Nina’s dad is a morning show host for a radio program so taking a radio broadcasting class her senior year should be easy, right? Well, the people who end up partnering with her to run their own radio broadcast are a group of misfits and include her neighbor and childhood friend Jamie, who she had been successfully avoiding and had hoped to continue to do so until she left for college. It quickly becomes apparent their show is a mess, their host doesn’t have any chemistry on air, and somehow they have two different musical groups fans engaging in a whisper campaign that could end up making their final project a complete failure. Somehow they’ve got to make this all come together!

Emma Mills is very good at drawing me into a story. This one about a high school radio broadcast could have been a very boring tale, but somehow the characters came alive, the dialog became witty, and I wanted to know not only the mystery of what happened between Nina and Jamie, but also what would happen to their final project. Would her father show up and speak or would he be a deadbeat dad. Emma Mills got those hooks in me and did not let go until I was caught hook, line, and sinker.

Now, I am not going to give away any part of the plot because it was very deftly written and truly just a lot of fun to read. What I will say is that Lucky Caller took me by surprise. I loved the family drama, her mom’s fiancé, and the bits with the fans from those two bands who dreamed of meeting their hero’s in person. It was all a little over the top, but you know what? It just worked! This was a fun little bit of drama that I know readers of all ages will enjoy. I would know since I’m well beyond the YA target this book was written for, but I loved how it engaged my imagination and let me draw comparisons to my own teenage life.

What was my favorite part of this story? There were just so many good ones. I really liked the realness of what had happened between Nina and Jamie’s friendship. That arc definitely took me back to my own poor choices. Was it the odd mix of friends that had nothing in common who totally jelled? I did really enjoy their exchanges and moments of verbal brilliance. Really I just think Lucky Caller was a well-rounded bit of contemporary writing. Emma Mills just consistently delivers!

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase!* Lucky Caller

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Only child Devon Tennyson has had her world changed. Her cousin Foster has come to live with she and her parents and now she has the little brother she never wanted. Her safe world has turned upside down and changes are on the horizon, her safe crush on her best friend Cas is pushed to the back burner by first, her cousin Foster, and second by all star quarterback Ezra. Being teamed with both of them in her P.E. class starts a chain of events that changes her world.

I have read one other Emma Mills story, Foolish Hearts. Whereas that novel was different than this one, there was one similarity that I enjoyed seeing adapted again. Both of the female main characters were plodding along and their young worlds got shook up. In First & Then the catalyst is her cousin Foster. His childhood circumstances were heartbreaking and whereas Devon was empathetic, it took Ezra befriending Foster for her to see the big picture and open her heart to enfold Foster into her life.

Devon’s love for Jane Austen is mentioned quite a few times in this novel and you can’t help but make Pride & Prejudice comparisons. Especially between Ezra and Darcy. Her view of Ezra as a snobby standoffish jock was similar to Elizabeth’s of Darcy. As with Pride and Prejudice, when Devon’s crush Cas is actually falling for another girl, it is Ezra who quietly steps in to make her feel good about herself. Albeit in a quiet, non communicative way. I really couldn’t wait until they got past all of the miscommunications and red herrings that were thrown into their path. A sign of a good story and the reader being invested in the relationships for sure!

If you enjoy YA contemporary’s with a hint of romance this novel is the perfect fit for you. Devon is a great leading heroine, but beware, Foster steals the show in this one. He is adorkably cute. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Opinions From around the Blogosphere

“This is a story of love and loss, friendship and family, the high school experience. It’s also about a town and it’s love for football and tradition. It’s about the effects of drunk driving and addiction on the lives of those left behind. It’s a beautiful story of a girl who becomes less judgemental, more assertive and finds love.” My World of Books

“First & Then is a very cute, lovely, heartwarming, funny story about friendship and family, and figuring out what you want in life, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves contemporary YA, especially if they’re a bit sick of the large doses of romance in that genre.” The Reading Hobbit

Click this link to purchase!* First & Then

Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

*Amazon Associate