DISCLAIMER: This book was sent to me for free in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Ink Road Books for having me on the tour.

Please be aware there may be one fairly major spoiler in this review so please do not read on if you haven’t read the book yet. There will be one final warning right before the spoiler if you’re in a risk-taking mood.

Blurb

It’s been two years since Mila and Blake last saw each other. Much has changed for both of them and Mila’s on a mission to put the past behind her before heading to college. Goodbye family drama, Hollywood crises . . . and Blake. 

Until she finds out Blake is also back in their hometown for the summer, with his troubled father and a brand-new girlfriend in tow. With no way of avoiding each other, it’s impossible to forget what happened between them, and buried feelings soon erupt to the surface. 

Has enough time passed that they could try one last time, or has it been too long since they were on the same path? Will this be the making of Mila and Blake . . . or their undoing?

Review

Get swept into the romance of Mila and Blake’s journey one last time with this fun, dramatic, and at times heart-wrenching, finale.

It’s fair to say that Mila and Blake’s relationship has been filled with teenage drama and enough heartbreak that you wondered if they’d ever actually make it. They are young love personified. There’s something so sweet about reading YA romance, it’s so pure and filled with promise. That’s what I’ve felt every time I’ve read a book in the Becoming Mila series.

Their time apart really gave them both the opportunity for growth. I’ve always felt that you grow so much as a teen in such a short space of time. These characters are proof of that. They stopped letting others control their futures and I felt so much pride for them both.

Whilst it is predominantly a romance, I love how the side character’s stories have been interwoven into the story. Mila’s family and friends are her world so if their stories weren’t explored further it wouldn’t have made much sense. I love her friendship with Savannah and Tori, they are strong and have a wonderful bond. Even when they come up against massive roadblocks that others would give up friendships over, they never lose the love they have for each other. Then there was the cute new stable-hand, Teddy, he wasn’t my favorite character but he served his purpose.

Last, and certainly not least, I have to mention her Popeye, Sheri, and her Dad. Popeye reminded me so much of my own grandparents that I couldn’t help but love him. His stubbornness and desperation to remain independent were very realistic representations of that generation. Sheri was brilliant, and it was super cool to read about her following her own dreams. She proves that you can go chase your dreams at any age! Her dad had a complete transformation book after quitting acting. I actually liked him, which is saying a lot considering how immensely he bothered me in the other books.

As mentioned earlier in this post, a spoiler is coming up. This is your final warning before we get into it. I don’t like providing spoilers but I feel it would be a disservice not to highlight this. The way grief is portrayed is spot-on. I only recently came to learn how intense grief can be and when Mila loses her Popeye, it took me right back to losing my own grandpa. The parallels between her reaction and my own were strikingly similar and it struck so deeply. I admit I nearly had to stop reading the book altogether, but then I realised it was actually helping me deal with my own grief. It had me sobbing, and heartbroken but it made me realise I’m not alone with what I’m feeling. That is extremely powerful and proves how well this has been written.

As always, this book had me reeled in from the first word and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened with Mila and Blake’s journey. The finale was short and sweet which is all it needed to be. There are some books that I’ve read recently (that won’t be named) that have severely overdone it on page count. This is not one of them and I’m so pleased this series has concluded this way. I cannot recommend it highly enough!