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