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The Last Mixtape
James Nakamura is a first-grade teacher reeling from the loss of his younger sister. As he struggles to return to the rhythms of normal life, grief is a constant companion, lurking everywhere from a lost cassette tape to existential moments in the dairy aisle. As the immediate support of bereavement fades, and life quietly moves on without him, James is left with a hole in his heart that’s impossible to fill.
Longing for comfort and connection, James finds himself unexpectedly pulled between two Allie, a childhood crush reappearing at just the right time, and Shannon, a student teacher with an infectious innocence. Allie offers a connection to the past and to his younger sister, while Shannon anchors him to the life he’s still trying to build. But both women are already entangled in other relationships, leaving James caught in what a friend dubs “the love pentagram.”
As he navigates a world of long-distance phone calls, coffee dates, and teaching six-year-olds to read, James is haunted by the sense that his life has been irrevocably thrown off course. Behind everything he does, he unconsciously wrestles with a question he hasn’t fully put into "How do you become who you’re meant to be when tragedy has stolen the very years intended to define you?”
Brutally honest, infused with dark humor, and steeped in ‘90s nostalgia, The Last Mixtape invites readers to laugh even while experiencing James’s heartache. It's a bittersweet, deeply human story about love, loss, and the songs that make us rewind.
Longing for comfort and connection, James finds himself unexpectedly pulled between two Allie, a childhood crush reappearing at just the right time, and Shannon, a student teacher with an infectious innocence. Allie offers a connection to the past and to his younger sister, while Shannon anchors him to the life he’s still trying to build. But both women are already entangled in other relationships, leaving James caught in what a friend dubs “the love pentagram.”
As he navigates a world of long-distance phone calls, coffee dates, and teaching six-year-olds to read, James is haunted by the sense that his life has been irrevocably thrown off course. Behind everything he does, he unconsciously wrestles with a question he hasn’t fully put into "How do you become who you’re meant to be when tragedy has stolen the very years intended to define you?”
Brutally honest, infused with dark humor, and steeped in ‘90s nostalgia, The Last Mixtape invites readers to laugh even while experiencing James’s heartache. It's a bittersweet, deeply human story about love, loss, and the songs that make us rewind.
- GenresFiction
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2025
12 people are currently reading
1172 people want to read
About the author
Steve Matsumoto
1 book10 followersSteve Matsumoto is a former teacher turned real estate agent whose first novel, The Last Mixtape, draws on the raw aftermath of losing his younger sister in his twenties. Born in Syracuse, New York, he grew up shoveling snow in May and wearing Halloween costumes that could fit over bulky winter coats. Today, he lives under sunnier skies in Vista, California, with his wife and two sons. His best days are spent drinking coffee, playing mediocre pickleball, and gently tormenting his family with philosophical debate.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 15, 2025
Will definitely pick back up after holidays
January 25, 2026
It hit me harder than I expected. It’s honest - about grief, love and how awkwardly messy both can be. There were moments that really sat with me.
I flew through it but not due to a lack of substance by any means, and I've thought about it numerous times today. I got attached to the characters and I love when that happens. It felt real.
Overall, I’m really glad I read this and would definitely recommend it.
I flew through it but not due to a lack of substance by any means, and I've thought about it numerous times today. I got attached to the characters and I love when that happens. It felt real.
Overall, I’m really glad I read this and would definitely recommend it.
December 12, 2025
Probably more of a 3.5 for me but this was a different sort of book than I usually read. A guy trying to deal with the grief of losing his sister to suicide. Surprisingly light-hearted at times. I enjoyed the fact that it was set in the 90’s. Some of the conversations struck me as too clinical, but I still found it to be a worthwhile read.
October 9, 2025
All the feels! The author really captures the strength, weaknesses, and sometimes extreme awkwardness, of love and grief through James’ experiences with both. The writing is poignant and phenomenal—the emotions evoked by this book stuck with me for a long time after I read the last page. I was completely invested in James and although the ending was not what I was hoping for him, that’s life. And that’s the whole point. Would be a great book club read! Give it a read and give it some thought!
October 22, 2025
This is a lovely book about loss, grief, love and confronting feelings surrounding tragedy.
The writing is quick-paced, full of feelings and often even funny.
I highly recommend this book!!
The writing is quick-paced, full of feelings and often even funny.
I highly recommend this book!!
January 18, 2026
Rating: 3/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
The Last Mixtape is a short novel about the loss of a family member while navigating through several situationships in the shoes of James Nakamura, a first grade teacher.
This book touches on grief and how you find the echo of your loved ones in everyday things. It’s bittersweet at times and occasionally narrates itself as dark humor.
On the other hand, I find it difficult to sympathize with a man juggling two situationships (both of whom are also in separate relationships) cause he felt like the “universe owed it to him”.
The novel is fairly short that reads like a day-in-the-life. The strengths of this book turned out to be when James would reminisce about his sister, Kelly. They were raw moments that put the readers in his shoes. The passage about finding his sister in the water was a beautiful one.
I just wish the last mixtape, the titular item, had more to do with the events in the book rather than it just being played on the car radio.
The two love interests are Allie Lockwood, the artsy childhood crush, and Shannon Walsh, the student teacher.
I struggled to connect with either love interests partly because I had to slog through vivid descriptions of three symmetrical evergreen trees, or how the wooden bleachers were stored upright, or how Santa was on a fire truck cruising through Waller Street. Point is, a lot of the storytelling went into painting the environment rather than the human connections we’re supposed to be witnessing.
While I understand we are reading from James’s point of view, I feel like the love interests weren’t fleshed out enough. They were reduced to simple adjectives like cute, attractive, funny. What outfit they wore. Their descriptions felt surface-level, like they were something to behold.
The middle chunk of the book was alright enough, with the amount of drama one can get when you’re torn between two women. Personally, there should have been more.
What surprised me was the ending of this book. I felt that the last 15% really killed James’s character for me. It was a rant about his personal relationship, his sexual needs, and guilt-tripping his partner into considering marriage and having kids.
Page after page, it was about his sexual frustrations. Nothing was moving forward.
I wasn’t expecting the ending to end the way it did, but it kinda makes sense with the way the book was heading toward. The book may not be for me, but it may be someone else’s cup of tea if they’ve got the time for it.
Thank you NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
The Last Mixtape is a short novel about the loss of a family member while navigating through several situationships in the shoes of James Nakamura, a first grade teacher.
This book touches on grief and how you find the echo of your loved ones in everyday things. It’s bittersweet at times and occasionally narrates itself as dark humor.
On the other hand, I find it difficult to sympathize with a man juggling two situationships (both of whom are also in separate relationships) cause he felt like the “universe owed it to him”.
The novel is fairly short that reads like a day-in-the-life. The strengths of this book turned out to be when James would reminisce about his sister, Kelly. They were raw moments that put the readers in his shoes. The passage about finding his sister in the water was a beautiful one.
“While Kelly had no gravestone, I felt anywhere there was water was a place to connect with her.”
I just wish the last mixtape, the titular item, had more to do with the events in the book rather than it just being played on the car radio.
The two love interests are Allie Lockwood, the artsy childhood crush, and Shannon Walsh, the student teacher.
I struggled to connect with either love interests partly because I had to slog through vivid descriptions of three symmetrical evergreen trees, or how the wooden bleachers were stored upright, or how Santa was on a fire truck cruising through Waller Street. Point is, a lot of the storytelling went into painting the environment rather than the human connections we’re supposed to be witnessing.
While I understand we are reading from James’s point of view, I feel like the love interests weren’t fleshed out enough. They were reduced to simple adjectives like cute, attractive, funny. What outfit they wore. Their descriptions felt surface-level, like they were something to behold.
“Allie bought a floppy hat and wore it for the rest of the day to protect her fair skin. It coordinated well with her floral dress and like the colorful banks of the Delaware; she was the very image of springtime.”
The middle chunk of the book was alright enough, with the amount of drama one can get when you’re torn between two women. Personally, there should have been more.
What surprised me was the ending of this book. I felt that the last 15% really killed James’s character for me. It was a rant about his personal relationship, his sexual needs, and guilt-tripping his partner into considering marriage and having kids.
“Why were we so great at breakfast and not so good in the bedroom?”
Page after page, it was about his sexual frustrations. Nothing was moving forward.
“I’m sorry that my presence is such a burden to you.”
I wasn’t expecting the ending to end the way it did, but it kinda makes sense with the way the book was heading toward. The book may not be for me, but it may be someone else’s cup of tea if they’ve got the time for it.
December 27, 2025
Trigger warning. One of this book's main topics is suicide, so please be warned if that is not a topic you want to read about.
James is a young teacher who teaches first grade. When his younger sister dies by suicide at the beginning of the school year, James isn't certain how he is going to be able to work through the grief. One of his constant companions is the last mixtape that his younger sister sent him before she died. However, after reconnecting with a school crush from his hometown at his sister's funeral and then meeting a student teacher at his school, he finds himself attracted to both of them. The only problem is they both have current boyfriends.
As James navigates through his grief and these new relationships, he learns about himself and what he really wants in life.
I thought this was a very well written book. Definitely different than your typical romance and I thought it was interesting coming from a man's perspective instead of a woman's. The book did a good job of showing James' vulnerabilities as he worked through his grief.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
James is a young teacher who teaches first grade. When his younger sister dies by suicide at the beginning of the school year, James isn't certain how he is going to be able to work through the grief. One of his constant companions is the last mixtape that his younger sister sent him before she died. However, after reconnecting with a school crush from his hometown at his sister's funeral and then meeting a student teacher at his school, he finds himself attracted to both of them. The only problem is they both have current boyfriends.
As James navigates through his grief and these new relationships, he learns about himself and what he really wants in life.
I thought this was a very well written book. Definitely different than your typical romance and I thought it was interesting coming from a man's perspective instead of a woman's. The book did a good job of showing James' vulnerabilities as he worked through his grief.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 22, 2026
This was a quietly powerful and emotionally thoughtful read, even though it’s a little outside my usual comfort zone.Through James’s experiences, the author explores love and grief with a lot of honesty , capturing not just the pain, but also the awkwardness, contradictions, and unexpected moments of lightness that come with loss. The writing is often poignant and emotionally resonant, and some of the feelings this book stirred stayed with me long after I turned the final page.
The story follows James as he tries to cope with the grief of losing his sister to suicide, and while the subject matter is heavy, the tone is surprisingly gentle at times. The 1990s setting added an extra layer of atmosphere that I really enjoyed. Some of the conversations did feel a bit clinical, which occasionally pulled me out of the story, but overall I still found the book engaging and worthwhile.I became invested in James and his journey, even though the ending wasn’t necessarily the one I was hoping for. Still, it felt honest and true to life,and that’s very much the point. This would make an excellent book club pick, as there’s plenty here to reflect on and discuss.
The story follows James as he tries to cope with the grief of losing his sister to suicide, and while the subject matter is heavy, the tone is surprisingly gentle at times. The 1990s setting added an extra layer of atmosphere that I really enjoyed. Some of the conversations did feel a bit clinical, which occasionally pulled me out of the story, but overall I still found the book engaging and worthwhile.I became invested in James and his journey, even though the ending wasn’t necessarily the one I was hoping for. Still, it felt honest and true to life,and that’s very much the point. This would make an excellent book club pick, as there’s plenty here to reflect on and discuss.
February 3, 2026
I was suckered by the cover! I thought this would have lots of musical references, but no. It is a very unsophisticated look at a guy who is grieving the death of his sister while at the same time acting like a middle school kid dealing with crushes. It spent way too much time on the internal dialogue of a guy who is very immature for his supposed almost 30 years old. He felt more like a high school kid than a grown man. And while by the end of the book it turned back to him dealing with his sister's death, it was a quick turnaround on a subject that had pretty much been ignored while the reader followed James around trying to decide between two different girls. Sure that was how he was coping. It just wasn't the ride I wanted. Probably more my fault for loving the cover and therefore skimming the summary.
Thanks to NetGalley and Socks & Mittens Publishing for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Socks & Mittens Publishing for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
October 29, 2025
This is a story of a grieving young man who is ready to be in love and any of us GenX women who were dating in the 1990's will be transported back to this time half our lives ago, navigating through the dating labryinth of what ifs and maybe this times. In addition, I don't think I've read a ton of romance-from-his-point-of-view books, so this was a refreshing change for me, too.
But the backdrop of grief is a reminder that, at any age, we don't really know what's going in other people's lives, and sometimes, they don't either. This was a call for empathy, understanding, and forgiveness that will stick with me.
For GenXers, this is a nostalgia trip despite what is a (hopefully an unrelatable) story about grief and loss and hope, and you're already imagining it come to life on the screen and who you'd love to see star in this story.
But the backdrop of grief is a reminder that, at any age, we don't really know what's going in other people's lives, and sometimes, they don't either. This was a call for empathy, understanding, and forgiveness that will stick with me.
For GenXers, this is a nostalgia trip despite what is a (hopefully an unrelatable) story about grief and loss and hope, and you're already imagining it come to life on the screen and who you'd love to see star in this story.
November 10, 2025
I’ve found myself seeking out novels which approach love and longing through the lens of the male perspective this year, and Steve Matsumoto's story was a great find in that regard. This character-driven story requires you to sit with James Nakamura through the aftermath of a great loss. It's not always easy reading, but it's familiar, relatable, and even funny at times. Bonus: if you lived through the nineties, you'll find plenty to smile and reminisce about between the pages. Most importantly (to me, at least) it's not 'loud' in its exploration and navigation of grief. It holds space for anyone trying to find their way into a 'new normal' without serving up triteness - and I loved that about it.
December 18, 2025
I really enjoyed The Last Mixtape. It’s a thoughtful story about grief and how different people experience it in their own ways. The book is full of nostalgia, and I loved all the music references -they made me want to go back and listen to the songs and really pay attention to the lyrics.
I lost a cousin to suicide when I was in college, and I related to a lot of what James was feeling. Some of his emotions felt very familiar, especially the confusion and sadness that linger long after the loss. Two quotes that really stayed with me were, “Grief doesn’t end. It just changes where it lives,” and “The mountains don’t move. You learn to live beside them.” This was a moving, honest book that stayed with me after I finished it. I'm looking forward to more writing by Matsumoto.
I lost a cousin to suicide when I was in college, and I related to a lot of what James was feeling. Some of his emotions felt very familiar, especially the confusion and sadness that linger long after the loss. Two quotes that really stayed with me were, “Grief doesn’t end. It just changes where it lives,” and “The mountains don’t move. You learn to live beside them.” This was a moving, honest book that stayed with me after I finished it. I'm looking forward to more writing by Matsumoto.
November 3, 2025
Really enjoyed this book! The author captures the quiet triumphs and private doubts of teaching with a level of nuance that only someone who truly understands the classroom could achieve; as a former classroom teacher myself, I found myself connecting with the protagonist in unexpected ways. Furthermore, the novel weaves together broader human themes — especially love and loss — with sensitivity and depth. 5/5 recommend!
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January 9, 2026Loved it!!!! It is funny and nostalgic. I enjoyed going on the main character's emotional journey of high and low feels and actions after the death of his sister. The story illustrates very clearly the realistic portrayal of "Grief" as a personified being ever present, ever waiting, ever controlling as it weaving through one’s life. A reader can expect fun antidotes about friendship, dating, being a working adult, and making decisions. It's a great read!
February 7, 2026
This book started off fairly strong for me and then I didn't really feel like it went anywhere. The main character is an adult but acts fairly immature. The whole love pentagram situation seemed very unlikely as well. I thought more of the book would be him dealing with his sister and the mixtape since that was the title but it was a fairly irrelevant subplot that didn't really get talked about much. Nothing could go right for him and after a while that just got tiresome.
October 12, 2025
Walking with James as he navigated love and life in the shadow of grief was an immersive read. I fell into the scenes and felt right along with him as feelings and emotions swirled around real-life relationship experiences and beautiful and familiar scenery. A fun and easy read with that just-right depth to remember but not overwhelm. Would be fun to read with friends, book club style.
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February 4, 2026Well written novel about a young teacher's life
Interesting exploration of a young teacher whose sister's death impacted his present and future life. He is wondering what challenges he faces moving forward from hopefully husband and fatherhood. It was interesting how he explains his 1st grade students curiosity about his sister and relating how it affected him.
Interesting exploration of a young teacher whose sister's death impacted his present and future life. He is wondering what challenges he faces moving forward from hopefully husband and fatherhood. It was interesting how he explains his 1st grade students curiosity about his sister and relating how it affected him.
February 10, 2026
WOW--this has some heavy stuff in it but mixed with some really wonderful 90s nostalgia. I'm not quite sure how to summarize this novel--with so many complicated topics and emotions, I would imagine this would be a great book for a book club! *I received a complimentary audio-ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
October 13, 2025
Loved the book! Well developed characters with a great plot line. I loved the main characters connection to his sister. Story about loss and finding out who you are in the process of grieving . With a little bit of love thrown in. Will definitely read again!
November 3, 2025
The Last Mixtape is an incredibly thoughtful story of the period of time following a loss when one is trying to find one's way in an irrevocably changed world. Highly recommend this touching and entertaining novel.
February 13, 2026
This book... wow. It has so much deepness and raw honesty about grief and possibly struggling with high functioning depression. I love when books say things that are so obvious or you've think about it before but with words that sound so powerful and perfect.
October 25, 2025
I loved everything about this book. It’s nostalgic. It’s sweet. It’s cleverly written. It’s sad, but at the same time quite funny. I highly recommend it.
November 29, 2025
The Last Mixtape was such a great read! The protagonist deals with navigating grief, career and relationships in his twenties. I found it heartwarming, nostalgic and humorous.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews