Missed Messages & Mixtapes

by Amber West

Leo Moore is an ordinary middle-aged man navigating an ordinary middle-aged life, a life that’s been satisfying enough. But being the middle child of two successful, established siblings, whose existence is a constant unintentional reminder of where he’s gone wrong in life, has him contemplating making a change.

When the opportunity to fix a past mistake and create a different future arises, he jumps at the chance to prove to himself and his family that he’s grown and changed for the better. When more of his past shows up then expected, Leo has to figure out what’s worth holding on to and what’s worth letting go.

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2024

About the author

Amber West is a Northeastern transplant dodging rodent sized bugs and sweltering heat in the jungles of Central Florida. When she isn’t battling the urge to pass out, she’s busy being a wife, mother, geek, and writer, in no particular order.

You can find her on Instagram & Threads (@ambernwest).

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber West has done it again!

Leo Moore’s journey in this book is an absolute gem - heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply relatable. As always, Amber West masterfully weaves together humour and heart, creating a story that makes you laugh out loud while tugging at your emotions. Leo’s struggle to redefine himself in the shadow of his family’s success js refreshingly honest, and his quest to right past wrongs is a reminder that it’s never too late to embrace growth and second chances.

Amber is a phenomenal contemporary romantic comedy author, and I had the privilege of diving into this delightful story. I can’t wait to start screaming about it from the rooftops - everyone needs this book in their life!

Highly recommend it to anyone who loves witty, feel-good romances with a touch of soul!

[Amanda Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every minute of this book. It was so nice hanging out with the Moore family again. Leo was my favorite from book 1, so it was wonderful to see him get his HEA in this book. Meena was a wonderful addition to the cast of characters.

Amber West is so good at writing characters. I absolutely fell in love with Arthur in this book. West is also amazing at capturing that 90s nostalgia and sharing Leo and Meena's music without just listing songs.

I truly want more of the Moores. Yearly updates and maybe Oscar's story would be much appreciated. 😉

[Rachel Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missed Messages and Mixtapes by Amber West - 5 🌟

Awww 🥰 this book!! Just makes me happy, smiley and warm inside. The characters are absolutely amazing and their story is incredible. I love Amber’s writing so much that I will forever read everything she writes. Her books are always about the journey and we are in no rush to get there. Life takes time and patience and so does love. Really does just feel like a warm hug when you read Amber’s words. I felt all the emotions reading this!! It was also extremely funny! I was crying with laughter at this one minute and then welling up with emotion the next. The side characters are all amazing and I loved catching up with old friends (that’s what it feels like). Definitely read Love, Loss + Lists first and then this one. Please never stop writing, Amber!

[CK.25 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hesitant to read this as I'm a Henry fan and wasn't overly attached to Leo in the first book. However this was a cute story too and definitely worth the read. I LOVE that we got to see more of Henry and Eva!

[Melanie Wallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. The Moore brothers are great characters and it was wonderful to get Leo's story. The witty remarks between Leo and Meena are completely entertaining. I really hope Amber writes more about the family.

[Lillian Christenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is that this book was amazing!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Leo in "Love, Loss, + Lists," so I was thrilled to hear "Missed Messages + Mixtapes" would be centered around his story! This was a quick read because the characters felt like people I already knew and cared for. While reading, I couldn't help but feel like I was somehow part of their family.

Throughout the book, the witty sense of humor of both Leo and Meena had me laughing out loud! Listening to them recount the umbrella scene with Rosa -- pure gold! But in the same breath, this book also had parts that left me in tears. I absolutely loved the way Arthur's character was woven into the story. His friendship with Meena was so beautiful and clearly cherished.

Amber -- Thank you for allowing us the chance to get to know the Moore Brothers and all of the loved ones that come with them! 5 stars!

[Mike Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber West has done it again! I devoured this book in a 36 hour time period. Masterfully creating a novel so enthralling that I eagerly ate up every word, sentence and chapter. I literally could not put it down. The characters and subject matter were relatable, believable, entertaining and endearing. It was as if the whole story played out in a fishbowl and I was observing from the outside.

Amber is genuinely one of my most favourite authors and I will continue to be first in line to read everything and anything she publishes. I know for a fact that "The Moore Brothers" will be novels I will continue to revisit on a yearly basis. Highly recommend!

[Bookskee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed yet another book by this refreshing author. I thought I would speed through this book but realised that I needed the time to truly process the conversations and banter, the interactions and thought processes of the characters.
This is about the rekindling of a lost friendship between Leo and Meena. Leo's reflection, reevaluation and readjustment of his life with the help of his family took a while but the result was satisfying.
Authur's letter? Precious🥺
This was a sloowww burn. At the end of the day I believe good friends make good partners. I'm so greedy, yet again I wish there were more pages!

Now I'm curious about Julian!

Many thanks to Amber West for the ARC!

[Michael Schnabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amber is back at it again in this much anticipated sequel to Love, Loss and Lists. Leo is such a strong character that you can’t help but be drawn to him and his journey back to the one who got away. This is such a heartwarming read that has everything that I am looking for in a romantic comedy. I look forward to anything that this talented author has to share with the world. Just do yourself a favor and make sure you check out all of Amber’s writings. You’ll be an instant fan always wanting more!

[Tiffani Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love this book! The fact that I had finished the book within the first 24 hours of downloading it is a testament to that. I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed Love, Loss & Lists and adored the character, Leo, so I was absolutely thrilled to discover he was getting his own story. The book had great character development and lots of witty banter and it was sweet without being too mushy or corny. I highly recommend. I would also love to see future stories based off of other characters in Amber’s books.

[Melissa C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Amber West hit it out of the park with this one. I’m so glad she decided to write Leo’s story. While I adored Henry and Eva. Leo and Meena stole a piece of my heart! I love the strong character growth that Amber creates in her characters. I loved learning more about the Moore brothers! This was another emotional ride! I cried and laughed!
This releases on 12/12/24! Treat yourself! It will not disappoint! 💙

[Aline Thielking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I am so glad Amber wrote this sequel! I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this family and friends! They won my heart and I am so happy Leo found his happily ever after! I highly recommend this book!

[Andrea Mass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet and laugh out loud funny :)

Not that I ever want anything bad to happen to Oliver and Agesia, but I do love a marriage in crisis storyline.... so if you ever write it, I'll be first in line to read it 😘

[Siyka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story of Lucas and Meena, and the glimpses of their past as well as the continuing story of Henry and Eva. It was a good read, for sure.

[Aimee | aimeeds.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another perfect romance story from Amber West. I love how she continued Eva and Henry's story and wrapped up Leo's. Just as with Love, Loss, and Lists, the banter is perfect, and the characters are truly loveable. I loved getting a further look into the background of the Moore Brothers and following Leo as he revisits a past love and explores new futures that he didn't expect. I flew through this book because I didn't want to put it down.

Thank you to the author for the ARC and make sure to add this to your reading list once it is published 12/12/24!

[Liana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved getting to read more about the Moore family! My only complaint after the end of book 1 was that I wanted more. In this book we get more of Henry and Eva, more of Eva and Leo, more of Eva and Agesia, more of Leo and Henry all with the wonderful addition of Meena! For any fellow arachnaphobes, I could have done without Rosa (even though some of her scenes lead to cute moments). Leo & Meena are such a good fit together! Love this spice free slow burn romance :)