to get to know them to see which one was her mom.

I’m going to talk about Beth first.

Beth was a newly divorced mother with a daughter named Chloe. Beth was into theater but didn’t act much, but she threw these awesome themed parties for her theater club. She seemed like a nice older lady. It was interesting because with all these women, Millie tried so hard to find something she could relate or connect to with their appearance, interests, or demeanor. Sometimes I felt like she was seeing or naming things that weren’t really there but she wanted to see because she wanted one of these three women to be her mom. I mean, I guess if she met other women, there had to be qualities she could see in them and relate back to herself.

The one part of the Beth theory that I liked reading more about was Chloe. Chloe reminds me of me. We’re the type of people who don’t walk into a room and own it. We go to the sides, hoping other people might not see us or approach us. We don’t have the easiest time talking to people because it makes us nervous, but once we open up, you find that there was more there all along. We’re also both passionate about the things we loved. I loved how we could see Beth in Chloe with how much Chloe adored the theater. I believe growing up in New York and going to all those Broadway shows has to be a wild, amazing dream. I have yet to have one playbill, but it’s one of my dreams. I can’t imagine all the people who actually have their playbills from childhood on their walls or in a scrapbook. It’s so weirdly different how where you grow up can affect who you are and your interests.

I also loved how Chloe had Hamilton cardboard cutouts. I’m going to bet she got them on Amazon or something 😂. She was obsessed and I know that obsession well. It’s how I felt about One Direction, books, and Marvel. What were your childhood obsessions or current obsessions?

Chloe also felt really eager to talk to Millie and Teddy at the party because they made her feel comfortable to talk. It’s hard to find people like that, but I’m the same way. I liked that Millie and Teddy weren’t rude or judgmental of Chloe’s obsession of theater because they could respect and understand it. Even if they thought Chloe was a lot, they were still kind to her. I think Chloe talked a lot because she didn’t have many friends or people to talk to who actually listened and didn’t tell her off. So when she had them, it felt like she could finally say something. I loved that for her.

It was also sweet, but yet creepy when Beth called Millie to have coffee. I didn’t think it was completely safe or sane that an older woman who Millie met one time would invite her over coffee like they were old pals. The sweet part was how concerned Beth was for Chloe because she wanted Chloe to be more confident and outgoing like Millie. As someone who has been told to be more confident and outgoing, I find it offensive when others want to “fix” me or change me because they think something is wrong with being quiet and shy. I don’t see anything wrong if someone has a quieter or shy demeanor because we don’t know why they are that way—-shyness isn’t something you’re born with, but it’s created. So it rubbed me the wrong way when Beth asked how Chloe could be more like Millie because it felt like she didn’t like who her daughter was and wanted her to be someone else. Of course, I wouldn’t want anyone to be made shy or quiet, and Chloe deserved to be confident. I guess I was feeling personally attacked and was translating my feelings to the situation. Anyway, I felt Chloe was a great young woman and that she was perfect the way she was. If she wanted to open up like Millie, then I saw grow for it girl 👏🏼!

The closer Millie and Chloe got, the more touched I was by their friendship.

They might have been sisters if Beth really was Millie’s mom. I liked how Millie treated Chloe like a sister because she wanted to be a good sister if they were partially related. I liked how Millie looked out for Chloe. I loved when they went to dance class together and Chloe was scared that she would be terrible dancing in the front of the room, so Millie made Chloe feel less uncomfortable by hyping Chloe up and putting the attention on her bad dancing. I thought that was a sisterly thing and a nice thing to do. I loved how when Millie let go of how people thought of her dancing, she had fun. She also had fun with Chloe because they could share this moment, laugh, and be silly together. They both weren’t the best dancers, but they had each other to live and learn. That mattered so much more 💗.

It was also cute how Chloe told Millie about her crush on Teddy. I liked how Millie didn’t get all weird or put Chloe off from liking Teddy, but she wanted to tell Teddy about Chloe’s crush so he knew. She also helped get something going between the two of them, which was nice to do. I think some people might have been defensive about their best friend and potential sister dating, but she was so cool about it. I also liked how Millie made Chloe feel comfortable about starting school at where Millie went now. Chloe wanted to join the theater, but additions already happened. Millie told Chloe to film a video of her singing, and Millie would find a way to send it to their teacher. I loved that Millie went the extra mile for Chloe because she knew how much theater meant to her. It was also a sweet gesture because fitting into school is hard and having no one to talk to is rough. But if Chloe had a part in the theater program, she would at least have friends and the transition of schools wouldn’t be so hard.

In my eyes, they were already sisters 🥰.

Blood didn’t matter.

I also knew that Chloe had to be ParticularlyGoodFinders of GeoTeens because DUH 😆!!!! It felt like the obvious and cutest idea if the girl Teddy liked on GeoTeens would also be the girl who liked him in real life now. It made me laugh how Chloe said she stopped messaging Teddy on GeoTeens because she started to like him in real life and then later found out they were the same guy, so she didn’t want to continue to message him because it would be weird. Teddy had liked ParticularlyGoodFinders for a while and wanted to find this person he’d been talking to. It was cute that it was Chloe all along and that he actually had feelings for her. Small, but cute world. I think they would be a cute couple at least—him with his cool and chillness and Chloe with her soft, but passionate nature. I laughed with how they asked each other if they attend the GeoCache together 😂. They were so cute. Of course, they would ask that 💗.

Then there was Farrah.

Farrah was a bit younger than Beth and Steph from what I read. She was also a dance teacher at the studio I mentioned earlier.

She seemed cool. I liked her. I liked how she called Millie out for being too hard on herself or taking herself too seriously in dance. Farrah could see herself in Millie because Farrah said she was the same way until she let go.

Millie wasn’t the best dancer, or so she told herself. As someone who grew up a dancer, I’m also not the Millie wasn’t the best dancer, or so she told herself. As someone who grew up a dancer, I’m also not the best dancer, but I tried. When Millie talked about how they had to switch rows in dance class, I CACKLED. I knew the exact DREAD she was talking about. I hid in the back row too many times because that’s where you go if you feel like you’re not a good dancer and you don’t want everyone to watch you. So when the teacher asks you to switch rows, it’s like the chopping block of doom. I was triggered 😂. I’m joking. But I knew the feeling well. I liked how Millie grew as a dancer because it wasn’t something she was good at. She wanted to be a triple threat and she thought she would learn dance at Precollege, but she was doing good here. She didn’t need Precollege to learn how to be the best dancer.

She just had to believe in herself.

I didn’t feel like we got to know Farrah the most because we had sporadic conversations with her after dance class or the one time in the train station. I liked when we had that conversation with Farrah in the train station where they were talking about crushes and boys. It felt like a motherly moment with the advice Farrah gave. But also, Farrah didn’t give me mom vibes. She gave me dance teacher, who’s living life vibes.

Also, it was obvious she had a thing for Heather when they first met. They were giving each other goo-goo eyes and Millie and I knew it. It would have been weird if Farrah was the mom and she liked Heather now, not the liking Heather part, but the fact that if Farrah was the mom. That would have been an awkward conversation between the dad, Heather, and Millie.

Then there was Steph.

Steph was younger and had bouncy, wavy hair. She worked as the receptionist for this big talent agency and for this big theater casting person, Georgie Check.

When we met Steph, my first impression was she seemed nice enough. She didn’t give me mom vibes 😅.

She gave me older sister vibes. The more Steph and Millie talked, the closer their relationship got, but it was kind of weird. Not a bad or unwelcoming way, I just wondered how Steph felt about how interested Millie was in her life. If I was Steph, I would have been a bit suspicious why this teenage girl wanted to know so much about me or wanted to help me. But then again, why would I be questioning someone’s kindness like that?

Millie really was such a likable person. Everyone she talked to liked her and she could make anyone feel inspired. She had this natural charm and I loved that 💗. She made you feel seen, heard, and important. If Steph wasn’t her potential mom, I think Millie would have still been interested in Steph’s story. I liked how Millie pushed Steph to still try for her dreams because age is not a limit. I liked how the more valued Steph felt, she encouraged Millie as well. They had a sweet relationship where they looked out for each other and wanted to do right by each other. I don’t think it was a loving relationship like mother-daughter.

What Millie didn’t expect was getting an internship with the one person who she thought hated her guts—-Oliver.

Oliver, Oliver, Oliver.

Classic guy who hates girl and then has a competition with girl and girl has competition with guy for whatever reason.

At least he was honest about why he didn’t like her—-everyone liked her already, and I guess he was like, I don’t want to be the person who likes her.

They’re been trying to one up each other for years, or so Millie thought. It started when they met in high school and were touring the school and he mentioned Little Jo. Or he was going to. Little Jo was enough of a trigger for Millie to not like Oliver and for him to not like her.

But here’s the thing, I really really liked Oliver 💗👌🏼. He didn’t seem like a bad guy or an a**hat who just liked to hate Millie’s gut and then all of a sudden loved her for some unknown reason or whatever. I like enemies to lovers, but it’s not my favorite trope if it’s done in the typical way. I just don’t buy when a person hates another person and then acts like a rude prune to that person for their entire life and then underneath it was because that person secretly loved that other person but didn’t know how to communicate their feelings 🤨. Woo hoo. I just don’t think that’s worth it 😂. If someone likes you and treats you like shiz the majority of the time you know them because they always loved you, I guarantee you can find someone MUCH better who would have treated you better than how that other person treated you because he loved to hate you. If that person loved you, expressing it in anger and hate and then excusing it as love is not it for me.

But when enemies to lovers is done with depth and understanding—-no games—–I enjoy it. I really do.

I loved Millie and Oliver’s blooming relationship because it wasn’t a clichéd enemies to lovers. I could feel why they hated each other or why they thought so. But deep down it was a whole miscommunication and misinterpretation how the other person felt.

Oliver has such a big heart and Millie knew that. She knew that he was the type of guy who would drop everything and comfort a person who was crying and nervous to go onstage. She knew he was the type of guy who poured his heart into his job as production or stage manager because he wanted the show to be every bit as successful as the next person. She knew how caring and loving he could be, but not to her because it always seemed he didn’t like her. He never gave Millie big roles for some reason because he convinced the drama teacher not to. It always felt like Oliver was trying to go against what Millie wanted to do in the drama department—-plays and changes.

They thought they couldn’t see eye to eye, but they were seeing more than what meets the eye.

Oliver saw Millie past all her facades and her fierceness. He saw the vulnerable girl deep down who had stories and depths, but he didn’t know what and didn’t want to push.

I liked how as they took on this internship, they got to work together and finally break down those walls to realize that they were always on the same team—-that they make a great team.

One of my favorite conversations between them was their first real conversation at a dinner during lunch. I liked how they opened up about vulnerable things in their life. Oliver talked about his mom who now ran the Midtown Chorus and made a name for herself. I never really thought about racism in Broadway because I’m not really around Broadway productions. But when Oliver mentioned how his mom would get turned down from roles because she didn’t look the part, I felt angry for the mother because it’s not right to get rejected because of your race. But people still face racism in the media, film, and production agencies these days. I also liked how Oliver made Millie feel comfortable talking about her not growing up with a mom. That’s not something easy to talk about, let alone know how to respond to. But I loved that Oliver just listened. I also thought he must like her already if he could see past all these facades Millie had and could tell that she wasn’t telling the entire truth about why she was at Big Talent Management that day. It worked out though that she also got the internship. No one said she couldn’t act.

But this conversation felt special—-like a change in the tide of their relationship because it wasn’t anger or hateful, but compassionate and understanding. They just needed to sit down and get there first.

I also loved it when Millie cried about somehing to do with the Precollege, and Oliver offered to help her with her list of things—-not in a mean way, but concerned way. I liked that he didn’t make her feel awkward about how she had this whole crying fest that morning, but he wanted to help her. It was such a difference to how she thought he was trying to mess with her in the beginning of the internship. I also agreed that Oliver wasn’t trying to play her when he accidentally gave her the wrong directions to drop something off. He felt bad about it, so there’s no way he could have faked that guilt. That’s the thing though. Oliver was a good guy who had these different layers, but he was never who he said he wasn’t—-he wasn’t a fake or trying to lie about himself. He was straight-forward and honest, and that’s how Millie could read him so well.

I also liked the conversation they had about how Oliver got into production management or the behind tI also liked the conversation they had about how Oliver got into production management or the behind the scenes work because of how his mother would take him with her to sets and he saw the backstage magic and fell in love with the behind the scenes work. I loved the passion you could feel in his voice; it was the same passion that came from Millie’s voice when she talked about acting.

“We may be on opposite sides of the stage when it does, but looking at him right now, it’s impossible to imagine that we aren’t feeling the exact same magic. That we haven’t been all along.”

(pg. 131)

I loved how they matched each other’s energy or they could read each other better than anyone.

“Like It’s something I’ve always had the rhythm for, and it was simply a matter of finding someone who had the same one.”

(pg. 194)

Can we also talk about that epically cool moment when Millie took the Carnegie Hall by freaking storm?!?!?!?! All the kudos to her 👏🏼! She sang her heart out and showed everyone in that theater who was boss and who the future of Broadway was going to be. It was just a special, fun, and epic moment where she exuded such confidence and drama and it was lovely! I also loved how Oliver never denied that Millie wasn’t talented or impressive, he just never made it apparent to Millie. But he knew talent when he saw it.

He was also a manager for his brother’s band, the Four Sons. I laughed with how Oliver said that the name came because the mom wanted a daughter but she got four sons 😂. I also loved the alternative name of Power Yangers 😂. I love to hear it. It was really cool and admirable that Oliver managed his brother’s band and wanted to take this internship so he could be a better manager. All these labels wanted the Four Sons, but they also wanted to change what the Four Sons stood for, but I agreed with Oliver that they shouldn’t sell out just to have a label. If a label wanted them to change, then they wouldn’t be the same band everyone knew and loved. When Millie talked to Carly who runs the Milkshake Club music, I freaking grinned. It was incredibly sweet that Millie went out of her way to ensure that the Four Sons had a gig at the Milkshake Club so they could gain more exposure and Oliver could continue to manage his brothers on his terms. The brothers were also charismatic and fun people; it was hard not to love them. I freaking CACKLED when Hunter said the opening song was “You Ate My Taco Bell, Prepare to Die 😂.” Me with anyone who eats my food. I would have laughed and bought into the Four Sons if I was there.

What was super cute was the way Millie watched Oliver’s reaction from the back of the club more than she watched the band. Oliver was all lit up, endearingly passionate, observant, and thoughtful about how he managed his brothers and Millie could see that. It was also cute to feel how happy and airy Oliver felt because his brothers were killing it. What got me though was when Millie looked at Oliver and all the happiness around her, that she realized she would miss it—-Oliver and these moments. Oliver had become the unexpected surprise in her life that she was still learning and not ready to say goodbye to. But what was cute later on was how Oliver and her had a moment and he told her that he would miss her 🥺💗. I don’t think he would have said that at the beginning of the summer, but I guess a deep part of him always liked her but even more so now. It also warmed my heart when later Oliver found out that Millie’s aunt owned Milkshake Club and that Millie was the one who helped him get the Four Sons a gig there. Just his utterly sweet and pure reaction made my heart melt like a milkshake in the sun 🥺. He was just so surprised that someone would do something kind for him, least of all Millie. So it meant a lot to him because Millie knew how much Four Sons meant to him. It was also super sweet how Oliver was also looking after her with helping Chloe potentially get a role by sending the video to their drama teacher.

Later on in the book, Oliver and Millie went to a Broadway show together because Georgie and Steph couldn’t make it. What I loved about the scene was that it was their first date (I’ll talk more about later), but Oliver got them better seats in the theater because he wanted the best for her. I also loved how he got them seats next to Gloria Dearheart’s assistant who offered Millie to go to a Gloria Dearheart workshop that could help her further her career one day. I loved that for Millie because her future was starting to look different but working out better than she could have impinged. I don’t think getting into a prestigious college is the only route, and Millie had these other opportunities lining up. They seemed promising. But back to the Oliver part. I just found it so CUTE how all this time he wasn’t trying to stop Millie from having big roles, but he was giving her all these smaller roles because he was saving theater points so when he knew they would have the rights to Mamma Mia, Millie would get the lead if she wanted it 🥺💗. I mean, that’s so CUTE! He was always thinking of her and her success. He had her in mind this whole time because he knew he wanted the best for her because he believed in her talent. He was always on her side and looking out for her.

You know, I must say I really liked the changes in their drama department with double casting so everyone had a chance. I also liked the mentorship program because what a good way to include the school community. The point system also was a great way to make things fair so not the same people got bigger parts. In my high school, the same five people would get the leads. But Oliver was always right along with Millie in these changes and it was widely sweet how he was behind every single one and Millie never knew. When she wanted the mentorship idea, Oliver joined student government just so he could advocate that they have a room for the mentorship. All of Millie’s changes were spearheaded by Oliver and created by Millie. He really went the extra mile. He was the guy behind the scenes and I loved that.

I mean, Oliver really was a good guy 😩💗! She just didn’t know it at the time and mistook his passiveness or choices as him hating her. It was the exact opposite.

I just loved all these sweet moments that they continued to share together. I loved it when he bought her a cookie as a “birthday” present. Honestly, Oliver could warm my cookies at this point, I don’t even know what that means, but Oliver was just SUCH a good guy and I could tell how smitten he was with Millie. He had this cookie emoji next to her name and she thought it was because he thought she liked cookies. But it was because the first time he met Millie it was in that bakery and him and his brothers were in line. She told Elliot to try the cookie and he loved it. The bakery became the bros go to spot during their parents divorce—their safe space—and it wouldn’t have been their place if they hadn’t been recommended the cookies and fell in love with it. I loved loved loved that story 🍪💗. It made my heart feel like cookies rising in the oven on a cool autumn day. The story was also meaningful because Oliver remembered Millie and the impact she had on their life. He must have liked her pizzazz even back then to go as far to put a cookie by her contact name.

He was a sentimental guy. I appreciate.

But I screamed like a person who just got a puppy when he held her hand 😫. I thought he wanted to talk to her because he was going to tell her he liked her. I thought I felt it in their eyes and the tension in the scene. I kept thinking of the One Direction lyric, “Your hand fits in mine like it’s made just for me.” Gosh. I loved them. And then I thought he was going to confess something, but then when he pulled her into the Milkshake Club and they yelled surprise, I was like WHAT 🤪?! When was it her birthday 😂??????? I was the one surprised. What was this???!?!!?

Darn, someone better not tell me he held her hand just because he was part of the surprise plans!!!!! I hope not. I wanted something Lovey-dovey.

I mean, I appreciated how fun and care-free her surprise birthday party was. I also loved how her theater friends were there and they welcomed Chloe. I loved how her dad was there and how she ran into his arms because she missed him 🥺. Most teens would be embarrassed, but she loved her dad and didn’t care. I loved that. I freaking loved the playlist Teddy created with all musical songs that say something about being seventeen. We love to hear it 😂. Also, I never knew there were that many songs about being seventeen. Being at the party with the people she loved felt like a reminder of what she would have to give up if she went to Madison Precollege. I could feel her pulling more and more away from her original plans because how could she give up the obvious love and happiness she felt with the people—new and old—in her life?

I loved how Oliver knew her enough to know that she was questioning going to Precollege as well. I also liked how honest he was with her about how he felt she shouldn’t go to Pre college or rush anything. That’s what I was saying. But it’s nice to hear what other people think because they’ll be honest with you. But I also repeated that Oliver wasn’t insistent that she not go because he didn’t want to hold her back from something that she wanted to do. I loved that. But gosh, can we talk about how they danced and held each other??????!!?!?!? I mean, WOW, who knew he could hold her like that 😉 .

I for SURE thought they were going to kiss, but they disappointed me! I wanted some lights, camera, action if you know what I mean 😂.

But when they did kiss, it was such a beautiful and right moment—-worth the wait.

It was on their theater date I mentioned earlier. Gosh, Emma Lord made me swoon for this kiss! The forehead touch??!?!??!! I loved 🥺💗. Del from the Bromance Book Club is shaking. If you know, you know.

Also, this scene was so beautifully captured and written. I was so captivated by the feeling of their first kiss. I loved how the moment was written to tie into the theater theme of the book. I also loved the inhibition of the moment and the newness and tenderness of their relationship. I could really feel them falling for each other after all this time and it was wonderful. This was enemies to lovers done WELL 👏🏼!!!!!!

“HIs forehead is pressed against mine, the two of us just staring in the aftermath of something that is unprecedented and unexpected and at the same time so ridiculously, stupidly overdue.”

(pg. 280)

At least they know they took this long 😂!!!! It was about time, love birds!!! But it was perfect. I loved how Oliver was all in it with her because he wanted to be. We all knew he loved her the day he put a cookie emoji next to her name 🍪. Donzo’s. They really did make a power couple and a good team because they supported, hyped, and challenged each other.

Oh heck, I didn’t even mention the best surprise at the surprise party!

What a surprise it was when Beth and Farrah all showed up 😅. Gosh.

You know wYou know what was running through my mind the whole time? The fact that Millie shouldn’t have been as worried about Beth and Farrah being there because for all the dad knew, it could have been a coincidence that Beth’s mom was Chloe’s mom and Farrah was her dance teacher. He didn’t need to or he didn’t know that Millie intentionally knew these women because she thought they were his mother. So I’m curious how he put two and two together as Millie looked for her mom. It wasn’t even until Millie talked about Beth and Farrah with Teddy that they really knew something was up. I didn’t like her whole fight with Teddy because Millie really said something rude to him about how he didn’t have any other friends besides her and that’s why Teddy didn’t want to see her go to Precollege. That was mean because Teddy was like her brother and she was throwing it back in his face that he didn’t have many friends. I understood why Teddy didn’t want her to go and he was just being defensive because he was going to miss Millie. But Millie really said I’m going to slap back on you. It made me sad to see them fight. I felt like a child of divorce as the memes say.

With Beth and Farrah being at the party, it was obvious that they weren’t her mom. I didn’t get the vibes that they were Millie’s mom because the dad had such a casual reaction to Beth. Also, the minute the dad saw Beth, I was like, OOOOOH there’s something there 😆. He just seemed so excited and surprised to see Beth again that it would have been more of a surprise if they didn’t get together again. I would think if Beth were Millie’s mom, the dad would have been stunned to the floor or something. Farrah also didn’t give me mom vibes because the dad also didn’t have that big of a reaction to make me believe that Farrah was the mom. Again, if he was more shocked, I would have been more suspicious. But there was just the initial shock of someone he used to love being back in his life. Deep down, I always felt like Beth and Farrah weren’t her mom.

But here’s the thing that rubbed me the wrong way about the situation—-the way Heather reacted. I didn’t like how she made Millie feel bad that Millie was looking for her mom. I understood that Heather had always been a mother figure for Millie and in her eyes, she was Millie’s mom. That’s a completely valid feeling and position Heather had, but I didn’t feel like Millie looking for her mom was about Heather at all. So it was rude to make Millie feel guilty about wanting to look for the woman who gave birth to her. It wasn’t that Millie didn’t appreciate or know that Heather knew her best, it was just that Millie wanted to know who gave her life or who half of her was. Heather shouldn’t have faulted Millie for that.

Millie had a unique situation where she didn’t know her mom.

“There’s the part of me that feels rotten, and then a part of me, maybe, that is rotten–the part of me thinking that this just isn’t fair. That I should be able to ask for something this simple, something most kids I know never even have to ask, without it hurting everyone I love.

(pg. 212)

That’s such a valid emotion though.

Many kids don’t have to ask who their parents are because they grow up with both of them. In today’s changing world, many kids do grow up with one parent and never know the other parent. Sometimes, a kid doesn’t know who their parents are at all. It’s natural to be curious and to want to know where you come from or why you might be the way you are. Heather wasn’t considering how Millie felt at all because it wasn’t fair that no one talked to her more about the mom when she was older, and it wasn’t fair that no one gave her answers when she wanted it most. They should have had conversations about the mom when Millie was old enough or ready to hear it because she deserved to at least know who her mom was and what she was like. I didn’t see how everyone else was making Millie feel bad about naturally wanting to know something that most people already get to know; In my eyes, Millie wasn’t in the wrong. She had nothing to apologize for to Heather or the dad because she looked for answers when no one gave her any. They should have known Millie would chase those answers because that’s who she was.

I liked the conversation later in the book where Heather and Millie talk about their relationship. It was a cute conversation where Heather apologized for how she reacted towards Millie at the party—as she should. But I also knew that Heather’s reaction came from a place of love and worry. She felt like Millie was looking for her mom, invalidating her as being Millie’s mom when she felt like she had always been Millie’s real mom—-cooking for Millie, giving her advice, supporting her dreams. I understood why she felt offended that Millie wanted to know her biological mom when Heather was the mom in more ways than one. I am a firm believer that being a mom and being a mother are two different things. Being a mom is someone who takes care of you and puts your needs and wants and happiness above their own. A mother is someone who gave birth to you and kind of cares but doesn’t do all the work to show you that she cares. Being a mom is a title that sometimes has to be earned. Heather earned that title because she knew Millie inside and out.

 also liked how she assured Millie that there was nothing wrong with her Millie Moods. Millie had these moods, which I mean, we all have our moods. But Millie felt her moods amplified and with great fervor. I agreed with Heather that her moods could have been because she was a teenager and everything feels amplified as a teenager. Also, it was interesting to see how much Heather knew Millie to know that her moods could have come from her brother or Millie’s dad. Millie’s dad was always depicted as this shy, nerdy, hermit crab of a dude, which I loved. I love homebody modest dad figure . But I also liked how Heather explained how the dad had anxiety and his form of anxiety was staying home and not going out as much because it overwhelmed him. He was quieter and retreated into a sort of anxiety. Millie’s anxiety was outward and expressive; she had so much emotion that sometimes it went everywhere and she felt it all at once. The dad was worried that if Millie did go to Pre college, she would have continued to expand her emotions without understanding them. But it was interesting to read about how she always thought she was different from her dad because she had different moods. But she and her dad were more alike than she knew, but they had different forms of expressing their anxieties. That makes sense to me because everyone expresses emotions differently—-some people get angry or some people get sad in certain situations or some people get heated and some remain calm; different forms of expression. It was also cool to see that she was always her father’s daughter in this way.

I really loved the conversation she had with her dad about the mom—- a conversation that I guess was better late than never. I loved how they had the conversation near the pier or on a dock or something because when Millie was little her dad and her would walk there whenever they needed to clear their heads or feel comforted. It was cute how they found each other there—-they had the same mind.

I thought it was natural Millie’s first question was why the mom didn’t want her because it was something she battled the entire book. I agree that sometimes a person might not want to be a mother and that’s okay. It’s also okay to be self-aware and say you wouldn’t be the best parent, and do what’s best for your child. In this case, the mom gave Millie to the dad. All these questions the dad answered must have been hard because if he did say the wrong thing, it would have broken Millie’s heart, so he had to be delicate. That has to be tough to do as a parent—answer the uncomfortable questions. But I thought the dad did well and he was straightforward and sensitive to how Millie would feel. I also liked that Millie had this epiphany that she also wanted to look for her mom to find someone who understood her finesse or her moods. All along it was the people right there with her—-her dad, Heather, Teddy. All these people who loved and supported her and were there. They were her family in an unconventional, but beautiful way. I loved them 💗 .

I also liked how she made up with her brother from another mother, Teddy. They couldn’t stay mad at each other for long. It’s so cute how they had such a strong relationship that they didn’t even need to make up because they knew they said mean things to each other, but it was out of love. They just understood each other and cared for one another so much that they were protective and defensive. And heck, brothers and sisters fight and make up all the time because it’s what they do.

“It’s not that I don’t want it to be Steph, or that I didn’t want it to be Beth or Farrah. It’s that when I didn’t know, it could have been any of them, and this feeling in me . . . whatever it is. It could be dispersed. my mom couldn’t disappoint me, because she was all of them and none of them at the same time. I could see myself in all their good qualities, maybe, and just choose to ignore any of the bad.”

(pg. 207)

Because before Millie knew who the mom was, she had all these possibilities—or three possibilities—of who her mom could be. Millie saw something in all of them that she admired and loved, but deep down I understood her fear about not really wanting to know who her mom was because then she would know the person who gave her up. Honestly, Millie just wanted to feel loved by her mom and wanted to understand why someone would give her up because it’s hard not to think that someone doesn’t love you if they gave you away and never wanted to be with you—or so it always seemed that way.

When it was just the Millie Mia, it was fantasy and a nice expedition. But when it became real, it led to finding her mom..

“Steph is real to me now. A living, breathing person to hold myself up against like a measuring stick. Someone who can understand me or disappoint me. Someone who could just as easily fade into the background of my life and be nothing at all.”

(pg. 229)

Millie’s mom wasn’t Steph, which I always knew. I knew who her mom was from the moment we met her, but that’s for later 😉.

It was interesting though when Millie thought that Steph could have been her mom because Steph was the only option left. Millie talked about how scary it was to feel like she knew who the mom was, but how real it also felt to have a face to the label she could call mom. She also had a pinpoint for all these unexpressed and conflicted emotions she harbored for years about this woman who was supposed to be her mom. Even though Steph didn’t turn out to be her mom, Millie still talked about disappointing the mom or the mom disappointing her, which is a sentiment I’m finding a lot in Millie. She doesn’t want to disappoint her mom or vice versa because her mom already let her go once, so if she was good enough, maybe her mom would have loved her. There’s also that underlying fear that if she did know her mom, that her mom would choose to not be in her life still. That’s rough. Kids want to know that they are chosen by their parents each day.

When Millie went to talk to Steph at the office that day, she chose not to ask Steph if she was really her mom. I thought that was so interesting because Millie was looking for her mom this whole time, and here she was faced with the one person who could have been her mom and she didn’t want to say anything still. Millie said she didn’t want to change the relationship she had with Steph by asking Steph if she was her mom. I understood that because if Steph were the mom, it would have changed how she viewed Millie and maybe it would have changed how Millie viewed Steph. But she wanted to keep this good relationship with Steph going.

Steph wasn’t her mom as I said before. I never got the vibe that she was. I just got the vibe that Steph was a really nice lady who was inspired by the finesse and spunk of a teenager who helped her achieve her dreams. I liked Steph because she looked out for Millie and they had an interesting relationship. It just didn’t seem motherly at all.

But I knew who Millie’s mom was from the moment we met her.

I knew it was Georgie.

It was the most unexpected choice, which meant it had to be the obvious choice. Also, I felt like it would be too easy if one of Steph, Beth, or Farrah did turn out to be Millie’s mother. So there was only one other option besides the three women Millie thought it would be, hence, Georgie.

I thought it would be cool if Georgie was the mom because Georgie was this intimidating, fierce woman that Oliver and Millie interned for. But Georgie also had her caring moments like when she saw Millie breaking down in the middle of the street, and she took Millie into her office and gave her a piece of paper to write out her emotions. That really helped Millie organize her thoughts and get down her emotions. I also liked how Georgie didn’t make Millie feel bad or embarrassed for her feelings because thinking about who Georgie was—her intimidating presence—-I would have thought she would have told Millie to suck up her tears or berate Millie for causing a scene like that. But I appreciated how she saw how hurt Millie felt and she wanted to be there for Millie in whatever professional way she could. Not a lot of bosses would have been so kind.

The more we got to know or see Georgie in these stolen moments of Millie at work, the more I felt like Georgie was the mom. Millie just couldn’t see it yet. There was the fact how they were both confident and intimidating women. I loved the scene where Millie and Georgie were walking down the street, or should I say more like strutting down the street, and Millie said how people gave them looks because they probably looked like a force to be reckoned with. I loved loved loved that. Also, I thought that scene was a big clue that they were mother and daughter. They also both had such passion and zeal for the theater. Georgie’s passion was more professional and mannerly, while Millie’s was unfiltered and exuberant. I also liked how Georgie gave Millie the idea to journal her feelings because after that day where Millie wrote down how she felt, Millie felt free and peaceful; Writing gave her an outlet to release her emotions. So I loved it when Millie bought a glittery journal because she wanted to write more about her emotions to feel at peace. I loved that for her.

Then there was the moment when Oliver and Millie had to re-interview to see who would get the internship for the second half of the summer. Millie and Georgie had this big dispute because Millie said she was going to go to Precollege and Georgie told her Precollege wasn’t worth it and would ruin her chances at a career. I liked how Georgie was looking out for Millie because she knew how talented and passionate Millie was. I also loved that Georgie valued people’s mental health because apparently the precollege was a strain on the membrane and overworked its students—-drilling them and wearing them down. I don’t like it when school feels overwhelming with too much work. I read that people can’t learn if they feel like they are under a lot of duress or stress because they are more focused on getting things done than taking something away from it. I’m no researcher, but I read an article about this in one of my education classes in college. But I agree because I don’t feel like I really learn when I’m stressed and have all these assignments to complete and I’m so focused on trying to get things done rather than actually enjoy or retain what I learned. If precollege was the same way, I could only imagine that Millie wouldn’t enjoy it and she wouldn’t learn. Also, Georgie’s advice seemed very motherly to me so there was another huge tell that she was the mom.

I will say that Millie really popped off on Georgie a bit rudely. I understood that Millie was being defensive and just standing up for the path she always wanted, but sometimes it’s not always the path we need or what’s best for us. I felt like she for sure wasn’t going to get the internship after she lashed out at Georgie. You don’t do that to a boss. But when she lashed out on Oliver, I was like, “Sis! What are you doing!?!?!”

“But somewhere along the way hurting Oliver and hurting myself became the same thing.”

(pg. 226)

She just kept hurting the people around her because she felt hurt. I didn’t think Oliver and her had a huge fight, which was good. He probably knew something went down in that interview that she didn’t want to talk about yet, so that was why Millie was being rude to him. But still, she didn’t need to take her anger out on him.

After Millie cooled down, I liked how understanding Oliver was of her. I also liked that she opened up about how she didn’t go looking for this interview, but for her mom. The fact that Oliver was so kind and understanding of how Millie must have felt was so beautiful. It just helps to be honest with someone, but for them to also think of how you must have felt means that they care about you. What I loved about how they made up was how it wasn’t this huge deal because they knew each other so well to know that their earlier argument wasn’t about them but about something that set Millie off. I also liked how they both held the promise that there was going to be more for them in the future—that they would see each other after everything.

“He smiles his Millie smile, and I smile my Oliver one. We’ve said a lot of things to each other over the years, tossed more mean words between us than I could ever count. But making a promise only takes two.”

(pg. 256)

I loved that 💗. I loved them. They just understood each other so well even when they thought they didn’t.

When Millie went to deliver Georgie’s dress to her for a premiere and we saw Georgie all pallid from crying, I was like, Georgie KNOWS. I must have missed the part where Millie forgot her journal at the office or something because I didn’t remember her leaving it there. But I’m happy she did and that the journal “coincidentally opened” so Georgie could read it.

Because there was her mom.

“I want all of this and none of this, and I can tell just from the way she lets out a shaky breath that she feels the same way, too.

But we’ve trapped each other in this moment. Unintentionally, but irreversibly. It may not be a show, but it has to go on.”

(pg. 259)

What a beautifully written snapshot of how Millie felt. I would have probably felt the same way too.

Her whole life was changing at that moment.

I felt like I was Millie as I read this part—like I was learning about her mom the first time too. Kudos to Emma Lord for making me feel all the emotions and honesty that Millie felt—-everything was so well said and stunningly captured 👏🏼. I loved how we learned the truth about why Georgie gave Millie up and how Georgie never wanted to not know who Millie was, but it was just hard for her to see Millie grow up and know that she couldn’t be there for her or how to be there for her anymore. It must have been hard to see her daughter grow up and feel like she didn’t have a say or a claim to knowing who she was anymore because Millie didn’t even know who she was. I loved how Georgie mentioned how the dad would keep her in the loop about Millie when Millie was younger, sending her all these photos and things, because it showed how the dad was always behind the scenes and loved her more than she already knew.

“I was a mess after you were born, but all I can really remember thinking is how lucky we all were that you were his.”

(pg. 264)

It was sweet that the mom had no hard feelings towards Cooper, but she spoke highly of him. They couldn’t say they weren’t amicable or supportive of each other. It was also cute how Georgie said that the dad’s peace and calmness balanced her. I loved how Georgie and Cooper’s relationship was similar to Millie and Teddy’s relationship. I guess you find the right people in your life who feel like your other half—your yin to your yang.

“When you know someone inside out, so well that they feel less like another person and more like an extension of yourself. All your battles, all your victories—they’re always shared, always known. Always fought side by side, whether you’re propping each other up or balancing each other out . . . Life can be a scary ride sometimes, both in your head and outside of it, but it always helps to have one person who’s always on your team.”

(pg. 264-5)

I agree. We all need people who keep us grounded and who know us better than we know or ourselves. Or better yet, someone who knows exactly how we feel so we don’t feel so alone in what we feel or what we are going through. Millie had that with her dad and Teddy—her two main men.

It was interesting to hear Georgie explain how she knew she wouldn’t be a good mother and why she gave Millie up. At least she was honest about it, and I think it was right that Georgie explained why because it wasn’t the dad’s story to tell. It was also interesting to hear about how Georgie didn’t even know who Little Jo was because Millie was always afraid that she ruined her image to her mom with Little Jo. But to think that Little Jo didn’t even exist in Georgie’s mind, shook Millie because it was all she thought and cared about to be someone she thought her mom would love or be proud of.

“We both stand there like two people crossing each other on a bridge—hovering just a few more moments in between two different worlds that might never cross again. I might see her tomorrow. I might never see her again. Everything feels entirely possible and completely impossible at once, and the moment is passing too quickly for me to even know how I feel.”

(pg. 266)

With everything laid out, they weren’t sure what the future of their relationship was. I really liked the metaphor or analogy Emma Lord wrote because there were endless possibilities to how things could go know that Millie knew her biological mom and Georgie knew her daughter. They met on this bridge—on this new. territory—and they weren’t sure how to navigate or cross the bridge; they had all these new discoveries and didn’t know what came next. Not knowing can be scary, but I also liked how things were so open because it meant that she could have a relationship with her mom in the future if Georgie wanted to. But I also had to give a lot of credit to Millie for being okay with not having a relationship with her mom if Georgie didn’t want to. That can’t be easy, to know your mom and to think that she still doesn’t want to be in your life. But Millie was so mature about telling the mom that if she wanted to be part of her life, that she was always welcome to. I knew Millie was going to be okay because she already had so much love in her life with the people who raised supported, and loved her, that if her mom—-the person she tried so hard to gain love from—didn’t want to be part of the people she loved, then she was okay. More than okay.

“It’s hard to know what to feel even as I go, but maybe I don’t need to know that either. Maybe it’s less about what we need to know and more about what we need to understand.”

(pg. 266)

I really loved how Millie found peace with knowing who her mom was because she could stop vying for other people’s love or approval. She could be more present with the people in her life. She also appreciated the people in her life more because they had always been there to show her unconditional and constant love when she thought she always wanted a mother to add to this complete picture of what she thought family or a normal situation would feel like. I agreed how she never needed to know her mother because she had all these people who loved her and made her feel secure and rooted to who she was.

“I can be uncertain about everything else in my life, but never uncertain about the love in it.”

(pg. 285)

I loved that moment earlier on when Heather asked Millie what phase she was in next and Millie was like:

“I look down at Heather’s boots still on my feet, well-worn and well-loved, lasting me through all these years. I may feel like a blank slate right now, but I’ve always had these as an anchor. Something that has reminded me who I really am, even when I was determined to be anything but myself.

“I think I’ll try something truly radical,” I tell her. “I’ll just be myself.”

Heather’s lips soften into a knowing smile. “My favorite look yet.”

(pg. 290)

I loved loved loved that 💗.

The boots symbolized Heather and the love Heather gave her each step of Millie life—-the mom who was there for her. And Millie finally wanting to be herself, was such a beautiful and amazing thing to hear because she was at a place where she was comfortable with who she was because she had peace and clarity. She had answers. And sure, there might not have been easy answers, but we need to hear things that we don’t want to hear to move past a situation. Again, Millie felt secure in the love around her to finally be who she was because she didn’t feel the need to prove herself to be loved.

I also loved the moment when Heather gifted Millie those new top of the line, your-officially-a-dancer ballet shoes. It was never explicitly said, but Millie didn’t choose precollege and decided to say. It could have been Georgie’s advice, all the people telling her not to go, knowing Mamma Mia was the next school production, or the love she felt with her drama friends during her surprise party. Maybe it was a combination of all those things because her life was in New York with her friends and family so she didn’t need to rush her dream. Also, I loved how Millie went from being adamant about her future plans but changing those plans because things were working out better than she thought they ever could. Life works out that way sometimes where we have this plan for all we hope to do or want and we don’t see how sometimes there’s a better plan working out for us.

Also, she probably stayed for her BOYFRIEND 😂. I am a child.

But am I wrong 🤪?!

I would have stayed for Oliver too. You know, if it weren’t a college thing. She was still in high school, so let her enjoy young love!

I also liked the part at the end when the dad went to Millie’s room with a box of Georgie’s things that he was going to give her when she was old enough. Millie wasn’t going to tell the dad he met the mom, but she did because it wasn’t a secret that felt heavy to tell. I liked how it brought them closer together to finally be on the same page and know who her mom was. It broke my heart when Millie said she would be disappointed if Georgie didn’t want to be part of Millie’s life because that would suck. I didn’t feel like Georgie didn’t want to be part of Millie’s life after she knew who Millie was because Georgie probably wouldn’t have cried that much about it if she didn’t care. I thought they were going to find a relationship together one day in whatever capacity that looked like.

“The smile on his face is every bit as heartbreaking as Georgie’s, almost like he is feeling the aftermath of hers.”

(pg. 293)

I really loved this sentence because it was sooooo well written and packed a punch. I just loved how the dad and her were on the same team and could move on together with the rest of their found family.

Honestly, at this point, it’s not a contemporary romance if it doesn’t have an epilogue 👏🏼😂!

I LOVED the epilogue.

From the moment Teddy and Chloe talked about Cooper and Beth !!Geocaching, I screamed. WAS HE GOING TO PROPOSE?!?!?!

I was SSSSSSSOOOOOO excited for the dad 😆!! I was also so excited for Millie and Chloe because they really would be sisters now and I loved that 💗😢.

I also appreciated how fun and wholesome the epilogue was because it wasn’t just a spew about what the characters had been up to, but I liked how we got to hear about what they were up to while all still being in the moment. I like epilogues that feel present rather than just an info dump about everything and anything. I loved that Millie got into NYU and how that was the same school that one of Oliver’s brothers was going to. I also loved loved loved how Steph, Beth, and Farrah were all still in her life. How very Mamma Mia of Emma Lord! I loved that Farrah and Heather were still dating and how Beth was going to be in her life as her step-mother. Steph was also in her life as her main supporter and someone who could show her the ropes of NYU. It also helped that Steph was in her life because Georgie was in Millie’s life too. I loved how all four of the women had a “book club” where they talked about how they dated Cooper and made jokes about him. It’s just so wholesome and sweet to know that Millie didn’t expect to keep all these powerful and amazing women in her life—-she only expected one mom out of this whole Millie Mia—-but now she had all these wonderful women in her life who she could go to for different things. Such a Mamma Mia parallel and I loved it. I also loved how honest Georgie’s integration into Millie’s life was described. It was awkward and weird because they were still learning about each other, but I liked that. Not all relationships click but have to gradually work its way to being something. I also understood how Millie said that Heather felt like her mom and the mom felt like an aunt; it’s weird but cool how that worked out.

I also loved loved loved when Millie owned up to being Little Jo like I always thought she should. It meant a lot that she looked at this thing that she thought was so embarrassing and she didn’t let it define her or have lots of control over her. I loved how she started her TikTok presence because in this day and age, she probably would go viral. I freaking laughed when Beth beat the dad to saying yes to his proposal. We love to see she was excited to marry him 😆! I also loved loved loved that Millie got to do the Mamma Mia play as Donna and Chloe as Sophie, which felt so fitting for the mentorship or older sister relationship they had throughout the book. Also, I loved how Chloe had such a book role for her first time at this new school. I bet it helped her feel more confident in herself and that she also had many friends because she found her place in the school. I loved loved loved that. I also loved the dedication to Millie Mia with the drink because it encompassed everything and everyone that Millie loved. What a wholesome way to end the story because this journey brought them together in the best possible way.

I really loved how everything worked out for Millie’s Mia because it was a wild, joyous, beautiful, and I really loved how everything worked out for Millie’s Mia because it was a wild, joyous, beautiful, and wholesome ride and I was happy to be a part of it. I appreciated all the Mamma Mia parallels and all the beautifully written scenes that made me feel Millie’s emotions like my own. Everything was super enjoyable to read and I absolutely loved every minute of it. I thought the story emphasized so much growth, discovery, and love. I loved the found family because it was so unique and different from the typical found family, but I think that’s what made the story feel so full of love. I loved the drama 😉 and romance because it was so lovely to see two people who didn’t hate each other but just misunderstood each other. The whole book was lovely.

I loved how everything wrapped up perfectly.

“Really, I’m lucky. Everyone’s happy. My dad found Beth, Heather found Farrah, Teddy found Chloe. Oliver’s my friend, and that’s more than I ever thought we could be. More than enough.

I lingered for a moment before I let his hand go—one last glimpse of what might have been. Then the curtain rises, and the show goes on.”

(pg. 275)

There’s not a lot of critiques or anything I would change about the book because I felt like we had the wholesome scenes, we had an epilogue, we had romance, we had found family, we had love, we had action, we had growth, we had it all in this beautiful book.

Anyway, what was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part?  What did you think of the book?

What is your favorite Broadway production or theater performance?

I have never seen Broadway live, but based on the movies, I love love love Mamma Mia, Hairspray, High School Musical (because yes that’s a musical), and don’t roast me for this, but Shrek the Musical because it was super funny and a good time to watch on Netflix 😂. I recommend watching it if you haven’t. It’s on Netflix.

Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕

I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.

And as always, with love,

Rating

5 Full Bloom Flowers

Characters: I love love love Millie and her spunky attitude. She just exuded so much confidence and support and it was hard not to like her. Oliver was also a gem. Teddy was a softy. And I loved everyone else we met 🥰

Plot: I loved the Mamma Mia tie in with the whole drama theme. I loved the found families, the friendship, the romance, discoveries, and growth.

Writing: Emma lord keeps getting better and better and this is her best book yet

Romance: Enemies to lovers isn’t my favorite trope unless I feel like it’s done right. And this was a romance done right.