Cover by Larissa Ezell
April 9, 2024
“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
A 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.
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.
Art by @joleanart
“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
“The Last Love Song contains so many of the things I look for in a great read—a tender queer romance, a large cast of lovable characters, and deeply felt messages on living with grief while following your dreams. The beautiful prose in this book brings every melody to life, creating a moving portrait of love in all its forms. Sentimental and poetic, I found it impossible not to tear up at the touching mother-daughter relationship that drives this story.”
- Bridget Morrissey, author of That Summer Feeling
“An utterly enchanting tapestry of love, self-discovery, and the pursuit of one’s dreams that kept me spellbound from start to finish and rooting for the characters long after I’ve devoured the final sentence. Much like the book title, Kalie’s writing rings with a beautiful lyricism that elevates the heart-stopping twists and heart-wrenching revelations to a whole new level. Achingly vivid in not just its portrayal of grief but also its exploration of forgiveness, this novel marks a triumphant debut from an extremely talented young author.”
- Kyla Zhao, author of The Fraud Squad
Art by @hachandraws
