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?
Published by Wednesday Books in January 2022!
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Lord’s reads have been a hit or miss for me, with Tweet Cute still fresh in my memory for the grilled sandwiches playing cupid and with You Have a Match being an averagely romantic story set up in a camp of clichés. But I’m happy to say this recent one has been close to hit!
Living in New York, Millie dreams of becoming a famous Broadway star and now she’s gotten into a performing arts school in Los Angeles. But when her introverted single father minds the distance, despite her grandparents being LA based, Millie is determined to find her biological mother—the woman who shares her love for the stage. She knows her mother would say ‘yes’ to her dream school, and so begins Millie’s search for her mother, and eventually herself.
The parental mystery idea didn’t work in You Have a Match for me, but it pleasantly worked here. Maybe it’s the refreshing internal monologue that Lord brings through Millie’s prose, maybe it’s the father’s LiveJournal that is being scoured by Millie, or maybe it’s the backdrop of NYC streets that lets you effortlessly escape through the whimsical plot. But it surprisingly entertains.
As for the romance, it’s clear through my reactions to Lord’s previous works and this one that enemies-to-lovers triumphs best friends-to-lovers—for me. The rivalry that hooked me in Tweet Cute manages to engage me here through a summer internship that motivates two opposites to banter; a great recipe for teen romance, if you ask me. In addition to the fun, the emotional tangibility of this contemporary is worth appreciating for the balance it brings through Millie’s unapologetic dreams, upbeat friendships, and a dad-daughter dynamic.
Maybe if I was interested in theatre or Mamma Mia! or ’90s musical references, I would’ve enjoyed this more but that only shows you how you might like reading this book without any passion for these, so do pick it up when you get the chance.
my rating ↣ ★★★★☆
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The premise really reminds me of Mammamia and it sounds so fun! Glad to hear you loving it!